Jim Pollard

Around 78,000 Samsung workers are eligible to receive a bonus of $370,000 this year, thanks to the AI boom. And two other chip firms have hit trillion-dollar status.

Strikes erode hope for prompt settlement of the Gulf war. Meanwhile, the EU fines Temu for illegal products and says it will review a Chinese takeover bid in Germany.

Shares shot up in Japan and Korea on Friday, plus other Asian markets amid hope for a peace settlement between the US and Iran. JD Vance said progress has been made, but the world awaits President Trump's response.

Iran has stopped negotiating with the US till Israel ends its invasion of Lebanon. The EU has urged Israel to end its military operation. Meanwhile, the global tech rally continues.

Concerns eased after President Trump said Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to halt all fighting, however Israeli strikes later resumed on Tuesday. Oil remains under $100.

Global economic growth could fall seriously if the US fails to achieve a peace deal with Iran by the end of this year, the OECD has warned

Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong fell on Wednesday after a disappointing forecast by chip giant Broadcom, plus concern of a rate hike by the US Fed. But hopes of a peace deal in the Middle East got a lift.

Stocks in Korea plunged on Friday, as most Asian markets fell on concern the AI boom is overdone and hopes for peace in the Gulf are stymied by Israel's invasion of Lebanon

Asian markets fell by large margins on Monday as Israel and Iran fired strikes at each other because of Tel Aviv's continuing attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, sparking a rise in oil prices.

Stocks surge in Seoul and Tokyo, plus other Asian markets on Tuesday, while the price of oil fell amid hope that a peace deal is slowly edging toward fruition