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Hello!  It’s April 17, and we’re tracking today's top stories: Vietnam mounts ‘unprecedented’ $24B rescue for bank engulfed in giant fraud, Raiffeisen Bank trumpets Russia growth plans in dozens of job ads, new report shows China funding the U.S. fentanyl crisis, Feds charge arms dealers with smuggling grenade launchers, ammo from US to Iraq and Sudan, and much more...    

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🎯 Vietnam mounts ‘unprecedented’ $24B rescue for bank engulfed in giant fraud. The prosecution is part of the authorities' "blazing furnace" anti-corruption campaign, which triggered the real estate crisis. Reuters 

Top Stories

🌎 Raiffeisen Bank trumpets Russia growth plans in dozens of job ads. Investigation finds dozens of posting for Russia-based jobs, touting its growth plans in the country. AFP

🌎 Report shows China funding the U.S. fentanyl crisis. The report was released ahead of a hearing Tuesday detailing what a U.S. House panel argues is China’s complicity in fueling the fentanyl crisis in the U.S. NBC

🌎 Feds charge arms dealers with smuggling grenade launchers, ammo from US to Iraq and Sudan. A Syrian and Lebanese national were charged with conspiring to illegally export the arms from the U.S. and with conspiring to commit money laundering. USA Today

🌎 Activists trigger referendum that could end Swiss sanctions on Russia. Switzerland won’t join G7 task force on Russian oligarch money, saying assets already frozen were respectable by international standards. Swissinfo

🌎 Inside the Late-Night Parties Where Hawaii Politicians Raked In Money. After the state passed a law barring government contractors from donating to politicians, fund-raising parties showed just how completely the reform effort failed. NYT

🌎 Pro-Trump network OAN and Smartmatic settle 2020 election defamation case. In the wake of the 2020 presidential contest, pro-Donald Trump outlets spread lies wrongfully suggesting President Biden had not been legitimately elected. CNN

🌎 Lawmakers Question Bank of America About Leon Black’s Payments to Epstein. A Senate committee sent a letter asking the bank whether it had adequately followed procedures before clearing $158M in payments. NYT

🌎 Former North Korean diplomat charged with U.S. sanctions evasion. A former DPRK diplomat serving in Thailand was indicted on 20 counts of sanctions evasion, bank fraud, and money laundering. UPI

🌎 US Will Sanction Iranian Drone Program After Attack on Israel. It will also sanction entities supporting the IRGC and Defense Ministry and expects allies to follow. Bloomberg

📌 House passes host of bills targeting Iran Politico

📌 How Iran has managed to evade sanctions on its oil exports DW

IN THE NEWS

Russia

🇷🇺 Traders Are Already Gaming the New Sanctions on Russian Metal Bloomberg

🇷🇺 Yellen says it is important to unlock value of Russian assets to aid Ukraine Reuters

🇷🇺 US sanctions impacting Sovcomflot's ability to trade Reuters

🇷🇺 China’s Exports to Russia Slump Amid US Threat of War Sanctions Bloomberg

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China

🇨🇳 U.S., China to Cooperate in the Fight Against Dirty Money WSJ

🇨🇳 Sanctioned Chinese security camera maker Dahua divests from U.S. Nikkei

🇨🇳 The CCP is taking Americans hostage – Biden wants to send more Hill

🇨🇳 U.S. official says IPR infringement still main concern in China Reuters

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Corruption & Financial Crime

💸 New report estimates U.S. fraud losses exceed $233B annually WaPo

💸 Sen. Bob Menendez may throw wife Nadine under the bus in corruption trial AP

💸 NPR Suspends Editor Who Objected to Bias and Lack of Diversity at Company Turley

💸 UK Government to tackle global financial corruption  UK Government

💸 Woman who accused Trevor Bauer of sexual assault indicted for fraud in Arizona ESPN

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Crypto & Cyber

🔐 Binance.US Taps Former New York Fed Compliance Chief for Board Role CoinDesk

🔐 Russia-linked hacking group suspected of carrying out cyberattack on Texas water facility CNN

🔐 The fight to curtail TikTok’s US influence Spectator

🔐 BIS envisions global ‘Finternet’ running on unified ledger technology Cointelegraph

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Trafficking

🚚 Dozens of migrants rush past shocked California beachgoers after speedboat suddenly washes ashore in wild video NYP

🚚 How China’s demand for donkey hide is devastating African communities Reuters

🚚 How the U.S. Arms Mexican Cartels Rolling Stone

🚚 NYC Migrants Are Being Welcomed by Kansas City’s Mayor to Fill Jobs Bloomberg

"A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough." --Bruce Lee

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