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☆ Gold nudges up, heading for best week since March
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold firmed on Friday and was heading for its best week in seven months, amid tensions in the Middle East, and supported by expectations that U.S. interest rates may have peaked as markets assess latest inflation figures. U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar reversed course in Asia hours on Friday, having strengthened in the last session and weighed on gold after data showed U.S. consumer prices increased in September. Before the inflation data, gold had climbed to its highest in two weeks on Thursday, boosted by dovish policy stance by top policymakers who noted that the recent rise in U.S. Treasury yields might make further rate hikes less necessary. Investors also assessed the latest inflation data out of China, the biggest gold consumer, which showed consumer prices faltered and factory-gate prices shrank slightly faster than expected in September, with both indicators showing persistent deflationary pressures. Platinum was down 0.3% to $865.99 and palladium fell 0.3% to $1,140.83, both on path for weekly declines.

Persons: Ilya Spivak Organizations: Novosibirsk Refining Plant, Treasury, Hamas, Investors Locations: Novosibirsk, Russia, U.S, Asia, Israel, Palestinian, China

☆ Leafs claw back from two goals twice, beat Habs in shootout
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Field Level Media | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/44] Oct 11, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield (22) skates during the warm up before game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Noah Gregor and William Nylander also scored for the Maple Leafs. Alex Newhook scored twice for Montreal. The Canadiens took advantage of an odd-man break from their own end to take a 2-0 lead at 1:10 of the second period. Samsonov saved Montreal's last penalty-shot attempt by Dach to cement the win for the Maple Leafs.

Persons: Cole Caufield, Nick Turchiaro, Mitchell Marner, Auston Matthews, Noah Gregor, William Nylander, John Tavares, John Klingberg, Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, Jesse Ylonen, Kirby Dach, Ilya Samsonov, Jake Allen, Evans, TJ Brodie, Evans pounced, Juraj Slafkovsky, Gregor, Matthews, Newhook, Caufield's, Tyler Bertuzzi, Arber, Ylonen, Samsonov, Montreal's Organizations: CAN, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Maple Leafs, Montreal, Canadiens, Leafs, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Montreal, Toronto

☆ Gold pauses declines as investors hold breath for U.S. payrolls report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

One kilo gold bars are pictured at the plant of gold and silver refiner and bar manufacturer Argor-Heraeus in Mendrisio, Switzerland, July 13, 2022. Spot gold rose 0.2% to $1,823.59 per ounce by 0335 GMT, but was on track to extend losses to a second consecutive week, shedding 1.3% so far. Markets await the release of U.S. non-farm payrolls data at 1230 GMT, following a string of jobs indicators released this week. SPDR Gold Trust , the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings hit the lowest levels since August 2019 on Thursday. Prices for platinum-group metals could remain depressed, CEO of the world's biggest platinum miner by value, Anglo American Platinum, told Reuters.

Persons: Ilya Spivak, Spivak Organizations: U.S ., Benchmark, Federal, Treasury, Trust, Reuters Locations: Mendrisio, Switzerland, U.S, American

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans view college campuses as far friendlier to liberals than to conservatives when it comes to free speech, with adults across the political spectrum seeing less tolerance for those on the right, according to a new poll. More recently, a conservative Princeton University professor was drowned out while discussing free speech at Washington College, a small school in Maryland. Overall, Republicans see a clear double standard on college campuses. “The reality is that there’s free speech for everyone on college campuses,” said Fleisher, a linguistics professor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. But as the nation has become more politically divided, so have college campuses, said Kristen Shahverdian, senior manager for education at PEN.

Persons: you’re, ”, Rhonda Baker, Donald Trump, ’, Chris Gauvin, “, Gauvin, Nicholas Fleisher, Fleisher, Kristen Shahverdian, Morgan Ashford, Linda Woodward, Mike Darlington, Ilya Shapiro, Shapiro, Gene VanZandt, ___, ___ Gecker Organizations: WASHINGTON, University of Chicago, The Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Republicans, Republican, Stanford University, Princeton University, Washington College, Overall, Yale University, Congress, GOP, American Association of University, University of Wisconsin, PEN America, PEN, Democrat, Troy University, Stanford, Foundation, Rights, University of, Manhattan Institute, Darlington, Associated Press, Carnegie Corporation of New, AP Locations: Goldsboro , North Carolina, Maryland, Manchester, Conn, Milwaukee, Alabama, Ashford, “, Hot Springs, , Arkansas, Darlington, Chesterfield County , Virginia, Hampton , Virginia, San Francisco, Carnegie Corporation of New York

