DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ What to watch at COP28 on Friday?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

United Arab Emirates Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber speaks during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 30, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - This year's COP28 climate summit, being held in the glitzy Middle East city of Dubai, clicks into its first full day of scheduled events on Friday. Britain's King Charles III, who has spent decades working on environmental issues, is expected to address the conference. A second day of leaders' speeches is planned for Saturday. The summit's opening on Thursday featured pleas by the COP28 president, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, for all parties to work together toward a consensus on the future of fossil fuels.

Persons: Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Amr Alfiky, Britain's King Charles III, William Ruto, Tayyip Erdogan, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Sultan Ahmed al, Jaber, Katy Daigle, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: United Arab Emirates Minister of Industry, Advanced Technology, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Kenyan, Saudi, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, East

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried Faces Lengthy Sentence—And Long Odds on Appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Corinne Ramey | James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, was convicted Thursday in a New York federal court of stealing billions of dollars from customers. Prosecutors have called it one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history. Photo: Amr Alfiky/ReutersDisgraced crypto star Sam Bankman-Fried is staring down a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted of fraud in the collapse of FTX, and he faces long odds of making any inroads on appeal. A federal jury in New York wasted little time Thursday in convicting the 31-year-old FTX founder of all seven counts he faced, a verdict issued just hours after deliberations began. Jurors agreed with prosecutors that theft and lies by Bankman-Fried fueled FTX’s demise.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Amr Alfiky, Fried Organizations: Prosecutors, Venture Locations: New York, convicting

☆ A timeline of Sam Bankman-Fried trial: Key moments leading up to FTX founder's conviction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. MAY 2019Bankman-Fried and former Google employee Gary Wang found FTX as a new platform to trade crypto tokens and derivatives. Bankman-Fried debuts on the Forbes billionaires list, which estimates his net worth at $22.5 billion. Alameda gives crypto lender Voyager Digital a $200 million credit facility, and FTX gives lender BlockFi a $250 million loan. In a post-arrest blog post, Bankman-Fried denies stealing funds and blames FTX's collapse on a broader downturn in crypto markets.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, Gary Wang, Larry David, CoinDesk, Binance, FTX, Changpeng Zhao, David, Tom Brady, Wang, Caroline Ellison, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Nishad Singh, Kaplan revokes, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: United, REUTERS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jane Street Capital, Alameda Research, Google, Forbes, Alameda, NFL, DEC, U.S, District, New York Times, Metropolitan Detention Center, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, Bahamas, Manhattan, United States, Palo Alto , California, New York

☆ FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Found Guilty of Fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Found Guilty of FraudSam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, was convicted Thursday in a New York federal court of stealing billions of dollars from customers. Prosecutors have called it one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history. Photo: Amr Alfiky/Reuters

Persons: Sam Bankman, Amr Alfiky Organizations: Prosecutors, Reuters Locations: New York

Global fundraising for alternative investments, which include private equity, dropped 21% to $972 billion in the year to Nov. 1 from the same period a year earlier, according to research firm Preqin. As their money becomes more vital, Gulf funds are encouraging private equity firms to invest locally in plans for a post-oil future. "Building a partnership based on reciprocity is nowadays necessary to succeed in the Gulf," said Francois Aissa-Touazi, co-global head of investor relations at private equity fund Ardian. Private equity funds are getting the message. In turn private equity funds can use these pools of capital to fund large private debt or equity transactions, according to Tikehau Capital's Deputy CEO, Frédéric Giovansili.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Francois Aissa, Ardian, Touazi, Brookfield, Bruce Flatt, thronged, Flatt, Mohammed Al Jadaan, Anthony Diamandakis, Rishi Kapoor, Investcorp, Tikehau, Frédéric Organizations: United, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Global, Investment Initiative, Public Investment Fund, Brookfield, Tikehau, CVC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab, Rights RIYADH, LONDON, Davos, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Dubai, Brookfield, Bahrain

☆ US House to vote on proposal to expel embattled Republican George Santos
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It requires a vote by two-thirds of the chamber to expel a lawmaker. Republican lawmakers from Santos' state of New York said last month they would introduce a resolution to expel Santos, but the move was delayed by weeks when the House was leaderless following the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The corruption charges against Santos also include reporting a false $500,000 campaign loan and lying to the House about his assets. A trial for Santos is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2024, shortly before the elections that will determine control of the White House and both congressional chambers. The House Ethics Committee has also said it is looking into allegations involving Santos.

