Reports from users are showing that media platforms from technology company Meta are experiencing widespread outages. Forbes reports that thousands of users of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, along with messaging service WhatsApp, are being reported as down by thousands of users via the app DownDetector. Outages began rising rapidly around 12:30 p.m. EST, Forbes reports, with more than 100,000 Facebook users and tens of thousands of Instagram users reporting problems by around 1:10 p.m. According to The Verge , the Threads social media platform from Meta is also experiencing issues. In order to share a status update on the outages, Meta used a different social media platform. “We’re aware that a technical issue is impacting some users’ ability to access our apps,” read a post to Meta’s page on X. “We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience.” By 2 p.m., the number of reported outages across Meta’s platforms had already begun to drop from their peak numbers.A designated disability minister will be appointed to each Government department to “champion disability inclusion and accessibility”, the Government has announced. Work and pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms said the move aims to drive “real improvements” for disabled people, whom the ministers will be encouraged to engage with on a regular basis. He told the Commons: “I am very pleased to be able to announce today the appointment of new lead ministers for disability in each Government department, they will represent the interests of disabled people, champion disability inclusion and accessibility within their departments. “I’m going to chair regular meetings with them and will encourage them to engage directly with disabled people and their representative organisations, as they take forward their departmental priorities. “And I look forward to this new group of lead ministers for disability together driving real improvements across Government for disabled people.” This came during an adjournment debate on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, where Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling raised concerns about “floating bus stops”, which have a cycle lane between the stop and the pavement. Intervening, the MP for Torbay, who is registered blind, said: “The Government needs to ban floating bus stops.” Sir Stephen said: “I do think this issue about floating bus stops is an important issue which we need to work across Government to reflect on.” Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, who led the debate, had earlier criticised the lack of accessibility for disabled people on trains. The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP said: “Our train network does not have level access, and we heard Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson from the other place make this plea back in the summer, absolutely outrageous what she was put through. “But I was absolutely shocked to find, when I had a presentation of the TransPennine route upgrade, that the rolling stock yet to be commissioned is not going to provide that level access. “It’s absolute nonsense, it’s not even in the design of that procurement, so we must do better than this.”
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What happens next with Alex Jones' Infowars? No certainty yet after sale to The Onion is rejectedGENEVA (AP) — World Cup sponsor Bank of America teamed with FIFA for a second time Tuesday, signing for the Club World Cup that still has no broadcast deals just over six months before games start. Bank of America became FIFA’s first global banking partner in August and sealed a separate deal for a second event also being played in the United States, two days before the for the . It features recent European champions Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea. “FIFA is going to take America by storm and we’re going to be right at their side,” the bank’s head of marketing, David Tyrie, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. Bank of America joins 2026 World Cup sponsors Hisense and in separately also backing the club event, and more deals are expected after as the 2034 World Cup host. While games at the next World Cup, co-hosted with Canada and Mexico, will be watched by hundreds of millions globally mostly on free-to-air public networks, the Club World Cup broadcast picture is unclear. FIFA has promised hundreds of millions of dollars in prize money for the 32 clubs to share but is yet to announce any broadcast deals for the month-long tournament. It is expected to land on a streaming service. “You have to think about how you are going to connect with these fans,” Tyrie told the Associated Press from Boston. “TV is one, sure, social media is a big avenue. “The smart marketing capabilities are able to say ‘Hey, we need to tilt this one a little bit more away from TV-type marketing into social-type marketing.’ We have got a pretty decent strategy that we’re putting in place to do activation.” Engaging Bank of America’s customers and 250,000 employees are key to that strategy, Tyrie said. “It’s going to be for our clients, and entertainment, it’s going to be for our employees in creating excitement. All of the above.” The Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums across 11 cities, including Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C, and Lumen Field where the hometown Seattle Sounders play three group-stage games. European powers Madrid, Man City and Bayern Munich lead a 12-strong European challenge. Teams qualified by winning continental titles or across four years of those competitions. The exception is Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, who reserved for a host nation team in October based on regular season record without waiting for the MLS Cup final. LA Galaxy hosts New York Red Bulls playing for that national title Saturday. Messi’s team opens the FIFA tournament June 15 in the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium and will play its three group games in Florida. “The more brand players you bring in, the bigger the following you have got,” Tyrie acknowledged, though adding Messi being involved was “not a make or break for the event.” The Club World Cup final is July 13 at Met Life Stadium near New York, which also will one year later. ___ AP soccer: Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.What happens next with Alex Jones' Infowars? No certainty yet after sale to The Onion is rejectedTOUCHING tributes for the late Jimmy Carter have started to flood in for the "extraordinary leader" who has died aged 100. Joe Biden and Donald Trump have led the heartfelt messages to the beloved former president whose death was confirmed by his family earlier today. Carter, the oldest president in history , and the only one to become a centenarian, has been survived by five other American commander-in-chiefs who have all left touching homages to the great man. President-elect Donald Trump remembered Carter for his leadership and urged Americans to keep the late president's loved ones in their " hearts and prayers". Trump wrote on Truth Social: "The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. "For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude. "Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time." He later posted a second statement which acknowledged the pair's political and philosophical differences but praised Carter's clear love for America. "He truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for," Trump added. "He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect. "He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed. He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office." The man Trump is set to replace in the White House in just a few weeks time in Joe Biden described Carter as an "extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian". The fellow Democrat and close friend posted the loving tribute alongside his wife Jill. They said: "Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend." "He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism. We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together." Joe, 82, has now taken on the title as the oldest living president following the passing of Carter. Barack Obama - the youngest living American leader - commended the late humanitarian with his wife Michelle. They said: "Maranatha Baptist Church will be a little quieter on Sundays, but President Carter will never be far away — buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels. "Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man." Former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary also praised Carter's commitment to service. They praised him for his "long and good life" and applauded his belief in faith and selflessness. The final remaining president, George W. Bush, joined his wife Laura to call Carter “a man of deeply held convictions” who “dignified the office ". US vice president Kamala Harris made a similar statement praising Carter's "deep and abiding faith in God, America and in humanity". “He reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion," she continued. "I had the privilege of knowing President Carter for years. I will always remember his kindness, wisdom, and profound grace." Tributes to the statesman even came from overseas as the UK's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer lauded Carter's service. The British PM said he “redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad”. King Charles III also described the former US president as a “committed public servant” who “devoted his life to promoting peace”. Sir Tony Blair soon followed with a powerful statement. It read: "Jimmy Carter's life was a testament to public service; from his time in office, and the Camp David Accords, to his remarkable commitment to the cause of people and peace round the world over the past 40 years. "I always had the greatest respect for him, his spirit and his dedication. "He fundamentally cared and consistently toiled to help those in need." Carter , the 39th president of the United States , has died after nearly two years in hospice care. His son Chip Carter confirmed the former president died at his Georgia home on Sunday around 3:45 pm ET. Carter peacefully passed away surrounded by his family who paid an emotional tribute to the former leader. His son Chip said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. "The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” Public events will commemorate Carter in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. and a state funeral will be held, The Carter Center confirmed. The former president decided to live out the remainder of his days at his home in Plains, Georgia . Carter, the beloved Democrat and Nobel Peace Prize winner, had experienced several health issues in recent years including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. He became the longest-living president and the first to make it 100 years old. Carter's death came over a year after the death of his wife, Rosalynn Carter , who died on November 19, 2023, at age 96. Two days before her death, Rosalynn joined her husband in hospice care at their home in Georgia. The former first lady and fierce advocate for mental health was diagnosed with dementia in early 2023. Before his death, Jimmy Carter was the first to pay tribute to his wife of 77 years, "Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. "She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me."
