China's total electricity consumption in July rose to 1,040 billion kWh, up from 898.1 billion kWh previously.

Israeli security sources told The Jerusalem Post that after talks with senior U.S. officials the near-term likelihood of a military confrontation with Iran has declined. Sources said President Trump has chosen another round of harsh economic sanctions intended to buy time until after the U.S. midterm elections. Officials said it remains unclear whether the U.S. can effectively deter or pressure states that directly or indirectly support Iran through oil trade, bank accounts, funds transfers, raw-material supplies or other channels. They added that without extreme measures and robust U.S. enforcement, Trump will not achieve his stated objectives.

On Aug 20 at the 2026 World Robot Conference, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) said it will use the ChiNext reform as an opportunity to launch a targeted campaign this year to improve quality and efficiency in issuance and listing reviews. SZSE said review efficiency has risen since last year and the initiative will boost transparency and predictability to help more high-quality innovative firms enter China’s capital markets quickly and efficiently.