Poland's foreign ministry announced on Friday that it will not permit a Russian delegation to attend a summit of the biggest regional security organisation in the world next month.&nbsp;When questioned by AFP if Moscow was being denied entry to the December conference of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), of which Russia is a member, Spokesman Lukasz Jasina responded in the affirmative. 
 
Ukraine is also a member of the organisation.&nbsp;

This year, Poland is the rotating chairman of the 57-nation OSCE, and the annual ministerial conference will be held in the city of Lodz on December 1-2.

When asked if Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, was anticipated to come, Jasina responded, "We are not expecting a visit by Minister Lavrov to Lodz."&nbsp;

"Delegations should be adjusted to the current EU regulations and not include persons that are sanctioned by the European Union," according to a statement from the Polish OSCE Chairmanship.&nbsp;

Also&nbsp;Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/voting-for-scraping-leap-second-by-2035-at-global-timekeepers-meeting-535456">Voting for scraping leap second by 2035 at Global timekeepers meeting</a>

"Following Russia's illegal aggression against Ukraine on February 24th a number of Russian nationals were added to the list of sanctioned individuals, including Minister Lavrov," it added.

Poland and the three Baltic nations have temporarily restricted entry for Russian nationals as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, including those on visas issued by other EU member states.

(with inputs from agencies)

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Poland's foreign ministry announced on Friday that it will not permit a Russian delegation to attend a summit of the biggest regional security organisation in the world next month.

Poland's foreign ministry announced on Friday that it will not permit a Russian delegation to attend a summit of the biggest regional security organisation in the world next month. When questioned by AFP if Moscow was being denied entry to the December conference of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), of which Russia is a member, Spokesman Lukasz Jasina responded in the affirmative. Ukraine is also a member of the organisation. This year, Poland is the rotating chairman of the 57-nation OSCE, and the annual ministerial conference will be held in the city of Lodz on December 1-2. When asked if Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, was anticipated to come, Jasina responded, "We are not expecting a visit by Minister Lavrov to Lodz." "Delegations should be adjusted to the current EU regulations and not include persons that are sanctioned by the European Union," according to a statement from the Polish OSCE Chairmanship. Also Read: Voting for scraping leap second by 2035 at Global timekeepers meeting "Following Russia's illegal aggression against Ukraine on February 24th a number of Russian nationals were added to the list of sanctioned individuals, including Minister Lavrov," it added. Poland and the three Baltic nations have temporarily restricted entry for Russian nationals as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, including those on visas issued by other EU member states. (with inputs from agencies)

Poland will not allow Russian delegation to OSCE meet, says Lavrov on sanctioned individuals’ list

A US federal court on Friday sentenced Elizabeth Holmes former CEO of Theranos, a blood-testing startup,&nbsp;to 11 years and three months in prison after finding her guilty of defrauding investors through her company.&nbsp;A federal judge on Friday sentenced Holmes&nbsp;on three counts of investor fraud and one count of conspiracy&nbsp;in her now-defunct blood-testing startup that was once valued at $9 billion. 
 
US District Judge Edward Davila announcing the sentencing said the case was "troubling on so many levels," and that Holmes' hubris and lies led to the company's downfall.&nbsp;

"This is a fraud case where an exciting venture went forward with great expectations only to be dashed by untruths, misrepresentations, plain hubris and lies," said Judge Davila.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-this-entrepreneur-made-billions-from-an-invention-that-didnt-exist-442281">WATCH | Gravitas: This Entrepreneur made billions from an invention that didn't exist</a>

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Before the judge handed the sentencing, Holmes addressed the court and said she was 'ashamed' of failing those around her.&nbsp;

"Looking back, there are so many things I would do differently if I had the chance. I regret my failings with every cell of my body," said Holmes.&nbsp;

"I have felt deep shame for what people went through because I failed them," she added.&nbsp;

Holmes was convicted on four counts but acquitted on four other counts. The Theranos founder plans to appeal the&nbsp;verdict but the court has set a surrender date of&nbsp;April 27, 2023, for her.&nbsp;

Touted the next 'Steve Jobs', Holmes' fall from grace has been well documented in media and popular culture. In the lead-up to the Friday sentencing, Holmes&nbsp;had pleaded the court to show leniency as her counsel argued that she shouldn't be made a martyr.&nbsp;

"No defendant should be made a martyr to public passion. We ask that the court consider, as it must, the real person, the real company and the complex circumstances surrounding the offense," read the document submitted by her counsel.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/theranos-founder-elizabeth-holmes-seeks-leniency-from-court-ahead-of-november-18-sentencing-533464">Read more: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes seeks leniency from court ahead of November 18 sentencing</a>

Elizabeth Holmes is the founder and ex-CEO of Theranos, a now-defunct health technology company that soared in valuation after it&nbsp;falsely claimed to have revolutionised blood testing by developing methods that could use surprisingly small volumes of blood, such as from a fingerprick for multiple diagnostic examinations. 
 
Holmes&nbsp;had a meteoric rise and was on the covers of business magazines that hailed her as the next Steve Jobs. Her deception was persuasive enough to draw in even sophisticated investors like software magnate Larry Ellison, media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the Walton family behind Walmart. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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A US federal court on Friday sentenced Elizabeth Holmes former CEO of Theranos, a blood-testing startup, to 11 years and three months in prison after finding her guilty of defrauding investors through her company.

A US federal court on Friday sentenced Elizabeth Holmes former CEO of Theranos, a blood-testing startup, to 11 years and three months in prison after finding her guilty of defrauding investors through her company. A federal judge on Friday sentenced Holmes on three counts of investor fraud and one count of conspiracy in her now-defunct blood-testing startup that was once valued at $9 billion. US District Judge Edward Davila announcing the sentencing said the case was "troubling on so many levels," and that Holmes' hubris and lies led to the company's downfall. "This is a fraud case where an exciting venture went forward with great expectations only to be dashed by untruths, misrepresentations, plain hubris and lies," said Judge Davila. WATCH | Gravitas: This Entrepreneur made billions from an invention that didn't exist × Before the judge handed the sentencing, Holmes addressed the court and said she was 'ashamed' of failing those around her. "Looking back, there are so many things I would do differently if I had the chance. I regret my failings with every cell of my body," said Holmes. "I have felt deep shame for what people went through because I failed them," she added. Holmes was convicted on four counts but acquitted on four other counts. The Theranos founder plans to appeal the verdict but the court has set a surrender date of April 27, 2023, for her. Touted the next 'Steve Jobs', Holmes' fall from grace has been well documented in media and popular culture. In the lead-up to the Friday sentencing, Holmes had pleaded the court to show leniency as her counsel argued that she shouldn't be made a martyr. "No defendant should be made a martyr to public passion. We ask that the court consider, as it must, the real person, the real company and the complex circumstances surrounding the offense," read the document submitted by her counsel. Read more: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes seeks leniency from court ahead of November 18 sentencing Elizabeth Holmes is the founder and ex-CEO of Theranos, a now-defunct health technology company that soared in valuation after it falsely claimed to have revolutionised blood testing by developing methods that could use surprisingly small volumes of blood, such as from a fingerprick for multiple diagnostic examinations. Holmes had a meteoric rise and was on the covers of business magazines that hailed her as the next Steve Jobs. Her deception was persuasive enough to draw in even sophisticated investors like software magnate Larry Ellison, media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the Walton family behind Walmart. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes sentenced to 11 years in prison for investor fraud, conspiracy

Hundreds of university students clash with the police in Sri Lanka's commercial capital Colombo on Friday. Protesters demanded the release of two student leaders from detention.

Hundreds of students hit the streets in Colombo, protesters demand release of student leaders

Where Moscow has now made some serious allegations, it is said that Ukraine has executed more than 10 Russian prisoners of war and continues to commit war crimes which the western nations conveniently continue to ignore.

Russia: Ukraine has executed prisoners of war; over 10 MN Ukrainians face power outage

UK government on Thursday unveiled an austerity budget with £55 billion ($65 billion) of tax hikes and spending cuts despite confirming its economy was in recession.

UK's economy slides into recession: Will Sunak's austerity measures work?

&nbsp;Before it collapsed this month,&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;stood apart from many rivals in the largely unsupervised&nbsp;crypto&nbsp;industry by boasting it was the "most regulated"&nbsp;exchange&nbsp;on the planet and inviting closer scrutiny from authorities.

Now, company documents seen by Reuters reveal the strategy and tactics behind founder Sam Bankman-Fried's regulatory agenda, including the previously unreported terms of a deal announced earlier this year with IEX Group, the US&nbsp;stock trading platform featured in Michael Lewis's book “Flash Boys” about fast, computer-driven trading.

