Business & Tech News
Autonomous Driverless Trucks Pass Night driving Test
Aurora, urora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ: AUR), a leading mobility company specialising in self-driving trucks, Yesterday announced a significant expansion of its commercial operations, including surpassing 20,000 driverless miles at the end of June. The company recently expanded its driverless fleet to three trucks, beginning driverless commercial operations at night, and opening its Phoenix terminal. Its commercial self-driving trucks have a human “observer” in the cab, people who are not there to operate or intervene, according to the company. “Efficiency, uptime, and reliability are important for our customers, and Aurora is showing we can deliver,” said Chris Urmson, co-founder and CEO of Aurora. “Just three months after launch, we’re running driverless operations day and night and we’ve expanded our terminal network to Phoenix. Our rapid progress is beginning to unlock the full value of self-driving trucks for our customers, which has the potential to transform the trillion-dollar trucking industry.”
PMI in China Falls Again
Production levels in China’s for July, as measured by the official NBS Manufacturing PMI, slumped to 49.3 in July 2025 from June’s three-month high of 49.7. The numbers were far short of market expectations and was the fourth consecutive month of factory manufacturing contraction. This was also the steepest decline in manufacturing since January, as output growth slowed (50.5 vs 51.0 in June), while both new orders (49.4 vs 50.2) and foreign sales (47.1 vs 47.7) saw their sharpest drops in three months. This suggests that a surge in exports ahead of higher US tariffs has begun to fade, while domestic demand remains low.
Meanwhile, employment numbers saw a decrease – 48.0 vs 47.9, and delivery times lengthened marginally – 50.3 vs 50.2. Completing the overall downturn picture, prices of input costs rose for the 1st time in five months (51.5 vs 48.4), while selling prices fell at the slowest pace in five months (48.3 vs 46.2). source: National Bureau of Statistics of China
Zuckerberg Insists AI Super Intelligence Should be for All
In a letter released late yesterday by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, he outlines his personal goals for the rapidly expanding AI technology. “I am extremely optimistic that super-intelligence will help humanity accelerate our pace of progress. But perhaps even more important is that superintelligence has the potential to begin a new era of personal empowerment where people will have greater agency to improve the world in the directions they choose” he states.
The letter outlines Meta’s goal of bringing personal super-intelligence to everyone on the planet and empowering them to build and develop. The purpose, according to Zuckerberg is to create more meaningful lives that will assist people to achieve their personal goals and create what they want to see in the world, becoming whatever people aspire to be. “The intersection of technology and how people live is Meta’s focus, and this will only become more important in the future” says Zuckerberg.
Business, Tech & Market News Shorts:
- The Bank of Japan held steady its benchmark short-term rate at 0.5% in the July meeting, maintaining borrowing costs at their highest level since 2008, in line with market expectations. The decision was unanimous.
- GitHub Copilot, is the worlds most popular AI coding tool, and has now reached more than 20 million users, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gave details on the company’s earnings call yesterday. The company reported an all-time user number of 15 million in April.
- South African Monetary policy meeting is to be held today, with the reserve bank expected to lower interest rates by a mere 25 basis points or 0,25% once more despite inflation having been under the targeted inflation rate for some time. This has become a clear threat to growing the sluggish economy that saw a contraction of real GDP in the first quarter of 2025
- Gold rose above $3,290 per ounce in early trade today, rebounding from a more than 1% drop to a four-week low in the previous session, as markets assessed recent trade moves and the Fed’s policy outlook.
- Meta, the holding company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – says revenue for the three months to the end of June rose 22% from the same period last year to $47.5bn (£35.86bn), while profits jumped by 36% to $18.3bn.
Markets by Numbers
Currencies:
Currency markets today indicate the US Dollar strengthened further yesterday, and currently trading against the Euro at 1.14380 and against the Pound at 1.32685 The Yen is currently at 148.81 to the dollar. The rand is currently at R17.97 to the US dollar and looks to be moving toward breaching the R18.00 level.
Commodities:
- Gold futures prices are currently trading slightly upwards after a drop yesterday, and currently at $3296 per ounce.
- Copper prices are dropping rapidly and down over -4% today, with prices currently at $4.4124
- Silver futures prices are marginally up today, and currently at $37.217
- Platinum futures are up by over 1.5% % this morning, and are currently trading at $1328.60 While Palladium prices are trading marginally lower this morning and currently at $1227.50
- Brent crude oil prices are currently at $72.27, with WTI trading at $69.83
- Cocoa futures are flat today, and currently at $8207 per ton.
- Coffee futures have dropped by over 1% today, and currently trading at $292.75
Crypto Currencies:
- Bitcoin prices are fairly flat today, and currently at $118088
- Ether prices are trending upwards this morning and currently at $3807.50
- $Trumpcoin is currently trading around $9.44
(All prices quoted at approximately 10H20 Central African Time)
Other Breaking News in Africa Today
Angolan Protests – Death Toll Rises
At least 22 people have been killed in violent protests across Angola following a sharp fuel price hike, authorities announced yesterday, in a marked escalation from the previous day’s death toll of four. The unrest, triggered by the government’s decision to drastically cut diesel subsidies, has led to widespread clashes, looting, and mass arrests, with tensions spreading from the capital, Luanda, to other provinces. The protests began Monday after minibus taxi unions launched a three-day strike in response to the government’s move to raise diesel prices by one-third—a measure aimed at curbing costly subsidies and stabilizing public finances. The demonstrations quickly turned violent, with reports of looting, vandalism, and deadly confrontations between protesters and police.
