This week marks six months since Russia invaded Ukraine, resulting in enormous suffering for millions, disrupting global food supplies, and affecting Europe’s markets and energy security. The effect of sanctions has hit Russia’s economy hard: half of its foreign reserves are frozen, over 1,000 Western companies have pulled out,… Read More

According to the developers of Bitcoin, the creation of a new payment ecosystem from scratch in 2009 was borne out of the economic chaos caused by the banking sector’s risky lending practices. The aim was to create a new monetary system based on equity and fairness that would give… Read More

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) provides a framework that helps customers, suppliers, employees, and investors see how sustainable an organisation’s operations are. While growing concerns about the environment have compelled businesses to take ESG goals more seriously, a recent survey disclosed that despite it being a top… Read More

Human trafficking has no place in our world. Which is why this week we shine a light on this most wicked of crimes against humanity. Not only does it harm the well-being of individuals and communities, it undermines the very rule of law, compromises national and economic security, and helps… Read More

Acts of terrorism destroy lives, damage economies, and spread fear across nation states. This week we turn the spotlight on how terrorists finance their attacks, most often by transferring funds via wire transfers, electronic payments, and increasingly through cryptocurrencies. We report on what steps countries are taking to combat… Read More

This week we turn the spotlight on drug cartels, following the much-vaunted arrest of a major Mexican drug lord. Rafael Carlo-Quintero for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985 which was later dramatised in the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico. Read More

While they may pale in comparison to the vast trove of secrets exposed by the Pandora Papers, nonetheless the Uber Files open up their very own pandora’s box of revelations. They provide an unprecedented insight into how Uber used a budget of $90 million to fund backroom deals and… Read More

This week we shine the spotlight on the darker side of virtual assets and investments. The biggest news is that EU policymakers have reached an agreement on the regulation of crypto assets, despite strong opposition from major US exchange Coinbase. As a result, the EU is set now to adopt one… Read More

This week, we lead by acknowledging World Whistleblowers Day 2022 and the role played by the often-unsung heroes who put their livelihoods, and even their lives on the line in the pursuit of openness and hopefully justice. The G7 group of the world’s richest nations met in Germany… Read More

The FATF plenary 2022 concluded last Friday with relief for Malta which was taken off the grey list, disappointment for Pakistan as it narrowly failed to be removed, circumspection from The UAE as it chose to defer reporting to focus on its efforts, and a shock for Gibraltar… Read More