World · Markets
World Stocks Edge Higher as Oil Falls on Hormuz Hopes
Global equities moved modestly higher as crude prices fell on renewed hopes that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could resume.
August 26, 2026 edition
Latest published
62 source-linked stories, explainers and analysis from this edition.
Business · Energy
Oil Retreats as Traders See a Possible Path Through Hormuz
Brent crude fell for a third session as investors focused on a possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Business · Explainer
Why the Strait of Hormuz Still Moves the World Economy
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most consequential chokepoints in global energy markets.
Business · Markets
Wall Street Waits for Nvidia and the Fed's Preferred Inflation Gauge
U.S. stock futures were subdued as investors prepared for Nvidia earnings and fresh inflation data.
Technology · AI
Nvidia Earnings Become the Next Big Test of the AI Trade
Nvidia's quarterly results are being treated as a referendum on how much momentum remains in the AI infrastructure boom.
Business · Economy
Core PCE Is Back in Focus. Here Is What It Actually Measures
The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge and one of the most important data releases for markets.
Politics · Federal Reserve
Jackson Hole Puts Kevin Warsh at the Center of the Rate Debate
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's Jackson Hole speech is shaping up as a major signal for the next phase of monetary policy.
Technology · Semiconductors
Nvidia Customers Face Reported AI Server Price Increases Above 15%
Some of Nvidia's biggest customers have been told that AI server prices will rise by more than 15% in many configurations, according to a report cited by Reuters.
Technology · Infrastructure
The AI Boom Is Becoming a Memory-Chip Story Too
The cost of AI is no longer just about GPUs. Memory, networking, power and cooling are becoming equally important constraints.
Technology · Chips
Xiaomi Unveils Xring O3 as It Pushes Deeper Into Custom Silicon
Xiaomi has introduced a new in-house smartphone processor as it seeks more control over its devices and supply chain.
Technology · Strategy
Why More Device Companies Want Their Own Chips
Apple, Samsung, Huawei and now Xiaomi illustrate a broader strategic shift: major device makers increasingly want ownership of the silicon roadmap.
Technology · AI Safety
Bill Gates Wants Global Rules for the Most Dangerous AI Capabilities
Bill Gates is pushing for international cooperation around AI systems that could pose biological, cybersecurity and labor risks.
Technology · AI Safety
Why AI Governance Is Starting to Look More Like Arms Control
The most ambitious AI-safety proposals increasingly borrow ideas from nuclear inspections, aviation standards and other cross-border regulatory systems.
World · Technology Policy
Could the U.S. and China Ever Agree on AI Guardrails?
AI competition between the United States and China is intense, but the same rivalry may create a narrow incentive for shared safety rules.
Politics · Midterms
Cost of Living Gives Democrats an Edge in Reuters/Ipsos Poll
Democrats have opened an advantage over Republicans on which party voters trust more to handle the cost of living.
Politics · Elections
Affordability Is Becoming the Midterm's Defining Economic Question
Voters rarely experience the economy as a single headline number. They experience it through recurring bills and whether paychecks stretch far enough.
World · China
Xi Jinping Plans SCO Summit Trip and First Egypt State Visit in a Decade
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek before traveling to Egypt.
World · Diplomacy
What the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Is and Why This Summit Matters
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization brings together China, Russia, Central Asian states and other members around security, economic and political cooperation.
World · Middle East
China Calls for Dialogue as Middle East Tensions Reach a Critical Point
China's foreign minister Wang Yi has urged parties in the Middle East and Gulf to cool tensions and return to negotiations.
World · China
China's Property Crisis Keeps Weighing on Growth After Evergrande
China's property downturn remains a major drag on the world's second-largest economy even after the legal reckoning surrounding Evergrande.
Business · China
Why China's Real Estate Slump Is Also a Consumption Problem
Property weakness affects more than developers because housing occupies an unusually large place in Chinese household wealth.
