๐ซ China is contemplating tightening export controls on AI models and AI chips, according to the Financial Times. The potential measures aim to regulate the export of advanced technologies more strictly, reflecting growing concerns over national security and technological competition. For further details, visit the original article here: FT.
๐จ New Zealand's Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Q2 2026 shows a notable rise in inflation. The quarter-on-quarter increase is recorded at +1.5%, surpassing expectations of +1.4% and up from the previous +0.9%. Year-on-year, inflation stands at +4.1%, exceeding the anticipated +4% and significantly higher than the earlier figure of +3.1%. This marks a considerable acceleration in inflation rates in New Zealand for the second quarter.
๐ฅ๐ท๐บ The IMOEX index is experiencing an unusual rise during the morning session. Some stocks have already hit their upper limits.
๐จ๐บ๐ธ A federal court has paused the $110 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. The lawsuit claims the merger would "destroy competition" in Hollywood. The current restraining order is in effect for 14 days, with a hearing set for August 3 on a motion for a preliminary injunction that could halt the deal for the duration of the legal proceedings.
๐ฅ Former President Donald Trump has agreed to an ethics provision in the crypto market structure bill known as the CLARITY Act, removing the last major hurdle for a Senate vote. Many market participants believe that once the CLARITY Act is fully enacted, institutional demand for cryptocurrencies will surge, potentially driving the market bullishly in the long term. Bitwise recently reported that some of their large institutional clients are awaiting the approval of the CLARITY Act to enter the crypto space.
๐ท๐บ Consumption of steel in Russia is slowing its decline, but analysts do not expect an increase in demand until at least the fourth quarter of 2027, according to a report by Kommersant.
๐ท๐บ Russians are increasingly utilizing credit lines from Microfinance Organizations (MFOs). According to the Central Bank, by the first quarter of 2026, citizens owed 86 billion rubles in such products. This figure is nearly four times higher year-on-year, as reported by Izvestia.
๐ Chinese AI startup Moonshot AI has announced plans to conduct an IPO in Hong Kong. The company recently launched its open-source model Kimi K3, which boasts 2.8 trillion parameters, making it the largest AI model in the world, according to the developer. In the United States, concerns have arisen, with the emergence of the Kimi K3 model being described as a "DeepSeek 2.0" moment for America.
๐พ Global wheat prices have been rapidly increasing since early July. Russian wheat exports in July may reach their lowest levels since 2017 due to escalating tensions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Sea of Azov, a route for at least a quarter of export capacities. Russia remains one of the largest wheat exporters in the world.
๐ท๐บ The Russian Ministry of Finance has postponed the placement of government bonds (ะะคะ) indefinitely. Rising rates in the debt market and aggressive demands from investors have led to this decision. Given the ambitious borrowing plans, a repeat of the trillion-ruble floaters issued two years ago cannot be ruled out. โ ะช
๐ Whale activity in wETH has surged to a five-year high, according to data from Santiment. The increased movement among large holders indicates significant interest and potential market shifts in the cryptocurrency space. This uptick highlights the ongoing trends and dynamics within the Ethereum ecosystem as investors closely monitor developments.
๐ช๐บ The European Union is facing challenges with its 21st sanctions package against Russia, primarily due to Greece's position and increasing internal disagreements. According to Bloomberg, there are discussions about potentially abandoning the package altogether. However, statements from EU politicians indicate that no one is planning to back away from new sanctions just yet.
โ ๏ธ๐ฎ๐ท The Wall Street Journal reports that Israel is attempting to persuade the United States to resume full-scale strikes against Iran.