The FCA's Stablecoin Sprint concludes stablecoins are best suited for cross-border payments, especially in emerging markets, but face slower adoption in UK retail due to existing efficient payment systems.
Russia's retail trade turnover grew 7.3% year-on-year to 5.77 trillion rubles ($72 billion) in June 2026, with non-food goods accounting for 53.2% of the total.
Centrica, owner of British Gas, plans to cut 1,300 jobs (800 new, 500 confirmed) from call centres and back office over two years, citing changing customer behaviour towards digital channels. This comes as retail profits rose despite falling customer numbers and an expected £112m compensation payout.
Zara's wide-legged trousers, dubbed "death pants" on social media, are causing wearers to trip and sustain injuries like fractured knees. Physiotherapists link such fashion to movement difficulties, while tailors attribute the issue to disproportionate sizing compared to average UK women.
Andy Burnham, in his first week as Prime Minister, capped bus fares at £2 across England, a move reminiscent of Ken Livingstone's 'Fares Fair' scheme. This and the 'No 10 North' plan highlight Burnham's focus on practical, localized policies and decentralization, which he believes will drive economic growth, contrasting with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch's critique of them as "small answers to big problems."
Online sales in Great Britain reached a five-year high in June, rising 1% month-on-month, driven by a heatwave boosting demand for air conditioners and outdoor products, and World Cup spending, according to the ONS.
Maxone Semiconductor Suzhou's president, Zhou Ming, transferred 6 billion yuan worth of company shares to his ex-wife as part of a divorce settlement, causing concern among retail investors about corporate governance and potential share price volatility for the A-share market company.
La startup valenciana Flipflow, fundada en 2021, ha cerrado una ronda de financiación de 3 millones de euros, con la participación de Puig, Mango y 4Founders. La empresa, que ya había recibido 900.000 euros de Angels en 2023, utiliza IA para ofrecer soluciones de inteligencia espacial, digital shelf, control de precios y opinión del consumidor a retailers, con planes de expansión a Norte de Europa y EE. UU. y una facturación proyectada de 100 millones en 2030.
Centrica, owner of British Gas, will cut 1,300 call centre jobs over two years, citing a 20% reduction in customer calls and a preference for digital channels. CEO Chris O'Shea stated AI isn't the main driver, but the company is deploying AI tools. This comes as retail profits rose despite customer losses.
Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russia's major online retailer, Wildberries, striking five logistics centers in a week, killing at least nine people. Kyiv aims to disrupt Russian supply chains and economy, with President Zelenskyy stating the hubs supplied military components.
British households can buy plug-in solar panels from August 27 after a government legal change. Major retailers like Currys and B&Q will sell DIY setups, enabling flats and rented homes to generate electricity, potentially saving £70-£110 annually on energy bills.
Ukrainian drones have repeatedly struck Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, hitting several warehouses and destroying goods worth an estimated $1 billion. These attacks, which Kyiv says target military supply chains, have severely impacted hundreds of small Russian businesses and caused casualties.
Ukraine attacked four Wildberries warehouses in Russia, escalating its drone campaign against the country's top online retailer. The strikes, targeting a key economic driver, threaten disruption for businesses and millions of Russian consumers.
The RBI reported that India's domestic economy successfully navigated a tumultuous global phase, showing robust credit growth and a steady external sector. Despite delayed kharif sowing and rising retail inflation driven by food and fuel, healthy demand and resilient industrial and services sectors underpin a buoyant outlook.
South Korea's major crypto exchanges saw trading activity fall by an average of 77% year-over-year, while the KOSPI stock index more than doubled. This suggests a significant shift in retail speculative interest from cryptocurrencies to equities, potentially impacting smaller crypto platforms.
Amazon has been using various tactics to pressure suppliers into raising prices on rival retailers' sites, according to internal emails and court claims, potentially affecting consumer prices across platforms.
China Merchants Securities, a leading Chinese brokerage, ceased market making for the mainland's only South Korea-focused ETF and five other QDII products. This move, described as commercial, aligns with Beijing's efforts to stabilize capital markets amidst significant volatility in South Korea's KOSPI index.
Top Indian private sector banks, including HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Axis Bank, reported weaker net interest margins (NIMs) in the June quarter. This decline was primarily due to sluggish retail loan demand, pushing lenders towards lower-yielding corporate loans, a trend partly influenced by rising bond yields and the West Asia war.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated that government measures are stabilizing the fuel market, leading to lifted retail restrictions, more operational filling stations, and shrinking queues. Despite improvements, the situation remains tense in some regions, with focus on supplying agricultural producers and northern Russia.
Vietnam introduces fines for retail crypto users on unlicensed platforms, while Japan reclassifies crypto as financial assets with new tax rules and penalties. South Korea updates national asset management to include crypto and addresses platform hacks, while Malaysia faces controversy over a school hosting Israeli citizens. Coinbase reportedly opens verification for China-based users, and Hong Kong approves a tokenized fund.
South Korean retail investors are experiencing significant losses on leveraged single-stock ETFs tied to AI champions like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, following a sharp market reversal. This speculative trading boom has prompted the central bank to warn against magnified volatility and regulators to implement tougher rules, including a higher minimum cash requirement for trading these products.
AliExpress has been fined €550 million by European Union regulators for failing to curb illegal, unsafe, and counterfeit goods on its platform, violating the Digital Services Act. The e-commerce giant plans to appeal the "disproportionate" penalty and faces an October 20 deadline to submit a compliance plan.
Russia's State Duma passed its first comprehensive cryptocurrency law, establishing a licensing regime for exchanges and limiting legal trading to Bitcoin and Ethereum for most investors. The law, expected to take effect September 1, permits crypto for international trade to circumvent Western sanctions, while banning privacy coins and domestic crypto payments.
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