'Daiichi, AstraZeneca drug Enhertu wins further approval in China'

 Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd on Wednesday said Enhertu, which it is developing alongside AstraZeneca PLC, received another approval in China.

Tokyo-based Daiichi said the drug was backed by China's National Medical Products Administration for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2 positive breast cancer.

The approval, which is based on phase 3 trial data results, is for Enhertu plus pertuzumab.

Daiichi said the combination reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 44% compared to taxane, trastuzumab and pertuzumab in patients with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer who had not received prior chemotherapy or HER2 targeted therapy or had received neoadjuvant or adjuvant HER2 targeted therapy more than six months before the diagnosis of advanced or metastatic disease.

Daiichi shares had closed flat at JPY2,805.00 each on Wednesday in Tokyo, while Cambridge-based AstraZeneca traded 1.5% lower at 11,672.00 pence each on Wednesday afternoon in London.

https://global.morningstar.com/en-gb/news/alliance-news/1786541330570824900/daiichi-astrazeneca-drug-enhertu-wins-further-approval-in-china

Raising Our S&P 500 Earnings & Price Targets Outlook Due To FEMO (Fabulous Earnings Momentum)

 

• Ed Yardeni,
• Joe Abbott

I. Quarterly Earnings Per Share

What a fabulous Q2-2026 earnings season it has been! So far, 90% of S&P 500 companies have reported. They broadly crushed industry analysts' forecasts for earnings and profit margins, both of which saw a boost from mark-to-market (MTM) gains from Alphabet and Amazon for a second straight quarter. These MTM gains (along with Meta’s little-mentioned gain from a tax reversal) boosted earnings by $5.88 to $75.03 during Q1 and by $14.00 to $97.83 in Q2 (chart).

As a result, S&P 500 EPS rose 19.0% y/y in Q1 and 46.7% y/y in Q2. Without the MTM gains, earnings rose 9.5% and 25.7% during those two quarters (chart)

https://www.yardeniquicktakes.com/raising-our-s-p-500-earnings-price-targets-outlook-due-to-femo-fabulous-earnings-momentum/

'Iran, Pakistan are each other's 'strategic depth,' security chief Rezaei says'

 

Iran and Pakistan are each other's "strategic depth," Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said during a meeting with Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, according to Tasnim news agency.

"All leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran have regarded Pakistan as Iran's strategic depth and Iran as Pakistan's strategic depth," Rezaei said.

He said Iran viewed Pakistan's government, military and people as major partners and welcomed what he described as increased regional engagement by Pakistan's prime minister and army chief.

Rezaei also said President Masoud Pezeshkian placed particular importance on relations with Pakistan and wanted bilateral trade to increase severalfold.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202608121213

https://nypost.com/2026/08/12/opinion/mamdani-learned-all-the-wrong-lessons-from-idi-amins-third-worldism/

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/rate-hike-odds-slide-us-consumer-price-inflation-slowest-pre-war

Houthis kill three Pakistanis in attack on commercial vessel, Pakistan FM says

 

Three Pakistani nationals were killed and another was injured in a Houthi attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday.

Dar condemned the attack, saying it endangered civilian lives and threatened maritime security and freedom of navigation.

He said Pakistan was coordinating with Saudi authorities and Yemen’s internationally recognized government to establish further details and repatriate the bodies. Pakistan’s embassy in Riyadh was also working to assist the injured national.

I have learnt with deep concern about the unfortunate incident involving an attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea. According to the information available so far, three Pakistani nationals have lost their lives and one has sustained injuries in the incident. We extend our…

— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) August 12, 2026

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202608126397

'No Iran-US talks on ceasefire extension - Reuters'

 

Iran and the US did not discuss extending their ceasefire because Tehran does not consider the agreement to have a start date, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday.

From Iran's perspective, there was therefore "nothing to extend," the official said.

The source said the US had violated an interim pact 48 hours after it was reached and withdrew from it a few days later.

One issue under discussion was what the source called “the US return” to a memorandum of understanding and setting a timeframe for Washington to carry out its commitments.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202608128603