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REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationWASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - U.S. authorities said on Wednesday they have arrested the majority shareholder and cofounder of Hong Kong-registered virtual currency exchange Bitzlato Ltd for allegedly processing hundreds of million of dollars in illicit funds. The action, done in conjunction with the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and foreign authorities, marked the first major action by the Justice Department's National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Network. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) said it has prohibited certain transmittals of funds involving Bitzlato by any covered financial institution after labeling Bitzlato Ltd a "money laundering concern" related to Russian illicit finance. By midday Wednesday, Bitzlato's website was replaced by a notice saying that the service had been seized by French authorities "as part of a coordinated international law enforcement action." Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Raphael Satter, Kanishka Singh, Chris Prentice Writing by Chris Prentice; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. to announce international cryptocurrency action -statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department will "announce a major, international cryptocurrency enforcement action" on Wednesday, it said in a statement, adding the U.S. Treasury Department will also make an announcement. "The U.S. Department of the Treasury will also announce an action in this space," the statement said. U.S. officials, including Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, will deliver remarks at 12 p.m. (1700 GMT) in Washington, according to the statement. Other officials will include the associate deputy director of the FBI and the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Susan Heavey, editing by Paul Grant and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Swiatek the favourite as Melbourne Park set for new champion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek is the strong favourite to land her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but the picture is considerably less clear if the world number one fails to live up to her top seeding. DIFFERENT PROPOSITIONSwiatek was thrashed 6-4 6-1 by Danielle Collins at Melbourne Park last year in her first hardcourt Grand Slam semi-final, and the American looms this year in the last 16 if the seedings hold. Charismatic American teenager Coco Gauff would be a popular champion, not least in the Australian Open marketing department. Last year's French Open finalist is in form, having opened the season with the title at the Auckland Open. Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina's big serve gives her a chance of a second Grand Slam title, while world number four Caroline Garcia is enjoying a late-career renaissance and won the WTA Finals on hardcourt last year.

☆ 23 of the best business apps for entrepreneurs that help with organization, connectivity, and mindfulness
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Digital tools such as apps have become a crucial part of running a business, founders told Insider. Many of these apps are free and help with tasks like organizing project timelines or meditation. Many of these apps are free or low-cost and help entrepreneurs with tasks like organizing project timelines, connecting with customers, and finding time for themselves. TikTok"I love TikTok for both life and business," Daphne Chen, the founder of the sexual-healthcare company TBD Health, said. CalmDiego Osorio, the founder of the tequila brand Lobos 1707, prefers the Calm meditation app for 20-minute meditations and stress management.

☆ Biden condemns 'assault on democracy' in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday condemned "the assault on democracy" in Brazil after supporters of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro invaded the country's Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court. "I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil. Brazil’s democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined," Biden said on Twitter. Earlier on Sunday, Biden said the situation in Brazil was "outrageous." "I condemn this outrageous assault on #Brazil’s govt buildings incited by demagogue Bolsonaro’s reckless disregard for democratic principles," U.S.

☆ Blinken discussed U.S.-China relationship in call with China's Qin
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with incoming Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang over the phone on Sunday, Blinken said on Twitter, after China last week appointed its ambassador to the United States to be its new foreign minister. Blinken said he discussed the U.S.-China relationship and maintaining open lines of communication in his phone call with Qin. Qin, 56, replaces Wang Yi, who had been foreign minister for the past decade. Wang, 69, was promoted to the politburo of the Chinese Communist Party in October and is expected to play a bigger role in Chinese foreign policy. Wang's stint as foreign minister saw a sharp rise in tensions between Beijing and Washington on a wide range of issues ranging from trade to Taiwan.

☆ Mindy Kaling's 'Velma' series set to premiere in January
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

HBO Max has set a Jan. 12, 2023, release date for Mindy Kaling’s animated series “Velma,” a spinoff of the beloved, but family-friendly, “Scooby-Doo” series. In this modern, adult-oriented take on the classic “Scooby-Doo” franchise, the series follows the origin story of Velma Dinkley (Kaling), the brainiac of the Mystery Inc. gang. After a corpse is found in her high school, Velma teams up with Daphne (Constance Wu), Shaggy (Sam Richardson) and Fred (Glenn Howerton) to solve the murder. Kaling’s series also reimagines several members of the Mystery Inc. gang, including making Velma of South Asian descent. “We want to honor other interpretations and what we think feels really modern,” Kaling explained at NYCC.

☆ U.S. slaps sanctions on Iran officials over protest crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A woman chats during a protest against gender-based violence in Iran, in front of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) office in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Amy OsborneWASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on Iranian officials on Wednesday, including the prosecutor general and key military officials, stepping up pressure on Tehran over its crackdown on protests. The move is the latest Washington response to the Iranian crackdown on unrest after the death of young Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in morality police custody in September. The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it imposed sanctions on Mohammad Montazeri, Iran’s prosecutor general, accusing him of directing courts in September to issue harsh sentences to many arrested during protests. Washington also imposed sanctions on two senior officials of Iran’s Basij Resistance Forces, a militia affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards that has been widely deployed during the crackdown, and two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials.

Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has requested a review of U.S. security assistance and cooperation programs in Nigeria following Reuters reporting on an illegal abortion program and killing of children carried out by the Nigerian military. Nigerian military leaders denied the program has ever existed and said Reuters reporting was part of a foreign effort to undermine the country's fight against the insurgents. Nigerian military leaders told Reuters the army has never targeted children for killing. The deal, approved in April, had been put on hold over concerns about possible human rights abuses by the Nigerian government. The United States has also obligated about $6 million between 2016 and 2020 for the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program.

☆ Alabama woman sues FedEx, blames faulty tires after her husband was killed in crash with a delivery truck that had a blowout
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kelsie Platt is suing FedEx, Goodyear, and more for the death of her husband Hamilton. Platt alleges faulty tires were the cause of the fatal accident. Hamilton Platt, 32, died after he slammed into a FedEx truck that had blown a tire on Interstate 10 Sept. 21. According to local news, Kelsie Platt's lawsuit alleges FedEx's faulty retread tires caused the fatal accident. Although neither FedEx nor Goodyear immediately responded to Insider's request for comment on the suit, FedEx provided a statement to local news outlets.

☆ Kagame criticizes U.S. over 'Hotel Rwanda' figure's detention
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Wednesday criticized the United States over the concerns it has raised in the case of Paul Rusesabagina, a U.S. permanent resident jailed in Rwanda who was portrayed as a hero in the film "Hotel Rwanda." Kagame, who was in Washington for a U.S.-Africa summit, questioned why Rwanda should release Rusesabagina because he is famous and a permanent resident of the United States. When asked if he would meet with U.S. President Joe Biden, Kagame said he was not sure yet. The United States in May determined that Rusesabagina had been "wrongfully detained," citing a lack of fair trial guarantees during Rusesabagina's trial. Rusesabagina, who was feted around the world after being portrayed by actor Don Cheadle in the 2004 film "Hotel Rwanda," is a vocal critic of Kagame.

[1/7] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers keynote remarks at a U.S.-Africa Business forum at the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, U.S., December 14, 2022. "The United States is 'all in' on Africa's future," Biden told African leaders attending a three-day summit in Washington. Beijing has held its own high-level meetings with African leaders every three years for more than two decades. For their part, many African leaders reject the idea that they need to choose between the United States and China. "The fact that both countries have different levels of relations with African countries makes them equally important for Africa's development," Ethiopia's U.N. ambassador, Taye Atske Selassie Amde, told Reuters.

☆ 'The White Lotus' Season 3: Creator Mike White drops some hints on what could be in store
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex,” White said. “I think the third season would be maybe a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality. It feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at ‘White Lotus.’” (Season 1 of the show took place in Hawaii, followed by this season’s bawdy action set in Sicily.) That’s not the only clue White has dropped for the next season of “Lotus,” which already jumped halfway around the world once, from the Pacific to the Mediterranean. You know, we did Europe, and maybe Asia, something crazy like that, that would be fun,” White told Deadline in October, going on to mention Japan as a potential contender for the setting of the third ritzy White Lotus resort.

☆ U.S. State Department 'deeply troubled' by report on Nigerian army killing children
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department is "deeply troubled" by a Reuters report that the Nigerian army killed children in its fight against insurgents and had raised the allegations with the Nigerian government, a spokesperson said on Monday. Nigerian military leaders told Reuters the army has never targeted children for killing. "We are pursuing further information, including from the Government of Nigeria and stakeholders working in this space," a State Department spokesperson said by email. Our Embassy in Abuja is seeking additional information, including by speaking to Nigerian authorities." The Reuters report said intentional killings of children have occurred across northeast Nigeria, where the military have been battling Islamist extremists for 13 years.

☆ 'The White Lotus' season finale review: 'Arrivederci' says goodbye to a brilliant second season (SPOILERS)
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers about “The White Lotus” season finale, “Arrivederci.”CNN —It started with floating bodies, and finally brought home its various threads with a sly nod to the fact that the sex in this visit to “The White Lotus” tended to be transactional. In between, the second installment proved almost as engrossing, uncomfortable and meme-worthy as its Emmy-winning predecessor, which is no small accomplishment for writer-director Mike White. Tanya, however, wasn’t the only character being manipulated for money or advantage, which is what connected the show’s various threads. Discovery), but thanks to “The White Lotus,” it’s home to one of the best things on television, and as anthology-style concepts go, potentially one of the most durable. So now that everyone obsessed with the show has said “Arrivederci” to Sicily, the only real question is, “Where are we going next?”

