TIG Post

Tag: Washington DC

  • Air Force man in Washington DC, sets himself on fire in front of Israeli embassy

    Air Force man in Washington DC, sets himself on fire in front of Israeli embassy

    An individual from the US Air Force suffered severe injuries after setting himself ablaze in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington.

    The Secret Service officers put out the fire and then took the man to the hospital because he had serious injuries. This all happened on Sunday afternoon.

    The US Air Force said a person who is currently serving in the military was involved in the situation, but they have not said who it is.

    The police, Secret Service, and other officials are looking into the matter.

    The man went on Twitch and told everyone that he is a member of the Air Force.

    Before he set himself on fire, he said he didn’t want to be a part of genocide anymore. He also shouted “Free Palestine” while he was burning.

    A special team that handles bombs was sent to the area because they were worried about a strange vehicle that might be related to the person.

    This was later said to be not dangerous after they didn’t find any harmful things.

    A spokeswoman for the embassy said that no embassy staff members were hurt in the incident.

    The Israeli foreign ministry said that embassy staff did not know the man.

    This has happened before when someone set themselves on fire in front of an Israeli embassy in the US.

    In December, someone protesting burned themselves in front of the Israeli consulate in Georgia.

    The police said the protester used gasoline, and they found a Palestinian flag at the place where it happened.

  • Donald Trump uses his court disputes political showpiece

    Donald Trump uses his court disputes political showpiece

    Donald Trump went to a court in New York for a fraud case involving his company, and he wanted to speak his opinions on Thursday.

    The judge said the ex-president couldn’t talk in court, but then changed their mind and let him speak for a little bit.

    He used the platform to say that the city’s attorney general hates him. Then, he walked out of the courtroom and told reporters that the case was not fair.

    But that was not sufficient. He held a news conference in a building he owns at 40 Wall Street, which he is accused of lying about its value.

    Mr Trump is going to court like it’s a campaign rally, mixing his legal case with his campaign for president as the US election heats up.

    He says that the legal problems he is facing in different places are all part of a plan by Joe Biden, the Democrats, and the White House to prevent him from winning the 2024 election.

    Thursday’s event in New York came right after another event in Washington earlier in the week. The ex-president went to a court with his lawyers to say he shouldn’t be tried for trying to change the 2020 election.

    While other people running for president in the Republican party are going around Iowa before the first vote on Monday, the former president says he is being forced to stop campaigning by the courts.

    “I have to go to court two times this week instead of campaigning because of false accusations in New York and Washington DC,” he wrote in an email asking for donations.

    Actually, he didn’t have to go to both of these meetings. He chose to go to two different courtrooms on purpose because he thinks it helps his campaign when people see him in court.

    He is correct. The candidate leading the Republican party has turned his many legal issues into a good thing for his campaign. At rallies, press conferences, and in messages to voters and donors, he says he’s being unfairly targeted by political prosecutions in an attempt to prevent him from returning to the White House.

    He tells his supporters that the charges against him are not something to be ashamed of, but something to be proud of. He says that the legal problems he’s dealing with are not just about him, but also about the many people in America who support him. One thing he often says in his political speeches is, “They aren’t trying to get rid of me. ” They are trying to catch you. I’m just blocking them.

    The 91 criminal charges against him would have ended the campaign of any other candidate. But for him, it has actually helped to bring his supporters into the fight with him.

    The Trump campaign has a clear goal and reason for what they’re doing, as it seems they will probably have another election battle with President Joe Biden in November. Trump’s legal troubles also help make sure his campaign has enough money to run smoothly.

    He only started to gain support for his re-election after he was charged with a crime in New York last April.

    Fundraising emails were sent soon after the news of charges connected to paying hush money to Stormy Daniels, a former porn star, came out in the media. Over $4 million (or 3. 1 million pounds) was raised in the next day.

    After he was charged again in June for breaking the law by mishandling secret documents, he received a lot of money again. His campaign was reported to have raised $6. 6 million in just a few days.

    When he was arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, in August for trying to change the state’s 2020 election results, he had become really good at making a show out of getting charged with crimes.

    The campaign brought TV teams with him on his private plane and in his car to show his every move on TV.

    This week in Washington, he said that he is being prosecuted because he is winning in the opinion polls against President Biden. Most people think the race is very close.

    “I think they believe this is how they will try to win, but that’s not how it works,” said Mr. He said there would be chaos in the country if he couldn’t be re-elected because of the criminal cases against him.

    The White House is fighting back. President Biden gave a big speech on January 6th and said that Mr. Trump is a big danger to American democracy.

    This argument is a big part of the Democrat’s campaign. It reminds people of the attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters three years ago. The Democrats are trying to get people to focus on their positive message about the US economy and the fact that inflation is going down.

    But Trump has already changed the argument for his supporters. In Trump’s opinion, Mr. Biden is a threat to democracy.

    However, the feelings, especially of people who are not affiliated with a political party, may change once the trials that Mr. Trump is going through actually start.

    The 6th of January is very dangerous for the ex-president. Voters will learn all the details about how Mr Trump tried to stay in power after he lost the 2020 election. Surveys show that being found guilty in the case, and the possibility of going to prison, could hurt someone’s chances in politics.

