Remain

• David Chao, Global Market Strategist–Asia Pacific at Invesco, identifies AI as both the primary market driver and a significant risk for the upcoming quarters. • The investment outlook for India is improving due to expanding corporate margins, strengthening earnings expectations, and a decrease in crude oil prices. • Despite relatively expensive valuations, Chao expects Indian equities to perform strongly in the second half of the year.

• J.P. Morgan reports that while the United States maintains its global leadership in the AI ecosystem, China is rapidly closing the gap. • China is gaining ground by developing cost-efficient AI models that are increasingly attractive for enterprise adoption. • Despite this competition, U.S. frontier models remain essential for high-level tasks including cybersecurity, scientific discovery, and large-scale reasoning.

• JP Morgan reports that while the United States remains the global leader in AI development, China is rapidly closing the gap by producing more cost-efficient models. • Chinese firms are gaining traction in corporate environments by offering AI systems with significantly lower operational costs than American competitors. • Despite this, US-developed frontier models remain essential for high-level applications, including cybersecurity, scientific discovery, and large-scale reasoning tasks.

Despite plunging fuel prices, trimmed mean inflation increased from an annual pace of 3.4% to 3.6%Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s inflation challenge is far from over and more Reserve Bank rate hikes remain on the cards, economists warn, even after a plunging petrol costs drove an unexpected fall in consumer price growth in the year to May.Annual inflation dropped to 4%, from 4.2% in the year to April, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, dragged down in large part thanks to a nearly 12% drop in fuel prices in the month of May. Continue reading...

Review shows majority of procedures offered alongside standard IVF not backed by reliable evidence Most IVF “add-on” treatments sold to people hoping to boost their chances of having children are not backed by reliable evidence, fail to boost fertility and may be a complete waste of money, the largest study of its kind has concluded.There has been a surge in extra procedures, medicines or techniques offered to patients in addition to standard IVF with bold claims they will increase the probability of success. Take-up is widespread, with more than 70% of IVF patients in the UK, Australia and New Zealand paying for one or more add-on during IVF treatment.Acupuncture – inserting thin needles into points on the body.Corticosteroids – medication to reduce inflammation and suppress immune system activity.Endometrial receptivity testing – a biopsy of the uterine lining to assess gene expression patterns.Intralipid infusion – a liquid containing fats that is administered into the blood.Intraovarian injection of platelet-rich plasma – injecting platelet-rich plasma into the ovaries.Intrauterine infusion of platelet-rich plasma – insertion of platelet-rich plasma into the uterus.Pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy – a screening test to check whether embryos have the expected number of chromosomes.EmbryoGlue – an embryo transfer medium containing hyaluronic acid. The evidence review found it may increase the probability of pregnancy and live birth; however, the effect on live birthrates was not robust.Endometrial scratching – a minor procedure undertaken to scratch or disturb the lining of the uterus. The review found this may increase the probability of pregnancy and live birth.Physiological intracytoplasmic sperm injection (PICSI) – a technique used to select sperm based on their ability to bind to hyaluronic acid. There was weak evidence this may lower the risk of miscarriage. Continue reading...

• Jude Bellingham's exceptional performance against Croatia has solidified his position as a top candidate for England's No. 10 role during the 2026 World Cup. • Despite Bellingham's brilliance, manager Thomas Tuchel is emphasizing the equal importance of Cole Palmer's teammate, Cole Rogers, to the squad's tactical setup. • This internal debate highlights Tuchel's effort to balance superstar individual talent with specific systemic roles to optimize England's offensive output.

JD Vance says talks aim to ‘make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue’Middle East crisis – live updatesTalks between Iran and the US aimed at building out the fragile interim deal to end the war are due to get under way in Switzerland, beset by difficulties including an Iranian decision to keep the strait of Hormuz closed in protest at Donald Trump’s inability to force Israel to end the fighting in Lebanon.The US vice-president, JD Vance, leading the US delegation, said he was adding Lebanon to the agenda, which had originally been conceived to focus on the opening of the strait, the lifting of US sanctions on Iranian oil exports and the unfreezing of Iranian assets held overseas. Continue reading...

• The Federal Reserve has maintained its target interest rate range for the fourth consecutive meeting, keeping borrowing costs elevated. • High interest rates on U.S. Treasury securities are directly increasing the federal government's overall cost of borrowing. • The Treasury projects that U.S. debt as a percentage of GDP will grow to more than five times the size of the economy over the next 75 years.

Attorney asks court to return $82,000 deposit to buyer if 2025 foreclosure is invalidated due to discoveryA person who bought a foreclosed home, as is, in Burlington, Connecticut, discovered the skeletal remains of three people when they first entered the residence.The Connecticut state police reported they received a call on Sunday at 4.46pm from the new homeowner reporting the remains. Continue reading...

