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U.S. stock index futures opened lower on Monday, with S&P 500 futures down 0.7% and Nasdaq futures down 0.8%.UK Government: The UK discussed with other leaders the situation in Ukraine and the catastrophic toll the war is taking on both sides; the potential sanctions if Russia fails to seriously engage in ceasefire and peace talks; and the need for an unconditional ceasefire and for Russian President Vladimir Putin to take peace talks seriously.British Prime Minister Starmer spoke to the leaders of the United States, Italy, France and Germany.1. Ukraine said that Russia launched the largest drone airstrike since 2022. 2. US Secretary of State: Russia and Ukraine may hold talks in the Vatican. Russia is preparing a list of "ceasefire requirements" in Ukraine. 3. Financial Times: Russian President Putin refused to discuss the peace plan proposed by the United States, Ukraine and Europe. 4. Putin: Russia respects the interests of the United States and expects to be treated the same. 5. Medvedev: The "ultimatum" of Western countries will not help end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. 6. What kind of special military action results does Russia need to achieve? Putin responded: 1. Eliminate the root causes of this crisis; 2. Create conditions for lasting and stable peace; 3. Ensure the security of the Russian nation; 4. Safeguard the rights and interests of those who regard Russian as their mother tongue and Russia as their motherland.FOMC permanent voting member and New York Fed President Williams will deliver a speech in ten minutes.

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.