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• Gold prices have retreated from a seven-week high as investors balance Iran-related war uncertainty with anticipation of upcoming CPI data. • Oil prices are trending upward due to elevated supply risks and ongoing instability surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. • Market participants are closely monitoring geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and key inflation indicators to determine future asset pricing.

• Indian stock markets, including the Sensex and Nifty 50, opened with muted performance this week as global geopolitical tensions tempered investor sentiment. • Strong first-quarter corporate earnings provided a necessary cushion, offsetting negative pressures and providing some support to the indices. • Market focus has shifted toward inflation readings and softer US jobs data, which analysts believe will dictate the future direction of interest rates.

The RBA’s governor, Michele Bullock, has made it clear that the ‘easing’ property market is on her mindGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt’s the silver lining that’s not making headlines: falling home prices means another Reserve Bank rate hike is less likely.RBA board members will not be sitting on Monday and Tuesday discussing ways to prop up Sydney house values. Continue reading...

• Markets are focusing on critical inflation data this week, specifically the July CPI report on Wednesday at 8:30 am and Thursday's PPI report. • Investors are analyzing these price pressure trends to evaluate the policy trajectory of Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. • Earnings reports from CrowdStrike (Tuesday) and Cisco (Wednesday) will serve as benchmarks for enterprise technology spending and data center investment resilience.

• Investors are monitoring five key market drivers for the upcoming week, including Berkshire Hathaway's financial results and escalating tensions involving Iran. • Recent U.S. retail sales data indicates the domestic economy has remained resilient despite energy shocks caused by the ongoing conflict with Iran. • Diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have stalled, with Iran issuing new demands and showing few signs of reaching a negotiated conclusion.

Israeli PM is insisting on a full Hamas disarmament before the deal can be implemented. Plus, what it feels like to get locked in to an opera performance that lasts nearly 24 hoursGood morning.Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a US-backed 15-point peace plan for Gaza in a rare public break with Donald Trump. In a statement, Israel’s prime minister said he was confronting a “wave of rumours about Israeli weakness and Israeli withdrawals on all fronts” and rebuked US pressure to end wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran without Israel’s buy-in.What other developments have happened in the region? Iran has issued tough new demands for reopening the strait of Hormuz, while the United Arab Emirates said one of its ships was targeted by an Iranian missile over the weekend. Tehran said the strait of Hormuz would not open until the US “corrects its behaviour”. Yemen’s Tehran-aligned Houthis have claimed responsibility for an attack on a refinery in Saudi Arabia on Sunday morning.What impact is the conflict having on seafarers in Hormuz? The US-Iran war has stranded up to 20,000 seafarers, mostly Indian and Filipino crews, with none knowing when the nightmare will end. Seventeen seafarers have died since hostilities began, the majority following Iranian strikes.What sort of exercises did they take part in? Justin Vail, who leads the DC office of the non-partisan advocacy group Protect Democracy, said: “These tabletop exercises are a standard planning tool for experts and stakeholders to prepare for potential scenarios. We’re not predicting exactly what would happen. But we do want to create a realistic context that can help us identify gaps, test our assumptions, and strengthen coordination, and then ultimately develop some recommendations to increase our preparedness.”How has Trump been working to undermine confidence in US elections? Voting rights advocates pointed toward Trump’s July primetime address as indicative of the president’s intentions – rhetorical attacks on the integrity of voting machines and elections offices, potentially escalating into more direct interference. Trump threatened the broadcast licenses of networks that refused to carry that address live, and in his speech, he again implored Congress to pass the Save America Act, which would ban mail-in ballots nationwide and impose new identification requirements on voters when they register and report to polls. Continue reading...

• A new wave of AI startups is emerging to challenge industry giants by developing next-generation Large Language Models (LLMs). • These companies are focusing on overcoming fundamental flaws in current technology, specifically targeting reasoning capabilities and the ability to process massive amounts of input. • The shift is significant because many current AI advances are viewed as "workarounds" or patches rather than core technological evolutions.

