Turkey to host Syria summit with Russia, Iran on April 4

Turkey will host a trilateral meeting on Syria gathering leaders from Turkey, Russia, and Iran next week, the Presidential Press Office said on March 31.     

The meeting hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 4 will be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, according to a statement.     

Besides regional developments and the ongoing Syrian war, the Turkish and Iranian leaders are also expected to hold talks to discuss bilateral relations.  

Russia expels Ukrainian diplomats from three cities – source

Russia has expelled Ukrainian diplomats from three cities, namely Moscow, St. Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don. "According to the decision by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, six diplomats have been expelled from the Embassy of Ukraine in Moscow, five diplomats – from the Ukrainian Consulate General in Rostov-on-Don, and two diplomats – from Ukraine's Consulate General in St. Petersburg," a source familiar with the case told UNIAN.

Does the new tax law short-change empty-nesters?

President Donald Trump has touted the new tax law, which took effect on January 1, 2018, as the “biggest tax cut in the history of our country.” Like many of Trump’s hyperbolic claims, this one is false—both Presidents Barak Obama and Ronald Reagan presided over tax cuts that exceeded those in the GOP’s Tax Cut and Jobs Act. And, as many critics have pointed out, the cuts in personal income rates are only temporary – they expire at the end of 2025 – while the new law’s reduction of the corporate tax rate is permanent.

The Most Common Type of Incompetent Leader

A young friend recently remarked that the worst boss he ever had would provide him with feedback that always consisted of “You’re doing a great job.” But they both knew it wasn’t true — the organization was in disarray, turnover was excessive, and customers were not happy. My friend was giving it his all, but he needed more support and better feedback than he received. He wanted a leader who would be around when he needed them, and who would give him substantive advice, not platitudes. As a measure of his frustration, he said, “I would rather have had a boss who yelled at me or made unrealistic demands than this one, who provided empty praise.”

A Colder War With Russia?

To all outward appearances, Russia’s retaliatory expulsions of American and other diplomats followed the old Cold War pattern: A Soviet deed would prompt Western punitive measures. Moscow would blithely deny any wrongdoing, declare itself victimized by a two-faced West and strike back with equivalent measures. So it was, for example, when the United States boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980 over the invasion of Afghanistan and the Soviet Union led an Eastern Bloc boycott of the Los Angeles Games four years later. And so it is now again, in Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

Mr. Putin has fully embraced the old Kremlin aversion to ever admitting wrongdoing, whether it’s shooting down a Malaysian jetliner, or killing Alexander Litvinenko, or seizing Crimea, or fighting in eastern Ukraine, or cyber-meddling in Western elections, or doping Olympic athletes. Or using a lethal chemical weapon to poison a double-agent and his daughter in a provincial city in England.

Another US State recognizes the Holodomor in Ukraine as genocide

On Thursday, March 29, the US state of Massachusetts announced through its Ukrainian Embassy the state’s decision to recognize the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian people.

“Another American state joined the recognition of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine as a genocide against the Ukrainian people,” Massachusetts Governor Charles Baker stated in a corresponding proclamation.

Nord Stream 2 is tool of political blackmail for Russia

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that the Nord Stream 2 project requires examination from the economic, political and moral points of view.

The press service of the head of state reported that Poroshenko told this to Germany's Funke Media Group.

Financial Times: Poland’s president in new clash with ruling Law and Justice party

Poland’s president Andrzej Duda has vetoed a law that would have demoted officials involved in the imposition of martial law in Poland 37 years ago, in his latest clash with the ruling Law and Justice party.

Read more here.

Ukraine’s government drags its feet on US naval aid

Ukraine’s government drags its feet on US naval aid

How Trump got to ‘yes’ on the biggest purge of Russian spies in U.S. history

In the days leading up to the largest expulsion of Russian spies and diplomats in U.S. history, few people inside or outside the Trump administration knew exactly what the president would do.