    But Trump has a plan for that as well. Keep putting off the trial with as many requests and movements as you can, so that it doesn’t start until after the election on 5 November.

    If he goes back to being president, he might tell his department to not pursue the cases against him, or if he’s found guilty, he might try to forgive himself.

  • Rudy Giuliani to assist in 2020 election slander lawsuit

    Rudy Giuliani to assist in 2020 election slander lawsuit

    Rudy Giuliani has to go to court on Thursday because he said false things about two election workers after the 2020 election.

    Ruby Freeman, a former poll worker, and her daughter Wandrea Moss are taking legal action against Mr Giuliani for saying untrue things about them being involved in election fraud.

    Ms Moss said she was very scared because of the pro-Trump groups after Mr. Giuliani posted a video of her in 2020.

    He has been declared responsible, now they are deciding on the consequences.

    Ms Freeman and Ms Moss want $15m to $43m in money for what they say they have suffered. Giuliani, who is Donald Trump’s lawyer, says he does not have that much money to give them. Giuliani said in court that he lied about the pair.

    In a court in Washington DC, Ms Freeman told how she had to run away when a bunch of Trump supporters came to her house and the FBI warned her that she was at risk.

    “I felt like they were going to hurt me with their ropes on my street,” she said. “I was really afraid. ” I didn’t know if they were going to hurt me.

    Also,Freeman mentioned that she feels lonely because her friends and acquaintances are scared to be seen with her. As a result, she now lives alone and is afraid of being recognized in public.

    “It’s really frightening. Every time I have to say my name when I go somewhere,” she said. “Right now, I don’t actually have a name. ”

    Ms Freeman and her daughter’s lawyers finished presenting their evidence on Wednesday.

    Mr Giuliani helped Mr Trump try to change the results of the 2020 election by saying over and over again that the election was not fair.

    During the trial, a teacher from Northwestern University, Ashlee Humphreys, said on Wednesday that many people saw Mr Giuliani’s mean comments, up to 56 million times.

    The judge in Ms. Freeman’s case won’t let her talk about the false election fraud claims in court. However, he keeps saying outside the court that the lies he told about Ms. Moss and Ms. Freeman are true.

    “On Monday, he said that when he tells what happened, you will understand and see that what he said was true. He also said that whatever happened to them, if others overreacted, it was not their fault, but everything he said about them is true. ” “Of course I don’t feel bad about it, I told the truth. ”

    Mr Giuliani is in trouble in Georgia for being involved in a plan to change the election results with Mr Trump and others. He says he didn’t do it.

  • Ukraine in ‘mortal danger’ if assistance not given – Olena Zelenska

    Ukraine in ‘mortal danger’ if assistance not given – Olena Zelenska

    Olena Zelenska said that Ukrainians could die if western countries don’t keep giving them money.

    The wife of Ukraine’s president talked to a reporter on Sunday after US Republican senators stopped an important aid bill.

    It would have given Ukraine more than $60 billion in help.

    She said that if the world gets tired, they will just let us die after the Russian missile attack.

    The White House says it’s running out of money to help Ukraine, but the Republican party is stopping a deal to provide more aid.

    They want to make a deal with President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress about money for border security in exchange for their help.

    President Biden said that if we don’t help Ukraine, it would be good for President Putin. He warned that people who don’t support freedom will be judged badly by history.

    Almost two years after Russia invaded Ukraine without permission, the first lady is very worried about the slow process of getting money for help.

    In a special interview airing on Sunday, Olena Zelenska told the media that the decrease in help is very dangerous for her country.

    She said, “We really need help. ” In other words, we can’t afford to get tired of this situation, because if we do, we will die.

    “If the world gets too tired, it will just let us die. ”

    The first lady said, “It makes us very sad to see that people may not want to help as much as before. ”

    “It is very important to us. ” So, it really hurts to see that.

    The UK is asking politicians in Washington DC to make a deal for Ukraine.

    This week, UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron visited Washington and said that the US is very important in supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

    He told the US not to give Mr Putin a “Christmas present” by stopping the billions of dollars of money needed to keep fighting against Russian forces.

    There is no doubt that other countries are now thinking differently about Ukraine.

    In Washington DC, strong support cannot be promised, but the main issues of the conflict have not changed.

    A country in Eastern Europe is still fighting against Russian forces after they invaded illegally.

    Ukraine’s military stopped another country from taking over in February 2022 and this surprised everyone.

    Many Western countries were surprised by the strong support they received in return.

    However, Ukraine needs support and help from other countries to continue on the same path.

    The first lady’s warnings are meant to make it very clear.

  • Home in Virginia explodes as armed suspect approaches

    Home in Virginia explodes as armed suspect approaches

    A big blast destroyed a house in a Washington DC suburb while police were searching the area, officials said.

    Police were asked to go to the house in Arlington, Virginia, at 4:45 PM EST (9:45 PM GMT) on Monday because someone was shooting a flare gun.

    When they tried to go in later, they were shot at and there was a big explosion.

