Headline inflation across OECD economies eased to 4.2% in June 2026 from 4.6% in May, ending three straight monthly increases. The measure tracks annual changes in consumer prices across the group’s member countries. Inflation declined in 20 economies, increased in six and remained stable or broadly stable in 12. Nine OECD countries recorded inflation at or below 2%, including three where the rate stood below 1%. Energy prices drove much of the monthly easing. OECD energy inflation fell four percentage points to 11.7% year on year, after reaching 15.8% in May. The rate declined in 24 of the 37 countries with available data.

The eruption began Monday and intensified as gas, lava and ash rose from the crater. Pyroclastic flows moved through several ravines on Fuego’s western and southwestern slopes, reaching distances of five to seven kilometers. These flows contain hot gas, ash and rock and can move at high speed. Monitoring teams also tracked an ash column spreading west and northwest, with volcanic material reported far beyond the immediate danger zone.

The latest slide followed a sharp Tuesday retreat that exceeded the 4% decline reported earlier in the session. Brent settled 5.3% lower at $79.36 a barrel, its first close below $80 since July 13. WTI settled 5.7% lower at $75.77. Both contracts reached their lowest closing levels in three weeks. The Tuesday losses extended Monday’s drop, when Brent fell 7% and WTI declined 5.1%.

The study will operate at three Canadian sites and enroll about 80 healthy adults. Researchers will assess the vaccine’s safety, tolerability and ability to produce an immune response. The trial will not determine whether the vaccine prevents infection because Phase 1 studies focus on early safety data. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has committed up to $50 million for preclinical work, the trial and production of additional research doses. WHO recorded 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths in DR Congo through July 30. At least 651 patients had recovered by that date. Updated figures cited by CEPI on August 4 placed infections above 3,800 and deaths above 1,700. Cases had reached 49 health zones across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo provinces. Thirty-three health zones had reported recent infections, while Ituri accounted for 88% of confirmed cases.

Strong winds pushed the eastern Washington fires through dry grass, timber and residential areas north of Spokane. The Old Trails Fire crossed the Spokane River and entered northwest neighborhoods only hours after it began. Flames damaged homes, businesses, vehicles, power equipment and other property across several communities. Infrared surveys identified possible damage to hundreds of additional buildings, though assessment teams had not confirmed those losses.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office arrested 37-year-old Aaron F. Farinacci on suspicion of first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire. Investigators tied the arrest only to that fire, which began near Old Trails Road and Euclid Avenue. The allegation remains subject to court proceedings and does not establish guilt. Authorities continued separate investigations into the causes of the Autumn Lane and Fairview fires.

Michigan health officials have confirmed two deaths connected to the state’s 2026 cyclosporiasis outbreak. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported 11,234 cases as of Aug. 3. The state also recorded 193 hospitalizations through July 30. Both patients had serious underlying medical conditions. Officials said cyclosporiasis and dehydration may have affected those conditions, but they released no additional personal information.

Austria recorded its highest July temperature on July 31, when Wieselburg in Lower Austria reached 40.3 degrees Celsius. The reading broke the national July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal on July 27, 1983. GeoSphere Austria confirmed the new monthly high as a severe heatwave tightened its grip on eastern regions. The temperature remained below Austria’s all-time record of 40.5 degrees, measured in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.

Oil prices surged on July 29, pushing Brent crude above $90 a barrel as renewed Middle East fighting and tighter U.S. inventories lifted global benchmarks. Brent futures settled at $90.74, up $6.65, or 7.9%. West Texas Intermediate gained $5.20, or 6.6%, to $84.46. Both contracts posted their strongest daily advances in several weeks. The contracts had already gained more than 20% during July as regional supply disruptions affected energy markets.

President Donald Trump said the United States would cancel a planned attack on Iran if negotiators reached a rapid agreement. He said the proposed deal must reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address Iran’s nuclear activities. Trump also said Israel supported efforts to complete the arrangement. His announcement halted preparations for another round of U.S. strikes. Officials had not released a signed agreement or detailed terms by Monday morning.

June delivered the second-highest monthly installation count recorded in the UK. Only March 2026 ranked higher, with 28,782 installations. Solar capacity increased by 2.2 gigawatts, or 10.9%, during the 12 months through June. The country also recorded 269,000 installations during 2025, the highest annual total to date. Most systems installed that year were on homes, businesses and other buildings. Utility-scale projects also continued to raise the country’s overall solar generation capacity.

