Jumps

• Blockchain funding in Southeast Asia rose 113% to $680 million in 2026, with Crypto.com leading the surge and Singapore serving as the primary investment hub. • Tracxn reported that tokenization platforms received $114 million in investments, while decentralized application development platforms secured $77 million. • Current funding levels remain well below the 2022 peak when regional start-ups raised $2.2 billion across 206 funding rounds.

• U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs in August while the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1 percent. • Federal Reserve official Mr. Barr stated that the government should act decisively to raise interest rates if inflation does not moderate sufficiently. • Stagnant wage growth relative to rising inflation reduces the actual purchasing power of workers despite the increase in available jobs.

Five jailed after targeting victim and subjecting him to ordeal linked to past relationship breakdownDramatic footage shows a kidnapped man jumping from a first floor window into a tree before running into the street and, by chance, coming across a police car.Lincolnshire police said the ordeal of the unnamed man had been “horrifying” and the presence of a marked police vehicle “may have saved his life”. Continue reading...

• GIFT Nifty has jumped 105 points, signaling a positive opening for the Indian stock market (Dalal Street) despite recent weakness in domestic equities. • Global sentiment remains bullish, with major Asian indices trading higher, including South Korea's KOSPI (+1.33%), Hong Kong's Hang Seng (+0.5%), and Japan's Nikkei 225 (+0.18%). • Investors are currently balancing competing signals, weighing firmer global cues and continued strength in foreign markets against local volatility.

• 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.

• Global equity futures tumbled as long-term bond yields reached multi-year highs, driven by persistent inflation pressures. • Oil prices surged following an escalation in tensions involving Iran, adding further volatility to global energy markets. • Analysts highlight the hawkish stance taken by Kevin Warsh during last week's Jackson Hole symposium as a primary catalyst for expected yield increases.

• Asian stocks rose on Thursday, driven by boosted confidence in the AI rally following a strong sales forecast from Nvidia. • South Korea's Kospi led regional gains with a 2.22% jump, while Japan's Nikkei 225 and Topix indices rose 0.41% and 0.32% respectively. • The rally occurred despite growing market bets that the Federal Reserve may implement further interest rate hikes.