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The state department will revoke B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026, whose holders have sought or are now seeking asylumDonald Trump’s administration said on Monday it planned to revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the US, marking its latest step in a sweeping immigration crackdown.A state department spokesperson said it was coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security “to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently”. Continue reading...

• Indian stock markets experienced a significant downturn, with the Nifty 50 falling below 24,200 and the Sensex slumping nearly 500 points from its daily high. • While HDFC Bank and Infosys provided some support to the Nifty 50, gains were limited by losses in SBI, Bajaj Finance, Cipla, Titan, and Apollo Hospitals. • In separate corporate news, law firm Trilegal has opened a new office in GIFT City to serve financial institutions and investment funds.

• On August 24, 2026, the Indian stock market saw gains, with the Nifty 50 topping 24,300 and the Sensex rising by over 200 points. • Market attention is now focused on the upcoming Jackson Hole symposium, where signals regarding inflation and interest rates will be critical. • Analysts warn that a hawkish message could increase Treasury yields and strengthen the dollar, potentially reducing demand for risk assets like cryptocurrency.

• Political analysts and party members are drawing parallels between the current midterm election cycle and the 2006 elections, where Democrats saw significant gains. • Key drivers of voter agitation include an increasingly unpopular war in the Middle East and high consumer prices. • The situation is compounded by the president's dipping approval ratings, a trend often seen during the sixth year of a presidency.

Agreement is among largest third-country deportations driven by Trump administration’s immigration crackdown The United States sent 20 deportees to Liberia, who arrived on Thursday as part of 1,200 migrants that the African country will receive under a new deal.The deportees arrived at the Roberts international airport outside Monrovia. The Liberia-US agreement is among the largest third-country deportations driven by the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. Continue reading...

• The Sensex rose by 600 points and the Nifty climbed above 24,200, breaking a seven-day losing streak for the latter. • The rebound was driven by positive global cues, including gains in Asian markets and a recovery in U.S. indices. • Market stability followed an announcement by the U.S. Treasury to double long-dated debt buybacks, which lowered the 10-year Treasury yield to 4.65 percent.

• Indian stock markets opened strongly on August 20, 2026, with the Sensex jumping over 500 points and the Nifty 50 climbing above 24,200. • The rally was driven by improved global risk appetite, as US indices (Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq) gained up to 0.22% and the VIX fell by 6%. • Positive momentum extended across Asia, highlighted by a significant 5.63% rally in South Korea alongside gains in Japan, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

UKHSA rules out British produce as source of infections and says evidence points to consumption of imported eggsOne person has died and more than 200 others have fallen ill during a UK-wide outbreak of salmonella that health officials have linked to the consumption of imported eggs.The 207 people affected range in age from under one year to 90 years old, according to the UK Health Security Agency, which is leading an investigation into the outbreak. Continue reading...

• British sprinter Amy Hunt won the 200m gold medal at the European Athletics Championships, marking her second gold title at the event. • Fellow Briton Dina Asher-Smith completed a strong national showing by claiming the bronze medal in the same race. • Hunt is now aiming for a historic "quadruple" victory as she prepares for the upcoming championships in Birmingham.

Local council described incident as ‘worst act of environmental vandalism in Lane Cove history’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt began with a gardener being hired to trim grass at a harbourside mansion in Sydney – and escalated to payments being left in a shoe for the unlawful felling of hundreds of native trees in protected bushland.Now a court has fined Yi Wang $187,500 for his role in organising and carrying out the destruction of 287 trees from a council-owned foreshore bushland at Woodford Bay in Longueville in late 2023. Continue reading...

• The Sensex dropped over 200 points and the Nifty tested the 23,600 level on Friday as Indian stock markets opened lower. • Market volatility was driven by rising oil prices and investor concerns regarding Iran potentially closing the Strait of Hormuz. • Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv led the declines, while IT stocks such as TCS and Tech Mahindra bucked the trend with gains of 1-2%.

• Indian stock markets trended upward on Thursday, with the Sensex gaining 200 points and the Nifty testing the 24,650 level. • Sectoral performance was mixed, featuring a 3% rise in Reliance Industries (RIL) and gains in Defence and IT, while Power Grid slipped 4% and the Energy sector fell 0.61%. • This domestic growth occurred despite a broader decline in Asian markets, including South Korea's Kospi (-3.64%) and Japan's Nikkei 225 (-1.56%), as investors weighed geopolitical risks in the Strait of Hormuz.

• The author draws parallels between the current political climate and the 2006 midterm elections, noting a recurring pattern of Republican scandals involving figures like Max Miller and Cory Mills. • Key similarities include an unpopular Middle East conflict, the White House pursuing doomed legislative priorities, and a GOP-led Congress struggling to deliver tangible results. • This comparison suggests a systemic vulnerability for the GOP, as similar conditions in 2006 led to significant losses for the party during the president's second midterm cycle.

Montgomery died in a single-vehicle crash in Sydney just one day after completing his latest fundraising cycling trip with his teenage grandsonFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBob Montgomery, a charity cyclist who has just finished a 5,200km bike ride from Broome to Bowral, died on Monday at the age of 82.His family confirmed his death on social media, saying he had died unexpectedly just a day after completing the cycling feat alongside his grandson, Tom, as a fundraiser for motor neurone disease. Continue reading...