☆ U.S. sanctions people, entities over China-based illegal fishing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on people and companies, including Nasdaq-listed Pingtan Marine Enterprises, Ltd., over what Washington says are human rights abuses linked to China-based illegal distant water fishing. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Li Zhenyu and Xinrong Zhuo, both Chinese nationals, and 10 entities they control, including Dalian Ocean Fishing Co., Ltd. and Pingtan Marine Enterprise, Ltd. (PME), the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in a statement. It also targeted 157 China-flagged fishing vessels linked to those entities, it said. The designation of PME marks the first time the U.S. has imposed sanctions on an entity listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Michael Martina; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

It could also negatively impact African nations that produce battery materials. The United States has a Free Trade Agreement in place with only one African country, Morocco. Battery materials and trade are set to be a focus at next week's U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit in Washington where President Joe Biden will meet presidents of African countries including Congo. Under IRA, U.S. carmakers will get tax credits if they source at least 40% of battery materials domestically or from American free-trade partners. His is one of many projects across sub-Saharan Africa aiming to produce battery materials like lithium, nickel and graphite.

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden next week will announce U.S. support for the African Union's admission to the G20 group of the world's largest economies as a permanent member, a White House official said on Friday. Biden will make the announcement during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington next week, White House adviser Judd Devermont said, when Biden will meet presidents of African countries. Devermont said the move, first reported by the Washington Post, comes after requests from African Union Chair and Senegalese President Macky Sall and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. South Africa is the only G20 member from Africa. But Biden has struck a different tone from former President Donald Trump, who disparaged some African nations and barred travel from six of them.

WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - The United States plans to impose new sanctions against Russia and China on Friday that include punishing Moscow for its use of Iranian drones in its war against Ukraine, two U.S. officials said on Thursday. The sanctions will also target about 170 Chinese entities for what Washington considers illegal fishing in the Pacific, the officials said, amid concerns that China is over-fishing and using its fishing fleet to expand Beijing's maritime influence. The United States has condemned Iran's export of military drones to Russia for their use against Ukraine. John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, told reporters on Wednesday the United States has seen the continued provision of Iranian drones to Russia. The sanctions are expected to target a number of Russian defense industry entities involved in the transfer of Iranian drones to Russia, the officials said.

"Ayan has established business contracts to sell Iranian oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars to buyers," in China, the United Arab Emirates and Europe, the statement says, adding that he then funneled the proceeds back to the Quds Force. The Treasury action will freeze any U.S. assets of those designated and generally bar Americans from dealing with them. Washington maintains sweeping sanctions on Iran and has looked for ways to increase pressure as efforts to resurrect a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran have stalled. The 2015 agreement limited Iran's uranium enrichment activity to make it harder for Tehran to develop nuclear arms in return for lifting international sanctions. Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk Editing by Don Durfee and Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said he is convinced the United States will be able to call Sweden and Finland NATO allies soon and said Turkey's concerns about the two nations joining the alliance are being addressed. And it's not going to turn into one," Blinken said, adding that Finland and Sweden have had a productive process working with Turkey to address concerns and concrete steps have been taken. NATO makes its decisions by consensus, meaning that the two Nordic nations require the approval of all 30 alliance member states. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said Finland hoped to finalize the process of NATO membership soon. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said the NATO accession process was "progressing well."

Griner arrived in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi by private plane from Moscow as Bout was flown in on a private plane from Washington. Bout, nicknamed the "merchant of death," embraced a Russian official who greeted him and smiled broadly as he was led away. A joint UAE-Saudi statement said the UAE president and Saudi crown prince led mediation efforts that secured Griner's release. Griner was exchanged for Bout, a onetime Russian weapons dealer who had been convicted in the United States and imprisoned for 10 years. During the prisoner swap, Griner was met on the tarmac in UAE by chief U.S. hostage negotiator Roger Carstens.

☆ U.S. seeks more information on Reuters report over Nigerian military secret abortion program
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 7 (Reuters) - A Reuters report that the Nigerian military ran a secret mass abortion program in its war on Boko Haram is "harrowing" and the United States is seeking more information, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday. "It was a harrowing report. It's a concerning report and for that reason we are seeking further information," he said. Reuters was unable to establish who created the abortion program or determine who in the military or government ran it. Nigerian military leaders denied the program has ever existed and said Reuters reporting was part of a foreign effort to undermine the country's fight against the insurgents.

☆ U.S. not enabling or encouraging Ukraine to strike beyond its borders -spokesman
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The United States is not enabling or encouraging Ukraine to strike beyond its borders, the State Department said on Tuesday, after Ukraine demonstrated an apparent new ability to penetrate hundreds of kilometers into Russian air space with attacks on air bases. On Tuesday, a third Russian airfield in Kursk, which lies closer to Ukraine, was set ablaze in another drone strike. "We are not enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders. We are not encouraging Ukraine to strike beyond its borders," U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. It was not the first time Russia had accused Ukraine of using drones for attacks inside its borders since beginning its war against Ukraine in late February.

LONDON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The market for old oil tankers is booming, and it's all down to efforts by Western nations to curb trade in Russian crude. The European Union banned all seaborne Russian crude imports from Dec. 5, with a fuel import ban to follow in February. PRICE SURGEMajor Western oil companies typically stop using tankers when they are about 15 years old, and many would be scrapped. More tankers are now being used for voyages taking weeks, shipping Russian oil from the Baltic and Black Sea to Asia, whereas Russian oil was mainly sold in Europe previously and the voyages only took a few days. Ship broker Braemar also said that some of the vessels involved in shipping Iranian and Venezuelan oil were shifting to transporting Russian oil.

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