Orban Obtains a Reprieve on Russian Oil Sanctions.

Last week, during a meeting with President Trump, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán successfully secured an exemption from sanctions regarding the purchase of Russian oil. According to a report in Sky News, Orban made the argument that, as Hungary is a landlocked country, the easiest method for them to get oil and natural gas is through the Turkstream and Druzhba pipelines, respectively. Despite the Trump administration instituting sanctions on two major Russian oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, it is no surprise that he was willing to help a fellow right-wing populist, Orban. Orban will also be grateful for this show of support because he is facing a fierce challenge in next year’s election in the form of upstart opposition candidate Peter Magyar. Finally, considering that Hungary is about to purchase U.S Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) with the contracts being estimated at around $600 million, someone will surely “benefit” from this transaction.

Rio Tinto Investigating Allegations of Corruption.

An American/Australian mining company is investigating allegations of corruption at its copper mine in Mongolia. According to a report on mining.com (a website covering the mining industry), Rio Tinto is investigating procurement-related corruption at the Oyu Tolgoi Mine, which it and the Mongolian government jointly own. According to a Reuters report, earlier this year, Rio Tinto agreed to pay a $135 million fine to a group of investors who sued the company over defrauding investors regarding the expansion of Oyu Tolgoi. The two hedge funds, Pentwater and Turquoise Hill, that owned stakes in Rio Tinto at the time believed that, despite Rio Tinto’s assurances that the mine was on schedule and budget, the mine renovation was actually over budget by $1.9 billion. It is unclear what will happen next, but this will be a significant financial blow for the company.

Trump Urges Pardon in Netanyahu Corruption Trial.

Yesterday, in a meeting between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump urged Israeli prosecutors to drop the case. According to a report in The Guardian, Trump referred to Netanyahu’s case as a “ridiculous witch hunt,” which is hardly surprising considering Trump’s use of the phrase many times before, referring to his criminal cases. Netanyahu is accused of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust while in office. According to a 2024 report by Al Jazeera, Netanyahu is accused of accepting gifts from certain businesspeople in exchange for political access, as well as favorable media coverage, in return for a promise to hinder the growth of a rival newspaper. According to another report in Al Jazeera, the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, has the power to pardon Netanyahu if he so desires; however, he has stated that this option is not currently on the table. Whether or not Trump’s words have any sway, one leader trying to influence judicial proceedings in another is never a good look.

Ghana Embassy Shut Down Over Visa Scam.

Yesterday, reports emerged that the Ghanaian embassy was shut down over an alleged visa scam. According to a report from Newsweek, Fred Kwarteng, a member of the IT department, set up an unauthorized link on the embassy website that redirected users to his private company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC). Kwarteng and his associates then charged more for visa-related services than was reasonable, and they kept all of the proceeds for themselves. As a result, the entire IT department was dissolved, and the whole embassy will be closed until an ongoing restructuring plan is finished. It is unclear what will happen to Kwarteng, but I imagine he would face prosecution in Ghana and possibly in the U.S.

Trump Administration in Talks to Lease a Jet From Qatar.

Qatar is in talks with the Trump administration to lease a jet to replace its aging Boeing jets, which are currently operating as Air Force One. According to a report from The Washington Post, government ethics officials are concerned that such a transaction would violate the emoluments clause in the Constitution. Trump is visiting Qatar this week as part of a three-country tour through the Middle East, which also includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE; therefore, this topic is likely to be discussed further. In another interesting twist, Laura Loomer, a far-right internet personality who is seen as Islamophobic, who normally backs Trump on most issues, criticized him by equating the sale of a plane to an Islamic takeover of America. This is an outrageous statement, but Loomer seldom disagrees with Trump on anything.

Close Ally of Orban Sanctioned By The US.

Last Week, the U.S. government sanctioned Hungarian president Viktor Orban’s cabinet minister, Antal Rogan. According to a report in Politico, Rogan has allegedly used his office to enrich himself and other Orban allies. In particular, Rogan set up a procurement system that funneled lucrative government contracts to Rogan’s allies and Orban’s Fidesz Party in a broader sense. According to a report in the BBC, Rogan runs the Hungarian Intelligence Service, and NATO allies are loath to provide the Orban government with sensitive information for fear that it may end up in the hands of President Putin, with whom Orban has a close relationship. The sanctioning of Rogan will likely prove meaningless as the incoming Trump administration will rescind the order due to his close ties with Orban.

Update on Ericsson Corruption Scandal.

I wrote an article a year ago on the U.S. Department of Justice monitoring the telecommunications company Ericsson over corrupt practices in China and Djibouti. Today, Ericsson announced that the monitoring program instituted by the Justice Department has ended. According to a website called capacitymedia.com, the Department of Justice released a statement saying it was satisfied that Ericsson had met its compliance requirements. According to Ericsson’s president, Borje Ekholm, Ericsson is committing to being more transparent with its business practices in the future. Only time will tell if this is a true statement or not.

US Sanctions Ugandan Parliament Speaker.

Today, the U.S. government sanctioned the Ugandan parliament speaker Anita Among and her Husband over alleged corruption and human rights abuses. According to an article in the AP, Among, a close ally of the Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, has been in the spotlight for receiving $894,000 in the form of per diems and “entertainment” allowances. This is a massive problem in a country that can barely fund its healthcare and education systems. According to a report in ABC, Lt General Peter Elwelu was sanctioned for allowing extrajudicial killings. Finally, three ministers were sanctioned for being involved in a bizarre scheme to steal roofing material for impoverished communities.

Menendez faces New Federal Indictment.

Yesterday, the U.S. government unsealed a new indictment relating to Robert Menendez. According to a report in the BBC, Menendez is facing new charges that he accepted gifts such as tickets to Formula One races in return for praising the Qatari government. The indictment also includes details of Menendez’s efforts to help a New Jersey Businessman, Fred Daibes, secure a lucrative investment in Qatar by making positive comments about Qatar. According to a report in the New York Times, this indictment expands upon the allegations that Menendez and his wife Nadine accepted gifts such as gold bars from the Egyptian government and failed to register as foreign agents while conducting business on behalf of Egypt. This new indictment will strengthen the government’s case into Menendez’s dodgy business doings.

Santos Expelled from the House of Representatives.

On Friday, George Santos, the scandal-ridden member of the House of Representatives from New York, was finally expelled. Santos is facing numerous fraud charges that made his position untenable. According to a report in The Guardian, the vote to expel Santos was 311 for expulsion and 114 against. One hundred ten members of his party voted to remove him, which shows that he was seen as a liability within the party. According to a report in Reuters, he is only the sixth member of the House of Representatives expelled from the House in history. Despite all of the outcry over Santos, he still has some supporters. One in particular left a flower bouquet outside his recently vacated office.