Global news you need to know before Thursday's U.S. stock market opens

Seven departments: Strengthen the research and development of basic software and hardware for brain-computer interfaces, and preliminarily establish a technical system, industrial system, and standard system by 2027. Ministry of Finance: We are pleased to see S&P's decision to maintain China's sovereign credit rating and outlook as stable. According to CCTV International News, Putin said he might meet Trump in the UAE. Historic moment! Trump will sign an executive order allowing 401K accounts to invest in cryptocurrencies, private equity funds, and other alternative investments. Trump calls for a new round of population census, stating that undocumented immigrants will not be included in the statistics. For the first time in history, two rounds of voting! The Bank of England cut interest rates by 25 basis points as expected, with increasing internal disagreements over rising inflation risks. Modi responds firmly: Never compromise in the face of a 50% tariff, ready to pay a heavy price. Japan has lowered its GDP growth forecast adjusted for inflation from 1.2% to 0.7% for the period ending March 2026, due to the drag from U.S. tariffs and weak consumption. Intel's U.S. stock fell more than 5% in pre-market trading, as Trump urged Intel's CEO to resign. Pre-market plummeted 12%! Eli Lilly's Q2 revenue surged 38% and raised its full-year guidance, but the effectiveness of its oral weight loss drug fell short of expectations. Shipping giant A.P. Moller - Maersk: Strong demand outside the U.S., raising outlook for container market demand. With news of the Putin meeting, Russian stocks surged, gold retreated, oil turned down, and U.S. stock futures and European stocks expanded their gains. The Nikkei 225 index closed up 0.6%, the Shanghai Composite Index closed up 0.16%, and the Hang Seng Index closed up 0.69%