Iran Sanctions Escalation: Trump says the U.S. will launch a “most crushing economic operation” against Iran, warning any country aiding Tehran faces “tremendous” consequences, targeting oil smuggling, cash transfers, shipping registries and front companies. Markets & Debt: A Reuters report says the bond-market “reprieve” is fading as Treasury yields rise and investors question how effective support will be, keeping stocks under pressure. Corporate Governance & Compliance: Malaysia will review new investors after MITI flagged firms using warehouses/transit without delivering jobs or economic benefits; Cyprus investment firm Demetra completed a small buyback of its own shares. Energy & Industry Investment: India’s urea sector is set for a new capex cycle under Urea-2026 policy, while Toshiba added an 80V eFuse IC for 48V power systems. Trade & Logistics: Segamat Inland Port in Malaysia targets 6,000 TEUs by year-end after restarting operations, and Ukraine warns blocked seaports threaten macro stability and food security. Business Expansion: Aditya Birla Capital enters gold loans with a plan for ~1,000 branches; Urban Company and Unicommerce expand their partnership across UAE and Saudi Arabia. AI for SMBs: Leverage AI’s Locus pushes “business-controlled” AI agents with visible state, permissions and auditability. Local Economy & Jobs: A Pease Development Authority study pegs 2025 impacts at $2.3B in wages/salaries and 26,000-plus jobs. M&A Watch: Morgan Stanley flags limited cost synergies in the proposed PFC-REC merger, but some revenue upside from scale.