Russia is facing financial difficulties due to India's reduction in oil purchases. Moscow is offering Urals oil to China at a discount, but Beijing will not be able to fully compensate for the lost volumes.
China is imposing sanctions against Lithuanian UAB Urbo Bankas and AB Mano Bankas. This is in response to EU measures against two Chinese financial institutions that cooperated with Russia.
Ether shows a surge in demand, raising the total market capitalization to a record $4. 2 trillion. Bitcoin is trading above $120,600, Ether is approaching its 2021 record.
In July, global electric vehicle sales grew by only 21%, the lowest figure since January. The reason was the slowdown in the growth rate of the Chinese market, while Europe and other regions showed significant growth.
The US is installing tracking devices on high-tech Nvidia and AMD chips to prevent their illegal diversion to China. The Chinese leadership is urging domestic companies to avoid using American AI chips.
OpenAI's new GPT-5 AI model, released on August 7, has faced a number of problems, including technical glitches and user complaints about deteriorating performance. The release also revealed some users' emotional dependence on chatbots, leading to cases of "ChatGPT psychosis."
In Jianyu, hundreds of people protested after a brutal beating of a 14-year-old girl, accusing the authorities of being too lenient towards the attackers. The incident caused outrage on social media and cast doubt on the credibility of local officials.
China hopes for the participation of all interested parties in peace talks regarding the war in Ukraine. This comes ahead of the summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15.
OPEC raised its forecast for global oil demand in 2026 by 100,000 barrels per day, to 1. 38 million barrels per day. At the same time, the forecast for supply growth from non-OPEC+ countries decreased, especially due to the expected reduction in US shale oil production.
The presidents of China and Brazil, Xi Jinping and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, discussed international politics and called for joint resistance to US "unilateralism" and "protectionism. " The leaders agreed to strengthen coordination within BRICS and the "G20," as well as deepen partnership to strengthen the unity of Global South countries.
Donald Trump has softened his stance on the head of Intel after previously demanding his resignation. Now Tan will cooperate with the US government to overcome losses in the chip business.
Two aides to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Beijing in July and August. The visits are likely related to construction projects and the normalization of economic ties.
Oil prices rose on Tuesday after the extension of the US-China tariff truce. This eased fears about the impact of the trade war on fuel demand.
US President Donald Trump signed an order postponing high tariffs on Chinese goods for 90 days. This was the result of negotiations between the US and China that took place in Stockholm.
Vladimir Putin will visit the USA for the first time in 18 years for a summit with Donald Trump in Alaska. The Kremlin seeks to avoid new sanctions and is looking for diplomatic ways to resolve the war in Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that US-Russia talks on Ukraine will not change the assessment of Russian policy. He emphasized that borders cannot be changed by force, and Ukraine must participate in decision-making.
Volvo Cars has moved production of EX30 models for the US from China to Belgium. This will help avoid high anti-China tariffs and reduce delivery waiting times.
Lithium prices and battery manufacturers' shares surged after the shutdown of CATL's key mine in Jiangxi province. This closure, which will last at least three months, affects up to 6% of global lithium production.
Brent and WTI oil prices fell in Asian trading due to expectations of talks between the US and Russia regarding the war in Ukraine. The possible lifting of sanctions on Russian oil increases pressure on the market.
Giants Nvidia and AMD have agreed to deduct 15% of semiconductor sales in China to the US government. This is part of an agreement to obtain export licenses for the PRC market.
China wants the US to ease export controls on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips as part of a trade deal. This is due to restrictions affecting the development of Chinese artificial intelligence chips.
The Ukrainian national dragon boat team won two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal at the World Games in Chengdu, China. This happened at competitions where Ukrainian athletes showed high results.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), stated that Putin continues to pretend that he can talk about Ukraine without Ukraine. He noted that this is his way of thinking, but Russia is a country of limited subjectivity.
President Zelenskyy enacted the NSDC decision on synchronizing sanctions between Ukraine and key partners. Ukraine has 100% synchronized the US sanctions for 2025, which concern Russia's energy and military-industrial complex.
China justifies Russian oil imports, citing the right to economic and energy cooperation with all countries. This comes amid Donald Trump's statements about possible additional tariffs for China.
At least 10 people have died and 33 are missing due to sudden floods in northwestern China. Heavy rains since Thursday have caused floods and landslides, leaving more than 4,000 people without communication.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed with Putin the latest developments regarding Ukraine and reaffirmed commitment to deepening strategic partnership. Modi expects to meet Putin in India later this year.
In a conversation with Putin, Xi Jinping supported the efforts of the US and Russia to promote a political settlement of the crisis in Ukraine. Beijing insists on peace talks and a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin. The conversation took place ahead of Putin's summit with US President Donald Trump.
Donald Trump is preparing to meet with Putin next week to discuss peace in Ukraine. The approaches of the parties differ radically, the chance of success is illusory.