    Police at the scene said that only a few people were hurt, but they can’t find the person who may have caused the trouble.

    The fire department put out the fire.

    The trouble began when the person shot a flare gun 30 to 40 times, but no one got hurt and nothing got damaged, the police in Arlington said.

    The police got a legal paper to look for things and tried to talk to him on the phone and through a loudspeaker, but the person didn’t answer and stayed locked in the house.

    “The police were trying to search the suspect’s house, but the suspect fired a gun inside the house,” the police department said.

    The suspect shot a gun around 8:25 pm EST, according to Arlington police.

    It is not known what made the explosion happen and people are still looking into it.

    We don’t know who the suspect is or how they are doing. Police said it looked like there was nobody else in the house when it exploded.

    Some people who live nearby said on social media that they felt their houses shake.

    A video on the internet shows a police car driving towards a house while an explosion happens. Other videos on social media are showing debris and smoke flying into the air as the house explodes. The explosion has blown off the roof and walls of the house.

    The police moved some people out of their homes, while others were told to stay inside and stay safe.

    Before the explosion, a person named Jim Mathews posted on X saying he saw some flares.

    “He said it looked like fireworks were being shot into the sky. ” “Will last for 15-20 seconds. ” Several in about 5 minutes or so.

    Virginia’s Democratic Representative Don Beyer wrote on X that he was very scared, and he thanked the first responders for keeping everyone safe.

  • US House of Representatives to vote this week on Santos’ expulsion

    US House of Representatives to vote this week on Santos’ expulsion

    The US House of Representatives is going to vote again to kick Congressman George Santos out of the group this week.

    Two times before, people tried to remove the New Yorker from his seat, but now a report on his behavior in office has made it very likely that he will be removed from his position.

    Republicans want the 35-year-old to quit. They don’t want to have another vote.

    Mr Santos admits that the next vote will probably pass, but he is still resistant.

    This is the third time we are experiencing this. “I don’t think it’s important,” he told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday.

    “The politicians in Washington DC can send me home if they think this process was fair and constitutional. I wish them well. ”

    The Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, said he thinks the voting will happen on Friday.

    Mr Johnson said on Wednesday that he has concerns about removing Mr Santos because it could create a rule that could affect other lawmakers later on.

    “We will let people vote based on what they feel is right,” said Mr Johnson at a news conference on Wednesday. “I believe that people will make the decision carefully and honestly. ”

    It’s not common for Congress to kick out members, and if the latest vote passes, Mr Santos will only be the sixth lawmaker in House history to be removed.

    Earlier this month, a group in charge of making sure politicians behave well said he took money from his campaign and used his role as a candidate to make money for himself.

    The panel’s final report accused the Republican of using campaign money for Botox treatments, buying things on OnlyFans, and taking vacations in the Hamptons.

    Mr Santos criticized the report as a “political attack,” but he also said he won’t try to be the president again because of the investigation.

    The Long Islander is in trouble with the law and is accused of doing many bad things, like stealing money and breaking campaign finance rules.

    He stayed in office after two votes to kick him out. Some people said he didn’t do anything wrong and should have a fair trial.

    Some people who did not support those actions said they wanted to wait for the House’s investigation on ethics to finish first. Some of the members who previously supported Mr. Santos now want him to be removed.

    When the House started working again on Tuesday, two Democrats and the Republican leader of the ethics committee each submitted a motion to remove someone from their position.

    Both resolutions, which are important, need to be discussed and voted on in the House within the next two days, or before Thursday.

    The Republican leaders said they will allow time for discussion on Thursday and then hold a vote on Friday.

    The Democratic measure is like a backup plan. It’s meant to make sure there’s a vote if the Republicans don’t bring up their own resolution this week, according to co-author Robert Garcia.

    MrSantos has been criticizing his colleagues online since the ethics report was released, and he is expected to complain more during a press conference on Thursday morning.

    His party is finding it hard to decide if they should vote to remove him.

    First, it would decrease the Republicans’ small House majority by even more.

    If Mr Santos is kicked out, the Governor of New York has 10 days to set up a vote. The vote would happen 70 to 80 days after that.

  • World Bank to support Ghana’s budget with $300m in December

    World Bank to support Ghana’s budget with $300m in December

    The World Bank is anticipated to provide Ghana with $300 million in budget support in December 2023.

    Information regarding Ghana’s program with the World Bank was obtained during the Annual IMF/World Bank meetings in Marrakech, Morocco, according to JoyBusiness.

    Sources close to the Bank in Washington DC, USA have disclosed that Ghana has largely met the conditions for the final approval, which is expected to be granted by the Bank’s Board. The World Bank Board’s approval is anticipated to come shortly after the IMF Board’s approval, which is scheduled for November 22, 2023, following the Staff Level Agreement reached after the First Program Review.

    The World Bank is also set to disburse around $250 million to support the Ghana Financial Stability Fund, aimed at assisting banks impacted by the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

    The Finance Ministry has indicated that the Ghana Financial Stability Fund should commence by the end of October 2023, and the government is expected to contribute approximately $700 million as part of its seed capital for the Fund.

