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• Stock markets surged yesterday, led by a significant jump in AI bellwether Nvidia, which rose more than 8%. • The Nasdaq outperformed other indices with a gain of nearly 1.6%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.7% and the DJI increased 0.2%. • The S&P 500 is now positioned less than 3% away from its all-time highs established in May.

Lake has formed at epicentre of flood, forcing rescue teams to withdraw, Chinese state media reportNepal flash flood – latest updatesNearly 1,400 missing, mostly tourists, and hundreds killedVisual guide: how the deadly flooding unfoldedTell us: have you been affected by the flash floods?China has paused rescue work at the epicentre of the catastrophic flooding in Tibet this week amid fears that a lake ⁠formed at the ⁠site ⁠was ⁠at risk ​of ‌bursting, as the overall death toll in Nepal rose to 469 people, with more than 1,300 missing.A lake formed by immense piles of debris has begun overflowing towards the area where rescue teams were headed, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday. Continue reading...

• 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.

Congressman Jamie Raskin asks president’s son to detail firm’s recent success after he joined 1798 Capital as partnerDemocrats on a powerful US congressional committee have launched an investigation into a venture capital firm which has thrived since recruiting Donald Trump’s son.Donald Trump Jr joined 1798 Capital as a partner just days after his father won a second term in office in November 2024. Congressman Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the US House of Representatives judiciary committee, has asked the president’s son to detail the firm’s recent success. Continue reading...

• Asian stock markets rose following a strong earnings forecast from Nvidia, with MSCI’s broadest Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan) climbing 0.7%. • South Korea’s Kospi gained 1.5%, though it pared some early growth after the Bank of Korea raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 3%. • Regional performance was mixed, as Taiwanese shares increased by 0.9% while Japan's Nikkei 225 declined by 0.4%.

• Asian stocks rose for a third consecutive day on August 27, driven by strong investor confidence following a positive earnings report from Nvidia. • Nvidia reported record revenue of $96 billion for Q2 2027, beating market estimates due to sustained high demand for AI hardware. • The surge in Nvidia's shares lifted tech hardware manufacturers across the Asia-Pacific region, though the TSX retreated as some investors locked in gains.

• The Nifty 50 is expected to open mildly positive, with GIFT Nifty September 2026 futures rising by 5.50 points. • Asian markets advanced for a third consecutive session, driven primarily by gains in technology shares following the release of Nvidia's financial results. • In a separate economic move, the Bank of Korea raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.00% on Thursday to combat persistent inflation.

• Toh Ser Khoon of SP reports that Singapore's enterprise AI progress depends on workforce readiness, clear governance, and the redesign of organizational workflows. • While many organizations have started with individual experimentation using available tools, core systems and job roles have remained stagnant. • The next phase of adoption requires shifting from isolated tool use to systemic changes that build trust and integrate AI into how work is organized.

• SMBC Asia Rising Fund and Singtel Innov8 have invested in fileAI to support the company's expansion into the Japanese market. • The funding will facilitate the launch of fileScout, a proprietary solution designed to map and harness unstructured data for enterprises. • This investment comes as enterprise AI adoption accelerates across Asia, highlighting the growing demand for tools that manage complex corporate data.

