• MiMIC Journal

China banks fear US North Korea sanctions

China's big banks have been quietly but surely weaning themselves off North Korean money. This is not particularly about their troublesome neighbor. It is because of a fear of US repercussions. Bank branches near the North Korean border said they've been instructed not to open any new accounts for that country's citizens and businesses. This is not part of any United Nations sanctions regime. It is an attempt to head off further US measures targeting Chinese banks which are accused of doing sanctions-busting business with North Korea.

Beijing court sentences Ponzi scheme operators to life in prison

A Beijing intermediate court sentenced two brothers to life in prison on Tuesday after ruling that the brothers' peer-to-peer lending company, Ezubao, was a Ponzi scheme. One of the brothers, Ding Ning, was founder of the company and chairman of the Anhui Yucheng Holdings Group. His crimes included illegal fundraising and "smuggling precious metals." The Ponzi scheme collected the equivalent of over USD $9 billion from nearly one million investors, making it "close to one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in modern Chinese history." Twenty-five others involved in scheme were also arrested for up to 15 years.

China's currency rebounds as economic optimism returns

Though the country faces long-term problems, like soaring debt, the government’s recent moves have reassured investors that it can stave off crises.

_____________

Tell your friends and colleagues you’ve read it in Migalhas International

U.N. Security Council approves new North Korea sanctions

North Korea threatens US with 'greatest pain' after UN sanctions

North Korea has threatened the United States with the "greatest pain" it has ever suffered following new sanctions imposed by the United Nations. Pyongyang's envoy to the UN accused Washington of opting for "political, economic and military confrontation". Trump said the move was nothing compared to what would have to happen to deal with North Korea. The UN sanctions are an attempt to starve the country of fuel and income for its weapons programs. The measures restrict oil imports and ban textile exports, and were approved after North Korea's sixth and largest nuclear test earlier this month.

Trump's legal team debated whether son-in-law Jared Kushner should leave White House

A small group of White House lawyers this summer urged that President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner step down from his White House role amid a broadening probe into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russians in the 2016 election. Some of the lawyers worried that the presence of Kushner, a senior adviser with a broad domestic and foreign policy portfolio, created potential legal complications for Trump, while the probe threatened to limit Kushner's ability to perform his job. Kushner had several interactions with Russian officials in the campaign and transition that have drawn interest from investigators, and some White House lawyers warned that even casual discussions between him and Trump could spark additional scrutiny.

French protests target Macron labor reforms

Protests have taken place in cities across France against changes to the country's labor laws. The interior ministry said 223,000 protesters had attended but the unions said the number was even higher. Two of the biggest unions distanced themselves from the action, indicating they may be willing to compromise. It is the first big test for Macron,

Temer slams judiciary

Loans to West Bank settlers violate international law, HRW says

Human Rights Watch called on Israeli banks to halt the financing of settlement activity in the West Bank, arguing that the legal justification they use for doing business there isn't valid. Israel's five biggest banks, led by Bank Hapoalim Ltd. and Bank Leumi Le-Israel Ltd., are contributing "to serious human rights and international humanitarian law abuses" by financing construction in the settlements, the New York-based group said in a report. "Israeli banks are making existing settlements more sustainable, enabling the expansion of their built-up area and the take-over of Palestinian land, and furthering the de-facto annexation of the territory," the report said.

Uber's legal chief Salle Yoo is resigning

The top lawyer at Uber Technologies Inc. is departing the ride-hailing company as it faces three federal investigations into its operations and welcomes a new chief executive.

Myanmar denounces UN's 'ethnic cleansing' suggestion

Myanmar has denounced the suggestion by the UN human rights chief that its treatment of Rohingya Muslims amounts to "ethnic cleansing". The country's envoy to the UN blamed Rohingya insurgents for the violence in Rakhine state, saying that Myanmar would never tolerate such atrocities. Some 370,000 Rohingyas have crossed the border to Bangladesh since the situation escalated last month. The UN Security Council is due to meet on Wednesday to discuss the crisis.

Rebel Wilson awarded A$4.5m in magazine defamation case

Actor Rebel Wilson has been awarded A$4.5m ($3.6m) in Australia's largest payout for a defamation case. Wilson successfully argued that a series of magazine articles had wrongly portrayed her as a serial liar. In June a jury unanimously sided with Wilson, who had claimed the articles stifled her career in Hollywood. She has said she will give the money away. Bauer Media has always denied the articles were defamatory.