Business · Currencies
A Stronger Yuan Adds Another Layer to China's Trade Debate
China's currency has strengthened as the country runs a large trade surplus, adding another variable to a complicated global trade picture.
Business · Europe
Germany's Growth Surprise Offers a Counterpoint to U.S. Economic Anxiety
Germany's economy has recently delivered stronger signals than many investors expected, even as the United States shows softer consumer and housing data.
World · Trade
U.S.-Canada Trade Tensions Add New Friction to North American Markets
Trade tensions between the United States and Canada are becoming another source of uncertainty for businesses and investors.
Real Estate · Housing
U.S. New-Home Sales Tumble as Mortgage Rates Keep Buyers on the Sidelines
Sales of new U.S. single-family homes fell sharply in July as borrowing costs remained elevated.
Real Estate · Mortgages
Why a 6.65% Mortgage Rate Changes the Housing Market So Much
The difference between a mortgage rate near 3% and one near 7% can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to a monthly payment on the same house.
U.S. · Consumers
Consumer Confidence Falls as Americans Grow More Nervous About the Outlook
U.S. consumer confidence slipped to a seven-month low in August as expectations for jobs and inflation weakened.
Real Estate · Construction
Single-Family Housing Starts Fall to a Three-and-a-Half-Year Low
U.S. single-family homebuilding fell sharply in July as high rates and economic uncertainty restrained construction.
Business · Manufacturing
AI Investment Is Lifting Parts of U.S. Factory Output
Manufacturing is getting a lift from the AI infrastructure buildout even as housing remains weak.
Real Estate · Builders
Home Builders Turn to Incentives as Buyer Demand Stays Soft
U.S. builder sentiment improved slightly in August but remained weak, with many firms still cutting prices or offering incentives.
World · South Korea
South Korea Expands Housing Support for Young Buyers
South Korea has announced a package aimed at increasing housing supply and improving access for young homebuyers and newlyweds.
Real Estate · Policy
Why Housing Policy Keeps Moving Toward Supply and Financing at the Same Time
Governments increasingly find that housing affordability cannot be solved by a single lever.
Climate · Oceans
Global Ocean Surface Temperatures Reach a New Record
The world's oceans have reached their highest recorded average surface temperature, according to data cited by The Guardian.
Climate · El Niño
A Fast-Developing El Niño Is Amplifying an Already Hot Ocean
El Niño is adding a natural warming cycle on top of a much longer human-driven increase in global temperatures.
Climate · Science
Why Ocean Heat Is One of the Climate System's Most Important Signals
Air temperature gets most of the headlines, but the ocean stores the overwhelming majority of excess heat in the climate system.
Health · Surveillance
WHO's Latest Respiratory Virus Update Tracks Flu, COVID-19 and RSV Worldwide
The World Health Organization's latest global respiratory surveillance update compiles laboratory reports on influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
Health · Explainer
How WHO's FluNet Surveillance System Actually Works
Global respiratory surveillance depends on countries continuously submitting laboratory data into shared systems.
Business · Global Economy
IMF Sees 2.3% U.S. Growth in 2026 in Its April Outlook
The International Monetary Fund projected U.S. economic growth of 2.3% for 2026 in its April World Economic Outlook.
Business · Global Economy
Advanced Economies Are Growing, but the Gap Between Them Is Narrow
The IMF's April outlook projected 1.8% growth for advanced economies in 2026 and 1.7% in 2027.
Business · Explainer
How to Read an IMF Forecast Without Treating It Like a Prediction
Global economic forecasts are built from assumptions about energy prices, interest rates, fiscal policy, trade and financial conditions.
Science · Artificial Intelligence
AI Research Assistants Are Starting to Automate Parts of Discovery
AI systems are moving beyond literature search and coding help into more ambitious attempts to automate scientific workflows.
Science · Research
What Happens When an AI System Writes the Paper and Runs the Experiment?
Automating a scientific workflow can increase speed, but it also changes where human judgment is most needed.
