AI for MSME finance: The Philippines is rolling out AI-enabled tools to help micro, small and medium businesses qualify for loans and digitize operations, via a DICT–Land Bank of the Philippines MoU under an ASEAN push for AI-powered MSME growth. Small-business resilience: A South Africa survey finds owners are growing but staying cautious—most report higher revenue and profits, yet prefer steady, sustainable expansion over aggressive scaling. Geopolitics and costs: Malaysia says it’s monitoring the renewed US-Iran conflict’s impact on oil prices and potential knock-on effects for production costs, with plans focused on supplies, price control and firm support. Responsible AI spotlight: Jordan ranks 49th globally and second regionally in the 2026 Responsible AI Index, with its best scores in labor and skills. Commercial vehicles for SMEs: Foton South Africa says the first shipment of its Miler Lite LCV arrives in August, aiming to give growing businesses a practical mid-step between bakkies and trucks. Dealmaking and infrastructure: FINTECH.TV completes its TAP acquisition to build a broader financial media and market infrastructure platform, while Terra Innovatum lines up behind-the-meter SOLO™ microreactor power for DIRECTV Latin America data centers. Security for workforces: authID lands a deployment with a major global retailer to secure onboarding and call-center access for 100,000+ employees using biometric verification.