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Danao City ‘gun maker’ nabbed in raid
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A 39-year-old man, who was accused of the illegal manufacture of guns, was arrested in a raid in his residence in Sitio Sapangdako, Barangay Matija, Danao City in northern Cebu, Tuesday dawn, March 26. In a report, the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) said that the raid was based on a.....»»
Philippines accuses Chinese coastguard of firing water cannons at supply boats
Manila [Philippines], March 23 (ANI): The Philippines has accused China's coastguard of firing water cannons at one of its supply boats in South China Sea, Al Jazeera reported. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said that BRP Cabra managed to manoeuvre and reach Unaizah May 4 to provide assistance to the Philippine supply boat, which had sustained "significant damage."According to the Philippine military, the confrontati.....»»
Philippines accuses Chinese coastguard of firing water cannons at supply boats
Manila [Philippines], March 23 (ANI): The Philippines has accused China's coastguard of firing water cannons at one of its supply boats in South China Sea, Al Jazeera reported. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said that BRP Cabra managed to manoeuvre and reach Unaizah May 4 to provide assistance to the Philippine supply boat, which had sustained "significant damage."According to the Philippine military, the confrontati.....»»
Bankman-Fried to testify at his US crypto trial
Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, plans to make another high-stakes gamble and testify in his defense on Thursday at his criminal fraud trial. Bankman-Fried's decision to take the stand comes after three weeks of devastating testimony for the 31-year-old known as SBF, who has been accused of stealing billions of dollars from clients. His lawyer, Mark Cohen, told Judge Lewis Kaplan he expected Bankman-Fried's testimony to last for four or five hours. He is expected to begin around 2:00 p.m. (1800 GMT). Prosecutors were wrapping up their case on Thursday and handing it over to the defense, which said it plans to call four witnesses, including Bankman-Fried. Bankman-Fried, once one of the most respected figures in crypto, has been charged with seven counts of fraud, embezzlement, and criminal conspiracy. If convicted, he could face a de facto life sentence of more than 100 years in prison. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate had, in just a few years, turned his FTX platform into the world's second-biggest crypto exchange -- making him a tech-world billionaire wunderkind. But his empire began to crumble last November when a news report pointed to unhealthy ties between FTX and Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried's personally owned trading company. Amid growing revelations, major investors pulled their money out of FTX, sinking it swiftly into bankruptcy. Some $8.7 billion was still unaccounted for after the dust settled, according to the receiver appointed to manage the liquidation. Bankman-Fried has denied taking other people's money, blaming former colleagues for the situation. But key witnesses in recent weeks, all former FTX or Alameda employees, refuted his account. Supported by internal documents compiled by the prosecution, they said he was behind the breaches and did not lose sight of the financial situation of FTX and Alameda. Ex-girlfriend offers evidence Among those taking the stand was Caroline Ellison, Bankman-Fried's former business partner and girlfriend. She offered conclusive evidence against him and delivered details on his management, saying he was involved in all major decisions. Ellison, a Stanford University mathematics graduate, was appointed by Bankman-Fried in 2021 to head Alameda, whose activities were largely financed by money from customers of FTX without their knowledge. She has pleaded guilty to fraud charges and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution, as have two other close associates of Bankman-Fried. Bankman-Fried's decision to testify in his defense is unusual in a country where criminal defendants generally decline to do so because they have to face cross-examination and run the risk of incriminating themselves. Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, comedian Bill Cosby, singer R. Kelly, and drug trafficker Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman were among high-profile defendants who declined to testify at their recent trials. A Cornell University study of hundreds of trials published in 2009 found that 77 percent of defendants who chose to testify were convicted while 72 percent of those who declined to take the stand were found guilty. The post Bankman-Fried to testify at his US crypto trial appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
2 Koreans wanted for telecom, wire fraud arrested
Two fugitives were captured by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) after being sought by South Korea and the US for their involvement in fraud-related operations. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco confirmed the arrests of the two South Korean fugitives, who were identified as Kwon Junyoung, 38, and Seok Jongmin, 48. The two were arrested last Saturday in Brgy. Cuayan, Angeles City, Pampanga, by the BI Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) operatives. Tansingco said that the operation was conducted in collaboration with the South Korean authorities, government intelligence groups, and the Angeles City Police Station. According to the South Korean authorities, Kwon is wanted for telecommunications fraud in South Korea, while Seok is wanted in Texas for engaging in wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft. The BI chief said that as the BI board of commissioners has already issued summary deportation orders against them, soon they will be deported to face the crime they committed. Tansingco added that their names were also placed on the bureau’s blacklist of undesirable aliens, so they are now banned from re-entering