As part of that deal, Bankman-Fried&nbsp;bought&nbsp;a 10 per cent stake in IEX, with an option to buy it out completely in the next two and half years, according to a June 7 document. The partnership gave the 30-year-old executive the opportunity to lobby IEX’s regulator, the US&nbsp;Securities and&nbsp;Exchange&nbsp;Commission, on&nbsp;crypto&nbsp;regulation.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ftxs-bankman-fried-sued-by-crypto-investors-along-with-other-celebrity-promoters-534870">Also read |&nbsp;FTX's Bankman-Fried sued by crypto investors along with other celebrity promoters</a>

That deal and others referenced in the documents, which include business updates, meeting minutes and strategy papers, illuminate one of&nbsp;FTX's broader goals: quickly crafting a congenial regulatory framework for&nbsp;itself by acquiring stakes in companies that already had licenses from authorities, shortcutting the often drawn-out approval process.

FTX&nbsp;spent some $2 billion on “acquisitions for regulatory purposes,” the&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;documents seen by Reuters from a Sept 19 meeting show. Last year, for example, it&nbsp;bought&nbsp;LedgerX LLC, a futures&nbsp;exchange, which gave it three Commodity Futures Trading Commission licenses in one swoop. The licenses gave&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;access to U.S. commodities derivatives markets as a regulated&nbsp;exchange. Derivatives are securities that derive their value from another asset.

FTX&nbsp;also saw&nbsp;its&nbsp;regulatory status as a&nbsp;way&nbsp;of luring new capital from major investors, the documents show. In documents to support&nbsp;its&nbsp;ask for hundreds of millions of dollars in funds, it held out&nbsp;its&nbsp;licenses as a key competitive advantage. The “regulatory moats,” it said, created barriers for rivals and would give it access to lucrative new markets and partnerships beyond the reach of unregulated entities.

“FTX&nbsp;has the cleanest brand in&nbsp;crypto,” the&nbsp;exchange&nbsp;proclaimed in a June document presented to investors.

Bankman-Fried did not respond to a request for comment on questions about&nbsp;FTX's regulatory strategy.&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;did not respond to requests for comment.

An SEC spokesperson declined to comment for this article. The CFTC also declined to comment.

In a text&nbsp;exchange&nbsp;this week with Vox, Bankman-Fried made an about-face on regulatory matters. Asked if his prior praise of regulations was “just PR,” he said in a sequence of texts: “yeah, just PR... fuck regulators... they make everything worse... they don't protect customers at all.”

An IEX spokesperson declined to confirm details of the transaction with&nbsp;FTX, except to say that&nbsp;FTX's “small minority stake” in IEX cannot be sold to a third party without&nbsp;its&nbsp;consent. “We are currently evaluating our legal options with respect to the prior transaction,” the spokesperson said.

Patchwork of regulators&nbsp;

FTX&nbsp;collapsed last week after a futile bid by Bankman-Fried to raise emergency funds. It had come under some regulatory oversight through the dozens of licenses it picked up via&nbsp;its&nbsp;many acquisitions. But that didn’t protect&nbsp;its&nbsp;customers and investors, who now face losses totaling billions of dollars. As Reuters reported,&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;had been secretly taking risks with customer funds, using $10 billion in deposits&nbsp;to prop up a trading firm owned by Bankman-Fried.

Four lawyers said the fact that Bankman-Fried was courting regulators while taking massive risks with customer funds without anyone noticing exposes a yawning regulatory gap in the&nbsp;cryptocurrency industry. “It’s a patchwork of global regulators -- and even domestically there are huge gaps,” said Aitan Goelman, an attorney with Zuckerman Spaeder and former prosecutor and CFTC enforcement director. “That's the fault of a regulatory system that has taken too long to adjust to the advent of&nbsp;crypto.”

A person familiar with the SEC's thinking on&nbsp;crypto&nbsp;regulation said the agency believes&nbsp;crypto&nbsp;firms are illegally operating outside of U.S. securities laws and instead lean on other licenses that provide minimal consumer protection. "Those representations, while nominally true, don't cover their activity," the person said.

Watch |&nbsp;World Business Watch: US authorities probe FTX collapse; concerns over possible domino effect

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'Step 1: Licenses'

Bankman-Fried had big ambitions for&nbsp;FTX, which by this year had grown to more than $1 billion in revenues and accounted for about 10% of trading in the global&nbsp;crypto&nbsp;market, from a standing start in 2019. He wanted to build a financial app, where users could trade stocks and tokens, transfer money and bank, according to an undated document titled, “FTX&nbsp;Roadmap 2022.”

“Step 1” toward that goal, the “Roadmap” document said, “is to&nbsp;become&nbsp;as licensed as reasonably possible.”

“Partially this is to make sure that we're regulated and compliant; partially this is to be able to expand our product offering,” the document said.

That's where&nbsp;FTX's acquisition spree came in, according to the documents. Instead of applying for every license, which can take years and sometimes uncomfortable questions, Bankman-Fried decided to buy them.

But the strategy also had&nbsp;its&nbsp;limits: At times, the companies it acquired didn't have the precise licenses it needed, the documents show.

One of&nbsp;FTX's goals, according to the documents, was to open up the US&nbsp;derivatives markets to&nbsp;its&nbsp;customers in the country. It estimated the market would bring additional trading volume to the tune of $50 billion a day, generating millions of dollars in revenue. To do that, it needed to persuade the CFTC to amend one of the licenses held by LedgerX,&nbsp;FTX's newly acquired futures&nbsp;exchange.

The application process went on for months, and&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;had to pony up $250 million for a default insurance fund, a standard requirement.&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;anticipated the CFTC could ask it to increase the fund to $1 billion, according to minutes of a March meeting of&nbsp;its&nbsp;advisory board.

FTX&nbsp;collapsed before it could get the approval, and has now withdrawn&nbsp;its&nbsp;application.

Buying companies for licenses also had other advantages, the documents reviewed by Reuters demonstrate: It could give Bankman-Fried the access he desired to regulators.

A prime example is the IEX deal, which was announced in April. In a joint interview to CNBC, Bankman-Fried and IEX CEO Brad Katsuyama said they wanted “to shape regulation that ultimately protects investors.” What matters the most here, Bankman-Fried added, is that “there is transparency and protection against fraud.”

Reuters could not determine&nbsp;how&nbsp;much&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;paid for the stake.

Bankman-Fried was invited to meet SEC Chairman Gary Gensler and other SEC officials along with Katsuyama in March.

A source close to IEX said the purpose of the meeting was to let the SEC know in advance about&nbsp;its&nbsp;deal with&nbsp;FTX, which had not been publicly announced at that point, and to discuss the possibility of IEX creating a trading venue in digital assets, such as bitcoin.&nbsp;FTX's role was to provide the&nbsp;crypto-trading infrastructure, the source said.

SEC officials outright rejected their initial plan because it would have involved the creation of a non-exchange&nbsp;trading venue that is more lightly regulated, something the agency opposes for&nbsp;cryptocurrencies, the source familiar with the SEC's thinking said.

Reuters could not determine the extent of Bankman-Fried's involvement in subsequent conversations with the SEC. In their mind, SEC officials had agreed to meet with Katsuyama in March, and Bankman-Fried was just tagging along, the source familiar with the SEC's thinking said. He kept mostly silent during the meeting, with Katsuyama in the "driver's seat," the source added.

Whatever his involvement,&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;talked up&nbsp;its&nbsp;discussions to&nbsp;its&nbsp;investors. In a September meeting of&nbsp;its&nbsp;advisory board,&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;said talks with the SEC were "extremely constructive."

“We are likely to have pole position there,” it said, according to the meeting minutes.

The person familiar with the SEC’s thinking said they would dispute&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;was in the “pole position.” Anything the SEC did to regulate&nbsp;crypto&nbsp;trading would be open to all market participants, the source said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ftx-says-making-every-effort-to-secure-all-assets-following-reports-of-unauthorised-transfers-worth-millions-533674">Also read |&nbsp;FTX says making ‘every effort to secure all assets’ after unauthorised transfers worth millions</a>

The source close to IEX said the&nbsp;exchange&nbsp;never entered into any operational agreements with&nbsp;FTX, adding that it never got to that point.

A May&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;document provides a rundown of&nbsp;FTX's contacts with individual regulators. The document, which has not been previously reported, shows&nbsp;how&nbsp;in most cases&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;was able to resolve the issues that cropped up.

In February, for example, South African authorities published a warning to consumers that&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;and other&nbsp;crypto&nbsp;exchanges were not authorized to operate there. So&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;entered into a commercial agreement with a local&nbsp;exchange&nbsp;to continue providing the services. “FTX&nbsp;is now fully regularised in respect of&nbsp;its&nbsp;current activities in South Africa,”&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;said.