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Wicked unveils the tyranny of feminine niceness – and that’s why your daughters must see itBy LARRY NEUMEISTER NEW YORK (AP) — The founder and former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network could face decades in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to federal fraud charges, admitting that he misled customers about the business. Alexander Mashinsky , 58, of Manhattan, entered the plea in New York federal court to commodities and securities fraud. He admitted illegally manipulating the price of Celsius’s proprietary crypto token while secretly selling his own tokens at inflated prices to pocket about $48 million before Celsius collapsed into bankruptcy in 2022. In court, he admitted that in 2021 he publicly suggested there was regulatory consent for the company’s moves because he knew that customers “would find false comfort” with that. And he said that in 2019, he was selling the crypto tokens even though he told the public that he was not. He said he knew customers would draw false comfort from that too. “I accept full responsibility for my actions,” Mashinsky said of crimes that stretched from 2018 to 2022 as the company pitched itself to customers as a modern-day bank where they could safely deposit crypto assets and earn interest. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a release that Mashinsky “orchestrated one of the biggest frauds in the crypto industry” as his company’s assets purportedly grew to about $25 billion at its peak, making it one of the largest crypto platforms in the world. He said Mashinsky used catchy slogans like “Unbank Yourself” to entice prospective customers with a pledge that their money would be as safe in crypto accounts as money would be in a bank. Meanwhile, prosecutors said, Mashinsky and co-conspirators used customer deposits to fund market purchases of the Celsius token to prop up its value. Machinsky made tens of millions of dollars selling his own CEL tokens at artificially high prices, leaving his customers “holding the bag when the company went bankrupt,” Williams said. An indictment alleged that Mashinsky promoted Celsius through media interviews, his social media accounts and Celsius’ website, along with a weekly “Ask Mashinsky Anything” session broadcast that was posted to Celsius’ website and a YouTube channel. Celsius employees from multiple departments who noticed false and misleading statements in the sessions warned Mashinsky, but they were ignored, the indictment said. A plea agreement Mashinsky made with prosecutors calls for him to be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison and to forfeit over $48 million, which is the amount of money he allegedly made by selling his company’s token. Sentencing was scheduled for April 8.Grok AI Goes Free! Elon Musk’s Chatbot Challenges ChatGPT And Google’s Gemini
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian prosecutors conducted raids on Saturday linked to a man suspected of illegally financing a campaign to promote Calin Georgescu’s presidential run, a day after the country’s top court annulled the elections in which the far-right candidate had won the first round. The raids at three properties in the central city of Brasov were based on suspicions of voter corruption, money laundering and cyber fraud, prosecutors said, and that the funds are suspected of originating from criminal activities. The searches come after the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented decision on Friday to cancel the presidential elections , after a trove of declassified intelligence on Wednesday alleged Russia organized a sprawling campaign across platforms such as TikTok and Telegram to promote Calin Georgescu . An official in the prosecutor’s office, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing, told The Associated Press that the searches on Saturday were conducted at properties linked to Bogdan Peschir. Intelligence alleged Peschir was a key player behind a massive TikTok campaign that promoted Georgescu. The secret services alleged that Peschir paid $381,000 (361,000 euros) to TikTok users to promote Georgescu content on the Chinese-owned platform. Intelligence authorities said information they obtained “revealed an aggressive promotion campaign” to increase and accelerate Georgescu’s popularity. “The charge is money laundering in connection with Georgescu’s financing,” the official said. He added Peschir will be brought to the capital Bucharest for questioning. There is no clear link between Peschir and alleged Russian interference. Russia denies it meddling in Romania. The court’s published decision to annul the elections cited the illegal use of digital technologies including artificial intelligence, as well as the use of “undeclared sources of funding.” Without naming Georgescu, the court said one of the 13 candidates in the Nov. 24 first round had improperly received “preferential treatment” on social media, which distorted the outcome of the vote. Georgescu also denounced the court’s Friday verdict as an “officialized coup” and an attack on democracy. Despite being an outsider who declared zero campaign spending, Georgescu emerged as the frontrunner on Nov. 24 . He was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party in a runoff on Sunday. Thirteen candidates ran in the first round presidential vote in this European Union and NATO member country, and has been gripped by myriad controversies since the first round. New dates will be set to rerun the presidential vote from scratch. In a televised statement Friday, President Klaus Iohannis said he was “deeply concerned” by the contents of the intelligence reports, which indicated one candidate’s campaign was “unlawfully supported from outside Romania” and was a matter of national security. “The same candidate declared zero campaign expenditures, despite running a highly sophisticated campaign,” he said. “Intelligence reports revealed that this candidate’s campaign was supported by a foreign state with interests contrary to Romania’s.” Lasconi strongly condemned the court’s decision, saying it was “illegal, immoral, and crushes the very essence of democracy” and that the second round should have gone forward. After Georgescu topped the polls in the first round, his success left many political observers wondering how most local surveys had placed him behind at least five other candidates before the vote. Many observers attributed his success to his TikTok account, which now has 6 million likes and 541,000 followers. But some experts suspected Georgescu’s online following was artificially inflated while Romania’s top security body alleged he was given preferential treatment by TikTok over other candidates. In a separate case on Saturday, prosecutors raided nine other properties in six counties investigating alleged extremists groups accused of “promoting violence or hatred against individuals based on their ethnicity, sexual orientation, or political opinions” related to the elections. Prosecutors said they were investigating messages inciting violence against a presidential election candidate or their supporters, and the promotion of fascist, racist, or xenophobic ideologies.