U.S. intelligence officials, who had been pushing to dismantle Moscow’s spy networks, believed that the president might decide against a recommendation to close the Russian Consulate in Seattle. 

Russia’s Unhappy Energy Marriage with China

As Putin has become the longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin, the country’s economic and political stagnation is drawing more and more comparisons to the Leonid Brezhnev era. Putin’s political system cannot survive the stresses imposed by major reforms needed to improve the economy, creating a deepening dependency on foreign policy in all its forms to secure legitimacy and, more importantly, money. By all appearances, his Chinese counterpart,  Xi Jinping, is tightening his control of the state and policy. This dynamic poses problems for the Kremlin’s most important relationship with a non-Western power.

Update: Top five things to know about tips and tip pooling under California law

In a huge development in the last couple of weeks, a change in federal law now permits California employers to include back of the house employees in tip pools.  This week’s post is an update and a general discussion about issues facing restaurants, hotels, and other industries where tipping and gratuities are left for employees.  This simple concept is surprisingly complex for employers.  Here are five issues employers should understand about tips in California.

1) Who owns a tip?

Trump’s Affairs and the Future of the Nondisclosure Agreement

In recent weeks, the former Playboy model Karen McDougal and the adult-film actress and director Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, have forged ahead unbound. Both women sold their silence concerning their sexual encounters with Donald Trump, and now both are asking a court to declare those contracts void. All the while, they’ve been giving extensive media interviews on...

Ukrainian President reported on his revenues, expenditures and charity

The total amount of income received by Petro Poroshenko in 2017 equals UAH 16 303 874. 336,000 of them are the salary that the Head of State fully transfers year by year for charitable purposes. UAH 15 795 874 - interest on deposits. These and other data can be found in the electronic declaration of Petro Poroshenko for 2017, which today will be available in open access.

From the amount of annual income, Petro Poroshenko paid the personal income tax at a rate of 18%, which applies to the salary and interest on deposits. 1.5% of the military charge also applies to the given income.

Trump’s good cop-bad cop routine with Russia is looking untenable

President Trump's good cop-bad cop routine with Russia may be approaching its expiration date.

Russia's ambassador threw down the gauntlet Friday morning, telling NBC's “Today” show that it's time for the United States to decide where it stands with Russia. He even invoked the prospect of a new Cold War.

“It seems to me that atmosphere in Washington is poisoned; it's a toxic atmosphere,” said the ambassador, Anatoly Antonov. “It depends upon us to decide whether we are in Cold War or not.”

The Easter Effect and How It Changed the World

In the year 312, just before his victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge won him the undisputed leadership of the Roman Empire, Constantine the Great had a heavenly vision of Christian symbols. That augury led him, a year later, to end all legal sanctions on the public profession of Christianity.

Protect Civil Society in Ukraine

Press Statement

Heather Nauert

Washington, DC

March 30, 2018

The United States strongly encourages the government of Ukraine to repeal legislation that requires the asset declarations from civil society and international members of state-owned-enterprise supervisory boards. Ukraine’s asset declaration system should hold public officials accountable and not place unnecessary burdens or pressure on civil society. This punitive law targets those very individuals who seek to increase transparency and accountability in Ukraine, fulfilling the promises of the Euromaidan and the Ukrainian people’s aspirations for a democratic country governed by the rule of law. We urge the Ukrainian government to expeditiously cancel the asset declaration requirements, in line with recommendations by the Venice Commission, and, in the interim, provide a temporary amnesty for those individuals who do not file declarations by the upcoming deadline.

Original

Lutsenko asks for the sacking of SAP Nazar Kholodnitsky (as expected)

It is claimed that when asked what blows governments off course, Harold MacMillan answered “Events my dear boy, events”.  Whether or not Mr MacMillan ever said that overworked quote matters little, for there are events that politicians are subjected too, and there are events that politicians engineer.

