World News Flash
UNITED STATES
One of the most divisive measures regarding travel in the United States has suddenly come to an end, thanks to a judge doing her best Future impersonation.
On April 18, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle struck down the federal mask mandate on all public transportation in the nation, which includes buses, trains, planes, and more. The “Mask Off” decision came as she made a ruling in the case of Health Freedom Defense Fund, Sarah Pope, and Ana Daza vs. Joseph R. Biden, acting in his capacity as President of the United States. The plaintiffs sought to end the mandate under the idea that it violated the Administrative Procedure Act, to which Judge Mizelle agreed.
The fallout from the decision was swift, as the ruling took effect immediately. People were seen ripping off masks on airlines with heightened applause. The next day, several public officials announced that they would go along with the ruling, including NJ Governor Phil Murphy, who declared that masks would be option on transit going forward. Several companies, including Uber, made announcements considering optional mask wearing to the same accord.
While some have made masks optional after Mizelle’s ruling, other places like the MTA of New York announced that masks would still be mandatory upon riding their transit. Also, as the Biden Administration mulls over appealing the decision, they have advised Americans to continue to wear masks for their safety.
The ruling came on the very day that the mask mandate was actually supposed to end. However, the CDC mandated a two week extension on concerns of assessing the BA.2 subvariant that now makes up more than 85% of U.S. cases.
Since early April, there have been increases in the 7-day moving average of cases nationwide. The CDC Mask Order was to remain in effect while officials evaluated the potential impact of the rise of cases on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and healthcare system capacity.
WORLD
UN LEADER CALLS FOR WAR PAUSE
This year, Orthodox Holy Week is being observed under a “cloud of a war” that totally negates the Easter message of unity, the UN chief said on April 19, calling for a four-day humanitarian pause in Ukraine.
In five days, Ukrainians and Russians will mark Easter, a holiday that joins in celebration the Orthodox Christians in both Russia and Ukraine, as well as Catholic Ukrainians.
“Easter is a season for renewal, resurrection and hope. It is a time for reflection on the meaning of suffering, sacrifice, death – and rebirth. It is meant to be a moment of unity,” Secretary-General António Guterres told journalist, speaking in front of the Non-Violence bronze sculpture at UN Headquarters in New York.
“Instead of a celebration of new life, this Easter coincides with a Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine.”
An intense concentration of forces and firepower continue to make the battle more violent, bloody and destructive, the top UN official lamented.
Moreover, the onslaught and terrible toll on civilians seen so far “could pale in comparison to the horror that lies ahead.”
“This cannot be allowed to happen. Hundreds of thousands of lives hang in the balance,” he underscored.
Against the backdrop of many failed “good-faith efforts” by numerous parties to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine, the Secretary-General called for a four-day Holy Week humanitarian pause beginning on Holy Thursday and running through Easter Sunday, 24 April, to allow for a series of humanitarian corridors to open.
He explained that a humanitarian pause would provide the necessary conditions to meet two crucial imperatives, beginning with safe passage of all civilians willing to leave the areas of current and expected confrontation.
This would be done in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Secondly, beyond humanitarian operations already taking place, a pause would allow for the safe delivery of lifesaving humanitarian aid to people in the hardest-hit areas such as Mariupol, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk.
“The United Nations is ready to send humanitarian aid convoys during this period to these locations,” he assured. “We are submitting detailed plans to the parties.”
The UN chief painted a heartbreaking picture of people without food, water, supplies to treat the sick and wounded, or simply to live day-to-day.
“More than 12 million people need humanitarian assistance in Ukraine today,” he said, with over one-third located in Mariupol, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk.
“We anticipate that this figure will increase to 15.7 million – that’s about 40 percent of all Ukrainians still left in the country.”
ASIA
SCHOOL BOMBINGS CONDEMNED
The United Nations has condemned the deadly bomb blasts at two educational institutions in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, on April 13, which killed at least six people and wounded nearly 20 others.
Explosions took place at the all-boys Abdul Rahim Shahid high school and the nearby Mumtaz Education Centre, both located in the Dasht-e-Barchi area, a predominantly Shiite Muslim neighborhood in western Kabul.
The attack at the Abdul Rahim Shahid high school reportedly occurred as students were coming out of their morning classes, according to the UN in Afghanistan. The blasts at the Mumtaz Education Centre followed shortly afterwards.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative in the country, issued a statement strongly condemning the “horrific” attacks.
