China Probes Celebrity Monk Over Embezzlement, Sex Misconduct
Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin Temple, is under probe for allegedly misappropriating temple assets, the 1,500-year-old monastery said in a notice on its official WeChat account on Sunday. The institution also accused Yongxin of violating Buddhist precepts by having long-term relationships with several women and fathering illegitimate children.
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41 minutes ago
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Arkham Says $3.5B LuBian Bitcoin Theft Went Undetected for Nearly Five Years
A crypto wallet tied to a little-known Chinese mining pool may have been the victim of the largest bitcoin theft ever recorded, according to new findings from Arkham Intelligence. In an Aug. 2 thread on X, the onchain analytics firm said it had uncovered evidence that 127,426 BTC — worth $3.5 billion at the time — was stolen from LuBian Mining Pool in late December 2020. Neither LuBian nor the suspected hacker has ever publicly acknowledged the breach, and Arkham said it is the first to report the incident. LuBian was one of the largest bitcoin mining pools globally in 2020, reportedly controlling nearly 6% of Bitcoin's total hash rate as of May that year. The hack, if confirmed, would eclipse the scale of other high-profile exploits like Mt. Gox and Bitfinex by nominal value at the time of loss. Arkham's analysis indicates that on Dec. 28, 2020, more than 90% of LuBian's BTC holdings were drained. Two days later, another theft involving about $6 million worth of BTC and USDT occurred, linked to a LuBian address operating on the Bitcoin Omni layer. The company appears to have moved its remaining 11,886 BTC — then worth hundreds of millions — into recovery wallets by Dec. 31, 2020. A notable detail in Arkham's report is the presence of OP_RETURN messages — special transactions that allow data to be embedded in the Bitcoin blockchain — sent from LuBian to the hacker. According to Arkham, the mining pool spent 1.4 BTC across over 1,500 transactions attempting to contact the thief, urging them to return the stolen funds. This effort suggests the messages were genuine and originated from the rightful wallet owner. Arkham believes the vulnerability may have stemmed from LuBian's use of a flawed private key generation algorithm that left it susceptible to brute-force attacks. The stolen BTC has apparently remained largely dormant, with the last major movement being a wallet consolidation in July 2024. Due to the price appreciation of bitcoin since 2020, the current value of the stolen assets is estimated to be $14.5 billion. That makes the wallet associated with the LuBian hacker the 13th largest BTC holder tracked by Arkham — surpassing the holdings linked to the Mt. Gox breach. As of today, both the hacker and LuBian are believed to still control their respective BTC balances. Arkham has published wallet trackers for both parties, but no additional details about the identities involved have been disclosed. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Likud claims Milwidsky investigation ‘witchhunt' led by A-G, MKs' call to prevent appointment
The Likud statement claimed that the reasoning for opening the investigation against Milwidsky was largely due to this timing. The next steps necessary to officially appoint MK Hanoch Milwidsky as the chairperson of the Knesset's Finance Committee on Tuesday remain in place, despite requests of MKs to hold off on the appointment amid an investigation opened against him into sexual misconduct and obstruction of justice. The Likud party slammed the decision to open an investigation into sexual offenses against Milwidsky, of the same party, on Sunday, calling it 'an unrestrained witch hunt led by the attorney general against Israel.' Milwidsky was summoned for questioning at the police Lahav 433 unit on Friday for suspicion of obstructing justice and sexual misconduct charges, which include rape and witness tampering. While there have been reports of women testifying against him, Milwidsky has rejected all accusations. MK Pnina Tameno-Shete, head of the Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality, sent a letter on Saturday night to prevent Milwidsky's appointment due to the investigations against him. 'Someone who is under the heavy shadow of suspicion and disgrace regarding allegations of rape cannot serve in one of the most powerful and influential roles in the Knesset and in the country,' the letter read. 'So long as these suspicions have not been disproven, any such appointment is unacceptable,' the letter continued. The opening of the investigation against Milwidsky came two days after the Likud chose him to be the chairperson of the Knesset's Finance Committee. The Likud statement claimed that the reasoning for opening the investigation against Milwidsky was largely due to this timing. 'It is clear to everyone that the timing [of the investigation] is no coincidence and is driven by improper political motives,' the Likud statement read. The statement also emphasized that the investigation was an example of Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara's attempts to 'obstruct the work of the government in every possible way and launch wild investigations against coalition members' since the government announced its intention to dismiss her. A cabinet meeting for her dismissal has been set for next week on Tuesday (August 4). Although Milwidsky was appointed by Likud, he still must go through two more stages before he can officially take on the position. Both are expected to take place this week on Tuesday (July 29). The stages require that Milwidsky first be officially recommended by the Knesset's House Committee. Once this occurs, a subsequent vote by the Finance Committee itself is expected, which would provide final approval for Milwidsky's appointment. There is not expected to be a change in the plans to go ahead with the process on Tuesday, an MK and another source from the Likud both told The Jerusalem Post. Although the Knesset's summer recess began on Sunday, committees continue to meet during the break, also allowing the process to continue. Milwidsky initially was the leading