Culture · Television
David Attenborough at 100: A Century-Long Influence on How We See Nature
David Attenborough's centenary has prompted a fresh look at how deeply he changed science broadcasting and public understanding of the natural world.
Culture · Media
The Attenborough Method Still Shapes the Best Science Storytelling
Modern science media often follows a pattern Attenborough helped popularize: show first, explain second.
Health · Global Health
Malaria Cases and Deaths Are Moving in the Wrong Direction
Global malaria cases and deaths rose between 2018 and 2024 even as new vaccines became available.
Health · Vaccines
Malaria Vaccines Exist. Funding Is Now the Hard Part
The arrival of two recommended malaria vaccines changed what is technically possible, but it did not remove the operational challenge.
Science · Space
NASA's 2026 ISS Calendar Is a Reminder of How Much Science Happens Overhead
The International Space Station remains one of the most visible pieces of scientific infrastructure ever built.
Science · Space
Why the International Space Station Still Matters in 2026
The ISS is more than a symbol of international cooperation. It is a long-running laboratory for biology, materials science, human physiology and engineering.
Technology · Robotics
Assembly Announces $100 Million Raise at a $1.2 Billion Valuation
Household robotics company Assembly has announced a $100 million financing at a $1.2 billion valuation as it develops and expands its F Series of upright home robots.
Technology · Robotics
Assembly Opens Early Access Across Five F Series Household Robots
Assembly is offering early access across five humanoid models ranging from the compact 120 cm F1 to the 200 cm F5.
Technology · Robotics
Why Household Robotics Is Moving Beyond Floor-Cleaning Machines
The next wave of consumer robotics is trying to operate vertically in spaces designed for people rather than remain on the floor.
Culture · Streaming
What to Stream This Week: New Movies, Music, TV and Games
This week's streaming slate spans film, television, music and games, with enough variety to reward a selective rather than exhaustive approach.
Culture · Movies
Toy Story 5 Leads Apple TV's U.S. Movie Chart
Toy Story 5 sits at the top of the latest U.S. Apple TV purchase and rental chart, giving the long-running Pixar franchise another measure of audience demand beyond the box office.
Style · Work
Heatwaves Are Finally Pushing Men's Office Dress Codes Toward Shorts
From Tokyo to London, extreme heat is changing what men can realistically wear to work and forcing employers to reconsider old assumptions about professional dress.
Climate · Work
Climate Adaptation Is Starting to Show Up in the Office Dress Code
Workplace climate adaptation is usually discussed in terms of buildings, cooling systems and schedules. Clothing is becoming part of the same conversation.
Sports · Soccer
Ceferin Rules Out FIFA Bid as Infantino Faces Growing Opposition
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin says he will not run for the FIFA presidency, even as he expects Gianni Infantino to face a challenger.
Sports · Governance
The FIFA Fight Is Really About Money, Power and Who Gets a Vote
Football governance battles can sound procedural until commercial rights, election rules and revenue distribution enter the picture.
Business · China
Evergrande's Collapse Still Shapes China's Economic Choices
Evergrande may no longer dominate daily headlines, but the property system that produced its collapse still influences China's economic choices.
Business · Trade
China's Property Slump Is Pushing More Growth Pressure Onto Exports
When domestic property investment weakens, other parts of China's economy have to do more work to sustain growth.
Opinion · Editorial
The AI Boom Is Becoming an Infrastructure Story
The most important AI question in markets is shifting from model capability to whether the physical infrastructure can keep scaling at an economically sustainable pace.
Opinion · Editorial
Housing Affordability Is Now a Macroeconomic Problem
High mortgage rates are no longer just a housing-industry issue. They are shaping consumer confidence, household mobility, construction, regional growth and politics.
Opinion · Editorial
Climate Adaptation Will Arrive Through Ordinary Rules Before Grand Plans
Many climate adaptations will not begin with a giant public project. They will begin with practical changes to how people work, dress, build and schedule everyday life.
