Hello! It’s November 5, and we’re tracking today’s top stories: How China’s Chokehold on Drugs, Chips and More Threatens the U.S., Operation Chargeback, AI-powered malware is here, Sanctioned Iranian Banker Owns Multi-Million-Pound London Mansion, and much more…

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🎯 FEATURED STORY

How China’s Chokehold on Drugs, Chips and More Threatens the U.S. It isn’t just rare earths. Three products show how Beijing built supply-chain dominance that can impose pain on trading partners. WSJ

🔥 TOP STORIES

Operation Chargeback: 4.3 million cardholders affected, EUR 300 million in damages Europol

AI-powered malware is here Axios

Sanctioned Iranian Banker Owns Multi-Million-Pound London Mansion OCCRP

China backs Venezuela, Trump hints Maduro’s end is near as tensions escalate Miami Herald

Russia open to sending hypersonic missiles to Venezuela Telegraph 

BDO quit role supporting Singapore family office linked to scam empire FT

Prosecutors seize yachts, luxury cars from man accused of running Cambodia cyberscams AP

French cement maker Lafarge faces trial on charges of financing jihadists in Syria Reuters

The Slow Death of Russian Oil Foreign Affairs 

Former CEO And Board Chairman Charged With Fraud Scheme Directed At Public Company DOJ

Germany cracks down on Muslim groups viewed as threats to its constitutional order DW

Narco-sub carrying 1.7 tonnes of cocaine seized in Atlantic BBC

Treasury sanctions 8 for laundering North Korea earnings from cybercrime, IT worker scheme Record

💥 SANCTIONS

China, Russia vow joint response to 'unilateral' sanctions during Russian PM visit Reuters

With sanctions on Iranian art, buyers are turning to India Art Newspaper

Malaysia Must Stop Enabling Iran’s Sanctions Evasion Diplomat

Marubeni to follow government guidance on Sakhalin-1 as US sanctions Rosneft Reuters

US eases some sanctions on Belarus, including for Lukashenko's aircraft Reuters

🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

Russian assets dispute triggers crisis meeting between EU Commission, Belgium Politico

Swedish Tycoon Törnqvist Eyes $20B Lukoil Asset Deal Amid US Sanctions United24 

Lukoil's overseas network buckles as Western sanctions bite Reuters

Russia wants to bleed us dry Politico 

China academic intimidation claim referred to counter-terrorism police BBC

China sentences 5 to death for building, running criminal gang fraud centers in Myanmar's lawless borderlands CBS

Roman Abramovich wants to send £1.54bn from Chelsea sale to his own companies Daily Mail

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

Can Spanish PM survive corruption cases against family and allies? Guardian

Indonesia’s China-funded ‘Whoosh’ railway faces corruption probe SCMP

Histadrut chief, other senior labor officials detained in massive corruption probe Times of Israel 

Didier Reynders reportedly charged with money laundering Brussels Times 

EU warns Ukraine over corruption as Brussels unveils enlargement reports Politico

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

Suspected German Scammer Arrested in Georgia on Extradition Order OCCRP

This millionaire crypto hacker continues to freely cash out a year later CryptoSlate

A Cybercrime Merger Like No Other — Scattered Spider, LAPSUS$, and ShinyHunters Join Forces Hacker News

🚚 TRAFFICKING

FBI to help track down Barrio 18 gang leaders who escaped prison CBS

How Germany aims to increase deportations DW

Why Are Some European Drug Gangs Burying Cocaine Instead of Selling It? OCCRP

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