contender to be the chairperson of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee last week. However, ahead of the vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu selected Milwidsky to temporarily fill the position of chairperson for the Finance Committee instead. The position is temporary for Milwidsky because it would be returned to United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni in the event that Gafni rejoins the coalition after recently leaving. Gafni left the coalition because of the fallout in the negotiations regarding the haredi bill that is expected to exempt a large number of ultra-Orthodox men from IDF service. This fallout is also the reason why the position of chairperson of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee became vacant. Tameno-Shete and MK Naama Lazimi of The Democrats party further called for Milwidsky's appointment to be put on hold at the start of a Sunday Knesset committee meeting they held on the topic of the numerous testimonies against organized ritual sexual abuse, along with the response of state authorities. Tameno-Shete emphasized that there 'must be no favouritism' toward Knesset members concerning investigations against them—meaning that until proven innocent, Milwidsky should not be appointed. 'The Israeli Knesset must send a very, very clear message that anyone who is suspected of and being investigated for such serious and grave offenses—sexual offenses, extortion, obstruction of justice, investigation, or however one chooses to label it—should not be given a powerful role or appointment, to put it plainly,' Tameno-Shete stated. Knesset's Finance Committee is 'very powerful' Tameno-Shete further underscored that the Knesset's Finance Committee is 'very powerful' and that the dignity of the Knesset and the public's trust should not be damaged by taking him on for such a role until his innocence is proven. In a later interview, Tameno-Shete said that she was 'appalled' by the allegations she had heard against Milwidsky. Lazimi stated in the opening remarks of the committee meeting that 'there is no way the Knesset can ignore' the investigations. 'It is very bothersome that not one person from the coalition said anything regarding this matter,' she added. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Prosecutors seek substantial prison term for Sean 'Diddy' Combs as they oppose bail
Sexual Misconduct Diddy NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors said they now expect music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs could face a prison sentence 'substantially higher' than the four to five years they once thought he was likely to face after his conviction on two prostitution-related charges. They made the observation late Thursday in a Manhattan federal court written submission in which they also opposed Combs' request this week to be released on $50 million bail while he awaits an Oct. 3 sentencing. In early July, Combs, 55, was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges carrying potential life prison terms but was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for arranging for girlfriends and male sex workers to travel to engage in sexual encounters that he filmed. Each prostitution-related charge carries a potential maximum 10 years in prison. Prosecutors said after the verdict that they thought federal sentencing guidelines meant to prevent wide disparities in sentencings for the same crimes would likely call for a prison term of four to five years. But they said Thursday they believe the guidelines range 'will be substantially higher,' raising the risk Combs will flee. Judge Arun Subramanian will have wide latitude in determining a sentence and can choose to ignore the guidelines, which are not mandatory. Combs' lawyers have said they believe the guidelines, if properly calculated, will call for 21 to 27 months in prison. On the day of the verdict, prosecutors won a bail fight after defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo argued Combs should be freed immediately on bail. Subramanian denied the defense request, saying Combs had not met the burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence a 'lack of danger to any person or the community.' But he said Agnifilo could renew the request. In doing so Tuesday, Agnifilo cited other cases he said were comparable to Combs' conviction in which defendants were granted bail. And he cited severe conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Combs has been held since his September arrest at a New York hotel. He also said Combs was being treated unfairly for engaging in a 'swingers' lifestyle in which he and his girlfriends sometimes invited male sex workers to join them in multiday marathon sex performances. Prosecutors said in their filing Thursday that Combs' conviction on the prostitution-related counts carried a mandatory requirement that he remain in jail prior to sentencing, unless he could prove exceptional circumstances, which they said he cannot. They said he should also remain in prison as a danger to the community, a claim that Agnifilo disputed in his papers. 'Sean Combs will not be violent to anyone. As we said in court, this jury gave him his life back, and he will not squander his second chance at life, nor would he do anything to further jeopardize his seven children not having a father, and four of his children not having a parent at all,' Agnifilo wrote earlier this week. Prosecutors also said conditions at the federal lockup had improved considerably before Combs was arrested. A federal judge in January 2024 had blasted conditions at the jail, including its extensive lockdowns and inadequate medical care. Prosecutors said cases cited by Agnifilo in which other defendants received bail were not comparable to the crimes Combs was convicted of carrying out, particularly because of his propensity for violence. 'The defendant's extensive history of violence — and his continued attempt to minimize his recent violent conduct — demonstrates his dangerousness and that he is not amendable to supervision,' they wrote. 'The defendant utterly fails to establish by clear and convincing evidence, as required, that he does not pose a danger to the community.'
