DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

CNN —A Brazilian hacker said Thursday that former President Jair Bolsonaro asked him if he could hack into voting machines, according to his testimony to a congressional inquiry set up to investigate Brazil’s election results and the storming of governmental buildings on January 8, 2023. Walter Delgatti Neto’s told the Joint Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPMI) that during an August 2022 meeting with Bolsonaro, the former president offered to pardon the hacker if he suffered any legal consequences. Bolsonaro’s defense team denied allegations of wiretapping or illegal activity against any political entity in Brazil following Delgatti’s testimony. “I don’t know anyone who had an individual meeting with the president that last an hour and a half. Lie and lie and lie,” said Wajngarten.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Walter Delgatti Neto’s, Bolsonaro, Delgatti, “, ” Fabio Wajngarten, Wajngarten, ”, CPMI, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Organizations: CNN, Parliamentary, Brazilian, Federal Police Locations: Brazil

Aug 16 (Reuters) - A campaign aide to embattled Republican U.S. Representative George Santos was charged with identity theft and wire fraud in federal court for impersonating a top congressional staffer in fundraising appeals, court documents unsealed on Wednesday showed. Miele reached out to over a dozen contributors through the email account and phone calls, the indictment said, receiving a commission of 15% of the contributions he solicited to Santos' campaign. Miele could not be immediately reached for comment. According to the indictment, Miele admitted to Santos in August 2021 that he faked his identity "to a big donor," adding "that he was 'high risk, high reward in everything I do.'" He was indicted in May on federal charges including fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds.

Persons: Representative George Santos, Samuel Miele, Kevin McCarthy, Miele, Santos, Moira Warburton, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Republican U.S, Representative, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn , New York, Washington

☆ Former Team Sky doctor Freeman banned for four years
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Former British Cycling and Team Sky chief medical officer Richard Freeman has been banned from all sport for four years, effectively Dec. 21 next year, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) said on Tuesday. "The decision of the independent tribunal of the National Anti-Doping Panel confirms that Richard Freeman broke the UK Anti-Doping Rules," said UKAD chief executive Jane Rumble. UKAD opened an investigation in 2016 after receiving information of a possible anti-doping violation by individuals linked to Team Sky at the Criterium du Dauphine race in June 2011. Freeman worked for British Cycling and Team Sky during a golden period of success between 2009 and 2017. British Cycling chair Frank Slevin noted the verdict and thanked the NADP for its work.

Persons: Richard Freeman, UKAD, Freeman, Jane Rumble, sachets, Sky, Frank Slevin, Richard Freeman’s, Alan Baldwin, Ed Osmond, Pritha Organizations: British Cycling, Team Sky, Sky, Criterium, Investigators, General Medical Council, Thomson Locations: British, Manchester, Ineos

[1/2] A man reads a newspaper, a day after Pakistan's parliament was dissolved by the president on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's advice, at a makeshift stall in Karachi, Pakistan August 10, 2023. As it stands, former prime minister Imran Khan, the main opposition leader, cannot fight this election. There are three main contenders to lead the next government: Khan's PTI, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of Shehbaz Sharif and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Three-time premier Nawaz Sharif, the brother of the outgoing prime minister and whose PML-N was the senior partner in the outgoing coalition government, is seeking a return from exile. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, 34, the young chairman of the PPP and son of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, is another key candidate.

Persons: Shehbaz, Akhtar Soomro, Anwaar, Haq Kakar, IMRAN KHAN, Imran Khan, Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Khan's jailing, Asif Shahzad, Gibran Peshimam, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, BE, Monetary Fund, IMF, Balochistan Awami Party, WHO, PTI, Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party, Constitutional, Thomson Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, Balochistan, Shehbaz Sharif

☆ Brice Marden, painter revered for his distinctive approach to abstraction, dies at 84
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Wallace Ludel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Brice Marden, the abstract painter known most widely for his long, winding calligraphic mark-making that stood out against monochromatic backgrounds, has died aged 84. His death was confirmed to CNN by Gagosian, the New York gallery that represented him, via email on Thursday. "Uphill with Center" (2012-15) by Brice Marden. It’s just been an extra thing to think about.”Marden was born October 15, 1938 in Westchester County, just north of New York City. "Cold Mountain 6 (Bridge)" (1989-91) by Brice Marden.