“Violence in or around schools is never acceptable. For the people of Afghanistan, already beleaguered by forty years of war, schools should be safe havens, and places where children can learn and flourish,” he said.
Mr. Alakbarov underlined that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools, are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) took to Twitter to unequivocally condemn the “heinous” attacks.
“Those responsible for the crime targeting schools and children must be brought to justice,” the UNAMA tweet said, noting that Mission chief Deborah Lyons has extended her deepest sympathies to the families of the victims, and wishes for a speedy recovery for the wounded.
EUROPE
FRAUD SCHEME UPENDED
Italian and Austrian authorities have dismantled a massive fraud scheme set up by a criminal network that used Italian companies to simulate business leases and false tax credits. The perpetrators deprived the Italian authorities of at least EUR 440 million. With the help of Eurojust, approximately 90% of the proceeds have been recovered and 12 suspects have been arrested.
The arrested suspects allegedly belong to an organized crime group (OCG) that defrauded the Italian State of at least EUR 440 million. The OCG used Italian companies to sell false tax credits, to simulate business leases in order to obtain COVID-19-related compensation, and to simulate tax credits for false works to improve the safety and energy consumption of the companies.
More than 90% of the proceeds have been recovered, mainly in Italy. The seized assets include cryptocurrencies, currently held in a wallet to prevent their movement, as well as gold, platinum and watches of significant value, which were held in a safe deposit box in Austria.
Eurojust assisted in the coordination of the cross-border judicial cooperation in this case, including by providing support to execute a European Investigation Order and a freezing order in Austria issued by Italian authorities.
The following authorities took part in this investigation:
Italy – Public Prosecutor Office of Rimini (Procura della Repubblica di Rimini) and Financial Crime Unit of Guardia di Finanza of Rimini (Nucleo di Polizia Economica e Finanziaria, Guardia di Finanza di Rimini)
Austria – Central Public Prosecutor´s Office for Combatting Economic Crimes and Corruption (CPPOCECC) and the State Criminal Police Agency Vienna.
SOUTH AMERICA
FORMER CFO CHARGED IN FRAUD SCHEME
A superseding indictment was unsealed April 18 in the Southern District of Iowa charging the former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of publicly traded reinsurance company, IRB Brasil Resseguros SA, aka IRB Brasil RE (IRB), for fraudulently propping up its stock price by spreading false information that U.S. investment firm Berkshire Hathaway Inc. had invested in IRB.
According to court documents, Fernando Passos, 39, of Brazil, allegedly executed the fraud scheme beginning in February 2020, after an investment company published a report questioning the accuracy of IRB’s financial statements and announcing that the investment company had taken a short position against IRB’s stock. IRB’s stock price dropped in the wake of the report.
In response, Passos allegedly developed and executed a scheme to mislead shareholders and the investing public by disseminating and causing to be disseminated materially false information that Berkshire Hathaway had invested in IRB, despite knowing the U.S. investment firm had not made such an investment. Passos discussed his plans to spread this materially false information with IRB investor relations employees. In one text message described in the indictment, Passos stated, “I will spread this story that berk (i.e., Berkshire Hathaway) bought 28MM of shares,” and added, “then it becomes true.”
As part of the fraud scheme, the superseding indictment alleges, Passos falsified documents and information to support his claims that Berkshire Hathaway was an IRB shareholder and caused this information to be provided to members of the press, several of IRB’s directors, and IRB investors. News outlets in both Brazil and the United States began incorrectly reporting that Berkshire Hathaway had invested in IRB.
Following the news coverage, on the evening of March 3, 2020, Berkshire Hathaway issued a press release stating that it was not currently, had never been, and had no intention of becoming a shareholder in IRB. On March 4, 2020, after Berkshire Hathaway’s press release, IRB’s stock price dropped, causing significant shareholder losses.
IRB, which is based in Brazil, trades on Brazil’s B3 exchange and has shareholders around the world, including in the United States.
Passos is charged with one count of securities fraud and three counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. He remains at large.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Kate McCarthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting.
The Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System (VNS) to provide victims with case information and updates related to this case. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing Victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.
To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas. If you believe you are a victim of the conduct described in the Passos indictment, please visit https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/Passos.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