The regulator, South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority, did not respond to a request for comment.

The May document also shows that&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;had a brush with the SEC. The SEC had conducted inquiries earlier this year into&nbsp;how&nbsp;crypto&nbsp;companies were handling customer deposits. Some firms were offering interest on deposits, which the SEC said could make them securities and should be registered under&nbsp;its&nbsp;rules. In the list of&nbsp;its&nbsp;regulatory interactions,&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;noted that the inquiry was looking at whether those assets were being “lent out or otherwise used for operational purposes.”

This month, as Reuters has reported, it emerged that&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;had done just that, moving billions of dollars in client funds to Bankman-Fried's trading firm, Alameda Research.

In the May document,&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;said the SEC's exam staff, which scrutinizes market practices that could present a risk to investors, was concerned about a different matter: a rewards program that it offered to customers, under which it paid interest on&nbsp;crypto&nbsp;deposits.

According to the document,&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;told the regulator it did not have the same issues as products from other providers that the agency had investigated.

"We confirmed these were solely rewards based and do not involve lending (or other use) of the deposited&nbsp;crypto,"&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;wrote. The SEC wrote back, saying it had completed&nbsp;its&nbsp;"informal inquiry" and did not need further information “at this time.”

The SEC had no comment on the inquiry. In an email to Reuters, Bankman-Fried wrote: "FTX's response there was accurate;&nbsp;FTX&nbsp;US's rewards program did not involve lending out any assets."

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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Before it collapsed this month, FTX stood apart from many rivals in the largely unsupervised crypto industry by boasting it was the "most regulated" exchange on the planet and inviting closer scrutiny from authorities.

Before it collapsed this month, FTX stood apart from many rivals in the largely unsupervised crypto industry by boasting it was the "most regulated" exchange on the planet and inviting closer scrutiny from authorities. Now, company documents seen by Reuters reveal the strategy and tactics behind founder Sam Bankman-Fried's regulatory agenda, including the previously unreported terms of a deal announced earlier this year with IEX Group, the US stock trading platform featured in Michael Lewis's book “Flash Boys” about fast, computer-driven trading. As part of that deal, Bankman-Fried bought a 10 per cent stake in IEX, with an option to buy it out completely in the next two and half years, according to a June 7 document. The partnership gave the 30-year-old executive the opportunity to lobby IEX’s regulator, the US Securities and Exchange Commission, on crypto regulation. Also read | FTX's Bankman-Fried sued by crypto investors along with other celebrity promoters That deal and others referenced in the documents, which include business updates, meeting minutes and strategy papers, illuminate one of FTX's broader goals: quickly crafting a congenial regulatory framework for itself by acquiring stakes in companies that already had licenses from authorities, shortcutting the often drawn-out approval process. FTX spent some $2 billion on “acquisitions for regulatory purposes,” the FTX documents seen by Reuters from a Sept 19 meeting show. Last year, for example, it bought LedgerX LLC, a futures exchange, which gave it three Commodity Futures Trading Commission licenses in one swoop. The licenses gave FTX access to U.S. commodities derivatives markets as a regulated exchange. Derivatives are securities that derive their value from another asset. FTX also saw its regulatory status as a way of luring new capital from major investors, the documents show. In documents to support its ask for hundreds of millions of dollars in funds, it held out its licenses as a key competitive advantage. The “regulatory moats,” it said, created barriers for rivals and would give it access to lucrative new markets and partnerships beyond the reach of unregulated entities. “FTX has the cleanest brand in crypto,” the exchange proclaimed in a June document presented to investors. Bankman-Fried did not respond to a request for comment on questions about FTX's regulatory strategy. FTX did not respond to requests for comment. An SEC spokesperson declined to comment for this article. The CFTC also declined to comment. In a text exchange this week with Vox, Bankman-Fried made an about-face on regulatory matters. Asked if his prior praise of regulations was “just PR,” he said in a sequence of texts: “yeah, just PR... fuck regulators... they make everything worse... they don't protect customers at all.” An IEX spokesperson declined to confirm details of the transaction with FTX, except to say that FTX's “small minority stake” in IEX cannot be sold to a third party without its consent. “We are currently evaluating our legal options with respect to the prior transaction,” the spokesperson said. Patchwork of regulators FTX collapsed last week after a futile bid by Bankman-Fried to raise emergency funds. It had come under some regulatory oversight through the dozens of licenses it picked up via its many acquisitions. But that didn’t protect its customers and investors, who now face losses totaling billions of dollars. As Reuters reported, FTX had been secretly taking risks with customer funds, using $10 billion in deposits to prop up a trading firm owned by Bankman-Fried. Four lawyers said the fact that Bankman-Fried was courting regulators while taking massive risks with customer funds without anyone noticing exposes a yawning regulatory gap in the cryptocurrency industry. “It’s a patchwork of global regulators -- and even domestically there are huge gaps,” said Aitan Goelman, an attorney with Zuckerman Spaeder and former prosecutor and CFTC enforcement director. “That's the fault of a regulatory system that has taken too long to adjust to the advent of crypto.” A person familiar with the SEC's thinking on crypto regulation said the agency believes crypto firms are illegally operating outside of U.S. securities laws and instead lean on other licenses that provide minimal consumer protection. "Those representations, while nominally true, don't cover their activity," the person said. Watch | World Business Watch: US authorities probe FTX collapse; concerns over possible domino effect 'Step 1: Licenses' Bankman-Fried had big ambitions for FTX, which by this year had grown to more than $1 billion in revenues and accounted for about 10% of trading in the global crypto market, from a standing start in 2019. He wanted to build a financial app, where users could trade stocks and tokens, transfer money and bank, according to an undated document titled, “FTX Roadmap 2022.” “Step 1” toward that goal, the “Roadmap” document said, “is to become as licensed as reasonably possible.” “Partially this is to make sure that we're regulated and compliant; partially this is to be able to expand our product offering,” the document said. That's where FTX's acquisition spree came in, according to the documents. Instead of applying for every license, which can take years and sometimes uncomfortable questions, Bankman-Fried decided to buy them. But the strategy also had its limits: At times, the companies it acquired didn't have the precise licenses it needed, the documents show. One of FTX's goals, according to the documents, was to open up the US derivatives markets to its customers in the country. It estimated the market would bring additional trading volume to the tune of $50 billion a day, generating millions of dollars in revenue. To do that, it needed to persuade the CFTC to amend one of the licenses held by LedgerX, FTX's newly acquired futures exchange. The application process went on for months, and FTX had to pony up $250 million for a default insurance fund, a standard requirement. FTX anticipated the CFTC could ask it to increase the fund to $1 billion, according to minutes of a March meeting of its advisory board. FTX collapsed before it could get the approval, and has now withdrawn its application. Buying companies for licenses also had other advantages, the documents reviewed by Reuters demonstrate: It could give Bankman-Fried the access he desired to regulators. A prime example is the IEX deal, which was announced in April. In a joint interview to CNBC, Bankman-Fried and IEX CEO Brad Katsuyama said they wanted “to shape regulation that ultimately protects investors.” What matters the most here, Bankman-Fried added, is that “there is transparency and protection against fraud.” Reuters could not determine how much FTX paid for the stake. Bankman-Fried was invited to meet SEC Chairman Gary Gensler and other SEC officials along with Katsuyama in March. A source close to IEX said the purpose of the meeting was to let the SEC know in advance about its deal with FTX, which had not been publicly announced at that point, and to discuss the possibility of IEX creating a trading venue in digital assets, such as bitcoin. FTX's role was to provide the crypto-trading infrastructure, the source said. SEC officials outright rejected their initial plan because it would have involved the creation of a non-exchange trading venue that is more lightly regulated, something the agency opposes for cryptocurrencies, the source familiar with the SEC's thinking said. Reuters could not determine the extent of Bankman-Fried's involvement in subsequent conversations with the SEC. In their mind, SEC officials had agreed to meet with Katsuyama in March, and Bankman-Fried was just tagging along, the source familiar with the SEC's thinking said. He kept mostly silent during the meeting, with Katsuyama in the "driver's seat," the source added. Whatever his involvement, FTX talked up its discussions to its investors. In a September meeting of its advisory board, FTX said talks with the SEC were "extremely constructive." “We are likely to have pole position there,” it said, according to the meeting minutes. The person familiar with the SEC’s thinking said they would dispute FTX was in the “pole position.” Anything the SEC did to regulate crypto trading would be open to all market participants, the source said. Also read | FTX says making ‘every effort to secure all assets’ after unauthorised transfers worth millions The source close to IEX said the exchange never entered into any operational agreements with FTX, adding that it never got to that point. A May FTX document provides a rundown of FTX's contacts with individual regulators. The document, which has not been previously reported, shows how in most cases FTX was able to resolve the issues that cropped up. In February, for example, South African authorities published a warning to consumers that FTX and other crypto exchanges were not authorized to operate there. So FTX entered into a commercial agreement with a local exchange to continue providing the services. “FTX is now fully regularised in respect of its current activities in South Africa,” FTX said. The regulator, South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority, did not respond to a request for comment. The May document also shows that FTX had a brush with the SEC. The SEC had conducted inquiries earlier this year into how crypto companies were handling customer deposits. Some firms were offering interest on deposits, which the SEC said could make them securities and should be registered under its rules. In the list of its regulatory interactions, FTX noted that the inquiry was looking at whether those assets were being “lent out or otherwise used for operational purposes.” This month, as Reuters has reported, it emerged that FTX had done just that, moving billions of dollars in client funds to Bankman-Fried's trading firm, Alameda Research. In the May document, FTX said the SEC's exam staff, which scrutinizes market practices that could present a risk to investors, was concerned about a different matter: a rewards program that it offered to customers, under which it paid interest on crypto deposits. According to the document, FTX told the regulator it did not have the same issues as products from other providers that the agency had investigated. "We confirmed these were solely rewards based and do not involve lending (or other use) of the deposited crypto," FTX wrote. The SEC wrote back, saying it had completed its "informal inquiry" and did not need further information “at this time.” The SEC had no comment on the inquiry. In an email to Reuters, Bankman-Fried wrote: "FTX's response there was accurate; FTX US's rewards program did not involve lending out any assets." WATCH WION LIVE HERE

