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• Brief News

Google to rewrite privacy policy in response to UK pressure

A representative of Google signed an agreement Friday to rewrite the company's current privacy policy in response to pressure from the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO brought an action for breach of privacy on behalf of more than 100 users of Apple's Safari browser who claim that Google tracked their browsing history without their knowledge, breaching the 1998 Data Protection Act.

Greece: The dangerous game

European officials and governments are much more anxious about the Greek drama than they are admitting publicly. They fear a miscalculation in the weeks ahead could precipitate a full-blown crisis. The new radical-left Greek government said it would no longer negotiate with the troika: officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union (EU) and the European Central Bank (ECB). That did not go down well with European officials. Greece's government also said it would refuse new loans from the EU and the IMF. That raised the question of how it would finance itself.

Uber sued over India rape allegation

An Indian woman who says she was raped by a driver of web-based taxi firm Uber in Delhi has filed a lawsuit against the service in a US court. The 26-year-old woman accuses the firm of failing to ensure passengers' safety and is seeking unspecified damages. Uber said in a statement that it was co-operating with authorities to ensure the "perpetrator is brought to justice". Driver Shiv Kumar Yadav is currently on trial on rape and kidnapping charges.

When consumers give up their right to trial in financial disputes

Companies use form contracts to strip consumers of constitutional rights. Many companies don't like being sued in court when they misbehave. (Who does?) Consequently, their contracts say that consumers can't sue them in court, despite the Constitution's right to due process — or have a jury trial — referred to in both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Instead, the contracts say consumers can bring claims in arbitration. Arbitration offers several advantages to businesses. Businesses can specify in the contract that disputes will be heard by their favorite arbitration provider. Companies also like arbitration because it lets them avoid class-action lawsuits. Because many consumer claims are for small amounts, consumers must bring them as class actions — so they can share the cost of litigation with numerous other consumers — or not at all. By outlawing class-action suits, arbitration clauses insulate businesses from being sued for small claims. Consumer advocates and industry lawyers disagree about whether businesses should be able to put arbitration clauses in their form contracts. But everyone agrees that if consumers have not agreed to arbitrate, they have a right to sue in court.

ICTY upholds Bosnian Serb genocide convictions

A judge at the UN Yugoslav tribunal has upheld the convictions of five men for their role in the Srebrenica massacre. Sentences for four of the men, high-ranking officials in the Bosnian Serb Army in 1995, were also confirmed. They had appealed against their convictions in 2010 for a range of crimes including genocide. About 8,000 Bosnian men and boys were killed in Srebrenica in just three days in 1995 - the worst atrocity on European soil since the Holocaust.

Brazil graft case sets back economy

The corruption scandal at state-controlled Petróleo Brasileiro SA is now threatening Brazil's economy. Petrobras, Brazil's largest company and a major source of capital investment, is in chaos. Still scrambling to calculate the extent of the massive fraud, it has canceled planned projects and delayed payments to accused contractors, setting off a chain of defaults and credit downgrades. Thousands of laborers have been put out work building oil refineries, tankers and drilling platforms. Banks that lent money to firms tangled in the legal dragnet are cutting off credit and girding for potential losses. The turmoil is a liability for Rousseff's new economic team and it is a major stumbling block for Brazil's economy, which is already struggling with slow growth, widening deficits and an epic drought. A recent survey of economists projects GDP will grow just 0.13% this year, but even that may be optimistic. Petrobras bonds are trading near record lows, and Moody's Investors Service on Thursday downgraded all ratings for the company, which is now in danger of losing its coveted investment-grade status. Petrobras shares, meanwhile, have tumbled more than 70% since early September. Falling global oil prices are a factor. Still, Petrobras has performed far worse than its major global peers, shedding $86 billion in value over the period.

US Justice Department backs down in fight over science evidence

The Justice Department has backed down in a confrontation with a federal judge over a scientific-advisory committee's ability to explore whether prosecutors have an unfair advantage in trials with forensic evidence. US District Judge Jed Rakoff , who resigned earlier this week after the Justice Department moved to curb the committee's abilities, has agreed to return to the panel. The Justice Department has agreed to let Judge Rakoff and other panel members raise issues of how evidence is handled in pretrial proceedings, although officials aren't saying whether they will accept recommendations for changes to the rules. On Wednesday, Judge Rakoff fired off a letter to fellow members of the National Commission on Forensic Science, saying he would resign in the wake of the Justice Department's decision to prevent the group from examining how evidence is made available before trial. Judge Rakoff, a longtime jurist in Manhattan, called the department's decision "unsupportable" and wrote, "I feel I have no choice'' but to resign from the panel.