    World Bank sources have noted that Ghana has made significant progress in other programs aimed at restructuring the economy. It is anticipated that the World Bank will extend over $500 million to Ghana in budget support and other initiatives by the end of this year.

    If Ghana secures approval from the IMF Board for around $600 million in the third week of November 2023, the country could receive more than $1.2 billion from these two institutions. Additionally, the African Development Bank is expected to provide support once Ghana secures the IMF Board’s approval following the first program review.

    A World Bank report released in July 2023 titled “Price Surge: Unraveling Inflation Toll on Poverty and Food Security” projected that Ghana’s economy would recover to its full potential in 2025 but cautioned that growth might slow down in 2023 and remain subdued in 2024. The report called for Ghana to sustainably increase domestic revenue, particularly through the streamlining of tax incentive regimes and revenue administration improvement.

    Notably, the IMF, in its latest assessment following the first program review by its staff, has suggested that Ghana’s economy may experience growth exceeding the previously projected 1.5 percent. Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta expressed optimism that the economy would grow by over 2.5 percent by December 31, 2023.

  • Zelensky in Washington: Ukraine’s leader travels to the US for the first time since their war with Russia

    President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has announced that he will meet with Joe Biden, the president of the United States, on Wednesday in Washington.

    His journey abroad marks his first since Russia’s invasion in February.

    The White House has additionally confirmed the visit and stated that it will give Ukraine a Patriot missile battery, greatly enhancing its air defence capabilities.

    Mr. Zelensky will also meet with various people and address Congress.

    “On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of Ukraine,” he wrote on Twitter.

    Mr Zelensky regularly hosts foreign leaders in the capital, Kyiv, and has visited troops around Ukraine.

    The Ukrainian president has also spoken frequently to world leaders over the telephone and by video call – often from his office in Kyiv.

    But the surprise visit to a foreign country marks a first since the war began and also signals the importance of Ukraine’s relationship with the US, which has played a leading role in providing military support.

    In its briefing ahead of Mr Zelensky’s visit, the White House confirmed a new package of nearly $2bn (£1.6bn) of security assistance for Ukraine.

    That includes a new Patriot missile system, which will help Ukraine to protect its infrastructure against Russian attacks. Ukrainian officials have long been appealing for more powerful air defence systems from the West.

    Russia has been targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, plunging millions into darkness in winter with temperatures several degrees below freezing.

    The White House said it will train Ukrainian troops on how to use the Patriot system in a “third country” and that this “will take some time”.

    Work is also currently under way in the US to push through a bill that would give Ukraine more than $40bn (£33bn) in extra funding heading into 2023.

    In terms of overall spending on direct military support since the start of the conflict, the US has committed far more than any other country.

    President Zelensky says the monthly cost of defence for Ukraine was about $5bn (£4.1bn).

    His visit to Washington comes a day after he made an unannounced visit to the front-line city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have fought a fierce, months-long battle.

    He met troops and handed out awards to soldiers, the presidency said.

    The visit was a significant show of defiance – and a demonstration of support for Ukrainian forces engaged in some of the fiercest battles in recent weeks.

    Soldiers gave Mr Zelensky a Ukrainian flag with their names signed on it and asked him to give it to President Biden and the US Congress, in a moment that was captured on camera.

    On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded medals inside the Kremlin to figures involved in the Russian invasion.

    Vladimir Putin awards sergeant of the Russian National Guard Troops, Lev Makeyev, with the Order of Courage during a ceremony at the Kremlin
    IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS Image caption, Vladimir Putin awarded National Guard Sergeant Lev Makeyev the Order of Courage

    Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the US military estimates that at least 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured, along with some 40,000 civilian deaths.

    The UN has recorded 7.8 million people as refugees from Ukraine across Europe, including Russia. However, the figure does not include those who have been forced to flee their homes but remain in Ukraine

     

     

     

  • Alan calls for strategic US investment in African Agribusinesses

    As part of comprehensive efforts to economically empower the African continent, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, Ghana’s Minister of Trade and Industry, has proposed for extensive investment in the agricultural sector.

    The industrial expert made this pronouncement during the recent summit of US- African leaders in Washington DC from December 13-15, 2022.

    The U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit was anchored on the shared values of fostering new economic engagement; reinforcing the U.S.-Africa commitment to democracy and human rights; mitigating the impact of COVID-19 and future pandemics.

    It also focused on working collaboratively to strengthen regional and global health; promote food security; advance peace and security; respond to the climate crisis; and amplify diaspora ties.

    African Trade Ministers used the opportunity to stage a round table discussion with US Members of Congress and other high-ranking officials led by Ambassador Katherine Tai, the US Trade Representative.

    They also used the platform to discuss continental matters with an emphasis on the industrialization agenda as exposed by recent external shocks that threaten to ground most economies in Africa.

    Speaking on behalf of the US Government, Ambassador Tai highlighted the importance of the U.S. – Africa economic relationship in addressing current financial challenges and building a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive future. Ambassador Tai reiterated the need for the two sides to work together to fulfil AGOA’s promise to boost the productive capacity of the continent and to pursue equitable growth for all segments of both societies.

