Central Banking: Armenia’s central bank kept its refinancing rate unchanged at 6.5% and maintained Lombard repo (8%) and banks’ deposit rates (5%), while the country’s banking system posted H1 2026 net profit of AMD 214bn (+6.8%). Lending & Rates: In Armenia, retail dram loan rates eased slightly (1–5 years), narrowing the loan-deposit margin; Bangladesh Bank data also points to softer credit demand, with private sector credit growth hitting a 33-year low. Cybersecurity: Bangladesh Bank warned that commercial banks haven’t reached expected cybersecurity readiness after a June drill flagged vulnerabilities, and India’s Supreme Court ordered RBI to set a bank SOP to freeze accounts tied to “digital arrest” scams. Cross-Border Payments: City Bank became the first Bangladesh bank to execute live SWIFT retail cross-border payments under the new scheme, while Wells Fargo joined major US banks building a tokenized deposit network for 2027. Crypto Regulation & Policy: South Africa proposed draft rules for regulating crypto used in cross-border transfers via authorized providers and reporting to FinSurv; Russia’s public remains skeptical ahead of broader crypto legalization. Tokenization & Fintech: BlackRock launched its first tokenised money-market fund access in Europe, and Apple Pay officially expanded in the Philippines with an initial four banks. Banking Governance & Compliance: A US Senate Democrats report alleges JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank and Bank of America failed to report suspicious Epstein-related transactions over years. Banking Business Moves: Standard Chartered reported record H1 profit and announced a $1bn buyback; Emirates NBD agreed to buy HSBC Egypt’s retail banking business.