In MACRO & OIL NEWS, the US economy had a good Q2, Starmer gets a warning, the UK government steps aside and Shell cuts oil jobs. In BUSINESS & INVESTMENT TRENDS, UK business confidence holds steady, Chinese offices look empty and Vanguard fails to back ESG measures. In RETAIL & CONSUMER-RELATED NEWS, Dollar General scales back, Gap posts higher sales, UK shoppers hit the high street, Sainsbury's buys new stores, Birkenstock reports highest ever quarterly sales and pubs push back on plans to ban outdoor smoking. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, UK housebuilding disappoints, Lloyds Bank raises borrowing limit, X faces a ban in Brazil, Apple looks to invest, Wayve and Uber team up and Polestar feels the pressure. AND FINALLY, I bring you some amazing chocolate art...