Public Finance Discipline: Italy plans to use extra EU leeway to spend billions more on green energy and defense, signaling a shift in fiscal priorities as Brussels relaxes deficit rules. Municipal Cash Controls: South Africa’s National Treasury is temporarily withholding funds from struggling municipalities to force progress on debt, irregular spending, and weak collections—an accountability push with real service implications. Political Finance Ruling: Poland’s top administrative court upheld withholding state subsidies from opposition PiS over campaign finance irregularities, tightening the link between election spending compliance and public funding. Regulatory Scrutiny: Korea’s financial regulator chief faces a criminal complaint over single-stock leveraged ETFs tied to major tech firms, as critics argue stress testing and due diligence were insufficient. Fraud & Consumer Risk: Germany reported rising phone-scam losses in 2025, with fake police and “shock call” schemes driving tens of millions in damages. Corporate Earnings & Capital Markets: Millicom lifted its 2026 cash-flow target and declared a $1.50 interim dividend; Liquidity Services posted stronger Q3 results with zero financial debt; and Standard Chartered received approval to roll out wealth products via India’s GIFT City hub. AI in Finance: A new poll finds Americans still trust human financial advisers far more than AI tools for major decisions, while KPMG data shows AI use in finance is rising but governance remains a key gap.