Declines

• The EUR/JPY currency pair fell to around 181.20 during early European trading on Monday as the Japanese Yen strengthened against the Euro. • The decline follows projections from Japanese officials that the Bank of Japan will implement a rate hike this month. • This shift affects currency traders and investors who are monitoring the Euro's value relative to the Yen amid changing Japanese monetary policy.

• Asian stocks experienced a slight decline, with the MSCI Asia Pacific equities gauge dipping 0.1% and South Korea's Kospi Index falling 1.2%. • The downturn in the Kospi is particularly significant as the index serves as a primary bellwether for global artificial intelligence investments. • In contrast, US equity-index futures recovered from early losses, with Nasdaq 100 contracts edging up by 0.1%.

• Former President Donald Trump delivered a speech on Long Island claiming the U.S. has the "best crime record in recorded history" based on recent FBI data. • The New York Times reports that these claims are exaggerated and false, contradicting the actual data released by the FBI on Friday. • In a separate development, Brian Somers of the Utah Mining Association argued that mineral development can coexist with landscape protection.

• Indian stock markets declined on Wednesday, with the Sensex falling over 260 points and the Nifty testing the 24,500 level. • The downturn was driven by rising Brent crude prices and renewed geopolitical uncertainty surrounding the US-Iran conflict, which hindered a potential upside breakout. • In contrast, Asian markets showed mixed results, featuring a significant 4.59% jump in South Korea's KOSPI and gains in Japan and Shanghai, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index traded lower.

• The Indian stock market resumed its downward trend, with the Nifty 50 falling 112.10 points (0.46%) to 24,471.70 and the Sensex dropping 388.19 points (0.49%) to 78,154.25. • This decline occurred following a brief one-day recovery and coincided with the weekly Futures and Options (F&O) expiry. • Separately, the RBI reiterated that Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) with cancelled registrations are prohibited from operating unless specifically permitted.

• Indian equity indices declined moderately, with the BSE Sensex dropping 238 points and the Nifty 50 slipping by 51 points. • The downturn was driven by profit-booking following a recent rally and heightened geopolitical uncertainties. • This trend contrasted with broader Asian markets, where Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 2.92% and Taiwan's Weighted Index surged 4.03%.

• Asian stock markets experienced a downturn, with the MSCI broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares (excluding Japan) falling by 1.7%. • The decline was primarily led by significant losses in South Korean and Taiwanese stocks. • This drop reflects broader volatility in the region's equity markets, impacting key technology and manufacturing hubs.

• On July 8, Japanese and South Korean stock markets experienced a significant downturn, with the KOSPI Index plunging 5.35% and the Nikkei 225 falling 2.11%. • Memory chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix led the decline with losses of approximately 6%, while SoftBank and Kioxia saw more modest decreases. • The crash was primarily driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and sustained selling by foreign investors.

• Eurozone inflation dropped to 2.8% in June 2026, down from 3.2% in May, driven by easing food and energy prices. • The decline was supported by lower inflation data from the region's three largest economies: France, Germany, and Italy. • This trend is significant as it includes a drop in core inflation, suggesting a cooling of broader price pressures.

• European stock markets declined from record highs as investor sentiment shifted away from artificial intelligence and technology sectors. • Zalando saw a decline, while Italy's Banca Ifis shares plummeted 35% following a reduction in its 2026 guidance. • Banca Ifis is now initiating the sale of its non-performing loan business while awaiting a report from a Bank of Italy inspection.

Don Berthiaume, Trump nominee for inspector general at justice department, pressed by senators amid confirmationDonald Trump’s nominee to serve as a top independent watchdog at the Department of Justice has refused to call the January 6 insurrection an “attack” during questioning by US senators.Don Berthiaume, a career justice department employee who has been serving as inspector general at the agency, faced senators as part of his confirmation process to take up the role permanently on Wednesday. Continue reading...

• Stock futures declined on Wednesday, led by sharp drops in technology shares, as investors await a critical upcoming inflation report. • Oil prices increased following U.S. "self-defense strikes" against Iran and comments from President Donald Trump stating that Iran has "taken too long to negotiate a deal." • The market volatility reflects growing economic uncertainty regarding inflation and heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

• The Delhi High Court has declined an urgent hearing on a plea seeking to stop a protest organized by the satirical "Cockroach Janta Party" scheduled for June 6. • The demonstration aims to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following allegations of irregularities in national exams, specifically the NEET-UG and CBSE board exams. • The movement has gained significant traction online, using satire to highlight grievances regarding the integrity of India's educational assessment systems.

Environment minister Murray Watt decides against emergency declaration to halt construction but does not rule out ‘longer term protections’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal government has decided against an 11th-hour intervention to halt construction of an Olympic stadium and aquatic centre in the heart of Brisbane, in a park that traditional owners call “sacred”.The environment minister, Murray Watt, issued a statement on Sunday afternoon to say he had considered applications made under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act for him to stop construction in Victoria Park. Continue reading...

Firms hit by ‘perfect storm’ of uncertainty about Labour leadership and impact of Iran warBusiness live – latest updatesCompanies in the UK’s dominant services sector have reported one of the sharpest declines in business activity in a decade, according to a closely watched index.Businesses are grappling with a “perfect storm” of domestic political uncertainty around Keir Starmer’s leadership as prime minister and the growing impact of the Iran war, leading to soaring costs, supply shortages and job cuts, the report said. Continue reading...

