SME Funding & Growth: Namibia’s ProSME project launched an SME Fund aimed at women- and youth-led micro, small and medium enterprises, offering targeted financial support to help firms scale. Workforce & Skills: Target Huron’s RISE Initiative rolls out a $100,000 regional workforce program to connect high school students with credentials, internships and entrepreneurship pathways. Local Business Support: West Oxfordshire updated its business rates relief policy, adding a 15% cut for eligible pubs and live music events and a cap on small business rate increases after revaluation. EV Charging Incentives: The UK confirmed a 2p per mile change for households without driveways, extending grants to cut home charger costs and help small businesses prepare for the EV shift. Health Costs & Access: Pennsylvania pharmacy owners testified on proposed pharmacy benefit manager reform, warning that closures are creating “pharmacy deserts” and threatening access for elderly and chronic patients. Payments & Digital Currency: Nigeria’s CBN is considering using eNaira for government salary, pension and welfare payments, with offline transactions and small business use cases in focus. Women’s Credit Gap: Kenya’s credit data shows women-led MSMEs hold only 27% of outstanding credit value, pointing to collateral-heavy lending models. Tech & Competition: Anthropic’s rapid vertical AI rollout is raising concerns among enterprise software partners that model providers may become direct competitors. Business Disruption: A fire destroyed a Long Island strip mall, wiping out multiple small businesses and jobs. Community & Footfall: San Francisco approved expanding Chinatown Night Market to five blocks, despite opposition over outreach and language access. Local Economy & Jobs: Memphis restaurant leaders urged city council to back $5M in AutoZone Park renovations, arguing it supports downtown hospitality jobs. Energy Transition: Selangor’s “northern corridor” plan targets an “Energy and Heavy Industry Belt,” aiming to attract high-value industrial investment and build human capital.