Loss

• Pakatan Harapan (PH) is facing a decline in public confidence following three election losses and allegations of abandoned reform promises. • Former senior political secretary Shamsul Iskandar Akin is allegedly linked to a Sabah mining scandal, with whistleblower Albert Tei claiming a payment of RM629,000 was made to him. • Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is embroiled in a citizenship scandal involving forged documents and misleading statements regarding seven "heritage" footballers.

Opposition parties say nationwide protests that forced resignation of education secretary are beginning to dent BJP supportIndia’s ruling Bharatiya Janata party has suffered a byelection defeat in a seat it had held for three decades following the Cockroach movement student protests that have shaken Narendra Modi’s government.Prashant Kishor, a high profile electoral strategist turned politician, scored a breakthrough win for his fledgling Jan Suraaj (Good Governance) party in the Bankipur constituency in Patna, the capital of the eastern state of Bihar. Continue reading...

• Asian stock markets tumbled, with the KOSPI extending losses and the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite falling 0.6% and 0.5% respectively. • AI-related shares dragged down regional markets, though Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.1% as Alibaba surged over 5% following the launch of a new flagship AI model. • Energy producers faced pressure from falling crude prices after President Donald Trump announced that negotiations regarding the Strait of Hormuz would begin on Monday.

• Former OpenAI researcher Leopold Aschenbrenner has been forced to unwind all public stock positions held by his hedge fund. • The liquidation follows significant losses driven by a decline in AI-related stocks and a failed bet against software stocks. • These financial setbacks left the fund scrambling to raise cash to cover its obligations.

• U.S. stock markets recovered more than half of the previous day's losses, driven by a rally in chip stocks and a surge in Microsoft's share price following its latest profit report. • The recovery follows a period of volatility and significant losses, though the market remains sensitive to ongoing economic indicators. • Simultaneously, oil prices stabilized as the dramatic price swings triggered by escalating conflict in the Middle East began to slow.

• Asia-focused equity hedge funds are facing their largest monthly drawdown on record, according to a report from Goldman Sachs released on July 30. • The losses are primarily driven by a broad rout in AI-related stocks, which erased significant gains previously made from crowded bets in the sector. • This downturn highlights the volatility and risk associated with concentrated positions in high-growth technology and AI themes across Asian markets.

• Hut 8 stock fell 6.64% to $94.42 as selling pressure intensified ahead of the company's scheduled Q2 2026 earnings release. • Analysts warn of ongoing technical weakness and heightened downside risk, identifying critical price levels at $102.56 for resistance and $77.74 for support. • The stock's performance is being influenced by recent institutional activity and developments regarding the Beacon Point AI data center.

Rescuers pulling people from the wreckage in southern Japan in a haunting repeat of disaster that struck 10 years ago‘Race against time’: Japan earthquake death toll rises as rescue teams search for missing“There was a voice coming from the collapsed house, and I could see a hand,” Tomohide Nagata, a volunteer firefighter, told the Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun. “One of our senior members crawled in and pulled him out. He was bleeding from the head, but I’m so glad he survived.”Nagata had heard a noise coming from one completely flattened home in the rural town of Hikawa, close to the epicentre of Tuesday’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake in southern Japan. The town was one of the areas hardest hit, with numerous older houses collapsing. Terrified of the ongoing aftershocks, many residents spent Tuesday night in their cars outside Hikawa’s town hall, where staff distributed food and drinks. Continue reading...

• Sonowal Putul suffered his first loss at the Commonwealth Games 2026, losing 0-2 to Malaysia's Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple. • The Indian team missed out on the artistic gymnastics team medal, finishing outside the top positions. • Protishta remains in contention for the vault medal, offering a potential route for India to secure a medal.

• World No. 12 PV Sindhu was eliminated from the China Open 2026 after a hard-fought round of 16 loss to world No. 4 Chen Yufei, falling 16-21, 22-20, 21-18. • Sindhu narrowly missed the quarter-finals after squandering four match points, marking a reversal from her victory over Chen in the Japan Open semi-finals the previous week. • India's overall campaign at the BWF Super 1000 tournament concluded following additional second-round defeats for men's singles players Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty.

• BusinessNext secured $40 million and CARPL.ai raised $10 million in funding rounds reported on July 23, 2026. • Farm Watt Innovations raised ₹32.5 crore (~$3.36 million) from IAN Alpha Fund and Rainmatter to strengthen its biomass supply chain and expand aggregation hubs. • Meesho reported a significant financial improvement, trimming its Q1 losses by 54%.

• Asian stock markets mostly gained as South Korea and Japan recovered from recent losses triggered by a sell-off in artificial intelligence-linked stocks. • Taiwan’s Taiex index rose 3.6%, bolstered by a 2.8% increase in shares of advanced AI chipmaker TSMC. • Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index saw a marginal increase of less than 0.1%, closing at 25,150.75.

• Wall Street is positioned for gains ahead of the opening bell, driven by a recovery in AI-focused chip and memory companies following losses last week. • International markets showed strong momentum, with Taiwan’s Taiex rising 4.2% and AI chip giant TSMC advancing 3.9%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng remained nearly flat at 25,132.29. • Simultaneously, oil prices have increased due to escalating tensions and exchanged attacks between the U.S. and Iran.

• Major stock indexes rebounded on Tuesday, ending a three-session losing streak driven primarily by strong performance in chip stocks. • WTI oil prices rose significantly during the session, reaching their highest trading levels in more than five weeks. • The market shift indicates a recovery in investor confidence following a period of volatility and consecutive declines.

