Lula’s Son Stripped of Bank-Secrecy Protections in Ongoing Fraud Case
A Brazilian Senate decision to strip bank- and tax-secrecy protections from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s son has intensified political pressure on the leftist leader as lawmakers investigate an alleged fraud scheme inside the national pension system.
U.S. Military’s Growing Drug War Lands in Ecuador
The United States and Ecuador have begun joint military operations in the South American nation against “designated terrorist organizations,” the Pentagon said Tuesday night.
Stablecoins Now Commonly Used in Illicit Finance, FATF Warns
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said that stablecoins are now commonly used in money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing schemes, and warned that peer-to-peer transfers via unhosted wallets represent a key vulnerability for the crypto ecosystem.
Panel Probing Malaysia’s MACC ‘Mafia’ Set to Release Findings
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said a special committee investigating anti-graft chief Azam Baki’s shareholdings is expected to release its findings soon, Bloomberg said.
U.S. Slaps Sanctions on Rwanda Months After Ballyhooing Peace Accords
The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s military and four senior officials, accusing them of backing the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
EU’s Pandemic Recovery Fund May Have Lost €5 Billion to Fraud
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is facing a sharp rise in suspected fraud linked to the EU’s pandemic recovery fund, with estimated losses tied to the program approaching €5 billion, Follow the Money reported, citing figures in the office’s annual report released Monday.
Re-Export Scheme Keeps Russian Aircraft Flying Despite Sanctions
Russia continues to receive large volumes of Western-made aviation parts through third-country intermediaries despite EU and U.S. sanctions.
Tether Has Frozen Billions of Dollars in Crypto Linked to Illicit Activity
Stablecoin issuer Tether said it has frozen about $4.2 billion of its USDT tokens over links to “illicit activity,” with most of the freezes occurring in the past three years, as authorities worldwide intensify efforts to curb crypto-related crime.
In Finland, Rising Concerns Over the Risks of Russian Real-Estate Buys
Finnish authorities are tightening scrutiny of real-estate purchases after a series of Russian-linked property deals raised fears that land and buildings near military facilities and critical infrastructure could be used for espionage or sabotage.
Peter Mandelson Faces Anti-Fraud Probe Over Epstein Revelations
Peter Mandelson is facing scrutiny from the EU anti-fraud office after the European Commission asked investigators to examine his conduct during his tenure as the bloc’s trade commissioner.