Persons: Representative George Santos, Amr Alfiky, George Santos, Santos, New York, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Johnson, McCarthy, Makini Brice, Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Representative, Central, Central Islip Federal, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . House, Republican, U.S, Republicans, White, Thomson Locations: Central Islip, Central Islip , New York, U.S, York, New York City, Santos, New

☆ Lebanon's Hezbollah: What weapons does it have?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here is an overview of some of Hezbollah's most significant weapons, based on Hezbollah statements, security sources, weapons experts and academic reports. Hezbollah says it has rockets that can hit all areas of Israel. Last year, he said Hezbollah had the ability within Lebanon to retrofit thousands of rockets with guidance systems to make them precision missiles. Hezbollah has posted videos of what it says are direct hits on Israeli tanks and other military vehicles since Oct. 7. Hezbollah has since broadcast videos that it says show more of the same weapons that were used in 2006.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Israel, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Maya Gebeily, Timour Azhari, Tom Perry, Edmund Blair, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Palestinian, Raad, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Beirut, Lebanon, Iran, Islamic Republic, Iraq, Syria, Dawn, Haifa

Members of Hezbollah carry the coffin of Hezbollah member Abbas Shuman, who was killed in southern Lebanon amidst tension between Israel and Hezbollah, during his funeral in Baalbek, Lebanon, October 23, 2023. With most of its fighters killed in Israeli drone strikes, Hezbollah has unveiled its surface-to-air missile capability for the first time, declaring on Sunday it downed an Israeli drone. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would unleash devastation on Lebanon if a war did start. Hezbollah lost 263 fighters in the 2006 war, when Israel hit sites all over Lebanon during a more than month-long conflict. The war erupted after Hezbollah launched a raid into Israel and kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.

Persons: Abbas Shuman, Amr Alfiky, Israel, Sunday's, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jama'a, Bashar al, Assad, Nabil Boumonsef, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Laila Bassam, Tom Perry, Ari Rabinovitch, Edmund Blair Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Israeli, FORCE Hezbollah, Lebanon's, Hezbollah, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Baalbek, BEIRUT, Lebanese, Iran, Lebanon's, Hamas, Israeli, Gaza, Tehran's, Syria, Jabal Safi, Jerusalem, Beirut

[1/7] Khadjeh Chehadeh Abu Stateh, 84, left, a Palestinian refugee who fled the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, and her daughter, Zahra Ahmed Abu Stateh, 51, sit at their residence in Bourj al-Barajneh Refugee Camp in Beirut, Lebanon, October 25, 2023. 'BATTLE OF THE WHOLE NATION'Many of the Palestinians who arrived in Lebanon and their descendants still live in 12 refugee camps around the country, which now hosts about 174,000 Palestinian refugees. The walls in Burj al-Barajneh, like other camps, are covered in graffiti backing Palestinian factions, which are effectively in control. Security and governance is in the hands of Popular Committees and Palestinian factions, the United Nations Palestinian refugees agency UNRWA says. Meanwhile, many in Gaza, a narrow strip of land just 40 km (25 miles) long where 2.3 million people live, most of them also Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel, have been displaced again.

