China Growth Watch: China’s July industrial output rose 4.5% y/y but retail sales slowed to 0.6%, while fixed-asset investment fell 6.7% in the first seven months—raising pressure for fresh support as weak domestic demand and extreme weather bite. South Africa Markets: Regulators plan to finalise rules for centrally clearing rand OTC derivatives, targeting implementation by 2028, with phased coverage starting with interest-rate swaps and forward-rate agreements. UK Rail Competition: The ORR pre-approved a framework track access deal enabling Virgin Trains to run up to 20 daily return services between London and major European cities from 2030, pending fleet, network access and safety approvals. India Consumer & Capital Markets: Honasa’s EBITDA jumped ~2.5x to ₹1.1bn and analysts lifted outlook; Dhoot Transmission’s IPO debut surged ~38% on EV-component demand; Baazar Style Retail shares hit the 5% upper circuit after a ₹163 crore block deal. Fintech & Payments: Kenya lenders are turning to AI and alternative data as “data becomes new collateral,” while PSQ Payments will power Dealer Cash’s mobile and agent-assisted auto collections. Energy & Trade: US LPG exports to India hit record levels as Middle East imports plunged, and Sonatrach began Jet A1 supply to Niger, potentially reshaping Sahel fuel competition.