China has reported its exports slowed slightly in July from the month before despite strong growth in demand for high-tech electronics and vehicles. Customs data released Friday showed China’s trade surplus narrowed to $112.5 billion from $125.6 billion in June. Exports rose nearly 24% in July from a year earlier, while imports were up 27.5% year-on-year. Trade data show China has fully transitioned from providing mostly low-cost manufacturing to supplying vital machinery and components for advanced manufacturing. Exports of high-tech items surged nearly 41% in January-July from the same period the year before, while shipments of vehicles jumped 55%.

Shares are mixed in Europe and Asia while oil prices gave up early gains to edge lower. China reported its exports grew at a slightly slower but still robust pace of about 24% in July on strong demand for electronics and other high-tech products. On Thursday, stocks retreated on Wall Street as oil prices rose and more company earnings reports rolled in. The S&P 500 fell 0.2% and the Dow industrials fell 0.9%. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Iran has said it is close to a deal with Oman for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil and gas supplies. It's unclear if the U.S. will support that plan.

The brand name behind recent showstopping fashion moments isn’t quite as delicate as their romantic and otherworldly looks. When asked what an…

HAVANA (AP) — A 20-minute burst of electricity is a small miracle in Havana nowadays — a miracle that sometimes comes at 3 a.m.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is moving to equip officers with body cameras in the next two months but the public should not expect to quickly see footage of every critical incident. ICE’s body-worn camera policy says it will publicly release video of shootings and other encounters in which its agents cause death or serious injury only after determining it is in the “best interests of the agency” to do so. One expert on body camera usage says ICE's director will have broad discretion to release recordings that reflect well on ICE and can push to keep others secret. ICE says body cameras have been sent to more than half its field officers and the rest will receive them by the end of September.

Ukrainian long-range drones have hit a warehouse in the Ural Mountains belonging to Russia’s largest online retailer. The site of the attack, reported Friday, is over 2,000 kilometers from the border. Ukraine has been targeting distant Russian sites, showcasing its drone innovation as a response to the invasion. Officials say the Wildberries warehouse in Yekaterinburg was set ablaze, but most merchandise was unharmed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pushing for more technological advances, especially in air defense systems. Meanwhile, Ukrainian defenses in the eastern regions remain under pressure as Russia seeks a breakthrough after months of minimal advances.

On the face of it, the U.S. job market has looked pretty stable this year. Hiring has been solid – if not exactly spectacular – after a lackluster 2025. But underneath the headline numbers, some weird stuff is happening. Companies in some industries can’t find enough workers and are willing to pay premium wages to fill vacancies. Others are making such efficient use of technology that they don’t need to hire much at all. Normally, the American labor market looks either good or bad. Lately, it’s been a bit of both.