Trade Finance Deal: Plutus Business Finance has arranged a £14.5m multi-part trade finance facility with HSBC for a UK food ingredient importer after a supplier contamination issue triggered a banking exit. AI Regulation Push: UK PM Andy Burnham called for a single set of global AI principles and standards at a New York roundtable ahead of UNGA remarks, contrasting with Donald Trump’s scepticism of international AI oversight. Financial Services Insurance: Verve Risk Services launched a new London division, Verve Financial Institutions, led by Steve Redding, targeting bankers blanket bond, crime, PI, D&O and fiduciary risks with Lloyd’s capacity. Payments Innovation: GoCardless processed the first agentic account-to-account payment in the UK, signalling a shift toward more automated payment flows. Housing & Debt Pressure: Scotland’s homelessness figures hit records, with 10,715 children in temporary accommodation, while a separate analysis argues buy-to-let now needs a 7.7% yield to break even. Markets & Macro: UK borrowing overshot forecasts and bond-market pressure remains in focus as investors watch the run-up to John Healey’s Budget. Cybercrime Crackdown: Microsoft and UK police disrupted the EvilTokens phishing service tied to 12,000 compromised accounts. Banking Ethics: A study says most Church of England cathedrals still use fossil-fuel-investing banks, renewing pressure for ethical switching.