Happy Monday! It’s December 29, and we’re tracking top stories to start the week: Italian authorities arrest 9 for funding Hamas through charities, Big Joke plunged into new legal trouble over 10M gold bar bribe, China imposes sanctions on U.S. defense firms over Taiwan arms deal, Europe Tried to Slam the Door on Russian Energy, Didn’t Account for Turkey, and much more…

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🎯 FEATURED STORY

Italian authorities arrest 9 for funding Hamas through charities. According to Italian prosecutors, who collaborated with other EU countries in the probe, the illegal funds were delivered through "triangulation operations" via bank transfers or through organizations based abroad to associations based in Gaza. AP

Hamas Is Loving Its Revival WSJ

🔥 TOP STORIES

Big Joke plunged into new legal trouble as claims of a ฿10 million gold bar bribe are being investigated Thai Examiner

China imposes sanctions on U.S. defense firms over Taiwan arms deal Guardian

Europe Tried to Slam the Door on Russian Energy. It Didn’t Account for Turkey. WSJ

Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal: Najib sentenced to 15 years in jail for money laundering South China Morning Post

U.S. Lukoil Gas Station Owners Left in Limbo Over Russia Sanctions Bloomberg

Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Investigators Say They're Probing Vote-Buying Scheme By Lawmakers RFE/RL

FBI deploys more resources to ‘dismantle fraud schemes’ in Minnesota Guardian

Trust Wallet launches compensation process for $7 million browser extension hack victims The Block

Hacker claims to leak WIRED database with 2.3 million records Bleeping Computer

Andrew Tate’s Crypto Wallets Tied to $30 Million Money Laundering Trail BeinCrypto

Ilhan Omar’s hubby’s $30M firm quietly scrubs names from website – as ‘Squad’ member faces mounting questions on sudden wealth amid Minnesota welfare fraud New York Post

Robot Crime Could Be Rampant by 2035 Vice

🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

How China’s control of battery supply chains is becoming a critical risk for U.S. military power and AI initiatives Tom’s

Rich and voiceless: How Putin has kept Russia's billionaires on side in the war BBC

Roman Abramovich hires top lawyers for Jersey fight over £5.3bn assets The Times

China’s record corruption crackdown Semafor

Serbia's Prized Chinese Tire Factory Faces US Blockade Amid Forced Labor Concerns RFE/RL

Russian official warns a banking crisis is possible amid non-payments Fortune

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

BofA Employee Charged With Arranging Drug Gathering in Singapore Bloomberg

Grassroots group’s bank account frozen due to ‘Palestine Action investigation’ Guardian

Federal prosecutors say Colorado man ignored warnings, promoted nationwide Ponzi scheme CBS

Jail for syndicate member who stole luxury watches, cash from SIA business class passenger Straits Times

Myanmar’s Election Is Derided as Fake, but the Nation’s Suffering Is All Too Real NYT

Brazilian judge puts coup plot convicts under house arrest after former police commander flees AP

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

Former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison to be released from federal custody next month The Block

Hacker claims to leak WIRED database with 2.3 million records Bleeping Computer

Flow's controversial planned rollback to undo $3.9 million exploit 'blindsided' some partners The Block

How 2025 became the year of the cyber hack – and what British businesses face next in 2026 Independent

From Aztec to Zcash: The year 'pragmatic privacy' took root The Block

🚚 TRAFFICKING

Pot Inc. was celebrating Trump’s rescue — but cannabis companies still can’t be banked New York Post

Crime lords turn Motor City into car-theft supermarket for Middle East buyers Fox News

Trafficking at Scale: Why Narco-Submarines Are No Longer One-Way Assets Small Wars Journal

Falling price of cocaine forces drug traffickers to reuse narco-submarines Guardian

Hundreds allegedly detained in ‘Operation Buckeye’ raids, ICE reported in Dayton area Dayton Daily News

Venezuelans held in Salvadoran prison look to challenge deportation in US court Reuters

UK restricts DR Congo visas over migrant return policy BBC

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