‘We are seeing the Russian offensive continuing:' Lawmaker says Ukrainians won't trust Putin in peace talks
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Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UK sanctions crypto exchange tied to Russian ruble stablecoin
The UK sanctioned a Kyrgyzstan-based bank and crypto exchange on Wednesday, citing their support for A7A5, a stablecoin backed by the Russian ruble. A7A5 has been used to evade sanctions that the US and UK imposed on Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to crypto forensics firms TRM Labs and Elliptic. 'If the Kremlin thinks they can hide their desperate attempts to soften the blow of our sanctions by laundering transactions through dodgy crypto networks — they are sorely mistaken,' UK Sanctions Minister Stephen Doughty said in a statement. 'These sanctions keep up the pressure on Putin at a critical time and crack down on the illicit networks being used to funnel money into his war chest.' The UK sanctioned Capital Bank, a Kyrgyzstan-based bank, and cryptocurrency exchange Grinex, which crypto tracing firm TRM Labs has described as a 'successor platform' to Garantex, a previously-sanctioned Russian exchange. It also sanctioned Meer, a centralised crypto exchange registered on December 9, 2024 — the same day that Grinex and A7A5 were established, according to TRM. The ruble-pegged A7A5 is issued by Kyrgyzstani company Old Vector and designed to facilitate the recovery of assets belonging to Garantex customers, according to TRM. About $26 million in Tether's stablecoin USDT on Garantex was frozen after officials in the US, Germany, and Finland seized the exchange's primary domain in March. (UK officials did not accuse Tether of aiding in Russian sanctions evasion in their Wednesday notice. But US authorities opened an investigation into the company last year for possible violations of sanctions and anti-money laundering rules, according to a Wall Street Journal report. CEO Paolo Ardoino accused the newspaper of 'regurgitating old noise.') 'Former Garantex customers were credited with A7A5 in amounts equivalent to their frozen balances, which could then be traded or redeemed on [Grinex],' TRM wrote in its August 4 report. In late June, crypto forensics firm Elliptic said over $1 billion was being transferred through A7A5 daily, with the aggregate value of the stablecoin's transfers topping $41 billion. A7A5 is a yield-bearing stablecoin, paying holders 50% of the interest earned on the bank deposits that back it, according to its documentation. It is available on Ethereum and TRON. 'We are creating not just a ruble stablecoin, but a tool that gives the market the opportunity to safely enter the ruble and USDT, as well as an alternative to USDT that is not subject to sanctions risks,' the team behind A7A5 has said, according to Elliptic, which did not provide a source for the quote. The stablecoin's developers did not immediately respond to DL News' request for comment submitted through the A7A5 website on Wednesday. Its X account did not appear to address Wednesday's sanctions. 'A7A5 is a fully regulated token that has been issued in accordance with Kyrgyzstan's new legislation, providing an unparalleled level of trust and security for investors,' its website states. In addition to Grinex and Meer, it is also available on sanctioned peer-to-peer exchange Bitpapa; Ethereum-based decentralised exchanges Uniswap and Curve; and a purpose-built DEX dubbed A7A5 DEX. As of late June, the stablecoin had seen $8.5 billion in exchange volume, a figure that does not include volume on peer-to-peer exchanges or over-the-counter brokers. Of that volume, 61% was used to move in and out of rubles; the remainder was used to move in and out of USDT. Last week, the US sanctioned Garantex Europe OU, Grinex, and six associated companies. Last year, Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov said the country was using Bitcoin and digital currencies with international trade partners in an effort to counter Western sanctions. Russia's experimentation with cryptocurrency follows years of limits on its financial activities abroad. In 2014, the US and other European countries imposed sanctions on Russian companies and individuals after President Vladimir Putin ordered the annexation of Crimea, a region of Ukraine. In 2022, the US and other countries increased Russian sanctions after Putin's broader invasion of Ukraine. Aleks Gilbert is DL News' New York-based DeFi correspondent. Got a tip? Email at aleks@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Paintings Multiply on White House Walls as Other Presidents' Portraits Get Moved. See What's Been Added
A White House official said there are more Trump portraits to come amid controversy over the president's decision to move Barack Obama's official portrait to a hidden stairwell President Donald Trump is hanging even more portraits of himself around the White House. This week, a new painting of the president was revealed on social media. Longtime Trump ally Sebastian Gorka, who is currently serving as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism, shared a photo on X of the artwork, which shows Trump walking forward, his hands tucked into a long dark coat, flanked by rows of American flags. "One of the new @WhiteHouse paintings of President @realDonaldTrump," Gorka captioned the post. "More to come." Another new addition to the White House art collection was shared in May by New York Times White House correspondent Shawn McCreesh. McCreesh posted a photo