Disaster Relief & Small Business Continuity: Michigan secured a major disaster declaration after April storms, flooding, and nine tornadoes across 43 counties, opening the door to FEMA Individual Assistance and SBA support for affected residents and businesses. SME Finance Access: Malaysia’s Agrobank expanded on-the-ground financing engagement for hawkers and micro-entrepreneurs into Sabah, collecting RM8m+ in applications after sessions at night and farmers’ markets. Fuel Cost Relief for Operators: Malaysia approved nearly 200,000 owners of diesel pick-ups and jeeps for an extra 100 litres of subsidised diesel monthly under BUDI Diesel, raising quotas to 300 litres—explicitly tied to small business and rural travel needs. AI for Merchant Growth: South Africa’s Yoco rolled out AI assistance for merchants using their own sales data, plus loyalty and software tools, aiming to cut manual work and return more value to independent businesses. Digital Trust for Nigerian SMEs: Nigeria’s Gidira is positioning itself as a business discovery and verification platform to make SMEs more visible, structured, and trusted online. Skills Pipeline: Nigeria launched phase two of its TVET programme to train young people with job-ready vocational skills, with stipends and pathways to employment and entrepreneurship. Local Tourism Boost: U.S. tourist destinations report more Americans staying closer to home this summer, a shift that could keep vacation spend flowing to regional restaurants and local attractions.