Persons: Abu Stateh, Zahra Ahmed Abu Stateh, Amr Alfiky, Gazans, Bidur Al Habet, Kayyal, Zahra Steitiyeh, Khadijeh Astateh, Riham Alkousaa, Edmund Blair, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, Popular Committees, United Nations Palestinian, UNRWA, Israel, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Bourj, Beirut, Lebanon, Burj, BURJ, Gaza, British, Palestine, Israel, Acre, Palestinian, Asylos, Burj al, Lebanese, Al Aqsa, Jordan, Egypt, Safed

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. Elizabeth Holmes took the stand at her criminal trial, testifying over several days that she did not intend to defraud investors in her blood-testing startup, Theranos. For Bankman-Fried to be convicted of fraud, prosecutors must show beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to defraud FTX customers or investors. Taking the stand carries the risk that he will be confronted with those media appearances as well as his use of social media. But Bankman-Fried has a lower-than-average fear of risk, according to trial testimony.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, Willkie Farr, Gallagher, Ilene Jaroslaw, Elizabeth Holmes, Holmes, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, Mike Schachter, Schachter, Tom Barrack, Donald Trump, Jean Boustani, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Bankman, Jody Godoy, Tom Hals, Noeleen Walder, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: United, REUTERS, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Detention, U.S, District, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, Lebanese, Brooklyn's, New York

☆ India says relations with Canada passing through difficult phase
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Oct 22 (Reuters) - India on Sunday said its relationship with Canada is passing through a difficult phase and there had been "continued interference" by Canadian personnel in New Delhi's internal affairs. Canada had to withdraw 41 of its diplomats from India on Thursday as New Delhi decided to unilaterally revoke their official diplomatic status. Trudeau said on Friday the Indian government's crackdown on Canadian diplomats was making normal life difficult for millions of people in both countries. Jaishankar said India had invoked diplomatic parity under the Vienna convention, "because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel". He said India would resume the issuance of visas if there was progress in the safety of its diplomats working there.

Persons: Jaishankar, Amr Alfiky, Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Melanie Joly, Jaishankare, Nidhi Verma, David Holmes Organizations: Affairs, United Nations Security Council, United Nations General Assembly, REUTERS, Sunday, Canadian, Thomson Locations: U.N, New York City, U.S, DELHI, India, Canada, British Columbia, New Delhi, Vienna

☆ Banks report continued pain on commercial real estate loans
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Matt Tracy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 18(Reuters) - A number of U.S. banks saw continued pain in the third quarter on delinquent commercial real estate (CRE) loans in their portfolios, as stress in the sector persists. As a result, banks recorded continued provisions for credit losses and charge-offs from the previous quarter, driven by their non-performing (NPL), or delinquent, CRE loans. Borrowers have struggled to refinance their CRE loans as property values have declined and interest costs have risen. Some $20 billion of office commercial mortgage-backed securities, which bundle together individual loans, mature in 2023, according to real estate data provider Trepp. "While overall credit quality remains strong across our portfolio, the pressures we anticipated within the commercial real estate office sector have begun to materialize," PNC Chief Financial Officer Robert Reilly told analysts.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Cole, that's, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Wells, Robert Reilly, Matt Tracy, Lananh Nguyen, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Florida Atlantic University, Bank of America, Trepp, Regulators, JPMorgan, Citigroup, PNC, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S

[1/2] Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrives at the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Champion Trust Llc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 4 (Reuters) - The jury for Sam Bankman-Fried's trial on charges of stealing billions of dollars from customers of his now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange was selected on Wednesday, paving the way for opening statements to start soon. Prosecutors and the defense are expected to lay out their cases shortly in opening statements. They are expected to call three former members of Bankman-Fried's inner circle - former Alameda chief executive Caroline Ellison and former FTX executives Nishad Singh and Gary Wang - to testify against him. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York Editing by Amy Stevens, Matthew Lewis and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, FTX, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, Gabriel Bankman, Donald Trump, Anthony Scaramucci, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang, Kaplan, Ellison, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Matthew Lewis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: FTX, United, REUTERS, District, Wednesday, Stanford Business School, North Railroad, Prosecutors, Stanford Law, U.S, Alameda Research, Alameda, Metropolitan Detention, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, York, Manhattan, Brooklyn, New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's trial to resume with jury selection, opening statements
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrives at the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's trial on charges of stealing billions of dollars from customers of his now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange is set to resume on Wednesday, with the judge aiming to finish selecting a jury and move on to opening statements. That would pave the way for prosecutors and the defense to proceed to opening statements, in which each side would lay out their case. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty and is likely to argue that while he failed to adequately manage risk, he did not steal money. Reuters GraphicsReporting by Luc Cohen in New York Editing by Amy Stevens and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, FTX, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang, Kaplan, Ellison, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Matthew Lewis Organizations: United, REUTERS, District, Prosecutors, U.S, Alameda Research, Alameda, Metropolitan Detention, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Brooklyn, New York

