Global markets slide as US-Iran strikes roil oil

 

Global financial markets fell sharply as renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran sent oil prices surging and raised fears of a wider Middle East conflict. On Friday, Brent crude climbed more than four percent to nearly $90 per barrel, after trading below $75 just a day earlier, pushing...

United States Starship launch abort deepens SpaceX slump

 

SpaceX aborted the 13th test flight of its Starship rocket on July 16 at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, after multiple Raptor engines failed to ignite during the final second of the launch sequence. The flight computer automatically shut down all 33 engines when four failed to...

United States: Apple surpasses Nvidia as most valuable company

 

Apple has overtaken Nvidia to become the world’s most valuable company by market capitalization, reflecting a shift in investor priorities within the technology sector. As of July 19, 2026, Apple’s valuation stands at about $4.88 trillion, slightly above Nvidia’s roughly $4.86 trillion after a 3.5% fall in Nvidia’s share price....

Oakland judge allows Meta layoffs amid AI bias suit

 

A U.S. federal judge in Oakland, California, on Friday, July 17, 2026, declined to issue a preliminary injunction sought by 26 Meta Platforms employees who are challenging their impending layoffs. The workers, identified in court filings as Does 1–26, sued Meta on July 13, 2026, alleging the company relied on...

United States, Iraq ink $60 billion oil route deals

 

The United States and Iraq have finalized about $60 billion in agreements aimed at creating alternative oil export routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz, according to a signing ceremony held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The deals, attended by senior...

New York auditor EY reports major client data breach

 

Ernst & Young (EY) has disclosed a significant data breach affecting its tax practice after hackers compromised a third-party IT service management platform used for internal support. According to breach notifications filed with the California and Vermont Attorneys General on July 18, 2026, an unauthorized party accessed the external ticketing...

United States 7-Eleven to close 645 stores

 

Seven & i Holdings, the parent company of 7-Eleven, has announced a major restructuring that will close 645 underperforming U.S. locations as it pivots toward higher-margin assets. The plan, disclosed amid investor pressure to streamline North American operations, will shut some outlets entirely while converting others into franchise or fuel-focused...

United States SpaceX shares plunge, erase trillion valuation

 

In the United States, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), trading under the ticker SPCX, has suffered a six-session losing streak that has erased nearly $1 trillion in market capitalization from its peak valuation. The selloff follows the company’s highly anticipated initial public offering earlier this year, which had driven its...

United States Google staff petition demands layoff safeguards

 

Thousands of Google workers are pressing company leadership for stronger job protections amid ongoing cost cuts and rising investment in artificial intelligence. On July 16, 2026, more than 4,500 employees delivered a formal petition to CEO Sundar Pichai’s office at Google’s Mountain View, California headquarters, accompanied by a rally of...

Tokyo stocks tumble as AI tech rout widens

 

Tokyo, Japan — Global equity markets came under renewed pressure on Friday, July 17, 2026, as a sharp pullback in artificial intelligence and semiconductor shares triggered broad-based declines across Asia. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 led losses, plunging 5.8% in a steep afternoon slide that marked its sharpest one-day fall in months...