Real-time News

On August 18th, Ashley Webb, Chief UK Economist at Capital Economics, stated that the rise in the UK unemployment rate in June indicates continued weakness in the labor market, supporting the view that the labor market will not contribute to a second round of inflation, and that the Bank of England will not raise interest rates further from 3.75%. The UK unemployment rate rose from 4.8% in the three months to May to 4.9% in the three months to June, while the monthly unemployment rate rose from 4.6% to 5.4%. Webb stated that all of these figures paint a picture of a weak labor market, and that the labor market continues to cool.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Deputy Commander-in-Chief Izadi: The enemy has failed to destroy Iran's defense capabilities and nuclear industry.

On August 18th, Republican Rob Arlett stated that while Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu share the same ultimate goal in Gaza, they have significant differences in specific tactics for achieving it. Both leaders agree that Hamas cannot be held responsible for the security, military, or even political affairs of the Gaza Strip, but their disagreement lies in the order of steps. The problem is that Trump believes a phased approach is necessary, gradually de-escalating the situation and disarming, while Netanyahu disagrees, wanting Hamas to completely disarm before Israel takes action. Trump's position is partly driven by considerations of his political legacy. He not only wants a peace agreement in Gaza but also agreements on Iran and other issues. He wants to be remembered as a "peace president." Domestic politics further complicate the positions of both leaders, with Israel facing elections and the US facing midterm elections. However, Netanyahu understands that Trump "holds the initiative" in this relationship.

Market news: Japan is considering providing support for tanker reinsurance.

Market news: A Russian missile attack in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine has killed 10 people.

Iranian Vice President Arif: If Iran were to conduct navigation operations in the Gulf of America, how would the United States react?

On August 18th, the Shanghai Municipal People's Government issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Construction of a Resilient and Safe City in Shanghai." The plan proposes that by 2030, the city's public safety system will be generally improved, intrinsic safety will be comprehensively strengthened, the efficiency of urban space resource utilization in both normal and emergency situations will be significantly enhanced, the safety and defense levels of key infrastructure and buildings will continue to improve, the social co-governance of urban safety will be further strengthened, the safety risk prevention and mitigation system will be normalized and effective, emergency rescue capabilities will continue to improve, the overall level of digital and intelligent empowerment of urban safety will be enhanced, and the public's sense of security will be continuously strengthened, thus comprehensively building a resilient and safe city that is leading domestically and world-class.

On August 18th, the Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Statistics released data showing that from January to July this year, the added value of Sichuan's industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 6.6% year-on-year, with a product sales rate of 95.3%. By major sector, the added value of Sichuan's mining industry increased by 5.4% year-on-year; manufacturing by 6.5%; and the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water by 7.9%. By economic type, the added value of state-owned holding enterprises increased by 6.4% year-on-year, joint-stock enterprises by 7.1%, and private enterprises by 3.6%. By industry, 33 out of 41 major industries saw year-on-year growth in added value, including electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing (11.8%), computer, communication, and other electronic equipment manufacturing (10.7%), electricity and heat production and supply (7.9%), chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing (7.5%), and pharmaceutical manufacturing (6.8%).

August 18th - On August 18th, Alibaba's Agent product "Qianwen Office" was officially integrated into WeChat Work. Previously, the product had already been integrated into DingTalk and Lark.

August 18th - Due to heightened uncertainty both domestically and internationally, and continued weak demand for labor, UK employers further increased job cuts in July. Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Tuesday showed that the number of employees in businesses fell by 13,000 in July, following a similar decline the previous month. The UK unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.9% in the three months to June, but the ONS warned that the quality of the data had declined due to errors in the data collection process. The number of job vacancies decreased further. Although some recent data suggests the job market is stabilizing, businesses appear reluctant to hire due to increased uncertainty surrounding the Iran war and the upcoming budget from new Prime Minister Burnham later this year. For nearly two years, jobs have been declining due to a weak economic environment and the Labour government's increases in payroll tax and minimum wage. The ONS stated that private sector wage growth, excluding bonuses, slowed to 2.8% in the three months to June from 2.9%, the lowest level in nearly six years.

August 18 - According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, the mayor of Minabu, Iran, stated that the construction of the largest science and electronics center in southern Iran will commence in the city, with an investment of 700 billion rials. This project is expected to bring significant changes to the country's science and electronics infrastructure and local employment.

Russian Ministry of Defense: Our air defense systems destroyed 791 Ukrainian drones last night, covering multiple regions of Russia.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reports a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Sumatra, Indonesia.

Euro Stoxx 50 futures fell 0.47%, German DAX futures fell 0.42%, and UK FTSE futures rose 0.07%.

The yield on Japan's 40-year government bonds rose 7 basis points to 4.205%.

The UK's ILO employment figure for the three months ending in June was 83,000, below the expected 129,000 and the previous figure of 147,000.