US university lecturer Zooms off to jail for money laundering.

Are you bored with this, yet? The seemingly non-stop reporting of a "noted expert on crime and corruption in Latin America, writing books on the topic and serving as a go-to person for journalists" who was arrested ages ago on charges of money laundering has worked his way through the criminal courts, grovelled over video conferencing software, said he's ill, declared that until now he'd always been a good boy and been sentenced for money laundering. How long? Six months. What did he admit to? Laundering money purloined from the state in Venezuala in return for a ten percent commission.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/1...

Another politician under investigation

A president's brother owns a bank. A businessman in the oil industry had more money than he should have done and being well off gave him access to the president who, it is alleged, brokered some kind of arrangement between the businessman and the banker. Allegedly. Albanian Oil meets Montenegrin bank. Milo Djukanovic denies involvement in any dodgy dealings and says he doesn't have a relationship of any sort with Rezart Taci . But there is what seems to be evidence.

https://balkaninsight.com/2021...

Albania's County Lines problem..

Albanian criminals (which spread to the UK and took hold Glasgow in Scotland and part of London in the 1980s and 1990s and were characterised by guns and other violence) are aping drugs distribution tactics common in the UK : the recruitment of minors as street-level dealers for Albanian drugs gangs.

It's a long piece that's well worth the read.

https://balkaninsight.com/2021...

British Politicians defend Palestinians in debate.

There must be recognition of the State of Palestine and much more, say MPs. This issue raises serious questions as to what is actually terrorism and, therefore, its financing.

https://parliamentlive.tv/even...

What was facing Boris Johnson when he went to work yesterday?

This is an analysis of various matters that were expected to be under consideration when the UK's Prime Minister went before the cross-party select committee yesterday.

https://www.france24.com/en/eu...

This is what happened

https://parliamentlive.tv/even...