the Philippines, the BI chief added. According to information obtained from Interpol's National Central Bureau (NCB) in Manila, the Suwon District Court in Korea issued an arrest order for Kwon on 12 December 2019. Authorities claimed that Kwon was part of a telecom fraud syndicate operating in Dalian, China, that used voice phishing to call random victims. Based on reports, the callers impersonated investigators from the Seoul Central Prosecutor's Office in order to harass the victims and trick them into transferring money to the syndicate's accounts. In contrast, the NCB revealed that Seok is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the US district court in Western Texas. He is accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiring to commit money laundering, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. Seok is accused of working with other suspects to gain access to the websites of the US Departments of Defence and Veterans Affairs using thousands of US military veterans' stolen personal identification information (PII), depriving the victims of their benefits. The BI-FSU also reported that Seok was arrested after posting bail at the Angeles City regional trial court, where he was charged with robbery and extortion, and will be transferred to the BI’s facility in Bicutan, Taguig. While Kwon will remain in the custody of the Angeles City police due to his ongoing local case, he will continue to be under the BI’s legal custody for deportation proceedings. The post 2 Koreans wanted for telecom, wire fraud arrested appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Neither estafa nor qualified theft (2)
In Balerta v. People, the Court found that juridical possession as an element of the crime of estafa by misappropriation was not present because the accused was a cash custodian with no independent right or title to the funds received: In the case at bench, there is no question that the petitioner was handling the funds lent by Care Philippines to BABMPC. However, she held the funds on behalf of BABMPC. She had mere physical or material possession over the funds but held no independent right or title, which she could set up against BARMPC. The petitioner was nothing more than a mere cash custodian. Hence, the Court finds that juridical possession of the funds as an element of the crime of estafa by misappropriation is absent in the instant case. In Reside v. People, the Court came to a similar conclusion and held that the accused, a school principal tasked to receive tuition fees and forward these to the school, did not have juridical possession over the funds received. In the case at bench, it cannot be gainsaid that the petitioner, in addition to her duties as principal, was authorized to receive or collect matriculation fees from the parents and/or students enrolled in TGWSI. Per a verbal agreement with De Dios, the petitioner shall forward all payments received together with the remittance voucher slips to the school. As it happens, the money merely passes into the petitioner’s hands, and her custody is only until the same is remitted to the school. Consequently, as principal and temporary cash custodian of TGWSI, the petitioner acquires only physical or material possession over the unremitted funds. Thus, being a mere custodian of the unremitted tuition fees and not, in any manner, an agent who could have asserted a right against TGWSI over the same, the petitioner had only acquired material and not juridical possession of such funds and, consequently, cannot be convicted of the crime of estafa as charged. The prosecution alleged that petitioner Medina was responsible for collecting remittances from the Department of Education, accepting premium payments from PPSTA members, and depositing these payments in PPSTA’s bank account, as instructed by the PPSTA Treasurer. The record is bereft of any allegation or proof that petitioner Medina had any independent right or title to these funds that she could set up against PPSTA. Contrary to the findings of the CA, petitioner Medina was not a “trustee” of the PPSTA members’ payments, as she received these sums as an employee of, and on behalf of, her employer. Consequently, petitioner Medina only had material and not juridical possession of these funds, and she cannot be convicted for estafa under Article 315 (b) (l) of the Revised Penal Code or RPC. Second, jurisprudence holds that a conviction for simple or qualified theft (in lieu of estafa) is possible if all the elements of theft are alleged in the information. However, the evidence on record needs to be more sufficient to convict petitioner Medina of theft, whether simple or qualified. Simple theft is committed when the following elements concur: (1) taking of personal property; (2) that the said property belongs to another; (3) that the said taking be done with intent to gain; (4) that it be done without the owner’s consent; (5) that it be accomplished without the use of violence or intimidation against persons, nor of force upon things; and (6) that it be done with grave abuse of confidence. Theft becomes qualified when committed with grave abuse of confidence, among other qualifying circumstances enumerated in Article 310 of RPC. (To be continued) The post Neither estafa nor qualified theft (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Moscow detains another American journalist
