On July 4 the China Coast Guard conducted law-enforcement patrols in waters east of Taiwan, using the term 'routine' in its report for the first time compared with last month. Marine expert Yang Xiao said 'routine' denotes continuous enforcement operations intended to assert sovereignty. The coast guard has implemented regular patrols of the Diaoyu Islands and affiliated islets and routine enforcement around Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal). The agency said it logged 357 days of patrols aroun

The dollar slid sharply this week and is poised for its largest weekly decline since April after U.S. June jobs softened and markets trimmed the near-term Fed rate path; the dollar index fell about 0.5% on the week. EUR/USD rose to 1.1440, up roughly 0.5% for the week. GBP/USD climbed to 1.3352, gaining about 1.1% and marking its best weekly performance in nearly three months. USD/JPY, having retreated from near a 40-year high, fell to around 161 but remains elevated. Japanese finance and cabinet officials reiterated close market monitoring and said they stand ready to intervene in FX markets. Analysts say the dollar is clearly tracking employment data and rate expectations; further weak economic releases could extend dollar pressure, while the yen’s sustainability depends on the U.S.-Japan rate differential and any Japanese policy action.

Washington, D.C. cancels Independence Day parade due to extreme heat.