UK manufacturing output grew for the fourth consecutive month at its fastest rate in nearly two years, driven by new domestic and export orders. However, the sector faces uncertainty from the Middle East conflict, rising energy costs, and subdued employment growth, despite optimism from some industry figures.
China is shifting its growth strategy from exporting goods to exporting factories, technology, and brands globally. This comes as its traditional export model faces limits due to overcapacity and slowing domestic demand, prompting Beijing to seek new growth drivers.
Die EU-Kommission hat das Bietverfahren für bis zu sieben KI-Gigafactories eröffnet. Mit bis zu 10 Mrd. Euro öffentlichen Mitteln und 20 Mrd. Euro privaten Investitionen soll Europas KI-Infrastruktur ausgebaut und die Abhängigkeit von US-Hyperscalern reduziert werden. Bewerbungsfrist endet im November 2026.
Midea's European air conditioner sales surge due to heatwaves, with 200,000 new orders in a month for two Chinese factories, driven by demand for easily installable units like PortaSplit.
NASA-backed research suggests plants could produce medicines for astronauts on long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars. A study used a tobacco relative and a harmless plant virus to create therapeutic proteins, aiming to reduce reliance on Earth-launched medical supplies and enhance self-sufficiency in deep space.
A Chinese food delivery rider won a top literary award, signaling a resurgence of worker-authored literature. This new wave, distinct from Maoist-era writing, details exploitation and despair, resonating with readers both inside and outside China, despite Communist Party censorship.
British Sugar plans to close its Cantley factory in Norfolk by February 2027, potentially affecting over 100 jobs. The company cites low European sugar prices, high energy costs, and declining demand. A consultation will be held, with operations consolidating at other UK sites.
China's Q2 GDP grew 4.3% year-over-year, missing expectations, despite a strong $125.6 billion monthly trade surplus. Robust exports, especially in high-value industrial goods, contrast with weak domestic demand, declining fixed-asset and real estate investment, and cautious household spending, creating an internal imbalance and focusing attention on upcoming policy decisions.
China has fully embraced AI, with millions using AI doctors, robots in factories, and drones for delivery. The state also utilizes AI for surveillance, contrasting with Western skepticism towards the technology.
Volkswagen's supervisory board is set to review radical plans for job cuts and factory closures, facing protests from IG Metall union members at 18 sites. The proposals aim to secure the company's long-term survival amid intense competition and the shift to electric vehicles.
Volkswagen's supervisory board will review drastic proposals to cut up to 100,000 jobs and close German factories. Unions have organized protests across 18 sites, warning against placing the burden on the workforce.
The US is in talks with NATO allies Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Poland about co-producing AMRAAM missiles and establishing a Patriot missile maintenance facility in Europe. The plan aims to boost production capacity for both US defense contractors and meet high demand from Ukraine.
Whey, once a dairy byproduct, is now a high-demand product due to the "proteinmaxxing" trend and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. This surge has led to shortages and price increases, impacting the traditional dairy and cheese markets.
The US dairy industry is experiencing a whey protein boom, fueled by GLP-1 weight loss drugs, leading to shortages and price hikes. This shift is transforming cheesemaking, with whey now a valuable co-product rather than waste, and impacting traditional dairy production.
Volkswagen is reportedly considering cutting up to 100,000 jobs and closing four German factories, a plan facing strong opposition from lawmakers and unions. The company's supervisory board will vote on the restructuring on July 9, with significant hurdles due to the Volkswagen Law and the state of Lower Saxony's stake.
Europe's defense industry faces a critical test as it struggles to convert increased military budgets into actual weapons and capabilities. Procurement delays, fragmented programs, labor shortages, and strained supply chains are raising doubts about the industry's ability to execute, despite surging demand and political ambition.
A US federal appeals court unanimously rejected the EPA's bid to abandon a 2024 rule setting stricter standards for soot pollution, citing the agency's arguments as lacking merit. The ruling keeps in place an annual limit of 9 micrograms of fine particle pollution per cubic meter, aimed at reducing health risks from coal-fired power plants, vehicles, and industrial sites.
Volkswagen is reportedly considering closing four German factories and cutting up to 100,000 jobs due to soaring energy costs and intense competition from China. The potential closures include plants in Hanover, Zwickau, Emden, and an Audi facility in Neckarsulm, impacting 45,000 jobs, adding to previously agreed layoffs. The company faces declining profits and reduced market share, particularly in China, as German manufacturers grapple with high energy prices.
Volkswagen Group is reportedly considering closing up to four factories in Germany and cutting an additional 45,000 jobs, bringing total planned reductions to 95,000 by 2030. This drastic move aims to address declining profits and sales, particularly outside Europe, and fundamentally transform its business model.
The Trump administration's dissolution of USAID over a year ago disrupted the supply of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) from US factories like Mana Nutrition and Edesia to starving children globally. With orders dwindling, these companies are now seeking new delivery channels, while a new US policy emphasizes "humanitarian trade."
Ukraine's UN envoy, Andrii Melnyk, warned that Kyiv may revise its ceasefire offer to Russia if the UN Security Council doesn't pass a resolution for an unconditional end to hostilities. Melnyk cited Ukraine's recent successful strikes on Russian oil refineries and military targets as growing confidence in their war effort.
Ukraine is producing and launching hundreds of long-range kamikaze drones nightly, targeting Russian military and oil facilities. These "Liutyi" drones, capable of traveling nearly 1,300 miles, are seen as a crucial weapon in shifting the war's momentum and inflicting economic damage on Russia.
Female comedians in China are using standup to address sexism and societal pressures, gaining a cult following. Despite censorship, they provide a release valve for women frustrated with everyday inequalities, though the line of acceptable topics shifts.
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) revealed Russia is expanding "Russian Houses" in 8 African nations, alongside arms supplies, as part of a hybrid warfare strategy targeting youth. These centers, run by Rossotrudnichestvo and linked to Wagner/Africa Corps, promote Russian culture and language but also recruit for military service, with some Africans ending up on front lines in Ukraine.
