Hire-Purchase Overhaul (Malaysia): Malaysia’s Domestic Trade ministry says 11 financial institutions and hire-purchase firms are ready to offer financing under the amended Hire Purchase (Amendment) Act 2026, enforced from June 1, with a transition for others until March 31, 2027—aimed at stronger consumer protection and fairer terms. Cybersecurity + AI (Japan): Japan’s finance ministry says some banks have access to OpenAI’s GPT-5.5 via a “Trusted Access for Cyber” program to better detect and respond to AI-enabled cyber threats. Corporate Accountability (Israel): Former finance minister Moshe Kahlon was convicted over reporting failures tied to the UnetCredit collapse, with a plea deal seeking a suspended term, a fine, and limits on public-company roles. Fraud Costs Rising (India): RBI’s annual report shows fraud cases fell but the monetary impact climbed, with 2025-26 fraud involving Rs 48,021 crore. Wealth Inequality Push (US Letters): New letters argue extreme wealth gaps weaken democracy and call for higher taxes on the rich to support debt reduction and social services. Digital Assets as Collateral (Vietnam): Vietnam proposes letting SMEs pledge digital/virtual assets and IP for bank loans, targeting implementation from July 1, 2027. Public Finance Controls (Oman): Oman’s finance ministry restricts agencies from building core-finance digital systems outside the unified Maliyah platform. Local Banking Expansion (US): Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union will open a year-round Orcas Island branch with loans, green financing, and shared-branch access.