Bank Strike Watch (India): India’s finance ministry says all public sector banks and regional rural banks will stay open on Sunday, Sept 27, ahead of a UFBU three-day strike from Sept 28-30, with the RBI approving branches, ATMs and currency chests to operate so customers can complete essential transactions before disruption. Payments Policy (India): The government also reiterated UPI will remain free for person-to-person transfers, while merchant charges under the new MDR framework apply only above Rs 2,000 and are capped for higher-value transactions. Banking Sector (UAE): A new UAE Banking Pulse finds Q2 2026 resilience in capital buffers and asset quality, even as operating income fell quarter-on-quarter amid weaker non-interest income. Regulation & Risk (US/crypto): The OCC continues approving national trust bank charters for crypto infrastructure firms, including those building stablecoin and AI-agent banking rails. M&A/Expansion (Egypt/UAE): National Bank of Egypt gets preliminary UAE central bank approval to acquire Banque Misr’s UAE branches, consolidating foreign operations. AI & Banking Risk: A report warns banks’ heavy lending to AI infrastructure could become a problem if AI growth slows and data-center borrowers default. Union & Reform (Nigeria): A Lagos State University finance professor calls for stronger banking reforms focused on governance, regulation, and resilience beyond recapitalisation. Local Banking (UK): Bank of Scotland confirms two more branch closures in Hawick (Oct 7) and Grangemouth (Oct 8), citing customer shift to digital channels. Corporate/Legal (US): Coastal Financial faces a securities fraud investigation after a sharp stock drop tied to its banking-as-a-service disclosures.