Happy Monday!  It's August 5, and we're tracking top stories to start the week: Singapore hangs man for trafficking 36g of heroin, the firms staying put in Russia despite Ukraine war, ‘America’s Most Wanted’ fugitive Antonio ‘El Diablo’ Riano captured, inside the stunning rise of Chinese money launderers, and much more...     

Featured Story

🎯 Singapore hangs man for trafficking 36g of heroin. Under Singapore’s law, anyone convicted of trafficking more than 500g of cannabis or 15g of heroin will be executed. Independent 

Top Stories

🌎 From Whoppers to Magnums: The firms staying put in Russia despite Ukraine war. Starbucks and McDonald's were among those to pull out as the West unleashed sanctions – but some firms have remained. Sky

🌎 ‘America’s Most Wanted’ fugitive Antonio ‘El Diablo’ Riano captured while working as a police officer in Mexico 20 years after Ohio murder. A Grand Jury indicted Riano on first-degree murder in 2005, but he failed to appear at arraignment. NYP

🌎 Marijuana and Mexican cartels: Inside the stunning rise of Chinese money launderers. Chinese criminals dominate money laundering worldwide and pose a national security threat to the U.S. NBC 

🌎 U.S. expected to bar Chinese software in autonomous vehicles. The Bureau of Industry and Security will issue a proposed rule that will focus on specific systems of concern. Reuters

🌎 Moscow’s Spies Were Stealing U.S. Tech – Until the FBI Started a Sabotage Campaign. During the early days of Silicon Valley, a tech industry entrepreneur teamed up with the FBI to ship faulty devices to Moscow. Politico

🌎 Will We Ever Hear the 9/11 Mastermind’s Secrets? Before his plea bargain was scuttled, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was set to break his silence. NY Magazine

🌎 How the U.S. used AI to take on the Taliban amid drawdown. AI against Taliban saw a 70% success rate is predicting attacks in Afghanistan. Fox

🌎 The Unraveling of a Charity’s Feel-Good Story About Saving African Orphans. Jason Carney told families he was feeding malnourished babies and arranging adoptions. Two moms started asking questions. WSJ

🌎 Bombs Rain Down in Myanmar as Junta Evades Sanctions to Buy Jet Fuel. The military has stepped up a campaign of airstrikes to fend off rebel advances. NYT

IN THE NEWS

China

🇨🇳 Five Chinese nationals arrested by feds for 'massive' elder fraud scheme Record

🇨🇳 Chinese Migrants Rush to Find Way to U.S. Border Before Doors Close WSJ

🇨🇳 Is a high-profile critic of the Chinese Communist Party a con man? NPR

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Russia

🇷🇺 Satellite Images Show LNG Ship at Sanctioned Russian Plant Bloomberg

🇷🇺 The obscure Russian-linked ‘news’ outlet fueling violence on Britain’s streets Telegraph

🇷🇺 Spanish journalist or Russian spy? The mystery around Pablo González’s double life AP

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Corruption & Financial Crime

💸 Lula Assists the Maduro Steal WSJ

💸 Colorado strike force has seized $1B out of $1.4B reclaimed nationally in pandemic loan fraud Denver Post

💸 Error and fraud in business tax schemes cost the UK £4.1bn BBC

💸 Six Members of Transnational Fraud Network Indicted for Scheme to Steal Millions from Bank Accounts DOJ

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Crypto & Cyber

🔐 Cryptonator founder indicted after platform found handling $235M in illicit funds Record

🔐 7 arrested, $53M recovered by Singapore, Timor-Leste and Interpol in e-mail scam case Straits Times

🔐 Crypto community slams WazirX’s ‘socialized losses’ plan after hack Cointelegraph

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Trafficking

🚚 CBP seizes 4 million pills at Ariz. border in largest fentanyl bust in agency history NYP

🚚 U.S. Homeland Security halts immigration permits from 4 countries amid sponsorship fraud AP

🚚 Ex-NYC undersheriff sidelined for whistleblowing about illegal cannabis raids NYP

"Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory." --George S. Patton

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