☕️ Good morning, friends,

seven people have been killed by bear attacks in Japan this year.

The most recent (luckily non-fatal) incident took place this week in a supermarket about 80 kilometers north of Tokyo. You can see the mugshots of the culpbear here.

What he was after remains unclear; he ignored the sushi and onigiri before making a quick getaway.

P.S. Ever wondered why packages rarely go missing in China? Our intern Aleksandra gives you a great peek into the everyday madness of the country’s delivery system.

🫧 AI Bubble Fears: Asia Takes Profits

After the global rally, Asian markets weakened on Wednesday. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index recorded its sharpest drop in two weeks as investors locked in profits following recent record highs. Growing concerns about a potential AI bubble weighed on tech stocks, with Baidu, Alibaba, and Meituan seeing notable losses.

Despite the mild pullback, the broader trend remains intact: the World Bank raised its growth outlook for Asia, and gold prices climbed above the USD 4,000 mark for the first time. Amid the U.S. government shutdown and geopolitical risks, investors are turning to safe havens.

TOP BIT

🏅 How Asia (and Trump) are driving gold to record highs

Since May, China has not ordered a single shipment of US soybeans. For American farmers, it is a shock: prices are collapsing, silos are overflowing, and banks are tightening credit right in the middle of harvest season. The trigger is the escalating tariff conflict between the two global powers.

While the White House promises billions in aid, China quietly turns to new partners.

The Details

🚫 Zero Imports from the US: A large share of US soybean exports usually goes to …