How FTX bought its way to become the 'most regulated' crypto exchange

Chinese authorities face criticism&nbsp;on Thursday after a four-month-old&nbsp;baby died because of a delay in her treatment due to Covid restrictions imposed in Zhengzhou, as per reports.&nbsp;

The father claimed that medical professionals refused to attend her who vomiting and had diarrhoea.&nbsp;The child died the same day.&nbsp;

The incident comes along with the claims made by the authorities. The Chinese authorities made statements regarding increasing not only vaccination doses but also promised to install nearly 250K covid beds for the treatment.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-latest-covid-19-lockdowns-spark-protests-in-in-guangzhou-watch-534361">Also&nbsp;read |&nbsp;China's latest COVID-19 lockdowns spark protests in Guangzhou - WATCH</a>

The Asian country recently reported over 20,000 cases in a day, the highest in six months. The death toll still remains around 5,000, a toll which hasn't changed lately.&nbsp;

As reported by Chinese media outlets, Li Baoling and his daughter were quarantined in a hotel after his wife tested positive for the virus. Soon his daughter fell sick. Li, then immediately called an ambulance, the medical then asked the hotel to conduct a test&nbsp;and if she is positive then she'll be admitted. The child&nbsp;tested negative for the virus, stating she to not ill, but the medics didn't call for treatment. Monitoring her further, the health of the baby deteriorated, BBC reported.&nbsp;

The father then approached the second ambulance&nbsp;which took the family 100km away from their hotel for the treatment. Her temperature dropped and she dies. The husband and wife are still in quarantine, while the&nbsp;child's body is in the morgue. The Zhengzhou Municipal corporation stated that a probe is underway for the matter.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-responds-to-viral-video-in-which-xi-was-seen-criticising-trudeau-in-meeting-at-g20-535084">Also read |&nbsp;China responds to viral video in which Xi was seen 'trying to censure' Trudeau at G20</a>

Millions of Chinese have read Li's story and some have even criticised the authorities badly. The comments and stories are no longer available because they have been censored.&nbsp;

Similar instances where children have died&nbsp;have been reported all across the country. Demonstrations in Lanzhou were done after a father said that his toddler son died due to a delay in his treatment.&nbsp; In October, a 14-year-old girl died after falling ill in a covid quarantine centre.&nbsp;

Guangzhou, home to 13 million people on Thursday announced that it is planning to surge covid facilities after the city reported over 9,000 cases in a day or nearly 40 per cent of the population tested positive for the virus.&nbsp;

A Chinese health expert on Thursday also said that the country will soon start working on speeding up covid vaccinations&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Chinese authorities face criticism on Thursday after a four-month-old baby died because of a delay in her treatment due to Covid restrictions imposed in Zhengzhou, as per reports.

Chinese authorities face criticism on Thursday after a four-month-old baby died because of a delay in her treatment due to Covid restrictions imposed in Zhengzhou, as per reports. The father claimed that medical professionals refused to attend her who vomiting and had diarrhoea. The child died the same day. The incident comes along with the claims made by the authorities. The Chinese authorities made statements regarding increasing not only vaccination doses but also promised to install nearly 250K covid beds for the treatment. Also read | China's latest COVID-19 lockdowns spark protests in Guangzhou - WATCH The Asian country recently reported over 20,000 cases in a day, the highest in six months. The death toll still remains around 5,000, a toll which hasn't changed lately. As reported by Chinese media outlets, Li Baoling and his daughter were quarantined in a hotel after his wife tested positive for the virus. Soon his daughter fell sick. Li, then immediately called an ambulance, the medical then asked the hotel to conduct a test and if she is positive then she'll be admitted. The child tested negative for the virus, stating she to not ill, but the medics didn't call for treatment. Monitoring her further, the health of the baby deteriorated, BBC reported. The father then approached the second ambulance which took the family 100km away from their hotel for the treatment. Her temperature dropped and she dies. The husband and wife are still in quarantine, while the child's body is in the morgue. The Zhengzhou Municipal corporation stated that a probe is underway for the matter. Also read | China responds to viral video in which Xi was seen 'trying to censure' Trudeau at G20 Millions of Chinese have read Li's story and some have even criticised the authorities badly. The comments and stories are no longer available because they have been censored. Similar instances where children have died have been reported all across the country. Demonstrations in Lanzhou were done after a father said that his toddler son died due to a delay in his treatment. In October, a 14-year-old girl died after falling ill in a covid quarantine centre. Guangzhou, home to 13 million people on Thursday announced that it is planning to surge covid facilities after the city reported over 9,000 cases in a day or nearly 40 per cent of the population tested positive for the virus. A Chinese health expert on Thursday also said that the country will soon start working on speeding up covid vaccinations (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

China COVID-19: Authorities face anger after an infant dies due to delay in treatment amid restrictions

At least 21&nbsp;individuals were killed in a fire at a house north of Gaza City on Thursday, the head of a nearby hospital told AFP.&nbsp;

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21 dead (possibly more) in a fire that ate up a house in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gaza?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gaza</a> tonight. 
Power shortages force people to use all sorts of alternatives, whether safe or not. May the victims rest in peace 😔<a href="https://t.co/5asc12Qvyy">pic.twitter.com/5asc12Qvyy</a>
— Belal Aldabbour (@Belalmd12) <a href="https://twitter.com/Belalmd12/status/1593309529164365825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Salah Abu Laila, the director of the Indonesian Hospital in Jabalia, reported that "at least 20 bodies arrived," indicating that they had been "burned" in the fire.&nbsp;

Islamists from Hamas, who rule the Israeli-blocked Palestinian enclave, claimed there were multiple casualties from the firing but did not specify how many.&nbsp;

In response to the fire, Hussein Al-Sheikh, a top official with the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, stated that the PA had pushed Israel to open the Erez gate between Gaza and Israel to allow for immediate medical evacuations of serious cases.

Also &nbsp;Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kherson-residents-switch-russian-sim-cards-with-ukrainian-ones-535144">Kherson residents switch Russian SIM cards with Ukrainian ones</a>

Witnesses and videos that went viral on social media claimed that the entire residential structure in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip caught fire and burst into flames and smoke.&nbsp;

Witnesses reported hearing screams, but due to the fire's ferocity, they were unable to reach the victims to provide aid.&nbsp;

There are eight refugee camps with a combined population of 2.3 million people, and Jabalia is one of them.

(with inputs from agencies)

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At least 21 individuals were killed in a fire at a house north of Gaza City on Thursday, the head of a nearby hospital told AFP. 21 dead (possibly more) in a fire that ate up a house in #Gaza tonight.