    Central among the many areas discussed was the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which is set to expire in September 2025.

    Mr Kyerematen, in his speech at the roundtable, called for the need for enhanced US investment in selected strategic sectors such as Agriculture and Agribusiness, oil and gas, blue ocean economy and investment in light manufacturing industries, support for the development of infrastructure including roads, rail, port infrastructure and renewable energy.

    The longest-serving Trade and Industry Minister in Ghana urged African leaders and the United States to identify key areas whose transformation will be felt by the average African amidst the global economic meltdown.

    Mr. Kyerematen also joined President Akufo-Addo to attend a series of high-profile meetings and events including the meetings with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the President of the World Bank Group.

    He represented the President of the Republic at the National Black Chamber of Commerce Business Forum as well as the US Chamber of Commerce and Corporate Council on Africa’s Presidential Dialogue all in Washington DC.

    The Ghana delegation has since returned home.

     

  • Akufo-Addo draws inspiration from reggae star Peter Tosh in rallying call for a new Africa

    Ghanaian president, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, this week received a standing ovation after delivering a speech in the United States of America.

    The president was addressing the opening ceremony of the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit held in Washington DC.

    Drawing inspiration from Jamaican reggae star Peter Tosh, Nana Akufo-Addo, charged Africans in the diaspora that they remain an important part of the quest to change the African story.

    “Let us remember that the destiny of all black people no matter where they are in the world is bound up with Africa. We should never forget that famous admonition of the celebrated Jamaican reggae star Peter Tosh and I quote don’t care where you come from, as long as you are a black man, you are an African.”

    It is on this premise that Nana Akufo-Addo, charged all blacks in the diaspora to help make Africa a place for investment, progress, and prosperity and not where the youth flee with the mirage of a better life in Asia of the Americas.

    Nana Addo said the time had come for all Africans both home and abroad to help change the African narrative. He said the characterization of Africa as the home of diseases, hunger, poverty and illegal mass migration must end.

    Nana Addo used the Chinese diaspora and how they helped China’s resurgence into a global manufacturing giant through direct forex investments as a test case.

    According to the president of Ghana, this will help the continent attain the respect it deserves on the global stage.

    He added that this agenda is what has driven his government to rally Africans in the diaspora to come home as part of the “Beyond the Return campaign’.

    “If we stop being beggars and spend African money inside the continent, Africa will not need to ask for respect from anyone, we will get the respect we deserve. If we make it prosperous as it should be, respect will follow,” the president said.

    Describing the people of Africa as resilient, the president further called for solidarity amongst countries within the continent to attain their shared aspirations.

    “Africans are more resilient outside the continent than inside. We must bear in mind that to the outside world, [there’s] nothing like Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya, we are simply Africans. Our destiny as people depends on each other,” he said.

    According to the president, the continent possesses the needed skill and manpower but requires a concerted political will to “work”.

    A number of African leaders have travelled to Washington to join a discussion aimed at strengthening the continent’s cooperation with the US amid concerns about Chinese and Russian influence.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Stop ‘begging’ the Westerners and gain some respect in their eyes – Akufo-Addo to Africa

    President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo has stated that in order for African nations to gain respect internationally and alter negative perceptions of the continent, they must wean themselves off of “begging” the West.

    “If we stop being beggars and spend African money inside the continent, Africa will not need to ask for respect from anyone, we will get the respect we deserve. If we make it prosperous as it should be, respect will follow,” Mr Akufo-Addo said.

    He made the remarks during the opening of the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington DC.

    Mr Akufo-Addo urged greater solidarity among Africans to address shared aspirations.

    “Africans are more resilient outside the continent than inside. We must bear in mind that to the outside world, [there’s] nothing like Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya, we are simply Africans. Our destiny as people depends on each other,” he said.

    The president said that the continent had skills and manpower but needed concerted political will to make “Africa work”.

    Mr Akufo-Addo’s remarks came on the day that the International Monetary Fund agreed to give Ghana a $3bn (£2.4bn) loan to alleviate an unprecedented economic downturn in the West African country.

    Dozens of African leaders are in Washington to discuss cooperation with the US amid growing Chinese and Russian influence on the continent.

  • Sam Bankman-Fried: The founder of FTX arrested in the Bahamas

    Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been arrested in The Bahamas, according to the country’s attorney general.

    He is expected to appear in a magistrates court in Nassau, the Caribbean country’s capital, on Tuesday.

    According to police, Mr Bankman-Fried was arrested for “financial offences” against US and Bahamas laws.

    FTX declared bankruptcy in the United States last month, rendering many users unable to withdraw their funds.

    According to a court filing last month, FTX owed nearly $3.1 billion (£2.5 billion) to its 50 largest creditors.

    It is unclear how much people who have funds in the exchange will get back at the end of bankruptcy proceedings – though many experts have warned it may be a small fraction of what they deposited.

    The FTX exchange allowed customers to trade normal money for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

    Mr Bankman-Fried was once viewed as a young version of legendary US investor Warren Buffett, and as recently as late October had a net worth estimated at more than $15bn.

