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According to Irans Fars News Agency, Bulgaria claims that a Ukrainian drone attacked the Trans-Balkan Gas Pipeline this morning, which carries Russian gas to Europe via Türkiye.August 9th - Analysts point out that the market generally expects the US CPI to rise 0.1% month-on-month in July, after a 0.4% decline in June. The core CPI, excluding fuel and food, is expected to rise 0.2% month-on-month and 2.5% year-on-year, the smallest year-on-year increase since February. The slowdown in inflation may help alleviate inflationary anxieties within the Federal Reserve following Fridays weak July non-farm payroll report. Previously, at the July 29th meeting, three officials voted to raise interest rates. The CPI report is likely to show that energy-related price pressures have eased, pressures that intensified sharply in the months following the start of the US-Iran conflict in late February. Retail gasoline prices fell to their lowest point in nearly four months in early July before rebounding to above $4 per gallon by the end of the month. The report may also show that airfares have declined as jet fuel costs have stabilized.On August 9th, local time, the U.S. Central Command stated that on August 8th, U.S. Navy personnel were performing maintenance on F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to ensure the carrier strike groups equipment remained operational and to continue strictly enforcing the naval blockade against Iran. As of that day, the U.S. military had diverted 53 merchant ships, rendered two ships inoperable, and boarded and inspected two other vessels. In addition, the U.S. military allowed more than 30 ships carrying humanitarian aid to pass through the blockade zone.On August 9th, US Vice President Vance stated on the 8th that the US and Iran are in dialogue, and the US-Iran conflict remains in the "middle of the game." In an interview with Fox News that day, Vance said the US-Iran conflict is not over, "but its clearly no longer in the initial stages, but has entered the middle stages." He stated that the US is using a combination of diplomatic, economic, and military means to ensure the best possible outcome. Vance said the USs current primary focus is "to maximize the amount of oil and gas transported through the Strait of Hormuz," and the US is observing whether Iran is willing to make the necessary long-term changes to establish a better relationship with the US. If Iran is unwilling, the US will continue to exert pressure. Vance also said the US is trying to establish a navigation mechanism to ensure the safe passage of ships. This includes mine-clearing operations, and "also requires a commitment from Iran to guarantee that it will not fire on merchant ships."The U.S. Geological Survey reports a 4.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the Kermadec Islands at a depth of 10 kilometers.

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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