U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said AI companies must explain to the public how their technologies will benefit them.

Omdia data show Latin America smartphone shipments fell 12% year-on-year in Q2 2026 to 30.3 mln units. Rising DRAM and NAND costs have been passed through to retail prices, weighing most on entry-level device demand. Vendors and channel partners partially offset cost pressure with early stocking and inventory buffers in Q1, but those buffers weakened in Q2, leaving low-end demand under greater strain while mid-, high- and flagship segments remained relatively more resilient.

Sources say moves by South Korea's foreign-exchange stabilization fund have raised the fund's USD allocation as a share of holdings.