Happy Monday! It’s October 21, and we’re tracking top stories to kick off the week: Israel strikes Lebanon targeting Hezbollah financial assets, Serbia’s president thanks Putin for gas supplies and vows he’ll never impose sanctions, Mexican navy seizes drugs worth more than $100M, historic Bitcoin theft tied to Connecticut kidnapping, and much more…

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🎯 Israel begins strikes against Lebanon targeting Hezbollah financial assets. The airstrikes are expected to inflict significant damage on Hezbollah's economic abilities. Fox

📌 Leaked documents show U.S. intelligence on Israel’s plans to attack Iran CNN

Top Stories

🌎 Serbia’s president thanks Putin for gas supplies and vows he’ll never impose sanctions on Russia. Vucic did not say whether he would accept a Putin’s invitation to attend a BRICS summit in Kazan later this week. AP 

🚩 After Orbán, EU eyes new Russia sanctions push Politico

🌎 Mexican navy seizes drugs worth more than $100M. This latest haul marks a victory in Mexico's ongoing fight against drug trafficking, as the country remains a key transit point to U.S. DW 

🌎 Historic bitcoin theft tied to Connecticut kidnapping, luxury cars, $500K bar bills. The botched kidnapping of a Connecticut couple part of plot to demand ransom from their son — who is being investigated for involvement in the crypto heist. CNBC

🌎 US attorneys push Biden to help free Binance executive held in Nigeria. The attorneys general have asked President Biden to designate Tigran Gambaryan as a hostage under the Hostage-Taking Accountability Act. Cointelegraph

🔥 Illicit Edge Original: Bring Tigran Home: An American Unjustly Detained in Nigeria. Watch, Share, and Free Tigran! Designated with Yaya Jata Fanusie

🌎 In Moldova, a Pro-Russian Oligarch With a Criminal Past Tries to Derail Path to Europe. Ilan Shor fled to Russia after being convicted in a $1 billion bank heist. Now he aims to topple Moldova’s government. WSJ

🚩 The Disinformation Warning Coming From the Edge of Europe Wired 

🌎 US firm’s Russia work prompts Congress to demand stricter sanctions. A bipartisan coalition is demanding the Biden administration tighten sanctions on Russia’s oilfield services industry. FT 

🌎 Mysterious $7B estate tax payment spurs questions about source of funds. The $7B single-day influx of estate tax receipts was almost 80-times the average daily amount. Fox 

🌎 Iranian External Operations in Europe: The Criminal Connection. Iranian agents have continued to engage in assassination, abduction, intimidation, and surveillance plots targeting regime opponents around the world. ICCT

Russia & China

📌 US Offers $10M for Information on Russia War Blog Rybar Bloomberg

📌 How the Communist Party quietly took over SVB’s China operation Fortune

📌 DJI sues Department of Defense over listing as a Chinese military company TechCrunch 

📌 Russia, UAE Trade Tripled During Last Three Years, Putin Says Bloomberg

📌 Report claims US probing TSMC over secret Huawei deals Tom’s

📌 China Development Bank VP given 12 years in jail Reuters

📌 China boosts export controls on dual use items Reuters

Corruption & Financial Crime

💸 A mayor, a rapper, a senator, a billionaire: Meet the man who prosecuted them all Politico

💸 Thai police say 18 arrested as alleged pyramid scheme losses near $50M Reuters

💸 Elon Musk’s daily $1M giveaway to registered voters could be illegal CNN 

💸 NYC’s shelter contracts are ripe for fraud and abuse by unscrupulous nonprofits NYP 

💸 Veterans Dept. Investigating Acadia Healthcare for Insurance Fraud NYT

Crypto & Cyber

🔐 Crypto platform Radiant Capital says $50M in digital coins stolen Record

🔐 France and Belgium join forces in Telegram probe Politico

🔐 NexFundAI: The FBI’s ‘Trap Token’ Explained Cointelegraph

Trafficking

🚚 Florida human trafficking sting nabs 157 people, including 25 illegal immigrants Fox 

🚚 Mexican cartels give members 'permission' to shoot US Border Patrol agents Daily Mail 

🚚 Four men jailed after smuggling millions of dollars’ worth of marijuana to UK NYP

“Neurosis is no excuse for bad manners.” —Freud

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