Welsh singer, best known for 1983 hit Total Eclipse of the Heart, had emergency intestinal surgery in MayWelsh pop star Bonnie Tyler is no longer in a coma but remains “very unwell” in intensive care at a hospital near her home in Faro, Portugal.The 75-year-old singer received emergency intestinal surgery in May and was placed in an induced coma to aid her recovery. Continue reading...

• A comprehensive overhaul of the European Union's immigration and asylum policy officially enters into force this Friday after a decade of development. • The new rules aim to toughen migration controls in response to increasing political pressure from far-right nationalist parties across the bloc. • Member states are currently struggling to implement the complex regulations, while the "political centre of gravity" continues to shift rightward.

• A major earthquake in the Philippines has affected over 400,000 people and resulted in 47 confirmed deaths. • Four days after the disaster, humanitarian organization CARE reports that access to isolated communities in Mindanao remains an urgent priority. • The situation is critical as thousands of survivors in remote areas are currently cut off from essential aid and emergency services.

US president dismissed Iranian media reports agreement was close, despite earlier suggesting a deal could be signed this weekendMiddle East crisis – live updatesProspects for an immediate end to the war between Iran and the US remained uncertain on Friday amid a chaotic series of conflicting claims and counter-claims by US and Iranian officials about ongoing negotiationsDonald Trump seemed to distance himself from his earlier comments that suggested a preliminary agreement could be signed as soon as this weekend, with a series of angry social media posts describing the Iranians as “very dishonorable people to deal with”. Continue reading...

Trump claims strikes called off as deal is close, but Tehran denies agreement near, while legal experts question if US targets may be a war crime. Plus 20 years of Taylor Swift’s incredible influence on pop cultureGood morning. Yesterday, Donald Trump spent the day promising he was going to hit Iran harder than ever before, then announced – again – that the US and Iran were close to signing a deal. Iran’s foreign ministry dismissed the claim, and Tasnim, the semi-official Iranian news agency, wrote that “until a potential understanding is announced by Iran, any news from Trump on this matter should be dismissed”.The Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said large parts of the text under negotiation had been finalised but Iran would not compromise on its red lines. Two days of escalating attacks between the warring nations had threatened to collapse the fragile ceasefire.What is the issue around the US choice of targets in Iran? Military strikes on 10 June that damaged two water storage facilities in southern Iran may constitute a war crime, legal and military experts say. The attack on the Bemani district destroyed a key reservoir serving about 20,000 people, raising critical legal questions over whether the strike hit a valid military objective or unlawfully targeted a civilian object.Why is there a legal challenge to the method? The method has raised concerns for its apparent brutality. Eugene Smith, the first person to die by nitrogen hypoxia, thrashed and writhed on the gurney, according to witnesses. The last nitrogen execution, of Anthony Boyd, appeared to take more than 30 minutes as Boyd shuddered and gasped. Continue reading...

• London Tech Week 2026 has commenced at Olympia London, serving as one of Europe's premier technology events. • Aaron Hill, Head of Research at FP Markets, highlighted that the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence is currently occurring at an accelerated, real-time pace. • The event underscores the transformative nature of the AI revolution, which Hill describes as both fascinating and frightening due to its unpredictable trajectory.

Experts warn primary vote-counting could go on for days in governor’s race, LA mayoral race and congressional racesThree days after Californians headed to the polls, key races in the primary election remained too close to call and experts warned the counting could continue for days.In the governor’s race, the British-born conservative pundit Steve Hilton was narrowly leading with an estimated 60% of ballots counted by Friday morning. Xavier Becerra, a former US health and human services secretary under Joe Biden, followed closely behind, and billionaire Tom Steyer trailed behind the pair. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November. Continue reading...

• Union Minister Piyush Goyal stated that India is projected to remain the world's fastest-growing economy for the next two decades. • The growth is expected to be driven by an increase in global investments and the expansion of the domestic manufacturing sector. • To highlight this potential, Goyal cited Hyundai's success, noting the company entered India in 1999 with a $200 million investment and has since scaled operations.

Policy agreement means trans people will continue to have access to Kenwood Ladies’ and Highgate Men’s ponds in north-west LondonThe bathing ponds at Hampstead Heath in north-west London will remain trans-inclusive after a public consultation overwhelmingly favoured its existing rules.There are gender-segregated ponds for men and women, with trans people able to swim in whichever they feel most appropriate, or use the heath’s mixed-gender pond instead. Continue reading...