    He had become well known in Washington DC as a political donor, mostly to Democrat politicians or groups, supposedly supporting pandemic prevention and improved crypto regulation.

    Mr Bankman-Fried will be held in custody “pursuant of our nation’s Extradition Act,” the Attorney General of the Bahamas said in a statement.

    “Earlier this evening, Bahamian authorities arrested Samuel Bankman-Fried at the request of the US Government, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY [Southern District of New York]. We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time,” the US Attorney’s office in Manhattan said in a tweet.

    Wall Street regulators also said that they would be taking action against Mr Bankman-Fried.

    “We commend our law enforcement partners for working to secure the arrest of Mr Sam Bankman-Fried in the Bahamas on federal criminal charges,” US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official Gurbir Grewal said in a statement.

    “The Securities and Exchange Commission has separately authorised charges relating to Mr. Bankman-Fried’s violations of our securities laws, which will be filed publicly tomorrow in the Southern District of New York,” he added.

    Mr Bankman-Fried had been due to testify about the collapse of FTX before the US Congress on Tuesday.

    However, he will now be unable to testify, according to Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who said in a statement that she was surprised to hear that he had been arrested.

    Mr Bankman-Fried’s lawyer did not immediately reply to a BBC request for comment.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
    1px transparent line

    FTX, the owner and operator of the FTX.COM cryptocurrency exchange, was founded in 2019 by Mr Bankman-Fried, a former Wall Street trader and ex-Google employee Gary Wang.

    It became the second largest crypto exchange in the world, trading about $10bn of cryptocurrencies a day.

    But on 11 November FTX filed for bankruptcy protection after users pulled $6bn from the platform in three days and rival exchange Binance abandoned a rescue deal. At the same time, Mr Bankman-Fried resigned as FTX’s chief executive.

    In a series of interviews and public appearances in recent weeks, Mr Bankman-Fried has acknowledged that mistakes were made at the firm, but sought to distance himself from accusations of illegal activity.

    “I didn’t ever try to commit fraud,” he said at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit at the end of last month.

    The collapse of FTX came during a tumultuous year for the cryptocurrency industry. This year Bitcoin has lost more than 60% of its value, while other cryptocurrencies have also slumped.

  • Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi’s husband, is recovering from hammer attack surgery

    Paul Pelosi, the husband of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is recovering from surgery after being attacked at the couple’s San Francisco home by a hammer-wielding intruder.

    Mr. Pelosi, 82, suffered a fractured skull as well as injuries to his right arm and hands, but he is expected to recover fully.

    The attack has heightened fears of political violence in the run-up to the midterm elections on November 8.

    The suspect, David Depape, 42, is said to have demanded to see Mrs Pelosi.

    President Biden described the attack as “despicable” and denounced a corrosive political climate for contributing to violence.

    “Enough is enough is enough,” he said during a speech in Philadelphia. “Every person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against the violence in our politics, regardless of what your politics are.”

    Hours after the attack, the US government distributed a bulletin to law enforcement across the nation warning of a “heightened threat” of domestic violent extremism against candidates and election workers driven by individuals with “ideological grievances”.

    However, police investigating the attack on Mr Pelosi – which they have deemed an attempted murder – told reporters a motive had not yet been fully determined.

    ‘Paul Pelosi made secret 911 call’

    Mrs Pelosi – who was on the other side of the country in Washington DC at the time of the assault – flew back to see her husband in hospital.

    A spokesman for the senior Democrat said Mr Pelosi had been attacked in the early hours of Friday morning “by an assailant who acted with force, and threatened his life while demanding to see the Speaker”.

    San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said officers had responded to a call at around 02:27 local time (09:27 GMT) on Friday.

    They found Mr Pelosi and the suspect struggling over a hammer, but it was wrested from Mr Pelosi by the intruder, who violently assaulted him with it.

    The suspect was tackled and disarmed by officers. He had attempted to tie up Mr Pelosi “until Nancy got home”, law enforcement sources told CBS News. He reportedly shouted “where’s Nancy?” during the incident.

    He is also facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, and several other felonies, Chief Scott said.

    He said the suspect had gained access through a rear entry to the four-bedroom Pelosi home in the upmarket neighbourhood of Pacific Heights. Footage shows a smashed glass door at the property.

    The suspect is currently in hospital, but police declined to share details about his medical condition.

    At the start of the break-in, Mr Pelosi told the intruder he needed to use the bathroom then made a secret 911 call on his mobile phone and left the line open, allowing a dispatcher to hear him talking to the suspect, reports the Los Angeles Times.

    Chief Scott confirmed it was Mr Pelosi who had called the police and that a quick-thinking emergency dispatcher had been “able to read between the lines” and send officers.

    “This was not a random act,” said the police chief of the attack. “This was intentional.”

    He added: “Everybody should be disgusted by what happened this morning.

    Far right web activity

    A blog, website and social media accounts under the name of the suspect seen by the BBC are filled with anti-Semitic memes, Holocaust denial, references to far-right websites and conspiracy theories such as QAnon.

    He also posted debunked allegations of election fraud. His recent posts were rambling and touched on a host of far-right and extremist talking points.