Oct 2 (Reuters) - Russian technology company Astra on Monday said it was planning to list its shares on Moscow Exchange this month in an initial public offering (IPO), potentially breathing some life into Russia's moribund equity capital markets. Electric scooter firm Whoosh (WUSH.MM) was the only Russian firm to hold an IPO last year, but its debut raised less than half its initial target and relied heavily on Russian retail investors for capital. Astra dominates Russia's operating system (OS) market with its Astra Linux software. Alfa Bank analysts valued Astra, which more than doubled its core earnings year on year to 5.4 billion roubles in 2022, at around 70 billion-90 billion roubles ($707 million-$909 million) in a report published on Monday. Also on Monday, spirits producer Kristall said it was hoping to raise 1.5 billion roubles in a fourth quarter IPO on Moscow Exchange, something it said would significantly accelerate growth.

Persons: pipemaker, Ilya Sivtsev, Sivtsev, Kristall, Alexander Marrow, Louise Heavens, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Astra, Moscow, Astra Linux, Reuters, Alfa Bank, Moscow Exchange, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine

[1/3] Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev arrives for a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Moscow, Russia May 25, 2023. "The stars aligned for certain reasons and President Aliyev saw the alignment," said Suleymanov, who previously worked in Aliyev's office. "President Aliyev is completing something that his father could not do because he ran out of time," said one of the sources, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to give comments to the media. Aliyev's father, then President Heydar Aliyev, was forced to agree to a ceasefire that cemented Armenia's victory. "President Aliyev has delivered the testament of his father," said Suleymanov, the ambassador to Britain.

Persons: Ilham Aliyev, Ilya Pitalev, Aliyev, Elin Suleymanov, Suleymanov, Hikmet Hajiyev, Hajiyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Aliyev's, Heydar Aliyev, Ilham, Heydar, Vladimir Putin, Putin, David Babayan, Babayan, Andrew Osborn, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Economic Council, Sputnik, REUTERS, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, Kremlin, Russia, Karabakh, Baku, Armenian, European Commission, Armenia, West, Moscow, Karabakh Armenian, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Azerbaijan, Karabakh, Armenia, West, Britain, Baku, Caucasus, Iran, Turkey, Ukraine, Russian, Washington, Soviet, Stepanakert

☆ Gold defies strength in dollar, yields as global rates peak
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Gold firmed on Friday despite pressure from a stronger U.S. dollar and bond yields, as investors assessed major central banks' decisions to stand pat on interest rates as a signal of imminent global economic pain. Spot gold was up 0.3% to $1,924.45 per ounce by 0551 GMT, having logged its biggest daily drop since Sept. 5 on Thursday. "The markets looked at central banks and said you're not stopping hikes because inflation is beaten, you're stopping because you're worried that global growth is about to stop," said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive. The dollar stood near a six-month peak on the prospects of higher-for-longer U.S. rates, while benchmark 10-year Treasury yields climbed a 16-year high and global equities eyed their worst week in a month. Investors traditionally buy gold as a hedge against economic uncertainty, but higher rates tend to weigh on non-interest-paying bullion.

Persons: Ilya Spivak, Silver Organizations: Investors, U.S . Federal Reserve, of Locations: U.S

☆ The most powerful countries in the world in 2023, ranked
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russia's military has been grinding and has experienced some embarrassing setbacks, with the country also increasingly isolated. US News said that some of Russia's power comes from its huge size, which is "difficult to imagine," with Russia being the largest country in the world by landmass. Its standing is also boosted as it shares borders with so many countries, as well as sea borders with Japan and the US. US News pointed to Russia's big industries like oil and natural gas production, agriculture, fishing, and manufacturing, as well as the country's history as a major weapons exporter. It also pointed to Russia's contributions to culture with its many celebrated authors, and to science with its history of space exploration.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, ILYA PITALEV Organizations: Russia, SPUTNIK, Getty Images Russia, US, News, World Trade Organization, United Nations Security Council Locations: Russia Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Japan