• A total solar eclipse will occur on August 12, providing a rare opportunity for observers to view the sun's outer atmosphere with the naked eye. • During the period of totality, the moon will completely block the sun's disk, revealing the hidden solar corona that is normally invisible. • This event is significant for "eclipse chasers" and astronomers as it allows for the direct observation of solar phenomena without specialized equipment.

• Indian benchmark indices closed lower on Friday, with the Sensex falling 456 points and the Nifty dropping 65 points due to closing auction session divergence. • Market sentiment was weighed down by volatility in crude oil prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. • Despite the overall decline, strong earnings reported by State Bank of India (SBI) provided critical support to the banking sector.

Experts say the attackers’ behaviour, and the handling of their cases, have striking similaritiesAbout 40 metres off Tottenham High Street, up a slip road for deliveries to a B&M homewares store, is a stretch of concrete paving behind a 2-metre wall topped with spikes.This is the patch of ground that Simon Levy tried to turn into his personal killing field. Continue reading...

• The Dutch startup ecosystem is seeing significant growth in August 2026, with notable advancements in the biotech, AI, and fintech sectors. • Early-stage founders are utilizing a mix of personal funding, incubators, and seed investments to scale their operations more efficiently. • Venture capital is being prioritized for companies requiring high upfront costs for hardware, clinical development, and research certifications.

Environmentalists and activists furious as Trump’s policies raise costs for US families. Plus, the undiscovered masterpiece that was left lying in museum storageGood morning. Donald Trump’s statement that oil companies have made “too much money” from the Iran war has angered environmentalists, who say his policies were designed to benefit those very corporations.American families have paid more than $78bn more at the pump since the start of the Iran war, according to a Brown University tracker. And a recent analysis from the environmental advocacy group Climate Power and the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a liberal thinktank, found that Trump’s policies had cost the average American family $285 more when filling up their cars.What policies has Trump enacted to help the oil industry? Since re-entering the White House last year, he has eased dozens of restrictions and regulations on fossil fuel expansion, exempted fossil fuel producers from environmental rules, and signed an executive order last year directing the attorney general to prioritize blocking climate lawsuits targeting oil majors. Trump has also personally invested in major oil companies.What did the supreme court previously rule? In the court’s June decision, the chief justice, John Roberts, said Trump’s first order violated the 14th amendment of the US constitution. “Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights – to freely participate in our political community,” he wrote. “The framers of the 14th amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land’. We keep that promise today.” Continue reading...

• South African captain Faf Du Plessis is leading the Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket (MLC), serving as a key case study for the growth of global sports business in the U.S. • During a match against the Seattle Orcas on July 5, 2025, at Central Broward Regional Park in Fort Lauderdale, the focus shifted to the leadership skills required to sustain the sport. • The situation highlights that "situational awareness"—understanding the fragility and weight of the moment—is the most critical skill needed for American cricket leaders to succeed.

• Kubernetes is introducing Dynamic Resource Allocation (DRA) to resolve long-standing challenges associated with GPU scheduling and resource management. • The new framework aims to eliminate Multi-Instance GPU (MIG) waste and prevent cluster Out-of-Memory (OOM) errors by providing more flexible resource handling. • This shift is significant because it moves away from the rigid "device plugin" model, allowing for more precise and dynamic allocation of hardware accelerators.

• TMZ expanded its operations in April by launching a dedicated D.C. bureau to cover Congress and Capitol Hill. • A two-man crew, consisting of Wasserman and Cotton, utilizes an unconventional reporting style to treat political events like a reality show. • The move follows the outlet's success in gaining attention by posting photos of lawmakers on vacation during a partial government shutdown.

• Indian stock markets are showing resilience and bullish momentum, with analysts noting that Nifty remaining above 24,600 is a key indicator for continued growth. • Market stability is currently being driven by easing crude oil prices and a stable policy outlook from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). • Broader market strength is further supported by improving corporate earnings expectations and strategic stock-specific buying.

