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Tropical cyclone brings torrential rain and high winds to east coast after hitting Japan’s southern Okinawa provinceTyphoon Dolphin, the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year, has made landfall on the country’s east coast, bringing torrential rain and strong ⁠winds and triggering warnings ​of flooding and landslides.The storm has already swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings. Continue reading...

Rebeca Grynspan seen as continuity candidate with tacit support from current secretary general, António GuterresA Costa Rican diplomat and former vice-president whose parents were refugees from the Holocaust has become the surprise frontrunner to lead the United Nations as its first female secretary general.Rebeca Grynspan, whose parents emigrated to Central America from Poland – and whose maternal grandparents were killed by the Nazis – is the current head of the UN conference on trade and development (UNCTAD), a body that has exhaustively tallied the economic damage inflicted by Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. Continue reading...

Natto toast, fresh fruit sandwiches and soufflé pancakes all part of growing interest in east Asian cuisineGolden brown and glistening with melted butter, a tray of freshly baked bread fills the screen in a TikTok video. The camera lingers on the glossy tops before one bun is gently pulled apart, revealing a cloud-soft interior.The clip is one of countless videos of Japanese milk buns that have racked up millions of views and thousands of comments and shares, helping to propel the pillowy rolls into UK supermarkets. Continue reading...

• European stock markets, including the DAX, CAC, and FTSE 100, are on track for their strongest weekly performance since late June. • Major regional indices have reached fresh record highs, driven by a robust round of corporate earnings that has bolstered investor sentiment. • This positive momentum has allowed markets to offset renewed geopolitical concerns and volatility.

• European stock markets reached record highs driven by strong corporate earnings and investor optimism regarding a potential peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran. • Key contributors to the rally included resilient technology shares and sectoral advances led by companies such as Deutsche Telekom and Glanbia. • The surge in sentiment is significant as it eases global energy supply concerns and reflects improving earnings expectations across the region.

• Tanvi Sharma and other Indian women's singles players delivered strong performances at the Korea Masters, while the men's side suffered early exits, including Kidambi Srikanth. • Fifth seed Isharani Baruah advanced to the next round by defeating Korea's Lee So Yul in a three-game match (21-18, 15-21, 21-7). • Eighth seed Anmol Kharb also progressed after overcoming Hong Kong's Lo Sin Yan Happy with a comeback victory (16-21, 21-17, 21-12).

• U.S. stocks slid on August 5, 2026, following a period of record-breaking highs for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 driven by strong corporate earnings. • Investors are currently pausing to evaluate several volatile factors, including rising oil prices and the status of ongoing diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. • Market attention is now shifting toward upcoming financial reports from major companies, specifically Disney, Shopify, and Kimberly-Clark.

• The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average both closed at record highs, driven by strong corporate earnings and geopolitical optimism. • Investors were reassured by robust earnings reports that highlighted sustained demand for AI-linked technologies, offsetting concerns over high gas prices and persistent inflation. • Market gains were further bolstered by hopes that a diplomatic deal would be reached to end the war in Iran.

• Stock futures reached new record highs driven by strong corporate earnings and a historic surge in call option buying. • Market analysts suggest that while some individual companies showed disappointing micro-level results, the broader macro trend remains positive. • The rally underscores the continued durability of the global compute build-out, benefiting the technology sector as a whole despite isolated losses.

• The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average reached new all-time highs, while the Nasdaq 100 hit a one-month high. • Market gains were driven by positive corporate earnings, notably Booking Holdings, which saw its stock rise over 7% following better-than-expected Q2 gross bookings. • Specific index movements include the S&P 500 rising 0.46%, the Dow Jones increasing 0.74%, and the Nasdaq 100 climbing 0.51%.

• Major US stock indexes opened higher on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 274 points alongside increases in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite. • The market rally was driven by hopes for a deal to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, which subsequently led to a drop in crude oil prices. • This positive momentum is significant as investors seek stability ahead of a busy week of corporate earnings reports.

• A new election forecast for the 2026 congressional midterms indicates that Democrats are strongly favored to take control of the House of Representatives. • The forecast also suggests the Senate is tilting Democratic, placing the party at equal odds to secure control of both chambers of Congress. • These projections are based on current polling averages for general elections involving the House, Senate, and various governorships.

• Dow futures surged 400 points and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record high on Monday, driven by strong earnings reports from Caterpillar and Palantir. • Amazon reached a significant milestone, with its market capitalization eclipsing $3 trillion for the first time. • The S&P 500 is positioned to challenge its own record highs following this broad market momentum.

• EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for urgent action and a meeting of interior ministers following a surge of migrant crossings into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. • While Finland and Denmark supported Italy's stance on border security, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš proposed the temporary suspension of Spain's Schengen membership. • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended Spain, noting that Ceuta is not part of the Schengen area and accusing some critics of being driven by prejudice and fake news.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for stronger EU borders and improved migration controls following a crisis in Ceuta. • Von der Leyen identified five key areas for improvement, emphasizing the need for more efficient processes to return migrants to their home countries. • The crisis has exposed deep political divisions, with Spanish leader Pedro Sánchez criticizing other EU governments for a lack of support.