☆ Elon Musk poached a Google scientist and justified it by telling Larry Page he shouldn't have been 'so cavalier about AI safety'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A newly released biography on Musk details how he justified poaching a Google scientist to then-CEO Larry Page. "And I was like, 'Larry, if you just hadn't been so cavalier about AI safety then it wouldn't really be necessary to have some countervailing force," Musk said. Sutskever joined Google's AI unit, Google Brain, in 2013 along with Geoffrey Hinton — also known as the "godfather of AI." "And I was like, 'Larry, if you just hadn't been so cavalier about AI safety then it wouldn't really be necessary to have some countervailing force," Musk added. When Musk started his own AI startup — xAI — in July, he again poached AI experts from Google and OpenAI.

Persons: Larry Page, Larry, Musk, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Walter Isaacson's, Altman, Ilya Sutskever, Sutskever, Geoffrey Hinton —, Ilya, Isaacson, — Organizations: Service, Google Locations: Wall, Silicon

Aziz Umerov looks at a portrait of his sister Leniye Umerova, a Ukrainian from Russian-annexed Crimea arrested in Russia, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine August 11, 2023. A Reuters review of Rudenko's social media account on Telegram didn't find any messages critical of the war. Russia's top investigative body, the Investigative Committee, the Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor General's Office didn't respond to requests for comment on the phenomenon of carousel arrests or individual cases. A Reuters review of Russian court records identified seven cases of carousel arrests this year, with the suspects involved arrested and jailed between two and five times in succession. Not all "carousel" arrests lead to more serious criminal charges, and for some detainees, time spent behind bars is frightening enough.

Persons: Aziz Umerov, Leniye Umerova, Gleb Garanich, Rudenko's, Yulia Kiselyova, he'd, Kiselyova, Ivan Vtorushin, Valeriya, Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Alexei Navalny, Lauren McCarthy, McCarthy, Gevorg, Dmitry Golovlyov, Aleksanyan, Rudenko, Mike Collett, White Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Russian, Investigative, Interior Ministry, First Department, PUTIN, WHO, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Federal Security Service, of Russia Legion, Russia Legion, Thomson Locations: Russian, Crimea, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, Bucha, Rudenko, Crimean Tatars, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine reports frontline success, Russian minister decries Kyiv's failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu chairs a meeting with the leadership of the Armed Forces in Moscow, Russia, in this picture released September 5, 2023. He was referring to a village located on heights south of Bakhmut, seen as critical to recapturing the city. Russian forces had been dealt "a good kick" near the village of Novoyehorivka which halted their advance, he said. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu dismissed the offensive as a failure, while admitting that things were far from easy in parts of southeastern Zaporizhzhia region that Moscow controls. "Ukraine's armed forces have not achieved their goals on any front," the defence ministry quoted Shoigu as saying.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Kyiv's, Ilya Yevlash, Yevlash, Ukraine's, Shoigu, Serhiy Zgurets, Natalia Humeniuk, Nick Starkov, Ron Popeski, Andrew Osborn, Lincoln Organizations: Russian Defence, Armed Forces, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Russian, Espreso, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Azov, Bakhmut, Lyman, Novoyehorivka, Melitopol, Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Western

☆ Russian Putin critics like Prigozhin who met an early death
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

