Global corporate earnings showed resilience as Australian firms led the way, with SRG Global reporting record earnings, Pro Medicus achieving 28% revenue growth alongside 75% margins, and Sims Limited seeing a 168% surge in EBIT fueled by AI and metal market strength, while Challenger announced a $450 million share buyback. Market momentum in the technology sector continues with Synchrony partnering with OpenAI to enhance customer experiences and bullish outlooks for Micron Technology, even as broader economic pressures mount with the Hang Seng index testing new lows and European rivers experiencing record-low water levels that threaten the continent’s economic stability. Geopolitical tensions remain elevated as Jared Kushner stated the U.S. will not authorize Gaza’s reconstruction until the enclave is fully demilitarized and Hamas disarms, a position underscored by reports of 92% of Gaza’s housing units suffering damage or destruction. Operational strain continues to emerge in the U.S. military, with the USS Benfold sustaining a four-day engineering failure while operating in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, U.S. government affairs remain in flux, with the Supreme Court denying a request by Donald Trump to reconsider his appeal in the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit, and federal agencies facing renewed scrutiny regarding their handling of historical warnings from Hugh Hefner about Jeffrey Epstein and the pausing of border infrastructure projects in Big Bend National Park.