17 March 2010 - With the announcement that Iran's national oil company will now issue $1bn worth of bonds to develop the South Pars Oil Field, the question presents itself: why will European banks risk US and/or UN sanctions by handling these instruments ? The bonds, which will return 5.5 to 8%, will reportedly ...more

16 March 2010 - The extensive damage caused by Cyclone Tomas, which hit the Republic of the Fiji islands this week, has resulted in a disruption in communications, and in the delivery of utilities and government services. A 3-day state of natural emergency has been declared, and there are unverified reports of loss ...more

16 March 2010 - The Office of Foreign Assets Control [OFAC] has added* a large number of Colombian nationals and entities to the list of Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficking Kingpins (SDNTK). If you have a client base that includes Colombian customers, you would be well advised to immediately download, and ru ...more

14 March 2010 - The Office of Foreign Assets Control [OFAC] has effectively loosened the terms of payment for US agricultural products destined for the Republic of Cuba. Farms sales of US goods are exempt from the embargo [Cuban Assets Control Regulations] administered by OFAC. A Final Rule*, published this week in ...more

14 March 2010 - it would appear that bulk cash smuggling into Mexico from Southern California is on the increase in 2010. Immigration & Customs Enforcement [ICE] has reported that they apprehended nineteen suspects in the act just since October 2009. Since many narcotics trafficking organisations find other met ...more