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• US stock indices showed mixed performance today, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising +0.32% while the Nasdaq 100 dipped -0.07% and the S&P 500 remained nearly flat at +0.04%. • Market sentiment was supported by comments from Donald Trump on Sunday, who indicated a preference for increasing economic pressure on Iran over launching further military strikes. • Trump noted that the US is currently "semi-negotiating" regarding the Strait of Hormuz and emphasized that the existing US blockade is intensifying Iran's financial difficulties.

• Major stock indices traded mixed today, with the S&P 500 rising +0.31% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing +1.05% to reach new all-time highs. • Gains were driven by strong corporate earnings, specifically from Booking Holdings, which saw its stock jump over +7% following better-than-expected Q2 gross bookings. • The Nasdaq 100 lagged behind the other indices, posting a slight decline of -0.03%.

So-called ‘Reformers’ hosted recruitment functions with speakers including Tony Abbott and Alan JonesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSenior politicians in the New South Wales Liberal party supported the work of a group of young conservative power brokers who sought to take control of the party and move it towards the right, the corruption watchdog has heard.The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) began its Operation Rosny hearings into allegations of corruption against people associated with the NSW Liberal party on Monday. Continue reading...

Interim report not able to draw ‘nexus’ between matters referred to child protection and circumstances leading to five-year-old’s alleged murder•Warning: This story contains references to Indigenous Australians who have diedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKumanjayi Little Baby’s mother was “effectively” left alone to protect her children while also experiencing domestic violence, because child protection authorities failed to adequately assess multiple threats to her safety, a draft review has found.But the interim report, tabled in parliament on Tuesday, found that despite those conclusions, the review was unable to draw a link between the child protection referrals and the five-year-old Warlpiri girl’s death. Continue reading...

• Major U.S. stock indexes rose today, with the S&P 500 hitting a one-month high and gaining 0.23%, while the Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 climbed 0.26% and 0.31% respectively. • Market gains were driven by favorable economic data showing June producer prices rose less than expected and a stronger-than-anticipated July Empire manufacturing survey. • Technology stocks provided additional support following strong earnings from ASML, signaling continued high demand for chips essential to global AI infrastructure.

• Rakuten TV has launched 20 free ad-supported streaming channels (FAST) provided by Sony Pictures Entertainment across several European markets. • The new lineup, consisting of single-program and scripted-genre feeds, debuted this week in the U.K., Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, and the Nordics. • This expansion increases the platform's available linear and on-demand content options without requiring additional costs from viewers.

Exclusive: Charities say they ‘cannot continue to absorb the impact of child poverty’ without government supportFour hundred thousand children in the UK were supported by baby banks in 2025, an 11% increase from the year before, prompting warnings from charities that they “cannot continue to absorb the impact of child poverty on this scale” without government support.New research from the Baby Bank Alliance, set up by Save the Children UK to represent and advocate for more than 400 baby banks across the country, found that an average of 1,096 children were being supported by each member every day, with some essential items soaring in demand. Continue reading...

Desperate US parents pay up to $20,000 a session for a procedure scientists say could be bogusAutistic children as young as 18 months old are being injected with human stem cells derived from umbilical cords in unapproved, unproven and potentially harmful “treatments” that scientists warn are proliferating across the US under the active encouragement of the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.Clinics in Florida, Texas and other states are selling what they bill as “regenerative medicine” to families with autistic children who have intensive care needs. Parents who have taken their children through the process talked to the Guardian about their hopes and fears for a therapy that appears to be gaining ground in the US. Continue reading...

• A team sponsored by North Carolina State University and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) won the inaugural Presidential AI Challenge. • The competition engaged K-12 students, educators, and mentors nationwide to create innovative AI solutions addressing real-world community problems. • This initiative highlights the problem-solving potential of the next generation and promotes the development of future AI leaders across the U.S.

• The Nordic streaming market has grown to over 27 million paid subscriptions, an increase of approximately 3.5 million since spring 2025. • Roughly 80% of these new subscriptions are ad-supported, signaling a significant shift in consumer preference toward cheaper, ad-funded tiers. • Sweden experienced the most dramatic growth, with household penetration rising over 50% year-on-year, allowing it to surpass Denmark and Norway for the first time.