No evidence has been presented that points to the involvement of the Kremlin or Russian security services in the crash. Nemtsov’s death came two days before he was set to lead an opposition rally in the Russian capital. Alexander PerepilichnyyOver the years, suggestions have emerged of the possible use of a rare plant poison in the death of Russian financier Alexander Perepilichnyy. ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/AFP/Getty ImagesRussian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died in a Russian prison in 2009. The most prominent voice of dissent in Putin’s Russia, the lawyer, politician and corruption activist for years orchestrated massive street protests.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Wagner, –, Bill Browder, “ Putin, Boris Nemtsov, Boris Yeltsin, Ilya Yashin, Nemtsov, Vladimir Putin, ”, Nemtsov’s, Boris Berezovsky Boris Berezovsky, Warrick Page, Boris Berezovsky, Putin, Berezovsky, Alexander Perepilichnyy, Perepilichnyy, Sergei Magnitsky, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Magnitsky, Browder, Alexander Litvinenko Alexander Litvinenko, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko –, Robert Owen, Putin “, Litvinenko, Marina Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, JENS SCHLUETER, Lom, Ali Gaitukayev, Politkovskaya, Chechen Republic …, ” Drownings, Prigozhin, Gennady Lopyrev –, “, Lopyrev, Pyotr Kucherenko, Pavel Antov, Vladimir Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Buzakov, Anatoly Gerashchenko, Ravil Maganov, Lukoil, Maganov “, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Sergei Skripal, Skripal, Yulia Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Getty, Republican Party of Russia, Party, Newsweek, of Justice, Royal Botanic, AFP, Getty Images, Hermitage Capital, KGB, Authorities, The, Protect Journalists, RIA Novosti, Russia’s, Science, Higher Education, Gazprom, Lukoil, Reuters, Moscow Aviation Institute, TASS, Putin’s United, “ Locations: Russia, Boris Nemtsov Russian, AFP, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, London's, Europe, England, Soviet Union, Britain, Surrey, London, Kew, American, Chechnya, Leipzig, Germany, The New York, Chechen Republic, Washington, Gelendzhik, ”, Cuba, India, Putin’s Russia, Putin’s United Russia, United States

☆ Robust equities erode gold's safe-haven allure as ETF holdings fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Deep Kaushik Vakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) -Receding fears of a U.S. slowdown, surging bond yields and the robust performance of equities have gradually eroded the appeal of exchange-traded funds (ETF) backed by traditional safe-haven gold this year, despite sticky inflation. The biggest ETF, SPDR Gold Trust, saw holdings dwindle to pre-pandemic levels. [GOL/ETF]Investors typically buy gold during times of financial and economic uncertainty and rising inflation. [GOL/]“Gold has fallen into disfavour as a hedge against economic uncertainty for many institutional investors,” said Ross Norman, chief executive of Metals Daily. Equities have outperformed gold despite higher interest rates, while rival safe-haven Treasury bonds have attracted investors away from gold, which doesn’t earn any interest or dividends.

Persons: Ilya Naymushin, ”, Ross Norman, Carsten Menke, Julius Baer, Gold, Philip Newman, Newman, hasn’t Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, World Gold Council, Investors, U.S, Metals Daily, U.S . Federal, Treasury, Metals Locations: U.S, Siberian, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, disfavour, “

☆ A sushi crunch is capturing Russia's worsening economic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's currency and inflation woes are well captured by something economists don't usually focus on: sushi. Local prices of the Japanese delicacy are surging due to the ruble's plunge and Russia's rift with the West, a report said. The Russian currency hit a 16-month low last week, as the country's current account reels from the impact of Western sanctions. Russia's exchange-rate turmoil and spiraling inflation are now being captured in something that rarely crosses economists' radar: the price of sushi. Restaurateurs in the Eurasian nation are already grappling with surging prices of sushi ingredients, according to the report.

Persons: Steve Hanke, Maxim Tagin, Ilya Zakharov, cy, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: West, Service, Russia, Metro, Financial Times Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Restaurateurs, Odintsovo, Sochi, Russian, Russia

LME three-month zinc hit a near three-year low of $2,215 per metric ton in May. LME zinc price stocks and spreadsSQUEEZE DRAWS OUT HIDDEN METALThe trigger for the current spate of arrivals in the LME warehouse system appears to have been a sharp contraction in short-dated time-spreads earlier this month. If so, the game is on in Singapore, which has accounted for all the recent arrivals bar 1,000 metric tons at Malaysia's Port Klang. A total 31,500 metric tons of zinc were warranted in the city in July along with 5,125 metric tons of lead and 625 metric tons of tin. In the interim, there is plenty of potential for more metal to head towards LME storage sheds.

Persons: Ilya Naymushin, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, London Metal Exchange, Citibank, Low, Study, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Angara, Novoangars, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia's Port Klang ., East Asia, China, Europe, Ireland

☆ 'Pick up a fresh, whole Branzino': A comedian on his TaskRabbit side hustle story that went viral on Reddit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In October 2022, stand-up comedian Casey James Salengo was balancing nightly comedy gigs with daytime hustles in his hometown of New York. That same month, a man reached out about a delivery job that ended up going viral on Reddit. 'Pick up a birthday card,' get the weirdest one"Hi Casey!" These were its stipulations: "You will need a pen""Pick up a birthday card (get the weirdest one you can find)""Write the following in the card: 'Happy birthday, Bread! The fish Salengo bought Brad.

