SME Hiring & AI Sentiment (Canada): Employment Hero’s SME Pulse finds 58% of Canadian SMEs are optimistic for the next six months, with 66% expecting to hire—though many plan to hire selectively as they balance growth with uncertainty. AI for Rural Credit (India): SBI chair CS Setty says banks must push AI beyond retail to expand credit access for farmers and small businesses, using tools like satellite imagery and better risk scoring—while scaling beyond pilots to the “last mile.” UPI/RuPay MDR Debate (India): India’s Rajya Sabha passed a bill that could allow merchant charges on UPI/RuPay (with most transactions reportedly unaffected), keeping the consumer promise of free UPI while industry weighs infrastructure funding. Small-Business Reputation Risk (Google AI): A UK founder says Google’s AI Overviews incorrectly summarized negative reviews for his business, showing how AI search summaries can damage reputations—and how hard it can be to fix. Rural Mail Delivery Pressure (US): Oklahoma lawmakers urge federal action to protect USPS rural delivery as the agency reportedly borrows from employee retirement funds to cover losses. Skills & Grants for Entrepreneurs (Malaysia): Malaysia’s MITRA will fund tuition and a B40/M40 Indian Entrepreneurs Grant program, backing 128 entrepreneurs with RM3.05m+ for MSME growth. Counterfeit Imports Crackdown (US): A bipartisan Senate bill would let Customs share suspected counterfeit shipping details with IP owners and platforms to stop dangerous fakes before they reach communities.