North Sea oil summit to hear pleas for action

Industry body Oil and Gas UK is to call for "meaningful action" from government in order to tackle major challenges facing North Sea operators. CEO Malcolm Webb will tell an oil and gas summit in Aberdeen on Monday that "an unpredictable and harmful business environment" has put the sector "at great risk". The body wants urgent tax cuts amid falling oil prices and rising costs. It also wants a new oil and gas regulator in place as soon as possible.

Alstom gets break on fine

When the US Justice Department announced a record $772 million foreign-bribery settlement with Alstom SA in December, there was a hitch: The French engineering company couldn't pay without hurting its ability to do business. So Alstom got a break: approval from a court to wait until its $17 billion deal with General Electric Co. closes before making the payment. The delay—the reason for which hasn't previously been reported—gives Alstom more time than some other companies have had to pay criminal penalties for violating US foreign-bribery laws, which often come due 10 business days after a sentencing.

Italy MPs elect judge Sergio Mattarella as president

Italy's parliament has elected constitutional court judge Sergio Mattarella as the country's president. Mattarella, 73, will succeed Giorgio Napolitano, 89, who stood down earlier this month citing "signs of fatigue". The result, confirmed on a third day of voting, will be seen as a boost for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who nominated Mattarella. Italy's president is largely a ceremonial role, but includes the power to appoint a prime minister.

Canada PM Harper calls for expanded terror laws

Encouraging terror attacks against Canada will become a crime under legislation proposed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The measure will also expand the powers of the country's spy agency, allowing it to take direct action to stop attacks. Work began on the bill after two attacks days apart last year.

Egypt court bans Hamas armed group

The Cairo Appeals Court for Urgent Matters on Saturday banned and declared Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (Qassam Brigades) to be a terrorist group. Qassam Brigades is the armed branch of Hamas, which is itself an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. The ruling is based on allegations by Egyptian officials that Qassam Brigades played a role in the bombing attack on Sinai Peninsula last October and that members have been smuggling weapons from Gaza into Egypt for use in the ongoing conflict between government forces and armed revolutionary groups. Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri described the verdict as a "dangerous" promotion of Israel's occupation of Palestine.

Pennsylvania law allows NRA to sue cities over gun rules

A new Pennsylvania law allows membership groups like the National Rifle Association to sue municipalities over local gun ordinances. The NRA has already filed suit against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Lancaster, claiming the cities' gun ordinances are illegal. “We think that the state legislature's been very clear that it and it alone reserves the right to regulate firearms. These municipalities have delegated authority from the general assembly and they're exceeding that authority.”

Venezuela authorizes use of force against demonstrators

Venezuelan authorities on Friday passed new regulations that will allow soldiers to use deadly force against demonstrators if they feel that their lives are at risk. These regulations were passed after a span of violent protests last year, as an attempt to maintain order in the country.

Canada Supreme Court upholds workers' right to strike

The Supreme Court of Canada held on Friday that a worker's right to strike is constitutionally protected. The court's decision came after a challenge to the constitutionality of a Saskatchewan statute that limited the ability of "essential service employees" from participating in any strike action against their employer. The court held that the statute was unconstitutional because it "substantially interferes with a meaningful process of collective bargaining," violating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Kyrgyzstan considering legislation allowing government to shut down media outlets

A spokesperson for the Kyrgyzstan government discussed proposed legislation that would allow the Kyrgyz government to shut down media outlets without requiring a court decision with Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Friday. Justice Ministry spokesman Emir Zulpuev told RFE/RL that the legislation would allow the government complete authority to close media outlets if the owner is pronounced dead and no legal successor has been appointed. The proposed legislation also allows the government to terminate media sites if the company has been liquidated or the owner's legal status as an entrepreneur is annulled. Additional amendments require media outlets to inform the Justice Ministry about editor in chief changes. Media rights advocates warn that this increased government authority could be used to restrict independent and opposition media.

Chile president proposes plan to end complete abortion ban

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Saturday announced a plan to end the country's complete ban on abortions. Bachelet stated in a televised address that she has sent a bill to Congress that would allow abortion when a mother's life is at risk, a fetus will not survive pregnancy, or when a woman is raped. Chile, a conservative and predominately Roman Catholic country, initiated its complete ban on abortion in 1990 under dictator Augusto Pinochet. The ban, which imposes a punishment of up to five years in prison, has been challenged a few times since its inception with little success.

ICC should drop cases against Bashir, Ruto

African leaders urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Saturday to drop cases against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto, or suspend the charges until African concerns are considered by the court. Bashir is accused of failing to respond to summons to answer to charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and has evaded arrest despite an ICC arrest warrant against him. Ruto is currently on trial, accused of crimes against humanity for post-election violence in 2007-08 in which more than 1,000 people died and more than 600,000 were displaced. African leaders claim the ICC has unfairly targeted Africans and urge the ICC to reconsider changes to its founding treaty. Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta claims the case against Ruto is very weak.