The Economy Markets

Apple Weighs CXMT Chips Amid Memory Supply Crunch U.S.

Beijing actively steers private capital into semiconductor and AI sectors China lowers financial-market barriers and accelerates renminbi internationalization Foreign holdings of Chinese bonds and renminbi’s share of global trading remain subdued

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan Sign Mutual Defense Pact in Mecca Saudi Arabia Seeks Regional Primacy Through Diplomatic Influence and Partners’ Military Strength Middle East Power Map Poised for Realignment Across the US, China, Russia and Other Major Powers

Long Working Hours and Weak Yen Block Japanese Travelers from Going Abroad Foreign Tourist Arrivals and Spending Reach Record Highs Urgent Need for High-Value Tourism and Regional Diversification to Capitalize on Weak-Yen Windfall Whi

New York’s high taxes and tighter regulations intensify Wall Street’s exodus Texas and Florida attract New York defectors with tax advantages and financial infrastructure Southern corporate belt expands into technology, energy and real estate

Surging K-beauty exports become new target for China’s copycat industry Eastern European distribution network exposed by Romanian customs seizure Shift toward premium branding imperative to end war of attrition As K-beauty expands rap

Middle East supply shock accelerates renewable energy transition Grid expansion delays derail half of projects Advanced-industry investment hinges on power delivery timelines The Middle East energy shock accelerated S

Publicly available Chinese-language data accounts for just 1.3%, leaving AI training inputs in short supply Closed platforms and short-form dominance impede the accumulation of long-form knowledge Growing reliance on translation and synthetic data drives performance degradation and surging costs

Media coverage volume shapes inflation expectations, mainly among politically neutral viewers Partisan viewers barely shift; their channels already discuss inflation nonstop Repetition matters most once personal experience stops predicting prices

Markets already price a startup's future U.S. expansion, rewarding CEOs with multinational track records European founders now treat U.S.

Japan doubled defense spending in three years; Europe still argues over percentages Germany faces the same China shock Japan absorbed decades ago, only slower Japan's soft power now outpaces France's, a shift Europe has barely noticed

Europe’s industrial foundations buckle under months of relentless heat and drought Cooling-water shortages cripple power infrastructure as solar generation alone surges Greater investment in climate adaptation policies needed to curb tangible losses

Global insurers accelerate development of products targeting data center operators Rapid expansion of data center market drives corresponding surge in risk exposure Existing insurance frameworks leave clear coverage gaps, intensifying competition during market transition

Marine engine manufacturers accelerate expansion into onshore data center market Data center operators turn to marine engine companies amid gas-turbine supply bottlenecks Expectations grow for FDC integration, while sustainability of offshore AI infrastructure remains uncertain

50% steel and aluminum tariffs crush the price competitiveness of imports AI data centers and power infrastructure investment generate massive steel demand Tariff protection and the AI boom revive the U.S.

The EU got Japan's tariff rate in 2025, ranking it a managed market, not an equal Chinese EV tariffs failed; car exports rose 26% the next year anyway Japan's faster defense buildup is a playbook Europe hasn't seriously adopted yet

German solar EV maker Sono Motors files for insolvency after prolonged financial distress Wave of German green startup failures exposes eroding competitiveness under Chinese pressure “China is closing in fast”: Alarm bells ring across Germany’s manufacturing ecosystem

Iran and Oman Near Agreement on Service Fees for Strait of Hormuz Transit Europe Signals Willingness to Compromise as Cost of Upholding Freedom of Navigation Rises Gulf States Face Diverging Fortunes Depending on Access to Bypass Infrastructure Ir

Bank of Japan signals further tightening after June rate hike Gradual approach loses ground, raising concerns over wages and domestic demand U.S.

“Covering the Face Brings Reassurance”: Masks Become Underwear in Japan Mask-Wearing Persists Despite End of Pandemic Restrictions Appearance Anxiety and Social Scrutiny Emerge as Key Drivers Three years after Japan lifted its COVID-19 prevent