Semi

• Singapore advanced to the ASEAN football championship semi-finals after securing a draw against Indonesia on August 7, 2026. • Ilhan Fandi scored the equalizing goal, ensuring the Lions finished the group stage unbeaten with eight points from four games. • Singapore finished second in Group A behind Vietnam, maintaining a strong defensive record heading into the knockout rounds.

• The European Central Bank (ECB) is hosting and partnering on several high-level academic conferences and seminars focused on economic policy and financial stability. • Key events include a joint conference with the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking celebrating its 50th anniversary, and a workshop with the Centre for Economic Policy Research on household heterogeneity. • Another significant collaboration involves the National Bank of Belgium, Toulouse School of Economics, and Solvay Brussels School to discuss the current state of managing financial crises.

• PV Sindhu has a favorable path at the 2026 Badminton World Championships in New Delhi, avoiding top seeds An Se Young and Akane Yamaguchi until the semifinals. • Sindhu is projected to face China's third seed Wang Zhi Yi in the pre-quarterfinals, followed by a potential quarterfinal match against Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani. • In contrast, Indian players Lakshya Sen and Ayush face significantly more challenging draws in their respective brackets.

Tory leader praises Joshua Bonehill-Paine’s ‘contrition’ but says she has higher thresholds for MP candidatesKemi Badenoch has defended her party’s decision to allow a former neo-Nazi who was jailed for subjecting a prominent Labour politician to antisemitic abuse to stand as a councillor.Badenoch said her party was not giving Joshua Bonehill-Paine, who is standing for election in Somerset, a “national platform”. Continue reading...

Luciana Berger says Joshua Bonehill-Paine should have no role in public life because of ‘his racism and his view of women’A former MP has urged the Tory leader to drop an election candidate who was previously jailed for a campaign of antisemitic abuse against her.Kemi Badenoch on Tuesday defended the Conservative party’s selection of Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi, insisting she believes in “second chances”. Continue reading...

• SemiAnalysis, a research firm specializing in chips and AI infrastructure, is raising a $400 million venture fund according to a U.S. SEC filing. • The move allows the firm to transition from providing research to directly investing in the industries it tracks, building on founder Patel's existing stakes in 20 startups, including Enfabrica and Thinking Machines Lab. • This expansion follows a previous $50 million investment specifically targeted at the AI infrastructure company Fluidstack.

• The KOSPI index closed at 5,593 on July 30, following a day of extreme volatility and a decline led by the semiconductor sector. • The KOSDAQ index also saw a significant downturn, dropping by over 2% by the end of the trading session. • Market instability is attributed to investor anxiety regarding inflation and anticipation of the U.S. June personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index.

• Lam Research reported record fiscal fourth-quarter results on July 29, accompanied by stronger-than-expected future guidance. • The company's growth is driven by surging demand for artificial intelligence, which is accelerating global investments in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. • This trend is fueling expansion across Lam Research's core business segments, specifically in etching, deposition, and related services.

• The Nasdaq surged 2%, driven primarily by strong performance in Microsoft and various semiconductor stocks. • Market activity occurred as investors analyzed megacap tech earnings and the Federal Reserve's recent decision to maintain current interest rates. • In contrast, European markets showed mixed or negative trends, with Germany's DAX down 0.27% and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 projected to drop 0.84%.

Government’s special envoy returns to the witness box again today; three victims found in burned-out house in Wiley Park. Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne of the 19 Closing the Gap targets has officially been reached after early childhood education enrolment for First Nations children hit 95% across the country.Released by the Productivity Commission today, the annual data compilation report showed an increase from 61.3% enrolments in 2016 (the baseline year), to hitting the 95% mark across every state and territory today.This result is encouraging, as are improvements in eight other targets including employment and education.However, it is very concerning that we are still seeing outcomes worsening for early childhood development, children in out-of-home care, incarceration rates and suicide. Continue reading...

• Global semiconductor stocks plummeted, with the US Nasdaq 100 falling 1.8% in early trading and Japan's Nikkei 225 and Taiwan's Taiex both dropping approximately 4%. • The sell-off was triggered by a combination of China's reported breakthroughs in chip manufacturing and growing investor fears regarding AI-related debt. • This downturn is significant as it targets some of the year's biggest AI winners and has pushed the MSCI AC Asia Pacific Index toward a technical correction.

• South Korean venture capital firms are aggressively investing in local semiconductor material startups to capitalize on the escalating global AI chip race. • This surge in funding is driven by the intensifying competition for dominance in artificial intelligence hardware and the critical need for advanced materials. • The trend highlights South Korea's strategic effort to strengthen its domestic supply chain and reduce reliance on foreign semiconductor components.

• South Korean companies have unveiled plans for $950 billion in investments focused on semiconductor supplies, AI data centers, and physical AI projects following a recent AI Summit. • Key partnerships include Hyundai Motor Group collaborating with Nvidia to create a standardized robot reference platform and working with Waymo to manufacture autonomous vehicles. • Samsung SDS has partnered with Anthropic to explore new AI markets and jointly train a new generation of AI engineers.