Democratic Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during The World Values Network's Presidential Candidate Series that discusses fighting antisemitism and championing Israel, in New York City, U.S., July 25, 2023. Kennedy's deep-pocketed backers and famous name, combined with a lack of broad enthusiasm for Biden and Trump, could help him take votes from their respective sides. "It could certainly siphon some votes from Trump, but it will certainly hurt Biden much more," said Republican strategist Ford O'Connell, who argued that Trump voters were more enthusiastic than Biden's. HIGH FAVORABILITY, TRUMP DONORKennedy has higher favorability ratings than either Trump or Biden, Reuters/Ipsos polling from September shows, with 51% of respondents having a favorable view of him compared to 45% for Biden and 40% for Trump. At 69, Kennedy might have an appeal to Americans looking for a younger candidate than Biden, 80, and Trump, 77.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Amr Alfiky, Democrat Joe Biden, Republican Donald Trump, Kennedy, Biden, Trump, Donald Trump’s, Matt Bennett, FiveThirtyEight, Ford O'Connell, Trump's, Paul Offit, George W, Bush, Ipsos, Cheryl Hines, Gavin de Becker, Timothy Mellon, Peter Daou, Joe Manchin, Joe Lieberman, Al Gore's, ProPublica, Lieberman, Jeff Mason, Heather Timmons, Lisa Shumaker, Grant McCool Organizations: Democratic, REUTERS, Rights, Democrat, Republican, Republicans, Trump, Independent, Biden, Health Defense, Children's, White House, Reuters, HIGH, TRUMP, RealClearPolitics, Mellon, America, Cornell West, Twitter, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israel, New York City, U.S, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, American Samoa, West Virginia

☆ Explainer: What charges does Sam Bankman-Fried face over FTX's collapse?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrives at the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried is set to go on trial on Tuesday on fraud and conspiracy charges related to the collapse of FTX, the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange he founded and led. He faces one count of wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud, and one count of money laundering conspiracy over the alleged theft of customer funds. Bankman-Fried faces one wire fraud count and two conspiracy counts over the alleged misrepresentations to investors and lenders. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: United, REUTERS, Alameda Research, Alameda, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, FTX, Bahamas, Alameda, New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried’s fraud trial is about to start. Here’s what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

This week, he will stand trial in what federal prosecutors have called one of the biggest frauds in US history. The 31-year-old Bankman-Fried, known as SBF, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of fraud and conspiracy in connection with the collapse of FTX, his crypto-trading platform. Here are the key things to know about the case, and what we might see over the next several weeks at the trial. SBF faces seven counts, including wire fraud and securities fraud. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was a crypto celebrity until November last year, when his business empire collapsed.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, SBF, FTX, Tom Brady, Larry David, Amr Alfiky, Bankman, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, “, ”, Howard Fischer, Moses Singer, Fischer, Lewis Kaplan, he’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Super, Reuters, Investors, Bankman, Coindesk, Alameda, New York Times, Securities and Exchange, Enron, Metropolitan Detention Locations: New York, Bahamas, FTX, Miami, Alameda, United States, Manhattan, Brooklyn

