Latest news with #Meow
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
"One of the best": Ukrainian drone operator Kateryna "Meow" Troian killed in action
Kateryna "Meow" Troian, a first-person view drone operator with the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade, has been killed in action on the Pokrovsk front in Donetsk Oblast. Source: Olena Kondratiuk, Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Details: Kateryna joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces less than two years ago and carried out missions in the operational zone in Russia's Kursk Oblast and in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast. During her service, Meow completed over a thousand successful drone sorties. Kondratiuk said that she and Ambassador Valerii Zaluzhnyi had shared Kateryna's story with members of the UK Parliament just a week earlier, during the opening of the photo exhibition Women Defending Ukraine. Kateryna was killed on the Pokrovsk front at the age of 32. Her brother-in-arms, Sashko Shershun, expressed his condolences and shared memories of her. Quote from Saskho: "There are fewer and fewer truly great people... We never saw you give up. You were never afraid to ask questions and you were always ready to learn, teach and help. You endured guided bomb attacks, artillery and mortar barrages and enemy FPV drone strikes with us. You were one of the best in your element." More details: Another comrade, Valentyn Dembitskyi, called Kateryna "both a brave person and a skilled warrior" with whom he had withstood numerous Russian attacks and completed many complex missions. "Meow came to war to become a true expert," he said. "We will remember her as a teammate who genuinely cared – the most important quality. "She came to war as an equal," he added. "We knew her as a person with an open heart and no arrogance. She was always ready to help and never hesitated to ask for help herself." Kateryna's friends have launched a fundraiser to support her family. Background: Earlier, paramedic Mariia-Khrystyna "Alpaca" Dvoinyk was also killed in action defending Ukraine. She was fatally injured while on her way to evacuate a wounded soldier. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Nearly half of Trump's crypto sweepstakes winners lost money
Donald Trump will host the top holders of his cryptocurrency at a gala tonight at his private golf club near Washington DC. Though the president has called the $TRUMP token 'The Greatest of them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!', nearly half the gala's guests suffered losses from purchasing it, according to a Guardian analysis of their public cryptocurrency wallets. The attendees are winners of the US president's meme coin competition. Last month, Trump announced that the 220 crypto wallets with the largest holdings of $TRUMP between 23 April and 12 May would win a ticket to a private dinner at the Trump National golf club. The top 25 holders would also be invited to a 'Private VIP Reception' with the president beforehand. The news caused the coin to spike more than 50%. Buyers were ranked by their 'time-weighted' holdings, which reached 11.3m coins – worth approximately $148m in total as of 12 May. Snapping up the coin propelled entrants to the top of the leaderboard. However, the Guardian's analysis of crypto wallets on the Solana blockchain suggests that many have been burned along the way. Of the 220 winners, 95 – some 43% – have suffered a net loss from purchasing $TRUMP since the coin's January launch, a combined $8.95m, according to trading history and portfolios as of 21 May. A contestant under the username 'GAnt' appears to have endured the biggest losses. Despite placing fourth on the leaderboard, buying the tokens has led to a $1.06m shortfall. Similarly, user 'Meow' is down $621,000, despite achieving VIP status. This aligns with a broader trend: it's believed that 764,000 wallets – mostly belonging to small holders – have lost money on $TRUMP, according to data from cryptocurrency and blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis. Meanwhile, just 58 wallets have made more than $10m each on their purchases of the coin, per Chainalysis. The cryptocurrency is trading 68% below its all-time high when it peaked the day before the president's inauguration. Around 40% of the gala attendees own less than one $TRUMP token. Among them are buyers who purchased the coin during its initial days of hype and then dumped it when the price hit its zenith. User 'UVIL,' for example, profited more than $7m from the president's coin, followed by 'boop' and 'Woo,' both earning more than $2m, respectively, according to the Guardian's analysis. Dinner ticket winners shelled out between $55,000 and $37.7m to attend, with the price of one seat averaging out to $1m, according to data from blockchain analytics company Nansen published in NBC. Attendees are thus not necessarily current owners of the Trump coins, but 'people who pumped and dumped them', said James Angel, a professor of financial regulation at Georgetown University. 'It just shows that, when you elect a clown, you get a circus.' The Guardian's calculations assume transfers in and out of wallets were sales at market prices from the time, although this is not possible to prove for all transactions. The Trump administration is not directly involved in administering $TRUMP. However, the president may profit from token sales and trading fees. Trump-affiliated entities – notably CIC Digital LLC and Fight Fight Fight LLC – issued the coin and own 80% of its supply, which will be gradually unlocked throughout his term. These entities also made $320m in trading fees as of 6 May, according to data from Chainalysis, published by CNBC. The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The president lauding high-risk and opaque assets coincides with a wider easing of financial regulation. Until recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission viewed most cryptocurrencies as securities, not commodities. However, under new leadership, the regulator issued guidance stating that meme coins are 'akin to collectibles' and thus 'neither meme coin purchasers nor holders are protected by the federal securities laws.' On that view, $TRUMP sales are not subject to the same disclosures required of stocks or bonds, nor would the president's affiliates be considered unregistered issuers of securities. