Real-time News

Hang Seng Index futures closed down 0.21% at 25,099 points in overnight trading, a discount of 44 points.

U.S. Steel (XN) has proposed a five-year labor agreement to the United Steelworkers Union, including a cumulative 18.2% wage increase and a $4,000 approval bonus. Negotiations are scheduled to resume in Pittsburgh on August 10.

A spokesperson for Paramount (PSKY.O) expressed gratitude to the U.S. court for swiftly approving the application for a temporary restraining order, and expressed confidence that the evidence would prove the antitrust claims made by state attorneys general against the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD.O) merger to be "baseless."

On July 21, it was reported that on July 20, local time, newly appointed British Prime Minister Burnham appointed several cabinet members. Burnham appointed former Defence Secretary John Healy as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Healy previously served as Defence Secretary in the Starmer government but resigned in June due to a dispute over defense spending. Burnham also appointed Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary. Miliband served as Labour Party leader from 2010 to 2015 and as Energy Secretary in the Starmer government. In addition, Louise Hague was appointed First Minister of State and Secretary of State for the Duchy of Lancaster. Hague previously served as Transport Secretary and resigned in November 2024; she is considered a key supporter of Burnham. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmoud will continue in her current position. Burnham was appointed the new Prime Minister by King Charles III on July 20 and authorized to form a new cabinet.

July 21 - As of 2:30 PM closing, the Shanghai Gold futures contract rose 0.05% to 875 yuan/gram, the Shanghai Silver futures contract rose 1.13% to 13,840 yuan/kilogram, and the SC Crude Oil futures contract fell 0.43% to 535 yuan/barrel.

July 21 – A new round of large-scale mutual attacks between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate. Russian officials stated that Ukraine launched approximately 400 drones overnight to attack Moscow and surrounding areas, injuring two people and causing several buildings to catch fire. In response, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that Russian forces used Onyx anti-ship missiles and air-launched cruise missiles to strike facilities at the Ukrainian ports of Odessa and Yuzhny. Previously, Russia claimed to have launched attacks on Ukrainian ports and ships on Sunday, and the military operations between the two sides continue to escalate.

July 21 – According to data from the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. strategic petroleum reserves fell by approximately 5.1 million barrels last week, dropping to 311.4 million barrels, the lowest level since March 1983. It is understood that since the U.S.-Israel military action against Iran at the end of February, as of July 17, U.S. strategic petroleum reserves have cumulatively decreased by 104.04 million barrels.

The British government has appointed Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary and Shabana Mahmoud as Home Secretary. Louise Hague has been appointed First Secretary of State.

The UK Prime Minister's Office: Prime Minister Burnham and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed that their teams should work closely together to prepare for the UK-EU summit later this year.

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. (WBD.O) and Paramount Pictures Inc. (PSKY.O) extended their losses during the session, currently down 1.38% and 1.66% respectively.

The Federal Reserve accepted a total of $30 million from six counterparties in its fixed-rate reverse repurchase operations.

British government: MP John Healy has been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Chevron (CVX.N): Production on the Petronius offshore platform was shut down and some personnel were evacuated due to the impact of a tropical depression, but production at other Gulf of Mexico assets remained normal.

A U.S. judge has temporarily halted the deal between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. (WBD.O).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: He spoke with British Prime Minister Burnham and reached a consensus on holding a meeting soon to further deepen bilateral cooperation.

On July 21, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui held the third round of strategic dialogue at the Russian-North Korean foreign ministers' level in Moscow. Russia and North Korea agreed that the continued deterioration of tensions in Northeast Asia and globally stems from a series of irresponsible actions taken by the United States and its allies.

A UN spokesperson said the Houthi rebels' blockade of Saudi Arabia could trigger a wider regional conflict.

British Prime Minister Burnham: The UK is committed to ensuring safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with British Prime Minister Burnham.

Former British Defence Secretary John Healy has entered 10 Downing Street and is expected to be appointed to a cabinet position.