HSBC and Standard Chartered Get Their Hong Kong Stablecoin Licenses
Hong Kong has granted its first licenses for fiat-backed stablecoins to HSBC and a Standard Chartered-led joint venture, marking a significant step in the city’s effort to build a regulated market for virtual currencies used in finance and trade.
The World’s Largest Online Hub for Wildlife Trafficking? Facebook.
Facebook has become the dominant online platform for illegal wildlife trade, accounting for nearly 75 percent of the trafficking advertisements detected across 61 websites and apps over almost two years, according to a new report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
White House Expected to Extend Russia Oil Sanctions Waiver
The Trump administration is expected to extend its waiver of sanctions on Russian oil this week, according to former Treasury and State Department officials cited by Semafor, a step that could tee up a similar extension for Iranian oil later this month as the White House weighs fuel prices and broader market stability.
UBS Says It Won’t Release Nazi-Era Settlement Files after Court Setback
UBS AG said it will not hand over privileged documents sought in an investigation into Credit Suisse’s handling of Nazi-linked accounts after a U.S. judge declined to give the bank assurances that doing so would not expose it to new legal claims.
Iran Seeks Crypto Payments for Strait-of-Hormuz Tolls after Ceasefire
Iran is seeking to collect transit tolls from oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz in cryptocurrency, a move that could deepen the role of digital assets in the country’s sanctions-hit economy.
From Chile to China: Criminals Shipped $1bn in Stolen Copper Abroad
Chilean authorities uncovered organized criminal networks that investigators say stole, processed, and shipped copper on a vast scale to Peru and China, exposing a trade worth an estimated 817 billion pesos, or about $917 million, between 2020 and 2025.
Drug Traffickers Used BMPE Scheme and Perfume Sales to Move Money
A Mexican national pleaded guilty to participating in a two-year, multimillion-dollar black-market peso exchange conspiracy that laundered drug trafficking proceeds through Texas to Mexico, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday.
British and American Officials Warn of State-Backed Cyber Attacks
UK and U.S. officials are warning of rising cyber risks driven by Russia- and Iran-linked hacker groups, according to new reports by the Financial Times and Bloomberg.
In Spain, Two Corruption Cases Highlight Parties’ Legacies of Political Graft
Two criminal trials opening in Madrid this week have put renewed focus on allegations of kickbacks, illicit party financing, and broader political corruption in Spain.
Epstein Made $25 Million in 2015 as a Consultant in DOJ Bank Settlement
Jeffrey Epstein received $25 million in late 2015 for consulting work tied to a U.S. Justice Department tax-evasion settlement with Swiss private bank Edmond de Rothschild Group.