Tuesday, December 24

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering

Corruption is a scourge on society, impacting both authoritarian and democratic systems. Unchecked, it gives capitalism a bad name. Corruption infects healthy business dealings and operations and produces winners and losers. It occurs through many means: money laundering, tax evasion, bribes, coercion, and other illicit activity. Corruption makes societies unequal and unfree. Let’s empower individuals and policymakers to demand accountability.

Corruption Case Proceeds Against Israeli PM After A Long Delay
10Dec By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Democracy, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Corruption Case Proceeds Against Israeli PM After A Long Delay

Netanyahu Has Avoided Facing Court And Potentially Years in Prison Reuters video stream Dec. 10, 2024 December 10, 2024—After a long delay, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced an Israeli court today in resumption of a criminal trial on charges dating back to 2019. “Everything is at stake,” said Alexis Bloom, director of the 2024 documentary, “The Bibi Files,” during an interview with MSNBC. “This trial is an incredibly important event for Netanyahu, and he’s been assiduously trying to avoid testifying.” The case is not only significant as a domestic matter. Observers argue that it has implications for the widening wars in the Middle East. “It’s his attempt to avoid a legal reckoning that has caused all sorts of damage in the Middle E...
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Israel’s Covert Decade-Long War Against the ICC
28May By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, International Law, Legal Battles, Types of News: Brief

Israel’s Covert Decade-Long War Against the ICC

May 28, 2024--Three years ago, the International Criminal Court launched an investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories. The time period included the 2014 Israel-Gaza War, in which 2,300 Palestinians were killed. The investigation would put hundreds of Israelis, including soldiers and political figures, at risk of prosecution. The ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda promised a fair process that would bring accountability and justice for Palestinians and Israelis. “In the end, our central concern must be for the victims of crimes – both Palestinian and Israel – arising from the long cycle of violence and insecurity that has caused deep suffering and despair on all sides,” said Bensouda. 'Fiercely Resisted' Inquiry The Guardian described it as a "long...
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Mexico’s Lawsuit Against Gun Makers Moves Forward
25Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, International Law, Legal Battles, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Mexico’s Lawsuit Against Gun Makers Moves Forward

Appeals Court Decision Comes As U.S.-Mexico Meet On Root Causes Of Migration January 25, 2024—As President Biden faces pressure at home to stop the flow of irregular migration to the United States at the southern border, Mexico is drawing attention to one of the root causes: U.S.-made weapons in the hands of cartels. Mexico's Defense Department said this week drug cartels are armed with U.S.-made weapons intended for military use, such as grenade and rocket launchers and fully automatic machine guns. Mexico wants the weapons trafficking to stop. Furthermore, the government is demanding answers from the Biden administration.   "It is very urgent that an investigation into this be carried out," Foreign Relations Secretary Alicia Bárcena said on Monday. Mexico has the third...
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Terror Financing: Where Does Hamas Get Its Money
16Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Foreign Aid, International Development, Types of News: Brief

Terror Financing: Where Does Hamas Get Its Money

October 16, 2023—Since 2007, Israel has imposed an air, land, and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip. But that hasn't stopped the Hamas from getting access to hundreds of millions of dollars. The terrorist organization and governing body of Gaza has access to a global financing network connected with countries, businesses, and charities, according to reporting by Reuters. Now, in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel, those lines of finance will come under greater scrutiny by governments, international organizations, and banks. Crypto, Credit, and Trade Reuters reported that Hamas receives support from Iran and Qatar as well as charities. Furthermore, it exchanges money with cryptocurrencies, credit cards, and trade deals to avoid international restrictions. Earlier this y...
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El Salvador’s Bukele Rises In Popularity In Latin America
29Jul By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Democracy, Human rights, Types of News: Bit

El Salvador’s Bukele Rises In Popularity In Latin America

July 29, 2023—Reporting for the Los Angeles Times, Kate Linthicum describes El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has become a "hero on the right" for Latin American leaders even as human rights groups cry foul. It's been four years since Bukele took office and two years since he declared himself as the world's "coolest dictator." Today, many in Latin America view the president as a model for fighting gangs, violent crime, and corruption, even if it comes at the cost of civil liberties. Critics complain that the El Salvadorian leader embraces authoritarianism, but "as homicides plunged, Bukele's approval ratings skyrocketed," Linthicum writes in a LAT report this week. Even as he clears the way for mass criminal trials of hundreds of people at a time, his popularity rises in count...
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20 Years After The Iraq War, The Truth Still Suffers
29Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Geopolitics, International Law, Legal Battles, Types of News: Analysis