to X of a portrait depicting Trump with late Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln looking over his shoulder, which he said was spotted "on the walls of the West Wing." Trump showed off another recent painting of himself, the one pictured above, while posing for a photo with European leaders during a Ukraine summit at the White House on Monday, Aug. 18. White House communications adviser Margo Martin shared a video on X of Trump pointing out the artistic depiction of his July 2024 assassination attempt, which she called his "Butler 'Fight, Fight, Fight' painting." The painting, which has hung in the White House since April, shows him raising his fist while surrounded by Secret Service agents after a bullet grazed his ear at a rally in Butler, Pa.. "That was not a great day!" Trump joked to the group. Other additions to the White House walls during Trump's second term have included an unorthodox painting of Trump's face overlaid with an American flag — which was crammed in between portraits of two former first ladies — as well as a new presidential portrait that bears a striking resemblance to his August 2023 mug shot. A framed New York Post cover showing his actual mug shot was also spotted on a wall just outside the Oval Office. The latest Trump artwork revealed by Gorka comes just a week after a White House official confirmed to PEOPLE that the president had broken precedent to move Barack Obama's official portrait out of public view. White House tradition says that the two most recent presidential portraits should hang prominently on either side of the Grand Foyer for members of the public to appreciate during tours and events. Since President Joe Biden's White House portrait has not yet been completed, the two most recent portraits are of Obama and George W. Bush. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Back in April, the president swapped Obama's portrait with the "Fight, Fight, Fight" assassination attempt painting. Now, Obama's portrait has been moved even further from public view, to the top of the Grand Staircase. The stairwell, which leads up to the president's private living area, is off-limits to visitors and partially obstructed from public view. CNN reported that Obama's portrait in particular is "firmly out of view" for visitors. Insiders also told the outlet that Trump signs off on nearly all aesthetic changes to the White House, no matter how small. A spokesperson for Obama declined to comment on the recent change. The portraits aren't the only major change that Trump has made since taking office for a second time. He's also come under fire from critics for his gaudy makeover of the Oval Office. An April report in The Wall Street Journal revealed that the president had enlisted his "gold guy," cabinetmaker John Icart, to create golden borders for his political portraits, gilded carvings for the fireplace mantel and a gold Trump crest in a doorway. Musician Jack White slammed the Oval Office's new look in an Instagram rant following Trump's Aug. 18 meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "Look at how disgusting Trump has transformed the historic White House," White wrote. "It's now a vulgar, gold-leafed and gaudy, professional wrestler's dressing room. Can't wait for the UFC match on the front lawn too, he's almost fully achieved the movie 'Idiocracy.' " "Look at his disgusting taste, would you even buy a used car from this conman, let alone give him the nuclear codes?" he continued. "A gold-plated Trump bible would look perfect up on that mantle with a pair of Trump shoes on either side, wouldn't it? What an embarrassment to American history." Read the original article on People
Buzz Feed
16 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
DC National Guard, Police Spark Debate Over Trump Plan
I'm sure you've been hearing all week about President Donald Trump's federalization of law enforcement in Washington, DC. We wrote about Trump's press conference in which he announced his administration's plan. "I'm announcing a historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor. And worse. This is Liberation Day in DC, and we're gonna take our capital back," he said. "Under the authorities vested in me as the president of the United States, I'm officially invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act — you know what that is — and placing the DC Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control," he went on. "Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs, and homeless people. And we're not gonna let it happen anymore. We're not gonna take it," Trump said. The police and National Guard hit the streets almost immediately. The BuzzFeed Community did not hold back in the comments section of our reporting, and people had some pretty strong feelings about all of this. Here's what some folks had to say: "Just living life is not supposed to be this scary and anxiety-ridden, but here we are, not having a clue as to what tomorrow will look like in this country. The healthcare system is still broken. Gas prices are higher. Food continues to grow more expensive. At least the harmful and debilitating White House Rose Garden has been defeated. I'm so grateful that such a threat has been taken care of. I can sleep well again." "Congressmen and Senators in both parties need to grow a backbone and impeach this man before we lose our democracy." "The problem is, people here don't know how to protest. Waving a bunch of signs around got us where exactly? Go take a look at how the French do it. Sanitation