Halt

• European stocks and U.S. futures rose on Monday following an agreement between the United States and Iran to halt recent hostilities and renew diplomatic talks. • The ceasefire led to a decline in oil prices, which had previously spiked due to renewed attacks between the two nations. • This shift toward diplomacy is significant as it reduces geopolitical tension and market volatility surrounding energy supplies.

• The United States and Iran have reached an agreement to halt hostilities and cease strikes against one another. • In a contrasting development, Pakistan launched new military strikes against the Afghan border on Sunday. • These events highlight a volatile global security landscape where diplomatic breakthroughs in one region are met with renewed conflict in another.

• Renewed Iranian attacks following U.S. strikes have created tensions that may jeopardize ongoing diplomatic discussions between the two nations. • A Pakistani source reported to MS NOW that talks are currently on hold, though the Trump administration has denied that any meetings were canceled. • Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf called for an urgent meeting of a newly formed "conflict control unit" involving Iran, the U.S., and Lebanon.

• The United States and Iran have agreed to cease military counter-strikes following several days of escalation that threatened to break a fragile ceasefire. • Both nations will meet this coming Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, to engage in diplomatic discussions aimed at resolving their ongoing dispute. • The talks specifically focus on tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane where military friction has increased.

• Germany recorded a provisional all-time high temperature of 41.3°C in Saarbrücken as a severe heatwave grips Europe. • In Switzerland, the Beznau nuclear power plant took both reactors offline on Friday after the River Aare reached 25°C, a move intended to prevent environmental damage from cooling water discharge. • Scientists at World Weather Attribution report that temperatures across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and southern England are 5–12°C above seasonal averages due to a persistent high-pressure system.

• Germany recorded a provisional all-time high temperature of 41.3°C in Saarbrücken as a severe heatwave grips Europe. • In Switzerland, the Beznau nuclear power plant was forced to take both reactors offline after the River Aare reached 25°C, exceeding safe cooling limits. • World Weather Attribution scientists report that temperatures across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and southern England are 5–12°C above seasonal averages due to a persistent high-pressure system.

• Reporter Catherine Herridge is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to block a ruling that requires her to reveal confidential sources or face a $800-per-day fine. • The legal battle stems from a privacy act lawsuit filed by an individual named Chen, who seeks to identify the sources of stories Herridge wrote for Fox News in 2017. • The case centers on information Herridge reported regarding a U.S. government investigation into Chen's background and an educational program in Virginia.

Catherine Herrridge makes final bid to stave off penalty related to series of stories she wrote in 2017 for Fox NewsMore than two years ago, a US district court judge took the extraordinary step of holding the veteran investigative journalist Catherine Herridge in civil contempt, ordering her to pay a steep daily fine of $800 per day unless she reveals her sources for a series of stories she wrote in 2017 for Fox News.Since then, the case has slowly moved through the appeals process, with Herridge dealt a series of defeats. On Tuesday, the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit issued a one-sentence ruling denying Herridge’s plea to stay the February 2024 ruling holding her in contempt, an order made by district court judge Christopher R Cooper. Continue reading...

• The South Korean Kospi index crashed over 16% during the week of June 23, including a single-day plunge of 10% that marked one of its steepest declines on record. • Market strategist Homin Lee of Lombard Odier attributes the volatility to rumors regarding IPO delays in the United States and price hikes implemented by Apple. • The severity of the crash was significant enough to trigger trading halts, reflecting extreme instability in the regional equity market.

• The South Korean Kospi index plunged 8%, triggering a trading halt due to extreme market volatility. • The crash is attributed to the introduction of leveraged funds linked to blue-chip stocks last month, which have amplified price swings. • High market concentration is a key driver, with the top five stocks making up nearly 70% of the index, including Samsung and SK Hynix.

• South Korea's Kospi index plunged more than 8% on Friday, marking the steepest weekly decline for the market in over three months. • The crash was driven by a massive sell-off in chipmakers and U.S. tech shares, leading investors to liquidate recent gains. • The volatility was so severe that it triggered a circuit breaker, temporarily halting trading to stabilize the market.

• A federal judge has halted an executive order signed by President Trump that aimed to create a centralized federal voter list. • Judge Talwani rejected the administration's motions to dismiss, ruling that postponing judicial review would be impracticable given the upcoming election cycle. • The decision marks the second ruling in two days against Trump's executive orders seeking increased federal oversight of national elections.

• The Trump administration has implemented an indefinite refugee ban and stop-work orders, causing significant delays in funding and reimbursements for resettlement agencies. • These policies have negatively impacted tens of thousands of refugee families and communities both within the United States and globally. • In a recent legal development, the Supreme Court ruled in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado that the administration may legally prevent individuals from seeking asylum at U.S.-Mexico border ports of entry.

• The UN has halted the escort of ships through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was struck by a projectile near Oman. • The attack occurred shortly after Tehran issued warnings to vessels against using shipping routes that had not been approved by Iran. • This escalation highlights Iran's growing influence over a critical maritime corridor that handles approximately 20% of the world's daily oil and LNG supplies.

• South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index experienced a sharp sell-off, plunging more than 10 per cent. • The crash was triggered by investors rushing to book profits in AI-linked stocks, leading to a 20-minute trading halt to stabilize the market. • This event highlights the volatility of the AI sector and the potential for rapid corrections following periods of intense growth.

