Related

Jefferson county coroner says 40-year-old woman died on Saturday, while two infants died with disease in AugustA coroner in Pennsylvania announced the death of a 40-year-old woman associated with the state’s ongoing measles outbreak. The death appears to mark the third in the US state’s ongoing outbreak.Two previous deaths in the state were in infant children. In one case, the infant was born with a genetic defect that made her vulnerable to infection. The second infant child was infected with measles, and died of a ruptured spleen. Continue reading...

RFK Jr, the health secretary, has suggested the death were ‘fabricated’ while the CDC claimed it was reviewing themTop US health officials and government agencies are currently not including the two recent measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania in their counts.“This is highly unusual,” said Debra Houry, former chief medical officer of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She noted that this did not happen with the three deaths reported from measles in Texas and New Mexico last year. Continue reading...

ONS figures show rising toll of extreme weather, with officials warning this summer on track to set further recordsOver 40,000 more people died on the hottest days in England between 1988 and 2025 than would be expected, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday.The figures do not include this summer, when England has sweltered under a succession of heatwaves and is on track to record its highest ever number of heat-related deaths. The UK Health Security Agency announced on 30 July that an estimated 2,877 people had died in the May and June heatwaves alone. The total is almost double the figure for the whole summer in 2025. Continue reading...

• China is intensifying its crackdown on online rumors targeting businesses, with a specific focus on combating AI-generated misinformation. • To support these efforts, the Supreme People's Court is currently developing new judicial policies regarding AI and data rights. • The country's top legislature has officially added AI-related legislation to its preliminary legislative agenda to strengthen the legal framework.

• Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has upgraded its 2026 GDP growth forecast to a range of 4.5% to 5.5%. • The revision follows a strong performance in the first half of 2026, where GDP growth reached 6.1% year-on-year. • This economic acceleration is primarily attributed to increased demand related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.

• Singapore has significantly raised its annual GDP growth forecast for 2026 to a range of 4.5% to 5.5%. • This new projection is more than double the low end of the previous estimate, which was set between 2% and 4%. • The sharp upward revision is attributed to an economic boost driven by advancements and integration of AI-related technologies.

• President Lee Jae Myung urged the government on Monday to expedite the implementation of AI-related investment projects to ensure national competitiveness. • He called for aggressive government action, including the use of deregulation, to remove obstacles hindering the rapid deployment of these technologies. • Lee emphasized that the coming year represents a "golden time" for South Korea, asserting that the nation's future depends on how it prepares for the AI transition.

• South Korea's Kospi share index plummeted 6% on Wednesday as investors continued to sell off AI-related and chipmaking stocks. • Other Asian markets showed mixed results, with Taiwan's Taiex dropping 3.8%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.8% to 25,762.80 and the Shanghai Composite gained 0.4% to close at 3,830.02. • The downturn in tech shares coincided with a rise in global energy costs, as oil prices jumped more than 3% early in the day.

• U.S. and South Korean companies have signed AI-related deals totaling $950 billion to strengthen technological cooperation. • The agreements were finalized during an AI summit hosted by President Lee, featuring top executives from major firms including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. • This massive investment underscores the strategic partnership between the two nations to dominate the global artificial intelligence infrastructure and semiconductor markets.

• On the 23rd, the KOSPI regained the 7,000-point mark for the first time in five trading days, driven by a recovery in AI-related commitments. • The defense sector saw significant gains, led by Hanwha System (+12.60%), LIG Nex1 (+10.34%), Hanwha Aerospace (+7.52%), and Hyundai Rotem (+6.87%). • This surge in defense stocks is attributed to strong profit momentum as investors anticipate upcoming corporate earnings announcements.

• Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health published a new study on July 20, 2026, regarding formulary-related insurance denials for single-source branded drugs in the U.S. • The report highlights how drug utilization management tools, such as prior authorization, step therapy, and formulary exclusions, are used to reduce overall drug spending. • This is significant because while these measures lower costs for insurers, they may create critical barriers to patient access for essential branded medications.

• Singapore's GDP grew by 5.7% in the second quarter, driven primarily by a surge in manufacturing fueled by AI-related demand. • While goods-producing industries accelerated, the services sector saw a slowdown, edging up only 0.3% sequentially compared to 2% in Q1. • Sector performance was mixed, with real estate expanding due to steady developer activities while the food and beverage services sector contracted.

5.6-magnitude California tremor, 7.2-magnitude temblor in Japan and two quakes in Venezuela all struck within hoursA 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck a rural part of northern California on Wednesday. Hours later, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit the northern coast of Japan and two powerful earthquakes rocked Venezuela in a devastating mass casualty event.The tremors happened in the span of eight hours, prompting online speculation over whether they were related. Continue reading...

• U.S. and Asian markets surged on Thursday, driven by a renewed rally in artificial intelligence-related stocks, with the S&P 500 rising 0.6% in early trading. • South Korea's Kospi hit a record high of 8,930.30, surging 5.4% after Samsung Electronics gained 5.3% and SK Hynix leaped 13%. • Other regional markets saw mixed results, including modest gains for Taiwan's Taiex (0.5%) and India's Sensex (0.7%), while Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.4%.

LSE analysis highlights litigation linked to energy sources, water consumption and air pollutionThe proliferation of datacentres and AI is increasingly at the forefront of environmental litigation around the world from Chile to Ireland, a report has found.In an analysis of about 3,600 climate-related lawsuits filed since 2015, the latest annual review of climate litigation by the London School of Economics (LSE) found a growing number of cases challenging the energy sources, water consumption and air pollution of datacentres, all of which have related climate implications. Continue reading...