At least 160 people have died, while officials believe 340 foreign nationals from India, the US, UK, Australia, Malaysia and Ukraine among those missing. Follow the latest newsFlash floods on Nepal-Tibet border leave scores dead and hundreds missingTell us: have you been affected by the flash floods?Authorities in Nepal and Tibet have said they fear the death toll from catastrophic flooding could be much higher than 160 people already killed, as search and rescue efforts to locate the hundreds missing continue.A huge wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border of Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday, triggering the flash flood which washed away houses, roads and border crossings.Rescue teams are rushing on Thursday to find hundreds of people missing after the flood and landslides killed at least 160 people. Many of the missing were foreign tourists, officials said.Nepali police said they had recovered 157 bodies after “devastating floods”, with officers working to move families in flood-risk areas to safety. Chinese state media reported “major casualties” from a mudslide at a Tibet border hub, reporting three dead and another 265 missing. The overall death toll appears likely to rise.Tibet government officials mobilised nearly 800 emergency workers and 150 vehicles as well as sniffer dogs and speed boats to help the rescue efforts, China’s official Xinhua news agency said.At least 403 tourists – 341 of them foreigners – were unaccounted for several hours after the disaster struck on Wednesday morning, according to Nepal’s tourism ministry. The missing foreigners included 142 Indians, 33 from the UK, 47 from the US, 34 from Australia and 24 from Canada as well as others from South Korea, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Portugal and South Africa, the tourism board said. Nine ⁠South Koreans ⁠were missing, the country’s foreign ministry said.At least 28 Nepal police officials were missing, a police spokesperson said.Entire villages and markets were “wiped out”, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said. It was dispatching emergency supplies including blankets, first aid kits, stretchers and body bags.United Nations chief António Guterres said UN ⁠teams ​and ‌partners ‌were ‌mobilising supplies and personnel in Nepal ‌to support affected communities.Surveillance video from the Chinese side of the border showed a raging wall of mud and debris crashing over a building several storeys high, engulfing it as dozens of people flee for their lives below. The surge sweeps away buses and cars.Experts warned that a lingering blockage upstream on the Nepal-China border river could produce a second flood.The cause of the flooding was not immediately clear. Nepalese foreign minister Shishir Khanal said an earthquake likely triggered a landslide, which in turn blocked a river, sending water gushing downstream. Nepal’s disaster authority said satellite data indicated a “snow-rock landslide” on the Nepal-China border may have caused the flood. Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the region.Chinese leader Xi Jinping said “the most urgent task is doing everything possible to search for and rescue the missing people”, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.The US Geological Survey first reported a magnitude-4.4 earthquake early on Wednesday, about 66km (41 miles) north of Kathmandu, near the border. It later updated to call the shaking a 5.2-magnitude landslide. Continue reading...

• Brent crude oil prices have declined for three consecutive days, dropping to approximately $86.7 per barrel, the lowest level seen in two weeks. • The downward trend began on Monday following details released by USTS Bessent regarding "Operation Economic Outcast." • This shift is significant as it signals a U.S. strategic preference for applying economic pressure over military re-escalation.

Andy Burnham stops short of pledging further help as gas and electricity prices due to increase by 4% in OctoberHouseholds are unlikely to receive further energy bills support before the October price cap, though more targeted measures could be looked at if there is a further shock in January, government sources said.Gas and electricity prices will rise by 4% from October under the new cap. The government has already removed VAT from domestic electricity bills to save average households £45 a year, in a move announced in Andy Burnham’s first week in office. Continue reading...

• German business sentiment rose more than expected in August, with improvements reported across all economic sectors according to the Ifo survey. • This positive shift follows a 0.3% increase in Germany's GDP during the second quarter of 2026 compared to the previous quarter. • The rise in sentiment is significant as it signals a broader economic recovery for Europe's largest economy.

Households in Great Britain will pay equivalent of £1,723 a year, prompting calls for more supportMillions of households in Great Britain will face the highest energy charges in three years this winter after months of soaring market prices caused the government’s price cap to rise for a second time in three months.Gas and electricity prices will rise by 4% from October under the new energy price cap, months after climbing 13% at the start of July to take account of soaring global energy market prices caused by the war on Iran. Continue reading...

• Chinese AI firms, including DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, and Z.ai, are now providing consistent competition to leading AI models from the US and EU at the enterprise level. • The rise is driven by the technical capabilities and financial appeal of these models, challenging the previous dominance of Western AI ecosystems. • This shift is significant as it signals a narrowing gap in the global AI race, potentially altering the landscape of enterprise technology adoption.

Robert Corrigan has been dealing with the ‘smart’ rodents all his life – and believes there are better solutions to deal with the growing infestation in the world’s cities“The rodents have paid for every single bill I’ve ever had – every mortgage, every car payment, every pint of Guinness,” says Dr Robert Corrigan. “It’s been a great ride and I’m still at it.”New York-based Corrigan is one of the most respected voices in the world of rodentology. Now in his 70s, he has devoted his entire adult life to studying rats and our relationship with them. Continue reading...

Danish toymaker also scores success with KPop Demon Hunters, Star Wars and botanicals productsBusiness live – latest updatesLego sales have risen by more than a fifth as tie-ups with the football World Cup, Formula One and the hit film KPop Demon Hunters as well as its flower-based and Star Wars kits drive demand.The Danish toymaker said its revenues increased by 21% to 41.9bn Danish kroner (£4.8bn) in the first six months of 2026, driven by strong growth in the Americas, Europe and the Asia Pacific regions. Sales by its clients to consumers rose by 22%. Continue reading...

