April 10, 2017 nº 1,857 - Vol. 14
"Bad weather always looks worse through a window."
Tom Lehrer
Read Migalhas LatinoAmérica in Spanish every Tuesday and Thursday. Visit the website at www.migalhas.com/latinoamerica
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EY report: fraud remains common in international business
There are still persistent levels of unethical business conduct around the world as there has been great political change and increased economic uncertainty, stated Ernst & Young's Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services in their 2017 Fraud Survey released on Thursday. The survey focuses on Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa. Nearly 1 in 5 respondents would be prepared to act unethically if it would benefit them and 2 in 5 believe their colleagues would also do so. The report states that the current world events line up with the feeling of discontent that comes from the results of the survey this year. "Businesses are operating in an increasingly uncertain world driven by a period of rapid political, regulatory, and economic change. This environment has created new risks for companies as they seek to meet ambitious revenue targets."
1 - Osaka first city in Japan to recognize same-sex couple foster parentes - click here.
2 - South Africa court allows continuation of rhino horn trade - click here.
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Trump to make China visit after hosting Xi for talks
Trump has accepted his counterpart Xi Jinping's invitation to make a visit to China, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Trump has been hosting the Chinese president for a two-day visit at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Last year Trump said China had "raped the US" and vowed to brand the superpower a currency manipulator. But the meeting appeared to be diplomatic, with both leaders agreeing to a new format for US-China talks. Tillerson said President Trump's trip to China would be a "state visit" in 2017, but gave no other details.
China investigates regulator of fast-moving insurance industry
Xiang Junbo, who oversaw an industry that has been behind a wave of blockbuster global deals, faces an inquiry by the Communist Party's anti-corruption agency.
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Ruling in digital copyright case puts a dent in DMCA's safe harbor shield
A federal appeals court ruling Friday has the potential to raise copyright liability risks for online platforms that allow users to moderate content post by other users. The case decided by the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals concerns the "safe harbor" protections of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, the law that insulates sites like YouTube from liability for hosting third-party content. The Ninth Circuit was hearing an appeal by a celebrity photography company seeking to revive a lawsuit it brought against social media and blogging platform LiveJournal Inc. Generally, online platforms can avoid liability by following the DMCA's notice and takedown procedures. The law relieves a website of responsibility for infringing content if it promptly removes material flagged by a copyright holder.
Egypt declares state of emergency after deadly church attacks
Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has announced a three-month state of emergency after attacks on two Coptic churches that left at least 44 dead. The measure allows authorities to make arrests without warrants and search people's homes. It needs to be approved by parliament before it is implemented. So-called Islamic State said it was behind the blasts in Tanta and Alexandria on Palm Sunday. The group has targeted Copts in Egypt recently and warns of more attacks. Sisi made a defiant speech at the presidential palace after a meeting of the national defense council to discuss the explosions.
More than 100 charged under new Pennsylvania strangulation law
The new Pennsylvania strangulation law makes it illegal to impede someone’s blood flow or breathing by "applying pressure to the throat or neck" or "blocking the nose and mouth of the person." Often, that means grabbing someone around the neck, but it could also include other actions, such as smothering someone with a pillow. The ability to charge someone with strangulation in non-fatal cases is important, domestic violence groups says, because choking rarely happens just once and it can often predict other, future danger. "One study has shown the odds of becoming a homicide victim increase by 800 percent for women who had been strangled by their partner," the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence wrote in a report.
Uber: We did not steal Google's self-driving tech
Uber has said claims it used self-driving technology stolen from Google were "demonstrably false". Waymo - a company spun out of Google - filed a lawsuit in February claiming former employee Andrew Levandowski had stolen 14,000 documents relating to LiDAR, a core technology used to guide autonomous vehicles. Levandowski went on to co-found Otto, a self-driving truck company acquired by Uber for $660m last year. Waymo requested a judge grant an injunction on the use of the disputed technology, which could take Uber’s self-driving fleet - currently being tested in a few locations in the US - off the roads. At a hearing earlier this week, Uber sought to convince a judge that an injunction would be unfair.
Russia says US broke international law in striking Syria, citing 'pretext'
Putin is calling the missile strike Trump ordered against Syria on Thursday "an act of aggression against a sovereign state delivered in violation of international law under a far-fetched pretext." Russia blamed the strike on "speculations on children's photos." At the U.N., Ambassador Nikki Haley said, "The moral stain of the Assad regime could no longer go unanswered." In the past six years, Haley said, Syria has terrorized its own people and "committed criminal acts that shocked the conscience of all humanity."
