According to the Financial Times, British defense group Cambridge Aerospace has raised $300 million to develop its missile and drone interception systems. The deal values ​​the company at $3.4 billion, further solidifying its position as one of the UK's most valuable startups.

According to Israeli media reports, despite Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's opposition to the 15-point plan, the US-led department in Kiryat Gat is still pushing forward preparations for the next phase of the Gaza agreement. The report states that construction of the first multinational force base in Rafah is expected to begin on August 30.

Ahead of the 33rd APEC informal leaders' meeting, Shenzhen's cross-border passenger traffic has climbed further. Shenzhen border inspection authority said as of Aug 4 foreign entries and exits via Shenzhen ports exceeded 5.0 mln, reaching the milestone 58 days earlier than in 2025. Visa-free inbound entries by foreign nationals totaled 1.269 mln, accounting for 50.9% of inbound foreign arrivals and up 47.5% YoY.

Al Jazeera reporter Patty Culhane stated, "I think it's hard to recall a time when US President Trump enjoyed being rejected, whether by members of his own party, members of Congress, cabinet members, or foreign leaders. Therefore, rejecting the Gaza peace plan could be a dangerous move for Netanyahu and Israel. Currently, Israel is losing Democratic support, and US aid to Israel is entirely maintained by the Republican Party, something Trump often boasts about. In recent interviews, he has said things like, 'Israelis respect me and do what I say,' and 'I'm the one who calls the shots, Netanyahu isn't.' Therefore, Trump might take action to tell his supporters, 'You no longer need to support Israel.' He maintains almost complete control over the MAGA base and congressional Republicans. That said, we've seen precedents of Netanyahu defying Trump, such as on the Lebanon issue and the US-Iran memorandum of understanding. And those instances didn't have any consequences."

Hong Kong stocks in the new consumption sector showed mixed performance, with Laopu Gold (06181.HK) rising over 7%, Mixue Group (02097.HK) rising over 4%, and Shanghai Auntie (02589.HK) falling over 20%.

Academy Securities strategist Peter Tchir says AI capital spending is producing a rare equity–credit split. He remains cautious on AI equity valuations, warning markets could renew scrutiny of capex scale and returns. By contrast he favors bonds financing data centers and AI infrastructure for their higher total yields and potential for spread tightening. Alphabet’s recent plan to raise about $20–25 bln in the US bond market to fund large-scale AI investment exemplifies the dynamic; markets have already flagged capex-driven pressure on Alphabet’s free cash flow and equity valuation. Reuters data show Amazon, Meta, Oracle and other tech giants have also stepped up debt issuance this year. The same AI outlay can mean cash-burn and return-risk for shareholders while offering yield pickup to credit investors, prompting a shift from equity-only AI trades toward repricing within capital structures.