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December 21 - According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture, Japan, at approximately 10:29 a.m. local time on December 21. The maximum tremor was felt as a 4, and the epicenter was 50 kilometers deep.On December 21, the United States intercepted another oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, which the Venezuelan government called an act of piracy. Jeremy Paner, a partner at the Washington-based law firm Hughes Hubbard and a former investigator with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), said the ship was not subject to U.S. sanctions. “The seizure of a vessel not sanctioned by the United States marks a further increase in pressure on Venezuela by Trump,” Paner said. “This also contradicts Trump’s statements that the U.S. will blockade all sanctioned oil tankers.”On December 21, Venezuelan Vice President and Oil Minister Rodríguez condemned the United States for "theft and hijacking" of private vessels carrying Venezuelan oil in international waters on December 20. In a government statement released via social media, Rodríguez stated that this serious act of "piracy" violated international law. He asserted that the colonial model the US government attempted to impose on Venezuela would ultimately fail, and that the Venezuelan government would appeal to the UN Security Council and other multilateral organizations for appropriate action.On December 21, the World Trade Organization (WTO) released its "World Trade Report 2025" on December 20, local time. The report indicates that, with supporting policies in place, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to increase cross-border trade in goods and services by 34% to 37% and global GDP growth by 12% to 13% by 2040 by improving productivity and reducing trade costs. The report emphasizes the need to bridge the digital infrastructure gap, strengthen skills training, and maintain an open and predictable trading environment to ensure more inclusive growth.According to Business Insider, Apple has advised some employees with visas not to travel outside the United States due to embassy delays.

Hershey, Nestle, and Cargill win the dismissal of a claim of child slavery in the United States

Charlie Brooks

Jun 29, 2022 11:06


Tuesday, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. dismissed a case brought by eight Malians claiming child slavery on Ivory Coast cocoa plantations against Hershey Co (NYSE:HSY), Nestle SA (SIX:NESN), Cargill Inc, and others.


U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich determined that the proposed class action plaintiffs lacked legal standing to sue because they failed to prove a "traceable nexus" between the seven defendant companies and the individual farms where the plaintiffs worked.


She added that the plaintiffs did not adequately explain the role of intermediaries in the cocoa supply chain, and that the companies did not oversee actions in "free zones" where 70 to 80 percent of cocoa is farmed.


Mali and Ivory Coast share a border in West Africa.


The plaintiffs claimed they were trafficked as children after being approached by strangers who promised them employment for which they would be compensated, but did not pay them, threatened them with starvation if they did not work, and forced them to live in squalor.


Their attorney, Terry Collingsworth, said that the plaintiffs plan to file an appeal to "compel the businesses to keep their agreements and put an end to this dreadful system they have created."


Other defendants included Mars Inc, Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ), Barry Callebaut AG, and Olam International Ltd.


In court filings, the seven defendants said that they "strongly abhor the practice of forced labor" and that they were addressing non-forced child labor in cocoa supply chains.


However, they contended that the plaintiffs' too broad legal theory may hold too many parties liable for forced child labor, including consumers and merchants who would benefit from lower prices.


In accordance with the Reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the plaintiffs filed suit.


The Supreme Court of the United States rejected a similar case brought by six Malians against Cargill and Nestle under the Alien Tort Statute of 1789 in June of last year.


This was the most recent in a line of judgments denying access to federal courts based on human rights breaches occurring outside the United States.


Coubaly et al. v. Cargill Inc. et al., U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, case number 21-00386.


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