Fed chair KEVIN WARSH said the most prominent feature of the current economy is business investment. Its rapid pace — and what appears to be further acceleration — largely reflects data-center construction and strong demand for AI-related equipment and software to outfit those centers.

De Beers on the 13th said it will pause production at its Venetia diamond mine in Limpopo for two years to cut costs. The group said other mines will maintain current output and overall production guidance remains unchanged; CEO Al Cook described the move as aimed at strengthening operational resilience and part of wider cost-saving and global restructuring. Since 2024 De Beers has cut annual administrative costs by more than $100m and sold or closed non-core assets. Venetia, near the Botswana–Zimbabwe border, is South Africa’s largest-value diamond mine and accounts for roughly 40% of the country’s annual diamond output; it has operated for over 30 years.

The International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee said on July 14 that, at the invitation of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee and the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Wang Huning, a member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, will lead a Chinese party and government delegation on an official visit to N. KOREA from July 15 to 17.