Mastercard said a scheduled system update caused transaction declines on August 15, 2026, as shoppers across Australia reported payment failures. The available public statement did not identify the countries, issuers or transaction volume affected.
BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors met in Jaipur, India, on August 12 and 13, 2026, as the bloc considered links among national payment systems. Iran said it would soon join the New Development Bank, but the lender’s public membership list does not include it.
The FIDO Alliance estimated in May 2026 that five billion passkeys were in use worldwide as more services offered passwordless sign-in. Passkeys block reusable secrets from reaching phishing sites, but users must plan for device loss and cross-platform access.
Taiwan completed government trials of three zero-trust controls between 2022 and 2024, while 47 top-tier agencies received help deploying identity checks. Financial regulators are taking a phased approach that starts with guidance and may later put implementation principles into baseline rules.
