The European Union has approved a legal mechanism under its 21st sanctions package, allowing national authorities to confiscate and sell Russian oil seized from blacklisted tankers owned by third countries, ensuring no funds benefit Russian entities.
Ten EU countries, including France, Italy, and Spain, are opposing the European Commission's plan to link €2 trillion budget payments to policy overhauls like raising the retirement age. This conditionality, tested in the RRF, faces pushback from both major contributors and net recipients, sparking a new battleground in budget negotiations.
The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) plans to pilot a stablecoin-based settlement system for cross-border payments to freelancers and overseas workers, developed with Meridian. This initiative aims to reduce costs and processing times for inbound funds, converting stablecoins to pesos before crediting BPI accounts.
Mrs. Saudagar from Mumbai won her case at ITAT Mumbai, overturning an Income Tax Department notice for an unexplained property investment. The department questioned Rs 80 lakh paid by her Dubai-based husband directly to the seller, but ITAT accepted her comprehensive evidence.
Samsung Electronics announced plans to integrate stablecoins into Samsung Wallet, expanding its functionality beyond traditional payments to include digital assets. This move, revealed at the Galaxy Unpacked showcase, aims to make Samsung a leading mobile brand for digital value transfers, building on its 2025 partnership with Coinbase for crypto purchases in the US.
CT Group, a lobbying firm co-founded by Lynton Crosby, faces widespread condemnation and calls for transparency after a Guardian investigation revealed it secretly paid journalists for articles favorable to its clients. MPs and transparency campaigners denounce the practice as an "attack on democracy" and demand an overhaul of lobbying regulations.
The EU unveiled its largest sanctions package in four years against Russia, leading FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich to suspend his activity. The measures target 218 individuals and entities, including banks, vessels, and military-industrial complex, while Ukraine faces ongoing attacks.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced an expansion of the Commonwealth Prac Payment program to include allied health fields from July next year, but medical students are excluded. This decision sparks concern from medical student and association presidents regarding financial hardship for lower-income students and potential exacerbation of doctor shortages in rural areas.
Coinbase is expanding its AI-powered finance offerings, enabling businesses to accept USDC payments from autonomous AI agents via the x402 standard and introducing new AI trading and developer tools to support the "agentic economy."
Zhibao Technology Inc., a Nasdaq-listed Chinese InsurTech company, announced a non-binding term sheet to receive approximately 3,500 Bitcoin ($220M) as payment in a PIPE financing. The deal would give buyer Joyertech and Information OPC majority control of Zhibao.
Three US law firms are investigating HDFC Bank for alleged federal securities law violations. This follows claims that the bank disguised ₹45 crore in payments to MSRDC as marketing expenses, causing HDFC Bank's NYSE-listed shares to drop.
The EU fined Google's parent company Alphabet €890 million for two Digital Markets Act violations: preferential treatment of its own products in search results and blocking Android developers from offering alternative payment options. Google has 60 days to comply or face further penalties.
Angela Rayner, reappointed as Housing Secretary, has stated she will not repay a £16,876 ministerial severance payment received after her resignation in September 2025. This refusal comes despite calls from the Conservatives, who criticized her for taking the payout after breaching the ministerial code.
Kakao Group, including Kakao Pay and Kakao Bank, signed an MOU with Circle Internet Group to explore won-backed stablecoin payments and cross-border remittances in South Korea, anticipating upcoming crypto regulations.
Ford Motors and Aramark are reviewing self-service kiosks at US factories after employees were fired over alleged snack theft. Workers claim payment failures and software glitches caused wrongful accusations, leading to some reinstatements and widespread reluctance to use the kiosks.
Seoul's mayor was convicted for illegal polling payments, potentially ending his presidential ambitions and leading to his removal from office if the Supreme Court upholds the verdict, just weeks after winning a fifth term.
U.S. prosecutors filed five civil-forfeiture complaints seeking approximately $26.4 million in cryptocurrency linked to international fraud, including investment and romance scams, with launderers primarily in Southeast Asia. The process aims to freeze assets and eventually repay victims, though final disposition is pending.
A Ford employee, Kurt Kromm, was fired over an alleged $1.95 cookie theft from a self-checkout kiosk. He proved payment with bank records, leading Ford to offer reinstatement and back wages, but he now plans to sue for defamation and other claims.
The Conservative Party has asked HMRC to investigate if Nigel Farage owes tax on a £5m gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, questioning if it was compensation for running as an MP. Farage claims it was a personal, unconditional gift, despite reports suggesting he sought £1m annually for political office.
The UAE's Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has introduced a new payment option via Tabby, allowing customers to pay service fees and administrative fines in instalments over 4-12 months, up to AED 20,000. This initiative, available on digital platforms, aims to enhance service efficiency and payment flexibility, complementing existing credit card instalment plans with eight approved banks.
Polly Cooper, an Oneida woman, walked 200 miles through snow to Valley Forge in 1778, providing and preparing corn to save George Washington's starving Continental Army. Her story, preserved through oral tradition, is now recognized on the 2026 Sacagawea $1 coin.
Ford Motors and Aramark are reviewing self-service kiosks at Ford's US factories after employees were fired for alleged snack theft. Workers claim payment failures and software glitches caused wrongful accusations, leading to reinstatements for some.
Franklin Templeton's head of digital assets, Sandy Kaul, asserts that AI agents will significantly boost demand for blockchain and cryptocurrency due to their need for rapid, low-fee micropayments. Legacy card networks are deemed unsuitable for this agentic economy, a view echoed by payments giant Visa and investment platform Artemis.
Bank of China's Shenzhen and Fujian branches processed two cross-border transactions, each over US$1.7 billion, via the mBridge multilateral CBDC platform. This marks a significant step for the emerging payment network and China's ambition to internationalize the yuan, bypassing Western-centric financial systems.