As such some events are predictable, and one such predictable event is the request by Prosecutor General Yuri Lutesnko to remove Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Nasir Kholodnitsky from office – as forecast some weeks ago.  As the entry made clear, a situational alliance between NABU and the Prosecutor General, notwithstanding the bugging of the SAP office, made it very unlikely that the SAP could continue.  His choice was to resign or be sacked.

U.S. visa applicants to be asked for social media history - State Department

(Reuters) - In a broad expansion of the information gathered from applicants for U.S. visas, the federal government is proposing to collect social media identities from nearly everyone who seeks entry into the United States, according to a State Department filing on Friday.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Legal Operations

Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to be the most disruptive class of technologies in driving digital business forward during the next ten years. Yet even among the most tech-savvy professionals, there is conflict over what it can and cannot do. The most promising aspect of applying AI in the legal profession lies in automating simple and repetitive tasks, like e-discovery or legal bill review, while enabling human experts to improve results beyond what machines or people could do alone. This combination allows for improved productivity, while driving significant time and resource savings.

Кемерово: 85% поддержки власти, а виновата Украина

Trump tells aides not to talk publicly about Russia policy moves

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's national security advisers spent months trying to convince him to sign off on a plan to supply new U.S. weapons to Ukraine to aid in the country's fight against Russian-backed separatists, according to multiple senior administration officials.

Выстрелить государству в висок. Лилия Шевцова – о западне

Стремление тех, кто обладает властью, сохранить ее естественно даже в развитых демократиях. Для персоналистских правлений продление власти в бесконечность – проблема не привычки либо амбиций их лидеров, а гарантия их жизни. Но порой воспроизводство личной власти оборачивается разрушительными последствиями не только для объекта властвования, но и для системы государственного управления.

Во имя переутверждения Владимира Путина на посту президента Кремль вынужден подрывать основные принципы жизнедеятельности российского государства. Правящая корпорация, подчинившая себе самодержавие, пытается выжить, усиливая его деградацию и провоцируя хаос и беспредел. 

French Ambassador to Ukraine: Corruption undermines foreign investors' trust in Ukraine (Video)

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Ukraine Isabelle Dumont says French companies operating in Ukraine occasionally encounter corruption, which undermines foreign investors' trust in Ukraine.

"There are instances when our companies encounter bribery, they are very concerned about it. They tell both the embassy and the business ombudsman about them. This is a challenge we have to face daily, by the way, together with members of the Ukrainian authorities. It cannot be said that the Ukrainian authorities do nothing. There are people in the Ukrainian government who understand the problem perfectly well, they are trying to help, because they realize that without trust, there will be no investment that is so necessary for everyone," she told Natalia Moseichuk, a host of a TV program on 1+1 Channel, on March 30, the Ukrainian TSN news service reports.

Andrew McCabe: legal fund for battle with Trump reaches $300,000 in hours

Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe – who was fired by the Trump administration but has said he was terminated because he is a crucial witness in the Russia investigation – raised around $300,000 in seven hours to help cover costs defending against government investigations, a funding website showed.

A statement on a GoFundMe page unveiled on Thursday said the goal was to raise $150,000 from the public, but it was raised to $250,000 because of a response that “has been remarkable and beyond our expectations”.

Can Publishing a Review on Social Media Be Defamatory?

Since the arrival of social media, publicly expressing an opinion has taken on a whole new dimension. The potential audience for online expressions of an opinion is vast, and companies are now paying close attention to comments published about them online. In some cases, the popular verdict can be devastating.

Businesses sometimes have to go to court when they feel victimized by defamatory and baseless statements about them online. That was the case in the recent matter of École de conduite Hermès v.Dubé, 2017 QCCQ 128941, in which a Facebook user was ordered to pay the plaintiff $3,800.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR FACEBOOK DATA—AND HOW TO FIND IT

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR FACEBOOK DATA—AND HOW TO FIND IT

Russia to shut down US consulate in St Petersburg as it expels diplomats

Russia will close down the US consulate in St Petersburg and expel dozens of foreign diplomats from America and across the world.

