CUSTOMS data show that in the first three quarters China's import growth outpaced export growth by 5.9 percentage points, supported by expansion of the China‑Europe Railway Express and construction of the Western Land‑Sea New Corridor. Opening-up accelerated in central and western China: combined imports and exports in the central region rose 20.5% and in the western region rose 25.7%.

Market reports: ARAMCO's headquarters in Dhahran was struck by Houthi forces.

Microsoft (MSFT.O) has rallied more than 50% from its June low, adding roughly $1.5 trillion in market value and is poised to close at a record high for the first time in nearly a year. The fourth consecutive monthly advance has accelerated as investor confidence in Microsoft’s AI competitiveness improved. The stock was among the S&P 500’s worst performers in June, plunging 17% in its worst month since 2000 and erasing about $600 billion of market value. The reversal began after the July 29 earnings release, when cloud revenue growth hit its fastest pace in four years; the shares jumped 16% the next day and Microsoft posted its strongest quarterly performance since 1998. At least two firms have since upgraded the stock to buy, citing confidence in Microsoft’s ability to capture rising AI services demand.