• US Treasury Secretary Bessent declined to announce secondary sanctions against Iran's trading partners and financial institutions during a recent press conference. • While Bessent unveiled new sanctions targeting specific individuals, entities, and vessels, he issued a final warning instead of the broader measures expected. • The decision falls significantly short of the "economic D-Day" that analysts and markets had anticipated prior to the announcement.

EU police agency says shift could point to involvement of new criminal networks focused on specific artefactsRobberies at European museums are becoming increasingly violent, with thieves brandishing guns, assaulting staff and using sledgehammers, axes and even explosives to smash their way into buildings and display cases, according to a Europol report.The EU police agency said while museum thefts were generally seen as a non-violent form of organised property crime, member states had detected a recent shift “towards violent and forceful methods” that could point to the involvement of new criminal networks that are now focusing on specific cultural artefacts. Continue reading...

World’s largest streaming services have also increased subscription costs repeatedly in US, research findsBusiness live – latest updatesSubscribers to Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video in western Europe have faced higher price increases than in any other market in recent years, according to research.Over the past four years the world’s largest subscription video streaming services have dramatically changed their business models introducing lower-priced, basic advertising tiers to attract new subscribers, while also increasingly monetising users willing to pay more for a premium experience. Continue reading...

• US Treasury yields rose between 2.3 and 4.7 basis points heading into the weekend, shifting the market from bear steepening to flattening and erasing previous drops from a Treasury buyback. • Brent crude climbed to $94.4, its highest level since mid-July, as markets react to escalating geopolitical tensions. • US Treasury Secretary Bessent issued a stern warning in the Financial Times against Iran's trading partners, threatening global isolation for nations serving as "financial arteries" for the regime.

• Economics professor and financial crisis expert Tuomas Malinen has warned that the United States is currently on the verge of a recession. • Malinen highlights a critical indicator where private sector yields have risen above the bank prime rate, a trend that historically precedes economic downturns. • This specific pattern was previously observed prior to the 2008 financial crisis and again following the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Iran has announced that vessels from "authorised" countries passing through the Strait of Hormuz will now be required to pay transit fees to Tehran for services provided. • The move targets ships utilizing the strategically critical waterway, though the specific list of authorized nations and the fee structure have not been detailed. • This development increases geopolitical tension in a region already volatile due to ongoing friction between the US and Iran, potentially impacting global shipping costs.

• American-Argentine actress and singer Maia Reficco discussed her starring role in the upcoming Prime Video coming-of-age romance film, *The Last Sunrise*. • During the interview, Reficco shared insights into her filming experience, including her favorite moments on set and the process of chemistry reads. • Beyond acting, she is expanding her artistic reach by releasing new music and a new single, marking a shift toward a more fearless approach to her career.

• Treasury yields experienced a sudden surge following a surprise buyback move by the U.S. Treasury. • Paul Stanley of Arca suggests that the current volatility reflects a "wall of worry" and indicates that the market may be performing the tightening work for the Federal Reserve. • This shift matters as it highlights a lack of clarity regarding central bank plans and creates short-term instability in the bond market.

• Wall Street benchmark indices rose on Friday, recovering losses following a period of high volatility throughout the week. • The recovery was supported by a stabilizing bond market, as swings in Treasury yields moderated compared to earlier sessions. • This shift is significant because the bond market has been the primary source of turbulence for US financial markets recently.

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.68% on Friday, recovering from a sharp sell-off on Thursday triggered by rising Treasury yields and disappointing Walmart results. • Investors remain cautious as fluctuating oil prices and the Federal Reserve's interest rate outlook continue to impact market volatility. • Market participants are now focusing on upcoming PCE inflation data and Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole speech for clues regarding future monetary policy.

Pima county figures show highest number of monthly migrant deaths in two years as critics condemn US policyAccording to newly released data from the medical examiner’s office in Pima county, Arizona, the remains of 19 migrants, including children, were recovered along the Arizona-Mexico border last month.The figure accounts for the highest number of monthly deaths in that area since 2024 and brings the number of total remains found to 73 this year, 14 more than the same time period last year. Continue reading...