State election officials continue to work through the uncounted primary ballots, a process that could take days or weeksHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The race to become California’s next governor in the Senate remains up in the air, with voters potentially waiting weeks until the results are known.A leftwing US political commentator has described the UK government’s decision to ban him from entering the country as “haunting and hilarious” and “Kafkaesque”. Cenk Uygur, the founder and a host on Young Turks, a well-established progressive media outlet, was banned earlier this week from entering the UK to attend a speaking engagement alongside Hasan Piker, a Twitch streamer who has become a popular figure on the US political left.The US House of Representatives delivered a stunning rebuke to Donald Trump over his war on Iran on Wednesday, as representatives backed a move to force him to seek approval from Congress or withdraw US forces.Before signing an executive order related to customs in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump took seven minutes to reassure an anxious public, beset by worries about a protracted war with Iran, surging gasoline prices and rising inflation, that progress has been made on at least one front: the resurfacing of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is nearly complete.The president also took time to once again attack the CNN host Kaitlan Collins for not smiling in his presence and blamed her network for the suicides of four January 6 defendants.The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, refused to say whether Trump, his family and his businesses would still get immunity from IRS audits after the administration yesterday abandoned plans for a $1.8bn fund that would have benefited the president’s allies.Bessent did confirm that he threatened to beat up a fellow administration member, Bill Pulte, last summer. Continue reading...

• LTM has unveiled "Lakshya 2031," an AI-driven strategic plan aimed at accelerating growth through Business AI, BlueVerse, and the integration of Randstad. • Market analysts and brokerages have reacted positively to the strategy, citing the company's deep client relationships built over 20 years as a primary competitive advantage. • The plan matters as it positions LTM to capitalize on emerging AI technologies to modernize its service offerings and expand its market reach.

• A European Central Bank (ECB) working paper reveals that European households continue to show a persistent reluctance to invest in equity markets. • Utilizing data from the ECB's consumer expectations survey, the report highlights a gap between the known long-term wealth-building potential of stocks and actual investor behavior. • This trend is significant as it suggests that a large portion of the population is missing out on financial growth and diversification opportunities.

• Rising Middle East tensions are pushing oil prices higher, sparking concerns over potential stagflation and economic growth disruptions. • Arnab Das warns that markets may have underestimated the risk of supply chain shocks, particularly regarding potential disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. • Despite these geopolitical risks, the AI revolution remains the primary long-term driver for equity markets, outweighing short-term volatility.

Split decision deals blow to Trump administration’s anti-diversity agenda, calling the ban ‘arbitrary, and based on animus’Transgender troops can remain in the US military, but the armed services can continue to block their enlistment, an appeals court ruled Monday in a split decision with potentially significant consequences for the Trump administration’s anti-diversity agenda.The divided, majority opinion by a three-judge panel of the US court of appeals for Washington DC is expected to be challenged by the government. And the case is ultimately likely to reach the US supreme court. Continue reading...

Remains of Los Alamos employee Melissa Casias found alongside handgun in case that stirred online speculationAuthorities in New Mexico have identified human remains which they recently discovered as those of a Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) employee who had been missing for more than a year.In a statement released over the weekend, state police said the remains belonged to Melissa Casias, a 53-year-old resident of Taos, New Mexico, who was last seen walking eastbound along a state highway on 26 June 2025. Continue reading...

• Hungary has officially decided to remain a State Party to the Rome Statute, withdrawing its previous notification to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC). • The decision was formally communicated by the Hungarian Government to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on May 29, 2026, following a statement from the Assembly of States Parties on May 25, 2026. • This move is significant as it signals Hungary's renewed commitment to ending impunity for the most serious international crimes.

Tragedy in Washington and near-miss in California cast in sharp relief the risk of chemical spills and explosionsFor several tense days last week, tens of thousands of southern California residents were left wondering whether a 7,000-gallon chemical storage tank would either explode or spill out into the streets.The episode cast in sharp relief the risk of chemical spills and explosions that lurk behind every corner of modern life. The methyl methacrylate that recently left the city of Garden Grove teetering on the edge of disaster is just one of many toxic chemicals commonly found in American cities. Continue reading...

• A Philippine minister stated that the country remains under severe territorial and political threat from China, despite the diplomatic outcomes of the Trump-Xi summit. • The tension stems from repeated maritime standoffs in the South China Sea, where Beijing continues to assert expansive claims over waters. • These claims were largely discredited by a 2016 arbitration ruling, yet they overlap with the maritime territories of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.

• UAE health authorities have confirmed that the country's public health situation remains stable while they actively monitor developments regarding the Ebola virus. • To ensure national safety, the government is currently reviewing the virus's spread and reinforcing its medical preparedness and response protocols. • Simultaneously, a World Health Organization (WHO) delegation visited the UAE field hospital in Rafah to evaluate medical and humanitarian services provided in the southern Gaza Strip.