POLISH CENTRAL BANK policymaker KOTECKI said if inflation forecasts do not show CPI near 2.5% by end‑2027 or early‑2028, a 25bp rate hike will be required in November.

Hong Kong stocks opened higher and extended gains: HSI +1.09% at midday; Hang Seng Tech Index peaked over 2% intraday and was +1.55% at midday. Autos led the rally — Xiaomi (01810.HK) surged as much as 8% intraday, Leapmotor (09863.HK) and Li Auto (02015.HK) rose over 4%, BYD Co. (01211.HK) gained over 3%. Precious-metals names outperformed, with Datang Gold (08299.HK), Zijin Gold International (02259.HK) and Chifeng Gold (06693.HK) up more than 3%. EV-battery leader CATL (03750.HK) rallied above 5% intraday and was +4.32% at midday. Biotech pulled back: Kailaiying (06821.HK) -9.51%, Geli Pharma (01672.HK) and Fonda Holdings (01521.HK) each down more than 5%.

Zimbabwe reaffirmed a ban on lithium concentrate exports due to take effect in January 2027, saying producers have had ample time to meet the beneficiation deadline and there is no basis for further delay. The government suspended concentrate exports in February to force domestic value‑added processing and curb illegal shipments for EV batteries, relaxed restrictions in April, and rejected producers’ requests for more preparation time, according to Nick Mangwana, permanent secretary at the information ministry.