Raipur: A government school headmaster has been arrested and sent to jail for allegedly assaulting a female Block Education Officer (BEO) in Abhanpur block, Raipur. The accused headmaster faced disciplinary action after the BEO filed a police complaint and a video of the incident went viral. The altercation reportedly began over a confidential report when the headmaster pressured BEO Dhaneshwari Sahu to amend his markings. रायपुर अभनपुर में एक हेडमास्टर ने महिला BEO के साथ मारपीट की आरोपी हेडमास्टर राजन बघेल परसदा गांव के मिडिल स्कूल में पदस्थ है उसने BEO धनरेश्वरी साहू के ऑफिस में घुसकर उनसे मारपीट की पुलिस ने मामला दर्ज़ कर लिया है गुरुजी लोगों को हो क्या रहा है। #Chhattisgarh #viralvideo pic.twitter.com/qawtQdeKHz According to police, Rajan Baghel, the headmaster of a primary school in Parsada village, visited the BEO's office on Monday to request changes to his report. When the BEO resisted, a heated argument escalated into a physical confrontation, during which Baghel allegedly attempted to strangle her. Office staff intervened to stop the attack. CCTV footage of the incident was later circulated on social media, prompting the district administration to take action. The Raipur Divisional Joint Director suspended Baghel following the incident. In response to the BEO’s complaint, the Abhanpur police registered an FIR against Baghel for assault, abuse, and making death threats. BEO Dhaneshwari Sahu stated to the media that the headmaster tried to coerce her to make changes in the report suited to him but got attacked when she refused. Abhanpur police station in-charge Siddheshwar Pratap confirmed that Baghel has been arrested and presented in court, facing charges of assault, abuse, and threats to kill.
1 2 3 Ranchi: Jharkhand Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (JUVNL) has intensified its efforts to combat electricity theft through a series of state-wide raids. In its recent crackdown on Friday, the power utility inspected 3,997 premises, uncovering 750 cases of violations including theft and unauthorized load usage. The operation, supervised by M L Meena, the director general (monitoring and security) at JUVNL headquarters, resulted in multiple FIRs being filed under the Indian Electricity Act, 2003. The total financial impact of these violations amounts to Rs 1.30 crore. The raids were executed by a coordinated team comprising officials from branch to divisional levels. The electrical superintending engineer led operations at the zonal level, supported by the general manager-cum-chief engineer at the supply area level while the Applied Power Technologies Cell at headquarters provided additional support. To strengthen its anti-theft initiatives, JUVNL has appealed for public cooperation in reporting electricity theft. Citizens can report such incidents to the headquarters' call centre, with JUVNL assuring complete confidentiality of informers' identities. The management has emphasized the importance of public participation in these raids to protect the state's power resources. This collaborative approach between the utility and citizens is crucial for the success of future operations and the overall reduction of power theft in Jharkhand. The corporation continues to maintain vigilance and plans to conduct more such raids to ensure proper electricity usage and reduce revenue losses.Founder of failed crypto lending platform Celsius Network pleads guilty to fraud charges
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