You’ve probably been hearing a lot about something called the Panama Papers in recent days.
That’s because on Sunday morning The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and other media organizations announced the largest data leak in the history of journalism.
The leak contained 2.6 terabytes of information with over 11.5 million files that identified corruption amongst some of the top political figures in the world. It’s larger than the Wikileaks leak in 2010 or what Edward Snowden brought to light in 2013.
Now, what is in the leak exactly?
Mossack Fonseca is a law firm which specializes in the creation of shell companies and offshore accounts. It’s where the rich stash their ill-gotten or legally obtained earnings from their governments. These accounts are completely legal and can be used to protect their assets from raids or simply for inheritance reasons and estate planning.
However, there are other common reasons for stashing money in a offshore company, such as money laundering, dodging sanctions, and avoiding taxes.
The firm is based out of Panama but runs a worldwide operation.
On their website they claim to have a global network with 600 people working in 42 countries. It has franchises around the world.
It operates in tax havens including Switzerland, Cyprus, the British Virgin Islands, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.
Mossack Fonseca has their fingers dipped in many questionable pies. From Africa’s diamond trade, the international art market, to dealing with Middle Eastern royals and Russian oligarchs.
Data. It will get ya bro. Photo Credit: www.cwcs.co.uk/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
The firm rejects that it has ever been involved with dirty money.
“Recent media reports have portrayed an inaccurate view of the services that we provide and, despite our efforts to correct the record, misrepresented the nature of our work and its role in global financial markets,” a statement on the Mossack Fonseca reads. “These reports rely on supposition and stereotypes, and play on the public’s lack of familiarity with the work of firms like ours.”
FIFA:
FIFA, the international football association, an organization often connected to corruption and scandal, is also featured.
The leaked documents allegedly show that FIFA ethics committee member Juan Pedro Damiani, a Uruguayan lawyer, had business links with three men who have been indicted by U.S. officials on corruption charges: former FIFA vice president Eugenio Figueredo and father and son Hugo and Mariano Jinkis.
The latter two were convicted of paying bribes to obtain broadcast rights for soccer matches in South America. Documents show that Damiani’s law firm represented a company registered to Jinkis and seven others registered to Figueredo in a tax haven.
World Leaders:
Interestingly, the British government has been especially vocal against offshore companies in recent years, but Prime Minister David Cameron hasn’t come out of this squeaky clean. His late father is one of the names revealed in the leak.
It is not yet clear, if Cameron himself has financially gained from off shore accounts.
According to some of the reporting in the aftermath of the leak, Mossack Fonseca has helped Russian President Vladimir Putin hide $2 billion, setting up offshore banks under the name of two of his close acquaintances.
Iceland’s Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson resigned Tuesday after a large public outcry after he was named in the Panama Papers. Photo Credit: Control Arms/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
The now former Prime Minister of Iceland, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, has also been implicated and was facing calls for his resignation as the public’s confidence in his leadership had been shattered.
He resigned on Tuesday, and is the first political casualty. Also listed are Iceland’s minister of finance, Bjarni Benediktsson, and Iceland’s Interior Minister, Olof Nordal.
China’s leaders have relatives who are named in the leak, propelling the government to limit local access to western media coverage of the leak and accusing them of being biased.
In a further twist, documents show Mossack Fonseca’s links to Rami Makhlouf, a cousin of the Syrian president, even though Washington imposed sanctions Makhlouf in 2008.
Though the firm is under no obligation to comply with US sanctions, it was legally bound to react to EU measures in 2011. It took until September of that year for the firm to finally resign from Makhlouf’s companies. By that time, Syria was in the middle of a genocidal civil war.
Other world leaders in the leak include Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister; Ayad Allawi, ex-interim prime minister and former vice-president of Iraq; Petro Poroshenko, president of Ukraine; and Alaa Mubarak, son of Egypt’s former president, just to name a few.
The list of questionable characters goes on, although it gets worse. It includes Ponzi schemers, drug kingpins, tax evaders, dictators and at least one jailed sex offender.
And that’s when it becomes unbearable. The sex offender was a U.S. businessman traveling to Russia to have sex with underage orphans. He signed papers for an offshore company while he was serving his prison sentence in New Jersey.
It’s notable that Mossack Fonseca is the fourth biggest provider of offshore services, meaning that if this much information is coming from this company, larger law firms with these same services must have shocking anonymous beneficiaries.
