Author: Steven Sahiounie

According to a federal judge, the former Vice President must testify to a grand jury about conversations he had with Donald Trump leading up to January 6, 2021. Former vice president of the United States Mike Pence was ordered to testify, by judge James Boasberg, to the grand jury on conversations he had with former President Donald J. Trump leading up to the infamous Capitol attack on the 6th of January 2021.  The details of the ruling remain under seal. However, Pence can refuse to answer questions relating to his actions on January 6, since he was serving as president…

Credit Suisse is complicit in ongoing tax evasion by ultra-wealthy Americans, including a potentially criminal conspiracy involving the failure to disclose nearly $100 million in secret offshore accounts held by a single family, a Senate investigation released Wednesday finds. The two-year investigation by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden alleges major violations of the 2014 plea agreement Credit Suisse reached with the US Justice Department after it enabled thousands of wealthy Americans to avoid taxes. “At the center of this investigation are greedy Swiss bankers and catnapping government regulators,” Wyden said in a statement, “and the result appears to be a massive, ongoing conspiracy…

Classifying XRP as a commodity could mean Ripple wins its case against the SEC, which some traders may consider bullish for the token. Bitcoin (BTC) showed signs of resilience Wednesday, shedding tremors from regulatory action against crypto exchange Binance to recover above the key $28,000 level. XRP tokens jumped for a second straight day, adding 11% in the past 24 hours. They were buoyed by speculation that the classification of bitcoin and ether (ETH) as commodities in the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) suit against Binance might mean XRP tokens are classified as commodities as well. That might hurt the U.S. Securities and…

The Bank of England’s upcoming crypto regime would try to ensure that funds are returned to customers when certain crypto firms enter a crisis. The U.K.’s central bank wants to protect citizens against the collapse of large stablecoin issuers by updating an existing regulatory regime – a move which is imminent. Global standard setters are working on norms for stablecoins, especially as regulators fear that they will get more entangled with the broader financial system. The U.K. is joining other economies like the U.S., European Union and Hong Kong, which are also working to set up targeted regulations for crypto pegged to the value of…

One observer said poor order book depth is primarily responsible for the rally, while others pointed to the cryptocurrency’s sound money appeal and Fed pivot speculation as bigger catalysts. Bitcoin (BTC) has begun 2023 with a bang, marking a positive turnaround from a year-long swoon. The leading cryptocurrency by market value has added almost 72% to $28,500 this year, its best quarterly gain in two years, CoinDesk data show. The price rally has lifted the cryptocurrency’s market value to $542 billion. Just three months ago, some experts were mulling the possibility of bitcoin falling to as low as $12,000 this quarter, after its valuation…

“Those who agreed to attend this class were free to do so, of course. It’s their sovereign right, but here, in fact, many see that such attempts to divide the world into first-rate and second-rate countries are now seen by many with a smile,” Dmitry Peskov noted By holding a “summit for democracy” the US is trying to lecture other countries, but such admonitions are not taken seriously by many states, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Wednesday. “America, which still claims no matter what to be the world’s mentor when it comes to so-called democracy, [is…

Bitcoin climbed sharply Wednesday as investors shrugged off initial fears surrounding U.S. regulators’ crackdowns on industry giants and became willing to take some risk. The world’s largest cryptocurrency surged 5% in the past 24 hours to as high as $28,474, according to CoinGecko data. Bitcoin has retaken the $28,000 level after dipping below it on Monday following news of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission FTC’s lawsuit against Binance. Ether, the second-biggest digital coin, rose nearly 6% to $1,816.10. Bitcoin has been steadily rising this year after a brutal 2022 that saw collapses of major crypto exchanges and a sharp slump in…

Earlier, Renat Karchaa, adviser to the chief executive of Russia’s Rosenergoatom nuclear power plant operator, told TASS that three experts from Slovakia, France and Japan would stay at the plant for about two months Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi arrived at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant on Wedenesday, a TASS correspondent reported. This is Grossi’s second visit to the plant located in the city of Energodar in the Zaporozhye Region. The IAEA delegation consists of 11 people, including Grossi himself and three inspectors who have come on rotation. They are accompanied by seven people: representatives…

Incoming UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti on Wednesday said his return to the helm was “a call of duty,” as the Swiss veteran takes on the task of restoring order to the country’s battered financial reputation. UBS announced on Wednesday that the former CEO would replace Ralph Hamers from April 5, as the Swiss bank undertakes the mammoth task of integrating fallen rival Credit Suisse into its business. In a press conference, UBS Chairman Colm Kelleher lauded Hamers’ tenure, highlighting the company’s “unprecedented success despite a challenging environment” under the Dutchman’s tutelage, and his instrumental role in delivering the Credit Suisse deal. UBS has posted…

The Israeli occupation forces faced fierce Resistance from fighters in the camp forcing them to withdraw. Israeli occupation forces stormed the New Askar refugee camp in Nablus earlier on Wednesday and kidnapped two Palestinians aged 16 and 19. The Palestinian Resistance confronted the Israeli unit storming the camp, Al Mayadeen correspondent reported, forcing it to withdraw under heavy fire. Since the beginning of the year, the IOF conducted near-daily nightly raids in the occupied West Bank, which left dozens of Palestinian martyred, not to mention an exponential increase in settlers’ violence, manifested by the burning down of Palestinian homes and properties in Huwara.…