A Russian-American journalist working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been detained in Russia and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent, her employer and a journalist watchdog group said Wednesday. Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor with the United States Congress-funded outlet’s Tatar-Bashkir service, “needs to be released so she can return to her family immediately,” RFE/RL acting president Jeffrey Gedmin said in a statement. “Alsu is a highly respected colleague, devoted wife and dedicated mother to two children,” Gedmin said. She is the second US journalist to be held by Russia in recent months. Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, has been detained since March, accused of spying. Kurmasheva was being held at a temporary detention center as of Wednesday evening, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement, citing state media Tatar-Inform. A representative of Russian human-rights news website OVD-Info told CPJ that Kurmasheva would “most likely” be transferred to pre-trial detention shortly. Kurmasheva lives in Prague, Czech Republic, but entered Russia on 20 May for a family emergency, the CPJ said. She was temporarily detained at the Kazan airport on 2 June before her return flight, where both her US and Russian passports were confiscated and she was fined for failing to register her American passport with Russian authorities, according to RFE/RFL. Citing Tatar-Inform, the CPJ said Kurmasheva is accused of having “deliberately conducted a targeted collection of military information about Russian activities via the Internet in order to transmit information to foreign sources” last year, and providing international authorities with “alternative analytical materials” as part of “information campaigns discrediting Russia.” Kurmasheva was awaiting the return of her passports when the new charges were announced Wednesday, the CPJ said, adding that if found guilty she faces up to five years in jail. The post Moscow detains another American journalist appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Woman arrested for disrupting Trump trial
disrupting Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial after she approached the former United States president in the courtroom and saying she wanted to “assist him,” a court spokesperson said. The woman, who was not identified, was “safely escorted” out of the Manhattan courtroom by officers and has been charged with contempt and immediately placed on administration leave pending an investigation, spokesperson Lucian Chalfen said. The woman “disrupted the proceedings,” Chalfen said in a statement. She was “stopped by court officers before she got near Mr. Trump or any of the attorneys or other litigants,” the spokesperson said, adding that “none of the parties were ever in any danger.” Trump did not seem concerned by the incident, and appeared to only learn of it when speaking to reporters later. “Who got arrested? We don’t know anything about it,” he said. “You know who should be arrested?” he asked. “The attorney general should be arrested. For what she’s doing.” New York’s attorney general Letitia James has accused Trump, his sons Eric and Don Jr. and other executives of the Trump Organization of colossally inflating the value of their real estate assets in order to receive more favorable bank loans and insurance terms. The post Woman arrested for disrupting Trump trial appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US expels two Russian embassy officials – State Department
Russia earlier said on September 14 that it was expelling two US diplomats whom it accused of working with a Russian national charged with collaborating with a foreign state.....»»
6 police in Navotas teen slay surrender
The six dismissed police officers implicated in the death of 17-year-old Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar in a case of mistaken identity have voluntarily surrendered to the authorities in Quezon province, Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said yesterday. Caramat said that six dismissed cops namely Executive Master Sgt. Roberto Dioso, Cpl. Edmard Blanco, Pat. Benedict Mangada, and Staff Sgts. Gerry Maliban, Antonio Bugayong, Jr., and Nikko Esquillon, all formerly assigned to the Navotas City police station, voluntarily surrendered around 5 p.m. Wednesday at CIDG Quezon Provincial Field Unit, Camp Guillermo Nakar, Lucena City, Quezon. Caramat said the suspects who voluntarily surrendered themselves in CIDG Quezon PFU are now undergoing the booking process and documentation for proper disposition as all accused are not entitled to bail. The Navotas City Regional Trial Court has ordered the arrest of six dismissed police officers implicated in the death of Baltazar in a case of mistaken identity last August In an order dated 3 October and made public Wednesday, RTC Branch 286 Judge Pedro Dabu Jr. said the court found probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against Executive Master Sgt. Roberto Dioso, Cpl. Edmard Blanco, Pat. Benedict Mangada, and Staff Sgts. Gerry Maliban, Antonio Bugayong Jr. and Nikko Esquillon. “Considering that the accused stand charged with murder, they are not entitled to bail as a matter of course,” the order added. Navotas City prosecutors filed the murder complaint against the suspects on 15 September. The National Capital Region Police Office earlier approved the Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service’s recommendation to dismiss the respondents from the service over the killing of Baltazar. On 2 August, the police officers launched a pursuit operation against a murder suspect when they chanced upon Baltazar, who was then onboard a boat. They then commanded Baltazar and his companion to surrender. However, the victim jumped into the river, prompting law enforcers to fire resulting in his death. The police officers later admitted that Baltazar was not the suspect they were looking for but a certain Reynaldo Bolivar. The post 6 police in Navotas teen slay surrender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
6 cops in teenage slay ordered arrested
