• photo credit NIS rezervoari by NIS ad, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 3.0 Serbia. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NIS_rezervoari.jpg — License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/rs/

    In Blow to Moscow, OFAC Imposes Sanctions on Serbia’s Main Oil Supplier

    The United States has imposed sanctions on the Russia-controlled Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS), prompting warnings from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić of “unforeseeable” consequences for the Balkan nation ahead of winter, the Associated Press reported.

  • Pope Leo Curbs Vatican Bank’s Role in Holy See Investments

    Pope Leo XIV has approved new rules that redistribute control over the Holy See’s financial investments, diluting the exclusive authority the Vatican Bank has held since 2022 and formalizing a shared model of oversight across church institutions.

  • photo credit Mstyslav Chernov / UnFrame, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. No changes made. Source: Wikimedia

    Consumer Data Giant’s Russian Subsidiary Expands Business in Occupied Ukraine

    NIQ, the world’s largest consumer-data provider, has been conducting business in occupied Ukraine despite international sanctions against the Russian Federation, the Financial Times reported. 

  • U.S. Supreme Court Clears Way for Halkbank Prosecution

    The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Halkbank, leaving the lender to face criminal charges over allegations that it helped Iran evade sanctions and launder billions of dollars through the American financial system.

  • photo credit “Gisele Bundchen-003 (16251945946)” by Renan Katayama, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0., edited

    Brazilian Fraudsters Used Celebrity Deepfakes to Reap Millions

    Police in southern Brazil have arrested four people accused of running a nationwide Instagram ad scam that used AI-generated videos and images of supermodel Gisele Bündchen and other celebrities, Reuters reported. 

  • photo credit “Jack-up rig in the Caspian Sea 1” by Rehman is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0., edited, Source: Wikimedia Commons

    How a Secret Chinese Barter Arrangement Helps Iran Skirt U.S. Sanctions

    China has quietly built a financial workaround allowing it to keep paying for Iranian oil despite sweeping U.S. sanctions, according to new reporting by The Wall Street Journal.