SME Lending Boost (Malaysia): Alliance Bank Malaysia and Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia (CGC) signed a portfolio guarantee deal to unlock up to RM2bn in financing for eligible SMEs, targeting working capital and expansion while easing collateral constraints. Agentic AI for Finance (South Korea): Finda teamed up with Upstage to build a finance-focused agentic AI platform, combining Finda’s financial data with Upstage’s Solar model for deployment, testing, and compliance support. Public Finance Accountability (South Africa): Johannesburg disclosed R45.16bn in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful spending over five years, with major write-offs and ongoing investigations highlighted to tighten controls. Regulatory Scrutiny (U.S.): New York’s DFS proposed stablecoin rules to align its framework with the federal GENIUS Act, keeping consumer protections while updating reserve and risk-management requirements. Export Credit Cooperation (UAE–Australia): Etihad Credit Insurance and Export Finance Australia signed an MoU to support co-financing and trade in sectors like energy, infrastructure, and digital transformation. Corporate Dealmaking (U.S.): TPG agreed to invest in Smith + Howard, a U.S. accounting, tax and advisory firm, to back expansion in technology, talent, and infrastructure. Financial Crime Prevention (Zimbabwe): Zimbabwe’s FIU challenged university students to design solutions to strengthen transparency and accountability in the fight against financial crimes. Telco Earnings Watch (India): Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea weighed in after the Bombay High Court struck down one-time spectrum charge demands, with combined relief reported above Rs 24,000 crore. National Budget Focus (Bangladesh): Bangladesh’s finance minister is set to present the FY27 budget in parliament, aiming for a larger, investment-driven plan under a “trillion-dollar economy” theme. Finance Leadership (West Bengal, India): Swapan Dasgupta was assigned the finance portfolio in West Bengal’s new BJP cabinet, with other key departments allocated across the government.