Chief secretary, Darren Jones, says PM is ‘listening to colleagues’ but will make own decisions on way forwardUK politics live – latest updatesOne of Keir Starmer’s closest aides has declined to say whether he would lead his party into the next election amid mounting calls for him to resign.The prime minister is “listening to colleagues” who are asking him to set out a timetable for departure but would make his own decisions about the way forward, the prime minister’s chief secretary has said. Continue reading...

Nobel laureate says he previously considered himself a supporter of Israel, but ‘the campaign of annihilation in Gaza has changed all that’Nobel laureate JM Coetzee has declined to attend an upcoming literature festival in Israel, writing a excoriating letter to organisers citing the country’s “genocidal campaign” in Gaza, stating: “It will take many years for Israel to clear its name”.The 86-year-old author, who was born in apartheid South Africa and lives in Australia, wrote to organisers of the Jerusalem international writers festival in November. Continue reading...

• The CDC reported six more US children died from influenza last week, bringing the season's pediatric flu deaths to 149 as respiratory virus activity slows nationwide. • About 85% of deceased children with known vaccination status were unvaccinated, with flu positivity in labs dropping to 4.7% and hospitalizations falling to 1.3 per 100,000 people. • Influenza B now predominates after surpassing A viruses, with high wastewater levels of RSV, influenza B, rotavirus, and norovirus signaling ongoing risks.

• CDC data reveals sexually transmitted disease rates fell among US adults last year, but congenital syphilis in newborns kept increasing. • This trend highlights persistent challenges in prenatal screening and treatment access for at-risk pregnant women. • Rising newborn syphilis threatens infant health outcomes, prompting calls for enhanced public health interventions.

• Three historical factors that preceded double-digit stock-market declines are present simultaneously in 2026, according to DataTrek co-founder Nicholas Colas, signaling heightened risk for U.S. equity investors. • The S&P 500 has dropped 4.7% in March alone and is down 4.2% year-to-date, on track for its worst monthly performance since March 2025 and first quarterly loss since Q1 2025. • Despite warning signs, Colas maintains a cautiously optimistic outlook, stating there is still time to avoid a double-digit loss if Middle East tensions de-escalate swiftly and crude-oil prices decline.

• U.S. equities declined on March 24, 2026, following a stock recovery on Monday, as the Middle East conflict reignited investor concerns and weighed on market sentiment. • The selloff occurred after initial optimism earlier in the week, with mounting concerns about geopolitical risks affecting trading activity throughout the session. • The market downturn reflects broader volatility as investors grapple with the implications of escalating tensions in the region and their potential impact on oil prices and corporate earnings.

• The US long winter COVID-19 wave is ending with all major metrics showing declines or plateaus in SARS-CoV-2 spread nationwide as of mid-March 2026. • COVID-19 test positivity dropped to 2.5% for the week ending March 14, the lowest since 2022, while emergency department visits for COVID reached just 0.4%. • Cases are declining or likely declining in 45 states per CDC forecasts as of March 17, with flu-like illness visits down 12% to 3.3% and RSV levels also falling.

• The S&P 500 dropped approximately 1%, Nasdaq slid 2.3%, and the Dow remained slightly higher on Wednesday as technology led a broad risk-off move triggered by renewed AI disruption fears and weak corporate guidance. • AMD plunged nearly 17% on disappointing outlook, dragging the semiconductor complex lower with Broadcom falling 7%, Micron dropping 11%, Lam Research down 10%, and Applied Materials declining 9%. • Software stocks extended recent declines as investors reassessed competitive risks following new AI product releases, raising concerns that automation could erode pricing power and margins across enterprise, legal, and financial software sectors.

• U.S. stock markets closed lower Thursday as an energy shock continued weighing on investor sentiment, with the S&P 500 falling 0.27%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 0.44%, and the Nasdaq Composite declining 0.28%. • Commodity-linked stocks experienced severe selloffs: gold fell 4.94%, aluminum dropped over 5%, mining shares plummeted with Hycroft Mining sliding 12.4% and Century Aluminum falling 10.3%. • Asian markets showed mixed performance Friday, with South Korea's Kospi rising 0.6% and China's Shanghai Composite edging 0.2% higher, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.6%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.5%, and Taiwan's Taiex declined 0.2%, with Japan's markets closed for a holiday.

The S&P 500 closed Friday at 6,632.19, down 0.61% for the day and marking its lowest level of 2026 so far, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 119.38 points. This weekly slide reflects broader concerns over escalating Middle East tensions impacting energy supply chains. Energy stocks like Exxon Mobil and Chevron surged over 20% year-to-date, offsetting losses in airlines such as American Airlines down 31%, highlighting sector divergence. Markets face heightened volatility next week depending on oil prices and geopolitical developments.

On March 13, 2026, thousands filled Tehran's streets for Al-Quds Day celebrations marking the third week of war with the US and Israel, highlighting ongoing anti-Western sentiment. Concurrently, polls show waning American tolerance for the protracted conflict, with growing domestic calls for de-escalation amid economic strain. The rallies underscore Iran's resolve, potentially complicating diplomatic efforts as the US bolsters its Middle East presence.