The Regional Trial Court of Navotas City has ordered the arrest of six policemen charged with a non-bailable case of murder for the killing of teenager Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar last 2 August. The order was issued last Tuesday, 3 Oct. by Judge Pedro T. Dabu Jr. of RTC Branch 286. Ordered arrested were PSSg. Gerry S. Maliban, PSSg. Antonio B. Bugayong Jr., PEMS. Roberto D. Balais Jr., PSSg. Nikko PInes C. Esquillon, PCpl. Edmar Jade S. Blanco and Pat. Benedict D. Mangada — all members of the Navotas City police station. Judge Dabu in his order said “the Court finds probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against all the above-named accused to place them under the custody of the law in order not to frustrate the ends of justice.” “Considering that the accused stand charged with murder, they are not entitled to bail as a matter of course,” the judge also said. The Department of Justice filed the murder charges before the RTC last Monday, 2 October. Record showed that Baltazar was fishing when he was shot dead last 2 August in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran in Navotas City. In fending off responsibilities, the policemen claimed that they were conducting follow-up operations against robbers when they mistook the victim as one of the suspects. The post 6 cops in teenage slay ordered arrested appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ombudsman fails to pin Napoles for plunder
The Sandiganbayan yesterday convicted Janet Lim Napoles of nine counts of corruption of a public official, but acquitted her of plunder over the so-called “pork barrel fund scandal.” Likewise found guilty of nine counts of direct bribery by the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division was former Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives Partylist Rep. Edgar Valdez. The convictions were in relation to the misuse of lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF. Napoles and Valdez were each sentenced to imprisonment of two years and four months up to six years and one day, and were each meted out a fine of P26,996,700. The cases stemmed from the charges of plunder filed by the National Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Ombudsman, which alleged that five lawmakers, including Valdez, channeled their PDAFs to Napoles’ fake non-government organizations in exchange for kickbacks. According to the information filed by the Ombudsman, Valdez received P56 million in kickbacks from Napoles. The amount was over the P50-million threshold for the crime of plunder. Lacking evidence Former senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada, as well as former representative Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, were among the other lawmakers accused of plunder in connection with the pork barrel scam. Revilla was acquitted in 2018 but the cases against the others are still pending before the Sandiganbayan. Enrile, Estrada and Seachon-Lanete were granted bail. The dispositive portion of the Sandiganbayan’s ruling said the evidence to prove plunder against Napoles and Valdez was lacking. “The Court finds accused Edgar de Leon Valdez and Janet Lim Napoles not guilty of plunder due to insufficient evidence proving that they had, through conspiracy, amassed, accumulated, and or acquired at least 50 million pesos of PDAF funds through kickbacks and/or commissions,” the decision read in part. Valdez was allowed to post bail in 2016 after the Fifth Division said the prosecution was only able to prove that Valdez received P2.6 million, and not P56 million, in kickbacks from a foundation belonging to Napoles, who was dubbed the “pork barrel queen.” The division rejected Napoles’ request for the court to accept her belatedly filed memorandum that cited whistleblower Benhur Luy’s testimony in a different graft case, where he allegedly acknowledged that the funds in this case were not from PDAF. The 108-page Sandiganbayan decision was per curiam, meaning, not one justice from the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division penned the ruling. The per curiam decision was signed by Associate Justice and Division Chairperson Rafael Lagos, and Associate Justices Maria Theresa Mendoza-Arcega and Maryann Corpus-Mañalac. Previous acquittals Napoles attended through videoconference, while Valdez was physically present in court on Monday morning. Napoles is currently serving prior convictions. Last May, the Sandiganbayan First Division acquitted Napoles of graft in 16 PDAF cases. Napoles and Revilla were charged with the crimes in 2014. In 2018, the court ruled in favor of Napoles and against Revilla in the plunder case. In 2021, after filing a demurrer to evidence in both graft instances, Revilla was exonerated. The court ruled that the liability of the accused could no longer be determined because they were included in the plunder case for which they were already prosecuted. The charges of plunder against Revilla, his former political officer Atty. Richard Cambe, and Napoles also constituted graft because they were based on “predicate acts,” the court said. The resolution was written by Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg and adopted by Division chairperson Efren dela Cruz and Associate Justice Arthur Malabaguio. Same proof “This fact became even more apparent after the presentation of the same testimonial and documentary evidence in both cases,” the resolution read. Those acquitted in that case were Gondelina Amata, Ofelia Ordoez, Sofia Cruz, Evelyn Sucgang, Francisco Figura, Ma. Rosalinda Lacsamana, Marivic Jover, Consuelo Lilian Espiritu, Victor Roman Cacal and Maria Ninez Guanizo. Dennis Cunanan, Gregoria Buenaventura, Rhodora Mendoza, Evelyn de Leon, Laarni Uy and Jocelyn Piorato were found guilty and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 6 to 8 years, and were permanently barred from holding public office. Cambe, Eulogio Rodriguez and Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal had their cases dropped after they passed away. Still another case Napoles was found guilty of two charges of graft and two counts of malversation in another batch of PDAF proceedings involving the late Davao del Sur representative Douglas Cagas. The Sandiganbayan 2nd Division observed in a ruling released on 19 May 2023, that the Anti-Money Laundering Council report corroborated the evidence of whistleblower Luy, who claimed that Napoles owned and controlled the NGOs implicated in the PDAF scam. The post Ombudsman fails to pin Napoles for plunder appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
French rapper MHD faces verdict over youth’s murder
