Banking & Household Pressure: Commonwealth Bank says loan applications have fallen 15% since May as it posts a record $10.9bn profit, warning mortgage demand is cooling and pockets of customer stress are rising. Insurance Costs: Suncorp flags insurance inflation running at roughly double the CPI pace, with premiums climbing faster than overall prices and regulators pushing for clearer explanations. Connectivity Upgrade: NBN Co reports a fibre milestone, with more customers on fibre than copper for the first time, alongside revenue growth and faster-speed take-up. Retail & Consumer Deals: Afterpay Day 2026 returns with major discounts across fashion, beauty, tech and home from 13–16 August. Brand Expansion: Bath & Body Works is opening two more WA stores (Karrinyup and Cockburn), adding to its growing local footprint. Cyber & AI Risk: Okta warns Australian firms are losing track of AI agents inside their networks, raising the risk of unauthorised access and data breaches. Energy & Industry Relief: NSW and the federal government are set to announce a major bailout for Rio Tinto’s Tomago aluminium smelter as power costs threaten viability. Media M&A: Sports Entertainment Group is buying NZ audio network MediaWorks for NZ$130m to build a trans-Tasman audio and digital platform. New Product/Category Push: Tanica is preparing a capital raise to expand its spritz-ready ready-to-drink range and push exports across Asia-Pacific.