In reply to ICIJ questions about their methods, Mossack Fonseca said that backdating of documents “is a well-founded and accepted practice” that is “common in our industry and its aim is not to cover up or hide unlawful acts.” The company is extremely protective of their clients’ privacy.
Honestly, should we be surprised by this leak?
The exposé once again emphasizes the need for world financial reform. It shows that not only is the global tax system broken, but with so many world leaders involved, global governance itself is fractured too.
Due to this leak the ability of the super rich to hide their money may be made more difficult. But if government officials themselves are doing this, how are we meant to expect them to do anything about tax havens?
The storm may be about to arrive in the United States as well.
A reporter from the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung responded to tweets about the lack of names from the United States, by saying “Just wait for what’s coming.”
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us!
Cover Photo Credit: Jon Gosier/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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What’s Really Wrong With Hong Kong’s Education System?
By Raphael Blet
Last week, the Education Bureau (EDB) announced that the controversial Primary Three Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA) might be resumed following public consultations.
Parent and teacher groups threatened to “boycott” the TSA, citing an unnecessary pressure given to the students.
Figures showed that out of 112 people surveyed, 86 per cent expressed their concern.
Meanwhile, EDB officials called on members of the public to better understand the TSA, they also said that they received “positive feedback”.
The TSA was temporarily suspended for consultation following a strong opposition from both parents and teachers.
However, public consultations have long been regarded as paper tiger.
So what’s really wrong with Hong Kong’s education system?
Administration, administrators and bureaucracy: a lifelong problem
As we all know, teachers, students and parents are rarely those in charge of deciding for the future of education, the job being given to “officials”.
Presuming that the people in charge of overseeing the education system are “professionals” in the matter, it would be acceptable for us to give them the commands.
After all, when we board an aircraft, we likely trust our pilots.
READ MORE: Joshua Wong’s Visit To The US Will Do More Harm Than Good, Thanks To His Political Immaturity
Well, the reason why we trust our pilots is due to the fact that they know what aviation is all about, thanks to their extensive training.
But, in spite of their passion and extensive knowledge, pilots do not guarantee our journey to be safe.
Why? Well… air traffic controllers also play a huge part in the process.
Only by having air traffic controllers who are professionals of aviation can we guarantee a safe journey. Otherwise, accidents would occur more often.
This analogy is applicable to the education sector.
While teachers are professionals in their field of research, it isn’t sufficient to provide a quality education to students as it is necessary for those in charge of administering it to be professionals of the sector.
Photo Credit: Pat B/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
Unfortunately, whether it is in Hong Kong or elsewhere, education ministers are rarely issued from the field.
Those who are have usually no teaching experience.
This is indeed the problem currently faced by Hong Kong.
In addition, the territory’s small size makes the problem even more visible.
What we need is administrators who are knowledgeable in the field.
READ MORE: This Online Platform Is Revolutionizing Hong Kong Sex Education
Only then will the problem improve.
When will these administrators understand that they are doing more harm than good to education?
When will they understand that all their policies, reviews and implementations only had counter-effects on students?
It might seem illogical, but the separation of powers should be extended to education. In other words, education should be independent from the administration, so as the judiciary.
Education: a business?
Sadly but truly, education (especially in Hong Kong) has turned into a profit making institution or in other words: a merchandise.
Simply look at the number of education “fairs” held in Hong Kong every year and you will understand.
Education should be treasured, not merchandised.
As we would commonly say for a masterpiece: it is “inestimable”, the only difference being that education should be accessible to all.
In addition to this, many trends have seen the light of day, one of them being pre-school interview preparations for two year olds!
Yes, we are not even talking about interviews, we talk about interview preparation for pre-school entrances.
Is it really the new selling point we want for our education?
The population’s role: we are all responsible
Criticizing the “system is an easy task given the subjectivity of the term. What about self-reflection?
While a significant number of parents and students stand for education (therefore against the current system), another portion seems to accept it as it is while at the same time, briefly complaining about the “system”.
First off, we should remember that there is no offer without demand and the current system only prevails due to the morally inactive state of some people.
It might be harsh for us to reflect on the reality, but we need to assume that some parents care more about prestige than they do about their child’s development and happiness.
Look at tiger mothers: this isn’t due to the so called “system”, it’s all about one’s mentality and greed.
A research conducted by Almudena Sevilla, professor of economics at Queen Mary University of London, revealed that some tiger mums suffered from psychological disorders linked to unhappiness.
