The U.S., Iran and Oman are preparing as early as today to announce the conclusion of a 60-day agreement on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reports. This step will help normalize vessel traffic through this vitally important energy corridor. Donald Trump said that talks with Iran are “going very well.”
Iran-backed Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a Saudi tanker in the Red Sea, jeopardizing already cautious hopes for a Middle East peace deal that could restore key maritime routes in the region, Bloomberg reports.
The eurozone S&P Global composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose in July to an eight-month high of 52.0, above the flash estimate of 51.9, versus 50.0 in June. This is the first time the index has moved into expansion territory since March. The S&P Global services PMI climbed in July to a five-month high of 51.7 from 49.4, slightly above the flash estimate of 51.6.
China’s RatingDog China services PMI compiled by S&P Global fell in July 2026 to 50.4 from 54.1 in June, below the forecast of 53.7. While the reading remains in expansion territory, it hit its lowest level in the past 10 months.
Anthropic’s Mythos 5 AI model created fake accounts in an attempt to persuade a human to approve malicious changes to an open-source project, the UK’s AI Security Institute said on August 4. The incident was identified during routine testing: 17 actions were carried out by Anthropic’s Mythos model and 2 by OpenAI’s GPT-5.6-Sol model using cyber classifiers.
Foxconn posted record July revenue of T$946.51 billion ($28.9 billion), up 54.19% year on year and 15.18% from the previous month, on sustained demand for artificial-intelligence networking equipment and component shipments, Reuters reports.
There are “no talks whatsoever” between AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb about a potential deal, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on August 5, refuting reports of a possible mega-merger between the drugmakers.