At least 21 individuals were killed in a fire at a house north of Gaza City on Thursday, the head of a nearby hospital told AFP. 21 dead (possibly more) in a fire that ate up a house in #Gaza tonight. Power shortages force people to use all sorts of alternatives, whether safe or not. May the victims rest in peace 😔pic.twitter.com/5asc12Qvyy — Belal Aldabbour (@Belalmd12) November 17, 2022 × Salah Abu Laila, the director of the Indonesian Hospital in Jabalia, reported that "at least 20 bodies arrived," indicating that they had been "burned" in the fire. Islamists from Hamas, who rule the Israeli-blocked Palestinian enclave, claimed there were multiple casualties from the firing but did not specify how many. In response to the fire, Hussein Al-Sheikh, a top official with the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, stated that the PA had pushed Israel to open the Erez gate between Gaza and Israel to allow for immediate medical evacuations of serious cases. Also Read: Kherson residents switch Russian SIM cards with Ukrainian ones Witnesses and videos that went viral on social media claimed that the entire residential structure in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip caught fire and burst into flames and smoke. Witnesses reported hearing screams, but due to the fire's ferocity, they were unable to reach the victims to provide aid. There are eight refugee camps with a combined population of 2.3 million people, and Jabalia is one of them. (with inputs from agencies)

At least 21 dead in Jabalia refugee camp fire in Gaza

The Indian Space Research Organization has launched its first privately built rocket. The rocket named Vikram-S lifted off at 11:30 am local time from the Southern Indian.

WION Dispatch: India's space agency launches Vikram-S

Violence continues to strain relations between Israel and Palestine with the new Israeli Parliament recently having been sworn in. The question of course is how will the new government deal with this issue.

WION Dispatch: Palestinian teen steals two cars, crushes Israeli civilians

US House speaker Nancy Pelosi, a trailblazer and one of the longest-serving politicians in the US has decided to step down from the House leadership role. Pelosi, who has served two terms as the speaker said that she will remain in the Congress but will not seek any leadership role.

US: Nancy Pelosi announces she will not run for leadership role

In this special segment, the US Air Force chief of staff is warning that the US military must change if it wants to stay ahead of China and Russia. Gen. C. Q. Brown, Jr. sat down with our VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb recently to discuss how the Air Force is adapting to the changing threat environment across the globe.

WION-VOA Co-Production: US Air Force Chief: We've got to change

The Biden Administration has declared that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman should be granted immunity from lawsuits for his alleged role in the killing of US based journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

US: Mohammed Bin Salman should be immune to lawsuit

E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused former US President Donald Trump of raping her 27 years ago said that he had defamed her for the second time by telling his followers last month that he didn't know her and the rape&nbsp;never happened.&nbsp; 
 
The latest defamation claim is made after Trump called Carroll "a Hoax and a lie" and repeatedly claimed "she's not my type" posting on his social account on October 10.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/weisselberg-testifies-trumps-played-role-in-defrauding-tax-authorities-535148">Also read |&nbsp;Trump Org ex-CFO Weisselberg testifies Trumps played role in defrauding tax authorities</a>

A former Elle magazine columnist, Caroll said that she'll file a lawsuit against Trump on the Thanksgiving Day November 24. &nbsp;A draft of the lawsuit was added in the Thursday filing by her lawyer Roberta Kaplan.&nbsp;They are also suing the former president over the charges of defamation over the statements given earlier.&nbsp;

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Whether or not Twitter is here, I will see you in court, Mr. Trump!<a href="https://t.co/OtKeNi3rCD">https://t.co/OtKeNi3rCD</a>
— E. Jean Carroll (@ejeancarroll) <a href="https://twitter.com/ejeancarroll/status/1593427277848649729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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However, in response to Kaplan, Trump's lawyer Alina Habba said, "Typical gamesmanship from Roberta Kaplan."

She added that this filing is inappropriate and said that they will take this matter to court.&nbsp;

Trump said, "E. Jean Carroll is not telling the truth, she is a woman who I had nothing to do with, didn't know, and would have no interest in knowing her if I ever had the chance."&nbsp;

He added, "Now all I have to do is go through years more of legal nonsense in order to clear my name of her and her lawyer's phony attacks on me.&nbsp;This can only happen to 'Trump'!"

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-midterm-results-republicans-lead-in-house-democrats-get-senate-as-washington-sees-divided-govt-534350">Also read |&nbsp;US midterms: Republicans get House control, setting stage for divided govt, probe on Biden</a>

The proposed lawsuit seeks unspecified compensation and damages for Trump's statement.&nbsp;

In 2019, Trump denied the rape allegations and said that she made the alleged encounter to sell her forthcoming book.&nbsp;In January, a Washington court will determine whether Trump was acting as a president when the lawsuit was filed. If yes, then Carroll's filing will fail because then he is shielded from defamation claims.

Later in a letter to the court, the writer appealed to delay&nbsp;the hearing to April 10 so that it can cover both lawsuits.&nbsp;

The case is Carroll v. Trump, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 20-07311. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused former US President Donald Trump of raping her 27 years ago said that he had defamed her for the second time by telling his followers last month that he didn't know her and the rape never happened.

E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused former US President Donald Trump of raping her 27 years ago said that he had defamed her for the second time by telling his followers last month that he didn't know her and the rape never happened. The latest defamation claim is made after Trump called Carroll "a Hoax and a lie" and repeatedly claimed "she's not my type" posting on his social account on October 10. Also read | Trump Org ex-CFO Weisselberg testifies Trumps played role in defrauding tax authorities A former Elle magazine columnist, Caroll said that she'll file a lawsuit against Trump on the Thanksgiving Day November 24. A draft of the lawsuit was added in the Thursday filing by her lawyer Roberta Kaplan. They are also suing the former president over the charges of defamation over the statements given earlier. Whether or not Twitter is here, I will see you in court, Mr. Trump!https://t.co/OtKeNi3rCD — E. Jean Carroll (@ejeancarroll) November 18, 2022 × However, in response to Kaplan, Trump's lawyer Alina Habba said, "Typical gamesmanship from Roberta Kaplan." She added that this filing is inappropriate and said that they will take this matter to court. Trump said, "E. Jean Carroll is not telling the truth, she is a woman who I had nothing to do with, didn't know, and would have no interest in knowing her if I ever had the chance." He added, "Now all I have to do is go through years more of legal nonsense in order to clear my name of her and her lawyer's phony attacks on me. This can only happen to 'Trump'!" Also read | US midterms: Republicans get House control, setting stage for divided govt, probe on Biden The proposed lawsuit seeks unspecified compensation and damages for Trump's statement. In 2019, Trump denied the rape allegations and said that she made the alleged encounter to sell her forthcoming book. In January, a Washington court will determine whether Trump was acting as a president when the lawsuit was filed. If yes, then Carroll's filing will fail because then he is shielded from defamation claims. Later in a letter to the court, the writer appealed to delay the hearing to April 10 so that it can cover both lawsuits. The case is Carroll v. Trump, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 20-07311. (With inputs from agencies)

'I will see you in court, Mr. Trump!': Rape accuser Carroll files another lawsuit against former president

Just a day after firing a small missile showing anger towards US's increased regional presence,&nbsp;North Korea fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday, South Korea said on Friday. In other news,&nbsp;United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that she will not be contesting for the leadership role after the Republicans gained control. Meanwhile, Twitter has temporarily closed the office buildings amidst reports of mass exodus after Elon Musk’s “hardcore” work ultimatum failed to motivate the employees to work for "long hours at high intensity”.Finally,&nbsp;Andy Jassy, CEO of the retail giant Amazon&nbsp;said that the layoffs will extend to the next year 2023 as the firm has not yet concluded the review as per its business conditions.

Click on the headlines to read more:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-has-fired-suspected-icbm-seoul-says-535152">North Korea fires suspected ICBM, Japan says it fell in exclusive economic waters</a>

&nbsp;

<img src="https://www.wionews.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.wionews.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fstory_page%2Fpublic%2F2022%2F11%2F18%2F311657-untitled-design-2022-11-18t074654363.png&amp;w=1920&amp;q=75" />

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier said it had detected the "launch of an unidentified ballistic missile in an eastward direction". The coastguard warned ships not to approach fallen debris in the water.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nancy-pelosi-to-step-down-as-us-house-democratic-leader-after-two-decades-535126">Nancy Pelosi to step down as US House Democratic leader after two decades</a>

<img src="https://www.wionews.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.wionews.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fstory_page%2Fpublic%2F2022%2F11%2F17%2F311635-00032nt7v4.jpg&amp;w=1920&amp;q=75" />

Pelosi was the top Democratic leader in the US House for the better part of the last two decades and holds an important place in the politics of the country. During her speech, Pelosi confirmed&nbsp;that she will complete her term as a member of Congress.&nbsp;

“I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” Pelosi said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/after-elon-musks-ultimatum-employees-leave-en-masse-twitter-closes-offices-temporarily-535169">After Elon Musk's ultimatum, employees leave en masse, Twitter closes offices</a>

<img src="http://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/11/18/311667-twitter.jpg" />

On Wednesday, Musk told employees that his goal was to build “Twitter 2.0” and for that, they have to choose between working “long hours at high intensity” or leave. He conducted a poll on the workplace app Blind for their response.

