A US State Department spokesperson said US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon in Rome have concluded. Technical and expert-level discussions were productive, and the parties are now closer on measures needed to advance and expand the pilot-area process.

Southern Power Grid says electricity consumption across the nine mainland cities of the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area reached 304.4 bln kWh in 1H 2026, up 8.1% YoY and a period record. Growth concentrated in high‑end manufacturing, digital compute and resilient external trade. Industrial power mix shows a sharp divergence: high‑tech equipment manufacturing electricity rose 8.6% YoY while energy‑intensive sectors fell 4.8%, signalling an accelerated shift from old to new growth drivers. High‑end manufacturing—notably autos, specialised equipment and electronics—now underpins industrial demand. In Guangzhou, auto sector power use increased as NEV output jumped 53.2% YoY in Jan–Jun, lifting lithium‑battery and smart‑vehicle electronics value added by 53.9% and 40.6% respectively, making the new‑energy chain a stabiliser for industrial activity.

The Federal Reserve accepted $1.429 bln from six counterparties in its fixed-rate reverse repo operation.