British Columbia ends high heel dress code requirements
A Canadian province has scrapped the dress code which requires female employees to wear high heels. The government of British Columbia says the requirement is discriminatory as well as being a health and safety issue because they are dangerous. It says that high heel wearers face a risk of physical injury from slipping or falling as well as possible damage to the feet, legs and back. (Click here)
Libor: Bank of England implicated in secret recording
A secret recording that implicates the Bank of England in Libor rigging has been uncovered. The 2008 recording adds to evidence the central bank repeatedly pressured commercial banks during the financial crisis to push their Libor rates down. Libor is the rate that banks lend to each other and it sets a benchmark for mortgages and loans for ordinary customers. The Bank of England said Libor was not regulated in the UK at the time. Banks setting artificially low Libor rates is called lowballing.
Venezuela opposition leader banned from office for 15 years
The Venezuelan government announced on Saturday that opposition leader Henrique Capriles has been banned from holding office for 15 years by the Venezuelan state comptroller. The ban, which was imposed for alleged "administrative irregularities" during his time as the governor of Miranda and misuse of donations from the British and Polish embassies, would bar Capriles from opposing current President Nicolas Maduro in the upcoming presidential election.
Greece agrees basic terms to unlock delayed bailout
Eurozone finance ministers say they have agreed with Greece the main elements of a deal to unlock a delayed bailout payment. Greece is now part way through its third eurozone bailout program, worth up to 86bn euros ($90bn). The program has encountered repeated delays as the lenders monitor compliance with policy conditions. Technical officials are expected to return to Athens soon to complete the negotiations.
DOL accuses Google of systemic gender compensation disparities
The US Department of Labor on Friday accused Google of engaging in compensation discrimination against female employees. As part of an ongoing investigation, DOL Regional Director Janette Wipper stated, "we found systemic compensation disparities against women pretty much across the entire workforce." Google denied the allegation, and the investigation will continue. These allegations came during a hearing in an ongoing lawsuit filed by the DOL against Google in January arising out of an audit for federal law compliance review. (Click here)
Thailand king signs new constitution
King Maha Vajiralongkorn signed a military-backed constitution into law on Thursday. The new constitution installs an electoral system for selecting the 500 members of Thailand's parliament. In this system, the Thai people will vote for one of 350 candidates. Those votes are than added together to determine which political parties will gain the remaining 150 seats. The system was adopted in the hopes that it would increase the number of seats held by medium-size parties and prevent government take over by historically large and powerful parties. The constitution also creates an un-elected upper house of parliament comprised of 250 seats. These seats will be filled at the discretion of Thailand's military. The constitution also grants Vajiralongkorn the power to appoint his own regent for when he is out of the country or in times of political crisis. The constitution has been met with numerous protests in southern Thailand. (Click here)
UK Supreme Court upholds penalties for parents who remove children from school
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on Thursday ruled that parents who remove their children from school during the term may be subject to prosecution. Jon Platt was facing this prosecution after a 7 day trip in 2015 in which he removed his daughter to vacation in Florida. The court was examining if this was a violation of The Education Act of 1996 which looks to ensure that parents make their children regularly attend school. Platt had been subject to a £120 fine, which he subsequently refused to pay. The court held that having no penalty for truancy is "not an approach to rule-keeping which any educational system can be expected to find acceptable". In a response to try and drive down delinquency rates, the Court sets the precedent that fines are acceptable for any parents whose children miss school.
Spotify may go public without raising capital
A direct listing is unconventional, but it would spare the music-streaming company the rigmarole of an I.P.O. and save on banking fees.
US blinks in clash with Twitter; drops order to unmask anti-Trump account
A day after Twitter sued to block a summons seeking information about who was behind an anonymous account, the federal government withdrew the summons.
Time
Inside the Uranium Underworld: Dark Secrets, Dirty Bombs
Newsweek
China Or Russia? U.S. May Have To Choose An Ally
Business Week
The Border Wall Is Already Giving Up Part of America
The Economist
Computer security: The myth of cyber-security
Der Spiegel
Geheim Akte Adenauer
L'Espresso
Rieccolo
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