In response, 42 per cent of 180 people chose the "Taking exit option, I'm free!" in the app, which verifies employees through their work email addresses and allows them to share information anonymously, according to multiple media reports.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-slow-economic-growth-mass-layoffs-at-amazon-across-teams-will-continue-till-2023-says-ceo-andy-jassy-535161">Amid slow economic growth, mass layoffs at Amazon across teams will continue till 2023, says CEO Andy Jassy&nbsp;</a>

<img src="https://www.wionews.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.wionews.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fstory_page%2Fpublic%2F2022%2F11%2F18%2F311663-0009au2bn.jpg&amp;w=1920&amp;q=75" />

The CEO has been putting continuous efforts into reducing the firm's ex[ensises amid its slow economic growth especially after the firm reported its smallest revenues in the holiday quarter.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine War: Moscow steps up attacks in Eastern Kyiv; missiles cripple energy infra

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Just a day after firing a small missile showing anger towards US's increased regional presence, North Korea fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday, South Korea said on Friday.

Just a day after firing a small missile showing anger towards US's increased regional presence, North Korea fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday, South Korea said on Friday. In other news, United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that she will not be contesting for the leadership role after the Republicans gained control. Meanwhile, Twitter has temporarily closed the office buildings amidst reports of mass exodus after Elon Musk’s “hardcore” work ultimatum failed to motivate the employees to work for "long hours at high intensity”.Finally, Andy Jassy, CEO of the retail giant Amazon said that the layoffs will extend to the next year 2023 as the firm has not yet concluded the review as per its business conditions. Click on the headlines to read more: North Korea fires suspected ICBM, Japan says it fell in exclusive economic waters Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier said it had detected the "launch of an unidentified ballistic missile in an eastward direction". The coastguard warned ships not to approach fallen debris in the water. Nancy Pelosi to step down as US House Democratic leader after two decades Pelosi was the top Democratic leader in the US House for the better part of the last two decades and holds an important place in the politics of the country. During her speech, Pelosi confirmed that she will complete her term as a member of Congress. “I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” Pelosi said. After Elon Musk's ultimatum, employees leave en masse, Twitter closes offices On Wednesday, Musk told employees that his goal was to build “Twitter 2.0” and for that, they have to choose between working “long hours at high intensity” or leave. He conducted a poll on the workplace app Blind for their response. In response, 42 per cent of 180 people chose the "Taking exit option, I'm free!" in the app, which verifies employees through their work email addresses and allows them to share information anonymously, according to multiple media reports. Amid slow economic growth, mass layoffs at Amazon across teams will continue till 2023, says CEO Andy Jassy The CEO has been putting continuous efforts into reducing the firm's ex[ensises amid its slow economic growth especially after the firm reported its smallest revenues in the holiday quarter. Watch | Russia-Ukraine War: Moscow steps up attacks in Eastern Kyiv; missiles cripple energy infra

Morning news brief: North Korea fires suspected ICBM, Pelosi steps down as US House Democratic leader & more

Let us take a look at stories generating interest across WION's social media channels.

Trending on WION: Chinese authorities face anger after an infant dies due to delay in treatment

The Republican Party's narrow win in the house is poised to transform the agenda in Washington. This will empower GOP lawmakers to pursue conservative goals and challenge the policies of President Joe Biden.

US: Republicans' top priority is to probe Biden family

In a video shared on Twitter, Kari&nbsp;Lake, a Republican candidate for governor of Arizona declined to concede her opponent's victory and vowed to fight on. Lake is known as an 'election denier' for refusing to believe Donald Trump lost the presidential election in 2020.

As per predictions made by Associated Press,&nbsp;her opponent&nbsp;&nbsp;Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, is all set to win the elections. But Lake strongly denied the election result.&nbsp;

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Arizona, we are still in the fight. <a href="https://t.co/ytaGvqG5J0">pic.twitter.com/ytaGvqG5J0</a>
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1593251949201084423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In the two and half minute video, the Republican focused on long lines of voters on the day of the elections and said that tens of thousands of them in the Maricopa country have been disenfranchised, the Guardian reported.&nbsp;

"For two years I have been sounding the alarm about our election system in Arizona. And this past week has confirmed everything we’ve been saying.

"Our election officials failed us miserably. What happened to Arizonans on election day is unforgivable," she said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republican-election-denier-kari-lake-has-lost-governors-race-in-arizona-msnbc-forecast-says-534195">Also read |&nbsp;Republican election denier Kari Lake has lost governor's race in Arizona, reports suggest</a>

She claimed that she had assembled the best and brightest legal team to handle the situation.&nbsp;

It was found that during elections, there were malfunctions in a third of equipment. However, the voters were able to cast their votes later.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Republicans filed a lawsuit to extend voting hours which was&nbsp;rejected by the county court, saying they had no proof of disenfranchisement.&nbsp;

County's chairman Bill Gates said, "We feel very confident that every voter had the opportunity to vote and have their vote counted." He claimed that no one was disenfranchised.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;
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In a video shared on Twitter, Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for governor of Arizona declined to concede her opponent's victory and vowed to fight on. Lake is known as an 'election denier' for refusing to believe Donald Trump lost the presidential election in 2020.

In a video shared on Twitter, Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for governor of Arizona declined to concede her opponent's victory and vowed to fight on. Lake is known as an 'election denier' for refusing to believe Donald Trump lost the presidential election in 2020. As per predictions made by Associated Press, her opponent Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, is all set to win the elections. But Lake strongly denied the election result. Arizona, we are still in the fight. pic.twitter.com/ytaGvqG5J0 — Kari Lake (@KariLake) November 17, 2022 × In the two and half minute video, the Republican focused on long lines of voters on the day of the elections and said that tens of thousands of them in the Maricopa country have been disenfranchised, the Guardian reported. "For two years I have been sounding the alarm about our election system in Arizona. And this past week has confirmed everything we’ve been saying. "Our election officials failed us miserably. What happened to Arizonans on election day is unforgivable," she said. Also read | Republican election denier Kari Lake has lost governor's race in Arizona, reports suggest She claimed that she had assembled the best and brightest legal team to handle the situation. It was found that during elections, there were malfunctions in a third of equipment. However, the voters were able to cast their votes later. Meanwhile, the Republicans filed a lawsuit to extend voting hours which was rejected by the county court, saying they had no proof of disenfranchisement. County's chairman Bill Gates said, "We feel very confident that every voter had the opportunity to vote and have their vote counted." He claimed that no one was disenfranchised. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

'We are still in the fight': Defeated candidate Kari Lake refuses to concede Arizona's governor race

Thailand, the host of the APEC summit, urged leaders of the group meeting to “rise above differences” and focus on resolving pressing global economic issues in areas such as trade and inflation. The meeting is being held&nbsp;in Bangkok on Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron told Asian countries that the conflict in Ukraine was "your problem&nbsp;too" and asked them&nbsp;to join the "increasing consensus" against it.

World leaders started arriving for the APEC summit, the third back-to-back summit of&nbsp;this week after COP27 and G20 summits, from Friday (November 18). This year's theme and focus is "Open. Connect. Balance", and world leaders will discuss among themselves the possible geopolitical&nbsp;roles that they can play with the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.&nbsp;

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Australian PM Anthony Albanese will be among many other world leaders attending the summit.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/g20-summit-2022-in-bali-explained-history-significance-and-indias-agenda-533923">G20 Summit 2022 in Bali EXPLAINED: History, significance and India's agenda</a>

APEC is the group of 21 countries in the Pacific Rim region&nbsp;that focus on the economy of the region, and also discuss and make strategies in promoting free trade throughout the&nbsp;Asia-Pacific region. With its headquarters in Singapore, APEC is considered as one of&nbsp;the oldest international forums in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Xi and Kishida's bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit is one of the high-profile talks at the forum, especially when China and Japan's relations&nbsp;have been strained due to their historical past and security concerns.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-told-nato-that-ukraine-air-defence-missile-responsible-for-poland-blast-report-534737">Joe Biden told NATO that Ukraine air defence missile landed in Poland: Report</a>

In a pre-summit event, Thailand PM Prayuth Chan-ocha, who is also the host of this year's summit, said&nbsp;the forum would focus on “new trade and investment narratives” and “the need to reconnect supply chains and travel,&nbsp;and the global sustainability agenda”. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Thailand, the host of the APEC summit, urged leaders of the group meeting to “rise above differences” and focus on resolving pressing global economic issues in areas such as trade and inflation.