Persons: CNN — Brice Marden, Larry Gagosian, “ Brice Marden, Marden’s, Helen —, —, Brice Marden, Marden, “, ”, ” Marden, Alex Katz, Jon Schueler, Richard Serra, Chuck Close, Celmins, Nancy Graves, Pauline Baez, Joan Baez, Jasper Johns, Johns ’, Édouard Manet, Francisco Goya, Francisco de Zurbarán, Johns, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Nicholas, Helen Marden, Dorothea Rockburne, Robert Rauschenberg, Matthew Marks, Rosetta Stone Organizations: The Art, CNN, Gagosian, New York Times, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Boston University, Yale, Fine Arts, Rauschenberg Foundation, Jewish Museum, New Locations: New York, Tivoli , New York, Gagosian, Westchester County, New York City, American, Kansas City, Midtown Manhattan, Greece, Maryland

An investor looks at an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Shanghai, China July 6, 2018. REUTERS/Aly SongSHANGHAI, Aug 11 (Reuters) - A growing number of healthcare companies in China are shelving their initial public offering (IPO) plans as its stock exchanges have stepped up scrutiny of the pharmaceutical industry's business practices amid an escalating anti-corruption drive. Vaccine maker Shanghai Rongsheng Biotech Co terminated its IPO plan this week, after the company's high proportion of sales expenses drew attention from regulators. The company's sales expenses over the past three years amounted to nearly half of its revenue. Another banker said drugmakers are stepping on the brakes of their IPO plans due to the rising uncertainty.

Persons: Aly Song SHANGHAI, Rongsheng, drugmakers, Fujian Mindong, Jason Xue, Tom Westbrook, Muralikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Pharmaceuticals, Shanghai Rongsheng Biotech Co, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Rejuenation Pharmaceutical Co, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, HIT, National Health Commission, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Fujian, Rongsheng, Shenzhen, Singapore

ISLAMABAD, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Pakistan's outgoing prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and the leader of the opposition will on Thursday meet to pick a caretaker leader to oversee a general election due by November, a government official said. Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz will meet in the afternoon, said the official in the prime minister's office, who declined to be identified pending the announcement of the meeting. Under the constitution, the two have three days to reach agreement on a caretaker. If they can't, the decision will go to a parliamentary committee, and if it can't, then the Election Commission of Pakistan will decide. The lower house of parliament was dissolved on Wednesday, three days before the end of its five-year term on Aug. 12.

Persons: Shehbaz Sharif, Sharif, Raja Riaz, Imran Khan, Asif Shahzad, Robert Birsel Organizations: Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

☆ A Florida state attorney suspended by Ron DeSantis in 2022 said the governor's a 'scared candidate who is desperate to rescue his presidential campaign'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis suspended State Attorney Andrew Warren, alleging he picked and chose which laws to enforce. Just over a year later, on Wednesday, DeSantis suspended State Attorney Monique Worrell, citing a "neglect of duty and incompetence." In a published opinion piece, Warren claimed that DeSantis suspended Worrell because he "is desperate to rescue his presidential campaign." On Wednesday, just over a year after Warren's suspension, DeSantis suspended State Attorney Monique Worrell, citing a "neglect of duty and incompetence." DeSantis' decision to suspend Worrell on Wednesday comes as his campaign trails behind former President Donald Trump in polling.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Andrew Warren, DeSantis, Monique Worrell, Warren, Worrell, he's, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: Florida Gov, Service, Daily, Gov Locations: Florida, Wall, Silicon, Orlando

☆ North Korea's Kim dismisses top general, calls for war preparations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

