Hong Kong's privacy office alerts public to fake e-visa websites stealing personal data, with victims losing up to HK$1,700. Applicants mistakenly used fraudulent sites found via search engines, submitting sensitive info and fees before realizing the scam.
Former NSW Liberal minister Damien Tudehope testified at the ICAC corruption inquiry that he was unaware donations from hotelier Michael O'Hara breached electoral laws, maintaining he did not believe the payments were political.
Mastercard finalized a $1.8 billion acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure provider BVNK, merging its global network with BVNK’s onchain platform to enable cross‑border digital‑currency payments. The deal follows a prior abandoned $2 billion transaction with Coinbase.
Colombian prosecutors are investigating a video showing a subcontractor handing $19,000 in cash to a China Harbour Engineering Company manager in Bogotá, allegedly to secure payment for metro work. The consortium denies wrongdoing, claiming the money was a retention payment.
Strategy sold 1,638 Bitcoin for $104.7 million, its second-largest sale this year, using proceeds for STRC preferred stock dividends and repurchases. The company also raised $290.6 million via MSTR share sales, increasing its USD reserve to $4 billion and repurchasing more STRC.
Nathan Owen was jailed for four years and three months for dangerous driving and fraud after falsely claiming his electric Jaguar I-Pace malfunctioned at 86mph on UK motorways to avoid car finance payments, causing a police operation and damaging Jaguar Land Rover's reputation.
Chelsea has been fined £10m by the FA and received a suspended transfer ban for multiple transfer rule violations during the Roman Abramovich era, including using unlicensed agents and obscuring dealings. The club self-reported the offences in 2022, leading to the resolution of all regulatory proceedings.
Chelsea has been fined £10m and received a suspended two-window transfer ban for 74 breaches of FA rules regarding secret payments to agents between 2009 and 2022, self-reported by new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. A suspended six-point deduction was set aside on appeal.
The FCA's Stablecoin Sprint concludes stablecoins are best suited for cross-border payments, especially in emerging markets, but face slower adoption in UK retail due to existing efficient payment systems.
PayPal reports Q2 earnings of $1.26 per share, below estimates, with revenue up to $8.68 billion. Strategy focuses on stablecoins, AI-driven payments, and expanded payment network capabilities.
A Federal Court judge has criticized Maurice Blackburn Lawyers for delaying compensation to 1,820 former Qantas workers. The court will now deal with the request for more time on August 6.
Visa plans to lay off about 7% of its workforce (≈2,600 positions), primarily in tech and product ops, to streamline and invest in growth areas like AI, affluent customer services, and cross-border payments.
KB Kookmin Bank to introduce blockchain-based cross-border payment service via JPMorgan's Kinexys network in August, initially supporting USD transfers across 10 countries.
Comparison of ProWritingAid and Grammarly, two popular grammar-checking tools, highlighting their features, pricing, pros, and cons to help users decide which suits their writing needs best.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
