ASTS

South Korea's military says explosions in the Demilitarized Zone that wounded three soldiers were likely caused by North Korean landmines. The injuries add to concerns over fortified defenses Pyongyang has installed along the border, which pose risks to troops patrolling the heavily armed frontier. Further details about the soldiers' conditions or a possible response have not been announced.

South Korea's military says explosions along the border that injured three officers were most likely caused by North Korean landmines. The officers were hurt while working near the heavily fortified demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas. The finding is expected to add to already strained tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang, with officials assessing how the mines came to detonate in the area.

The US Energy Information Administration has raised its forecasts for American oil production in 2026 and 2027, signaling expectations of continued output growth in the coming years. The upward revision is drawing attention as it points to stronger domestic supply, with potential implications for global oil prices, energy markets, and US energy policy.

Donald Trump is touting the strength of the US economy while simultaneously lashing out at news outlets he calls 'fake news', as part of an ongoing feud with the media. His remarks combine claims of economic success with accusations that coverage of his administration is unfairly negative, keeping his clashes with the press in the spotlight.

Pope Leo condemned assisted dying as 'false compassion' during a visit to Lourdes, the French shrine famed for reported miraculous cures. Speaking at the pilgrimage site, he contrasted the shrine's tradition of healing with moves to legalise euthanasia, arguing that ending life is not genuine care for the sick. The remarks come as several European countries debate expanding assisted dying laws.

King Abdullah II of Jordan addressed the United Nations while facing renewed scrutiny of his country's complex historical relationship with the Palestinians. Jordan, home to a large Palestinian population and custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, has long played a central role in regional diplomacy. Observers note that this history influenced the framing and reception of the king's remarks.

Egypt's Central Bank (CBE) has lowered its inflation forecasts while keeping its key interest rates unchanged. The decision suggests policymakers see price pressures easing enough to avoid further tightening, even as they hold borrowing costs steady. Observers will be watching whether the more optimistic inflation outlook opens the door to rate cuts later this year.

Memory marketplace BuySellRam has compared twenty forecasts published over the past year on when the shortage of DRAM and NAND chips will end. It finds predictions vary widely, shaped by AI-driven demand, wafer capacity constraints, new fab construction and shifts in memory technology, leaving the duration of supply constraints highly uncertain.

Forecasters put the odds of El Niño persisting for the next six months at nearly certain, with the probability edging from 100% down to 99%. The climate pattern, marked by warmer Pacific waters, typically brings altered weather worldwide, including droughts in some regions and heavy rainfall in others. Coverage is focused on what the extended outlook could mean for temperatures, storms and agriculture in the months ahead.

Bitcoin has lost momentum following a recent sharp rise in its price, prompting analysts and traders to debate what comes next for the cryptocurrency. Market watchers are weighing forecasts on whether the pullback marks a temporary consolidation or the start of a deeper correction, with attention on investor sentiment and broader market conditions.

A world robotics conference is being held in Pittsburgh, showcasing a wide range of machines including robot dogs and humanoid boxers. The event highlights advances in robotics and positions the city, long associated with Carnegie Mellon University's robotics research, as a hub for the industry.

HBO's The Last of Us has added John Goodman to its cast for season 3, alongside Laura Bailey and Ian Alexander, both of whom appeared in the original video games the series is based on. Bailey voiced Abby in the game, fueling speculation about how the show will cast the pivotal character's storyline in the upcoming season.

Frank White has expressed doubt over whether the long-awaited heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will actually happen, after a chaotic 24 hours in negotiations. British boxing fans have awaited an all-British showdown between the two fighters for years, but repeated failed attempts to agree terms have left supporters sceptical. The latest turmoil has again raised questions about whether the bout will ever take place.

North Carolina Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley dismissed a poll showing Democrat Roy Cooper with a large lead in the state's 2026 U.S. Senate race, calling it a 'trash poll.' The race is expected to be one of the most competitive Senate contests in the country, and Whatley's sharp response underscores how seriously Republicans are taking Cooper's potential candidacy.

Amazon has cast Ben Hardy in the lead role of 'Stillwater', an upcoming series adapted from the graphic novel of the same name. The casting announcement, reported by Variety, marks a key step in the show's development as the actor takes on the central character in the comic book adaptation for the streaming platform.

Spotify Technology is facing a renewed valuation test as investors weigh whether its expansion beyond music into podcasts and audiobooks can justify its stock price. The shift toward spoken-word content and subscription add-ons is increasingly central to the company's growth story, and market watchers are debating whether these newer businesses can sustain the premium the market has placed on SPOT shares.

Space-related stocks including SpaceX-linked names, AST SpaceMobile and Rocket Lab appear to have found a floor after steep losses in July. Sentiment got a boost from Elon Musk, who said NASA's vision of a permanent Moon base 'will happen'. Investors are watching whether renewed Moon ambition translates into sustained recovery for the sector.

Open source artificial intelligence is reshaping the IT services industry, altering how vendors build, price and deliver technology solutions. The shift is prompting discussion about which service providers can adapt their business models as freely available AI models reduce dependence on proprietary software and change client expectations.

The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer has publicly criticised Nigel Farage over what has been described as a 'Bitcoin account', drawing attention to the Reform UK leader's ties to cryptocurrency. The comments add to ongoing political friction in Britain, with the Chancellor's remarks sparking debate about Farage's financial interests and the growing role of crypto in UK politics.

Singapore is moving to penalize bus passengers who play music loudly or hold speakerphone conversations, with fines that could reach hundreds of dollars. The measure targets everyday commuting irritations that many riders complain about, and it is drawing wide attention as people debate whether fines are the right way to enforce courtesy on public transport.

Scientists are highlighting a proposal to use particle accelerators to transmute long-lived radioactive waste from nuclear energy, potentially reducing its hazardous lifespan from around 100,000 years to just a few centuries. The idea, known as accelerator-driven transmutation, is being discussed as a way to ease one of nuclear power's biggest drawbacks: the need to store spent fuel safely for many millennia.