Acclaimed French rapper MHD was on Saturday awaiting with eight co-accused a verdict in the trial over the murder of a young man in Paris in 2018. MHD, whose real name is Mohamed Sylla, once again insisted on his innocence as he made his final statements before the court retired to render the verdict after three weeks of proceedings. "From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence in this case and I will continue to maintain my innocence," he told the packed court. The prosecutor has asked for an 18-year prison sentence for the rapper, acquittals for two of the accused, and jail sentences of 13-20 years for the others. The verdict is due to be delivered later in the day. His seven co-accused present in court -- an eighth is being tried in absentia -- have also insisted they were not involved in the violent attack on Loic K. in July 2018 that resulted in his death. The death of the 23-year-old man has been portrayed by investigators as a settling of scores between rival gangs. MHD, who rose to fame with a distinctive blend of West African sounds with US-style hip-hop, was charged with homicide in January 2019 and imprisoned. He has denied taking part in the assault, which saw the victim rammed by a black Mercedes and then beaten up and stabbed by around a dozen people in a gritty part of the capital's 10th arrondissement. But a local resident filmed the incident from his window, and the Mercedes was quickly identified as belonging to MHD. Other witnesses identified the rapper by his haircut or a Puma sweatshirt, for which he was a brand ambassador, according to investigative reports seen by AFP. The incident concerns the Cite des Chaufourniers, a low-income estate in the area that the former pizza delivery driver continued to frequent despite his fame. He was released in the summer of 2020 after a year and a half in custody as the investigations continued and released a new album. MHD is seen as a pioneer of afro-trap, which mixes hip-hop and African traditions. The football-mad performer, who was born in France to Guinean and Senegalese parents, is best known for "Afro Trap Part 3 (Champions League)", a song in praise of the Paris Saint-Germain football club. The post French rapper MHD faces verdict over youth’s murder appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US, Iran release prisoners in $6 billion swap deal
The United States and Iran on Monday swapped five prisoners each in one of the arch-foes' first deals in years as Tehran gained access to $6 billion in frozen funds. The five Americans freed by Iran, including one held for eight years, flew out of Tehran in a Qatari jet, hours after the unblocked funds were deposited in accounts also managed by Qatar. The White House said it was "pleased to confirm" the plane carrying the freed Americans had left Doha, Qatar for the United States, and that President Joe Biden had spoken with the families of the Americans in an "emotional call". The five had walked in the setting sun on the tarmac in Doha, three of them with arms around one another's shoulders. One of them praised Biden for ignoring the political backlash and taking the "incredibly difficult decisions" that freed them. "Thank you, President Biden, for ultimately putting the lives of American citizens above politics," Siamak Namazi, a businessman held since 2015, said in a statement. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spoke to the released Americans by telephone after they landed in Doha, insisted the Biden administration had "no higher priority" than freeing US citizens. "It's very good to be able to say that our fellow citizens are free," Blinken told reporters in New York, where he and Biden are taking part in UN meetings. Two of the Iranian detainees arrived in Qatar, Iranian media said. The other three released by the United States have opted to remain there or in a third country. After quiet discussions led in part by Qatar, the two countries completed the exchange after the transfer of $6 billion in funds, frozen by US ally South Korea. The Biden administration has rejected criticism at home that it is paying "ransom," insisting the money will be used only humanitarian purposes, with a threat to re-freeze the funds if not. But Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, speaking earlier in Tehran, said the clerical state will have "total access" to the assets. Political risks for Biden Biden's Republican rivals have roundly denounced the deal. Republican Senator Mitt Romney said it would lead to "kidnappings". "The idea of basically paying to release, in this effect, a hostage is a terrible idea," he said. Mindful of political risks, Biden in a statement said he would "continue to impose costs" on Iran and announced sanctions against former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country's intelligence ministry. The sanctions were imposed over alleged deceit in the disappearance of Bob Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran in mysterious circumstance and is presumed dead. Biden in his statement did not mention that he granted clemency to five Iranians. A US official said that all were convicted or changed with non-violent crimes, with one already set to be released soon. Iran had generated the revenue through oil sales. South Korea froze the funds after Biden's Republican predecessor Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear accord and imposed unilateral US sanctions on buying oil from Iran. Iran's central bank governor said Iran would seek damages from South Korea. "We're making a complaint on behalf of Iran against South Korea for not giving access to these funds and the reduction in value of these funds in order to receive damages," Mohammadreza Farzin said on state television. The five Americans of Iranian descent -- all considered Iranian nationals by Tehran, which rejects dual nationality -- were released to house arrest when the deal was agreed last month. Besides Namazi, they include wildlife conservationist Morad Tahbaz, venture capitalist Emad Sharqi and two others who wished to remain anonymous. All were accused of spying or other crimes that they strongly reject. Tahbaz also holds UK nationality. