HSBC Sets Aside $1.1 Billion for Madoff Litigation
HSBC Holdings Plc will take a $1.1 billion provision in its third-quarter results to cover potential liabilities tied to investor lawsuits linked to Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, Bloomberg reported.
Westpac Hit with A$20-Million Fine over Home‑Loan Violations
Australia’s Federal Court has ordered Westpac’s mortgage brand RAMS Financial Group to pay A$20 million (about US$13 million) after finding widespread breaches in the way it arranged home loans, including approvals supported by falsified pay slips, Reuters said.
EU Lawmakers Urge Tougher Global Crackdown on Wildlife Trafficking
European lawmakers will push for wildlife trafficking to be recognized as organized crime by 2030 and for tougher global enforcement at next month’s United Nations meeting on endangered species, Euronews reported.
U.S. Sanctions Colombia’s President, Alleging Aid to Drug Traffickers
The U.S. Treasury Department designated Colombian President Gustavo Petro and several of his family members and associates, alleging his policies have fueled record cocaine production and benefited narco-traffickers.
Ex-Citi Banker Jailed in Singapore for Laundering Funds Linked to Chinese Syndicate
A former Citibank relationship manager has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to two years in jail for helping a Chinese criminal network launder money in Singapore, the Financial Times reported.
FinCEN Flags $9-Billion Iranian ‘Shadow Banking’ Network
The U.S. Treasury Department disclosed the existence of roughly $9 billion in 2024 financial activity tied to Iranian “shadow banking,” mapping a web of front companies and intermediaries used to sell sanctioned oil, launder illicit proceeds, and procure banned technology.
OCC Ends Final Wells Fargo Fake-Accounts Case Without a Fine
The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has settled its last remaining enforcement action tied to Wells Fargo’s 2016 fake-accounts scandal without imposing a fine, Banking Dive reported.
U.S. Slaps Sweeping Sanctions on Russia’s Lukoil and Rosneft as Ukraine Talks Stall
The United States imposed expansive new sanctions Wednesday on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, escalating U.S. economic pressure as negotiations to end the war in Ukraine falter.
Mexican Cartel Turns to ‘Dark Fleet’ to Smuggle Fuel from U.S. and Canada
One of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels is smuggling gasoline and diesel into the Port of Ensenada with the aid of a “dark fleet” tanker and a Houston-based company, according to an investigation by Reuters.
Senate GOP Bill Would Raise BSA Reporting Thresholds and Tie Them to Inflation
Proposed legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate would increase dollar-thresholds triggering reporting requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act for the first time since 1970 and require periodic adjustments to account for inflation, Republican lawmakers said. The “Streamlining Transaction Reporting and Ensuring Anti-Money Laundering Improvements for a New Era Act”, or STREAMLINE Act, would raise the […]