Markets

WSTS forecasts a strong semiconductor market with $180 billion in sales for Q2 2025, a 19.6% year-over-year increase. This marks the sixth consecutive quarter of over 18% YoY growth. Nvidia leads the ranking of top semiconductor companies (excluding foundries and companies like Apple) with a projected $45 billion in revenue. Memory giants Samsung and SK Hynix follow. Nvidia’s stock surge, driven by AI demand, has significantly increased CEO Jensen Huang’s net worth, placing him among the world’s wealthiest individuals.

China’s new parental subsidy program (¥3,600 annually per child under three) is set to launch in 2025. However, scammers are already exploiting the initiative, using deceptive tactics on social media to lure parents with fake notifications. WeChat warns against clicking suspicious links or downloading files from unsolicited messages, as they may contain malware granting remote access for data theft. Official application portals will be available in late August; verify information through official government channels.

H World Group (HTHT) announced Board of Directors changes effective August 15, 2025. Justin Martin Leverenz, ex-CIO at Invesco Developing Markets Fund, joins as a director. Yi Zhang (Bonnie Yi Zhang), SINA Corporation’s CFO, becomes an independent director and Audit Committee chairwoman. Lei Cao joins the Compensation Committee. Tong Tong Zhao transitions to Board observer. Jian Shang departs from independent director and committee roles. These changes aim to bolster H World’s strategic growth with diverse financial and emerging market expertise.

To mark its 20th anniversary, 360 Group announced its “All In Agent” strategy, shifting focus to AI and intelligent agents. Founder Zhou Hongyi emphasized AI’s transformative power, highlighting 360’s developed AI search engine and Nano AI Multi-Agent Swarm. The company launched the “Intelligent Agent Factory” and aims to reshape its products and processes with intelligent agents, encouraging employees to develop AI literacy. 360 also updated its mission, vision, and core values to align with its AI-driven future.

A Chinese student, identified as Zeng, has gone viral on Chinese social media for her striking resemblance to Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun. The unexpected fame began after a commenter pointed out the similarity, prompting Zeng to create a video that quickly spread. Zeng stated she was unfamiliar with Lei Jun before this incident. While her daily life remains largely unaffected, her parents are reportedly thrilled with her newfound internet attention.

Viomi Technology (VIOT) anticipates H1 2025 revenue exceeding RMB 1.4 billion, a 70%+ year-over-year increase. This growth is fueled by strong sales of household water purification equipment, supported by Chinese government subsidies and increasing consumer demand for cleaner water. CEO Xiaoping Chen cites disciplined execution and rising health consciousness as drivers for long-term growth. However, the results are preliminary and unaudited, and reliance on subsidies presents a potential risk.

A 27-year-old female live streamer known as “Tangtang” has passed away due to a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. Her last video was posted on Douyin on August 7th, and her comment section is now filled with condolences. Cerebral hemorrhage, or hemorrhagic stroke, occurs when a brain blood vessel ruptures. It is often caused by arteriosclerosis and sudden spikes in blood pressure. Symptoms can include numbness, fatigue, and impaired mobility, requiring immediate medical attention.

Alibaba Cloud is offering new users discounted domain names, cloud servers, and website packages to facilitate digital transformation. Key offers include $1 domains (.xyz, .top, etc.) and a 2-core, 2GB cloud server for $68 annually. The “Secure Website Package,” bundling a domain, server, and SSL certificate, is available for $424/year ($1.16/day). This provides a solution, with 99.99% availability, for individuals, startups, and SMEs seeking cost-effective cloud migration. Limited availability and renewal incentives apply.

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals (LSE:HEMO, OTC:HOPHF) has successfully treated the third patient in its Phase I clinical trial of HG-CT-1, a CAR-T cell therapy for relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML), completing the first adult dose cohort. The FDA granted special permission for the treatment. The first two patients remain alive at six and three months post-treatment. Hemogenyx plans to initiate a second adult dose cohort and a pediatric trial arm, evaluating safety and anti-leukemic activity.

Carrefour China’s official WeChat account has been rebranded to “CACIOUS,” the name of Carrefour’s membership store private label. This follows Suning.com’s announcement of a debt settlement with Carrefour Group, where Suning will pay RMB 220 million to resolve disputes and solidify its 100% ownership of Carrefour China. The rebrand and debt settlement mark a turning point for Carrefour’s operations in China and represent a significant financial closing for both Suning and Carrefour.