1. On the 26th local time, the European Council announced that the economic recovery plans of four EU member states, Croatia, Cyprus, Lithuania and Slovenia, had been formally approved. The four EU member states will sign funding and loan agreements with the European Commission and are expected to receive pre-financing in the near future. So far, the EU has formally approved the economic recovery plans of 16 member states.

2.According to the latest annual survey released by the London-based official Forum of International Monetary and Financial institutions, about 30% of the world’s central banks plan to increase their renminbi holdings in the next 12 to 24 mon

ths, compared with 10% last year-of which African countries are more positive, with nearly half of African central banks preparing to increase their renminbi holdings. 

3.U.S. media reported on July 25 that there were at least 915 shootings across the United States last week, killing at least 430 people and injuring 1007, according to gun violence files that track gun violence data.

 4.Recently, torrential rains have hit the western Indian state of Maharashtra, causing a number of landslides and floods. On July 24, local time, local officials said at least 138 people had been killed in the accident caused by torrential rains. 

5.Recently, according to a report released by Republican members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, the Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management, since President Biden’s inauguration, the Department of Defense has spent $1.8 billion to $2 billion to stop or cancel the construction of the border wall, while the government has to spend about $3 million a day to continue to freeze the wall. 

6.Thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the blockade measures after a large-scale march broke out in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, on July 24, local time, several of whom were arrested after violent clashes with police. It is reported that in addition to Sydney, Melbourne also broke out a large-scale march, and Adelaide and other areas are also planning such rallies.

7.On July 22nd, the Israeli Ministry of Health said that the average effective rate of Pfizer vaccine in preventing novel coronavirus infection in Israel was reduced to 39%, the effective rate of preventing symptomatic infection was 41%, and the effective rate of preventing infected persons from developing to hospitalization was 88%. The effective rate of preventing severe illness was 91.4%. 

8.On July 23, there were 1359 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tokyo, 88 more than last Friday, and more than 1000 in a single day for four consecutive days. At present, the epidemic in Tokyo is still expanding rapidly. The number of critically ill patients on the 23rd was 3 more than that of the 22nd, reaching 68. On July 23, there were 1359 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tokyo, 88 more than last Friday, and more than 1000 in a single day for four consecutive days. At present, the epidemic in Tokyo is still expanding rapidly. The number of critically ill patients on the 23rd was 3 more than that of the 22nd, reaching 68.

9.Forbes: according to JPMorgan, many clients see cryptocurrencies as an asset class and want to invest in them. Allow its financial advisers to assist all wealth management clients in buying and selling cryptocurrency funds, and will become the first large bank in the United States to do so. More than half of the bank’s family office clients want to use cryptocurrency to hedge against the negative effects of inflation and long-term low interest rates, according to a Goldman Sachs survey. Of these, 15% of respondents have invested in cryptocurrency and blockchain products, and 45% of respondents are interested in the topic of using cryptocurrency hedging.

10.The Thai Constitutional Bulletin website publishes an official communique signed by Thai Prime Minister Prayuth. Thailand will extend the implementation of the Emergency Law for two months from August 1 to September 30, the communique said. This is the 13th extension of the emergency law since the Thai government first announced the implementation of the emergency law on March 26, 2020.

11.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on the 23rd local time that it would terminate two border wall contracts in the Laredo area of southern Texas on the U.S.-Mexico border. It is reported that the two border wall contracts originally planned to build about 50 kilometers of border barrier along the Rio Grande, but construction has not yet begun. The Department of Homeland Security said it would also continue to review all suspended border wall projects.

12.Former US Treasury Secretary Summers: over the past 16 months, the US fiscal stimulus has been very intense, reaching as high as 30% of US GDP. At the same time, the rise in the savings rate has created ample liquidity in bank accounts, which has not happened since World War II. Worries about inflation will haunt the United States in the medium term.