Orbán Associates Have Won €28bn in Hungarian Public Contracts Since 2010
Companies owned by 13 men close to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán won more than €28 billion in public contracts from 2010 to late 2025, according to a Financial Times investigation based on an analysis of nearly 350,000 state procurement contracts.
EU to Publish Plan to Fight Digital Fraud Later this Spring
The European Commission is preparing to unveil an action plan against digital fraud before the summer as it seeks to strengthen the European Union’s response to a surge in online scams and cyber-enabled financial crime.
Russia’s Shadow-Fleet Broker is Banking on Sanctions Lift and Oil Demand
A trader identified by The Wall Street Journal as a central figure in Russia’s shadow fleet has revived his oil business after the Iran war disrupted supplies from the Persian Gulf and boosted demand for Russian crude that had been stranded at sea.
Blacklisted by OFSI, Iran Banker Lives in Spanish Villa Bought with UK Firm
An Iranian banker sanctioned by Britain for allegedly helping finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) owns a luxury villa in Marbella through the Spanish subsidiary of a UK company.
AMLA Launches Initiative to Calibrate Risk Assessments
The EU’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) has launched a data-collection exercise to test and calibrate risk-assessment models that will be used in 2027 to choose up to 40 financial institutions for direct AMLA supervision starting in 2028.
Viktor Orban and the Palatial Hapsburg Manor He Says He Doesn’t Own
Hungary’s long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is facing mounting political pressure ahead of an April 12 election as a sprawling estate in his home village becomes a flashpoint for opposition claims of corruption.
For Iran, Oil Sales Continue Despite Sanctions and War
Illicit Iranian oil shipments continue to move through Asian waters toward China, generating a critical revenue stream for Tehran and helping Beijing build large crude stockpiles despite sanctions and heightened regional conflict.
Hungary Returns Armored Vehicles to Kyiv but Keeps Seized Ukrainian Loot
Hungary returned two seized armored bank vehicles to Ukraine on Thursday but continued to hold cash and gold worth about $82 million as part of an alleged money-laundering investigation.
European Defense Giant Failed to Disclose NATO Corruption Ban
European defense company Czechoslovak Group failed to tell investors before its January stock market debut that a Spanish ammunition subsidiary had been suspended by NATO’s procurement agency amid a widening corruption investigation.
To Russia, With Postage: How to Ship Banned Goods from Berlin to Moscow
A German logistics company has exploited gaps in European postal and customs rules to move sanctioned goods from Germany to Russia, undermining the EU’s effort to choke off supplies to Moscow.