General Ri Yong Gil was named to replace the military’s top general, chief of the General Staff Pak Su Il, KCNA reported, without elaborating. The United States has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine, including artillery shells, rockets and missiles. Russia and North Korea have denied those claims. North Korea is set to stage a militia parade on Sept. 9, marking the 75th anniversary of the Day of the Foundation of the Republic. North Korea has a number of paramilitary groups it uses to bolster its military forces.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim, Ri Yong Gil, General Staff Pak Su Il, KCNA, Ri, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Stephen Coates Organizations: 8th Central Military Commission of, Workers ' Party of Korea, Central Committee of, Workers ' Party of, KCNA, REUTERS, Central Military Commission, General Staff, United, Foundation of, Thomson Locations: Workers ' Party of Korea, Pyongyang, North Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, Seoul, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Republic . North Korea, U.S, South Korea

☆ Pakistan: Imran Khan is banned from running for office for five years
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Sahar Akbarzai | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been disqualified from running for office for five years, according to a statement released on Tuesday from the Election Commission of Pakistan. Khan has been banned as a result of being found guilty last week in a corruption trial and sentenced to three years in prison, the statement said. The trial relates to an inquiry conducted by the election commission which found Khan guilty of unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. Khan was arrested at his home in Lahore after the court’s ruling on Saturday and was transported to the capital Islamabad. Several senior party leaders were also detained.

Persons: Imran Khan, Khan, ”, ” Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s Organizations: CNN — Former Pakistan, PTI Locations: Pakistan, Lahore, Islamabad

Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at the moment, as the war continues to rage and Kyiv seeks to reclaim territory through a counter-offensive. Neither the Jeddah gathering - which is expected to begin on Friday, with the main discussions on Saturday and Sunday - nor the peace summit would involve Russia, officials say. Saudi Arabia, along with Turkey, played a mediation role in a major prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia last September. Zelenskiy attended an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia in May this year, at which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed his readiness to mediate in the war. A second senior EU official said Saudi Arabia reached "into parts of the world where (Ukraine's) classical allies would not get to as easily".

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Leo Varadkar, Clodagh, Zhovkva, Zelenskiy, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jake Sullivan, Matt Miller, there's, Dmitry Peskov, Olena Harmash, Carien du Plessis, Gabriela Baczynska, Daphne Psaledakis, Laurie Chen, Martin Pollard, Jon Boyle Organizations: Ireland's, REUTERS, Global, Reuters, European Commission, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Russia, Arab, Saudi Crown, EU, . National, U.S . State, Thomson Locations: Horodetskyi, Ukraine, Kyiv, Jeddah, China, BRUSSELS, LONDON, Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, Moscow, Copenhagen, Riyadh, United States, U.S

ISLAMABAD, July 26 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected former prime minister Imran Khan's plea that his trial on charges of unlawfully selling state gifts be halted on concerns over the merits of the trial and that the judge hearing it was biased. The Supreme Court asked Khan to go back to the Islamabad High Court to seek a ruling over his objections, according to an order seen by a Reuters reporter who attended the top court's proceedings. Khan's legal team moved to the top court this month after the high court ruled against their plea that the trial couldn't be maintained on the election commission's petition, according to Khan's lawyer Barrister Gohar Khan. The Supreme Court cannot interfere in the trial court proceedings, said one judge on the two-member panel of the top court, which disposed of Khan's petition, directing the high court to hear all his petitions related to the trial. The trial court had indicted Khan in May on the charges and summoned him to commence his formal trial, which is now pending due to the challenge by his legal team in the high court.

Persons: Imran Khan's, Khan, Gohar Khan, Asif Shahzad, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Court, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Pakistan

☆ US FTC official withdraws case against Microsoft-Activision deal before internal agency judge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, July 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission official on Thursday withdrew the agency's case before an in-house judge that sought to block Microsoft's (MSFT.O) $69 billion acquisition of game-maker Activision (ATVI.O). The agency has been pursuing a two-pronged attack against the proposed transaction. One was in district court, which refused last week to slap a preliminary injunction on the proposed transaction. The second was before an FTC administrative law judge, where the deal was set to go to trial on Aug. 2. It was this attack that the agency put on hold on Thursday, in an order made by FTC Secretary April Tabor.