READ MORE: Does The American Fulbright Program Have Too Much Control Over Hong Kong Universities?
On the other hand, some of the students (of all ages) who are currently complaining about the so called “system” of today might be the tiger parents of tomorrow.
Unfortunately, as human beings, we have an instinct of wanting our children to go through the same nonsense that we went through. Some might say: “I’ve gone through this, there is no reason why you can’t”.
That’s the main problem.
We need to be willing to change our own mentality before changing the system. Only by doing so will the system change.
For the time being, those fighting to improve the education of the next generation should continue to raise awareness on the issue and push for changes.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.
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Cover Photo Credit: Pat B/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Things Aren’t Looking Very Good For John McCain Right Now
Sen. John McCain is a political institution and one of the best known figures in the entire country.
But despite his built-in advantages and near universal name recognition, McCain is poised to have a tough time staying in office this year.
A new poll from Public Policy Polling (a left leaning firm that had a strong track record of success in the 2012 cycle) shows that McCain might not even get out of the Republican primary.
McCain only has a 35% approval rating among Republican voters in Arizona while 50% disapprove of the job he is doing according to the poll.
In the primary election, McCain holds a less than impressive lead over his closest competitor, former state senator Kelli Ward, 39% to 26% with three other candidates taking less than 5% support.
“John McCain’s going to have a hard time getting through the Republican primary,” Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling said in a press release. “39% isn’t a good place to be. And even if he does survive Kelli Ward, the general election’s likely to be tough for him too.”
If McCain does limp out of the primary, he will have another tough contest with Democratic Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick, who he currently leads only by a 42% to 36% spread.
Were he to lose, McCain would probably be the highest profile defeat for the GOP (other than the Presidential race) and could lead to the Democrats gaining control of the US Senate.
McCain’s campaign staff dismissed the poll.
“We put zero stock in a partisan Democrat poll that is obviously aimed at boosting John McCain’s opponents in the primary and general elections,” McCain spokeswoman Lorna Romero said in a statement obtained by The Hill. “And even if you took this bogus poll at face value, it actually shows McCain in a stronger position today than PPP’s last poll, with his favorability up eight points since March.”
It should also be worth noting how McCain treats Donald Trump over the course of the next six months before election day.
Trump has attached McCain’s record in the Vietnam war and questioned his legacy as a hero due to the fact that he was captured.
H/T: The Hill
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.
Cover Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Here Are 7 Tips Your Dog Is Trying To Teach You About Living Better
By Douglas Green
How would you like you like to spend 2016 as contented and centered as your dog?
As a psychotherapist, I spend a lot of time dealing with people and our big-brained problems. On most issues, like how to create a telephone that uses 3D touch to show birds catapulting into pigs, we are just brilliant. But we leave a lot to be desired in such areas as how to deal with each other, and how to live…those “human” quandaries!
So a few years back, I started watching my dog, Shirelle, to see how she avoids these problems. And I’ve tried to pass on what I’ve learned.
Now, many people have this idea, that you should only improve your lives once a year, when the calendar changes. A dog would say that’s crazy. If Shirelle found an imperfection in her squirrel-chasing technique in March, she wouldn’t wait ten months to adjust it – but oh well, that’s what makes us human.
Below, I’ve shared some key life lessons for us sapiens as we embark on 2016. Not to improve you so much, as to just make you happier – which, of course, is what dogs crave to their cores.
1. A few more times a day, forget that you have a past and a future.
Wise people will tell you to “live in the moment.” Pooches do that all the time; that’s why no dog ever needed a yoga class. But let’s face it – our jumbo-tron brains are too powerful not to constantly refocus on tomorrow, next summer, and yesterday.However, we can pause that time-traveling, for moments. Try checking in right now. Treat this second as the only point that exists. What do you have, what do you need (right now, not for dinner or your retirement), what feels good, what hurts? And once you’re done, go back to your regular mind.
Try this a few times a day. If you already do it, add a few more and just see how it resets you.
2. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes, more.
Even the least selfish person often has trouble relating to others. How many of us sing about brotherhood, but the second we click onto our beloved social media, rant that anyone who disagrees with us about a tax rate is uglier than a naked mole rat?When you’re positive someone else’s point of view is evil and insane, try to admit, instead, that we all have similar brains and figure out what led them there. Once you do, you can still disagree with them, but you’ll have lost the unhealthy prejudice.
After all, dogs mostly find us folks incomprehensible, but they still love us and try to follow our thinking.