Thailand, the host of the APEC summit, urged leaders of the group meeting to “rise above differences” and focus on resolving pressing global economic issues in areas such as trade and inflation. The meeting is being held in Bangkok on Friday and Saturday. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron told Asian countries that the conflict in Ukraine was "your problem too" and asked them to join the "increasing consensus" against it. World leaders started arriving for the APEC summit, the third back-to-back summit of this week after COP27 and G20 summits, from Friday (November 18). This year's theme and focus is "Open. Connect. Balance", and world leaders will discuss among themselves the possible geopolitical roles that they can play with the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Australian PM Anthony Albanese will be among many other world leaders attending the summit. Also Read | G20 Summit 2022 in Bali EXPLAINED: History, significance and India's agenda APEC is the group of 21 countries in the Pacific Rim region that focus on the economy of the region, and also discuss and make strategies in promoting free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. With its headquarters in Singapore, APEC is considered as one of the oldest international forums in the Asia-Pacific Region. Xi and Kishida's bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit is one of the high-profile talks at the forum, especially when China and Japan's relations have been strained due to their historical past and security concerns. Also Read | Joe Biden told NATO that Ukraine air defence missile landed in Poland: Report In a pre-summit event, Thailand PM Prayuth Chan-ocha, who is also the host of this year's summit, said the forum would focus on “new trade and investment narratives” and “the need to reconnect supply chains and travel, and the global sustainability agenda”. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

APEC host nation Thailand urges world leaders to ‘rise above differences’

From new supersonic jets making a comeback to having a new journey from the mountains in the United Arab Emirates to the eagerly anticipated flight token system at Hong Kong airport, join Sumit and discover the most recent news and trends in the aviation industry on WION Wings.

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Oxygen is vital for every living being and without it, survival is not possible. In one of the tributaries of Italy's longest river, thousands of fish were seen gasping for oxygen in the waters.

WION Climate Tracker | Italy: Fish starved from lack of oxygen

Wildfires continue to wreak havoc across various countries around the world. In the latest at least 36 Vicunas have died due to the ravaging wildfires at a reserve in Peru.

WION Climate Tracker | Peru: Wildfire kills at least 36 Vicunas

The Mayor of London has set aside one million pounds to tackle misogyny and sexism in schools. According to Sadiq Khan, working with young people at an impressionable age will benefit the whole of society. The plan includes eight workshops on how to implement the toolkits.

London: Schools to teach calling out sexism, Mayor Sadiq Khan launches powerful plan

The UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is spending his Friday defending his autumn statement. On Thursday, he announced a series of tax increases and tighter public spending in a plan presented to the House of Commons in London.

OBR: UK's living standards to fall by 7%, millions still face higher bills | Recession

Former SpaceX employees have filed unfair labour practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) which protects employees' rights,&nbsp;alleging&nbsp;that they were fired for taking a stand against owner Elon Musk.&nbsp;

The letter was originally drafted in June&nbsp;with the help of former eight employees who were fired. As reported by the New York Times, Elon Musk allegedly paid $250,000 to a flight attendant for settling the accusations made for sexual harassment.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-lawmakers-want-antitrust-probe-into-elon-musks-alarming-steps-as-twitter-owner-535253">Also read&nbsp;|&nbsp;US lawmakers want antitrust probe into Elon Musk's 'alarming steps' as Twitter owner</a>

After the letter was drafted, nearly 20 people met with Jon Edwards, vice president of Falcon vehicles launch, who said that the letter is a distraction to the company and is a pure act of extremism. The employees asked SpaceX to address the issues publicly and condemn Musk for his behaviour.&nbsp;

In addition, the June letter also urged SpaceX to reaffirm its commitment to the zero-tolerance policy in case of sexual harassment.&nbsp;

As per sources, a few of the SpaceX employees have also spoken about the culture of rampant harassment. Ashley Kosak, a former engineer at SpaceX stated that her harassment complaints often went ignored. While another intern&nbsp;stated that she faced unwanted advances by senior male officials at the company.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-democratic-senators-accuse-musk-of-undermining-twitter-535150">Also read |&nbsp;United States: Democratic senators accuse Musk of undermining Twitter</a>

According to the New York Times, the owner then fired nine employees for standing against him. The SpaceX complaint coincides with the Twitter layoffs. Employees and netizens have been heavily criticising the new CEO for firing such a huge amount of employees. The new Twitter chief also fired the top three officials. Moreover, some employees willingly left the company because of Musk's leadership and behaviour.

The New York Times reported that the Musk has asked managers to remove naysayers.&nbsp;

This is not the first time Musk's company is facing challenges from the NLRB. In 2021, the NLRB upheld the decision of firing an employee who was attempting to unionise at SpaceX, a practice which has been strongly discouraged by Musk.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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Former SpaceX employees have filed unfair labour practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) which protects employees' rights, alleging that they were fired for taking a stand against owner Elon Musk.

Former SpaceX employees have filed unfair labour practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) which protects employees' rights, alleging that they were fired for taking a stand against owner Elon Musk. The letter was originally drafted in June with the help of former eight employees who were fired. As reported by the New York Times, Elon Musk allegedly paid $250,000 to a flight attendant for settling the accusations made for sexual harassment. Also read | US lawmakers want antitrust probe into Elon Musk's 'alarming steps' as Twitter owner After the letter was drafted, nearly 20 people met with Jon Edwards, vice president of Falcon vehicles launch, who said that the letter is a distraction to the company and is a pure act of extremism. The employees asked SpaceX to address the issues publicly and condemn Musk for his behaviour. In addition, the June letter also urged SpaceX to reaffirm its commitment to the zero-tolerance policy in case of sexual harassment. As per sources, a few of the SpaceX employees have also spoken about the culture of rampant harassment. Ashley Kosak, a former engineer at SpaceX stated that her harassment complaints often went ignored. While another intern stated that she faced unwanted advances by senior male officials at the company. Also read | United States: Democratic senators accuse Musk of undermining Twitter According to the New York Times, the owner then fired nine employees for standing against him. The SpaceX complaint coincides with the Twitter layoffs. Employees and netizens have been heavily criticising the new CEO for firing such a huge amount of employees. The new Twitter chief also fired the top three officials. Moreover, some employees willingly left the company because of Musk's leadership and behaviour. The New York Times reported that the Musk has asked managers to remove naysayers. This is not the first time Musk's company is facing challenges from the NLRB. In 2021, the NLRB upheld the decision of firing an employee who was attempting to unionise at SpaceX, a practice which has been strongly discouraged by Musk. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

SpaceX employees were fired for criticising Elon Musk's behaviour, claims lawsuit

Scuffles broke out between the police and protesters who were demonstrating in central Bangkok. According to reports, the police fired drama bullets to disperse the crowds. Around 360 people had gathered about 10 kilometers from the venue of the ongoing Apec Summit to stage these protests.

Bangkok: Scuffles break out between police and protesters, 360 demonstrators gather

FIFA World Cup host Qatar are potentially taking a massive u-turn on the sale of alcohol outside match venues. The Royal family of the Arab nation is reportedly putting pressure on FIFA to stop the sale of beer at all the eight stadiums.

Qatar: Hosts are 'putting pressure' on FIFA to stop alcohol sale at the stadiums

Britain unveils austerity budget: Millions to pay more taxes as threshold frozen

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will deliver the inaugural address at the third 'No Money for Terror'&nbsp;(NMFT) Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing.

In a statement, the Prime Minister`s office (PMO) said the conference will offer a unique platform for participating nations and organizations to deliberate on the effectiveness of the current international regime on Counter Terrorism Financing as well as steps required to address emerging challenges.

The conference will build on the gains and learnings of the previous two conferences held in Paris in April 2018 and in Melbourne in November 2019. It will also work towards enhancing global cooperation to deny finances to terrorists and access to permissive jurisdictions to operate.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-us-had-160bn-bilateral-trade-in-2021-us-largest-investor-in-india-us-official-535080">Also read |&nbsp;India-US had $160bn bilateral trade in 2021; US largest investor in India: US Official</a>

"It will be attended by about 450 delegates from across the world, including Ministers, Heads of Multilateral organisations and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Heads of Delegations," the PMO said.

During the Conference, deliberations will be held in four sessions which will focus on 'Global Trends in Terrorism and Terrorist Financing', 'Use of Formal and Informal Channels of Funds for Terrorism', 'Emerging Technologies and Terrorist Financing'&nbsp;and 'International Co-operation to Address Challenges in Combating Terrorist Financing'.

PM Modi will inaugurate the conference while Union Home Minister Amit Shah will conclude the event, conveying India`s determination in its fight against terrorism and its support systems for achieving success against it.

On Thursday, India said that confirmation from China is still awaited while Pakistan and Afghanistan are not participating in the international event.

