US prosecutors opt out of second trial for crypto tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried
Prosecutors cite ‘strong public interest’ for resolving major case against disgraced crypto exchange founder. United States prosecutors have chosen not to pursue a second trial for FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who has already been found guilty of fraud and money laundering, and proceed instead to sentencing. Prosecutors said in a letter filed in a New York court on Friday that pursuing a second trial for the disgraced tycoon would only serve to delay the case against him, which is already strong enough. “Given that practical reality, and the strong public interest in a prompt resolution of this matter, the Government intends to proceed to sentencing on the counts for which the defendant was convicted at trial,” prosecutors said in the letter to Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over Bankman-Fried’s first criminal trial last year. In November, a jury found Bankman-Fried guilty of seven counts of fraud, embezzlement and criminal conspiracy, among other charges. The 31-year-old was accused of using billions of dollars from customer deposits on FTX to cover losses at his hedge fund, pay off loans and buy luxury real estate, among other large personal expenses. At the trial, he had admitted to making “mistakes” that ended up hurting people, but pleaded not guilty to the charges as he claimed he never meant to steal. Billions of dollars were lost after Bankman-Fried’s crimes came to light in 2022, something that also contributed to deepening a crypto market downturn that had started earlier that year. Federal prosecutors have previously described the case as “one of the biggest financial frauds in American history”. Bankman-Fried is slated to be sentenced on March 28, when he could face up to 110 years in prison. Prosecutors argued that much of the evidence that could be offered at a second trial was already presented at the first trial, and that a second trial would not affect how much time he could face in prison. They also said victims would not benefit from forfeiture or restitution orders if sentencing is delayed. Bankman-Fried is expected to file an appeal against his conviction. He was previously extradited from the Bahamas, where his companies were based. The US and the Bahamas have since been clashing over which country’s prosecutors have the legal jurisdiction and right to prosecute him. US prosecutors on Friday wrote that the US government “does not have a timeline for when the Bahamas may respond to its request”. Bankman-Fried, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has been in jail since August, and had his bail revoked after a judge concluded that he had likely tampered with prospective trial witnesses. Adblock test (Why?)
Brazil urges calm as Venezuela-Guyana border tension rises over Essequibo
A British warship arrives for defence exercises with Guyana as Venezuela launches war games near contested region. Brazil has called for “restraint” as tensions flared in a territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana, with Caracas launching a major military exercise near the contested, oil-rich Essequibo region. “The Brazilian government is following the latest developments in the dispute surrounding the Essequibo region with concern,” said a statement from the foreign ministry on Friday. “The Brazilian government believes military demonstrations of support to either party should be avoided so that the ongoing dialogue process can produce results.” A British warship, the HMS Trent, also arrived in Guyana on Friday afternoon amid rising tensions, for open sea defence exercises in its former colony. The UK’s defence ministry has said that the ship is visiting Guyana as part of a series of engagements in the region and that the vessel will conduct training exercises with Guyana’s military. On its X account, the ship posted photos of sailors welcoming Britain’s ambassador to Guyana and the chief of staff of Guyana’s Defence Force, Brigadier General Omar Khan. They were also hosted at a formal lunch and provided with a tour of the ship’s capabilities. Today we were privileged to welcome onboard the Chief Of Defence Staff for Guyana, Brigadier Omar Khan, the British High Commissioner to Guyana, Mrs Jane Miller OBE, and a number of other dignitaries. @RoyalNavy @Janemiller37 #TeamTrent #FwdDeployed pic.twitter.com/jWE5jGK8Dp — HMS Trent (@HMSTrent) December 29, 2023 The HMS Trent’s visit, however, led Venezuela to begin military exercises a day earlier in the eastern Caribbean near its border with Guyana as the Venezuelan government presses its claim to a huge swath of its smaller neighbour. Venezuela has for decades laid claim to Essequibo, claiming that the Essequibo river to the region’s east forms a natural border and has historically been recognised as such. President Nicolas Maduro’s government also held a controversial referendum on December 3 in which 95 percent of voters, according to officials, supported declaring Venezuela the rightful owner of Essequibo. He has since started legal manoeuvres to create a Venezuelan province in Essequibo and ordered the state oil company to issue licences for extracting crude in the region. The rising tensions have raised fears in the region of a potential conflict over the remote area of 160,000 square kilometres (62,000 square miles). However, Guyana, of which Essequibo makes up more than two-thirds and hosts 125,000 of its 800,000 citizens, has administered the territory since the frontiers were determined by an arbitration panel in 1899. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has emerged as a peace broker of sorts, determined to prevent the current war of words over the disputed Essequibo region from escalating into something deadlier. “If there’s one thing we don’t want, it’s a war in South America,” he said earlier this month. The Brazilian statement called for both parties to respect an agreement reached after Maduro and Guyana President Irfaan Ali met in the Caribbean, where they promised not to resort to force to settle the dispute. Adblock test (Why?)
