Javier Duarte, governor of the state of Veracruz, attends a news conference in Xalapa, Mexico, August 10, 2015 (Reuters/Stringer). Last June, Mexico elected new governors in twelve of its thirty-one states. As millions of voters went to the urns, corruption was a top concern (along with insecurity). Eight states saw the incumbent party kicked out; in four—Veracruz, Quintana Roo, Chihuahua, and Durango—the PRI lost for the first […]
By Jack Kim and Ju-min Park | SEOUL SEOUL South Korean opposition parties vowed on Wednesday to push ahead to try to impeach President Park Geun-hye amid a growing influence-peddling scandal, rejecting her offer to resign, and called on members of her Saenuri Party to join them. In a dramatic move that shifted the burden of resolving the crisis engulfing her presidency, Park asked parliament on Tuesday […]
The first lawsuits by families of victims of last year’s crane crash in Makkah have been filed at a Saudi Arabian court, local media said on Tuesday. Five legal cases have been filed at the Summary Court in Jeddah, according to Saudi Gazette. The cases reportedly claim compensation after 110 people died and more than 200 others were injured when a crane involved in the redevelopment of […]
HANOI A high-profile Vietnamese activist on Wednesday lost a bid to overturn a 20-month jail term for protesting against illegal land grabs, her lawyer said, after a judge upheld a lower court ruling that had outraged human rights groups. Vietnam’s boom in real estate in recent years has spurred protests by small landowners evicted to make way for construction projects. Many say the evictions are illegal, with […]
5791 25 by Shannon K. O’Neil October 21, 2016 Brazil’s President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma pose for a group picture during BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit in Benaulim, in the western state of Goa, India, October 16, 2016 (Reuters/Danish Siddiqui). BRICS Fund InfrastructureAs commodity prices have […]
BEIJING China called on Wednesday on Taiwan to stay out of Hong Kong’s affairs, saying self-ruled Taiwan was “talking nonsense” about the former British colony and warning it not to damage Hong Kong’s stability. Chinese leaders are concerned about a fledgling independence movement in Hong Kong, which returned to mainland rule in 1997 with a promise of autonomy, and recent protests in the city. Beijing staged a […]
Replicas of R$100,00 banknotes are hung on a clothesline during a protest of the national union of prosecutors against money laundering in Brazil, at the Esplanade of Ministries in Brasilia March 18, 2015 (Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino). The Brazilian Federal Revenue Secretariat (SRF) has some good news to cheer: a big haul of fines and taxes from assets held offshore by Brazilians. The deadline for filing under Brazil’s equivalent […]
The most powerful judge Australia is a woman who dropped out of high school. Susan Kiefel in January will become the next chief justice of the High Court of Australia. Her appointment, announced Tuesday by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Attorney-General George Brandis, marks the first time that a woman will preside over the country’s highest court. Reports the Australian: When the Prime Minister phoned to lock […]
State laws used to criminally prosecute disruptive public-school students may be unconstitutional, the Department of Justice is arguing in court papers. The Justice Department is largely siding with the American Civil Liberties Union in the group’s federal lawsuit that seeks to strike down two South Carolina statutes, including its so-called “disturbing schools” law. The statute makes […] (via WSJ)
Privacy is the pull, but that’s hardly the only draw to a private island. There’s something about the prospect of having a world within the world to yourself – and the people you choose to have along with you there – that takes you back to the intense childhood fun of creating a secret hideaway. A den, a clubhouse, a place that feels like it belongs outside […]
For six and a half years, Donald Trump battled fraud allegations against his now-defunct Trump University, claiming it duped students into thinking they’d get personal access to the real estate mogul and the secrets to his success. After both sides vowed to go to trial, the litigation settled for $25 million the week before Thanksgiving, days before a trial was set to begin in San Diego. As part of the […]
By Lawrence Delevingne | NEW YORK NEW YORK At least four U.S. agencies are investigating former officials of a now-bankrupt oil and gas company once majority owned by troubled hedge fund manager Platinum Partners, according to a legal filing submitted last week. In a motion filed with federal bankruptcy court on Nov. 23, a group of 10 directors, officers and employees of Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations […]
