Beijing issues surprise tax on offshore trusts as China's super-rich hunt for cash.

South Korea's current account surplus hit a record $49.73 billion in June, the Bank of Korea said Thursday, driven by an unprecedented semiconductor export boom. Exports soared 84.5% year-over-year to $112.37 billion.

South Korea's current account surplus hit a record $49.73 billion in June, the Bank of Korea said Thursday, driven by an unprecedented semiconductor export boom. Exports soared 84.5% year-over-year. The first-half 2026 cumulative surplus reached $191.01 billion, roughly four times the same period in 2025.

Brazil plans to become a regular borrower in China, a treasury official said, in a potential shift in the country's external debt strategy

Brazil plans to become a regular borrower in China, according to a treasury official.

Cote d'Ivoire unveils 'Vital Plus,' a biological solution to combat cocoa swollen shoot virus threatening the world's top cocoa producer. Developed over two decades by Prof. Mamadou Doumbia at Nangui Abrogoua University in Abidjan.

The Ivorian government on Wednesday announced 'Vital Plus,' a biological solution against cocoa swollen shoot disease, developed after two decades of research by Professor Mamadou Doumbia at Nangui Abrogoua University in Abidjan. Made from natural organic materials, it treats the virus while reducing dependence on imported agricultural inputs.

At least 10 commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, CNN reports — MarineTraffic tracking data.

At least 10 commercial vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, according to CNN citing MarineTraffic vessel-tracking data.