Abdul El-Sayed is latest leftwing candidate to capture nomination for November’s midterm elections. Plus: gender parity in Latin America’s city of cyclingGood morning.The progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed has won the Democratic primary for the US Senate in Michigan. Despite many backing his opponent, Haley Stevens, in the race, leading Democrats are now uniting behind the former public health official with the goal of retaking control of the chamber in November’s midterm elections.What does El-Sayed’s victory mean for the Democratic party? Though a contentious general election, in a battleground state, awaits, his rise could serve as a revision to the political establishment’s prior playbook of requiring candidates to run from the center in swing-state politics.What do the Democrats need to retake the Senate? Republicans currently control the chamber with 53 lawmakers. The easiest path for Democrats to take back the Senate requires holding on to their seats in Michigan and Georgia while ousting Republicans from blue state Maine as well as three other red states.What was the vote? Schwartz was confirmed by a ⁠51-44 vote that broke largely along party lines, with Tim Kaine of Virginia the sole Democrat to support her nomination. Continue reading...

• Indian equities closed marginally higher following a volatile session marked by confusion during the closing auction. • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) maintained current interest rates while raising the FY27 GDP outlook and lowering inflation forecasts. • Sectoral performance was led by gains in realty, auto, and metal stocks, though overall market movement remained unstable.

• Russian forces shot down a Portuguese-made Tekever AR3 drone, describing the encounter as a rare event. • The captured aircraft has been transferred to a research institute for detailed technical analysis and study. • This incident is significant as it provides Russia with a physical specimen of a specific European drone model not previously encountered in the region.

Haley Stevens trails progressive in Senate primary as counting continues. Plus, meet the man who names cockroaches after Tolkein and Pokémon charactersGood morning.A Democratic Senate primary in Michigan remains too close to call, with Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official, holding a narrow lead over the establishment-backed congresswoman Haley Stevens. The battleground state is crucial to the party’s hopes of winning back control of the Senate in November.Who won in the crowded primary in Washington state? Democratic representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez secured one of two spots in the all-party primary, overcoming criticism from both the left and the right. She will face the Republican state senator John Braun in November.Why are citizens being denied a voice in Missouri? The state’s top election official has rejected a petition seeking a statewide referendum on redistricting. Hundreds of thousands of petition signatures had been submitted in an effort to force a vote on whether to use a new US House map approved by the Republican-led state legislature. The Republican secretary of state, Denny Hoskins, said the number submitted did not matter because challenging a congressional map was unconstitutional under Missouri law.What is the dispute about? The US Department of State said Viotti’s visa had been cancelled in retaliation for Brasília’s refusal to approve Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Brazil and its decision last month to deny visas to two US diplomats. Brasília swiftly condemned the decision, calling it part of a deliberate campaign to influence the outcome of the presidential election in Brazil this October. Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive term against Flávio Bolsonaro, the senator son of the former president Jair Bolsonaro, and a close political ally of Trump. Continue reading...

• Symantec is preparing to showcase advanced AI-powered security capabilities at Black Hat USA 2026. • Key featured technologies include Adaptive Protection to block "living off the land" (LOTL) attacks and Incident Prediction, which forecasts an attacker's next four to five moves. • These tools leverage Symantec's long history with artificial intelligence and natural language processing, dating back to the company's founding in 1982.

• Indian stock markets closed lower on Tuesday due to volatility from the new Closing Auction Session and forced retail square-offs during weekly expiry. • Investors are closely monitoring the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) policy decisions and geopolitical developments in the Strait of Hormuz. • Market analysts are focusing on key technical support levels and the performance of major stocks including SBI, HDFC Bank, and Infosys.

• Symantec is preparing to showcase advanced AI-powered security capabilities at the Black Hat USA 2026 conference. • The company will highlight breakthroughs such as Adaptive Protection to block "living off the land" attacks and Incident Prediction to forecast an attacker's next five moves. • These tools aim to prevent lateral movement within networks and stop the misuse of legitimate software by malicious actors.

• Russian forces shot down a Portuguese-made Tekever AR3 drone, describing the encounter as a rare occurrence. • The captured aircraft has been transported to a specialized research institute for detailed technical analysis. • This event is significant as it provides Russia with a physical specimen of a "rare" European drone model to study its capabilities and design.