Honduras drug claims compound COVID-19 concerns

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Private Investment ◽  
Police Chief ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Foreign Private Investment ◽  
Illegal Activities ◽  
Contagion Risk ◽  
High Level ◽  
Second Wave

Subject Corruption claims and COVID-19. Significance The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 30 charged Honduras’s former police chief Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares with drug conspiracy and weapons offences. A statement on the charges notes allegations that the illegal activities were carried out on behalf of President Juan Orlando Hernandez and his brother, Juan Antonio. Long-running allegations are fuelling popular distrust of the Hernandez administration, particularly in the context of mounting concerns over corruption related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Impacts US aid and financing to Honduras will continue as long as no US criminal investigations are launched into Hernandez himself. Honduras’s support for US migrant deportations may ensure that no such investigations begin while Hernandez is in office. Frequent scandals will deter foreign private investment until serious efforts are made to root out high-level corruption. Any large protests that might take place as lockdown eases would pose a COVID-19 contagion risk, increasing the chances of a second wave.

June summits signal progress on EU-US trade ties

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Taxation ◽  
Gas Pipeline ◽  
Security Technology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transatlantic Cooperation ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Government ◽  
Nord Stream ◽  
High Level ◽  
Two Sides

Significance The two sides have suspended tariffs arising from their dispute over subsidies to Airbus and Boeing, are working on an international deal on corporate taxation and have established a high-level council to discuss issues at the nexus of security, technology and trade. Impacts A major aim of closer transatlantic cooperation is better coordination of policies with respect to China. Closer transatlantic cooperation over China might soften US opposition to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. It will be difficult for the US government to pass legislation concerning trade given the Democrats' precarious majority in both houses.

Citizen Chen: a challenging test for bilateral diplomacy

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Barthélémy Michalon
Keyword(s):  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Specific Situation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa ◽  
High Level

Subject area Diplomatic and consular policies; legal aspects of international relations and Asia regional scenario. Study level/applicability Undergraduate. Case overview In April 2012, high-level officials from China and the USA were about to meet in Beijing in the framework of the bilateral Strategic and Economic Dialogue, organized on a yearly basis. The event was always delicate, due to the ambiguous relationship existing between the two countries, which were at the same time rivals and dependent on one another. That time, the tension previous to the meeting increased significantly: a Chinese human rights activist had just sought and obtained diplomatic protection in the US Embassy in Beijing, thus creating an embarrassing situation for both States' foreign departments […] How could they possibly solve this contentious issue without affecting their already sensitive relationship? Expected learning outcomes Analytical: to be aware of the political nature of the current Chinese Government; to realize the concrete and practical implications of an Embassy's special status; to balance two contradictory objectives, in a specific situation where none of them can be fully discarded; to contrast and try to combine long-term goals (in this case, to maintain a functioning relationship between two main world powers) with short-term objectives (in this case, how to deal with a Chinese activist that required protection against his own country's security forces); to find a modus vivendi (conciliation) between values and interests; to get convinced that certain kinds of negotiations cannot be conceived through a “win or lose” approach: in this case, the only way out must be respectful of the two parties' core interests; and to take into account that image preservation (“face-saving”) must be included within any country's objectives in any situation involving diplomatic means. Conceptual: the purpose is to familiarize the students with specific concepts, such as: best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA), which is to be mentioned as part of the discussion (it is not included in the case study itself); interdependence; (purported) Group of Two; asylum and refuge; Immunity; and sending state/receiving state. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

US charges designed to make Russia hacking irrefutable

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Party ◽  
Content Type ◽  
White House ◽  
Russian State ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Government ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
To Come ◽  
High Level ◽  
First Time

Subject The US indictment of Russian intelligence officers. Significance The latest indictment to come out of the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is the most striking yet as it targets Russian state actors for the first time. It sets out charges of hacking into Democratic Party networks, stealing more than 50,000 documents and using them for disruptive purposes in the 2016 US presidential election. Despite the considerable level of detail in the evidence offered, the White House has yet to address publicly the issues raised or confronting Russia. Impacts US government, election software providers, parties and social media platforms will face pressure to prepare for the midterm elections. Detailed attribution of cyber interference will likely weaken the notion that perpetrators enjoy a high level of plausible deniability. Hackers will continue to employ 'spearphishing' for its simplicity, success rate and cost-effectiveness.

Ransomware rise calls for stronger cyber resilience

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Insurance Industry ◽  
Direct Costs ◽  
Lost Sales ◽  
Employee Productivity ◽  
Incident Response ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
The Us ◽  
New Business

Subject Ransomware attacks. Significance The US Department of Justice has described ransomware as a “new business model for cybercrime”. Ransomware makes part (or all) of an organisation’s computer systems unavailable and can affect the victim in various ways: system downtime, lost employee productivity, lost sales, and direct costs including incident response and restoring/replacing affected machines. Impacts A rise in remote working due to COVID-19 will have a mixed impact on the escalation of ransomware attacks. Organisations stressing good cybersecurity hygiene on both work and domestic digital devices will be better prepared. The cybersecurity insurance industry will continue to expand.

Uncertainties over COVID-19 impacts fuel market fears

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Bond Markets ◽  
Market Reactions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Earnings ◽  
The Us ◽  
Viable Approach ◽  
Equity Index ◽  
Second Wave

Subject Financial market reactions to the pandemic Significance While policymakers and epidemiologists broadly agree that the only viable approach for substantially relaxing lockdowns and social distancing measures is mass community testing and contact tracing, there are significant differences of opinion on how sharply infection curves need to flatten before restrictions are eased. The risk that lockdowns -- which have become dangerously politicised -- will be lifted prematurely, causing a second wave of infections, poses a significant threat to the global economy and markets. Impacts The US S&P 500 equity index has surged since late March, but the bleak corporate earnings outlook means this is unlikely to be a bull run. The spread between Italian and German bonds has widened since late March, reflecting investors' persistent doubts about EU cooperation. The major central banks are likely to invest more than twice as much in sovereign and corporate bonds as in 2008, distorting bond markets.