The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has become the country’s largest recorded epidemic. Health authorities counted 3,605 confirmed cases through July 30, including 1,587 deaths. The case fatality rate stood at 44%. Teams logged 567 infections and 296 deaths during the latest full reporting week. Those figures marked the highest weekly totals since the outbreak began. The surge placed further pressure on surveillance, treatment and community response operations.

The legislative milestone caps months of multi-party negotiations across the House of Representatives and Senate, addressing unsustainable growth projections in disability expenditure. According to budget disclosures provided by the Department of the Treasury, the legislative framework is structured to curb annual growth in scheme spending from historical peaks of 22 percent down to an eight percent target trajectory over the next four years. The reform measures are projected to generate approximately 37.8 billion Australian dollars in cumulative budget savings through financial year 2029 to 2030, securing the long-term fiscal viability of the national disability support system.

The financial framework allocates capital across four principal program pillars to transform the upstream petroleum landscape. According to official disclosures issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the government designated 28,534 crore rupees specifically for offshore seismic data acquisition, processing, and high-resolution interpretation. This data segment includes 12,000 crore rupees for basin-wide two-dimensional seismic surveys, 12,534 crore rupees for three-dimensional seismic coverage, and 4,000 crore rupees to modernize the National Data Repository using artificial intelligence tools. The structured allocation ensures comprehensive mapping of unexplored frontier basins and erstwhile restricted maritime zones across the eastern and western sea boards.

The monthly economic expansion was led primarily by a 1.0 per cent rise in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector, marking its second straight month of sector-wide growth. Increased production across Alberta bitumen sites and deferred routine spring maintenance enabled higher crude oil extraction volumes throughout May. Support activities for oil and gas extraction surged by 9.8 per cent, recording its seventh consecutive monthly expansion. Additionally, transportation and warehousing output grew by 0.3 per cent, supported by increased pipeline throughput carrying natural gas to export markets and higher domestic freight movements.

The valuation shift reflects broader recalibrations across international financial markets as institutional managers re-evaluate capital commitments tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure. While competing hyperscale computing enterprises including Alphabet and Tesla accelerated capital investments toward data centers, robotics, and autonomous transport networks, Apple maintained disciplined expenditure controls over consecutive fiscal quarters. Market participants increasingly view Apple’s disciplined spending approach as a operational buffer, allowing the firm to expand its proprietary Apple Intelligence software ecosystem without incurring high infrastructure depreciation costs.

Precious metal values declined during Tuesday trading sessions as a stronger United States dollar increased purchasing costs for international buyers while financial institutions awaited the outcome of a critical central bank meeting. Official market reports published by Emirates News Agency confirmed that gold slips as firm dollar weighs; focus turns to Fed meeting perspectives across global commodity exchanges. Spot gold values retreated 0.7 percent to reach $4,045.89 per ounce following a brief advance of up to 1 percent recorded during Monday sessions. United States gold futures contracts for August delivery experienced a downward adjustment of 0.8 percent to settle at $4,046.20 per ounce. Concurrently, broader precious metals experienced downward pressure as spot silver declined 2 percent to $57.23 per ounce, platinum dropped 0.9 percent to $1,605.93, and palladium slid 1.6 percent to $1,270.97.

The restructuring strategy, formally named the Future Package, was negotiated between the executive leadership of Porsche and the General Works Council in coordination with the metalworkers union IG Metall and the employers association Südwestmetall. Executives emphasized that workforce reductions will be executed through socially responsible mechanisms, including expanded partial retirement programs, voluntary severance packages, and natural demographic attrition. Management explicitly ruled out compulsory redundancies through 2035, while extending existing site guarantees for five years. In exchange for labor concessions, the automaker committed 2.1 billion euros in capital investments dedicated to upgrading its assembly plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and its research facility in Weissach.

Ethics watchdogs and legal experts called on Congress on Monday to institute strict anti-corruption provisions in pending cryptocurrency legislation, warning that lawmakers must close the crypto conflict of interest loopholes or scrap the CLARITY Act entirely. In a joint statement, nonpartisan advocacy group Democracy Defenders Action and civil society organization Transparency International U.S. criticized the ethics text contained within the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. The organizations argued that the current statutory framework fails to protect the integrity of the digital asset marketplace, American consumers, and the national economy from self-dealing by public officials.

Seoul, South Korea / RankWire.AI / – Government data released on Sunday showed that South Korea’s travel account posts surplus for 3rd consecutive month in…

Daegu, South Korea / RankWire.AI / – Meteorologists and civil defense officials in South Korea confirmed that the highest-level heat wave warnings took effect across…