Digital Finance: Egypt’s Dayra became the country’s first licensed provider to embed microfinance in digital platforms, using transaction data to assess small businesses and freelancers often overlooked by banks. Regional Opportunity: ASEAN leaders agreed to establish a creative industries hub in the Philippines to help small firms and entrepreneurs reach global markets, with support for skills, financing and intellectual-property protection. AI Adoption: Cyprus aims for 75% of businesses to use AI by 2030, with proposed grants, vouchers and technical support focused on smaller firms. Digital Sales: Malaysian agency TEKUN’s 72-hour TikTok Shop event generated up to RM36,000 for 10 to 12 small traders, showcasing live commerce as a route to customers. Retail Rules: US officials secured a 90-day delay to new SNAP stocking requirements, giving affected small grocers more time to comply. Access to Capital: Nigeria’s Development Bank launched a $275 million climate-finance programme for MSMEs, while new reporting highlights that digital payment records alone may not provide firms the funding needed to scale. Business Costs: Australian industry groups warn proposed trust-tax changes could hit hundreds of thousands of small family businesses and housing supply.