Mexico’s new government takes aim at drug cartel finances

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is taking aim at the finances of the powerful Jalisco cartel in what a top anti-money laundering official said was an opening salvo in the fight to stop criminal gangs from flourishing with impunity.

Santiago Nieto, the new head of the finance ministry's Financial Intelligence Unit, told Reuters on Thursday he had filed a complaint against three businesses and seven people linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. On Wednesday, the finance ministry had said Nieto's unit filed its first complaint with prosecutors, but it provided no details.

The move against the Jalisco cartel, a relative newcomer that has risen to become one of Mexico's most dangerous criminal gangs, sends a "first message" under Lopez Obrador, who took office Saturday, of his government's determination to crack down on drug gang finances, Nieto said.

"I am convinced the best way to prevent criminal behavior is by sending a message that these types of acts that violate trust and social norms will be punished," he said in a telephone interview.

Mexico's drug war has raged for over a decade despite the capture of kingpins such as Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Although cartels have splintered, the flow of drugs north has continued unabated, while violence in Mexico hit record levels last year.

http://www.foreigndesknews.com/news/politics/mexicos-new-government-takes/

Anti-globalist yellow vests movement ‘conquers’ Europe and spreads to fifth country

The yellow vests movement has spread to its fifth country, Sweden. Starting in France on 17 November, protests of the anti-globalist movement have been seen in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Now yellow vest demonstrations against the UN Migration Agreement have been announced in Sweden on Saturday and Sunday.

Last Sunday around 1,000 Swedes gathered outside Parliament in Stockholm to demonstrate against Sweden’s signing of the UN Migration Agreement. This weekend, even larger events with more speakers will be held in the same place.

https://voiceofeurope.com/2018/12/anti-globalist-yellow-vests-movement-conquers-europe-and-spreads-to-fifth-country/

Unity4J To Mark 9 Years Since Julian Assange Has Been Arbitrarily Detained Without Charge, As Ecuador Continues Trying To Force Him Out The Embassy

Ecuador’s President, Lenín Moreno, is continuing to try and force WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange out of the embassy where he has stayed now for 9 years in arbitrary detention without charge despite two UN rulings stating he should be freed. Meanwhile, activists are planning to honor Assange in a specially planned live stream of Unity4J, echoing calls for his freedom and safe passage.

Today marks the start of the ninth year of @WikiLeaks publisher Julian #Assange's arbitrary detention without charge in the UK. The UN's arbitrary detention tribunal twice ruled his detention in the UK to be unlawful. https://t.co/jFzuiRUaYo

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) December 7, 2018

https://www.activistpost.com/2018/12/unity4j-to-mark-9-years-since-julian-assange-has-been-arbitrarily-detained-without-charge-as-ecuador-continues-trying-to-force-him-out-the-embassy.html