TOP NEWS

Terror plot against English airbase
US flies aircraft home from threatened English base

The US is flying all its B-1 bombers home from the English airbase RAF Fairford after six men were arrested on suspicion of plotting a terror attack against the base; the Pentagon confirmed this, according to the *Wall Street Journal*.

The Americans have used the base as a hub for air strikes against Iran and, until recently, had twelve B-1s stationed there.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated that there are "strong indications" that the terror plot was linked to Iran. One of the arrested men holds both British and Iranian citizenship.

The US military was reportedly also aware of a plot—linked to Iran—to blow up aircraft and kill personnel at the base. 

The new space race
Major powers aim to be first to place a reactor on the Moon

The US, China, and Russia are competing to be the first to place a nuclear reactor on the Moon, the *New York Times* reports.

China and Russia plan to have one in place by 2036, prompting NASA to accelerate its schedule. In late August, the agency asked subcontractors to build a reactor by 2030 capable of withstanding space travel and operating without maintenance near the lunar south pole.

The goal is to provide power to a lunar base—a milestone all three nations aim to achieve first. From such a base, they could search for lunar ice and launch expeditions reaching even deeper into space than is currently possible. However, experts warn that the race is moving too fast. Many rockets explode during launch, which could trigger a devastating chain reaction if a nuclear reactor were on board. 

Stock market sentiment
Interest rate rally sparks AI concerns: "Everything looks calm on the surface"

Unbridled optimism surrounding the AI ​​economy has driven Wall Street to new record highs following the spring slump linked to the Middle East crisis. At the same time, however, market interest rates—which determine the cost of borrowing—have risen sharply, fueling growing concerns in the US about a potential stock market drop, according to Bloomberg.

"The S&P 500 index is like a duck on the water. On the surface, everything looks calm, but underneath, the feet are paddling furiously," says Chris Galipeau, market strategist at Franklin Templeton.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose above 5.3 percent last week for the first time since 2002. It last climbed above 5 percent in 2023, a year in which Wall Street surged 24 percent. The difference now is that tech giants cannot rely on their cash reserves but must borrow to finance the expansion of AI, notes Bloomberg expert Robert Schiffman. 

Brazil's presidential election
Early lead for Bolsonaro in Brazil's pivotal election

Right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro—son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro—holds an early lead in the vote count for Brazil's presidential election. With approximately 20 percent of the votes counted, he has secured 51 percent, compared to 40 percent for the incumbent left-wing president, Lula da Silva. The other candidates have less than three percent.

If no candidate receives more than 50 percent in this weekend's first round of voting, the election will proceed to a second, decisive round.