U.S. signs antitrust cooperation agreement with Chile
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The United States on Thursday signed a cooperation agreement with Chile to enable antitrust agencies in the two countries to improve their law enforcement relationships.
“Chile has one of the most advanced antitrust systems in Latin America,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz in a statement after the signature ceremony, adding, “They are natural partners for us, and I’m pleased that we can formalize and strengthen the great relationship we have with them.”
Leibowitz signed the agreement with Felipe Irarrázabal, Chile’s national economic prosecutor. Christine Varney, assistant attorney general in charge of the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division also signed on behalf of the department.
“This new agreement is a significant step in developing a close relationship between the antitrust agencies of the United States and Chile. It is an important tool that will be used to protect consumers in both countries,” said Varney.
She said provisions in the agreement “provide a sound basis for enhanced cooperation on a day-to-day basis, while minimizing possible conflicts between the two nations’ antitrust enforcement activities.”
“We look forward to working more closely with our Chilean colleagues at a time when sound antitrust enforcement is a high priority in both the United States and Chile,” Varney added.
U.S. antitrust agencies already have similar agreements with Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and Mexico.
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U.S. signs antitrust cooperation agreement with Chile
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The United States on Thursday signed a cooperation agreement with Chile to enable antitrust agencies in the two countries to improve their law enforcement relationships.
“Chile has one of the most advanced antitrust systems in Latin America,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz in a statement after the signature ceremony, adding, “They are natural partners for us, and I’m pleased that we can formalize and strengthen the great relationship we have with them.”
Leibowitz signed the agreement with Felipe Irarrázabal, Chile’s national economic prosecutor. Christine Varney, assistant attorney general in charge of the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division also signed on behalf of the department.
“This new agreement is a significant step in developing a close relationship between the antitrust agencies of the United States and Chile. It is an important tool that will be used to protect consumers in both countries,” said Varney.
She said provisions in the agreement “provide a sound basis for enhanced cooperation on a day-to-day basis, while minimizing possible conflicts between the two nations’ antitrust enforcement activities.”
“We look forward to working more closely with our Chilean colleagues at a time when sound antitrust enforcement is a high priority in both the United States and Chile,” Varney added.
U.S. antitrust agencies already have similar agreements with Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and Mexico.
View full post on Trade Agreements Stories
Glencore announces largest British stock IPO at $60 billion
London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – Mining and commodities trader Glencore announced Thursday its plans to launch in May a $60-billion (GBP 37 billion) initial public offering. The value involved makes the flotation the largest in London stock market’s history.
The sock offering is expected to raise up to $11 billion (GBP 18 billion) by selling 15 to 20 percent of the company’s equity to international investors.
With the public offering, Glencore’s 485 partner are expected to receive an average windfall of $100 million (GBP 164 million) each, which would turn most of them into multimillionaires overnight. However, the cash bonanza will be locked in for up to five years.
Glencore Chief Executive Ivan Glasenberg said the company will use a large part of the stock market float to hike its stake in Kazakh gold and copper mine Kazzinc to 93 percent from 57 percent.
On the same day as the IPO, the company appointed Simon Murray as new chairman. Murray was former head of Hutchinson Whampoa, a Hong Kong company that operated a mobile phone service.
According to reports, Murray was a second choice for the post. The initial choice was Lord Browne, ex chief of British Petroleum. Browne did not accept the job because he and Glencore did not reach an agreement over the role, particularly on corporate governance.
Some investors, however, are wary of the impact of Glencore going public after 37 years of being held in private hands over their power to shape the firm’s strategy or approach to corporate governance. They fear being led by a board that which may not listen to shareholders.
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Greek cabinet approves austerity measures; Debt default still possible
A day after winning a confidence vote in the Greek Parliament, the country’s cabinet approved austerity measures for the 2012 to 2015 budgets and laws for the measures’ application.
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Payrolls in 27 states show May decreases
Troubling statistics released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday revealed that payrolls decreased in 27 states during May.
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Arsenic found in U.S. chicken supply
Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The Food and Drug Administration released a statement Wednesday revealing that some chicken meat may contain small amounts of arsenic. The agency claims, however, that the actual amount is too minute to pose a danger to people who eat it.
The findings were revealed in a study developed by the FDA that reported Roxarsone, an ingredient in chicken feed, contained a potentially carcinogenic form of arsenic and was finding its way into the livers of animals treated with the drug. Roxarsone has been used by poultry producers since 1944.
The substance is produced by Pfizer Inc. and subsequently officials are removing if from the U.S. market. Additionally, the FDA has suspended the drug and poultry producers have stopped using the ingredient – initially used to kill parasites and promote growth in the bird feed.
The announcement of the FDA sales suspension came after an FDA study of 100 broiler chickens detected inorganic arsenic at higher levels in the livers of those treated with Roxarsone than in those who did not get the drug.
The FDA is stressing that people should not stop eating chicken that may have been treated with the drug, as the study was meant to raise “concerns of a very low but completely avoidable exposure to a carcinogen.”
Organic arsenic naturally forms in the livers of chickens. However the inorganic form, such as with Roxarsone, is more toxic than the naturally occurring form.
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Rohingyas in Malaysia seek education, opportunities
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (IRIN) – Graduating from primary school was just a dream for Rohingya teenager Ali Tofik, who, until 2010, lived in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State, where access to education, particularly secondary education, is limited.
In recent decades, this ethnic and religious minority has been stripped of its citizenship and property rights by Myanmar’s military-dominated government, leading to human rights abuses and exploitation and resulting in mass exodus.
