Decline

Il capo segreteria, Darren Jones, afferma che il Primo Ministro sta «ascoltando i colleghi» ma prenderà decisioni autonome sulla strada da seguire

• I futures degli indici azionari statunitensi sono scesi all'inizio di lunedì, con i futures Dow Jones in calo dello 0,30% a 49.540, i futures Nasdaq 100 in ribasso dello 0,03% a 29.324 e i futures S&P 500 in calo dello 0,4% a causa dell'aumento dei rischi geopolitici. • Il presidente Donald Trump ha definito 'totalmente inaccettabile' l'ultima risposta dell'Iran alla proposta degli Stati Uniti per porre fine alla guerra, scatenando un'impennata dei prezzi del petrolio mentre i mercati si preparano a un'escalation. • Questa reazione aggrava la pressione derivante dai recenti e solidi dati NFP, con +312.000 posti di lavoro rispetto ai +185.000 previsti, mentre i rendimenti dei Treasury a 2 anni, monitorati sopra il 5%, potrebbero causare un ulteriore ribasso dei titoli azionari.

• Reporters Without Borders has documented the first significant and prolonged decline in press freedom in the United States in modern history, directly attributing deterioration to Trump's return to office. • The organization reports that Trump has attempted to pressure media companies to soften coverage and install administration-allied leaders in key positions. • The concerning trend reverses a century of gradual press freedom expansion, marking a critical moment for media independence and democratic institutions.

• Singapore's Straits Times Index (STI) dropped 20.06 points or 0.4% to close at 4,921.90 on May 8, 2026, amid a broader regional retreat. • Hongkong Land was the worst performer among STI constituents, plunging 5.2% or US$0.45 to US$8.25. • OCBC bucked the trend, rising 0.2% to S$21.92 after reporting a 5% quarterly net profit increase to S$1.97 billion for Q1 ended March 31.

• The S&P 500 fell 0.4% or 28.01 points to 7,337.11 on Thursday, retreating from its all-time high, while the Dow dropped 313.62 points or 0.6% to 49,596.97 and Nasdaq slipped 0.1% or 32.75 points to 25,806.20. • Oil prices yo-yoed due to Wall Street's waiting on hopes for a deal to end the Iran war, with earlier sharp swings from dashed expectations of reopening the Strait of Hormuz; Iran created a government agency to vet and tax vessels passing through, potentially raising fuel costs. • Standouts included Axon Enterprise rallying 10.6% after raising its revenue forecast due to counter-drone product growth, and Albemarle rising 3% on better-than-expected results, while Shake Shack tumbled 28.3% and Whirlpool fell 11.9% on weak earnings.

Nobel laureate says he previously considered himself a supporter of Israel, but ‘the campaign of annihilation in Gaza has changed all that’Nobel laureate JM Coetzee has declined to attend an upcoming literature festival in Israel, writing a excoriating letter to organisers citing the country’s “genocidal campaign” in Gaza, stating: “It will take many years for Israel to clear its name”.The 86-year-old author, who was born in apartheid South Africa and lives in Australia, wrote to organisers of the Jerusalem international writers festival in November. Continue reading...

• Oil prices jumped above $100 per barrel and broke through $115 as Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, with Brent crude rising 6% amid U.S. efforts to free up shipping lanes. • The S&P 500 fell with all 11 sectors declining except energy (+0.9%); Dow Jones dropped approximately 1%, while Asia ex-Japan surged 2.8% led by KOSPI's 5% gain to new highs. • U.S. Treasury yields climbed across the curve by 7-10 basis points, with the 30-year Treasury clearing 5.0% as inflation pressures mount and the USD index moved higher above 98.