US prison population will increase under Trump

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Prison Population ◽  
Attorney General ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Private Prisons ◽  
Market Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Profile ◽  
The Us ◽  
2016 Election ◽  
Incarcerated Population

Subject Politics of the US criminal justice system. Significance On February 23, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded a memorandum issued by his predecessor aimed at phasing out Department of Justice contracts with companies for operating private prisons. Stocks of these companies rose following President Donald Trump's November 2016 election win, and his administration is pursuing policies that will increase the size of the incarcerated population. Impacts Election-driven pressures to cut costs will dissuade officeholders from funding recidivism-reducing education and job programmes. Lack of competition in the private prison sector will undercut market mechanisms for better service delivery at lower cost. Voters are likely to focus on memorable high-profile crimes when establishing policy preferences rather than overall statistical declines. Conservatives are more likely to overestimate crime trends than liberals, which will limit political dividends for pro-reform Republicans. Federal detention of gang members and deportation to their countries of origin could consolidate transnational criminal networks.

US-Colombian development plans face major difficulties

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
International Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Community Relations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Finance ◽  
The Us ◽  
Development Plans

Significance The plan aims to increase US private investment in Colombia and promote development in rural areas that have seen a resurgence of violence. The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), a recently revamped lender, is meant to play a key role in the strategy. Impacts Colombia Crece reflects Washington’s determination to counter Chinese influence in Latin America more aggressively. Concerns about Chinese influence are not simply a Trump-era phenomenon, but rather reflect a growing bipartisan consensus. Strategies such as aggressive coca eradication risk damaging government-community relations in areas targeted by the initiative.

Kleptocracy and foreign corruption manifesting in illicit financial flows

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 681-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ted C. Moorman
Keyword(s):  
Ethics Education ◽  
Financial Crime ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Financial Flows ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Foreign Government ◽  
Creative Solutions ◽  
The Us ◽  
Asset Forfeiture

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the place of kleptocracy and foreign corruption within the broader framework of financial crime. This facilitates understanding the importance of kleptocracy and foreign corruption as social problems. Two other aims are to better understand the most problematic components of a kleptocratic network and the most effective combatants of that network. A subsequent goal is to offer solutions from a broad range of interventions, including policy, technology, education, research and collaborative efforts. Design/methodology/approach Theoretical economic concepts are used to analyze the importance of kleptocracy and foreign corruption. A small in-depth survey of 15 experts is conducted to identify the most problematic components of kleptocratic networks and the most effective combatants of those networks. The proposed solutions are based on a combination of argumentation, econometric developments, application of trends in related fields and material from in-depth surveys. Findings This paper identifies kleptocracy and foreign corruption as one of the most, if not the most, devastating financial crime according to its impact on the total marginal utility of wealth. Experts identify foreign kleptocrats or corrupt foreign government officials as the most problematic entities in kleptocratic networks and the most effective combatant is identified as the US Department of Justice. By adding up fines and asset forfeiture related to corruption, penalties are found to be a small fraction of the problem in terms of monetary magnitude. Research limitations/implications The paper does not attempt to make causal claims because of the nature of the paper’s purpose and methodology. Practical implications The paper offers suggestions and methods for academic researchers who may wish to pursue a research agenda that is empirical and forensic with the aim of combatting kleptocracy and foreign corruption. The paper describes how information on kleptocracy and foreign corruption can be implemented into business and economics curriculum. Social implications Kleptocracy and foreign corruption are important problems, and creative solutions are desperately needed. Originality/value The paper shows how understanding and combatting kleptocracy and foreign corruption can be considered an interdisciplinary activity, touching on fields including technology, economics, business, ethics, education, law, policy, statistics and research methods.

‘Trumpflation’ trading may run out of steam in 2017

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Investment ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Treasury Bonds ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
President Elect ◽  
International Investors ◽  
First Time ◽  
Trump Administration

Subject The Fed’s more hawkish stance underpins ‘Trumpflation’ trade. Significance The US Federal Reserve (Fed) signalled a faster-than-anticipated pace of 2017 monetary tightening in its interest rate meeting earlier this month, driving the dollar and US Treasury yields higher. International investors are positioning themselves to take advantage of reflationary economic policies once President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. The policy-sensitive yield on two-year US Treasury bonds has risen to the highest level since late 2009 while the dollar index has surged to a 14-year high. Impacts The euro is likely to remain weak, keeping it on course to reach parity with the dollar for the first time since 2002 next year. Having peaked at 13.4 trillion dollars in August, the stock of negative-yielding debt is likely to continue to fall. Relations between the Fed and the Trump administration could deteriorate if the two criticise each other’s policies. If public investment does rise sharply, encouraging faster tightening, this could discourage and crowd out private investment.

New US policy will increase Taiwan Strait tension

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Term Limits ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
New Developments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Senate ◽  
The One ◽  
High Level

Subject New developments in relations between Taiwan, China and the United States. Significance On February 28, the US Senate unanimously passed a bill, the Taiwan Travel Act, which -- when the president signs it into law -- will allow for high-level visits by government officials between Taiwan and the United States. China immediately criticised the measure, arguing that it undercut the ‘one-China’ principle on which China-US relations are based. China threatened vague retaliatory measures against Taiwan. Impacts China will ramp up pressure on Taiwan through military activities, such as airspace violations. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen will lose support within her party as she resists calls to pursue formal independence from China. Chinese President Xi Jinping's removal of presidential term limits and other illiberal policies will deepen suspicion of China in Taiwan.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document