Legal & Regulatory
Thai govt's collateral-free loan scheme may not combat loan sharks-report
The new collateral-free microfinance program set to be implemented next year by the Finance Ministry of Thailand to fight illegal loan sharks may not gain wide acceptance due to its high interest rate, according to a report on The Nation.
EU lifts ban on tankers transporting Iranian crude
Following a nuclear deal reached in Geneva, the European Union has removed the ban on insuring tankers transporting Iranian oil. The EU also agreed to release USD4.2 billion in frozen oil assets and permit Iranian crude exports to continue at its current levels.
Israeli computer scientists uncover Dread Pirate Roberts-Satoshi Nakamoto connection
A report from Israeli scientists explored the connection between the arrested operator of Silk Road Ross William Ulbricht and the secretive inventor of the digital currency bitcoin Satoshi Nakamoto.
Nonprofit that flipped homes to investors faces scrutiny
A U.S. housing regulator has been investigating the activities of a small California not-for-profit that bought hundreds of foreclosed homes through a federally backed program intended to help local communities hurt by the housing bust, according to government documents reviewed by Reuters.