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion Despite the SEC's view, experts say the unique conditions of this particular meme coin may justify securities classification regardless. Corey Fraye, the director of investor protection for the Consumer Federation of America, a non-profit, believes that $TRUMP could pass the Howey test – the legal framework used to determine whether a transaction qualifies as an investment contract under securities laws. 'The promotion of these tokens to a reasonable investor would create an expectation of profit related to this entire scheme that they think they're buying into,' says Fraye. Moreover, the fact that Trump-affiliated entities own the majority of the supply, combined with the president's influence over crypto policy, may expose the public to market manipulation and suggest a need for securities law protections, says Angel. The identities of possible attendees have also raised ethical concerns over the risk of pay-to-play policymaking. Topping the leaderboard is Justin Sun, a Chinese-born crypto billionaire who founded the Tron blockchain. Sun was charged in 2023 with market manipulation and offering unregistered securities, but the SEC dropped the case in February. Companies with strategic policy incentives have also spent heavily to reach Trump. A cross-border logistics firm called Freight Technologies bought $20m worth of tokens, calling it 'an effective way to advocate for fair, balanced, and free trade between Mexico and the US', according to a statement. Adding to that is GD Culture Group, a small tech company that operates an e-commerce business on TikTok. GD, which has a Chinese subsidiary, announced announced a plan to purchase up to $300m worth of $TRUMP, the New York Times reported, but did not specify whether that spending had begun. 'The coin definitely benefits the Trump family business, and it's yet another way for [the president] to cash in on celebrity,' says Angel. 'But the real question is: is this in the best interest of the United States of America?'
Times
23-04-2025
- General
- Times
Istanbul earthquake spooks Turks who fear another disaster
Istanbul was shaken by two earthquakes on Wednesday, reigniting fears about its vulnerability to a long-expected disaster. Between noon and 1pm, tremors of magnitude 3.9 and 6.2 struck the Sea of Marmara, about 25 miles southwest of the city. They were felt across the region and were followed by aftershocks, the strongest of which measured 4.9. It was the strongest earthquake to shake Istanbul since 1999, when 17,000 people died. It was approximately 7km deep and lasted for 13 seconds. By 3.12pm there had been 51 aftershocks. No substantial destruction has been reported so far, but one abandoned building collapsed and 151 people were being treated in hospital after injuring themselves jumping from heights in panic. Many fled their homes and offices, filling parks and street cafés with people and their pets. A video shared online showed a vet who had left her premises while performing surgery on a cat, continuing the operation in the boot of her car. Some people said they planned to spend the night outside rather than risk staying indoors. 'I'm scared that there could be another earthquake or that my building could just collapse,' said Ayşe, who had her cat, Meow, in a transparent backpack. 'My building is old and I just don't trust it to cope.' AFAD, the Turkish disaster management agency, warned people not to enter or stay near damaged buildings, though several government agencies have reported that there had been no significant damage so far. Schools and universities will be closed for two days. There was also heavy traffic as people tried to flee. In February 2023, two earthquakes of 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude struck southern Turkey in one day, killing more than 53,000 people in Turkey and nearly 6,000 in Syria. The disaster exposed deep flaws in Turkey's construction sector as thousands of buildings collapsed, raising concerns about corruption and the poor enforcement of building regulations. Turkey is one of the most seismically active countries in the world thanks to its position on several active fault lines, most notably the North Anatolian Fault, with Istanbul lying just to the north. The city is Europe's most populous city, home to at least 16 million people. Seismologists have long warned that Istanbul is overdue its own major earthquake, one that is expected to cause much death and devastation. Some experts estimate a 50 per cent chance of a magnitude 7.0 or greater quake striking the city by 2030, with that probability rising to 90 per cent by 2070. The Turkish environment minister has warned that a major quake could destroy up to 600,000 homes and displace millions. While some efforts have been made to reinforce infrastructure, including historic landmarks such as the Hagia Sophia, large swathes of Istanbul remain vulnerable. The last big earthquake to affect the region was in 1999 in nearby Izmit. It killed more than 17,000 people and remains as a stark warning of the serious risk. Geologist and earthquake expert Naci Gorur said on X that Wednesday's earthquakes were not the major earthquake that was expected in the Marmara Sea, and were in fact increasing stress on the Kumburgaz fault. 'In other words, they are forcing it to break,' he said. 'The main earthquake here will be larger and above 7 in magnitude. 'An earthquake is a topic too important to be discussed only when it happens. It's necessary to talk about it and take precautions when there is no earthquake. First the government, then the municipality and the public must work hand in hand to prepare the city for an earthquake.'