However, a total of 78 countries and multilateral organisations, including Ministers from 20 countries, have confirmed their presence at the two-day conference being organised on November 18 and November 19 here in the national capital."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-asias-largest-naval-academy-to-host-defence-trainees-from-27-nations-for-sailing-event-534951">Also read |&nbsp;India: Asia's largest naval academy to host defence trainees from 27 nations for sailing event</a>

A total of 78 countries and multilateral organisations are participating in the third edition of the 'No Money For Terror' Conference beginning from tomorrow (November 18)," said Dinkar Gupta, Director General, National Investigation Agency (NIA), India's anti-terror agency which works under the Ministry of Home Affairs, while speaking in a press briefing.

Asked about the presence of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the conference, the NIA Director General said, "Pakistan and Afghanistan are not participating in this conference".

On a query over the presence of China in the international event on terror financing, Secretary West (MEA) Sanjay Verma said "the participation of China is not yet confirmed".

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will deliver the inaugural address at the third 'No Money for Terror' (NMFT) Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will deliver the inaugural address at the third 'No Money for Terror' (NMFT) Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing. In a statement, the Prime Minister`s office (PMO) said the conference will offer a unique platform for participating nations and organizations to deliberate on the effectiveness of the current international regime on Counter Terrorism Financing as well as steps required to address emerging challenges. The conference will build on the gains and learnings of the previous two conferences held in Paris in April 2018 and in Melbourne in November 2019. It will also work towards enhancing global cooperation to deny finances to terrorists and access to permissive jurisdictions to operate. Also read | India-US had $160bn bilateral trade in 2021; US largest investor in India: US Official "It will be attended by about 450 delegates from across the world, including Ministers, Heads of Multilateral organisations and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Heads of Delegations," the PMO said. During the Conference, deliberations will be held in four sessions which will focus on 'Global Trends in Terrorism and Terrorist Financing', 'Use of Formal and Informal Channels of Funds for Terrorism', 'Emerging Technologies and Terrorist Financing' and 'International Co-operation to Address Challenges in Combating Terrorist Financing'. PM Modi will inaugurate the conference while Union Home Minister Amit Shah will conclude the event, conveying India`s determination in its fight against terrorism and its support systems for achieving success against it. On Thursday, India said that confirmation from China is still awaited while Pakistan and Afghanistan are not participating in the international event. However, a total of 78 countries and multilateral organisations, including Ministers from 20 countries, have confirmed their presence at the two-day conference being organised on November 18 and November 19 here in the national capital." Also read | India: Asia's largest naval academy to host defence trainees from 27 nations for sailing event A total of 78 countries and multilateral organisations are participating in the third edition of the 'No Money For Terror' Conference beginning from tomorrow (November 18)," said Dinkar Gupta, Director General, National Investigation Agency (NIA), India's anti-terror agency which works under the Ministry of Home Affairs, while speaking in a press briefing. Asked about the presence of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the conference, the NIA Director General said, "Pakistan and Afghanistan are not participating in this conference". On a query over the presence of China in the international event on terror financing, Secretary West (MEA) Sanjay Verma said "the participation of China is not yet confirmed". WATCH WION LIVE HERE

PM Modi to address global meet in Delhi on terror funding today

Only days after being retaken by Ukrainian forces, hundreds of inhabitants of the recently liberated city of Kherson lined up in the rain on Thursday to replace the Russian SIM cards in their mobile phones with local ones, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

Svitlana Kostikova, a &nbsp;54-year-old local resident and seamstress, who said she had had no option but to use a Russian SIM card told Reuters, "We finally have our victory, we've been liberated. Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes."

"I deleted all of my apps, and then was forced by circumstances to use it, to have a connection," she added.

The Kyiv government has installed relay stations throughout the city because it claims that Russian troops destroyed the Kherson communications network before departing.

Local telecom companies, notably Kyivstar and Vodafone, set up booths around the city's main square where people could either get a free SIM card or pay to avoid the line.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nancy-pelosi-to-step-down-as-us-house-democratic-leader-after-two-decades-535126">Nancy Pelosi to step down as US House Democratic leader after two decades</a>

"My SIM card burned when my apartment was hit by a rocket. The whole building burned down, a four-storey building, 65 apartments," said Semyanova Liudmyla, 67, after picking up her free card.

Russian SIM cards were displayed by a local Kyivstar employee, who said that they had either been given away for free or sold by the Russian government during the occupation.

(with inputs from agencies)

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Only days after being retaken by Ukrainian forces, hundreds of inhabitants of the recently liberated city of Kherson lined up in the rain on Thursday to replace the Russian SIM cards in their mobile phones with local ones, Reuters reported.

Only days after being retaken by Ukrainian forces, hundreds of inhabitants of the recently liberated city of Kherson lined up in the rain on Thursday to replace the Russian SIM cards in their mobile phones with local ones, Reuters reported. Svitlana Kostikova, a 54-year-old local resident and seamstress, who said she had had no option but to use a Russian SIM card told Reuters, "We finally have our victory, we've been liberated. Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes." "I deleted all of my apps, and then was forced by circumstances to use it, to have a connection," she added. The Kyiv government has installed relay stations throughout the city because it claims that Russian troops destroyed the Kherson communications network before departing. Local telecom companies, notably Kyivstar and Vodafone, set up booths around the city's main square where people could either get a free SIM card or pay to avoid the line. Also Read: Nancy Pelosi to step down as US House Democratic leader after two decades "My SIM card burned when my apartment was hit by a rocket. The whole building burned down, a four-storey building, 65 apartments," said Semyanova Liudmyla, 67, after picking up her free card. Russian SIM cards were displayed by a local Kyivstar employee, who said that they had either been given away for free or sold by the Russian government during the occupation. (with inputs from agencies)

Kherson residents switch Russian SIM cards with Ukrainian ones

Allen Weisselberg, a former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, appeared in court on Thursday, outlining how two of Donald Trump's children allegedly took part in a scheme to defraud tax authorities.

Weisselberg claimed that Donald Trump, or occasionally Eric Trump or Donald Trump Jr., wrote cheques totalling up to $100,000 to cover the cost of private school tuition of Weisselberg's grandchildren.&nbsp;

Weisselberg claimed that he subsequently gave the controller of the business the order to subtract $100,000 from his pay, enabling him to declare a lower income.&nbsp;

The Trumps signed copies of some of the cheques that were displayed in court.

Don't forget, I'm going to pay you back for this, Weisselberg claimed he promised Trump the first time he signed a tuition cheque. He claimed that the wage reduction served as payment.&nbsp;

Weisselberg, two Trump Organization businesses, and other defendants are charged with numerous counts of fraud and tax evasion.&nbsp;

In August, Weisselberg pleaded guilty to charges brought against him by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, which claimed he received more than $1.7 million in untaxed pay.

Also &nbsp;Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kherson-residents-switch-russian-sim-cards-with-ukrainian-ones-535144">Kherson residents switch Russian SIM cards with Ukrainian ones</a>

Over the course of the first two days of evidence, Weisselberg, who is still employed by the Trump Organization, has detailed a long list of advantages he and other executives got, for which he claims their incomes were also decreased to avoid paying taxes.&nbsp;

He claimed that in the case of himself and many other executives, significant bonus payments made to the executives in the manner of independent contractors to Trump Organization firms served to offset the compensation decreases.

(with inputs from agencies)

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Allen Weisselberg, a former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, appeared in court on Thursday, outlining how two of Donald Trump's children allegedly took part in a scheme to defraud tax authorities.

Allen Weisselberg, a former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, appeared in court on Thursday, outlining how two of Donald Trump's children allegedly took part in a scheme to defraud tax authorities. Weisselberg claimed that Donald Trump, or occasionally Eric Trump or Donald Trump Jr., wrote cheques totalling up to $100,000 to cover the cost of private school tuition of Weisselberg's grandchildren. Weisselberg claimed that he subsequently gave the controller of the business the order to subtract $100,000 from his pay, enabling him to declare a lower income. The Trumps signed copies of some of the cheques that were displayed in court. Don't forget, I'm going to pay you back for this, Weisselberg claimed he promised Trump the first time he signed a tuition cheque. He claimed that the wage reduction served as payment. Weisselberg, two Trump Organization businesses, and other defendants are charged with numerous counts of fraud and tax evasion. In August, Weisselberg pleaded guilty to charges brought against him by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, which claimed he received more than $1.7 million in untaxed pay. Also Read: Kherson residents switch Russian SIM cards with Ukrainian ones Over the course of the first two days of evidence, Weisselberg, who is still employed by the Trump Organization, has detailed a long list of advantages he and other executives got, for which he claims their incomes were also decreased to avoid paying taxes. He claimed that in the case of himself and many other executives, significant bonus payments made to the executives in the manner of independent contractors to Trump Organization firms served to offset the compensation decreases. (with inputs from agencies)

Trump Org ex-CFO Weisselberg testifies Trumps played role in defrauding tax authorities

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