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Venezuela's oil ministry, PDVSA and Maroil did not reply to requests for comment. PETCOKE MOUNTAINSIn Jose, two heavy oil upgrading projects controlled by PDVSA, Petro San Felix and Petrocedeno, produce and store petroleum coke. SANCTION SCRAMBLEIndian firms this year have been big buyers of Venezuelan petcoke as the Asian nation looks for inexpensive fuel to power industries amid high coal prices. read moreShimsupa GmBH, a Germany-headquartered trading firm, has an exclusive arrangement with Maroil to sell Venezuelan petcoke in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the company said. Resellers of Venezuelan petcoke originally supplied by Maroil say the cargoes are free of penalties since, as opposed to PDVSA, Maroil has not been blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury Department.

WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday some satellite internet equipment can be exported to Iran, suggesting that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk may not need a license to provide the firm's Starlink satellite broadband service in the country. Musk said on Monday the company will ask for an exemption from sanctions against Iran. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSome people on Twitter had asked Musk to provide the satellite-based internet stations. "For any exports not covered by existing authorizations, OFAC welcomes applications for specific licenses to authorize activities supporting internet freedom in Iran," the statement added. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Kanishka Singh and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington\ Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Carlos JassoMEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - An independent investigation found evidence that the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) chief, Mauricio Claver-Carone, engaged in an intimate relationship with a staffer, in a review by an outside firm prompted by whistleblower allegations, two sources briefed on the probe told Reuters. The findings of the months-long investigation were presented by legal firm Davis Polk to the bank's directors on Monday. It was solicited by the IDB to investigate allegations leveled against Claver-Carone in a whistleblower email at the end of March. A relationship between Claver-Carone and someone he directly managed at the bank would appear to violate the IDB's ethics code. The staffer, in written testimony submitted to investigators, denied "all allegations that suggest any violation of the staff code" and said she had not received any written notification of any allegations.

☆ U.S. Treasury Seeks Comment on Crypto’s Illicit Finance Risks
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. Treasury Department is seeking public comment on the possible illicit finance and national security risks posed by the use of digital assets, as part of the agency’s mandate under President Biden’s March executive order to study the development of cryptocurrency. The request for comment, issued Monday, also asks the public for suggestions to mitigate these risks by the deadline of Nov. 3. The Treasury, in a version of the request-for-comment document on the Federal Register website, said crypto has been used in sophisticated cybercrime-related financial networks and activity, including through ransomware. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | Risk and Compliance Journal Our Morning Risk Report features insights and news on governance, risk and compliance. The request for comment comes as the crypto market sees another wave of volatility, adding to calls for greater regulatory oversight.

☆ Russia's Wagner trying to recruit over 1,500 felons for Ukraine war -U.S. official
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 19 (Reuters) - The Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, is trying to recruit over 1,500 convicted felons to take part in Russia's war in Ukraine, but many are refusing to join, a senior U.S. defense official said on Monday. The European Union has imposed sanctions on the Wagner Group, accusing it of clandestine operations on the Kremlin’s behalf. The video appeared to show Prigozhin attempting to recruit Russian prisoners as well as Tajiks, Belarusians and Armenians. Wagner Group fighters have been accused by rights groups and the Ukrainian government of committing war crimes in Syria and eastern Ukraine from 2014 onward. In July, British military intelligence said that Russia has used Wagner to reinforce its frontline forces in the Ukraine conflict.

☆ China raises holdings of Treasurys for first time in 8 months
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S Treasury yields rose further on Friday as investors digested the need for further interest rate hikes to curb inflation. China increased its holdings of Treasurys in July for the first time in eight months, while Japan reduced its U.S. government debt load, data from the U.S. Treasury department showed on Friday. China's stash of Treasurys rose to $970 billion in July, from $967.8 billion in June, which was the lowest since May 2010 when it had $843.7 billion. Japan, on the other hand, reduced its Treasury debt holdings to $1.234 trillion in July from $1.236 trillion the previous month. Overall, foreign holdings of Treasurys rose to $7.501 trillion in July, from 7.430 trillion in June.

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