DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Former high-ranking FDIC attorney Mark Black pleads guilty in child sex exploitation case
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A former high-ranking lawyer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to conspiring to sexually exploit multiple children and now faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 15 years. "Black and his co-conspirators would covertly record this conduct and share the videos with each other," the DOJ said. Black pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life behind bars. The FDIC said Black's criminal activity "had nothing whatsoever to do with the FDIC," and did not involve the use of agency computers or other devices.

Persons: Mark Black, Black Organizations: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Arlington Aquatic, FDIC, Justice, DOJ, CNBC, FBI, U.S . Center, SafeSport, U.S, Olympic Locations: Arlington, Virginia, Arlington ., U.S, Alexandria , Virginia

☆ Blackstone Nears $2.5 Billion Deal to Buy Software Developer Civica
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Ben Dummett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Blackstone’s tie-up with Civica, if completed, could be announced as soon as Wednesday. Photo: jeenah moon/ReutersBlackstone is in advanced talks to buy Civica in a deal valuing the U.K.-based software developer at close to $2.5 billion including debt, according to people familiar with the matter. The tie-up, if completed, could be announced as soon as Wednesday. It would mark Blackstone’s latest bet in the U.K. following its recent purchases of two hotels—one in Birmingham and another outside of Edinburgh—and a project to build affordable housing across the U.K.

Persons: Blackstone, Edinburgh — Locations: Birmingham, Edinburgh

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — It’s a frequent — and most often frantic — high-pitched yell when kids playing street hockey in North America know their game is about to be interrupted. While ice hockey in Australia is definitely non-traditional, it's been around for a while, and has a profile. Ice hockey has a surprising 120-year history in Australia. Organized hockey games featuring more North American rules started when ice rinks opened up a few years later in 1906 in Melbourne and Sydney. The first Australian-born NHL player — Jordan Spence — made his NHL debut during the 2021-22 season with the Kings.

Persons: —, Mark Black, it's, Black, ”, women's Hockeyroos, It's, — Jordan Spence —, Prince Edward Island, Spence, Louis, Nathan Walker, Walker, Melbourne's Rod Laver, ” Black Organizations: National Hockey League, American, NHL, Southern, Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes, NHL Street Hockey, Associated Press, Ice Hockey League, Kings, Arizona . Ice Hockey Australia, Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, Capitals, Blues, Ice Hockey Australia, International Ice Hockey Federation, Melbourne's, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena Locations: BRISBANE, Australia, North America, Southern Hemisphere, Melbourne, Las Vegas, Nashville, Tampa , Florida, Victoria, Adelaide, South Australia, Sydney, Australian, beachside Sydney, Manly, Osaka, Japan, Prince, Canada, Cardiff , Wales, Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia, United States

☆ In every reported case where police mistakenly arrested someone using facial recognition, that person has been Black
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

All six known reports of false arrests due to facial recognition technology were made by Black people. As activists have warned for several years, facial recognition technology and AI can exacerbate racial inequity in policing. Several police departments across the country use facial recognition technology to identify suspects in certain investigations. Wired reported that Deborah Levi, a Maryland public defender, said the Baltimore Police Department ran nearly 800 facial recognition searches in 2022. In 2020, Detroit's police chief said their facial recognition technology, when used alone, fails 96% of the time, Insider previously reported.

Persons: Porcha Woodruff —, Detroit , Michigan —, Thaddeus L, Johnson, Deborah Levi, Phil Mayor, Robert Williams Organizations: Baltimore, Morning, New York Times, Times, Detroit Police Department, Wired, Baltimore Police Department, The Detroit Police Department, The Baltimore Police Department, American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan Locations: Detroit , Michigan, Maryland, Detroit

☆ Elizabeth Holmes has given a series of bizarre interviews to the NYT as she delays starting her 11-year prison sentence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes has given a series of pre-prison interviews to the New York Times. Disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has given an extensive series of interviews to the New York Times, published days after she managed to delay the start of her 11-year prison sentence. Holmes was convicted of four counts of fraud and conspiracy in January 2022 and was handed an 11-year prison sentence. Holmes didn't press charges. Representatives for Holmes didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

☆ This Isn't What Millennial Middle Age Was Supposed to Look Like - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Jessica Grose | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +25 min

Things have been difficult for her family, she says, but one thing she isn’t worried about: a midlife crisis, looming just over the horizon. One of our questions was about whether they had experienced a midlife crisis and how they would define the term. Many people said they felt they couldn’t be having a midlife crisis, because there was no bourgeois numbness to rebel against. “Who has midlife crisis money?”The traditional midlife crisis, as presented in popular culture, at least, unfolds amid suburban ennui. We just increase our Lexapro.”Was the midlife crisis ever even real?