Japanese technology company at centre of Post Office IT scandal is negotiating settlement with UK government over faulty softwareBusiness live – latest updatesThe chair of Fujitsu, the Japanese technology firm at the centre of the Post Office IT scandal, has resigned after its board became aware of his “woman-related inappropriate conduct”.The company said on Tuesday that Hidenori Furuta had stepped down after two years in the role. Continue reading...

• The U.S. administration has implemented strict health restrictions, including mandatory quarantine orders for two passengers from a cruise ship affected by hantavirus. • In a more severe measure, the government is blocking American citizens who contract Ebola from returning to the United States for medical treatment. • These policies have sparked significant public health concerns regarding the legality and ethics of denying citizens access to domestic healthcare during crises.

Josie Murray fined $10,500 and disqualified from gun ownership for five years after pleading guilty to possessing a gun silencerGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe grandmother of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont has been fined $10,500 after admitting to a firearms offence unrelated to the boy’s disappearance eight months ago.Josie Murray was fined $10,500 after a hearing in Adelaide magistrates court on Friday, where she pleaded guilty to one aggravated charge of possessing a sound moderator – a device better known as a gun silencer. Continue reading...

• The U.S. administration has implemented strict travel restrictions, including banning entry for individuals from countries experiencing Ebola outbreaks and blocking infected U.S. citizens from returning home for treatment. • Additionally, federal officials imposed mandatory quarantine orders on two passengers from a cruise ship affected by hantavirus. • These measures have sparked significant concern among public health and infectious disease experts, as the World Health Organization explicitly opposes such travel bans.

• University of Cambridge researchers conducted a systematic review of over 3,000 scientific papers focused on climate change mitigation. • The analysis revealed that policy recommendations are often an "afterthought," frequently being non-existent, ignoring uncertainty, or presenting "wish lists" unrelated to the actual study findings. • This gap is critical because it hinders the effective translation of scientific evidence into actionable government policies needed to combat climate change.

• The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect issued Atrocity Alert No. 485, highlighting populations at risk of mass atrocity crimes in Lebanon and Mali. • In Lebanon, reports indicate that Israel expanded its control and increased population displacement on June 1, occurring just one day before the fourth round of direct talks between the two nations. • These developments are critical as they suggest a disregard for ceasefire efforts and increase the risk of further humanitarian crises and atrocities.

• Cybersecurity firm Check Point detected a surge in election-related web activity in January, with approximately 1,300 new domains containing "election" and 2,957 containing "vote." • A new report warns that the upcoming U.S. midterm elections will lead to "elevated" cyber threats targeting media platforms, fundraising sites, and political organizations. • Experts caution that this trend indicates the groundwork for widespread misinformation and disinformation campaigns is already being established.

Girl pulled from River Wharfe in Burnsall, Yorkshire, on Sunday, with temperatures dropping down to average on MondayA 13-year-old girl has died after going into a river and a boy is missing as the water-related death toll reached at least 15 amid a heatwave.The girl was pulled from the River Wharfe in Burnsall, near Skipton, North Yorkshire, on Sunday evening. She was airlifted to hospital where she was pronounced dead, North Yorkshire police said. Continue reading...

• Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced she will not run for president in 2028, while the DOJ launched a probe related to E. Jean Carroll. • A federal judge ruled against the Democratic Party by refusing to block an executive order that tightens rules on mail-in voting. • Tensions rose as Iran targeted a U.S. air base and President Trump signaled that an international agreement is not imminent despite economic and political pressures.

Bodies of two teenagers recovered by emergency workers following separate incidents in Kent and OxfordThe number of water-related deaths during the UK’s recent heatwave has risen to 11 after the bodies of two teenage boys were recovered in Kent and Oxford.Emergency workers recovered the body of a 14-year-old boy from the River Thames near Donnington Bridge, Oxford, at about 5.30pm on Wednesday. Thames Valley police said the boy’s family had been informed and that his death was being treated as “unexplained but not suspicious”. Continue reading...

More than 20,000 attacks on markets, farmland and food distribution systems have been recorded since 2018Hunger is being increasingly exploited as a weapon of war with more than 20,000 documented incidents of “food-related violence” in the past eight years, new analysis reveals.Attacks include 1,261 strikes on markets used by families for daily groceries and 863 incidents in which food distribution systems were targeted and workers killed. Continue reading...

• Dow Jones’ business-news feed surfaced multiple fresh U.S.-relevant market stories within the past hour, including a piece on “The Most Brutal Car Market Is Spreading to the Rest of the World” and a report that Elon Musk lost his case against OpenAI after jury deliberation. • Other prominently listed items include coverage of home prices and rates, with Kathie Lee Gifford seeking $100 million for her Connecticut waterfront home and Home Depot earnings due as mortgage rates hit a year-plus high. • The feed also flagged a bond-market warning for the Federal Reserve to act on inflation and potential rate hikes, underscoring how investors are still focused on policy direction and borrowing costs.

• Uber’s India data-centre bet is being framed as part of a broader tech and cost strategy, with the company weighing infrastructure choices as AI-driven risk rises. • The coverage notes that about 90% of advanced AI users are trimming some form of business process outsourcing spend, underscoring how automation is reshaping enterprise budgets. • The development matters for India’s enterprise-tech ecosystem because it links cloud infrastructure demand with the rapid adoption of AI tools and changing outsourcing patterns.