Innocent until proven guilty uk

Monsanto’s controversial present is very much tethered to its dark past. And nowhere is this manifest more than in Vietnam, a country that has borne the brunt of the toxic defoliant it produced and is now facing the growing threat of its infamous weedkillers. Vietnam has embraced a very perplexing relationship with Monsanto, crystalized in the unfortunate irony of allowing the former Agent Orange maker and current producer of the controversial genetically modified organisms (GMOs) back into the country, for all practical purposes, with a clean chit. While Monsanto has repeatedly and consistently denied responsibility for the deaths and other forms of suffering, lasting generations, that have been caused by Agent Orange, there is evidence that the company knew that dioxin, a key ingredient, was toxic. Now, with glyphostate, the active ingredient in the weed killer Roundup that the biotech giant plugs for use along with its GMO seeds, fears about causing cancer in humans have risen … [Read more...] about In Vietnam, Monsanto is guilty until proven innocent

Donald Trump stood accused of conspiring to commit campaign finance fraud and two of his closest aides faced jail time Tuesday, after court proceedings delivered a legal and political one-two punch to his embattled presidency. In a drama that played out simultaneously across two U.S. cities, a court found one former aide guilty of eight charges -- and the other pleaded guilty to another eight -- stemming from the federal investigation into the 2016 presidential election. In New York, Trump's longtime fixer, the attorney Michael Cohen, admitted to charges that included making illegal campaign contributions. Cohen detailed how he made pre-election hush payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both claim to have had affairs with Trump. But in a sensational twist, Cohen also pointed to the president -- or "individual 1" as a co-conspirator -- alleging that he acted "in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office" in making those … [Read more...] about Two Trump lieutenants found guilty, president implicated

Moscow on Tuesday denied it was behind the poisoning of a former double agent in Britain as a midnight deadline loomed to explain how a suspected Russian-made nerve agent was used in the attack. "Russia is not guilty," said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in an English city on March 4. The United States, NATO and the European Union have all backed Britain in the deepening diplomatic crisis. Lavrov said Russia was "ready to cooperate", but complained Britain had rejected its requests for "access" to the nerve agent samples. British Prime Minister Theresa May told parliament it was "highly likely" Russia was behind the poisoning, giving Moscow until the end of Tuesday to respond. In a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, she called the attack "reckless, indiscriminate and despicable", adding she would inform MPs of her response on Wednesday. Ahead of the announcement, Britain's National Security Council will meet "to discuss the response from … [Read more...] about Russia says ‘not guilty’ of ex-spy poisoning as UK deadline looms

A former senior official in Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Rick Gates, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators, and he is cooperating with a federal probe into Russia's role in the election. Gates, who was a deputy campaign manager for Trump, is being investigated by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which is probing alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. election. Gates had been potentially facing decades in prison on much more serious charges, including bank fraud and conspiracy to launder money. Under the charges he pleaded guilty to, he faces a maximum sentence of nearly six years. Prosecutors said they could ask the judge for a reduction in Gates' sentence based on the extent of his cooperation with Mueller's probe. The plea increases pressure on Paul Manafort, who was Trump's campaign manager for five months in 2016, to also seek a plea deal. However, Manafort said in a statement issued after Gates' … [Read more...] about Former Trump campaign aide pleads guilty in Russia probe

A week has passed since the start of the high profile trial of oil executives facing charges regarding million dollars losses incurred at a subsidiary of state-owned PetroVietnam (PVN). The trial at Hanoi People’s Court, which is expected to last for another week, sees 22 former executives of the oil giant charged with embezzlement and economic mismanagement at PetroVietnam Construction Corporation (PVC). The most prominent defendant, Dinh La Thang, former board chairman of PetroVietnam and once a rising political star, is facing 14-15 years in jail for “deliberately acting against State regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences.” Meanwhile, the notorious runaway Trinh Xuan Thanh, PVC’s former board chairman and general director, faces life imprisonment for the same charge plus embezzling property.  The case as presented by prosecutors Deliberate violation of state regulations Under Thanh's leadership between 2008 and 2012, … [Read more...] about PetroVietnam corruption trial: Defense lawyers battle allegations in week 1