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britain was not involved in the deal but that he was "extremely pleased" he was free. A US official said that two more US citizens flew out of Tehran -- Namazi's mother and Sharqi's wife, who were not in prison but had ont been allowed to leave. According to Tehran, the freed Iranians include Reza Sarhangpour and Kambiz Attar Kashani, both accused of violating US sanctions against Tehran. A third prisoner, Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, was detained at his home near Boston in 2021 and charged with being an Iranian government agent, according to US officials. The two others, Mehrdad Moein Ansari and Amin Hasanzadeh, were said to have links to Iranian security forces. Nudge on nuclear? The swap was the first deal sealed by Biden with Iran's clerical rulers, who toppled the pro-Western shah in 1979 and are deeply hostile to the United States. Biden took office with hopes of restoring the 2015 nuclear agreement, under which Iran promised to constrain its contested nuclear work in return for sanctions relief. But months of talks failed to produce a breakthrough. Prospects to restore the deal sank further after protests broke out almost exactly a year ago in Iran following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the country's Islamic dress code for women. Blinken said that the release of the prisoners "doesn't speak to anything else in the relationship," with the nuclear issue "a different track." Biden is not expected to meet in New York with Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, who arrived Monday. The post US, Iran release prisoners in $6 billion swap deal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Israeli PM Netanyahu urges Musk to fight anti-Semitism
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged Elon Musk to fight anti-Semitism on his X platform as he sat down with the tech tycoon to discuss artificial intelligence. The conversation, which was broadcast on Musk's X platform (formerly Twitter), came as the Tesla tycoon is mired in row with the Anti-Defamation League, a US-based Jewish organization. Musk has accused the ADL of making unfounded accusations of anti-Semitism that have scared away advertisers and hurt his company's revenue, and has threatened to sue for billions of dollars. The ADL has for years accused the social media site of amplifying anti-Semitic hate speech, and has charged that problematic and racist speech has risen sharply on X after Musk completed his $44 billion takeover in October. "I know your commitment to free speech," Netanyahu told Musk, who has branded himself a free speech absolutist and welcomed back tens of thousands of banned accounts to the platform when he took over. "I respect that because it's foundational to democracies, but I also know your opposition to anti-Semitism..." the prime minister said. "I hope you find within the confines of the First Amendment, the ability to stop not only anti-Semitism, or rolling it back as best you can, but any collective hatred of people that anti-Semitism represents," Netanyahu said. Musk said while his website couldn't stop all hate speech before it was posted, he was "generally against attacking any group, no matter who it is." "I'm in favor of that which furthers civilization and which ultimately leads us to become a space-faring civilization, and where we understand the nature of the universe," Musk said. "We can't do that if there's a lot of infighting and then hatred and negativity," he added. 'Blessing and curse' The main topic of the conversation was the potential fallout from AI. "I think in many ways, we stand today at a juncture for all humanity, where we have to choose between a blessing and a curse," Netanyahu told Musk. Musk, who founded his own AI company this year, said he was optimistic that international powers would see the wisdom of setting common rules for AI in order to avoid any catastrophic outcomes that would affect humanity. "Every sport has a referee of one kind or another so that's the rationale for AI safety," Musk argued, saying a repeat of a nuclear arms race on AI was unwise. Musk said he recently warned senior officials in China that if AI "is sufficiently powerful, and care is not taken, that digital super intelligence could be in charge of China, instead of the CCP (the Chinese Communist Party)." "The CCP prefers to be in charge" and took action on regulation, he added. The post Israeli PM Netanyahu urges Musk to fight anti-Semitism appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden’s son Hunter indicted on gun charges
US President Joe Biden's son Hunter was indicted Thursday for illegally buying a gun when he was using drugs, casting a new shadow over his father's campaign for reelection next year. Hunter Biden, 53, was charged with two counts of making false statements when claiming on forms required for the 2018 gun purchase that he was not using drugs illegally at the time. A third charge said that, based on the false statements, he illegally possessed the gun during an 11-day period in October that year. If convicted on all three felony charges, Biden could in theory face 25 years in prison, though in practice they are seldom punished by any jail time. In attesting that he was not an unlawful user of drugs when he bought the Colt Cobra revolver, Biden "knew that statement was false," the Justice Department said. The indictment came two days after Republicans in Congress opened an impeachment probe against Democrat Joe Biden, alleging that when he was vice president he benefitted financially from his son's foreign business dealings. The legal troubles of Hunter Biden present a target for political rivals of his father, who is bidding for a second term in the White House. Hunter is a Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist, but his life has been marred by alcoholism and crack cocaine addiction. Without offering any evidence, Republicans have accused Biden's Justice Department of protecting his son and have accused Weiss, a Republican appointee, of going easy on Hunter. Representative James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky who will be leading