• South Korea’s KOSPI index plummeted 8% on Tuesday, triggering a circuit breaker that halted trading for 20 minutes. • Major technology stocks led the decline, with SK Hynix falling over 10% and Samsung Electronics dropping 7.5% intraday. • The crash was driven by a selloff in US megacap technology shares that spilled over into Asian AI-related stocks, coinciding with a 1.9% drop in Nasdaq 100 futures.

Decision comes after Aden Duale was held in contempt for ignoring previous high court ruling to stop work The Kenyan health minister told a court he has ordered a halt to preparations for a US-run Ebola quarantine facility, after being held in contempt for ignoring a previous stop-work order.Kenyans have strongly opposed the plan, and deadly protests have erupted since the facility was announced in May for US citizens evacuated from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is grappling with a large-scale Ebola outbreak. Continue reading...

Coroner tells freebirth inquest new material ‘of such significance’ any findings must be postponed so information can be analysedThe closing submissions in an inquest into the death of a woman who gave birth at home with no support from medically trained health workers has been delayed, after new evidence came to light following a forensic analysis of her mobile phone.Stacey Warnecke, a 30 year-old nutritionist, died on 29 September in Frankston hospital in Melbourne. Continue reading...

Move will allow Trump’s controversial pick, Bill Pulte, to assume role and remain in place for at least several weeksSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailDonald Trump abruptly halted the confirmation process for Jay Clayton as the US’s top intelligence chief early Wednesday, in a move that will allow Trump’s controversial selection for acting director of national security, Bill Pulte, to assume the role and remain in place for at least several weeks until Clayton is confirmed.Trump pushed the Senate to confirm Clayton after his appointment of Pulte as acting director sparked bipartisan pushback and stalled his administration’s push for renewal of the controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa). Continue reading...

• Anthropic has halted access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models for foreign nationals after reports that the US government identified a potential jailbreaking vulnerability. • The move has sparked criticism in Europe, with officials like Haddad describing the restriction as a "wake-up call" regarding the intersection of AI and national sovereignty. • This decision is viewed as an acceleration of the geopolitical battle over AI, highlighting the strategic dependency of non-US nations on American technology.

Government urged to reconsider proposal for 1,100 Afghans, currently stranded in Qatar, who worked with US forcesDozens of US lawmakers urged the Trump administration on Thursday to roll back any plans to ship to unsafe third countries Afghan nationals who worked with US forces during the war in their homeland.In a letter seen by Reuters, more than 80 House of Representatives members, including at least three Republicans as well as Democrats, appealed to secretary of state Marco Rubio to reconsider plans for 1,100 Afghans who have been stranded in Qatar awaiting relocation. Continue reading...

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged a current halt in fighting with Iran on June 8, 2026, but vowed to respond "with force" to any future attacks. • In response to the escalating conflict in West Asia, the Indian Embassy in Iran issued a travel advisory on Monday urging Indian nationals to avoid all travel to the country. • The situation highlights the volatile security landscape involving Iran, Israel, and the U.S., posing significant risks to foreign nationals and regional stability.

• Asian markets experienced a significant downturn, led by South Korea's benchmark Kospi index, which crashed nearly 9% due to a tech selloff. • The severity of the Kospi's decline triggered a circuit breaker, resulting in a temporary halt of all trading activity. • Other regional markets also fell, with Japan's Nikkei 225 dropping 3.4% and Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures trading lower than Friday's close of 24,961.95.

• Major Asian stock markets experienced a severe crash, with South Korea's KOSPI index suffering the most significant decline. • Trading on the KOSPI was officially halted after a 9% drop triggered a circuit breaker, while Japan's Nikkei 225 fell by 4%. • Other regional indices, including Hong Kong's Hang Seng, China's Shanghai Composite, Taiwan's TAIEX, and Australia's ASX/200, also saw steep plunges.

Netanyahu acknowledges pause in fighting in TV speech but vows forceful response to future attacksMiddle East crisis – live updatesFears of a return to a full-scale regional war in the Middle East eased on Monday when Israel and Iran said they had halted attacks on each other after an appeal from Donald Trump to “immediately stop shooting”.Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, acknowledged the halt in fighting with Iran in a televised speech, but vowed to respond “with force” to future attacks. Continue reading...

• The Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 surged on Monday, driven primarily by a rebound in chip and technology stocks. • Oil prices saw a decrease in gains following the cessation of military strikes between Israel and Iran. • Campbell's reported a 32% year-over-year drop in operating earnings for its Snacks segment, which includes the Goldfish brand, for the fiscal third quarter.

• Asian stock markets experienced a massive sell-off at the start of the week following a halt in the U.S. technology rally. • The downturn was severe enough to trigger a circuit breaker for South Korea's KOSPI index, reflecting high volatility in the region. • The crash heavily impacted tech-dominant indices in Japan, South Korea, and China, as well as financial hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore.

• Iranian state media announced that talks with the U.S. have halted and warned that "other fronts" are opening, including potential attacks on key waterways. • This escalation follows statements from Donald Trump suggesting the Iranian regime "really wants to make a deal" to resolve ongoing tensions. • Reports from CBS indicate that potential diplomatic arrangements could include sanctions relief or waivers, granting Iran access to billions of dollars in frozen assets.