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• The BSE Sensex surged 965 points and the Nifty50 closed above 24,300 during a volatile trading session on Thursday. • Gains in IT stocks helped the indices remain resilient, offsetting significant profit booking in heavyweight banking and financial shares. • Market sentiment remains cautious due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia, rising crude oil prices, and pressure on global chip stocks.

Pollution levels in the city were elevated as smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted south across a huge swathe of the USThe sun shone feebly through the thick haze. The smell of burning wood hung thick in the air. Many New Yorkers donned masks as the air quality plummeted amid health warnings.The National Weather Service issued an air-quality alert because pollution levels were elevated as smoke from raging Canadian wildfires drifted south across a huge swathe of the US, reaching all the way to New York City and even beyond out into the Atlantic. Continue reading...

• On July 15, the KOSPI surged 6.24%, triggering a buy-side circuit breaker and a temporary program trading halt due to the rapid market climb. • The rally was led by semiconductor stocks, with SK Hynix jumping nearly 9%, while Samsung Electronics and Kioxia both rose by approximately 6%. • This surge was driven by lower-than-expected U.S. June CPI data, which reduced investor concerns regarding potential Federal Reserve rate hikes.

Country risks new tariffs from US and EU as it looks likely to match or beat last year’s record surplus of $1tnBusiness live – latest updatesChina’s monthly car ‌exports topped 1m for the first time in June as overall overseas shipments from the world’s second biggest economy rose 27%.Official Chinese customs data showed that a stronger-than-expected trade performance kept China on track to match or beat last year’s record trade surplus of $1tn (£748bn), achieved despite Donald Trump’s curtailed tariff war. Continue reading...

• U.S. stock indices closed lower on July 13 following a sharp plunge in AI chip stocks and a drop in gold prices below $4,000. • Brent crude oil soared 10% as geopolitical tensions escalated between the U.S. and Iran, involving threats to close the Strait of Hormuz and the restoration of a shipping blockade. • The market is now shifting focus to the start of the second-quarter earnings season, with major banks including JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs reporting on Tuesday.

• Major stock indexes closed lower on July 13, 2026, driven by a decline in memory chipmaker shares, including SK Hynix. • Oil prices surged following President Donald Trump's announcement that the U.S. is reinstating a blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz. • The market volatility coincides with the start of second-quarter earnings reports from several major national banks this week.

• The AI infrastructure security market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.1% through 2030, driven by an increase in sophisticated cyber threats. • Growth is centered on the development of automated threat detection, enhanced real-time monitoring, and the expansion of security frameworks for AI systems. • Global tariffs in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific are currently increasing the cost of imported security hardware and advanced tools.

• On July 9, Japanese and South Korean stock markets opened with significant gains, led by a broad rally in memory chip stocks. • The Nikkei 225 and KOSPI indices both rose, with SK Hynix and Kioxia surging approximately 8%, while Samsung Electronics and SoftBank also saw increases. • The rally is driven by continued high demand for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) fueled by AI growth, which is reshaping earnings for semiconductor firms.

• Major stock indexes declined on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average shedding 800 points following geopolitical instability. • Oil prices surged after President Donald Trump declared the U.S. ceasefire with Iran "over" and threatened to launch further attacks. • The market volatility highlights the immediate impact of U.S.-Iran tensions on global energy prices and investor confidence.

• Asia-Pacific merger and acquisition (M&A) activity has surged to a four-year high, signaling a recovery in regional business confidence. • Despite the increase in deal volume, fees paid to investment bankers have declined, largely because "mega deals" have dropped by 11%. • The current trend is driven by a shift toward smaller, more targeted acquisitions, particularly within the artificial intelligence (AI) sector.

• Samsung reported a massive 1,800% surge in profits, driven primarily by the soaring demand for AI chips. • Despite the growth, the company's shares fell sharply on Tuesday because investor expectations for the performance were even higher. • This growth aligns with South Korea's June announcement of at least $880 billion in investments for chip manufacturing projects led by Samsung and SK Hynix.

Interim president says unrest will not break out despite anger at official response to the 24 June disasterVenezuela’s interim president has defended her country’s emergency response to the twin earthquakes that have killed more than 3,000 people, vowing the country would not descend into social unrest.Many Venezuelans have expressed anger at what they see as the US-backed government’s inadequate response to the 24 June disaster before international teams arrived. Continue reading...

Exclusive: With the technology fast becoming popular in GP surgeries, regulators are monitoring its implementation and potential pitfallsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal health department has raised concerns about the use of AI scribes by doctors as the health regulator considers the need for safeguards around the technology.AI scribe tools record, transcribe and summarise conversations between doctors and patients for medical notes, and have boomed in popularity in the past 18 months. Continue reading...

National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning as high temperatures have paralyzed the east coastOrganizers of Saturday’s Independence Day parade in Washington DC abruptly canceled the event late on the eve of the event, with sweltering temperatures in the nation’s capital and on the east coast wreaking havoc on celebrations of America’s semiquincentennial.The event, hosted by the National Park Service (NPS), was scheduled to begin at 10.30am on Saturday. But organizers said they canceled the procession due to an extreme heart warning issued by the National Weather Service (NWS). Continue reading...

Brexit means ‘home fee’ qualification ends in 2028, leaving those hoping to study in UK not now eligible for loansBritish teenagers living in the EU could be priced out of UK universities in two years’ time as a Brexit rule change means they face the double whammy of paying costlier international fees, while losing access to student finance.British passport holders living in the EU still qualify for “home fee” status at UK universities. But this will no longer be the case when the grace period ends in 2028, meaning the first wave to be affected are starting their A-levels, or equivalent, this autumn. Continue reading...

