August

• Inflation remained high in August 2026 due to rising energy prices caused by the war in Iran. • Economists attributed the stubborn inflation rates to increased costs for gasoline and other energy sources. • Consumers will likely face continued financial pressure and higher living costs as Middle East tensions persist.

Annualized inflation rate was 3.4%, same as July, and core inflation, which omits energy and food prices, was up to 2.4%US consumer prices remained stubbornly high in August as the end of the ceasefire between the US and Iran pushed energy prices up, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics released on Friday.The annualized inflation rate was 3.4%, the same as it was in July. The most recent peak was seen in May, when the inflation rate hit a three-year high at 4.2%. Core inflation, which strips out volatile energy and food prices, increased to 2.4% in August. Continue reading...

• The FDA approved six cancer drugs in August 2026, including a new pill for pancreatic cancer called Rasonque. • Patients taking Rasonque lived a median of 13.2 months compared to 6.7 months for those on chemotherapy, reducing the risk of death by roughly 60%. • This approval provides a significant survival increase for pancreatic cancer patients in a disease where gains are typically measured in weeks.

• Thirty-three cybersecurity-related merger and acquisition deals were announced by companies in August 2026. • The deals involved major companies such as Brinqa, Cribl, Echo, Fortinet, Kiteworks, Palo Alto Networks, and Visa, indicating a trend of consolidation in the cybersecurity industry. • This surge in M&A activity suggests that companies are looking to strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities through strategic acquisitions, which could impact the market and competition.

• Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates shared their views on AI in August 2026, with Zuckerberg being hopeful and Gates being cautionary. • The views of these CEOs were part of several manifestos and editorials published in August, highlighting the ongoing debate about AI's impact. • The discussion around AI is particularly relevant for businesses, as highlighted by the founder and CEO of PTP in a follow-up article on AI and cybersecurity.

• Investors committed billions of dollars to startups in artificial intelligence, defense technology, robotics, nuclear energy, and battery storage during August 2026. • Companies like Valar Atomics, Base Power, and Form Energy received funding to develop technologies that increase electricity supply and grid reliability. • This investment trend reflects a growing need for power generation to support rising electricity demands from AI infrastructure and data centers.

• The Supreme Court issued several landmark judgments and legal updates during August 2026, including new training requirements for civil judges and expanded legal protections for live-in relationships. • The court extended the application of Section 498-A of the IPC, which deals with cruelty toward women, to include partners in live-in relationships. • These rulings establish new legal precedents for domestic partnerships and create standard operating procedures to prevent "digital arrests," where scammers trick victims into staying on video calls.

• Thailand’s SET Index closed at 1,595.16 points at the end of August 2026, marking a 26.6 percent gain since the end of 2025. • Listed companies reported a 22.2 percent year-on-year increase in net profit for the first six months of 2026. • Middle East tensions pushed crude oil prices near 90 USD per barrel, creating market pressure that led to a 1.8 percent dip in the index from July.

• The FDA approved seven new drugs in August 2026 across various medical fields. • These approvals cover treatments for sleep disorders, Alzheimer's disease diagnostics, oncology, rare diseases, autoimmune conditions, and hematology. • Pharmaceutical companies can use these approvals to determine new strategies for market entry, exclusivity timelines, and filing processes.

• Late-stage funding captured 77.5% of Singapore's total tech funding in August 2026. • Data from Tracxn shows this represents a surge from zero percent year-over-year. • This shift indicates that investors are prioritizing established companies over early-stage startups in the Singapore tech market.

• The Supreme Court quashed First Information Reports (FIRs), which are initial police complaints, against individuals who protested the NEET paper leak. • This decision followed an assurance from the Centre that legal cases arising from the July protests would not be pursued. • The ruling removes the threat of criminal prosecution for students and activists involved in the demonstrations.

• Tech companies raised approximately $864 million in equity funding during August 2026. • This funding amount represents an 81.36% decrease from the $4.63 billion raised in July. • The sharp decline indicates a cooling investment climate for technology firms seeking capital.

• Euronext announced its trading volumes for August 2026 across its exchanges in Amsterdam, Athens, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Milan, Oslo, and Paris on September 7, 2026. • The company's regulated exchanges hosted over 1,800 listed issuers with €7 trillion in market capitalization as of June 2026. • These figures reflect the scale of Euronext's integrated market infrastructure following its November 2025 acquisition of a majority stake in the Athens Stock Exchange.

• A Stockholm-based AI software company raised $400 million in Series C funding in August 2026 to expand its team and customer base. • The company uses multiple AI models to help non-technical users and businesses create software that currently receives hundreds of millions of monthly visits. • This investment allows the firm to grow its operations across Sweden and the US while moving the platform beyond simple prompt-based interactions.

• European tech companies secured over €4.6 billion across more than 50 funding deals last week. • Dutch AI startup Wonderful led the activity by raising $550 million at a $5 billion valuation. • This surge in capital provides critical liquidity for sectors ranging from quantum computing to food technology across the continent.