‘They ordered me to undress’: From Nigeria to Italy, surviving rape
Twenty-five-year-old Naomi Iwelu is now settled, living in a room in the centre of Catania, Sicily. Here she recounts the robberies, betrayals and rape she experienced on her journey from Benin, Nigeria. It was her mother’s death, four years after her father’s, that prompted Naomi to quit school and leave Benin in 2018. As the eldest of six children, all now orphans, continuing her education beyond secondary school was an impossibility. “We couldn’t afford the expenses to continue my studies,” Naomi tells Al Jazeera, “so I started working in bars, restaurants and cleaning.” However, the family’s living conditions deteriorated. Leaving Nigeria to start a new life in Europe became an ever more considered option. “I got in touch with a friend who was living in Libya at the time,” she says. “We had attended the same school, but we had lost contact with each other. I found her contact on Facebook. She was the one who convinced me to leave Nigeria and said that she would help me to do so.” Naomi was told the trip would cost about 4,000 euros ($4,370), far more than she could raise. “I asked my boyfriend at the time for money to help my sister. I lied to him,” she says. “That’s how I sent the money to my friend in Libya, and that’s how the journey started.” She set out as part of a group organised by the contact her friend had provided. Today, she struggles to remember the number of people, only that there were “a lot”. “We spent two weeks in the desert,” she recalls. “There was barely any water for us, and many things happened.” Prompted for details, Naomi becomes silent, speaking volumes. Eventually, she arrived in Tripoli, Libya’s capital, where she stayed for six months, finding cleaning work in a local man’s house. One day on returning home, Naomi found two local men waiting for her. “They were holding a knife. They threatened me and asked for money. But I did not speak Arabic well. I did not understand. Then they ordered me to undress. That’s how they both raped me,” she says. Despite the experience, Naomi had no option but to continue her work, eventually raising the money for her passage to Europe. “The journey was extremely hard. There were many of us in a rubber dinghy,” she says, describing how she had been sick throughout the crossing. After reaching Lampedusa, the Italian doctors who examined her told her she was pregnant. “I didn’t know I was pregnant. It was so painful for me,” she says. “I wanted to study, and for that, I had to get [an] abortion. I didn’t want the baby.” Naomi was eventually able to secure an abortion, and now, having graduated from an Italian school, she works in a restaurant a few steps away from Via Etnea, Catania’s central street. She remains in regular contact with her family in Nigeria and sends them what money she can. “I miss them a lot, but I don’t want them to make the same journey as me and experience what I experienced,” she says. This article is the fifth of a five-part series of portraits of refugees from different countries, with diverse backgrounds, bound by shared fears and hopes as they enter 2024. Read the first, second, third and fourth parts here. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Whole world is waiting for Jan 22’s historic moment,’ says PM Modi during Ayodhya visit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Ram mandir on the 22nd of January.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 675
As the war enters its 675th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Saturday, December 30, 2023. Fighting and human impact Ukrainian officials have said that at least 30 people have been killed and more than 140 wounded after Russia targeted cities across the war-torn country with a massive salvo of missiles and drones in one of the largest aerial assaults of the war. Russia’s defence ministry has said its forces downed 32 Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk, Oryol, Kursk and Moscow regions overnight. Polish military authorities have said that a Russian missile briefly passed through the country’s airspace on Friday, prompting concern from the country that borders Ukraine. Diplomacy The United Nations Security Council has criticised Russia for carrying out a massive air assault on Ukraine at a meeting on Friday. But Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said that Moscow had “exclusively only targeted military infrastructure in Ukraine”. The Polish Foreign Ministry has summoned Russian charge d’affaires Andrei Ordasz after a Russian missile entered Polish airspace during the morning attack against Ukraine. Adblock test (Why?)
