The Dow and the S&P 500 notch new records while the Nasdaq enjoys its fourth consecutive quarter in the green. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says the central bank does not have pre-set projections for rate cuts. In Japan, equities recover some ground ahead of new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba unveiling his new cabinet. Stateside, up to 50,000 longshoremen begin their first strike in almost half a decade across a number of East Coast and Gulf of Mexico ports in a move that some analysts estimate will cost the American economy up to $5bn a day. Israeli special forces begin targeted ground operations in southern Lebanon aimed at destroying Hezbollah positions and infrastructure. ECB President Christine Lagarde says she is broadly in favour of cross-border banking mergers as Unicredit continues to woo German lender Commerzbank.    

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