Persons: Casey James Salengo, Salengo, Casey, Brad, Jess, Ilya Locations: New York

☆ Exclusive: Russia doubles 2023 defence spending plan as war costs soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

They show that in the first half of 2023 alone, Russia spent 12%, or 600 billion roubles, more on defence than the 4.98 trillion roubles ($54 billion) it had originally targeted for 2023. Defence spending in the first six months of 2023 amounted to 5.59 trillion roubles, 37.3% of a total 14.97 trillion roubles spent in the period, the document showed. Between 2011 and 2022, Russia spent a minimum of 13.9% and a maximum 23% of its budget on defence. Russia has already spent 57.4% of its new annual defence budget, the document showed. Funding for schools, hospitals and roads was already being squeezed this year in favour of defence and security, but as the share of defence spending grows, other areas could face cuts.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Ilya Pitalyov, Denis Manturov, Dmitry Polevoy, Yevgeny Suvorov, Suvorov, Mike Collett, White, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Sputnik, Reuters, Defence, MMI Telegram, Bank of Russia, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Russian, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Locko

☆ US man pleads guilty to laundering crypto stolen from Bitfinex hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | 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: +1 min

Photo illustration of Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange website taken September 27, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationWASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - A New York technology entrepreneur pleaded guilty on Thursday to laundering funds stolen from Bitfinex, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, with his wife, an online rapper, expected to follow. His wife Heather Morgan, who used the hip-hop alias "Razzklekhan" to promote her music, is expected to enter her own plea later on Thursday. Lichtenstein and Morgan had been arrested in February 2022 on charges of laundering more than 100,000 bitcoin that was stolen after a hacker attacked Bitfinex in 2016. A docket entry in late July shows that Lichtenstein and Morgan reached their plea deal with the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington.

Persons: Bitfinex, Dado Ruvic, Ilya Lichtenstein, Colleen Kollar, Heather Morgan, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Lisa Monaco, Luc Cohen, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S, U.S . Department of Justice, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: York, Washington, United States, U.S

A New York man on Thursday admitted being the original hacker of bitcoin in the 2016 hack on Bitfinex he pleaded guilty in federal court to a conspiracy to launder the stolen cryptocurrency, which ended up being worth $4.5 billion. Until Thursday's admission in court by Lichtenstein, it was not publicly known who had hacked the bitcoin from the cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex. Morgan, an aspiring rapper known as "Razzlekahn" and "The Crocodile of Wall Street," was in court for her husband's plea hearing. Lichtenstein and Morgan were charged in the case with attempting to launder more than 119,000 bitcoin stolen in the 2016 hack of the cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex. "In actuality, Lichtenstein and Morgan used the account to launder proceeds of thehack of" Bitfinex, the filing charges.

Persons: Ilya, Dutch, Lichtenstein, Heather Rhiannon Morgan, Morgan, Donald Trump, launder Organizations: Washington , D.C, Department of Justice, DOJ, U.S, Attorney's, District of Columbia, Prosecutors, Netflix Locations: York, Washington ,, Russian

☆ ‘Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde’ plead guilty to money laundering
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A husband and wife, whose eccentricities and alleged crimes earned them the nickname “Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde,” pleaded guilty to orchestrating a $4.5 billion money-laundering scheme linked to the 2016 hack of crypto exchange Bitfinex. Until Thursday’s hearing in Washington, DC, federal court, neither Morgan nor Lichtenstein had been directly implicated in the hacking of Hong Kong-based crypto exchange Bitfinex. “Lichtenstein then took steps to cover his tracks” and enlisted his wife’s help in laundering the funds, prosecutors said. Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to a press release from the Justice Department. Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Persons: Bonnie, ”, Ilya Lichtenstein, Heather Morgan, “ Razzlekhan, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Colleen Kollar, Kotelly, Lichtenstein “, “ Lichtenstein, Clarissa, ” Lichtenstein Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, New Locations: Clyde, Russian, Washington , DC, Hong Kong, New York, Manhattan, Russia, United States

