Author: i2wtc

The Justice Department announced Wednesday the largest-ever U.S. seizure of cryptocurrency linked to so-called “pig butchering” scams that have cost victims billions globally.Federal prosecutors filed a civil forfeiture action targeting more than $225 million in cryptocurrency traced to a sprawling web of fraudulent investment platforms. Victims were tricked into believing they were investing in legitimate crypto ventures, only to be scammed by criminal networks often operating overseas.”This seizure of $225.3 million in funds linked to cryptocurrency investment scams marks the largest cryptocurrency seizure in U.S. Secret Service history,” said Shawn Bradstreet, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s…

FILE PHOTO: Jason Droege speaks at the WSJTECH live conference in Laguna Beach, California, U.S. October 22, 2019. Mike Blake | ReutersScale AI’s Interim CEO Jason Droege said in a memo on Wednesday that the artificial intelligence startup is not changing course following Meta’s multibillion-dollar investment in the company last week.”Unlike some other recent tech deals you might have heard about in the AI space, this is not a pivot or a winding down,” Droege wrote in a post directed at customers, employees and investors.Meta has a 49% stake in Scale after its $14.3 billion investment, though the social media company…

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 13, 2025.Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | Afp | Getty ImagesIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his first conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump since the early May conflict between India and Pakistan to express his frustration with Trump’s repeated claims that he played a significant role in brokering a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed countries.”Prime Minister Modi firmly stated that India does not and will never accept mediation. There is complete political consensus in…

Owner Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jay Mohr prior to game one of a first round NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Keith Birmingham | MediaNews Group | Pasadena Star-News | Getty ImagesThe Buss family has agreed to sell a majority stake of the Los Angeles Lakers to businessman Mark Walter in a deal that values the team at $10 billion, according to people with knowledge of the terms.The sale would mark a new record for NBA valuations. The Crypto.com…

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday to review ongoing evacuation efforts for Pakistani nationals currently stranded in Iran and Iraq. Dar was briefed on the progress made so far and on upcoming evacuation plans. Expressing satisfaction over the efforts, he directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to accelerate the return of all remaining citizens. “The Foreign Office, in coordination with other departments, shall expedite the repatriation of Pakistani citizens and provide all assistance to those who are still present in Iran and Iraq,” he said. Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator…

People look at iPhones at the Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York City on May 23, 2025.Adam Gray | ReutersApple has plans to make a folding iPhone starting next year, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said on Wednesday.Kuo said Apple’s folding phone could have a display made by Samsung Display, which is planning to produce as many as eight million foldable panels for the device next year. However, other components haven’t been finalized, including the device’s hinge, Kuo wrote. He expects it to have “premium pricing.”Kuo is an analyst for TF International Securities, and focuses on the Asian electronics supply…

Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the escalating armed conflict between Iran and Israel as “very alarming,” warning that the situation poses a grave threat to both regional and global peace. Speaking during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the premier reiterated Pakistan’s “complete solidarity” with Iran in the face of Israeli aggression and urged the international community to ensure an immediate ceasefire. “The global community should ensure a ceasefire,” PM Shehbaz stressed, adding, “We stand firmly with the brotherly people of Iran.” He said he had spoken to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to express condolences and Pakistan’s support. He also…

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Gilead’s twice-yearly antiviral injection for preventing HIV — a milestone that the company and some experts say could help bring the world closer to ending the decadeslong epidemic caused by the virus. But the launch of the injectable drug, which will be marketed under the name Yeztugo, faces a set of potential threats, including the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to federal funding for HIV prevention efforts. In two groundbreaking clinical trials in 2024, Gilead’s injection proved to be capable of virtually eliminating new HIV infections when taken every six months. That’s a less frequent…

Listen to article Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday the nation would never surrender and warned the United States of “irreparable damage” if it intervenes, while Israel said it had destroyed the internal security headquarters in Tehran. Khamenei’s speech came six days into the conflict, with Trump saying he may or may not intervene in the conflict, while demanding Iran’s “unconditional surrender”. The long-range blitz began Friday, when Israel launched a massive bombing campaign that prompted Iran to respond with missiles and drones. “This nation will never surrender,” Khamenei said in a speech, in which he called Trump’s ultimatum “unacceptable”.…

Amazon’s Zoox robotaxi unit is ramping up vehicle production at a new facility in Hayward, California.ZooxAmazon-owned autonomous vehicle startup Zoox on Wednesday opened a sprawling new manufacturing facility in the San Francisco Bay Area, paving the way for more robotaxi production as it plans a commercial rollout of its fleet later this year.The company will use the site in Hayward, California, to increase its robotaxi fleet significantly. The facility is currently producing one robotaxi per day, but Zoox said it expects to accelerate that rate over the coming year.At full scale, it will have the capacity to assemble 10,000 robotaxis…