China A-share coal mining and beneficiation sector firmed in early trade; Wuchan Huaneng hit the daily limit, while Jiangwu Equipment, Huayang Co., Xinji Energy, Baotailong, Shaanxi Black Cat and Shaanxi Coal Industry also rallied.

Netanyahu's Likud held a party primary on the 17th to determine the order of its candidate list ahead of a Knesset election scheduled no later than Oct. 27. Voting ran from 10:00 to 21:00, with roughly 140,000 party members eligible to vote. Israel allocates Knesset seats by proportional representation.

On Aug. 17 in Hangzhou, at Alipay’s first AI ecosystem conference focused on commercialising intelligent agents, Ant Group CEO Han Xinyi said agent-based commerce will surge within the next 6–12 months. He attributed the timing to three converging conditions — improved AI capabilities, a leap in user demand, and the formation of a value loop — and urged industry players to accelerate co‑building.