After all, dogs mostly find us folks incomprehensible, but they still love us and try to follow our thinking. If you can do this same for others, your humility might make you as lovable as…okay, not quite as lovable as Marley, but closer than you are now.
3. Pollute and poison less.
All animals pollute, but humans are the only ones brilliant enough to create materials that don’t serve the earth at all. When you throw a plastic bag out, or dump millions of gallons of toxins into an ocean, you can’t just kick some dirt over it and make your mess okay, the way mutts can.A dog would suggest, and request, that you simply improve. If you’re a lazy slob, and you just start recycling your beer bottles, that will help things a bit. And if you already re-use paper, save your shower water, and drive an electric car charged by the sun, maybe you could also buy more locally-grown food? Every bit helps!
And just to clarify, animals don’t really notice which individual humans or corporations do the polluting. As far as they’re concerned, all us humans left that trash there, and all us humans haven’t cleaned it up.
So please, go a little out of your pathway and pick up that can, or try to help a river not turn to poison. It’ll make you feel good. And the stray pup out on the street would do it too if he could. Just for the feeling.
See, this cool dog gets it. Photo Credit: Rich Robinson/ RISE NEWS
4. Find more moments to enjoy and find more to enjoy about more moments.
When you open your front door in the morning, what’s going though your head? Lateness? Upcoming traffic? Some argument you had over breakfast?You know what goes through a dog’s? The smells! The hit of fresh air with an unexpected temperature! Hundreds of sounds suddenly so clear! And even though her eyes are nowhere near as powerful as yours, millions of things to see!
Do you take in the sky? Do you count the stalks of grass? Do you check to see if there are any squirrels or ants or bees or lizards or even cats in sight?
And that’s only one moment. Each day has 86,400 seconds in it. Do you spend even one just rolling in what is? Or do you rush to media, to hear some pundit tell you whether the day was worth living or not?
Right now, pick a leaf off an interesting tree, look it over carefully, sniff it, run your fingers over it with your eyes closed, and chew it. Feels like being a kid, doesn’t it? Back when you did such things by instinct – the way a pup does all the time.
5. Give yourself just a bit more sleep.
Scientists estimate that dogs sleep twelve to fourteen hours a day on average, which means some snooze a lot more.I’m not suggesting you go to that extreme, but one reason dogs tend to be so healthy and active is that they grab z’s whenever they can. What if you found a way to go to bed just a half hour earlier tonight? Or to take a nap this afternoon?
Maybe record that TV show, curl up, count sheep, and see what happens to your mood, your skin, your work skills, and even how others treat you.
6. Be silly more – silly for you.
People say dogs are clowns, for the way they act when they see a leash, or the signs of oncoming dinner. But what’s wrong with that?Silliness isn’t just a part of life; it’s a core of it, a celebration of it. Now, if you’re great at telling naughty jokes at dinner parties, that’s fine. But when’s the last time you ran around in a sprinkler on a hot day? Sang so loud you hurt your vocal cords? Or barked in conversation with a dog?
Here’s my definition of silliness: Any action, the doing of which would normally make you blush in embarrassment. Every silly act actually helps you overcome your fear and shame. Every dog lives it, and any good doctor would prescribe it often.
7. Tell and show those you love that you’re crazy about them more.
Here’s where canines most excel. When you come home at the end of a long day, do you tell your family how happy you are to see them, and that they even exist? What about at your job – do you find ways to express your feelings about your coworkers?The most common deathbed regrets humans report are not having spent more time with those they love, and not having let them know it. And that’s dumb, because nothing is easier! Just let it out!
Jump on a friend and kiss the top of their head. Yell across a business networking confab, “I have the best assistant in the world!” And call your mother and tell her you’re grateful.
No one can control what the world does to them, but these tools all help making living whatever hand you’re dealt more enjoyable. And, in all my years of watching dogs, if there’s a way to do too much of any of these, I haven’t seen it.
So try them, and good luck. May this be the year your tail learns how to wag!
Douglas Green is a psychotherapist, specializing in helping kids and teens build lives they can be proud of. He is also the creator and writer for AskShirelle.com, which helps kids, teens, parents, and others around the world with advice from the point of view of a friendly dog, and is the author of The Teachings of Shirelle – Life Lessons from a Divine Knucklehead. You can learn more about Green at www.CavalleriaPress.com, and connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.
Cover Photo Credit: Sandra Druschke/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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