Australia’s eSafety Commissioner released a transparency report on July 14, 2026, saying major platforms including Apple, Google, Meta, Snap, Discord, Microsoft and WhatsApp have significant technical gaps in detecting and stopping child sexual extortion. The report highlights weaknesses in using available tools such as language analysis to spot coercion scripts used by offenders. The regulator said it received more than 2,000 sexual extortion complaints in the second half of 2025, with men aged 18–24 the most affected group. The release signals tougher cross-border tech oversight, though it did not announce immediate penalties or new rules taking effect.

S&P Global has reaffirmed Indonesia’s sovereign credit rating at BBB/A-2 with a stable outlook, saying recent fiscal strains should be temporary and could be offset by higher commodity prices and spending cuts. The decision contrasts with Moody’s and Fitch, which cut their outlooks for Indonesia to negative earlier in the year, helping bolster market confidence in the country’s economic management. A Bank Indonesia official said the rupiah has significant room to strengthen after it recently touched a record low of 18,000 per dollar.

State Bank of India expects a one-off gain of about ₹13,655 crore from reducing its stake in SBI Funds Management and selling shares in the National Stock Exchange. The proceeds are set to flow through other income, boosting net worth and adding roughly 27–30 basis points to the bank’s capital adequacy ratio. The stronger capital buffer could help SBI increase expected credit loss (ECL) provisions and support loan growth. SBI’s capital adequacy ratio currently stands at 15.40%, above regulatory requirements.

Several Thai brokerages have raised their targets for the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index, with the most bullish calling for 1,730 points, citing improving corporate earnings and stronger economic momentum. They also point to renewed foreign buying, with 28 billion baht in month-to-date net inflows, and a Constitutional Court ruling that the government’s 400 billion baht emergency loan decree was lawful. The SET trades at about 17 times projected 2026 earnings, or 13.1 times excluding Delta Electronics (Thailand), and offers an estimated 2026 dividend yield of 3.6%, above the MSCI ACWI average.

Nigeria’s foreign-exchange reserves have climbed above $51bn, strengthening expectations that the naira will remain more stable. A 26.5 per cent policy rate and short-term Treasury bill yields of 16 per cent to 19 per cent have also helped draw foreign investors back toward the official FX market. Structural steps, including tighter oversight of Bureau de Change operators and progress in clearing legacy dollar payment backlogs, have reinforced market confidence. Analysts expect the naira to trade in a N1,320 to N1,420/$ range for most of the second half of the year, with faster non-oil exports potentially supporting additional gains by year-end.

Thailand’s Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has proposed raising the fuel tariff (Ft) to 0.94 baht per kilowatthour from 0.16 baht per kilowatthour, a near fivefold increase that would lift overall electricity prices. The new rate is slated to take effect from September, while the current 3.95 baht per unit tariff will remain through the end of August. The ERC cited an 8% increase in the projected Pool Gas price to 375 baht/mmBtu and the need to gradually repay the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) for 31.2 billion baht in subsidy-related debt. Public consultation is open until July 20.

Chile’s copper exports totaled US$30.236bn in the first half of 2026, up 11.5% from the same period in 2025, supported by an average price of US$5.94 per pound. Mining shipments reached US$36.888bn and made up 61.1% of total exports, a 20.4% year-on-year increase, according to a foreign affairs ministry report. At the same time, copper output declined, with the mining component of the Monthly Economic Activity Index (Imacec) falling 11.6% year on year in May. The drop reflects issues including lower ore grades, water shortages, unplanned maintenance, processing transitions and rising labor disputes that have affected major mines such as Escondida and Collahuasi.

Soybean futures ended higher, with the USDA reporting a private export sale of 136,000 MT of soybeans to China for 2026/27. NASS crop progress data showed 50% of the U.S. soybean crop was blooming as of 7/12 and 19% was setting pods, both 6 percentage points ahead of normal. NOAA’s 7-day QPF forecast showed little to no precipitation across a swath from the Dakotas south through KS and into parts of MN, IA, IL and MO.