July 3, 2017 nº 1.881 - Vol. 14
“Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.”
Hermann Hesse
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Read Migalhas LatinoAmérica in Spanish every Tuesday and Thursday. Visit the website at www.migalhas.com/latinoamerica
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Ukraine says Russia behind recent cyber attack
On Saturday the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) accused a recent cyber attack on Russia and the Kremlin. The SBU stated that the hackers behind the most recent attack are the same as those who conducted an attack on the Ukrainian power grid in December 2016. Experts worldwide are still trying to decide who was behind the most recent attack which took out computers, disrupted shipping, and hit banks across the globe. Some experts are unsure if the Russians are the ones behind the attack, as Russian oil companies Gazprom and Rosneft both reported that they were affected by the attack. There was a minor ransom demand for $300, but it has been concluded that financial enrichment was not the purpose behind the attack. The SBU stated that "the main purpose of the virus was the destruction of important data, disrupting the work of public and private institutions in Ukraine and spreading panic among the people". While purpose of the recent attack was directed against financial institutions, it quickly spread to other sectors.
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China calls US warship 'a provocation'
Beijing has called the presence of a US warship near a disputed island in the South China Sea "a serious political and military provocation". The USS Stethem sailed within the territorial limits of Triton Island, part of the Paracel Islands, claimed by China and others. China responded by sending ships and fighter jets to the island. The US has repeatedly warned China against its occupation and aggressive reclamation of islands in disputed waters, but Beijing says it is within its sovereign rights to do so.
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Trump makes politics a performance art
On Saturday, Trump tweeted that he's redefining the social media behavior of a "modern-day" president. Trump's choice of a professional wrestling clip for his latest tweet was particularly apt: The drama is contrived; the action is fake; the outcome predetermined. As Trump said in a speech lashing out against his media critics on Saturday night: "I'm president, and they're not." He's going to keep reminding us that it's not the same game anymore. Welcome to the modern presidency.
Gulf states give Qatar 48-hour extension
Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states have extended the deadline for Qatar to accept a list of demands or face further sanctions by 48 hours. The initial deadline for Qatar to agree to the group's 13 demands, including the shutting down of the Al Jazeera news network, expired on Sunday. The Gulf state has said that it will submit its formal response in a letter delivered to Kuwait on Monday. Qatar denies accusations from its neighbors that it funds extremism. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain have accused Qatar of harboring their opponents - including political Islamists such as the Muslim Brotherhood, which is viewed as a particular threat by the absolute monarchies - and giving them a platform on the Al Jazeera satellite channel, which is funded by the Qatari state. Qatar has been under unprecedented diplomatic and economic sanctions for weeks from Saudi Arabia and its allies, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. Allegedly, Qatar was also asked to sever links with so-called Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah. The demands have not been officially unveiled. Their publication has increased the friction between the two sides.
Germany votes for hefty social media fines
Social media companies in Germany face fines of up to 50m euros ($57.1; £43.9m) if they fail to remove "obviously illegal" content in time. From October, Facebook, YouTube, and other sites with more than two million users in Germany must take down posts containing hate speech or other criminal material within 24 hours. Content that is not obviously unlawful must be assessed within seven days. The new law is one of the toughest of its kind in the world. Failure to comply will result in a 5m euro penalty, which could rise to 50m euros depending on the severity of the offence. The bill has faced criticism from human right's campaigners saying the violations covered by the bill are highly dependent on context, context which platforms are in no position to assess. The law will not come into force until after the German federal elections, which will be held in September. (Click here)
Cop shooting death cases raise question: when is fear reasonable?
Many Americans believe that convictions of law enforcement officers for shooting someone while on duty are too rare. But experts say jurors are hesitant to convict cops for making mistakes on the job.
Austria Constitutional Court: okay for government to seize Hitler's birth-home
The Austria Constitutional Court on Friday ruled that the government seizure of the apartment complex where Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was born is constitutional. The Court elaborated that "the expropriation of Adolf Hitler’s birthplace in Braunau (Upper Austria) by law was in the public interest, commensurate and not without compensation, and therefore not unconstitutional." The government felt it was necessary to seize the property to ensure that it did not become a pilgrimage site for neo-nazis, who have turned it into a meeting place in recent years.
Iowa Supreme Court: private citizens can sue government officials for rights violations
In a narrow 4-3 decision, the Supreme Court of Iowa ruled on Friday that former Iowa Workers' Compensation Commissioner, and now chief judge of the board, Christopher Godfrey can sue high-ranking government officials, including Governor Kim Reynolds and former Governor Terry Branstad, for violating equal protection and due process rights granted by the Iowa Constitution. Specifically, the decision allows Democrat Godfrey to seek damages against Republican Branstad for political retaliation. But more broadly, the ruling opens the door for private citizens to seek monetary damages from government officials who have violated their rights under the state's constitution, a ruling with parallels to the landmark US Supreme Court case Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents.
UK withdraws from international fishing arrangement
The United Kingdom (UK) government on Sunday announced its withdrawal from a fishing arrangement made with other countries allowing them to fish within the UK waters. The London Fisheries Convention, originally signed in 1964, allowed Irish, Dutch, French, German, and Belgian ships to fish within six tothe twelve nautical miles of each other's coastlines. According to Environment Secretary Michael Gove, the withdrawal will allow the UK to take back control of fishing waters, regulate future fishing stocks and establish the UK as an "independent coastal state" since its withdrawal from the European Union (EU). Due to the withdrawal, UK ships will also lose the right to fish in waters six to twelve nautical miles offshore from the other countries.
Connecticut governor signs legislation targeting opioid epidemic
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed a bill into law on Friday which takes aim at the state's ongoing opioid epidemic. Calling the widespread epidemic "a complex crisis that does not have one root cause, nor... a simple solution," Mallow had initially introduced the legislation, now codified as Public Act 17-131, in January. After months of debate and amendment, the state House of Representatives unanimously passed the legislation on May 31, and the Senate did the same a week later. The governor says that the new law, among other things, will increase data sharing among state agencies regarding opioid abuse, facilitate the destruction of unused medicine, require electronic prescriptions, allow patients to voluntarily indicate that they do not want to be prescribed opioids, and reduce the length of opioid prescriptions to minors from seven days to five days. Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman says the new law will help "curb the opioid epidemic - and prevent new victims."
S.E.C. lets all firms keep parts of I.P.O. filings secret
The regulator is expanding a program that has let smaller companies and technology start-ups keep some information secret early in the I.P.O. process.
Odebrecht FAMILY LOOSENS GRIP ON SCANDAL-PLAGUED CONSTRUCTION GIANT
The billionaire family that owns Brazil’s Odebrecht plans to relinquish its grip over the board and turn all of the firm’s businesses public, as the company battles to emerge from one of the largest corruption scandals in history.