Supreme Court backs broad enforcement of travel ban — for now

Justice Anthony Kennedy delays implementation of an appeals court ruling that would have allowed certain refugees from six Muslim countries to enter the US despite the Trump administration's order.

Philippines cuts rights body's budget to $20

Lawmakers in the Philippines have voted to give an annual budget of just 1,000 pesos ($20) to the public body investigating the country's controversial war on drugs. The cut to the budget of the Commission on Human Rights was supported by a margin of 119 to 32 in Congress. Speaker of the House Pantaleon Alvarez labelled the commission "useless".

Judge suspended for wearing Trump hat

A Canadian judge who wore a "Make America Great Again" hat into court after the US election has been reprimanded and suspended for 30 days without pay. Ontario court justice Bernd Zabel, 69, faced a series of possible sanctions for his conduct on 9 November. The Ontario Judicial Council held an inquiry into his actions in late August. Zabel has called wearing the hat an "ill-considered" attempt at a joke. He has also apologized in open court and admitted that wearing the Donald Trump campaign hat into court was judicial misconduct.

Hillary Clinton Is 'Done,' But Not Going Away

In interviews, Clinton discussed her life since the election she didn't expect to lose and why she lost. And she offers scathing criticism of President Trump.

Americans' borrowing hits another record. Time to worry?

Americans owe more than ever before, with household debt hitting nearly $13 trillion. Some economists say the lessons of the credit bubble that led to the financial crisis are being forgotten.

Iraq votes against Kurdish independence referendum

The council of Iraq on Tuesday denied the referendum petition of Kurdistan to permit its independence.

_________________

How are we doing?

We would like to hear from you how we perform. What you like and what we should change or add… Send us an email; we aim to please!

Tell your friends and associates…

to subscribe to Migalhas International! www.migalhas.com

Express yourself

Want to share your opinion, your experience, your questions? You are welcome to do so. This forum is yours. Please contact the editor:[email protected]

Events

We welcome information about your events or conferences to come. Please contact the editor.

Sponsors

Become a sponsor. Spread your name in the business and legal spheres around the world in Migalhas International.

Subscription

To subscribe:Register your name and your address at https://www.migalhas.com

To unsubscribe:Send your name and e-mail address to in the subject line.We will remove your name soonest.

Address changes:If you want to continue to receive Migalhas International, please make sure we have your current e-mail address.

Contact

Michael Ghilissen, editor: [email protected]

Miguel Matos, publisher: [email protected]

Please feel free to send your comments, questions and suggestions to the editor.

Your comments

We always welcome information, articles, testimonials, opinions and comments about something you've read in Migalhas International. Please forward your contributions to the editor.

Confidentiality

When you add your name to Migalhas International, you can be sure that it's confidential. We do not share, trade, rent or sell this list. Our "privacy policy" contains no fine print.No one gets our list. Period.Your e-mail address is safe with us.

Sharing Migalhas International

If you'd like to share this Migalhas International with friends and colleagues, feel free to forward this issue including the copyright notice. Or, invite them to subscribe so they receive their own Migalhas International every week.

Sources

The content of the Migalhas International newsletter is edited for purposes of news reporting, comments and education from several sources, including: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The London Times, Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, The Financial Times, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Google News, International Herald Tribune, Paper Chase (jurist.law.pitt.edu), The World Press Review: https://www.worldpress.org, Forbes, Fortune, Time, Newsweek, Harvard Business Review, American Bar Association, American Lawyer Media, FindLaw.com, The National Law Journal, Reuters, Associated Press, Internet Business Law Services, Folha de S. Paulo, O Estado do S. Paulo, Lexis Nexis, West Law, CNN, The Globe and Mail, The Los Angeles Times, Wikipedia and more.

Fair use notice

This newsletter contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of legal, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

The messages that appear in this newsletter are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to be and should not be considered legal advice nor substitute for obtaining legal advice from competent, independent, legal counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.

Transmission of this information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. The information contained on this list may or may not reflect the most current legal developments.

www.migalhas.com

Copyright 2017 - Migalhas International