Persons: Tabor, Diane Bartz, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Thursday, Activision, Microsoft, Thomson

☆ Coinbase is a crypto conundrum, squared
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Shares in Coinbase got a major boost after money management behemoth BlackRock (BLK.N) applied to launch a bitcoin-backed exchange-traded fund this month with Coinbase as its custodian. Coinbase shares are up nearly 54% in July, handily beating the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC), which rose 4%. Price targets range widely: analysts polled by Refinitiv think Coinbase is worth anywhere from $8 billion to nearly $50 billion. Coinbase investors would therefore be unwise to count on a judge delivering Coinbase a win. Given bitcoin’s current $584 billion market capitalization, that suggests $74 billion of ETFs would not be much of a stretch.

Persons: Brian Armstrong, Coinbase, behemoth BlackRock, –, Gary Gensler, there’s, Goldman Sachs, Cowen, Refinitiv, Armstrong, Sam Bankman, Larry Fink, Charles Schwab, doubters, Ripple, John Foley, Streisand Neto Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Securities and Exchange, Nasdaq, SEC, Citigroup, Commodity Futures, BlackRock, Bank, New York Mellon, Interactive, Securities and Exchange Commission, Thomson Locations: Washington, United States, U.S

☆ Thailand elections: Top court suspends prime minister hopeful Pita Limjaroenrat as a lawmaker over shareholding case
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Pita has denied he broke election rules and previously accused the Election Commission of rushing the case to court. A group of opposition parties then formed a coalition aimed at forming a majority government and put forward Pita as a prime minister candidate. Pita, a 42-year-old Harvard alumni, called the coalition “the voice of hope and the voice of change” and said all parties had agreed to support him as the next prime minister of Thailand. In Thailand, a party or coalition needs to win a majority of 375 seats in both lower and upper houses of parliament – currently 749 seats – to elect a prime minister and form a government. Pita received just 324 votes out of the 376 needed for a majority and the kingdom is still without a prime minister as the political jostling continues.

Persons: CNN —, Pita Limjaroenrat, Pita, Prayut Chan, Establishment’s, – Organizations: CNN, Move Forward, Party, Harvard Locations: Thailand

BRUSSELS, July 18 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday criticised EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager's decision to hire a U.S. economist over a European to help oversee Big Tech, adding her previous work could lead to conflicts of interest. Macron added he was "attached to reciprocity", and noted that the U.S. and China would not have appointed an overseas national in such a role. Scott Morton will advise the European Commission on its investigations into Big Tech and its enforcement of a series of landmark rules to rein in tech giants. Macron pointed to her previous work for "many companies" as something that could also result in conflicts of interest. She said previous chief economists at the Commission had also done consulting work without posing any issues.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Margrethe Vestager's, Vestager, Fiona Scott Morton, Barack Obama's, Macron, Scott Morton, Jean Tirole, Scott Morton's, Sudip Kar, Bernadette Baum, Sharon Singleton, Jan Harvey Organizations: Big Tech, U.S . Department of Justice, European Union, Commission, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, China

☆ While the Russian invasion has shown the world the next generation of high-tech warfare, old-school tactics are decimating Ukrainian troops: land mines, booby traps, and tripwires
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mines cause more wounds among troops than artillery, a Ukrainian medic told the NYT. At the same time, fiberglass rods are used instead of metal detectors to find electrically triggered mines, Insider previously reported. Wounds caused by plastic mines are particularly difficult to treat, as medics cannot locate where plastic shrapnel is embedded in the body using traditional methods like X-rays. Russian troops aren't the only ones deploying antipersonnel mines as they continue their invasion of Ukraine. Insider previously reported Human Rights Watch this month urged Ukrainian officials to investigate reports of butterfly mines being used against Russian soldiers.

