Real-time News

July 14th - US small business confidence improved in June, but the percentage of business owners who considered inflation the "single most important issue" rose to its highest level in nearly two years, while more businesses reported raising average selling prices. Data released Tuesday by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) showed that the Small Business Optimism Index rose 2.1 points to 97.4 in June, close to the index's 52-year average of 98.0. The uncertainty index in the survey fell 2 points to 89, but remains significantly higher than the historical average of 68. Improved business confidence and reduced uncertainty may reflect a temporary drop in gasoline prices following the fragile ceasefire reached between the US and Iran. However, the ceasefire broke down last week after attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering military strikes between the two countries. NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg stated, "The current economic environment brings both positive changes for small business owners and ongoing challenges. Lower fuel costs provide welcome relief for both businesses and consumers, and businesses expect the operating environment to improve over the next six months."

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported that a 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Sumbah region of Indonesia at a depth of 3.0 kilometers.

Syrian Foreign Ministry: Condemns Iran's attack on two UAE oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

On July 14th, a breakthrough in power transmission line inspection technology was achieved in the remote mountains of Jianshui County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Drones autonomously inspected power transmission lines directly connected to satellites, even without 4G or 5G signals or ground-based differential positioning assistance. This operation, relying on a self-developed system, successfully established a direct signal channel between the ground station, satellite, and drone, overcoming the challenge of inspection in signal-free areas with practical accuracy. Project leader Li Bingchen explained that this technology breaks the previous limitation that inspection drones had to be connected via remote controllers to fly, enabling autonomous inspection even in signal-free areas. Approximately 4,500 kilometers of power transmission lines in Yunnan are located in mountainous areas without signal coverage; with this technology, at least 90% of these areas can now be automatically inspected by drones.

July 14 - On July 14 local time, the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada approved the extension of the state of war and general mobilization order in Ukraine until October 31, 2026.

July 14 – The European Commission on Tuesday approved €659 million (approximately US$751 million) in state aid from Germany to support the construction of four pioneering semiconductor facilities, stating that these projects will enhance Europe's competitiveness and strategic autonomy in the semiconductor sector. European Commission Executive Vice-President Theresa Ribera said, "Today's approval of four new German projects supporting the semiconductor value chain demonstrates that Europe is translating the ambitions of the EU Chip Act into concrete action."

KeyBanc: Raises its price target for Arm (ARM.O) from $300 to $430.

KeyBanc: Raises its price target for Nvidia (NVDA.O) from $310 to $330.

According to Iranian media: Four locations in the Iranian city of Bushehr were hit by enemy artillery fire.

KeyBanc: Raises its price target for Micron Technology (MU.O) from $1,600 to $1,750.

WHO official: We estimate the scale of the Ebola outbreak to be at least two to four times the number of reported cases.

On July 14th, according to AXIOS, Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google's DeepMind, called for the establishment of a new AI regulatory body in the United States. This body would have the authority to review the world's most advanced AI models and coordinate a slowdown across the industry should risks escalate. Hassabis stated that it's time for a more "systematic" approach to AI regulation—one funded by the industry, composed of world-class technical experts, and accountable to the US government. He stated that the current cybersecurity risks posed by AI are merely "early warning signs." He believes that within the next 18 months, these capabilities, along with more serious biological and nuclear safety risks, could emerge in open-source models that no government can control. He also emphasized that the risks come not only from open-source models but also from the more powerful proprietary models that various AI labs will develop in the future. It is understood that Hassabis has been quietly pushing this plan for months, communicating with the Trump administration, other AI lab leaders, and European officials before its public release, stating that "the feedback I've received has been very positive."

The Kremlin stated that without Russia's involvement, it is impossible to provide security guarantees for Ukraine.

July 14th - According to Xiangjie Auto, the Xiangjie G9 has officially received approval for a Level 3 autonomous driving road test license in Beijing, becoming the first model to receive such a license for a 120 km/h Level 3 autonomous driving road test in Beijing.

Statistics South Africa: South African platinum group metals production fell 4.4% year-on-year in May.

Statistics South Africa: South African gold production fell 4.3% year-on-year in May.

On July 14th, Harvest Fund Management Co., Ltd. announced that recently, the secondary market trading price of its Harvest Crude Oil Securities Investment Fund (QDII-LOF) (exchange-traded abbreviation: Harvest Crude Oil LOF; fund code: 160723) has been significantly higher than its net asset value per unit, exhibiting a substantial premium. On July 14th, 2026, the closing price of the fund in the secondary market was RMB 2.236, and as of July 10th, the net asset value per unit was RMB 1.7515. Investors are hereby solemnly reminded to pay close attention to the premium risk of secondary market trading prices and to make investment decisions prudently. Blind investment may result in significant losses. To protect investors' interests, the fund will be suspended from trading starting July 15th and will resume trading at 10:30 AM. Redemption services will continue as usual during the suspension period.

According to Hong Kong Stock Exchange documents: Beijing Silicon-based Flow Technology Co., Ltd. has submitted a listing application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.