European Commission president says work needed in five areas of migration control including returning more peopleThe president of the European Commission has called for action to strengthen Europe’s borders after tens of thousands of people arrived and quickly left the Spanish territory of Ceuta, triggering a furious row between Madrid and other European countries.In a letter to Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, on Monday, Ursula von der Leyen said: “From this incident, it is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points, including vigilant monitoring and the use of physical barriers where needed.” Continue reading...

• Gift Nifty indicates a strong opening for the Nifty and Sensex, driven by positive global cues and robust Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) inflows. • FPIs are shifting capital toward the Indian market to seek stability, moving away from high volatility and "chip trade" concentration risks in South Korea and Taiwan. • Market strength is further supported by positive Q1 corporate results and favorable monsoon progress, which are bolstering bullish sentiment.

• A migrant crisis in Ceuta has triggered intense political conflict and strong reactions from various European Union countries and leaders. • The situation has led to polarized responses, with some critics labeling the event a failure of EU migration policies while others describe it as a series of "instrumental attacks." • Tensions have escalated to the point where some parties are calling for Spain to be suspended from the Schengen zone.

• ENGIE has raised its 2026 outlook following strong financial results for the first half of the year. • The company reported CapEx of EUR 22.9 billion, driven largely by the EUR 19 billion acquisition of UK Power Networks. • While net debt increased due to the acquisition, the company noted that overall levels remain strong enough to support its ongoing investment plan.

• South Korea's KOSPI surged over 16% on Friday, hitting a record high and rebounding sharply after three days of declines. • The rally was driven by significant gains of over 25% for SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, bolstered by SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won increasing his shareholdings in SK Hynix. • Market momentum was further accelerated by the South Korean government's announcement of a new 20 trillion won investment initiative focused on AI.

• Asian stock markets surged on Friday, led by significant gains in South Korea's Kospi, which jumped as much as 16.5%. • Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed more than 5% and Taiwan’s Taiex rose over 7%, driven by renewed investor confidence in AI spending. • The rally follows strong financial results from tech giants Microsoft and Amazon, signaling a potential rebound for the artificial intelligence sector.

• On July 31, the Indian stock market showed strong gains, with the Sensex rising over 300 points and the Nifty 50 crossing the 24,400 mark. • The rally was driven by positive global cues, specifically a surge in chipmakers and AI optimism following aggressive infrastructure investment plans from US tech giants Amazon and Microsoft. • International markets mirrored this trend, with South Korea’s Kospi surging up to 17%, led by major electronics firms Samsung and SK Hynix.

• Asian stock markets experienced a general decline, with South Korea's KOSPI erasing previous gains of 5% despite strong financial results from Samsung. • Other regional indices also trended lower, including Australia’s S&P/ASX 200, which fell 0.7%, and Singapore’s Straits Times Index, which slipped 0.9%. • Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index remained relatively stable, trading largely unchanged during the session.

• Microsoft reported a $3.2 billion quarterly gain from its investment in Anthropic, though it recorded a $600 million write-down on its stake in OpenAI. • These financial movements highlight Microsoft's shift toward a multi-model strategy, diversifying its AI partnerships to better serve enterprise customers. • The results were part of a broader "blockbuster" financial report, signaling the high volatility and massive scale of current AI infrastructure investments.

• Eurobank has raised its 2026 outlook following strong financial results reported for the first half of the year. • CFO Harris Kokologiannis detailed a full-year Net Interest Income (NII) guidance of €4.5 billion, comprising €2.7 billion from H1 and an expected €1.8 billion for H2. • The bank is actively expanding its bond position and indicated it may acquire up to an additional €1 billion in bonds during the remainder of the year.

• Asian stock markets experienced a general decline, with South Korea's KOSPI erasing previous gains of 5% despite strong financial results from Samsung. • Other regional indices also trended lower, including Australia’s S&P/ASX 200, which fell 0.7%, and Singapore’s Straits Times Index, which slipped 0.9%. • Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index remained relatively stable, trading largely unchanged during the session.

• Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh is presiding over his second meeting, where the central bank is expected to keep interest rates on hold. • Despite the likely status quo, Warsh is anticipated to face strong dissension from other officials regarding the Fed's monetary policy direction. • Market analysts suggest a hawkish tilt could cause the S&P to fluctuate between a 0.25% rise and a 0.5% drop depending on the Fed's rhetoric.

• The FTSE 100 rose nearly 0.6% on Tuesday, extending a rally driven by positive market sentiment and strong corporate earnings. • The index's growth was supported by its heavy concentration in energy, mining, and financial sectors, as well as positive UK retail sales and PMI data. • This upward trend highlights the UK market's sensitivity to global crude oil prices, Middle East supply developments, and Bank of England interest rate policies.