20 Years After The Iraq War, The Truth Still Suffers

Iraq today has competitive elections, but it is not "free." Its democratic governance is impeded by corruption, weak institutions, and militias. Iraq Lacks Key Freedoms, and No Redemption For U.S. War Hawks March 29, 2023—In the run-up to the 2003 Iraq war, the atmosphere in Washington, D.C. was like a giant groupthink exercise. Most people knew it was an illegal war and the Bush administration's claims about chemical weapons were shaky at best. But they dared not counter the president's position. President George W. Bush had a "freedom agenda," and that agenda made him susceptible to treachery and manipulation. His administration became convinced that Iraq held weapons of mass destruction, and they became determined to make that belief become a truth that needed to be corrected....
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Adani And Modi, And India’s Industrial Diplomacy
23Feb By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Diplomacy, Types of News: Bit

Adani And Modi, And India’s Industrial Diplomacy

File photo: Gautam Adani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauding. Feb 23, 2023—As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with key counterparts in Australia, Bangladesh, and Israel, Gautam Adani is often not far behind. The owner of the Indian conglomerate Adani Group has been making deals worth billions of dollars while Modi builds diplomatic bridges. Reporters in India and around the world are increasingly taking notice. An article in the Financial Times sheds light on relations between the Indian government and industrial giant Adani Group, raising questions about the ethics of public-private dealings. The FT reporting follows similar coverage in other publications, including The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters. Moreover, criticisms by Modi's opponen...
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Crypto Exchange ‘Bitzlato’ Processed $700M In Illicit Funds, DOJ Says
19Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Types of News: Brief

Crypto Exchange ‘Bitzlato’ Processed $700M In Illicit Funds, DOJ Says

U.S. Attorney's Office for Eastern District of New York held a press conference on January 18, 2023 January 19, 2023—The U.S. Justice Department arrested and charged the operator of Bitzlato, a Hong Kong-registered cryptocurrency exchange that conducted a substantial amount of business with U.S.-based customers. Anatoly Legkodymov is a Russian national and senior executive of the exchange. On Wednesday, law enforcement officials in Miami, Florida arrested him and scheduled his arraignment for that afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The crackdown is a sign that federal investigators have stronger tools at their disposal in targeting money laundering and illicit crypto networks. A Crypto Exchange For Crooks, Traffickers, And Addicts The...
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Interpol Embraces The Metaverse
21Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Big Tech, Digital Economy, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Types of News: Bit

Interpol Embraces The Metaverse

Interpol launched its version of a Metaverse platform in New Delhi, Indian on October 20, 2022. International Policing Agency Plans To Target Financial And Cyber-based Crimes October 21, 2022—Interpol, an international organization that trains and serves as a coordination hub for its 194 members, is embracing the Metaverse. The agency announced today it is now part of the Metaverse, where humans become avatars interacting in a make-believe digital world. The agency plans to use its Metaverse creation to train police worldwide and provide an alternative way for officers to meet each other. "As the number of Metaverse users grows and the technology further develops, the list of possible crimes will only expand to potentially include crimes against children, data theft, money laun...
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3 Things That Cross The U.S.-Mexican Border: Drugs, Guns, And Migrants
19Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Diplomacy, Types of News: Analysis

3 Things That Cross The U.S.-Mexican Border: Drugs, Guns, And Migrants

October 19, 2022—The United States and Mexico have at least three things in common: drugs, guns and migrants. The U.S.-Mexico border is porous, and trafficking of all three runs rampant. In the United States, deadly drugs from the South kill Americans. Conversely, in Mexico, illegal firearms from the North empower cartels and endanger society. Meanwhile, migrants from around the world risk their lives to make it across the border. A Shared Border, Shared Problems Leaders in both governments recognize the problems. Their presidents are making plans to address them. Speaking by phone late Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador reviewed plans to improve security along the border, prosecute gun traffickers, reduce illegal migration, ...
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