• Samsung Electronics, SK Group, and other South Korean firms have announced strategic cooperation projects with major US technology companies. • The partnerships involve a combined investment of $950 billion, focusing on semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and robotics. • This massive collaboration underscores the critical interdependence between South Korean hardware manufacturing and US AI software development.

• Samsung Electronics and SK Group are pursuing long-term AI chip and infrastructure deals valued at $950 billion. • The partnerships involve collaborations with major U.S. tech firms, including Nvidia, Broadcom, Microsoft, and Anthropic. • These deals aim to address a deepening global semiconductor shortage by leveraging Korea's leadership in HBM memory and foundry manufacturing.

• South Korean and US technology giants have agreed to pursue $950 billion in semiconductor supply and manufacturing partnerships over the next five years. • The sweeping series of deals was unveiled at the San Francisco AI Summit during a visit by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. • These collaborations aim to advance the Lee administration's flagship megaprojects focusing on semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI.

• The US stock market experienced a significant downturn, sliding nearly 2% as investors shifted toward a risk-off sentiment. • The decline was driven primarily by losses in big tech, artificial intelligence, and semiconductor stocks, compounded by rising oil prices. • This volatility highlights the market's sensitivity to energy costs and the current instability of high-growth tech sectors.

• Israeli Minister Israel Katz (Sa’ar) attributed a recent antisemitic stabbing in New York City to "incitement" by politician Zohran Mamdani. • The IDF reported that settlers raided a Palestinian-abandoned home following repeated harassment, though no arrests have been made. • The Palestinian Authority announced that public employees will receive only 50% of their salaries this month due to Israeli financial restrictions.

• The KOSPI index failed to recover the 7,000-point mark and ended the trading session lower, reversing a previous 5% surge. • Market volatility triggered a buy-side sidecar, as gains in the semiconductor sector were erased, stripping the index of its upward momentum. • This shift highlights the fragility of the current market recovery and the significant impact of semiconductor fluctuations on South Korean equities.

• The United States has launched a historic initiative to rebuild its domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities to support the growing AI revolution. • This strategic shift focuses on securing the "materials stack," which provides the essential compute, memory, and connectivity hardware necessary for sovereign AI. • The effort matters because semiconductors have become the most critical hardware component for maintaining national technological leadership and security.

• Global semiconductor stocks experienced a massive rebound on Tuesday (21st), highlighted by a 5.21% surge in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. • Major industry players saw significant gains, including MediaTek soaring 9.9%, Samsung Electronics climbing over 6%, and Hua Hong Semiconductor skyrocketing 20%. • The rally drove Taiwan's TAIEX up 1,783 points (4.2%), marking its best single-day performance since May and the second-largest closing point gain in history.

• The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surged 5.21% on Tuesday, sparking a widespread rally across Asian equity markets on Wednesday. • South Korea's KOSPI soared over 6%, triggering a market circuit breaker, while Japan's Nikkei rebounded by more than 1,000 points. • The surge was driven by strong export data from Taiwan and South Korea, which bolstered investor confidence in a recovery for semiconductor demand.

• AMD CTO Mark Papermaster asserts that Europe's strategic AI advantage lies in interoperability and supply diversity rather than focusing solely on semiconductor manufacturing. • He argues that the primary challenge has shifted from GPU access to integrating AI into complex operational environments while ensuring security, control, and flexibility. • This shift is supported by legislative efforts, specifically the draft Chips Act 2.0 and the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act.

• TSMC reported Q2 2026 results on July 14, exceeding expectations for both revenue and earnings per share (EPS). • The company provided a Q3 revenue guide that surpassed consensus estimates and announced an increase in its 2026 capital expenditure. • To maintain competitiveness, a proposed strategy for Europe focuses on building a full AI stack, including data centers, frontier models, and independent energy.

• India is expanding its technology strategy beyond chip fabrication and assembly to include the development of semiconductor equipment, materials, and AI capabilities. • The initiative aims to build a comprehensive local ecosystem and strengthen global supply chains and trade partnerships to secure a larger role in the electronics sector. • This shift matters as India seeks to reduce dependency on foreign imports and establish itself as a diversified hub for high-tech manufacturing.

• India's PV Sindhu has advanced to the semi-finals of the Japan Open 2026 after her quarter-final opponent, Nozomi Okuhara of Japan, withdrew from the competition. • Sindhu is now set to face China's Chen Yufei, a former Olympic champion who has reached the semi-finals in all nine of her BWF World Tour 2026 appearances. • This matchup marks Sindhu's third semi-final appearance of the year, following her previous runs at the Malaysia and Australia Opens.

White House Fifa taskforce chief defends Argentina footballers, saying US believes in free speechThe White House has backed Argentina’s footballers who displayed a banner supporting their country’s claim to the Falklands Islands after their World Cup semi-final victory against England.In a fractious match in Atlanta on Wednesday, some players held up a banner after Argentina’s 2-1 win that said: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” – using the country’s term for the South Atlantic islands. Continue reading...

• South Korea's Kospi index crashed through the 6,000 level during the third week of July (13th-16th), experiencing extreme volatility. • The market saw circuit breakers triggered every single trading day, driven by investor fears of a "peak-out" in the semiconductor sector. • Major industry players including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and TSMC were impacted as concerns grew over the sustainability of the AI cycle.