Genocide in Gaza: The coverage of Israel’s war
In this special edition, we compile our reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza – documenting the information war as it has played out since October 7. In 17 years of The Listening Post, we have never seen a story anything like Israel’s war on Gaza. It has been a turning point for the world order as we know it and its media ecosystem – which is why, since October 7, we have covered nothing else. In this special edition, we compiled our reporting on the Gaza war over the past 12 weeks. The extent of the brutality, a genocide unfolding in plain sight; the sheer volume of disinformation, designed to defend the indefensible; and the complicity of so many Western news outlets – repeatedly exposed for failing to question Israeli propaganda, then spreading it. Contributors:Ariella Aïsha Azoulay – Professor of Modern Culture & Media, Brown UniversityAzad Essa – Author, Hostile HomelandsDaniel Levy – President, US/Middle East ProjectOrly Noy – Journalist, Human Rights AdvocateOmar Al-Ghazzi – Associate Professor of Media & Communications, London School of EconomicsRami Younis – Journalist; Former host On the Other Hand, Makan 33Ramzy Baroud – Editor-in-Chief, Palestine ChronicleSarah Leah Whitson – Executive Director, DAWNSwasti Rao – Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies & AnalysesYara Eid – Palestinian Journalist in GazaYumna Patel – Palestine News Director, Mondoweiss Adblock test (Why?)
Turkey Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia called off amid Ataturk T-shirt row
Istanbul rival teams Galatasaray and Fenerbahce were scheduled to play in Riyadh on Friday. The Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce scheduled to be played in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh was called off over an apparent disagreement about the players’ jerseys. The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and the two teams – who returned to Istanbul on Saturday after Friday’s postponed match – said the decision was made because of “some problems” in the event’s organisation. Haberturk television and other Turkish media said players from both Istanbul football teams wanted to wear T-shirts that featured an image of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the revered founder of the modern Turkish republic, during a prematch warm-up, but were not authorised to do so by Saudi organisers. Turkish media also reported that Saudi authorities did not allow banners featuring political slogans and Ataturk T-shirts to be displayed ahead of the match, including those with Ataturk’s “peace at home, peace in the world” slogan. The clubs refused to play in the final at the King Saud University venue, which is also known as Al-Awwal Park stadium. Saudi state TV cited a statement by organisers saying that the cancellation was the result of the teams not adhering to match regulations. “We were looking forward to holding the match on time in accordance with the international soccer rules and regulations that require the sport to be presented without any slogans outside its scope, especially since this was discussed with the Turkish [Football] Federation in the framework of the preparatory meetings for the match,” the statement said. “Despite this agreement, it was unfortunate that the two teams did not adhere to what had been agreed upon, which led to the match not being held,” it added. There has been no announcement yet on where or when the final will be held. A joint statement by the TFF and the clubs posted on X said: “The 2023 Super Cup … has been postponed to a later date as a result of a joint decision we made with our clubs, due to some problems in its organisation.” It also expressed “gratitude to the football federation of the host country and the relevant institutions for their efforts in organising” the event. Many fans had wanted the annual match to be played in Turkey, which this year commemorated its 100-year anniversary as a republic. Turkish TV in the stadium, but there won’t be a game tonight in Riyadh. The Turkish Super Cup is peak Middle Eastern football drama. So much is involved! 😱🇹🇷🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/KwoYNiEmFv — BabaGol (@BabaGol_) December 29, 2023 The cancellation of Friday’s final, which some football fans on X have called “peak Middle Eastern football drama”, has added to what has been a controversy-filled month for Turkish football. The president of club Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, was arrested this month for punching a referee in the face at the end of his team’s Super Lig home match against Rizespor, which also led to the suspension of the Turkish league. On Saturday, photographs and video footage showed hundreds of Galatasaray and Fenerbahce fans cheering, waving Turkish flags and carrying pictures of Ataturk at the Istanbul and Sabiha Gokcen airports. There has been a recent warming of relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in July amid efforts to repair ties that were ruptured after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Lord Rama doesn’t…’: Farooq Abdullah makes big statement ahead of Ram Temple inauguration in Ayodhya
The consecration ceremony scheduled for January 22 will witness the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla (Lord Ram in his childlike form) at the grand temple. It is expected to be attended by hundreds of officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
2 killed, 55 injured after private bus overturns in Maharashtra’s Raigad district
The accident occurred at Tahmani Ghat at Mangaon around 7.30 am, an official said.
