Corruption Ledger

Once through the grandiose gates of the infantry academy opposite the old town of Toledo, south of Madrid, it takes just a few minutes to reach the confines of the barracks on foot. In a large courtyard bathed in late-August sunshine, some 50 Ukrainian recruits were waiting to be called forward. “They just arrived last night,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Cortes. “And the first thing we’re doing is equipping them.” In a vast room, they took turns picking up a new backpack…

The poverty rate in the U.S. has risen dramatically in the year since pandemic benefits ran out — and the child poverty rate has more than doubled, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday. Just a year ago, the Census Bureau found child poverty had hit a historic low. Experts point to the expanded child tax credit as key to this poverty yo-yo. Adam Ruben of the Economic Security Project says the tax credit went to more people, in…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, September 7, 2023 A jury in Miami convicted two defendants on Sept. 5 in a scheme involving the falsification and fabrication of clinical trial data. On Sept. 5, Miguel Angel Montalvo Villa, 53, and Ivette Maria Portela Martinez, 53, both of Miami, were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Montalvo also was convicted of making a false statement to a regulatory investigator with the Food…

By Raman Vasyukovich, RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, Tony Wesolowsky September 09, 2023 Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the de facto ruler of Belarus, is setting a trap, his opponents say, for those who fled abroad to escape his repressive rule. No longer will Belarusian embassies issue or renew passports to nationals living abroad, according to a fresh edict from Lukashenka published on September 4. If they need the document, Belarusians will have to return home. And critics fear Belarus’s security forces will be waiting….

Journalist Glenn Greenwald has once again dissected a load of establishment propaganda disguised as legitimate reporting – this time shredding a new, and fraudulent, “disinformation study“ from the Washington Post. And of course, Greenwald has receipts. The study, which was sponsored by the European Union ‘with an Omidyar-funded group’ accuses Twitter (X) of facilitating “pro-Russia propaganda” by failing to censor more. The Washington Post’s latest “disinformation study” – sponsored by the EU with an Omidyar-funded group that accuses Twitter of failing to censor “Russian propaganda” –…

  The BBC’s Marianna Spring specializes in branding average citizens as conspiracy theorists and potential terrorists for questioning official claims. When caught lying about her own professional record to advance her ambitions, she says she thought her deceit “wouldn’t be a big deal.” On September 6th, The New European reported that BBC’s “specialist disinformation correspondent” Marianna Spring lied on her résumé in a failed attempt to bag work with Coda Story back in 2018. While posing as an independent outlet, Coda…

Western allies kicked off a major naval exercise in the Baltic Sea on Saturday amid rising tensions with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. About 3,200 soldiers from 14 countries are taking part in the German-led Northern Coasts 23 exercise, the German navy said in a statement. The exercise will involve 30 ships, submarines, up to 19 aircraft, and various landing units, it said. Other countries taking part include Italy, France, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands,…

MOSCOW, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) — The upcoming joint U.S.-Armenian military exercises do not contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the region, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. Peskov said that these exercises are also not conducive to fostering an atmosphere of mutual trust in the region. Moscow continues to work with both Armenia and Azerbaijan amid an escalation of tensions, he added. During a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, “the military-political situation in…

  JPMorgan Chase is in a protracted legal battle in a federal district court in Manhattan over highly credible allegations that it “actively participated” in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking of minors. The lawsuit has been brought against JPMorgan Chase by the Attorney General of the U.S. Virgin Islands where Epstein owned a private island compound that was a frequent venue of the sex trafficking operation. Part of the bank’s damage control strategy has been to sue one of its former top…

Elon Musk secretly ordered his engineers to turn off his company’s Starlink satellite communications network near the Crimean coast last year to disrupt a Ukrainian sneak attack on the Russian naval fleet, according to an excerpt adapted from Walter Isaacson’s new biography of the eccentric billionaire titled “Elon Musk.”As Ukrainian submarine drones strapped with explosives approached the Russian fleet, they “lost connectivity and washed ashore harmlessly,” Isaacson writes. Musk’s decision, which left Ukrainian officials begging him to turn the satellites…

The Pentagon announced a new $600 million package of long-term aid to Ukraine on Thursday, providing funding for an array of weapons and other equipment just a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the country and pledged $1 billion in new military and humanitarian aid. The Defense Department said the latest package will come through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which provides money for long-term contracts for weapons systems that need to be built or modified by defense companies. Included…

Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro was found guilty Thursday of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House committee charged with investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. A federal jury deliberated for less than four hours before issuing its verdict. Navarro, 74, is now the second former aide to the former president to be prosecuted for not cooperating with the select committee. Navarro, who served as director of the Office of…

The Air Force launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean in a routine test early Wednesday, the service said in a release. The missile was fired from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, around 1:30 a.m. local time, and traveled about 4,200 miles to the Marshall Islands, where the U.S. has conducted nuclear weapons tests for decades. Test launches ensure America’s land-based nuclear missiles are still viable after more than 50 years, and are a chance…

Following concerns raised by the government of the United Kingdom (“UK”) about freedom of expression and the provision of banking services, the UK’s financial watch dog, the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), recently commenced an investigation into bank account closures.  This action follows in the wake of recent reports of banks allegedly closing customer accounts based…… Continue Reading
The post FCA Investigates Bank Account Closures, Including for PEP Customers appeared first on Global Investigations & Compliance Review.

  The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has taken legal action against Paypal Australia Pty Limited, alleging that the company’s standard form of contracts with small business owners contains an unfair term. According to ASIC, business account holders are given 60 days to notify Paypal of any errors or discrepancies in fees that Paypal has charged them, or else accept those fees as accurate. ASIC alleges such a term is considered unfair. “ASIC has commenced this action to protect…