BEIJING—The National People's Congress Standing Committee convened its annual session Friday, amid ongoing policy discussions. PARIS—French government faces a vote of confidence during an extraordinary parliamentary session, with outcomes pending. Online BRICS summit underway to review and discuss President Trump's recent trade policy measures. Tokyo to release its Q2 GDP data today, providing insight into Japan's economic performance. Markets anticipate key releases including China's trade figures, Germany's industrial production report, and the Eurozone's Sentix Investor Confidence index. US and European officials to hold discussions on implementing new sanctions against Russia. Moscow Exchange resumes trading of Etalon Group shares after temporary suspension.

China has been purchasing gold for a tenth consecutive month, according to experts citing record prices, BBG. Separately, India is divesting U.S. government bonds while engaging in record gold acquisitions.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos sold $1.5 billion worth of AMZN shares this week, while Nvidia CEOs also continue divesting their company's stock.