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On August 15th, Brazilian President Lula da Silva stated on the 14th that the Brazilian government will decide whether to recognize US President Donald Trump's nominee, Daniel Perez, as the US ambassador to Brazil after the October presidential election. In an interview with Brazilian media that day, Lula criticized the US government for attempting to interfere in Brazil's internal affairs. He said that the US suddenly submitted its ambassadorial appointment 45 days before the Brazilian presidential election, a position that had been vacant for over a year. Lula believes this move by the US indicates an intention to interfere in the election.

August 15th - According to Politico, the one-month ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran is set to expire next Monday. If it cannot be extended, the nearly six-month-long war could escalate again. White House officials stated that negotiations remained "stagnant" as of Friday afternoon, with no extension arrangements in sight. "Distance doesn't matter; the key is whether Iran is willing to return to the negotiating table, and they haven't yet." The difficulty in negotiations stems partly from the fragmented power structure within Iran, with the Revolutionary Guard, religious forces, and the government holding differing positions. An agreement can only take effect if all factions agree. Disagreements are centered on sanctions, frozen assets, and passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The US has stated that any form of toll or passage control is "unacceptable." The Trump administration has stated that if Iran rejects the agreement, the US retains "all options," arguing that sanctions and blockades have severely damaged the Iranian economy and that Iran should return to the negotiating table. However, informed sources believe that the US may have underestimated Iran's resilience, and if it wants to stabilize the situation before the midterm elections, the US needs to act quickly.

Market sources indicate that Canada's trade chief and chief negotiator will remain in Washington this weekend for consultations.

US President Trump: We are extracting millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela every week.

According to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Berkshire Hathaway increased its holdings of Alphabet (GOOG.O) Class A shares by 45.2% to 78.8 million shares, and its holdings of Class C shares increased to 27.2 million shares.

Fitch affirmed Rio de Janeiro State's rating at 'BB' with a stable outlook.

According to related correspondence, U.S. banking regulators have conditionally approved the banking license for World Freedom Trust, which is associated with the Trump family.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 107.46 points, or 0.20%, at 53,732.53 on Friday, August 14; the S&P 500 closed down 13.30 points, or 0.17%, at 7,785.69; and the Nasdaq Composite closed down 73.86 points, or 0.28%, at 26,729.16.

US President Trump: Gasoline prices in the US will rise slightly as a result.

On August 15th, local time, Yemen's Houthi rebels spokesman Yahya stated that on the 14th, the Houthis launched multiple ballistic missiles in the Mocha region, striking Saudi military strongholds, weapons, and warships under their control. Yahya claimed the attack hit its targets, destroying warships and equipment, and causing dozens of casualties among the militants. He added that the Houthis would continue to strike Saudi military strongholds.

Market news: Balyasny Asset Management disclosed that it holds 3.4 million shares of SpaceX (SPCX.O).

US President Trump: We've made a lot of money through tariffs.

Market news: Paramount (PSKY.O) and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. (WBD.O) have met all regulatory conditions under their merger agreement.

According to the Wall Street Journal: Payment giant Stripe is in talks with private equity firm Advent to acquire PayPal.

Oracle (ORCL.N) has narrowed its losses, currently down 3.52%, after previously falling as much as 4.65%.

Oracle (ORCL.N): The Jupiter Project, our AI data center campus, is progressing as planned, and we will continue to work closely with our partners to move the project forward.