Europe | Spain | Career

Fresh abuse claims from women picking strawberries in Spain for UK market

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Human-rights lawyers are warning that abuse claims by Moroccans picking fruit in Spain for UK supermarkets could amount to “state-sponsored human trafficking”. The international lawyers say Spanish authorities have a legal duty to ensure the allegations by the women – that they have faced exploitation and abuse while harvesting strawberries – are properly investigated by the courts. Two months ago, the Observer reported on the case of 10 Moroccan womenwho had fought for more than a year to have their claims of rape, exploitation and abuse, investigated by the Huelva police and
Africa | Nigeria | Corruption

Nigerian police arrested 65 women in a raid. Some of the women say officers raped them

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In a sparsely decorated room in Nigeria's capital city of Abuja, seven women are seated in a row, their backs turned to the assembled media to remain anonymous. One after the other, the women recount horrific physical and sexual abuse they say they were subjected to following their arrests on April 27 by officers of a special task force that raided hotels and nightclubs in Abuja. The 65 women who were arrested say they were beaten and harassed by officers, who forced them into their vans and drove them to the police station, their lawyers and NGOs told CNN. The seven women in the vid
North America | United States | Corruption

AOC, Chief of Staff Reportedly Hid $1 Million in Campaign Contributions – Could Face Jail Time?

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An explosive complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by a non-profit group alleges New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, illegally funneled nearly $1 million in campaign contributions to privately owned companies. The companies, controlled by Chakrabarti, allegedly received cash transfers from a pair of political action committees (PACs) that he personally oversaw. The complaint, filed by the National Legal and Policy Center, alleges that Ocasio-Cortez’ top aide engaged in “an elaborate scheme to avoid proper disclosur
North America | United States | Corruption

FDA: Government Recommends Untested, Unlicensed Vaccines for Pregnant Women

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In response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, the FDA has admitted, for the first time, that government agencies, including the CDC, are recommending vaccines for pregnant women that have neither been licensed for pregnant mothers by FDA nor tested for safety in clinical trials. The lawsuit, filed by Children’s Health Defense (CHD) attorney, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on behalf of Informed Consent Action Network(ICAN), a vaccine safety advocacy group, sought all clinical trial data used by FDA to approve influenza vaccines for pregnant women. The FDA’s terse reply: “We
North America | United States | Corruption

Sheila Jackson Lee Resigns from Head of Congressional Black Caucus

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Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee has resigned from the top post of the Congressional Black Caucus following a former employee’s accusation that she was fired for reporting a rape. Recently, a lawsuit was filed by a former aide to Rep. Lee, alleging that she was fired after reporting that an employee of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation raped her. The litigant says that Lee deliberately fired her after she let it be known that she was planning to sue the Foundation.
Asia | Korea | Corruption

South Korea’s Park Geun-hye sentenced to 24 years in jail

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A South Korean court has sentenced former President Park Geun-hye to 24 years in prison after she was found guilty of corruption. The disgraced former president was found guilty of several corruption charges, abuse of power and coercion in a verdict issued on Friday. She was also fined $16m. WATCH: Warrant issued for S Korea’s ex-president on corruption charges (2:13) It was alleged in the trial that Park, 66, colluded with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, and a former presidential aide, in pressuring big businesses to donate to two foundations set up to back her policy initiatives.
| Thailand | Corruption

Thailand’s Ousted Prime Minister Shinawatra Flees Abroad: The Rest of the Story

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Shortly before ousted Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was to face a court ruling for her failed populist rice subsidy scheme, she reportedly fled the country, joining her likewise fugitive brother Thaksin Shinawatra in hiding abroad. Thaksin Shinawatra was himself ousted from power in 2006 for similar charges of corruption and abuse of power. While the US and European media attempt to frame the Shinawatras as victims of powerful, democracy-adverse institutions in Thailand, sensible analysis must consider the fact that Thailand does not exist in a geopolitical or socioeconomic vacuum
Asia | Korea | Corruption

South Korea’s President Has Been Removed From Office After Court Upholds Impeachment

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South Korea's constitutional court has voted unanimously, 8-0, to uphold the impeachment of President Park Guen-hye, removing her from office after a 92-day leadership crisis and triggering a presidential election in the weeks to come. A snap election my be held within 60 days. The ruling, which was announced by the court's acting chief and televised live, made Park the nation's first democratically elected leader to be ousted. She was impeached by parliament on Dec. 9 on charges of letting a close friend meddle in state affairs, colluding with her to extort money from conglomerates, and ne
Latin America | Argentina | Corruption

Judge indicts former Argentine president in corruption case

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Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez was indicted Tuesday in a corruption case involving public works. Federal Judge Julian Ercolini approved charges of illicit association and fraudulent administration against Fernandez, and two former aides: ex-Planning Minister Julio de Vido and former Public Works Secretary Jose Lopez. Also named was businessman Lazaro Baez, whose Austral Construcciones company allegedly benefited from irregular contracts.
International | Corruption

Christine Lagarde, I.M.F. Chief, Is Found Guilty of Negligence

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Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, was found guilty on Monday of criminal charges linked to the misuse of public funds during her time as France’s finance minister, a verdict that could force her out of her post. The judge hearing the case declined, however, to impose a fine or any jail time on Ms. Lagarde, who began her second five-year term at the I.M.F. in February. The scandal has overshadowed her work at the fund, to which she was appointed in 2011, after Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as managing director when he was accused of having sexua
Asia | Korea | Corruption

Massive South Korean protests calling for President Park ouster continue in Seoul

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Massive protests roiled Seoul for the second consecutive weekend as hundreds of thousands of angry South Koreans took to the streets Saturday calling for President Park Geun-hye's resignation. The march, which included families with young children, students -- some in school uniforms -- and union members, came as opposition to Park mounts following her unprecedented admission that she shared classified information with someone who lacked the necessary security clearance.
North America | United States | Corruption

A Woman President For The United States? Absolutely…Just Not This Woman!

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There should never be a candidate for the Presidency of the Untied States, or any public office, that has as much scandal attached to her as does Hillary Clinton. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton should not have been allowed to run, let alone become the Democratic nominee and there are a lot of questions regarding how she won the nominee. Femina.com, which highlights and showcases the good that women are doing around the world, cannot support the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. As her untrustworthy number continues to increase (NYT/CBS Poll: Hillary's Untrustworthy Rating Soars
Latin America | Brazil | Corruption

President Dilma Rousseff takes stand in Brazil impeachment trial

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President Dilma Rousseff insisted Monday she had committed no crime and said she was proud that she'd been "faithful to my commitment to the nation." Brazil's post-Olympic high came to an end as Rousseff's impeachment trial began. Her remarks from the Senate floor suggested the suspended president had no intention of accepting the bid for her impeachment without a fight. "I'll plan and fight for democracy," she said. "I don't fight for my term for the power, but I fight for the democracy for truth and justice and the people of my country."
North America | United States | Corruption

CDC Official Steps Down After Coca-Cola ILSI Scandal Comes to Light

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Two days after it was revealed that a veteran leader within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was assisting Coca-Cola and International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) in influencing world health authorities on issues related to sugar and beverage policy, Dr. Barbara Bowman has now stepped down from her position. Dr. Barbara Bowman, the disgraced former director of the CDC’s division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention began working with the CDC in 1992 and has since been involved with a number of different initiatives within that division which is charged with providing �