    Older messages by the suspect promote hemp jewellery and quartz crystals. He was also a nudist activist who had listed himself as a member of the Green Party, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

    The suspect grew up in the western Canadian province of British Columbia before moving to the US and becoming estranged from family members back home, his stepfather told the Globe and Mail newspaper.

    The Pelosi home with crime scene tape
    IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES

    Mrs Pelosi is one of the most powerful politicians in the country. She was re-elected to a fourth term as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2021, making her second in line to the presidency after Vice-President Kamala Harris.

    The Baltimore native has represented the San Francisco area in Congress since 1987 and typically splits her time between California and Washington DC.

    She is currently fundraising and campaigning with Democrats around the country ahead of the midterm elections.

    Her husband, the multimillionaire founder of a venture capital firm, lives primarily in San Francisco, where he was born and raised.

    The couple have been married since 1963 and have five children.

    Members of Congress have been on high alert over security threats since the riot at the US Capitol in January 2021. Mrs Pelosi’s office in the building was ransacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump during the attack.

     

  • Ghana should have signed up for Debt Service Suspension Initiative – World Bank President

    The World Bank Group President, David Malpass, has expressed disappointment over Ghana and Nigeria’s decision not to sign up for the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI).

    Established in May 2020, the DSSI expired at the end of December 2021.

    The DSSI, put together by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank offered countries an opportunity to freeze debt servicing, whiles they concentrate on using their minimum funds to deal with other commitments.

    Mr. Malpass was responding to questions at a programme in Washington DC, on suggestions that the Bretton Wood institutions are not doing enough to help cancel the debts of some African countries in distress.

    But reacting to the question, he pointed out that Ghana and Nigeria failed to apply for the DSSI, which would have provided some financial space for the repayment of loans.

    “Kristalina (IMF Boss) and I were talking yesterday with the Group about the Common Framework. If countries could have a situation where the common framework clause allow the country to have a standstill on debt, that would help the country choose their path forward on debts restructuring. That would mean they would get a break on debt repayment while they work on debt restructuring,” he explained.

    Mr. Malpass stated that such initiatives are designed to help reduce the impact of economic hardship on developing countries.

    He, however pointed out that some developing countries refused to take advantage of the initiative to minimise the impact of the current global hardship on their citizens.

    “Nigeria and Ghana both, did not ask for the common framework treatment”, he said, adding that the situation has made it difficult for such countries to overcome the negative impact of current global economic hardship on trade and currencies of developing countries.

    Debt to GDP to hit 90.7% – IMF

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had already projected that Ghana will end 2022 with a debt-to-Gross Domestic Product of 90.7%.

    This was captured in its Fiscal Outlook Report released on the sidelines of the on-going IMF/World Bank Annual meetings in Washington DC, USA.

    The report, also forecasts that the debt–to-GDP could reduce to 87.8% in 2023.

    According to the IMF, revenue expressed as a ratio of GDP could also hit 14.1% at the end of 2022.

    It will subsequently increase to 14.7% in 2023 and 15.4% in 2024”, the report said, classifying Ghana as a Low Income Developing Country.

     

  • Benin Bronzes: USA returns looted artefacts to Nigeria

    23 looted artefacts have been delivered back to Nigeria by the United States.

    A Nigerian delegation received the Benin Bronzes during a ceremony on Tuesday in Washington.

    Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, who received the artefacts, hailed the US and its institutions for the repatriation of the “highly-cherished” cultural artworks.

    “These artefacts are intrinsic to the culture that produced them. A people ought not to be denied the works of their forebears. It is in the light of this that we are delighted with today’s repatriation,” he said.

    The information ministry said the returned artefacts “comprise 21 from the Smithsonian and one each from the National Gallery of Arts and the Rhode Island School of Design”.

    The repatriation is part of a bilateral cultural property agreement to prevent illegal imports into the US of some categories of Nigerian artefacts.

    Lonnie G. Bunch III, the secretary of the Smithsonian, said the institution was “humbled and honoured to play a small role in transferring ownership of the artworks to Nigeria”, based on ethical consideration.

    The items were among thousands of artworks known as the Benin Bronzes stolen from the Benin Kingdom in present-day Nigeria by British colonialists in 1897.

    The items were then distributed to various museums and institutions across Europe and the US.

    Nigeria is set to receive more such artefacts from The Netherlands, the UK, and Germany.

    The West African country says it will soon launch an international traveling exhibition with the artefacts ”in a manner that will win more friends and promote greater goodwill for Nigeria and the ethnic groups that produced [them]”.

     

  • US ramps up curbs on chip sales to China

    The US is introducing further measures to restrict sales of computer chip technology to China in a bid to hobble the country’s military advances.

    Under new rules, the US said it would bar US firms from selling certain chips used for supercomputing and artificial intelligence to Chinese companies.

    The restrictions also target sales from foreign firms that use US equipment.

    The US is engaged in an arms race with China over control of the supply of semiconductors.

    The sweeping new measures will make it harder for China to obtain advanced chips for cutting-edge technologies.

    Alan Estevez, undersecretary at the US Commerce Department announced the rules, saying his intention was to ensure the US was doing everything it could to prevent “sensitive technologies with military applications” from being acquired by China.

