Singaporean living in US charged in US$230 million cryptocurrency scam

 Channel News Asia,

A Singaporean living in the United States was one of two individuals charged on Thursday (Sep 19) for conspiring to steal and launder US$230 million in cryptocurrency. The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that the pair fraudulently obtained over 4,100 Bitcoin, valued at over US$230 million, from a victim in Washington DC.

Malone Lam, a 20-year-old Singaporean residing in Miami and Los Angeles, and Jeandiel Serrano, 21, from Los Angeles, were arrested by the FBI on Wednesday night. Lam, known online as “Anne Hathaway” and “ $ ,” and Serrano, using the aliases “VersaceGod” and “@SkidStar,” appeared in court on Thursday.

Since at least August this year, Lam, Serrano, and others have allegedly conspired to commit cryptocurrency thefts and launder the stolen funds using exchanges and mixing services. According to the press release, the conspirators gained fraudulent access to victims’ cryptocurrency accounts, transferring the funds to their control. The stolen cryptocurrency was laundered using peel chains, pass-through wallets, and virtual private networks (VPNs) to hide their identities.

Peel chains are a method of laundering large amounts of illegally obtained cryptocurrency through numerous smaller transactions. The pair allegedly spent the laundered proceeds on international travel, nightclubs, luxury cars, watches, designer handbags, and rental homes in Los Angeles and Miami.

China, Japan agree on scheme to monitor treated radioactive water
Reuters,

In August, China and Japan reached an agreement regarding the discharge of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday. The consensus includes establishing a long-term international monitoring system and allowing independent sampling by stakeholders.

China will gradually resume seafood imports from Japan after joining monitoring activities under the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and conducting independent sampling.

In Hokkaido, stores run out of repellent spray as bear attacks increase
South China Morning Post,

An increase in bear attacks across Japan, particularly in Hokkaido, has led to a nationwide shortage of bear spray. “Everywhere in Japan is in the same situation, not just Hokkaido,” said Nakao Juri.

Bear repellent spray, mostly imported, costs between 15,000 and 25,000 yen (RM456 and RM762) and typically lasts around four years before expiring. Nakao reported that 300 cans of U.S.-made repellent were sold in just two months after delivery in March.

As the Japanese environment ministry reported 219 people either killed or seriously injured by bears in the financial year ending March 31, the shortage has prompted many to turn to regular pepper spray, despite warnings from retailers about its ineffectiveness. Nara Makoto, a dealer, explained, “A spray designed for people is quite different from bear spray in terms of the amount released, jet force, and spraying style.” The Hokkaido government approved a large-scale bear hunt last year to control the rising bear population.

Malaysia arrests business leaders as probe widens in child sex abuse case
Al Jazeera,

Police in Malaysia have arrested the chief executive and other senior leaders of a prominent business group, accused of running care homes where hundreds of children and youth were allegedly physically and sexually abused. Several of the detainees were members of the advisory board of GISB, a self-described “Islamic” company with businesses ranging from supermarkets to laundromats in over 20 countries. The company has been linked to the now-defunct Malaysian religious sect Al-Arqam.

Among those arrested were two of Nasiruddin’s four wives and two of his children, along with several children of late Malaysian preacher Ashaari Mohamed, founder of Al-Arqam, which was banned by the government in 1994. In a separate operation, five more individuals linked to the company were arrested at the Thai border.

China official infamous for keeping 58 staff members as lovers, amassing illegal funds, jailed
South China Morning Post,

Zhong Yang, a notorious former Chinese official, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for misconduct, including maintaining sexual relationships with 58 subordinates and accepting nearly 60 million yuan (US$8.5 million) in bribes.

Zhong, 52, previously served as governor and deputy secretary of the Party in Qiannan prefecture, Guizhou province. Often referred to as the “beautiful governor” during her tenure, Zhong had a reputation for her striking appearance. Despite her prominence, a documentary produced by Guizhou Radio and Television in January revealed her involvement in corruption, where she granted lucrative government contracts to favored companies.

For instance, she approved the development of 170,000 square meters of land in a hi-tech industrial estate, which was later converted for real estate development, allegedly earning her significant profits.

New York mag puts reporter Olivia Nuzzi on leave for alleged ‘personal relationship’ with RFK Jr.
Fox News,

New York Magazine placed reporter Olivia Nuzzi on leave after an internal investigation found that she had engaged in a personal relationship with a figure in the 2024 presidential race, allegedly Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Nuzzi, the magazine’s Washington correspondent, had written a high-profile feature on Kennedy late last year.

The magazine released a statement Thursday night, stating that Nuzzi’s relationship with a former subject violated the publication’s conflict of interest policies. Nuzzi clarified that while she did not have a physical relationship with Kennedy, she engaged in “personal” communications with him.

‘Block access or face $900,000 daily fine’: Brazil’s top court warns X against evading platform ban
First Post,

Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered Elon Musk’s social media platform X to suspend access to the network after users were able to bypass a court-ordered ban. Judge Alexandre de Moraes warned that X would face a daily fine of 5 million reais (US$921,726) if the platform continued to allow access.

X later clarified that the temporary restoration of services was due to a change in network providers, calling it an “inadvertent and temporary” event.

DNA stored on crystal could bring back humanity billions of years after extinction
First Post,

Scientists from the University of Southampton have successfully stored human DNA on a crystal, a breakthrough that could potentially allow humanity to be revived billions of years after extinction. The DNA was inscribed onto a 5D crystal using ultra-fast lasers, a technique that will enable the information to last indefinitely.

The crystal, equivalent to fused quartz, is one of the most durable materials on Earth, withstanding extreme forces, weather conditions, and cosmic radiation. The method encodes DNA data using two optical dimensions and three spatial coordinates, providing a new level of data preservation.