**Summary:** France and Morocco have signed 14 bilateral agreements during a high-level meeting, strengthening their strategic partnership across various sectors including transport and logistics.

**Key points:**
- The agreements were finalized during the 15th high-level meeting between the two nations.
- Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the transport and logistics sectors.
- The partnership aims to deepen the strategic relationship between Rabat and Paris.

**Why it matters:** The signing of these agreements marks a significant consolidation of the strategic and economic ties between France and Morocco.

yabiladi.com - Maroc – France : 14 accords signés lors de la 15e réunion de haut niveau

hespress.com - شراكة مغربية فرنسية في النقل

France and Morocco Sign 14 Cooperation Agreements

**Summary:** The European Commission has issued two new mandates requiring Google to open its Android operating system to third-party artificial intelligence agents and share anonymized search data with competitors to foster market innovation.

**Key points:**
- Google must enable voice-activation for rival AI assistants and allow them to perform background tasks on Android devices.
- The company is required to begin sharing anonymized search data with competitors by January 2027.
- Google's president of global affairs, Kent Walker, warned that the rules could compromise user privacy and security by bypassing existing vetting safeguards.
- The European Commission stated that current Android limitations prevent non-Google AI agents from functioning at the same level as Gemini.

**Why it matters:** The ruling represents a significant effort by the European Union to curb the market dominance of major tech 'gatekeepers' and promote competition in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector.

globalnews.ca - Google must share search data, open Android to rival AI firms, EU says

deccanchronicle.com - EU Orders Google to Share Search Data, Open Android to AI Rivals

elpais.com - Bruselas fuerza a Google a abrir Android a asistentes de inteligencia artificial de la competencia

EU Orders Google to Open Android and Share Search Data with AI Rivals

**Summary:** The Brazilian government has announced it will invoke its Reciprocity Law and seek resolution through the World Trade Organization (WTO) after the United States imposed 25% tariffs on various Brazilian products.

**Key points:**
- The US Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) cited concerns over digital trade, electronic payment services, intellectual property, and deforestation as justifications for the tariffs.
- Brazil rejected the legitimacy of the US investigation, noting that the US maintained a $424.5 billion trade surplus with Brazil over the last 15 years.
- The Brazilian government claims to have held 30 meetings with US officials over the past year to negotiate the trade dispute.
- The Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp) criticized the Brazilian government's diplomatic handling of the negotiations, citing concerns over national competitiveness.

**Why it matters:** This trade dispute marks a significant deterioration in US-Brazil relations, threatening key export sectors and potentially triggering retaliatory economic measures.

VEJA - Tarifaço : veja os produtos que escaparam da taxa de 25 % de Donald Trump

El Popular - Rechaza Brasil anuncio de Estados Unidos de imponer aranceles a productos brasileños

InfoMoney - Tarifaço dos EUA : governo brasileiro vai acionar Lei de Reciprocidade

Brasil 247 - Governo Lula rebate Rubio e lista 30 reuniões para negociar tarifaço dos EUA

Agência Brasil - Brasil diz que não há justificativas para tarifas impostas pelos EUA

Brazil to Invoke Reciprocity Law Following US Imposition of 25% Tariffs

**Summary:** The Court of Justice of the European Union (TJUE) has validated the core of Spain's amnesty law, ruling it compatible with European law. ERC president Oriol Junqueras has called for the immediate application of the law to all affected individuals.

**Key points:**
- Oriol Junqueras, president of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), described the ruling as a significant political victory for the independence movement.
- The TJUE determined that the law does not violate European Union financial interests or anti-terrorism regulations.
- ERC estimates that approximately 40 individuals, including those facing terrorism and embezzlement charges, should benefit immediately from the ruling.
- Gabriel Rufián, ERC spokesperson in the Congress, questioned whether the Spanish Supreme Court and judge Manuel Marchena will comply with the European court's logic.

**Why it matters:** The ruling removes a major legal hurdle for the amnesty law, shifting the focus back to the Spanish judiciary's implementation and the potential political consequences for the Catalan independence movement.

Oriol Junqueras, presidente de ERC, tras la sentencia del TJUE por la amnistía: "Ya no hay excusas, la ley tiene que aplicarse"

Gabriel Rufián, sobre la sentencia del TJUE por la Ley de Amnistía: "La única duda es si el Supremo y en concreto Marchena aplicará una sentencia basada en una lógica que le trasciende"

TJUE backs amnesty law, prompting ERC to demand immediate implementation

**Summary:** Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chinese business leaders have discussed expanding bilateral cooperation, focusing on logistics, technology, and industrial investment.

