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1. El Niño predicted to be 'largest in living memory'
The BBC reports that this year's El Niño weather phenomenon — in which equatorial Pacific Ocean sea-surface temperature rises between 1% and 2% and, usually, brings turbulent weather with it — is predicted to be the “largest in living memory,” according to the Met Office.
“I have never seen an El Niño signal this intense in our forecasts. … If the forecast is accurate, and other forecast systems show similar extreme values, then 2026 will far exceed our recent experience of El Niño and its worldwide climate influences,” said Adam Scaife, the Met Office’s head of monthly to decadal prediction.
2. Former Spirit Airlines flight attendants push back on Google's data bid
Data privacy concerns are at the heart of Spirit Airlines' bankruptcy proceedings. A judge delayed the approval of Google purchasing the airlines' data for $10 million at the objection of a group of former flight attendants, the Wall Street Journal reports. The court's next hearing is Sept. 9.
Last week, Google won an auction for Spirit Airlines' digital archives that include "decades of payroll, travel and recruiting files, along with about 100 million emails, 80,000 email accounts and millions of additional digital items," the WSJ reports. With that data, Google plans to train and improve its AI products.
Yet a labor union representing the flight attendants asked the bankruptcy court to block the deal unless confidential employee data is excluded or receives similar protection as consumer data involved.
3. US debt tops $40 trillion
The U.S. national debt has now topped $40 trillion, the Associated Press reports. U.S. debt levels reached $39 trillion in March and $38 trillion in October 2025. According to the U.S. Treasury, in April 1993 the national debt stood at $4.25 trillion and in December 2007, during the Great Recession, it was $9.23 trillion.
Earlier this week, the BBC reported that “the interest rate on U.S. borrowing over 30 years hit 5.33% … the highest since June 2007.”
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s debt now stands at almost £3 trillion ($4.09 trillion). As the U.K. has a population approximately five times smaller than that of the U.S., U.K. debt could be said to have a $20 trillion per capita weight on the U.K. populace.
4. Nomura acquires Tokyo Best Western hotel
Japanese investment firm Nomura Real Estate Development has agreed to acquire the 87-room Best Western Hotel Fino Tokyo Akasaka for 8.7 billion Japanese yen ($54.8 million) from developer Ichiken via holdings division Polaris Holdings, according to a statement. The deal was completed “at a 20% discount to its appraised value,” which was 10.9 billion Japanese yen.
The deal is expected to close on Sept. 1. Executives at Nomura said, “since the asset operates under a fully variable rent agreement with the operator, it is possible to capitalize on the growth in demand for accommodation and improvements in average room rates and occupancy rates through increased rental income. Consequently, medium- to long-term revenue growth is anticipated.”
5. Latvian government approves bailout of AirBaltic
The Latvian government has approved its involvement in bailing out its national airline, AirBaltic, Baltic News Network reports. Doing so might include the “possible purchase of up to €30 million ($35 million) in interim financing bonds and the conversion of €50 million in existing bonds into equity,” the news outlet added.
On Thursday, Latvia’s Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs and Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius discussed the possible establishment of a joint airline that they hoped would also involve Estonia, the three countries making up the Baltic nations.
The newspaper also reported the board of AirBaltic has approved a business plan that includes raising €225 million in bridge financing to “improve liquidity, using the existing collateral package for the 2029 priority bonds.” Latvia owns 88.37% of the airline, with 10% owned by German airline Lufthansa.