Concerns about returns on AI investments are denting sentiment toward the mega-cap techs that powered this year's rally. On Tuesday the Nasdaq-100 fell 1.6% and was poised to close in a correction (defined as a 10% decline from the peak), having reached that threshold in just 38 trading days. By contrast, the pullback prior to March took more than 100 trading days to fall 10% from its October 2025 high.

Malaysia's economy minister said the country must continue shifting from low-cost, labor-intensive activities to an innovation-driven economy and will simplify approval processes for high-impact businesses through regulatory reviews.

Alex Vatanka, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, challenged President Trump’s claim that nearly two weeks of U.S. strikes forced Iran back to the negotiating table, saying he does not believe Iran would capitulate solely from military strikes. Vatanka said Iran has signalled to the Trump administration that time favours Tehran and it can endure more pain than the U.S.; the approach is risky but consistent with its recent strategy and he sees no major change. He added that U.S. officials and sources in Washington are discussing the diminishing effectiveness of continued strikes, with most judging them no longer effective, and that the ceasefire looks like a U.S.-initiated attempt to see whether diplomacy can be pursued again.