Persons: Valery Zaluzhny, Maksym Prysyazhnyuk, Prysyazhnyuk, Mark Kimmitt Organizations: Service, Washington, Troops, Mines, New York Times, Times, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, of, Russian Federation, United States Department of Defense, United Nations Commission, Rights Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Brig

CNN —Thailand’s parliament will vote for a new prime minister Thursday, a critical moment for the future of democracy in the country following nearly a decade of turbulent military-backed rule. Prayut was elected prime minister in 2019, a win largely credited to a military-drafted constitution that entrenched the military’s power in politics. On Tuesday, Prayut announced his retirement, adding he would remain as prime minister until the new government is formed. Monarchy looms over voteThat could be a major roadblock in Pita’s path to prime minister. Move Forward’s proposed structural changes target the heart of this establishment, with priorities to “demilitarize, demonopolize and decentralize” Thailand, Pita recently told CNN.

Persons: CNN —, Pita Limjaroenrat, Pita, Prayut Chan, Prayut, –, King, lese, Seri Suwannapanon, Kittisak Rattanawaraha, ” Organizations: CNN, Assembly, Move, Party, Harvard, Sunday, Twitter Locations: Thailand, Thursday’s, decentralize, Bangkok

☆ GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy offers 10% commission to his grassroots fundraisers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the Moms for Liberty Joyful Warriors national summit at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown on July 01, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is adding a novel incentive to his grassroots fundraising operation: paying supporters back a chunk of what they raise for his campaign. Ramaswamy's campaign did not immediately say which agency will conduct those background checks. Soliciting groups of donors for campaign contributions, or bundling, is commonplace in campaign fundraising. But Ramaswamy's program looks poised to expand the practice beyond the usually small circle of wealthy or well-connected operatives who tap their networks for checks.

Persons: Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, Brendan Fischer, Fischer, Dan Weiner, Brennan Organizations: Liberty Joyful Warriors, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Republican, Federal, Commission, CNBC, Program Locations: Philadelphia , Pennsylvania

☆ Insight: Catholic clergy report surveillance, beatings amid Nicaragua's crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( David Alire Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's five-year campaign against the Catholic church has intensified since February, according to interviews with five priests inside and outside the country. This week's brief release of Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Alvarez raised hopes for a turning point. The priests describe heavy surveillance of church services by police or civilian members of government-sponsored community councils, especially since Easter. His latest restrictions seem aimed at silencing priests, Erick Diaz, 33, a Nicaraguan priest in exile in Chicago, said. Nine church leaders inside and outside Nicaragua did not respond to interview requests for this story.

Persons: Daniel Ortega's, Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Alvarez, Mexican Bishop Ramon Castro, Pope Francis, Nicaragua's, Ortega, Rosario Murillo, Bishop Alvarez, Alvarez, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Brenes, Martha Patricia Molina, Molina, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Erick Diaz, David Alire Garcia, Philip Pullella, Ismael Lopez, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Sunday, Nicaraguan, Catholic, Vatican, Reuters, Organization of American, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Nicaraguan, Managua, Nicaragua, Mexican, Eastern Europe, Matagalpa, Texas, Leon, Vatican, Chicago, Rome, San Jose

MUMBAI, July 7 (Reuters) - India's federal police have arrested three railway employees on Friday in connection with the country's deadliest train crash in two decades that killed 292 people last month, the crime agency said in a statement. It is India's worst train crash in more than two decades. The accident happened when a passenger train hit a stationary freight train, jumped off the tracks and hit another passenger train coming from the opposite direction. Reuters reported earlier this week that workers repairing a rail-road barrier had made faulty connections in the automated signalling system on the network. The malfunctioning system directed the passenger train onto the path of the freight train, it said.