Korea Herald
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Meovv to drop first EP in May
Rookie girl group Meovv returns next month with the release of its first EP. The Black Label, the group's agency, announced Monday that Meovv will release 'My Eyes Open Vvide' May 12 at 6 p.m., following prerelease single, 'Hands Up,' which drops April 28 at 6 p.m. The girl group's return comes five months after its second single 'Toxic' was released in November. The teaser video unveiled on social media shows a pair of glowing feline eyes emerging from stormy clouds against a night sky — a nod to Meovv's cat-inspired identity. The cryptic atmosphere and visual hints suggest a bold concept for the group's first EP. Meovv, a multinational group comprising five members, debuted in September and has already surpassed 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify despite being less than a year old. Produced by Teddy, the mastermind behind numerous hits by Big Bang and Blackpink, Meovv's debut track 'Meow' was featured on Spotify's Global Impact List, becoming the most-streamed Korean song overseas at one point. The group was also spotlighted by Spotify as part of its Radar Korea program for rising artists in March.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Argentina's populist president promoted a meme coin — and now faces impeachment calls
Javier Milei is facing impeachment calls after he promoted a meme coin on social media. The Argentine president endorsed the $libra coin, which surged in value before crashing hours later. Opposition politicians have called the incident an "unprecedented scandal." Argentine President Javier Milei is facing a legal investigation and impeachment calls after he promoted a cryptocurrency that quickly collapsed. Milei endorsed the $libra meme coin Friday in social media posts. He said it would boost the country's economy by funding small businesses and entrepreneurs. His endorsement sent the token soaring from almost nothing to above $4 — before it fell to less than $0.50 just hours later after the posts were deleted, Reuters reported. Observatorio del Derecho a la Ciudad, a nongovernmental organization in Argentina, said some 40,000 people had been affected, with losses above $4 billion. Argentina's main stock index closed more than 5% lower on Monday. Meme coins are cryptocurrencies that are sometimes based on internet jokes, such as doge. Before his inauguration, President Donald Trump and Melania Trump, the first lady, launched their own coins — $Trump coin and $Melania coin. The coins sparked anger in the crypto world, with experts saying the Trumps were making a mockery of the industry. Lawyers in Argentina filed fraud complaints in criminal court over the weekend. Some have speculated that the case against Milei could be classified as a "rug pull," when promoters of a coin attract buyers but then stop trading before it crashes, which allows them to pocket some of the proceeds. Jonatan Baldiviezo, one of the plaintiffs, told The Associated Press that the president's actions meant a "crime of fraud was committed." A judge was assigned on Monday to investigate the case. Argentina's main opposition coalition said it would move forward with its push to impeach Milei, writing in an X post that his involvement in the coin was an "unprecedented scandal." Milei's office said Sunday in a statement on X that the president "shared a post on his personal accounts announcing the launch of the KIP Protocol project, just as he does daily with many entrepreneurs who want to launch a project in Argentina to create jobs and get investments." It added: "Not having been part of any stage of the development of the cryptocurrency, after the repercussions that the launch of the project had and to avoid any speculation and not give it further dissemination, he decided to delete the post." KIP Protocol said on X it was involved with distributing project funds to businesses in Argentina and did not have any role with the coin itself. Ben Chow, a cofounder of Meteora, the platform behind $libra, has stepped down following the controversy, a statement on X from Meow said Tuesday. Meow cofounded Meteora and is behind Jupiter, which calls itself "one of the largest decentralized trading platforms and one of the most active governance communities in crypto." The statement said Chow had "shown a lack of judgment and care about some of the core aspects of the project (given its current size and reputation) over the past couple of months" and had "chosen to resign." Meow also said in the statement: "No one at Jupiter or Meteora committed any insider trading or financial wrongdoing, or received any tokens inappropriately." The law firm Fenwick & West has been hired to investigate and would independently publish a report, Meow added. Read the original article on Business Insider
