Central Banking Governance: Nepal’s Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and lawmakers spar over amendments to the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, with talks converging on keeping a seven-member board, maintaining two deputy governors, and requiring the Finance Secretary’s presence—while Wagle warns against frequent structural changes that could undermine NRB autonomy. Banking Performance & Strategy: UK challenger Metro Bank posted its strongest half-year on record, with pre-tax profit up 41% to £61m, driven by a surge in specialist lending and a push to expand its branch network. Digital Payments & Compliance: Qatar’s Dukhan Bank went live on J.P. Morgan’s Kinexys blockchain deposit network for 24/7 cross-border payments, while Malaysia’s Labuan FSA stressed that tokenisation, stablecoins, AI-driven KYC and automated checks are now central to fighting faster, borderless financial crime. Fintech Funding: India’s GetVantage raised Rs. 63 crore to expand its AI-native embedded financing platform for MSMEs, boosting committed financing capacity above Rs. 700 crore. Crypto Markets: Hashdex plans to close and liquidate its $14.7m U.S. spot bitcoin ETF as investor interest shifts toward AI-linked returns. Corporate Finance Disputes: Aston Martin faces potential bondholder legal action over its £550m HPS financing deal, with creditors arguing the structure limits asset access. Investment Climate Risk: Kazakhstan jumped 17 spots to 53rd in a global investment risk and resilience ranking, signaling improved shock resilience versus peers.