Some 200,000 fled to Bangladesh over the years, with smaller numbers to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and elsewhere in the region by boat.
Now the 17-year-old is keen to get ahead, learning the Malay language with a group of younger students in the two-room Malaysian school. English, Malay, mathematics and science are taught on the second floor of a business block in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.
“I would like to become a teacher so that I can help my people and I can teach them and talk with the international community,” explains Tofik, who fled Myanmar with his family a year ago.
The local NGO-sponsored school, established in 2009, is accessible to Rohingya, but remains a rarity in Malaysia, with fewer than a dozen similar schools nationwide. Officially, Rohingya children in Malaysia cannot study in government schools without birth certificates or any other official documents.
“Most of the young children are actually born in Malaysia but can’t attend the public schools because refugees do not have access to the Malaysian education system, including primary schools,” Chris Lewa, coordinator of the Arakan Project, an advocacy organization for the Rohingya, told IRIN.
Illiteracy among the Rohingya is estimated at around 80 percent, with a higher percentage among women, according to the latest available data.
Without a proper education and work permits, job opportunities are severely limited for Rohingya, Lewa said.
But she has also witnessed some improvement in Malaysia’s handling of arrivals by providing them with access to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) , as well as halting forcing them into unscrupulous hands along the Thai-Malaysian border.
According to UNHCR, there are some 30,000 ethnic Rohingya seeking asylum in Malaysia today, including 20,800 registered with the agency.
“Based on information gathered from the refugee communities, it is estimated that there are about 10,000 more asylum-seekers who have not yet been registered,” Yante Ismail, an external relations officer with the agency, explained.
At the Rohingya Society in Malaysia (RSM) , a community-based organization, deputy president Abdul Ghani and a small staff assist in registering asylum-seekers for UNHCR, which then determines their status.
It is a difficult process as most Rohingya arrivals are male and often seen by authorities as economic migrants.
But Ghani is quick to deny this. “Please don’t link Rohingyas to economic migrants. We Rohingya left our country because of harassment, because of torture, the confiscation of our land. That’s why we left our country to get protection from a third country. We ran away from the military regime’s harassment.”
Indeed, many at the RSM center tell of the struggle to earn enough to survive and feed their families in Myanmar.
“It’s impossible to maintain a peaceful family life, so I had to flee,” said one young man, awaiting an interview. “Nasaka [paramilitary] forces would order us to work at their camps. If we don’t go, they come to our houses during the night and take us. They lock us up in the stockade and beat us.”
For many new arrivals, assimilation into Malaysia’s Muslim-dominated culture is easier than in their former homeland, but until solid legislature is implemented for proper work permits, the refugees are in limbo, say aid workers.
According to UNHCR, those Rohingya who are working are in the informal sector, including irregular, low-paying menial work in construction, domestic positions, or in the local markets.
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– Provided by Integrated Regional Information Networks.
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Nev. bill dies, but HOA fee court battle lives on
After four months of lobbying, hearings, amendments, wrangling, horse trading and fiery floor debates, the biggest homeowners association bill of the Nevada legislative session got “postponed to a later agenda” with minutes left before the final gavel fell.The clock struck 1 a.m. Tuesday _ the constitutional deadline for ending the
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Recession, bad economy seen as prescription for bad health
Miami, FL, United States (AHN) – In 2009, stress caused by the recession caused many to suffer a rise in health ailments. Many Americans had their income cut, workload increased and took on additional employment.
All of this combined with making ends meet and fearing the other shoe would drop and losing the ability to support their household.
The fear of losing your job in the midst of the Great Recession sent many to the hospital.
However, even as the economy makes efforts to recover, sluggish job growth and falling home prices are torpedoing Americans’ health and taking a toll on their overall well being.
Thirty-five percent of middle class Americans said they or someone in their household has experienced a physical symptom of stress related to the economy, according to a recent report by First Command Financial Services, a financial service provider.
Some of the most reported issues include anxiety, changes in weight, sleeplessness, low energy and irritability.
According to mental health experts, at the start of the recession calls to suicide hotlines jumped dramatically with 30 percent of the calls related to economic distress
Health proponents advise that if people can’t afford professional health services, they should go to community health clinics. However, at a time when people should be proactive about their health care, many are putting off those visits as a result of the recession.
According to the survey, 26 percent of those surveyed said that they have put off doctor visits due to economic conditions — up from 15 percent in 2010.
“There are short-term, mid-term and long-term implications,” said Kathryn Power, director of the Center for Mental Health Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a CNN report. “If people are forgoing regular check ups or medical appointments, there will be long-term health consequences across the board.”
In March 2009, an American Heart Association survey of 1,000 people found that 57 percent reported the economy had affected their ability to take care of their health. The AHA survey also found that:
- 32 percent had delayed preventive care, skipped doctor’s appointments, or stopped taking medication to save money.
- 25 percent with gym memberships had canceled them in the previous six months.
- 42 percent planned to buy fewer fruits and vegetables.
“We’ve made dramatic gains in recent years in our fight against heart disease and stroke, but trends like these threaten to reverse these gains,” says Dr. Timothy Gardner, president of the AHA. “We need to remind people that even in hard times, their health is important.”
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Jiau Witness Describes Vast Web Of Inside Tipsters
A former SAC Capital LP employee admitted during an insider trading trial Monday in New York to using dozens of technology company inside sources along soliciting tips from expert networking firm consultants, including defendant Winifred Jiau.
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