☆ 'Day of pain': Wirecard boss denies charges in massive fraud trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Jörn Poltz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUNICH, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The former boss of Wirecard on Monday expressed his "deepest regret" over the collapse of the defunct payments company but denied all allegations as he took to the stand in Germany's biggest post-war fraud trial. Austrian-born Braun, 53, and two other ex-Wirecard managers Oliver Bellenhaus and Stephan von Erffa are on trial on charges including market manipulation and fraud and face up to 15 years each in prison if convicted. "There was in reality no life outside the company," he said, speaking throughout in a calm and concentrated voice. Braun's lawyers have alleged that Bellenhaus was the main perpetrator of the fraud at Wirecard, which began processing payments for pornography and online gambling and rose to be a blue chip DAX company worth $28 billion. Reporting by Jörn Poltz and Alexander Hübner Writing by Matthias Williams Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italian photo master Barbieri's fashion works on exhibit in Milan
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Federico Maccioni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/11] A photo that portrays Czech-Italian model Eva Herzigova is seen at the exhibition "Unconventional”, a selection of unseen colour photographs by Italian fashion photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri, is seen in Milan, Italy, November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Flavio Lo ScalzoMILAN, Nov 28 (Reuters) - From exotic and colourful settings for Vogue Italia to model Eva Herzigova eating spaghetti, a new Milan exhibition looks at the previously undisplayed work of acclaimed Italian fashion photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri. Previously unseen works are also on display. Barbieri came to the fore of international fashion photography in the 1960s. "(Today) we see Gian Paolo in colours" and "it is beautiful to have such an artist still expressing his point of view today in Italy," added Italian Fashion Chamber President Carlo Capasa.

☆ Russia rejects G20 focus on security
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 13 (Reuters) - Russia on Sunday called for the G20 to stop talking about security and focus on the world's most pressing socio-economic problems, ahead of a summit set to be dominated by Western criticism of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a statement issued ahead of the summit, Russia's foreign ministry said it was "fundamentally important that the G20 concentrate its efforts on real, rather than imaginary, threats." It added: "We are convinced that the G20 is called upon to deal with socio-economic problems. Expanding its agenda into areas of peace and security, which many countries are talking about, is not viable. This would be a direct incursion on the mandate of the United Nations Security Council and will undermine the atmosphere of trust and cooperation in the G20."

☆ Russian rouble stable after Moscow ditches Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 31 (Reuters) - The Russian rouble pared early losses to gain ground on Monday in the first session since Moscow said it would suspend its role in the landmark Black Sea grain deal over the weekend. Global food prices climbed on Monday after Russia said it was suspending participation in the U.N.-brokered grain accord for an "indefinite term" after what it said was a major Ukrainian drone attack on its Black Sea fleet in Crimea. The July grain corridor deal, which helped to unlock Ukrainian exports from its southern Black Sea ports, was the most significant diplomatic breakthrough so far in the eight-month-old conflict in Ukraine. Monday represented the final day of a domestic month-end tax period, which usually provides some support to the rouble. For Russian equities guide seeFor Russian treasury bonds seeReporting by Jake Cordell Editing by David Goodman and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia says grain deal extension 'directly depends' on easing restrictions on its exports
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 17 (Reuters) - Russia on Monday told a top United Nations representative that the extension of a landmark Black Sea grain deal was dependent on the West easing Russia's own agricultural and fertiliser exports, the defence ministry said in a statement. In a meeting in Moscow, Russia's deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin told U.N. Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths that extending the deal, which unlocked Ukrainian agricultural exports from its southern ports, "directly depends on ensuring full implementation of all previously reached agreements." Russia says the impact of Western sanctions on logistics, payments, shipping and insurance prevents it from exporting fertilisers and chemicals like ammonia and that easing those restrictions was a key part of the deal, brokered in July by Turkey and the United Nations. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by ReutersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "Mark Black"

11 mentions found