The U.S. Justice Department under President Donald Trump has ended Task Force KleptoCapture, which targeted Russian oligarchs under U.S. sanctions. Attorney General Pam Bondi said resources will now focus on drug cartels and international gangs, marking a major shift in enforcement priorities.
The task force was established under former President Joe Biden to freeze assets linked to Russian elites and enforce sanctions imposed after the war in Ukraine. It led to indictments of figures like Oleg Deripaska and Konstantin Malofeyev, as well as seizures of yachts owned by sanctioned billionaires Suleiman Kerimov and Viktor Vekselberg.
According to Bondi’s directive, prosecutors assigned to the task force will return to their previous roles, and the new policy will be in effect for at least 90 days, with the possibility of renewal.
Trump has expressed interest in improving U.S.-Russia relations and previously vowed to end the war in Ukraine, though without detailing how. His administration’s shift toward combating drug cartels follows his designation of cartel groups as terrorist organizations, part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking.
The decision also affects enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), a U.S. foreign bribery law that has led to major corporate cases over the last decade. The Justice Department’s FCPA unit will now prioritize cartel-related bribery investigations, a move some legal experts call a significant departure from past enforcement strategies.
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Israeli protesters gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday (October 25), urging the government to finalise the hostage deal and secure the return of the remaining deceased captives held in Gaza.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Valencia on Saturday, demanding the resignation of conservative regional leader Carlos Mazon over his handling of the flash floods that killed 229 people nearly a year ago.
Jamaican officials issued urgent warnings on Saturday as Hurricane Melissa approaches, threatening to become the strongest storm ever recorded in the country.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Malawi’s President Arthur Peter Mutharika has declared a state of emergency in 11 districts following severe drought conditions that have left millions at risk of hunger.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Washington’s sanctions against Colombian President Gustavo Petro were not intended to harm the country’s citizens or its economy.
The Trump administration has prepared a new round of sanctions targeting key sectors of Russia’s economy if President Vladimir Putin continues to delay efforts to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine, according to U.S. and diplomatic sources familiar with the matter.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Valencia on Saturday, demanding the resignation of conservative regional leader Carlos Mazon over his handling of the flash floods that killed 229 people nearly a year ago.
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