PEPs & Sanctions

New Zealand, Australia Probe Suspected Russia Sanctions Breaches

02/07/2026

Authorities have executed coordinated raids and frozen assets in a trans-Tasman investigation, which centres on the activities of three companies.

Structural Regulation

HKEX to Overhaul Board Lot Framework to Boost Market Access

02/07/2026

The exchange will standardise board lot sizes and introduce new value thresholds in a phased rollout designed to improve market efficiency and accessibility.

AI Risk & Governance

US Tightens AI Grip, Approving Only Limited Use of Key Frontier Models

02/07/2026

The US government has cleared Anthropic’s powerful AI model for trusted partners, while forcing OpenAI into a limited preview for its new GPT-5.6 models.

Structural Regulation

ASIC Urges Coordinated Action to Bolster Australian Market Competitiveness

02/07/2026

A new report commissioned by ASIC finds Australia risks being left behind as global peers rapidly adopt financial market innovations.

Emerging Prudential Risks

Australia's System Stress Test Reveals Bank-Superannuation Vulnerabilities

02/07/2026

The inaugural test finds Australia’s financial system resilient but highlights concentration risks, mismatched assumptions, and the growing systemic role of superannuation funds.

Fraud, Scams & Cybercrime

NAB Calls for National Strategy to Combat Sophisticated Mortgage Fraud

02/07/2026

The bank has exited or suspended several parties amid an industry-wide fraud probe and is now urging a coordinated government and cross-sector response.

Tokenisation

Hong Kong to Review Laws to Boost Tokenised Bond Market

01/07/2026

Authorities have clarified rules on DLT-based record-keeping for debentures and will now review legislation to further facilitate the issuance of tokenised bonds.

Conduct, Culture & Accountability

SFC Chair Outlines Framework to Enforce Stakeholder Accountability

01/07/2026

SFC chairman Kelvin Wong proposes new duties for company directors and metrics linking stakeholder treatment to capital costs.

Anti-Money Laundering

Australia's 'Tranche 2' AML Reforms Targeting DNFBPs Go Live

01/07/2026

New laws bring lawyers, accountants and real estate agents into the AML/CTF regime, as Australia prepares for its upcoming FATF evaluation.