• A report by MUFG warns that India risks falling behind in the global AI race due to a significant gap in infrastructure spending. • Projections for 2026 show the US leading with $2 trillion in AI investments, dwarfing India's projected $95 billion, which is nearly 20 times less. • Other major spenders include China at $355 billion, the UK at $205 billion, and Germany at $180 billion, highlighting a global surge in AI software and services.

• The USMNT match against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the FIFA World Cup round of 32 averaged a preliminary 24.43 million viewers on FOX. • This figure marks the largest audience for any soccer match on U.S. English-language television, surpassing the 2015 Women’s World Cup Final record of 22.32 million. • The viewership represents a significant surge in interest compared to the USMNT's tournament opener against Paraguay, which drew 18.04 million viewers.

• Japanese and South Korean stock markets opened higher on July 1, driven by significant gains in major tech firms including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. • SoftBank and Kioxia also tracked upward, contributing to the overall rise of the Nikkei 225 and KOSPI indices. • Separately, SpaceX (SPCX) shares closed at $170.86 on Tuesday, marking a 4.06% increase with a trading volume exceeding 82 million shares.

Spokesperson says president has ‘proudly made the US the crypto capital of the world’Sign up for US breaking news alerts emailHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The White House said that Donald Trump has “proudly made the United States the crypto capital of the world” after the president recorded around $1.2bn in income from his family’s cryptocurrency activities.The US supreme court upheld the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship, affirming that nearly all people born on US soil are American citizens and rejecting a central pillar of Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said this order violated the 14th amendment of the US constitution. More here.Meanwhile, the court upheld laws in two conservative states excluding transgender girls and women from competing in female sports in a far-reaching ruling likely to pave the way for similar bans throughout the US and handing Trump a key “culture war” victory. More here.The supreme court will consider whether bans on AR-15 rifles and similar semiautomatic firearms are constitutional. The justices said on Tuesday they will hear appeals challenging bans in Connecticut and the Chicago area in the next term. The high court’s announcement comes on the heels of two recent victories for second amendment attorneys and advocates. More here.Trump announced that Republicans will stage their first ever national convention ahead of the midterm elections, a move aimed at energizing voters as the party fights to hold its narrow congressional majorities in November. The two-day gathering will take place in Dallas on 9 and 10 September, marking a break from the longstanding tradition of holding national conventions only during presidential election years. More here. Continue reading...

• Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix announced on Monday a combined investment of 800 trillion won ($518 billion) to establish a new semiconductor hub in South Korea. • The facility will be located in the country's southwest region, an area that has historically lagged in economic development and lacks major industrial centers. • This massive investment aims to capitalize on the soaring global demand for computer chips driven by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI).

• Palo Alto Networks stock reached a record high of $306.24 on June 26, following a 90% surge over three months driven by record next-generation firewall bookings. • The company is expanding its integrated security stack through the new Idira platform for AI-native identity security and a strategic partnership with IBM's Project Lightwell. • CEO Nikesh Arora warned that "agentic AI" will soon enable autonomous, end-to-end cyberattacks capable of executing in minutes, increasing the urgency for AI-driven defenses.

• While AI-driven demand continues to propel chipmakers and memory suppliers to new heights, the "Magnificent Seven" largest U.S. tech companies have experienced a significant downturn. • This divergence has resulted in trillions of dollars in market value being erased from these seven tech giants within the current month. • The trend highlights a shift in investor sentiment, where the broad AI boom is benefiting hardware infrastructure providers more than the dominant software and platform leaders.

Billionaires’ wealth grew by 25% on average in the year ended in April, research from Swiss bank UBS findsBusiness live – latest updatesThe number of billionaires in the world has jumped by 13% to a record 3,302 people, new figures show, as the super-rich accumulate wealth at an accelerating rate.Billionaires’ wealth grew by 25% on average in the year ended in April, compared with a 10.8% rise in average personal wealth around the world, the Swiss bank UBS found. Continue reading...

• Asian stock markets rallied strongly, with Japan's Nikkei 225 Index reclaiming the 70,000-point mark and South Korea's Samsung Electronics surging over 4%. • The surge was driven by positive momentum from the previous U.S. trading session, a reflow of offshore capital, and improved financial outlooks for local enterprises. • Chip-related stocks saw significant gains, with SK Hynix, SoftBank, and Kioxia all experiencing sharp increases alongside Samsung.

• The S&P/ASX 200 Index closed 0.7% higher at 8,823.40, gaining 59.20 points on the second to last day of the financial year. • Gains were primarily driven by the technology and healthcare sectors, with Neuren Pharmaceuticals soaring 37% following news of pending EU approval for its Rett syndrome drug. • Other notable market movements included HMC Capital securing a new mandate and Atlas attempting to de-escalate tensions with IFM, according to RBC.

• Stock futures indicated a higher opening on Monday as technology stocks sought to rebound following a week of losses for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. • Oil prices saw a modest increase due to geopolitical instability following a weekend of military exchanges between the U.S. and Iran. • Comcast shares surged after the company announced a strategic plan to split its business operations.

• The KOSPI index has surged by 95%, while the KOSDAQ plummeted 10%, highlighting a stark divergence in performance between South Korea's major and venture markets. • The KOSDAQ's decline is attributed to a 30-year systemic failure characterized by the prevalence of "zombie firms," corporate fraud, and inadequate regulatory oversight. • This disparity underscores the marginalization of smaller, high-growth companies as investors shift toward more stable, large-cap assets.

• EU private equity firms invested $6.8 billion in local AI companies in 2025, an 83.3% increase from the previous year. • This significant investment boost is expected to spur growth in the AI sector, with funding for AI startups and adoption of AI solutions by portfolio companies. • The increase in investment is likely driven by the potential for AI to improve operations and create new opportunities for businesses.