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The GST/HST Credit Has a New Name — And It's Paying 25% More

  Sunday, July 19, 2026 If you've relied on the quarterly GST/HST credit, that name is gone for good. Here's what replaced it, how much more it's worth, and whether you need to do anything to get it. For years, the GST/HST credit quietly landed in millions of Canadian bank accounts every three months — a modest, tax-free top-up meant to offset sales tax on everyday purchases. As of this month, that program no longer exists under its old name. It's now the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) , and the federal government has permanently increased the payment by 25%, locked in for five years. If you already qualified for the GST/HST credit, you don't need to apply for anything new. But you should know what changed, because the numbers — and the timeline — are more involved than a simple rename. What actually changed The CGEB was first announced by the federal government in January 2026 as part of a broader affordability push, and it became law with the passa...

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Brazil Launches Sweeping Raids to Dismantle Fuel Sector Crime Networks

 

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wearing a cap that reads "Brazil belongs to Brazilians" speaks during a ministerial meeting at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, August 26, 2025


Brazilian authorities have executed one of the largest anti-crime operations in the nation’s history, targeting multibillion-dollar money laundering and fraud schemes embedded in the fuel industry.

In coordinated pre-dawn raids across eight states, federal police, tax officials, and state prosecutors served roughly 350 search warrants, seizing over 1 billion reais in assets. The crackdown—spanning fuel imports, domestic sales, and illicit financial flows—uncovered links to the notorious First Capital Command (PCC) gang.

Investigators allege that criminal groups infiltrated every stage of the fuel supply chain, from importation to retail, using shell companies, investment funds, and fintech platforms to conceal illicit profits. Authorities estimate the schemes involved more than 10 billion reais in fuel imports, 52 billion reais in domestic sales, and 46 billion reais in suspect financial transactions between 2020 and 2024.

Assets under investigation include ethanol plants, a port terminal, fleets of trucks, and hundreds of gas stations. Officials warn that such deep criminal penetration into critical economic sectors threatens both market integrity and public trust.

Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski hailed the operation as a decisive step toward dismantling organized crime’s grip on Brazil’s energy and financial systems.

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