Tag: All Regions
DOJ in talks to drop criminal prosecution against Boeing
The United States Department of Justice is in talks to drop a criminal prosecution against Boeing (BOE, Washington National) stemming from two fatal B737 MAX crashes, according to a May 18 court filing. Instead, the DOJ says the matter is likely to be resolved through a settlement that will not result in a criminal conviction. Multiple outlets reported on a May 16 meeting between the DOJ and law firms representing some of the 346 people killed in the crashes in 2018 and 2019. Boeing faces…
Texas alleges BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard used their holdings in coal companies to reduce U.S. coal production
Today, the Justice Department, joined by the Federal Trade Commission (the “Agencies”) filed a statement of interest in the Eastern District of Texas in the case of Texas et al. v. BlackRock, Inc. The States’ lawsuit—led by the Texas Attorney General—alleges that BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard used their management of stock in competing coal companies to induce reductions in output, resulting in higher energy prices for American consumers. This is the first formal statement by the Agencies in federal…
Gaza being deliberately asphyxiated by Israeli forces
As part of the expansion of their ground operations, Israeli forces have issued widescale evacuation orders, further limiting people’s access to medical care and MSF’s ability to provide it. On 19 May, for example, an evacuation order covering almost the entire eastern part of Khan Younis, at the edge of Nasser hospital, forced people to immediately move towards Al-Mawasi area. The Site Management Cluster estimates that over 138,900 people were forcibly displaced between 15-20 May. The intensified Israeli bombardments and evacuation…
Former Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes
A former defense contractor pleaded guilty today to tax crimes related to his scheme to defraud the United States and evade taxes on income that he earned from his contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense. The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Douglas Edelman founded and owned 50% of Mina Corp. and Red Star Enterprises (Mina/Red Star), a defense contracting business that received more than $7 billion from contracts with the U.S. Department of…
Myanmar militia leader sanctioned by US over cyber scam connections
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned a Myanmar militia group and its leader on Monday for their alleged participation in the booming cyber fraud industry. The designation targets the Karen National Army (KNA) and Saw Chit Thu, a longtime power broker in the Myawaddy area of Karen State along the border with Thailand. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also sanctioned his two sons, Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit. The KNA, who until mid-2024 were known as the…
Canada Moves to Take Ownership of Stranded Russian Cargo Plane, Hand It to Kyiv
Canada is moving forward with a legal bid to gain full possession of a Russian Antonov An-124 cargo plane and potentially hand it over to Ukraine, the country’s foreign ministry has said. The Antonov An-124 — the world’s largest mass-produced cargo aircraft — has been stranded at Toronto Pearson International Airport for over three years due to airspace restrictions that Canada imposed due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “The Attorney General of Canada commenced forfeiture proceedings by seeking the…
US Approves F-16 Maintenance Deal For Jets Already Transferred To Ukraine
In October 2024, the US Coast Guard spotted two Chinese maritime enforcement vessels operating alongside a pair of Russian border patrol boats as they transited the Bering Sea, just kilometers from Alaskan waters. It was the third consecutive year that a joint Russian-Chinese military convoy sailed through the strategic waterway. A year earlier, the two nations staged joint naval exercises in the region with 11 ships — a clear signal of their growing military cooperation near US territory. The October…
Ukraine, U.S. Sign Minerals Deal, Tying Trump to Kyiv
Trump had originally sought $500 billion in mineral wealth — around four times what the United States has contributed to Ukraine since the war. U.S. presence against ‘bad actors’ Trump has balked at offering security guarantees to Ukraine and has rejected its aspiration to join NATO. But Trump said on Wednesday that a U.S. presence on the ground would benefit Ukraine. “The American presence will, I think, keep a lot of bad actors out of the country or certainly out…
U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 990 “Illegal Aliens”
Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central…
Canada’s Role in a Shifting Global Order — with Mark Carney | Prof G Conversations
Mark Carney, Canada’s 24th Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party, joins Scott to discuss the country’s economic outlook, how Canada fits into a shifting global order, and whether the U.S.-Canada relationship can be repaired amid rising trade tensions.
Gaza has become a mass grave for Palestinians and those helping them
MSF considers that only international and independent investigations can bring to light the circumstances of, and the responsibilities for, these attacks on aid workers. Although the situation has already been catastrophic for over 18 months, over the past three weeks, MSF has witnessed several incidents involving the killing of humanitarian and medical workers. The coordination of humanitarian movements with Israeli authorities, known as the Humanitarian Notification System, an already imperfect mechanism, has become more unreliable and is now barely affording…
China orders its airlines to stop accepting Boeing jets, report says
The Chinese government has told the country’s domestic airlines to stop accepting deliveries of Boeing jets as a trade war between the world’s two largest economies escalates, Bloomberg News reports.China is also instructing its carriers to stop buying airline parts and other components from U.S. companies, according to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the situation.Boeing didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The aviation giant’s shares fell $4.88, or 3%, to $154.40 in pre-market trading. The order to stop…
Hungary amends constitution to ban gay parades
Hungarian MPs have passed changes declaring that children’s rights to moral development supersede the right to peaceful assembly The Hungarian parliament has approved a constitutional amendment that upholds a ban on public LGBTQ+ events earlier introduced in the country. Hungarian MPs voted in legislation last month prohibiting gay parades and allowing the authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify their participants and issue fines of $500. The law was introduced by the ruling Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor…
Why bonds, not stocks, could predict the next economic crisis in the US
United States President Donald Trump’s tariffs have roiled financial markets globally. But while Trump’s trade salvoes have sent stock markets on a rollercoaster ride, it is the turmoil in the bond markets – specifically the fall of bonds in tandem with stocks – that has prompted the most concern among economists. What are bonds? Bonds are a type of investment that involves the buyer lending money to a government or corporation for a specified period. In return for their investment,…
Did Trump really ‘exempt’ Chinese phones, chips from tariffs?
United States President Donald Trump has threatened new tariffs on Chinese electronic goods, three days after his administration announced exemptions on smartphones, laptops, flash drives and a host of other tech products from levies he has announced since April 2. Those exemptions provided relief to US tech companies reliant on Chinese manufacturing, like Apple and chip company Nvidia, which saw their stocks rise considerably after the release of Friday’s notice. Then came Monday’s announcement, which sparked criticism of Trump over…
China halts exports of critical materials amid trade war with US – NYT
China has halted exports of several critical rare earth metals and magnets amid a deepening trade war with the US, the New York Times has reported. The move follows US President Donald Trump’s decision to drastically raise tariffs on imports from China and other countries earlier this month.