Auckland Infrastructure: New Zealand’s government is commissioning a fresh detailed business case for another Waitematā Harbour crossing, including a possible tunnel, and is also ordering more work on the Meola Reef option—despite a recent NZTA investment case that already pointed to a tunnel. Malaysia Growth & Markets: Malaysia’s economy accelerated to 6% y/y in Q2 2026, with services and manufacturing leading, while banks and investors keep a close eye on the current account outlook and ringgit direction. Semiconductor Skills Push: Lam Research will train about 3,500 students over five years using virtual fabrication tools, targeting a practical chipmaking skills gap. Payments Security: Crossbow Enterprise Cybersecurity joins the PCI Security Standards Council’s 2026–2028 executive assessor roundtable for a third term. Energy & Trade: Türkiye reported strong first-half oil and gas output, with Gabar and Sakarya driving gains, while Pakistan’s Port Qasim garment city plan targets 138,000 jobs and up to $2.2bn in exports. Corporate/Finance: Motilal Oswal reiterated a buy on Hexaware Technologies with a Rs 720 target; IDFC FIRST Bank received its first international investment-grade ratings from S&P. Macro/Global: Japan’s Q2 GDP growth slowed to 0.3% as consumption and business investment weakened, and Goldman said markets are pricing Fed hikes too aggressively. AI Costs: A new report says the top 1% of US companies are spending about Rs 7 lakh per employee on AI, as costs rise.