Here are the top five most disruptive climate protests of 2023
Climate activists in the U.S. and across the world increased the intensity and number of disruptive protests staged in public places as they repeatedly called for governments to phase out fossil fuels in an effort to combat global warming. Protesters calling for climate action frequently blocked busy roads, interrupted sporting events and concerts, forced government officials to cut events short and vandalized public buildings, storefronts and famous artwork in museums. Many of the activists engaging in those activities have received funding from groups like the California-based Climate Emergency Fund (CEF) which has, in turn, raised millions of dollars. “Climate Emergency Fund is proud to support some of the boldest, bravest climate activists in the world who are not just fighting but are winning,” Margaret Klein Salamon, CEF’s executive director, told Fox News Digital last month. “Throughout history, organized, passionate and dedicated people have awakened the public’s conscience to injustice and achieved change that was once considered impossible.” BIDEN ADMIN ROASTED FOR OFFERING TO PAY AMERICANS TO SEND VIDEOS OF THEIR ELECTRIC VEHICLES: ‘BEYOND PARODY’ “That’s why the Climate Emergency Fund supports activist organizations that engage in nonviolent protest and civil disobedience worldwide,” she said. “We are experiencing global catastrophic climate events, and they are accelerating – from the months-long summer heat waves in Europe to record-low levels of Antarctic sea ice to ocean temperatures that topped 100 degrees off the coast of Florida.” Here are five of the most disruptive protests staged by activists in 2023. In August, police officers in northern Nevada were filmed dispersing a group of climate protesters who were causing a massive traffic jam on the road leading into the Burning Man festival. The chaotic scene escalated when an officer drew his gun in an effort to get the activists to move away from the road. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE UPHOLDS MAJOR OIL PROJECT IN BLOW TO ENVIRONMENTALISTS “We are not violent! Please … we have no weapons at all, we are environmental protesters!” a woman yelled as another activist was handcuffed. The activists staged their protest in front of a sign that said “Burners of the World Unite.” Some members of the protest chained themselves to a trailer parked on the road. “People are getting hurt because of climate change. Look at what happened in Maui, look at what is happening right now in Canada,” an activist told frustrated bystanders. “Get out of the way!” a woman responded. “We got to get through, help us, we got s— to do!” a man in a cowboy hat added as he tried to dismantle the trailer. RFK JR’S VOW TO BAN FRACKING MET WITH INTENSE CRITICISM President Biden, multiple cabinet officials and other senior government officials all attended events that climate protesters attempted to — and in some cases successfully did — shut down. In September, Biden was heckled during a speech in Arizona honoring the late Sen. John McCain. The president told the protesters to “shush up” and added “democracy’s never easy as we just demonstrated.” Weeks later, in October, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was chased from an event in Baltimore after more than a dozen activists stormed the stage where he was speaking, yelling slogans. “Your DOT just approved the Seaport Oil Terminal, a project that will have 80 coal plants’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions and will worsen air quality in areas that already live in cancer clusters,” one of the activists told Buttigieg on stage. “This is about environmental racism, and it’s about climate impacts this project will have. Will you commit to stopping these projects?” “I get the urgency. By the time my kids are old enough to ask, we’re going to have a really good answer to get out of climate change,” he responded. PETE BUTTIGIEG SPENT $59,000 IN TAXPAYER MONEY TRAVELING ON GOVT JETS: INSPECTOR GENERAL Activists also disrupted events earlier in the year hosting Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and senior White House climate adviser John Podesta. And Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has been interrupted on multiple occasions by protests. “Close the f‑‑‑ing door,” Powell appeared to mutter during a November protest in which activists stormed a room where he was delivering remarks. BIDEN ENERGY SECRETARY BLAMES ‘POOR JUDGMENT’ ON HER STAFF BLOCKING EV CHARGERS WITH GAS CARS Protesters in September forced the U.S. Open semifinals match in New York between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova to be briefly delayed. The activists caused a disturbance from their seats by chanting for policies that “end fossil fuels.” One of the protesters even glued himself to the ground. New York Police Department officers soon responded and forcibly removed the activists. However, the match delay lasted about 49 minutes. “Following the first game of the second set in the Gauff-Muchová match, play was halted due to a protest conducted by four spectators,” the United States Tennis Association said in a statement. “Three of the four protesters were escorted out of the stadium without further incident. The fourth protester affixed their bare feet to the floor of the seating bowl. Due to the nature of this action, NYPD and medical personnel were needed in order to safely remove this individual from the stadium,” the statement added. “The four protesters were taken into NYPD custody.” LEFT-WING GOVERNOR’S RITZY FUNDRAISER SHUT DOWN BY CLIMATE PROTESTERS In November, a climate activist with a far-left advocacy group smeared red paint on an exhibit honoring an African American regiment that fought during the Civil War during a protest at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The member of Declare Emergency, a group that calls for an immediate end to fossil fuel production and reliance, vandalized a wall in the West Building gallery of the Washington, D.C., museum that houses the Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial, officials told Fox News Digital. Using red paint, the activist wrote, “Honor Them,” and explained President Biden could honor Black Civil War soldiers by declaring a climate emergency. “We should honor them by carrying on their work,” the activist