Persons: Narendra Modi's, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Krishn Kaushik, Jatindra, Shivam Patel, YP Rajesh, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI, Reuters, of Railway Safety, CRS, Local, Indian Railways, Railway Board, Railways Ministry, YP, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, Bahanaga Bazar, Odisha

Google's latest Supreme Court filing shows its deepening disagreement with how the CCI conducted its Android investigation. Amazon (AMZN.O) also declined to comment, while the CCI did not respond to the Alphabet-owned company's court filing, which is set to be heard in the coming days. Google has been particularly concerned about India's Android decision as the directives were seen even more sweeping than those imposed in the European Commission's landmark 2018 ruling against the company's Android market abuse. Google is arguing in India's Supreme Court against any penalty and saying it did not abuse its market position. Google has made sweeping changes to its Android business model in India following CCI's directive.

Persons: Arpan Chaturvedi, Aditya Kalra, Kim Coghill Organizations: Google, India's, U.S, Amazon, Reuters, South, Indian, U.S ., Thomson Locations: India, DELHI, South Korea, India's, U.S

BHUBANESWAR, India, July 4 (Reuters) - Workers repairing a rail-road barrier in India made faulty connections in the automated signalling system on the network, leading to the country's worst rail disaster in two decades, an official probe has found. The June 2 crash at Bahanaga Bazar station, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, killed 288 people and injured more than 1,000. The disaster struck when a passenger train hit a stationary freight train, jumped off the tracks and hit another passenger train coming from the opposite direction. The malfunctioning system directed the passenger train onto the path of the freight train, it said. Indian Railways, the fourth largest train network in the world, is a state monopoly run by the Railway Board.

Persons: Narendra Modi's, Jatindra Dash, Krishn Kaushik, Sudipto Ganguly, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Workers, Reuters, of Railway Safety, CRS, Local, Railways, Railway Board, Railways Ministry, Thomson Locations: BHUBANESWAR, India, Bahanaga Bazar, Odisha, New Delhi, Mumbai

☆ Sierra Leone's main opposition party demands rerun of general election
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Umaru Fofana | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FREETOWN, July 1 (Reuters) - Sierra Leone's main opposition party said it had decided to formally reject the results of the national election won by President Julius Maada Bio, citing "glaring irregularities", and called for a rerun of the June 24 poll. Bio was re-elected for a second term with 56% of the vote, narrowly avoiding a run-off against main rival Samura Kamara of the opposition All People's Congress (APC). But Kamara has questioned the official tally, while European election observers noted statistical inconsistencies. In its first official statement on the full results, the APC said on Friday it rejected the outcome "given the glaring irregularities and violations of established electoral procedures." "A rerun after an official declaration of results and a swearing-in ceremony is unconstitutional," he said by phone to Reuters.

Persons: Julius Maada, Samura Kamara, Kamara, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, Swaray, Alessandra Prentice, David Holmes Organizations: People's Congress, Reuters, EU, Thomson Locations: FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, United States, Britain, Ireland, Germany, France

☆ Corruption inquiry in Australia uncovers China links to state lawmaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, June 29 (Reuters) - The former premier of Australia's most populous state engaged in corrupt conduct involving another lawmaker with whom she was in a secret romantic relationship, a years-long corruption inquiry that examined business dealings with China said on Thursday. The inquiry said Maguire sought to use his government office to "create a network between China and Australia and to make a commission in multiple ways". The commission found Maguire engaged in "serious corrupt conduct" between 2012 and 2018 for the migration scheme and other misconduct. It said he misused his role as chairman of the New South Wales Parliament's Asia Pacific Friendship Group to advance the commercial interests of a Chinese business association in South Pacific nations. The commission said it would seek advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions on whether further prosecutions should be commenced into Maguire.

Persons: Gladys Berejiklian, Daryl Maguire, Maguire, Berejiklian, Barry O'Farrell, Kirsty Needham, Stephen Coates Organizations: SYDNEY, New South Wales Independent, Corruption, New, Liberal, Australian Council, Australia, Pacific Friendship Group, New South Wales, Public, Maguire, Thomson Locations: Australia's, China, New, New South Wales, Berejiklian, Australia, South Pacific, Beijing, Sydney, Liaoning, New South

Search resuls for: "Commission of"

25 mentions found