**Key points:**
- Kazakhstan has invested over $35 billion in transport and logistics infrastructure over the last 15 years.
- Bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and China reached a record $49 billion last year.
- China has invested more than $30 billion in the Kazakh economy, with over 8,500 Chinese-capital enterprises currently operating in the country.
- President Tokayev proposed a joint digital platform, Smart Cargo, to standardize and streamline Eurasian logistics.
- The new city of Alatau is being developed as a digital financial hub, utilizing the Astana International Financial Centre's regulatory framework.

**Why it matters:** The deepening economic and logistical integration between Kazakhstan and China is central to the development of the Middle Corridor, a critical trade route connecting China to Europe.

trend.az - Kazakhstan receives over $30B in Chinese investment, Tokayev says

trend.az - President Tokayev outlines Alatau city as Eurasia's new technology hub

tengrinews.kz - Токаев предложил Китаю вместе установить новые стандарты мировой логистики

Kazakhstan and China Strengthen Economic and Logistics Cooperation

**Summary:** Uber has launched a public takeover offer for the German food delivery company Delivery Hero, valuing the firm at approximately $14.8 billion. The deal aims to expand Uber's global food delivery network across multiple continents.

**Key points:**
- Uber is offering €41.50 per share in cash, representing a 34% premium over the company's three-month volume-weighted average share price.
- The acquisition is conditional on a minimum acceptance threshold of 50% plus one share.
- Delivery Hero has agreed to sell its business operations in 14 markets to the investment firm SSW Partners for roughly €1.4 billion.
- Major shareholder Prosus has committed to selling its 17% stake in Delivery Hero as part of the transaction.
- Uber has pledged to maintain Delivery Hero's headquarters in Berlin and avoid staff reductions until at least 2029.

**Why it matters:** This merger represents one of the largest consolidations in the European delivery sector, significantly expanding Uber's market presence while drawing potential scrutiny from antitrust regulators.

interfax.ru - Uber купит германскую Delivery Hero, оценив компанию в $14,8 млрд

tagesschau.de - Milliardensumme: Uber übernimmt Lieferdienst Delivery Hero

timeslive.co.za - Uber launches $14.8bn takeover bid for Delivery Hero

lalibre.be - Delivery Hero accepte une offre de rachat d'Uber pour 12,7 milliards d'euros

Uber Launches $14.8 Billion Takeover Bid for Delivery Hero

**Summary:** China's National Bureau of Statistics announced that the country's GDP grew by 4.7% in the first half of 2026, reaching 69.6 trillion yuan, with new economic drivers contributing over 40% to this growth.

**Key points:**
- The service sector emerged as the primary growth engine, contributing 66.1% to overall economic expansion.
- High-tech manufacturing saw a 13.3% increase, with significant growth in artificial intelligence-related industries like integrated circuits.
- Financial data showed a 7.4% increase in social financing stock, with a notable shift toward increased corporate bond financing.
- The urban unemployment rate averaged 5.2%, remaining stable compared to the previous year.

**Why it matters:** The data indicates that China's economy is maintaining stable growth and structural optimization despite complex global conditions and external uncertainties.

百度 - 向新向优 ！ 透过半年 成绩单 看中国经济的韧性和活力

新浪科技 - 2026年中经济观察｜三个关键数据看中国经济 半年报 _ 新浪科技 _ 新浪网

China Reports 4.7% GDP Growth for First Half of 2026

**Summary:** President Nicușor Dan announced that Ukraine will soon provide official explanations regarding a maritime drone that detonated in the Port of Constanța in early June.

**Key points:**
- President Nicușor Dan confirmed he received a commitment from Ukraine's President Volodimir Zelenski to clarify the incident.
- Romanian authorities have established a direct communication channel with Kiev and increased maritime surveillance patrols to prevent future occurrences.
- Ukraine previously identified the drone as part of its fleet, claiming it was diverted by Russian electronic warfare systems.

**Why it matters:** The incident highlights the ongoing security risks to Romanian infrastructure posed by the conflict in neighboring Ukraine and the importance of bilateral coordination in the Black Sea region.

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