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Fresh vegetable prices have surged in South Korea as prolonged extreme heat reduced shipments and damaged farm output nationwide. Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. data showed spinach at 1,978 won per 100 grams on Aug. 7, up 152.3% from a month earlier. Ten cucumbers cost 8,313 won, an increase of 54.8%. Blue lettuce rose 41.7%, while a zucchini climbed 46.6% to 1,504 won.

Under the terms of the revised agreement, the main satellite constellation will grow from 282 planned orbital units to 348 active spacecraft. The expanded network architecture integrates 330 satellites positioned in higher low Earth orbit alongside 18 spacecraft deployed in medium Earth orbit, with optional orbital elements reserved for specialized mission support. The implementation agreement confirms the definitive timeline for satellite manufacturing, launch procurement, secure ground segment construction, and operational connectivity service delivery. The primary constellation schedule establishes initial satellite launches for 2029, enabling early sovereign connectivity capabilities for participating member states shortly thereafter.

Headline inflation across OECD economies eased to 4.2% in June 2026 from 4.6% in May, ending three straight monthly increases. Inflation declined in 20 economies, increased in six and remained stable or broadly stable in 12. Nine OECD countries recorded inflation at or below 2%, including three where the rate stood below 1%. Energy prices drove much of the monthly easing, with energy inflation falling four percentage points to 11.7% year on year.

The latest slide followed a sharp Tuesday retreat that exceeded the 4% decline reported earlier in the session. Brent settled 5.3% lower at $79.36 a barrel, its first close below $80 since July 13. WTI settled 5.7% lower at $75.77. Both contracts reached their lowest closing levels in three weeks. The Tuesday losses extended Monday’s drop, when Brent fell 7% and WTI declined 5.1%.

Oil prices surged on July 29, pushing Brent crude above $90 a barrel as renewed Middle East fighting and tighter U.S. inventories lifted global benchmarks. Brent futures settled at $90.74, up $6.65, or 7.9%. West Texas Intermediate gained $5.20, or 6.6%, to $84.46. Both contracts posted their strongest daily advances in several weeks. The contracts had already gained more than 20% during July as regional supply disruptions affected energy markets.

UK solar capacity reached 22.8 gigawatts at the end of June 2026, with 2.076 million installations nationwide. Developers added 27,391 systems during the month, contributing 132 megawatts. The capacity total covers rooftop arrays, commercial systems, and large solar farms, setting a baseline before new plug-in solar rules take effect.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a major national initiative on Friday to accelerate hydrocarbon discovery across Indian ocean basins. Official releases from the Press Information Bureau confirmed the approval of the ₹84,084 crore Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Scheme. Implemented under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas through financial year 2030–31, the central sector program is structured to expand deepwater drilling, enhance energy security, and unlock untapped oil and gas resources within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

The monthly economic expansion was led primarily by a 1.0 per cent rise in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector, marking its second straight month of sector-wide growth. Increased production across Alberta bitumen sites and deferred routine spring maintenance enabled higher crude oil extraction volumes throughout May. Support activities for oil and gas extraction surged by 9.8 per cent, recording its seventh consecutive monthly expansion. Additionally, transportation and warehousing output grew by 0.3 per cent, supported by increased pipeline throughput carrying natural gas to export markets and higher domestic freight movements.

Precious metal values declined during Tuesday trading sessions as a stronger United States dollar increased purchasing costs for international buyers while financial institutions awaited the outcome of a critical central bank meeting. Official market reports published by Emirates News Agency confirmed that gold slips as firm dollar weighs; focus turns to Fed meeting perspectives across global commodity exchanges. Spot gold values retreated 0.7 percent to reach $4,045.89 per ounce following a brief advance of up to 1 percent recorded during Monday sessions. United States gold futures contracts for August delivery experienced a downward adjustment of 0.8 percent to settle at $4,046.20 per ounce. Concurrently, broader precious metals experienced downward pressure as spot silver declined 2 percent to $57.23 per ounce, platinum dropped 0.9 percent to $1,605.93, and palladium slid 1.6 percent to $1,270.97.

Ethics watchdogs and legal experts called on Congress on Monday to institute strict anti-corruption provisions in pending cryptocurrency legislation, warning that lawmakers must close the crypto conflict of interest loopholes or scrap the CLARITY Act entirely. In a joint statement, nonpartisan advocacy group Democracy Defenders Action and civil society organization Transparency International U.S. criticized the ethics text contained within the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. The organizations argued that the current statutory framework fails to protect the integrity of the digital asset marketplace, American consumers, and the national economy from self-dealing by public officials.