the impeachment inquiry, welcomed the filing of the gun charges, calling it a "very small start." "Mountains of evidence reveals that Hunter Biden likely committed several felonies and Americans expect the Justice Department to apply the law equally," Comer said. Twice-impeached former president Donald Trump reacted on his Truth Social platform. "This, the gun charge, is the only crime that Hunter Biden committed that does not implicate Crooked Joe Biden," he said. - Plea deal collapsed - But a leading Democrat, Keisha Lance Bottoms, ex-mayor of Atlanta and a former senior adviser to Joe Biden, questioned why Hunter had been charged. "Can anyone tell me how many people have been federally indicted for purchasing a gun while dealing with substance abuse issues?" Bottoms said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "I don't know the answer, but in my over 29 years as an attorney, I have never heard of it." The gun charges were filed by Justice Department special counsel David Weiss, who has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018 over various allegations, mostly related to his overseas business deals. Two months ago a plea deal between Biden and Weiss, covering the gun charge as well as alleged tax violations, went sour. Biden agreed to plead guilty in federal court in Delaware to two minor tax charges. In exchange he was offered probation, as he had already paid what he owed the government along with penalties. Weiss agreed to suspend the felony gun charge if Biden completed "pretrial diversion," which often involves counseling or rehabilitation. But in a dramatic July 26 hearing, the deal collapsed over whether Biden would have been immune from any other charges also investigated by Weiss, including possible crimes related to his business dealings in Ukraine, China and elsewhere. The judge mentioned the possibility that Biden could be charged as having acted as a lobbyist for foreign governments without registering with the Justice Department. Three weeks later, after the deal collapsed, Weiss dropped the tax charges and said an indictment on the gun charge would come by the end of September. As the 2024 election race swings into gear, Republicans in the House of Representatives on Tuesday formally opened an impeachment inquiry against President Biden. They alleged, without offering hard evidence, that while vice president in 2015-2016, Biden intervened to protect an allegedly corrupt Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, where Hunter Biden sat on the board. Republicans allege Joe Biden and his family reaped large sums for helping Burisma. The post Biden’s son Hunter indicted on gun charges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Elon Musk’s X sues over having to post moderation policies
Elon Musk's X Corp. on Friday sued the state of California over a law requiring social media companies to publicly post their policies regarding hate speech, disinformation, harassment, and extremism. The parent company of X, formerly known as Twitter, argued in a federal suit that the law referred to as AB 587 violates its free speech rights. "The true intent of AB 587 is to pressure social media platforms to eliminate certain constitutionally-protected content viewed by the State as problematic," the suit contended. "The state is compelling social media companies to take public positions on controversial and politically charged issues." The suit railed against the law, which requires social media companies to publicly post policies regarding hate speech, disinformation, harassment, and extremism on their platforms, and report data on their enforcement of the policies. "California will not stand by as social media is weaponized to spread hate and disinformation that threaten our communities and foundational values as a country," California Governor Gavin Newsom said when he signed the bill into law a year ago. "Californians deserve to know how these platforms are impacting our public discourse, and this action brings much-needed transparency and accountability to the policies that shape the social media content we consume every day." Musk early this week said he is considering suing the Anti-Defamation League, a leading anti-hate group, arguing that its accusations of anti-Semitism have led X to lose revenue. Musk accused the US-based Jewish organization of making unfounded complaints against him and X that have scared away advertisers. "Advertisers avoid controversy, so all that is needed for ADL to crush our US & European ad revenue is to make unfounded accusations," Musk wrote in a long X thread that started with a clarification that he favors free speech but is "against anti-Semitism of any kind." In a 2016 report, the ADL said anti-Semitic attacks against journalists had exploded on Twitter, "thanks to the rhetoric in the 2016 presidential campaign." It accused the social network of failing to control its "trolling problem." Billionaire Musk has been accused of fueling anti-Semitic tropes, including attacks against Jewish philanthropist George Soros. According to the ADL and the Center for Countering Digital Hate, problematic and racist speech has sharply risen on X since Musk completed his $44 billion takeover in October. Since then, the Tesla boss has fired thousands of the platform's employees, cut content moderation, and reinstated former president Donald Trump's account. Last month, Musk sued the CCDH, accusing it of a smear campaign that damaged the social network's relationship with advertisers. The post Elon Musk’s X sues over having to post moderation policies appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan boyband agency admits founder’s sexual abuse
