Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years for multi-billion dollar FTX fraud
Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison by a judge on March 28 for stealing US$8 billion (S$10.8 billion) from customers of the now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange he founded, the last step in the former billionaire wunderkind’s dramatic downfall.
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan handed down the sentence at a Manhattan court hearing after rejecting Bankman-Fried’s claim that FTX customers did not actually lose money and accusing him of lying during his trial testimony.
A jury found Bankman-Fried, 32, guilty on Nov 2 on seven fraud and conspiracy counts stemming from FTX’s 2022 collapse in what prosecutors have called one of the biggest financial frauds in US history.
“He knew it was wrong,” Kaplan said of Bankman-Fried before handing down the sentence. “He knew it was criminal. He regrets that he made a very bad bet about the likelihood of getting caught. But he is not going to admit a thing, as is his right.”
South Africa’s ex-president Zuma barred from May election
South Africa’s electoral officials said Thursday that they had excluded former president Jacob Zuma from May elections, further stoking tensions in the run-up to the polls.
The country is to hold general elections on May 29 in what is expected to be the most competitive vote since the advent of democracy in 1994.
The governing African National Congress (ANC) is on the brink of dropping below 50 per cent of the vote for the first time since it came to power at the end of apartheid.
Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan to be given knighthood
British-American filmmaker Christopher Nolan, fresh from his Oscar victory for historical drama Oppenheimer, will receive a knighthood from Britain for services to film.
His wife and film producer Emma Thomas will receive a damehood, the female equivalent of a knighthood, the British government said on March 28 in a list of honours recommended by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that also included Conservative politicians and tech industry leaders.
Oppenheimer, a blockbuster biopic about the race to build the first atomic bomb, claimed seven Academy Awards earlier this month, including the best picture trophy and Nolan’s first best director Academy Award. His career includes other highly regarded films such as Interstellar, Inception, Dunkirk and the Batman trilogy.
Germany’s beloved dachshund could be threatened under breeding Bill
Dachshunds, the German dog breed known for their distinctive long bodies and short legs, face an uncertain future if proposed changes to an animal protection law are approved, Germany’s kennel club said.
A draft of the Bill, from the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture, was published in February and aims to combat “torture breeding,” or breeding to produce animals with characteristics that will cause them to suffer, and to regulate the online trade of animals.
However, the draft contains requirements that could end the breeding of certain dogs, such as the dachshund, according to a statement from the VDH, Germany’s kennel club.
Zverev sees off in-form Marozsan to reach Miami semi-finals
German fourth seed Alexander Zverev overcame tricky conditions to beat Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-3 7-5 on Thursday and reach the Miami Open semi-finals.
Zverev attacked Marozsan’s serve and converted three of his seven break-point chances, swatted aside the two break points he faced and won 80 per cent of his first serve points en route to the last four in Miami where he has yet to drop a set.
Despite not dropping a set in windy conditions, Zverev had his hands full with Marozsan, who is making his Miami debut and enjoyed top-10 upsets over Holger Rune and Alex de Minaur on the way to the quarter-finals.
