Federal authorities are investigating suspicious oil trades that preceded major Trump administration policy shifts on Iran, according to a source familiar with the matter. The probe centers on whether traders or connected individuals acted on advance knowledge of policy decisions before they were publicly announced, potentially constituting insider trading or front-running on material non-public information. Oil markets are acutely sensitive to Iran-related policy signals: sanctions announcements or diplomatic pivots can move crude prices sharply within hours, creating significant profit opportunities for anyone with foreknowledge. The investigation's existence raises immediate questions about information security within the administration and the chain of access to pre-announcement policy deliberations. Depending on scope and findings, the probe could trigger enforcement actions under securities or commodities law, draw in the CFTC or DOJ, and intensify scrutiny on politically connected trading activity. Watch for subpoenas, trading records requests, or personnel disclosures as indicators of how aggressively investigators are pursuing the case.
India's government plans to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act to restore UPI merchant discount rates, ending the zero-MDR regime in place since January 2020.
India's government has introduced the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing changes to payments regulation, income tax, and the Finance Act to attract FDI and support Make in India. The Bill's final shape will depend on parliamentary debate and committee review.
The government's Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposes to replace the blanket UPI MDR ban with a system allowing the Centre to notify which payment modes stay fee-free.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rs 5,000 crore Bhogapuram greenfield airport in Andhra Pradesh, built under a public-private partnership model. He also laid foundation stones for infrastructure projects worth nearly Rs 18,000 crore in the state, signalling a broad investment push for the region.
