BALMORAL / WAM Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and the nation’s figurehead for seven decades, has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday, Reuters reported. With her death, her eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, will lead the country in mourning as the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms.

  GENEVA / WAM The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced passenger data for July showing that the recovery in air travel continues to be strong. Total traffic in July (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was up 58.8 percent compared to July 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 74.6 percent of pre-crisis levels. Domestic traffic for July 2022 …

Bloomberg The UK Treasury and Bank of England launched a £40 billion ($46 billion) fund to provide energy traders liquidity to deal with massive margin calls, joining a list of European states taking dramatic action to prevent the energy crisis becoming a “Lehman” moment. The so-called Energy Markets Financing Scheme will provide stability for energy and financial markets, and help …