The COP28 summit is scheduled to take place in Dubai between Nov. 30 and Dec. 12. The United Arab Emirates' president of the conference, Jaber, has said the oil and gas industry needs to be part of the conversation on climate change. He has urged the energy industry to achieve net-zero emissions by or before 2050 and to accelerate an industry-wide commitment to reach near-zero methane emissions by 2030. "If the oil and gas industry signs up to decarbonization agreements and methane abatement that is a huge contribution to the debate," Amin said. Jaber, who is also head of UAE state oil giant ADNOC, was a controversial pick to lead the climate summit because his country is an OPEC member and a major oil exporter.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, COP28 UAE's Jaber, Adnan Amin, Amin, Sultan al, Jaber, John Kerry, COP28, Maha El, Emelia Sithole Organizations: United, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, United Arab, Reuters, COP28, U.S . Climate, Thomson Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab, ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, United Nations, Dubai, U.S, Scotland, COP28, UAE, OPEC

(Reuters) - EquiLend Holdings LLC, the securities lending platform owned by 10 of the biggest Wall Street firms, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc and BlackRock Inc, is exploring a sale following settlement of a major collusion lawsuit, people familiar with the matter said. Euronext NV is one of the parties interested in EquiLend, one of the sources added. EquiLend generates 12-month earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of more than $25 million, two of the sources said. One of the sources added that EquiLend may fetch about $700 million in a sale. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and UBS agreed to pay $499 million last month to settle the lawsuit that accused them of conspiring to stifle competition in the stock lending market using EquiLend.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Broadhaven, Morgan Stanley, EquiLend, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Reuters, EquiLend Holdings, Goldman Sachs Group Inc, BlackRock Inc, Trade Center, REUTERS, Broadhaven Capital Partners, Wall Street, Bank of America Corp, UBS Group AG, JPMorgan Chase &, JPMorgan, UBS Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, EquiLend

☆ China Risks Property Debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Source: China Real Estate Information Corp. (CRIC)The physical size of Country Garden’s real estate portfolio is enormous. The Weight of Debt The ballooning debt crisis could delay the prospect of a recovery of both the property market and the broader Chinese economy, in which real estate is a core pillar. China property sector slump China’s property sales, investment and funds raised by property developers slid in January - August 2023 after a sharp fall in 2022. China's property sector accounts for more than half of global new home sales and home building, according to Nomura. Any contraction in the property sector will affect China’s growth, thus sending ripple effects around the globe as the world’s factory slows.

Persons: Evergrande, homebuyers, Nomura, David Stanway, Jason Lee, –, Moody's, Yawen Chen, Amr Alfiky Organizations: Country, Garden, Estate Information Corp, CIFI Holdings, Sunac, National Bureau of Statistics, China, Investment, REUTERS, International Monetary Fund, Nomura, JPMorgan, Dubai, National Bureau of Economic Research Locations: China, Burj, Burj Khalifa, Sunac China, Kunming, Yunnan province, Beijing, Xuchang, Henan province, United Arab Emirates

☆ Bankman-Fried prosecutors may show jury evidence of political donations, judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Luc Cohen | トムソンロイター | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan said evidence of the former billionaire's donations were "intertwined inextricably" with charges he defrauded FTX customers by stealing billions of dollars in deposits. Prosecutors said he used $100 million in stolen FTX deposits to fund those donations, which he hoped would spur the passage of crypto-friendly legislation. Prosecutors said Bankman-Fried later sought to interfere with the bankruptcy estate, and undermine FTX creditors, by moving assets to cryptocurrency wallets controlled by Bahamian regulators. Kaplan said such evidence would be relevant at trial.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, FTX, Luc Cohen, Daniel Wallis 私 Organizations: FTX, United, REUTERS, U.S, District, Federal, Democratic, Prosecutors Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Bahamas, New York

REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday restricted Sam Bankman-Fried's ability to call expert witnesses to testify at his criminal fraud trial, in a blow to the FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder. But in a written order, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said three proposed witnesses cannot take the stand, because their testimony was irrelevant or could confuse the jury. He also said Bankman-Fried may seek to call the remaining four experts, but only to rebut prosecution witnesses. Among the witnesses Kaplan rejected was Peter Vinella, a consultant who intended to testify about "FTX's use of widely-accepted practices in the financial services industry." It is common in U.S. criminal trials for prosecutors and defendants to call experts to help jurors understand complex issues.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Peter Vinella, Lawrence Akka, Luc Cohen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: United, REUTERS, Alameda Research, District, Prosecutors, Alameda, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, Bankman, New York

In Saturday’s initial report, OCHA said at least 11,300 people are dead in Derna, Libya, due to devastating flooding. The Libyan Red Crescent Society told CNN earlier on Sunday that it never released the high death figure tolls to the UN from flooding in Derna. People walk through rubble and debris left by flooding in Derna, Libya, on Sunday, September 17. Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters An aerial view of the devastation after flooding caused by Storm Daniel on September 15. Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters People carry some of their belongings as they walk along a muddy street on September 14.