5825 25 by Shannon K. O’Neil November 4, 2016 DATE IMPORTED:November 02, 2016Protestors call for the removal of President Jacob Zuma outside court in Pretoria, South Africa, November 2, 2016 (Reuters/Mike Hutchings). Report May Bring Down South Africa’s President New allegations may finally bring down teflon president Jacob Zuma. Despite his earlier legal protests, South Africa’s public protector’s office released a report suggesting that a wealthy family close […]
By Jonathan Stempel Shmaltz Brewing Co says some of its beer names, including several with Jewish themes, “can be a bit unorthodox.” Now a large California winery wants one of those names to be reformed. Sutter Home Winery Inc sued Shmaltz late on Monday, accusing the brewery of infringing its “Menage a Trois” trademark by selling a 12-pack of its beers with the “MANNAge a Trois” name. […]
5836 25 by Shannon K. O’Neil November 11, 2016 A man displays a new 2000 Indian rupee banknote after withdrawing from a bank (Reuters/Mukesh Gupta). France’s Anticorruption ReformsAfter years of criticism for failing to prosecute foreign bribery, France adopted a new anticorruption law that will force companies doing business on its soil to take more aggressive preventative measures, and also gives the government stronger tools to fight […]
Vocus Communications has said it will be investing more in data analytics and digitising its customer service processes over the next year in order to continue competing in the telecommunications landscape. “This year, we have decided to invest in our data analytics capability, taking advantage of the forced shift from copper to fibre occurring over the next few years in both Australia and New Zealand,” Vocus chair […]
By Joseph Sipalan | KUALA LUMPUR KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia’s prime minister has expressed support for strict Islamic laws as he seeks to consolidate support of ethnic Malay Muslims at a party meeting this week, as frustration over graft and the economy cloud prospects for the next election. Prime Minister Najib Razak has battled calls to resign over the last 18 months, as a scandal at his pet […]
With the Trump cabinet filling up, but a number of key positions still to be announced, vice-president-elect Mike Pence told Fox News tonight that “there will be very important announcements tomorrow.” Vice President-elect @mike_pence: There will be very important announcements tomorrow. #NewsAlert pic.twitter.com/VOAXMsBhMa — Fox News (@FoxNews) November 29, 2016 So who will it be? POSTS ALREADY FILLED WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF * Republican […]
Law Blog rounds up the morning’s legal news: Sessions selected: President-elect Donald Trump offered the key cabinet post of Attorney General to Sen. Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.), giving the job to one of his most trusted supporters and a longtime critic of U.S. immigration policy. [WSJ, NYT] Free to freeze: A U.K. High Court judge […] (via WSJ)
ABU DHABI // Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, has praised the sacrifices of the heroes who died while defending the UAE. “The loss of our brave servicemen is painful to us and to their families. Despite the great loss, we are proud of them and […]
Speculation that vast numbers of illegal immigrants are on voter rolls isn’t just coming from President-elect Donald Trump’s Twitter account. A similar concern was aired by Republican Kansas officials in a recent case before skeptical federal appeals court judges weighing a Kansas law requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration at state DMV offices. Mr. […] (via WSJ)
A U.K. High Court judge allowed a 14‐year‐old girl dying of cancer to cryogenically preserve her body in the child’s hope that she could be resuscitated and cured in the far-out future. The judge described the case as extraordinary, saying it presented questions that have never come before the courts in the country. “It is […] (via WSJ)
Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before. Italian bank stocks are being hit hard this morning, leading declines across European financials ahead of a key referendum on December 4 that could have major consequences for plans to revive Italy’s troubled financial system. UniCredit – Italy’s most systemically important bank – is the biggest loser, falling 4 per cent, while Banco Popolare, Banca Popolare di […]
By Ju-min Park | SEOUL SEOUL South Korean President Park Geun-hye cannot be questioned by Tuesday as prosecutors have requested, her lawyer said, as she resists growing calls to resign over an influence scandal that has engulfed her administration. Park is under intense pressure to step down over the crisis involving a close friend accused of meddling in state affairs, with the main opposition party seeking to […]
