Market sources say the EU plans to impose sanctions on 1,600 companies for assisting Russia; the move would push the total number of sanctioned firms to a record.

PBOC data show banks' outstanding RMB loans were 282.63 trln yuan at end-Q2, up 5.2% YoY; new RMB loans increased 1H by 10.72 trln yuan. Loans to enterprises and public institutions (RMB and foreign-currency) stood at 197.47 trln yuan, up 8.2% YoY—3.1 ppt faster than overall loans—and rose 11.26 trln yuan in 1H. By tenor, short-term loans and bill financing totaled 69.68 trln yuan, up 12.3% YoY, adding 5.53 trln in 1H; medium- and long-term loans were 123.93 trln yuan, up 6.1% YoY, adding 5.54 trln in 1H. By use, fixed-asset loans totaled 79.27 trln yuan, up 3.2% YoY, adding 2.00 trln in 1H; operating loans were 83.24 trln yuan, up 10.8% YoY, adding 7.12 trln in 1H.

Yemen's incoming foreign minister said the Houthi movement is seeking to open direct flights from Iran to plug gaps in military support, personnel, funding and weapons.