• U.S. employers added 162,000 nonfarm payrolls in August 2026, far exceeding the forecast of 53,000. • The AI-exposed information sector shed 23,000 jobs, which is nearly triple its average monthly loss over the past year. • This strong overall job growth increases the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates during its September 15-16 meeting.

Lorena Isceri was thrown off a motorway bridge, allegedly by ex-boyfriend Federico VellaA 45-year-old woman has been killed and thrown off a motorway bridge near Florence, in the seventh alleged femicide in Italy since mid-August.Lorena Isceri was abducted on Thursday afternoon, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, Federico Vella, in the Rifredi area of Florence, before being forced into the boot of his car and driven towards the bridge on the A1 motorway.In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org Continue reading...

• On September 3, 2026, the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all rallied as Treasury yields eased ahead of the August jobs report. • Market optimism was supported by expectations for the S&P Global services PMI (expected 56.8) and the ISM services index (expected 54.1), both indicating continued economic expansion. • This growth suggests the economy is resilient enough to support corporate earnings and risk assets without triggering more restrictive Federal Reserve policies.

• The FDA has approved Oveporexton (brand name Orzeyful), developed by Takeda, for the treatment of narcolepsy type 1 in adults. • As the first drug to directly restore orexin signaling, the twice-daily tablet demonstrated improvements in daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations across two clinical trials. • The approval follows the drug's receipt of FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation and Priority Review, addressing the core biological deficit of the disorder.

• In August 2026, Asian markets showed divergent performance, with South Korea and Taiwan maintaining strong year-to-date gains of over 90% and 64%, respectively. • India's equities declined by 0.2% due to a combination of rising energy costs, modest foreign outflows, and a general decrease in risk appetite. • Southeast Asian results were mixed, as Malaysia (+1.5%) and Indonesia (+0.3%) rose, while Thailand (-1.8%) and the Philippines (-7.2%) fell amid persistent foreign investment outflows.

• In August 2026, the Supreme Court focused on internal reviews of its docket and addressing various unsettled legal matters. • Key rulings included a decision on the eligibility requirements for appointing Civil Judges (Junior Division). • The Court also heard challenges regarding the special intensive revision of electoral rolls and reviewed the constitutionality of the data protection law and transgender persons amendment.

• Binance Margin will remove 12 trading pairs, including TNSR/USDC, SXT/USDC, TURTLE/USDC, AIXBT/USDC, and BREV/USDC, effective September 3. • In a recent interview, Binance founder Zhao Changpeng praised Hong Kong as a progressive "sandbox" for China's digital currency experiments and the Web3 industry. • Zhao emphasized that to remain a leading Asian financial hub, Hong Kong must embrace financial innovation rather than relying solely on traditional models like the HKEX.

• Google announced updates in August 2026 regarding Gemma, an AI model designed to help developers build responsible and innovative applications. • The model has achieved over one billion downloads and is compatible with diverse environments, including mobile phones, edge infrastructure, and space. • Gemma is currently being utilized for high-impact research, such as medical breakthroughs and the study of interspecies communication.

• Eurozone inflation rose sharply to 3.3% in August, driven primarily by a surge in energy prices which climbed more than 14% year-on-year. • National rates varied across the region, with Spain recording the highest inflation at 4.5%, followed by Italy at 3.2%. • Germany and France remained below the headline average at 2.9% and 2.7% respectively, though France saw an increase from its previous 2.4% rate.

• The Iranian regime is attempting to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz by projecting a perceived threat to passing vessels. • US officials reported to Axios on August 19 that CENTCOM campaigns have successfully degraded Iran's maritime surveillance, limiting their monitoring capabilities to a few radars and Fast Attack Craft (FAC). • Despite these losses, reports suggest Iran may have developed a rudimentary "find, fix, and finish" targeting cycle using remaining missile and radar assets.

• House lawmakers returned to Washington on Monday following a five-week August recess to address a short legislative agenda. • The primary objective is a vote on a stopgap spending bill intended to maintain full federal government funding through early December. • This measure is critical to prevent a government shutdown from occurring prior to the upcoming midterm elections.

• Campaign Asia released its weekly "Move and win" roundup on August 31, 2026, detailing recent business wins and executive appointments across the industry. • Key companies featured in the roundup include Supermassive, Singlife, Chop Shop, Visa, AKQA Australia, Havas Play, OpenAI, Nova Studio, Edge Marketing, and Influence Matters. • In a significant regional development, the Hong Kong government awarded promotional contracts for 'Brand Hong Kong' to Founder New Media and Mitopia.

• On August 31, 2026, OpenAI acquired tens of thousands of Mac minis to facilitate the training of specialized computer-use agents. • SpaceX has expanded its manufacturing capabilities by beginning to cast turbine blades to address supply shortages in gas plants. • NASA launched a new flagship telescope, continuing its efforts to expand deep-space observation and astronomical research.