workers collectively refused to pick up trash. Farmers dumped loads of manure on the Parliament steps. They shut down roads, and a firefighter was fist-fighting a cop in the street. Polite marches do nothing. They will continue to brush us off unless we start causing consistent inconveniences en masse. Shut down roads. Barricade buildings. It's the only way." —luxahoy "If we want to stop horrific crime in DC, the very first place to assume control of is the White House!! It's a rats nest of thieves and evil criminals!!!" "I didn't spend 20 years protecting this country, willing to give my life for our freedom, for a political party to take away it and destroy our democracy. I gave an oath to protect the Constitution of this country. What about the men and women who gave their lives so we could sit by and let this happen? Woe unto you, America, it's time to make our voices heard." —hiddenmeat147 "I think Trump is so dangerous! He has a very sick and evil mind. He wants only white, rich men in this country. And the Supreme Court is doing nothing about it and giving him free rein. We all must speak up." "Sounds like martial law at best, and a full-on government coup by Republicans at worst. 🚩🚩🚩🚩" "You people want criminals running around in your streets. A president wants to help, and you think he's crazy." —cornymoon92 "I believe the next thing he's going to do is get his Republican MAGA forces to repeal the term limits of the president. Then we're really screwed!!!!" "We are definitely screwed. And nobody in Congress is helping to stop this from happening. Our democracy is at stake. If something doesn't happen soon, we will no longer have a country to call our own. I've written to my congresspeople multiple times, and I get back nice letters, saying they're doing this, that, and the other, but nothing changes. It may be time for another revolution in our country. We can't let this administration turn this country into an authoritarian state instead of a democratic one." —silkyrockstar6571 "It is terrifying! We don't know what to do. It's like our hands are tied. Everything is happening so fast, and Congress is doing nothing to stop this. What about the police? The National Guard? Why aren't they saying NO!? Terrifying." "He has descended into full-on diaper temper tantrum mode, only 3 years left to endure. I am scared for us." "A convicted criminal with 34 felonies telling us how bad our country is." —awkwardclown106 "Just think of all the extra time you will have now that you're not going to have to vote!" "I just want to hear thoughts on what we're supposed to be doing to stop this? Protests, calling our representatives, attending town halls… nothing looks to be working, and it's still months away from the midterms." "It's beyond time to take back control of America. This should have happened years ago and needs to be done in Chicago, Baltimore, and every city across this great country, so people can finally be safe to just walk in their neighborhoods." —emoarcher938 "I am 73 years old. I grew up knowing that this was the greatest country in the world. It breaks my heart to see what Mr. Trump and his cronies are doing. Our elected officials need to grow some balls and follow the Constitution. No one should bow down to the tyrant. It is a sad day in America for this to be happening. Why are so many people OK with this?" "This is what 2/3 of this country wanted by either voting for a felon or not at all. We, as a country, deserve it." "Disgusting, really, absolutely disgusting. As a proud Canadian, and having many American friends, as well as having travelled frequently to the USA, I don't really understand how the American public can really live and deal with Trump's idiocracy. It's absurd, and I will never travel to the States or purchase any US products until this maniac is eradicated… like squishing a bug!!" —sleepingtree764 "Our cities have become shitholes literally during the Biden and Obama years. It's about time we have a President with a backbone who is capable of taking our cities back. Making them great as they once were. And safe. High time. Long overdue. I hope it's not too late." "Is this what he was elected to do? Take over cities? Impose martial law? What happened to stopping wars or having no more wars? Seems like he's creating a war right here in the USA! Every soldier who fought and died for this country must be rolling over in their graves right now. The abuse of power, the disregard for law, the Constitution, and the disdain he shows towards the American people is appalling. We can do something!!! Let your voice be heard, vote in every election, protest, and write politicians in your area. Get behind those who are fighting against this tyranny! We the people have to stop this!" "He is testing the waters to then do this in all major cities..." —whatever19 "If the Democrats can take the House and the Senate in the midterm elections, then Congress will be in a position to put a stop to Trump's Blitzkrieg against democracy." "I'm also terrified and have no idea what I personally should or could do about him, especially if his actions eliminate free and fair elections." —marvelouswizard168 "Everything is looking more like Russia each day that passes. I'm starting to doubt we will have a free and fair midterm election. Between this strongman show of force and the way they want to rig the voting districts, this is a taste of how dictators hold on to power." And finally, "I am so fucking glad I'm not an American right now." What's your take? Sound off in the comments.