• On August 3, 2004, NASA launched the MESSENGER spacecraft, marking the first mission designed to orbit the innermost planet, Mercury. • The spacecraft was specifically tasked with exploring the planet's composition and hunting for evidence of water. • This mission was significant as it provided the first detailed orbital data on Mercury, helping scientists understand the planet's geological history and magnetic field.

• Microsoft experienced its strongest market performance since 2008, signaling that investor interest in the AI trade remains strong despite becoming more selective. • Other semiconductor stocks saw significant gains, with Micron Technology jumping 18.4% and Lam Research soaring 18% following better-than-expected quarterly profit and revenue reports. • These surges provided a critical lift to the S&P 500, helping Micron trim its weekly losses to 5%.

• Day eight of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games featured a mix of results for Australian athletes, including a gold medal win for Isaac Beacroft in race walking. • In a setback for the Australian team, cyclists Felicity Wilson-Haffenden and Sophie Edwards were disqualified, while Nina Kennedy narrowly missed out on pole vault gold. • The event highlights the competitive nature of the Games and the personal journeys of athletes, such as a triple Olympian utilizing sports psychology to pursue gold.

• An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surged to 3,200 confirmed cases and 1,405 deaths, marking the fastest growth rate ever recorded for any Ebola outbreak. • The crisis is exacerbated by a strike of healthcare workers who have walked off the job due to unpaid wages, severely hindering the medical response. • In a critical development, Oxford University has launched trials for the ChAdOx1 viral vector vaccine, the first shot specifically designed to target the Bundibugyo strain.

• HSBC is launching its first global AI centre of excellence in Singapore, which is scheduled to open later in 2026. • The bank plans to hire over 200 specialized staff in the fields of artificial intelligence and wealth management to form the center's core team. • This initiative aims to develop advanced technology specifically for HSBC's global payments operations and wealth management services.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched a €200 billion AI initiative in Paris on February 11, 2025, to strengthen the EU's industrial policy. • The plan includes a proposed €20 billion fund to establish four AI gigafactories, each equipped with roughly 100,000 advanced processors. • This scale represents a significant upgrade, providing approximately four times the chip count of existing facilities in the EU’s supercomputing network.

• Asian semiconductor stocks surged following reports that Alphabet Inc. plans to spend up to $200 billion this year on AI computing power. • Key beneficiaries included SK Hynix Inc., which saw shares climb 6.5% in Seoul, and MediaTek Inc., which rose 5.2% amid reports of developing custom processors for Alphabet. • The rally reflects growing investor optimism regarding the "trickle-down" benefits that massive AI infrastructure investments provide to hardware suppliers.

• SBI Funds Management is partnering with venture capital firm 3one4 Capital to launch a $200 million technology-focused alternative investment fund (AIF). • This initiative marks SBI Funds Management's official entry into India's rapidly growing AIF market to target private technology investments. • The move reflects a broader trend of increasing institutional interest in alternative assets as they gain popularity among high-net-worth investors.

‘Ratepayer Protection Pledge’ president has touted is non-binding as people continue to struggle with rising billsDonald Trump has announced that some 200 entities have signed onto his non-binding “Ratepayer Protection Pledge,” expanding a voluntary commitment which claims to ensure US consumers will not bear the cost of the AI datacenter build-out.Trump delivered remarks on Thursday at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters, alongside Lee Zeldin, the agency’s administrator, and Chris Wright, the energy secretary. Other attendees included governors who signed onto the pledge, including Brian Kemp of Georgia, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Spencer Cox of Utah and Jeff Landry of Louisiana. Continue reading...

Government agency announces status in north Wales and Upper Severn after series of heatwaves and lack of rainfallParts of Wales are now in drought and all other areas of the country are experiencing prolonged dry weather conditions, according to a government agency.Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said on Thursday that record-low river flows, back-to-back heatwaves and widespread wildfires have prompted the declaration of drought status in north Wales and the Upper Severn. Continue reading...

• The S&P/ASX 200 is expected to rise on Wednesday, July 22, following a positive overnight session for commodity prices and a recovery on Wall Street. • Market attention is focused on potential new Section 301 tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% that could be announced this week as current global duties expire this Friday. • In corporate news, SpaceX shares rose 3% on Tuesday, breaking a seven-day decline ahead of its first earnings report scheduled for August 4.

• The Indian stock market experienced a significant downturn, with the BSE Sensex dropping over 670 points and the NSE Nifty50 falling below the 24,200 mark. • This decline is attributed to a combination of recent corporate earnings announcements, global market cues, and shifting macroeconomic developments. • Investors are closely monitoring monsoon patterns and crude oil prices, as these factors directly impact food inflation and the Reserve Bank of India's future policy decisions.

• Indian stock markets declined on Monday, with the Sensex slumping 600 points and the Nifty testing the 24,200 level. • The selloff was primarily driven by escalating Iran-US tensions and investor concerns over rising Brent crude oil prices. • Market performance was mixed across sectors, as Axis and HDFC Bank shares dropped while Tech Mahindra and Bharti Airtel saw gains.

• Mira Murati has officially launched Thinking Machines Lab, introducing a new AI architecture called "Inkling." • TSMC is significantly scaling its U.S. presence with a massive $100 billion expansion of its facilities in Arizona. • OpenAI has entered the hardware market with its first branded physical device, a $230 developer control pad created in partnership with Work Louder.