Persons: OCHA, “ We’re, ” Farhan Haq, Haq, ” Haq, Esam Omran, Zohra Bensemra, Amr Alfiky, Ayman Al, Yousef Murad, Storm Daniel, Muhammad J, Abdullah Doma, Ahmed Elumami, Jamal Alkomaty, Abdullah Mohammed Bonja, Omar Jarhman, Ali Al, Saadi, Derna Organizations: CNN, UN, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, World Health Organization, WHO, Crescent, Sunday, Libyan Red Crescent Society, Reuters, United Arab Emirates, Reuters Volunteers, Elalwany, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Reuters Workers, Planet Labs PBC, AP, AFP Locations: Libya, Derna, Libyan, AFP, Shahhat, Storm

☆ Ten countries and territories saw severe flooding in just 12 days
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Hong Kong CNN —September started with a typhoon that ripped through Hong Kong, uprooting trees and flooding the city. People walk past houses destroyed by heavy rain and flooding in Derna, Libya, on September 13, 2023. Elsewhere in Europe, a separate storm – Storm Dana – saw torrential rain across Spain, damaging homes and killing at least three people. Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters An aerial view of the devastation after flooding caused by Storm Daniel on September 15. Abdullah Mohammed Bonja/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images This satellite photo shows the extent of Derna's flooding on September 12.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Jung, Eun Chu, Esam Omran, Chu, they’ve, Storm Daniel, Angelos Tzortzinis, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Theodoros Skylakakis, “, Megala, Giannis Floulis, Dana –, Cross, Martin Griffiths, Ciaran Donnelly, Amr Alfiky, Ayman Al, Zohra Bensemra, Yousef Murad, Muhammad J, Abdullah Doma, Ahmed Elumami, Jamal Alkomaty, Abdullah Mohammed Bonja, Omar Jarhman, Ali Al, Saadi, Haikui –, Saola, Haikui, Maria Clara Sassaki, Rick Cinclair, Phil Klotzbach Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, UN, City University of Hong, Getty, Greek, CNN, International Committee, International Rescue, United Arab Emirates, Reuters Volunteers, Reuters, Elalwany, Anadolu Agency, Reuters Workers, Planet Labs PBC, AP, AFP, CNN Brasil, Worcester Telegram, Gazette, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University Locations: Hong Kong, Libya, City University of Hong Kong, Derna, Europe, Greece, Palamas, AFP, Megala Kalyvia, Turkey, Istanbul, Bulgaria, Spain, Libyan, Shahhat, Asia, Taiwan, China, Shenzhen, Americas, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazilian, United States, Nevada, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Leominster , Massachusetts, El

☆ Trump says he would testify at classified documents trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump reacts during an event following his arraignment on classified document charges, at Trump National Golf Club, in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump said in a radio interview on Wednesday that he would be willing to testify in his own defense at a trial over his alleged mishandling of classified documents at his Florida resort. The documents case is one of four criminal cases against Trump that could go to trial next year. It would be a risky legal gambit for Trump to testify at the trial. Trump has a history of showing a willingness to testify in investigations, only to backpedal later.

Persons: Donald Trump, Amr Alfiky, Trump, Hugh Hewitt, Robert Mueller, Andrew Goudsward, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Trump National Golf Club, REUTERS, Rights, Former U.S, Republican, Trump, Thomson Locations: Bedminster , New Jersey, U.S, Former, Florida, Lago, Russian

Search resuls for: "Amr Alfiky"

25 mentions found