The president of Japan's biggest boyband agency admitted on Thursday that its late founder sexually abused young aspiring stars, decades after the allegations against him first emerged. Johnny Kitagawa died of a stroke aged 87 in 2019, having engineered the birth of J-pop mega-groups including SMAP, TOKIO and Arashi that amassed adoring fans across Asia. Allegations of abuse surfaced in Japanese media in 1999 but it was not until this year that they ignited full-on soul-searching, following a BBC documentary and denunciations by victims. "Both the agency itself and I myself as a person recognize that sex abuse by Johnny Kitagawa took place," said Julie Fujishima, a niece of the accused music mogul who died in 2019. "I apologize to his victims from the bottom of my heart," she told a packed news conference in Tokyo while announcing she was stepping down as head of Johnny & Associates "to take responsibility". "I take seriously what happened." Fujishima, who said she had stepped down on Tuesday, named singer and actor Noriyuki Higashiyama, a veteran member of the talent agency, as her successor. "It will take an enormous amount of time before we can regain trust," Higashiyama said. "I will stake the rest of my life on addressing this problem." Fujishima said she will remain in the agency's leadership to help "compensate" victims. - Defamation - Before his death, Kitagawa had successfully sued for defamation over the claims, although the verdict was partially overturned on appeal. He was never criminally charged. A panel of experts last month released the results of its first, in-depth probe into the allegations against Kitagawa, concluding that his abuse went as far back as the 1950s, even before the company was founded. Over the years, aspiring boyband idols collectively dubbed "Johnny's Jrs" sought his tutelage, and the panel estimated that at least "a few hundred" of them had been victimized. The report also quoted former recruits alleging in graphic detail how Kitagawa would perform oral sex on them, fondle them in their genitals or force his way into their beds at night. The panel said Fujishima, who was named Kitagawa's successor after his death, had been "remiss" in her duties because she failed to probe the allegations despite her knowledge of them. Her attitude perpetuated the leadership's tendency to look the other way, the report said. Fujishima, for her part, offered an apology in May but denied she had known about her uncle's predatory history. She chalked her ignorance up to what she framed as the extremely opaque, family-run nature of the boyband empire. "We do not believe there was no problem," she said in May, expressing her regret that she had let herself grow inured to the "abnormalness" of the agency's inner workings. Her apology came after Japanese-Brazilian singer Kauan Okamoto spoke publicly of his experience of being sexually assaulted repeatedly by Kitagawa. tmo/stu/qan © Agence France-Presse The post Japan boyband agency admits founder’s sexual abuse appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Myanmar junta slams ASEAN
Myanmar’s junta lashed back at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for demanding that it stop attacking civilians and calling an agreed peace plan without progress. In a statement published Wednesday in the state-backed paper Global New Light of Myanmar, the junta called the ASEAN’s review as “not objective” and “one-sided.” It called on ASEAN to “strictly adhere to the provisions and fundamental principles of the ASEAN Charter, especially non-interference in the internal affairs of the member states.” Myanmar has been in turmoil since the 2021 military coup that ousted the civilian government, sparking mass protests and a bloody military crackdown on dissent. Civilian ruler Aung San Suu Kyi was also charged with various offenses and sentenced to years in prison. Rights groups have accused the junta of air strikes on rebel strongholds and civilian infrastructure. The ASEAN’s five-point peace plan agreed with the junta generals was ignored as the military refuses to engage with its opponents. “The conclusion is that there is no significant progress in the implementation of the five-point consensus,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters on Tuesday. The country will also skip its scheduled chairmanship of the bloc in 2026. The Philippines will chair instead, as the bloc wrestles with how to engage with the junta, whose leaders are banned from high-level ASEAN meetings. The post Myanmar junta slams ASEAN appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russian-Swede on trial suspected spy
A Russian-Swede arrested last year in a dramatic dawn raid on his quiet suburban home goes on trial in Stockholm on Monday accused of passing Western technology to Russia’s military. Sergei Skvortsov, a 60-year-old dual national, has lived in Sweden since the 1990s where he has run import-export companies. He is to appear in a Stockholm district court charged with carrying out “unlawful intelligence activities” against the United States and Sweden for a decade until his arrest in November 2022. The prosecution believes Skvortsov and his companies provided a platform for “the Russian military intelligence service GRU and part of the Russian state system” to illegally procure Western technology, mainly electronic devices which were off-limits to Moscow due to international sanctions. Skvortsov faces up to four years in prison if found guilty. In detention since his arrest, he has denied the allegations. Sweden’s charge of “unlawful intelligence activities” is a notch lower than espionage. “There was a severe risk for national security interests, both in Sweden and the US,” prosecutor Henrik Olin told AFP last week when Skvortsov was formally charged, adding the implications reached even further. “You only have to look at the battlefield in Ukraine to see that there’s a real need for this from the Russian military industrial complex,” Olin said. In the indictment, the prosecution accused Skvortsov of gathering “information and the actual acquisition of various items that the Russian state and the defense forces could not acquire on the open market due to export rules and sanctions.” It accused him of “locating the items requested by the Russian state and the armed forces, negotiating and carrying out the purchase and further organizing the transport of the goods while concealing the actual end user.” with AFP The post Russian-Swede on trial suspected spy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»