Central Banking: New Zealand’s Reserve Bank lifted the Official Cash Rate to 2.5% (from 2.25%), citing lingering inflation pressures from the Middle East oil shock and signalling more hikes as needed. UK Customer Service: The UK Customer Satisfaction Index shows banks and building societies overtaking retail for the first time, with Nationwide Building Society topping the brand rankings. Digital Finance & Payments: SS&C Technologies plans digital cash settlement for tokenized investment transactions, extending its tokenized fund infrastructure to support stablecoins and tokenized deposits. AI in Banking: Revolut is building its own finance-focused AI foundation model (PRAGMA) aimed at learning customer behavior across the full banking journey, not just isolated use cases. Banking Regulation & Cybersecurity: The ECB gave eurozone banks four months to draft plans to counter AI-enabled cyber threats, with a focus on exposed systems and faster vulnerability fixes. Crypto Licensing Push: Kraken is pursuing a full European banking authorization, with Lithuania reportedly in focus. India Banking & Markets: RBI approved South Indian Bank’s appointment of Mahesh Muralidhar Pai as MD & CEO from Oct 1, 2026; meanwhile, consumer disputes continue, including an Axis Bank order to update CIBIL and issue a no-dues certificate after full loan repayment. Corporate/Deal Watch: Axia-Alpha Finance raised target prices for Greek and Cypriot banks, naming Eurobank as top pick and Bank of Cyprus as a preferred option.