Mumbai's prime residential market grew 1.4% in capital values and 1.2% in rents in H1 2026, outperforming the global average amid moderation, driven by redevelopment and infrastructure.
Russia's agricultural exports to China increased by 44% year-over-year to $4.9 billion in the first half of 2026, driven by strong demand for Russian products in the Chinese market.
Norway's sovereign wealth fund reached a record 11,549 BTC in indirect Bitcoin exposure and added an Ethereum stake in BitMine Immersion Technologies in H1 2026, driven by corporate crypto treasuries in global equities.
AgiBot leads global humanoid robot market with 44% share, shipping 8,400 units in H1 2026, outpacing Unitree Robotics amid pre-IPO race.
Canary Capital's Canary XRP ETF (XRPC) ended H1 2026 with $81.6 million less in net assets as $164 million in unrealized depreciation overwhelmed $82.4 million in net capital-share inflows.
Russia's chocolate exports grew 18% year-over-year to $400 million in the first half of 2026, with Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Uzbekistan leading imports.
Madrid's tourism sector recorded €10.007 billion in international spending in H1 2026, an 11.4% increase, attracting 5.66 million visitors. The US remains the top source market, while Brazil showed the fastest growth, strengthening the city's global appeal.
South Korean police apprehended 5,203 drug offenders, arresting 1,039, in H1 2026 special crackdowns, a 7.8% on-year rise. They recouped 3.84 billion won and plan intensified investigations on online and foreign drug crimes in H2 using special teams.
Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. sold 131,032 EVs in Europe in H1 2026, a 41.8% increase, driven by models like Kia EV3 and Hyundai Inster. The South Korean automakers anticipate surpassing 200,000 annual EV sales in Europe for the first time, expanding their lineup amid strong demand.
CertiK's H1 2026 report reveals a 20-fold surge in crypto-related physical coercion crimes, or "wrench attacks," since H1 2025, with financial exposure increasing 11.8 times to $124.1 million. The report emphasizes the need for advanced custody solutions like multisignature wallets and distributed signers to protect against forced access.
MMK Group reported a net loss of 19.1 bln rubles ($244.3 mln) in H1 2026, down from a profit a year prior, as revenue fell 10% due to lower selling prices. Q2 2026 saw revenue increase by 18.8% quarter-on-quarter due to seasonal demand recovery.
MMK Group reported stable steel production at 5.19 million metric tons in H1 2026, matching H1 2025 levels. Pig iron production rose by 2% to 4.6 million tons, and steel product sales increased by 2.1% to 5.02 million tons, driven by semi-finished, long steel, and premium products.
Crypto wrench attacks, particularly home invasions, surged in the first half of 2026, with 52 verified incidents globally and a financial exposure of $124.1 million, according to CertiK. France accounted for nearly two-thirds of these physical coercion attacks, prompting authorities to launch prevention measures.
Global trade surged 12.5% to $13.7 trillion in H1 2026, with services up 10.5%, UNCTAD reported. This growth largely reflects higher prices due to shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and fuel supply chain concerns, rather than increased trade volumes.
The number of listed South Korean firms involved in M&A deals decreased by 2.6% to 75 in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year, with a significant 82.9% plunge in appraisal rights payments, according to data from the Korea Securities Depository.
India's residential property market achieved one of its strongest first halves in over a decade in H1 2026, with sales near record highs. However, the market is increasingly driven by premium housing, making affordable homes less accessible. Mumbai led sales, Bengaluru showed fastest growth, while NCR weakened.
India's office leasing activity fell 2% to 48 million sq ft in H1 2026, ending a record streak due to global economic uncertainty. Global Capability Centres (GCCs) remained a key driver, leasing 43% of the total space.
Russia's federal budget deficit hit 5.73 trillion rubles ($75 billion) in the first half of 2026, a 2.35 trillion ruble increase from the previous year. The Finance Ministry attributes the rise to advance financing of expenditures, despite a 5.8% increase in revenues.
Tajikistan's oil production increased by 9.3% to over 10,000 metric tons in the first half of 2026. Oil refining also saw a year-on-year rise, while imports of petroleum products and LPG increased by 11%. Natural gas production and imports also grew.
Russia's budget saw a 22.7% year-on-year decrease in oil and gas revenues for January-June 2026, totaling 3.66 trillion rubles ($48 billion). The Finance Ministry cited declining oil prices as the primary reason, while non-oil and gas revenues rose by 16.3%.
Mercedes-Benz and BMW Group reported record sales in India during the first half of 2026, fueled by strong demand for electric vehicles (EVs), premium SUVs, and high-end models. BMW saw a 17% sales increase, with EVs comprising 26% of its total sales.
Russia saw a 3.3% rise in new business and individual entrepreneur registrations in the first half of 2026, reaching 614,000. The Kemerovo Region led growth with a 20% increase, while several southern regions experienced declines.
South Korea detected 41 counterfeit banknotes in the first half of 2026, a 33.9% decrease from the previous year, due to increased cashless transactions. The Bank of Korea reported a significant drop compared to other major economies.
Russia's pipeline gas supplies to the EU rose by 5% (0.4 bcm) in the first half of 2026, according to the IEA. However, supplies are expected to decrease in H2 due to import restrictions.