    “The threat environment is always changing and we are updating our policies today to make sure we’re addressing the challenges,” he said.

    As news of the plans for new restrictions emerged in recent weeks, Beijing criticised the measures and said the US should stop treating Chinese firms unfairly.

    The US has previously barred sales of technology to specific Chinese companies, such as Huawei, on national security grounds. But these measures go much further, with many of the measures aimed at preventing foreign firms from selling advanced semiconductors to China, or providing China with the tools to make advanced chips.

    Jim Lewis, a technology and cybersecurity expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington DC said the measures would “set the Chinese back years”.

    US officials said they hoped that other governments would join them in making similar restrictions, conceding that the controls would lose effectiveness and could hurt US companies’ standing in the market without international collaboration.

    The Semiconductor Industry Association, which represents chipmakers, said it was studying the regulations. It urged the United States to implement the rules “in a targeted way” and called for collaboration internationally to “help level the playing field”.

    The measures come as the US pours billions of dollars into its domestic chip industry, moves aimed at boosting US competitiveness.

  • Checkout Photos of the Sturgeon Supermoon from Around the World

    Full moon
    DIA IMAGES VIA GETTY
    02of 12

    Kosice, Slovakia

    Full moon
    ROBERT NEMETI/ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY
    03of 12

    Berlin, Germany

    Full moon
    SEAN GALLUP/GETTY
    04of 12

    Dresden, Germany

    full moon
    ROBERT MICHAEL/PICTURE ALLIANCE VIA GETTY
    05of 12

    Paris, France

    full moon
    ADNAN FARZAT/NURPHOTO VIA GETTY
    06of 12

    Liverpool, England

    Full moon
    PETER BYRNE/PA IMAGES VIA GETTY
    07of 12

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Full moon
    JANE BARLOW/PA IMAGES VIA GETTY
    08of 12

    London, England

    Full moon
    YUI MOK/PA IMAGES VIA GETTY
    09of 12

    Northumberland, England

    Full moon
    OWEN HUMPHREYS/PA IMAGES VIA GETTY
    10of 12

    New York, New York

    Full moon
    TAYFUN COSKUN/ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY
    11of 12

    Albuquerque, New Mexico

    Full moon
    MARIO TAMA/GETTY
    12of 12

    Washington, D.C.

    Full moon
    CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY

    Source : people.com

  • World was safer during Cold War – security adviser

    The West risks entering a nuclear war because it is not talking enough to Russia and China, the UK’s national security adviser has said.

    Sir Stephen Lovegrove said rival powers understood each other better during the Cold War, and that a lack of dialogue today made miscalculations more likely.

    “In the obligatory Churchill quotation, we want jaw-jaw, not war-war,” he said.

    He added that we were in a “new age of proliferation” in which dangerous weapons were more widely available.

    It came ahead of a phone call between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first call between the two leaders since March.

    They are expected to discuss ongoing tensions over Taiwan and Trump-era tariffs on Chinese imports.

    Sir Stephen was delivering a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, focusing on the implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and what he called a “much broader contest unfolding over the successor to the post-Cold War international order”.

    He said that, throughout the decades of the Cold War, the Western powers benefitted from negotiations that “improved our understanding of Soviet doctrine and capabilities – and vice versa”.

    “This gave us both a higher level of confidence that we would not miscalculate our way into nuclear war,” he said.

    “Today, we do not have the same foundations as others who may threaten us in the future – particularly China.

    “Trust and transparency built through dialogue should also mean that we can be more active in calling out non-compliance and misbehaviors where we see them.”

    Sir Stephen continued that the risk of an “uncontrolled conflict” was being heightened by Russia’s repeated violations of its treaty commitments as well as the pace of China’s expansion of its nuclear arsenal and its apparent “disdain” for arms control agreements.

    He also spoke of the danger associated with the rapid advance of technology and the number of states now developing arms such as land-attack cruise missiles.

    He said there was “no immediate prospect of all of the major powers coming together to establish new agreements”, so the Nato powers could focus on “work of strategic risk reduction”.

    “We should take early action to renew and strengthen confidence-building measures to… reduce, or even eliminate the causes of mistrust, fear, tensions and hostilities,” he said.

    “[Such measures] help one side interpret correctly the actions of the other in a pre-crisis situation through an exchange of reliable and uninterrupted information on each other’s intentions.

    “Confidence and trust grow when states are open about their military capacities and plans.”

    The threat of nuclear war hung over the Cold War. At times in the early 1960s and early 1980s there were risks it might flare hot.

    But overall, structures were put in place – like arms control negotiations and hotlines – for the two sides to talk.

    But many of those same guard-rails are not around now, as tensions grow between the West, Russia and China.

    New technologies like cyber-attacks could quickly escalate a conflict in unpredictable ways, while new types of delivery systems may tempt countries to use nuclear weapons in different ways.

    And hanging over all of this is the concern that more countries are seeking to develop their own weapons.

    Altogether, that leads to the fear that this emerging and unstable world could be more dangerous than that of the past.

    Source: bbc.com