☆ 'Crypto couple' reach plea deal in $4.5 billion crypto heist
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'Crypto couple' reach plea deal in $4.5 billion crypto heistA New York man admitted being the original hacker of bitcoin in the 2016 hack on Bitfinex he pleaded guilty in federal court to a conspiracy to launder the stolen cryptocurrency, which ended up being worth $4.5 billion. The guilty plea by Ilya "Dutch" Lichtenstein in Washington, D.C., came before his wife, Heather Rhiannon Morgan, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the United States government. Until the admission in court by Lichtenstein, it was not publicly known who had hacked the bitcoin from the cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex.

Persons: Ilya, Dutch, Lichtenstein, Heather Rhiannon Morgan Organizations: Washington , D.C, United Locations: York, Washington ,, United States

☆ 'Crypto couple' husband confesses to being the original Bitfinex hacker during plea hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Michelle Mark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The "crypto couple" pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracies in federal court on Thursday. The couple was accused of conspiring to launder 119,764 stolen bitcoin worth $4.5 billion. Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, and Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of money-laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Prosecutors said Lichtenstein and Morgan conspired to launder 119,764 bitcoin stolen from Bitfinex, though the couple were not initially accused of carrying out the hack itself. The stolen bitcoin was worth $71 million at the time before skyrocketing in value in the subsequent years.

Persons: Ilya Lichtenstein, Heather Morgan, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Both Lichtenstein, Prosecutors Organizations: Morning, CNBC, Department of Justice, Authorities, Prosecutors Locations: Russian, American, United States, Manhattan, Russia

For two decades, Ilya Solkan served as the parish priest in a tiny Ukrainian village outside the capital, Kyiv. He baptized babies, blessed marriages and conducted funerals. The Orthodox church stood at the heart of the village and Mr. Solkan was central to its life. The removal of Mr. Solkan, a priest with no public profile beyond his home village, reflects the gradual rejection by much of Ukrainian society of a church that answers to Moscow — a process that has been accelerated by the war. Specifically, it speaks to the division between the two branches of Orthodox Christianity, the most predominant religion in Ukraine.

Persons: Ilya Solkan, Solkan, ” Organizations: ” Locations: Kyiv, Blystavytsya, Moscow, Christianity, Ukraine

☆ Judge resets cypto couple plea hearings ahead of Trump appearance in D.C. court
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Trump was charged Tuesday on four felony counts related to his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election to President Joe Biden. The former president was summoned to appear in U.S. District Court in Washington at 4 p.m. The bitcoin couple, Ilya "Dutch" Lichtenstein and Heather "Razzlekahn" Rhiannon Morgan, were already due to appear in the same court on the same day for separate plea hearings at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. respectively. Court filings last month suggested that they will plead guilty at those hearings. But on Wednesday, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly moved Lichtenstein's hearing to 9:30 a.m. and his wife Morgan's hearing to 11 a.m. Thursday.

Persons: Thursday's, Donald Trump, Barrett Prettyman, Trump, Joe Biden, Judge Moxila Upadhyaya, Ilya, Dutch, Lichtenstein, Heather, Razzlekahn, Rhiannon Morgan, Colleen Kollar, Kotelly Organizations: Washington , D.C, Justice Locations: Washington ,, U.S, Washington

☆ The 'crypto couple' is pleading guilty in their alleged $4.5 billion bitcoin heist. Here's how the saga unfolded.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Michelle Mark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The "crypto couple" Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan are due for a plea hearing on August 3. The couple is expected to plead guilty to orchestrating a $4.5 billion bitcoin-laundering scheme. An attorney for both Lichtenstein and Morgan did not respond to Insider's request for comment ahead of Thursday's plea hearing. Prosecutors also alleged that Lichtenstein and Morgan had been planning to flee to Russia under new identities. Lichtenstein, whom prosecutors have described as a flight risk due to his Russian citizenship, has remained incarcerated.

Persons: Ilya Lichtenstein, Heather Morgan, ensnared, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Olivier Douliery Organizations: Service, Department of Justice, IRS, Prosecutors Locations: Wall, Silicon, Manhattan, United States, Lichtenstein, Russia

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