Fed's Kashkari says there are some signs of improvement in productivity.

The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council General Office issued Opinions on advancing classified higher‑education reform, setting out a systematic plan. The document instructs reforms to be guided by Xi Jinping Thought, to uphold the Party’s overall leadership and socialist orientation and to adhere to the ‘seek progress while maintaining stability’ principle; it calls for adapting to higher‑education universalization and demographic shifts, aligning talent development with national strategic needs, and using overall planning, category‑specific reform and scientific evaluation to build a stronger, more excellent higher‑education system and accelerate construction of an education‑strong China.

Venezuela signed a memorandum of understanding with TotalEnergies on Saturday to pave the way for the French group's return to the country's oil operations, the government said. The ceremony in Caracas saw the agreement signed by the head of Venezuela's state oil company (PDVSA) and TotalEnergies' Americas senior vice president; TotalEnergies said subsidiary TotalEnergies E&P New Ventures will participate in the energy projects. TotalEnergies and partner Equinor withdrew from the Petrocedeno project in 2021 during a wave of foreign exits; CEO Patrick Pouyanné said at the time the withdrawal reflected the company's carbon-reduction strategy rather than Venezuela's political situation.