• Wall Street experienced a quiet day of trading as major indices drifted, showing little overall movement. • Artificial intelligence stocks began to stabilize, trimming some of the sharp losses they suffered during the previous week. • This shift suggests a period of consolidation for AI-driven equities after a volatile stretch of investor sell-offs.

• Global stock markets and U.S. futures mostly advanced as investors recovered from recent heavy sell-offs in artificial intelligence-linked stocks. • Asian markets showed strong rebounds, with Taiwan’s Taiex rising 4.2% and the AI chip giant TSMC increasing by 3.9%. • While South Korea and Japan saw gains, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index remained relatively flat, edging down slightly to 25,132.29.

Decline in clearing of trees and shrubs offset by sharp jump in clearing of non-woody vegetationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlmost 90 rugby league fields’ worth of woody habitat were bulldozed in New South Wales every day in 2024, according to new government data which shows the state has failed to rein in high rates of clearing.Clearing of vegetation across the state increased by 16% in 2024, reaching 81,293 hectares (200,879 acres) in total – an area more than 275 times the size of the Sydney CBD. The increase was due to a sharp jump in clearing of non-woody vegetation, up 70% on the previous year. Continue reading...

• Wall Street showed signs of stability on Monday, with the S&P 500 rising 0.4% as AI stocks began to recover from significant losses incurred the previous week. • This rebound follows a period of volatility, marking the index's first losing week in three and only its third decline since late March. • Market stability is being challenged by rising Treasury yields, driven by investor concerns over high inflation and expensive oil prices.

Senator says Trump revisiting failed run against Biden ‘distracts from important things’ such as Iran warRather than continue fixating on the 2020 election defeat that ended his first presidency, Donald Trump could instead “do something positive”, including resolving the US war in Iran, Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman said in an interview on Sunday.“I don’t know why the president is dragging up all this stuff,” Fetterman remarked on CNN’s State of the Union, three days after Trump dedicated a televised, primetime address to claims about Chinese meddling in the 2020 White House race that he lost to Joe Biden. “You’re the president. Do something positive – and you are talking about 2020; that’s been settled over six years ago. Continue reading...

• Asian stock markets declined due to a combination of technology sector losses and rising tensions involving Iran. • Major indices saw significant drops, including China's Shanghai Composite falling 1.6%, the CSI 300 dipping 2.5%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng sliding 2%. • Japan's Nikkei led the losses, while South Korean markets remained closed for a public holiday following a severe semiconductor share selloff.

• South Korean regulators have frozen the issuance of new single-stock leveraged tech ETFs following extreme volatility in the KOSPI index. • The crackdown includes tripling retail margin requirements to curb speculative AI-driven bets that have decoupled from the stable earnings of giants like Samsung and SK Hynix. • This move matters as it aims to protect retail investors from the "Roller KOSPI" effect, where high-leverage trading amplified market swings during the AI chip rally.

• The European Commission has ruled against Google, requiring the company to share specific data with competitors to foster fair competition in the AI search engine market. • In a separate but related regulatory action, the Commission accused Apple of restricting app developers from informing iOS users about cheaper music subscription alternatives for over a decade. • These rulings matter as they target the "walled garden" ecosystems of Big Tech, aiming to lower consumer prices and prevent market monopolization.

• Asian stock markets extended their losses, with Singapore's Straits Times Index dropping 1% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipping 0.5%. • The decline is driven by a surge in oil prices, which has intensified investor concerns regarding global inflation. • Market participants are now awaiting the release of U.S. consumer price index (CPI) data on Tuesday to gauge the Federal Reserve's future interest rate policy.

• The benchmark Sensex and Nifty indices erased early losses to end flat on Friday, eventually rallying by more than 1%. • Gains were driven by heavyweight stocks including Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank, alongside a surge in IT shares. • The IT sector's growth was sparked by TCS reporting better-than-expected June-quarter earnings and signaling a recovery in demand.

• The Democratic Action Party (DAP) in Johor has announced it will conduct a comprehensive review of its losses following the 16th state election. • The party's internal assessment will specifically focus on defeats in key constituencies, including Jementah and Tangkak. • This review is critical for the party to understand the factors leading to its electoral setbacks and to refine its future political strategies.

Group blames expected £30m loss in first half of year on weakening market and lower consumer confidenceVistry Group, one of Britain’s biggest housebuilders, has warned it will make a loss in the first half of the year, after it resorted to heavy discounting to attract buyers for unsold homes .Vistry shares fell by 8% after the firm also announced its finance director was leaving. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Men's National Team's loss to Belgium in the World Cup round of 16 triggered record-breaking betting activity for American sportsbooks. • BetMGM reported that the match became the most-bet soccer game in its history, surpassing betting volumes for the NCAA basketball championship and various professional sports championship series. • The high volume of wagers on the home team allowed sportsbooks to generate significant profits following the U.S. exit from the tournament.

• The U.S. Men's National Team suffered a disappointing loss to Belgium during the World Cup, failing to meet the high expectations of many domestic fans. • Despite the defeat, the tournament highlighted the growth of soccer in the U.S., fueled by star players like Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, and Weston McKennie who compete in top European leagues. • The event mirrors the impact of the 1994 World Cup by increasing national interest through high-quality play and the presence of international fans in U.S. cities.