What You Need to Know About a Renault-Nissan Merger

A merger between Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. would streamline a nearly 20-year-old alliance between the two automakers just as they grapple with the shift to electric vehicles in the industry’s biggest-ever technological change.

Chinese Special Economic Zones: How do they benefit your company?

Much has been said and written about Chinese Special Economic Zones (SEZs), including our own article about the Shenzhen Qianhai Special Economic Zone. However, what exactly sets SEZs apart from the rest of Mainland China? Indeed, what distinguishes SEZs from Free Trade Zones, and what advantages do Special Economic Zones offer? As most of our clientele consists of SMEs, we try to take a practical approach in explaining their meaning and the current benefits of these zones: are they still special and beneficial for organizations?

What are Special Economic Zones?

The Next Hot Area Of Law: Privacy

The demand for lawyers who understand privacy is high -- and will only get higher in the years ahead.

Kyiv: Russia should return Kuban to Ukraine

At a recent briefing, Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure, Volodymyr Omelyan, stated that the Crimean Bridge will connect “Ukrainian Crimea” with “Ukrainian Kuban”, UNN reported.

“From a political point of view, I see that this is a bridge that will connect Ukrainian Crimea and Ukrainian Kuban,” Omelyan said. He stressed that Ukraine’s losses from the construction and commissioning of the Crimean bridge are estimated at “tens of millions of hryvnias.”

In May 2017, Omelyan stated that air traffic between Ukraine and Russia could be restored if Russia returns to Ukraine Kuban, the Crimea and the rest of the “Ukrainian territories that had been seized” by Russia over time.

Poroshenko enacts law introducing photo, video recording of illegally parked cars

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on March 28, 2018, enacted a law that toughens vehicle parking rules by introducing the photo and video recording of offenses.

The law, which was passed by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on December 21, 2017, will come into force 180 days after its publication, according to the presidential press service.

Boris Johnson: there are now just too many countries who have felt the disruptive and malign behaviour of the Russian state

My Lord Mayor, Your Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen.

I’m going to talk about Britain’s global role and our work with our allies around the world but I turn first to the events of this remarkable week because never before has there been a collective expulsion of Russian diplomats on the scale that we have seen over the last few days.

As I speak there are now 27 countries that have themselves taken the risk of kicking out people whose presence they deem to be no longer conducive to the public good.

NATO Moves Toward Readying More Troops to Confront Russian Threat

BRUSSELS—If Europe came into conflict with Russia, only several thousand of the more than one million troops in its armies would be ready for rapid deployment, military planners fear.

The U.S. now wants to step up readiness and ensure that at least 30,000 troops, plus additional aircraft and naval ships, can reach a trouble spot within 30 days of NATO commanders putting forces on alert, current and former allied officials say.

It's time we lost our 'cyber-naivety'

You wouldn't leave a box of your most prized possessions and private information in an unlocked box in the middle of the street, so why are so many people casual about their online information?

Degree, aggravation, and other criminal distinctions

On January 19, 2018, Rene Boucher was charged with felony assault for attacking his neighbor, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY).  The charge, brought under a federal law that covers personal injury attacks on members of Congress, superseded an earlier charge of fourth-degree misdemeanor assault, brought by the state of Kentucky. Which begs the question: What’s the difference between felony and misdemeanor assault? The same sorts of questions arise as we ponder when assault becomes aggravated assault, and what determines whether a crime is a first-degree or lesser offense?

U.S. judge refuses to toss suit against Trump on foreign payments

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s legal troubles deepened on Wednesday as a federal judge refused to throw out a lawsuit accusing him of flouting constitutional safeguards against corruption by maintaining ownership of his business empire while in office.

What US-Based Companies Need to Know About the GDPR, and Why Now?

If you are a US-based or multinational company, you may have noticed that in the past few months you have started to see a significant increase in the number of vendor (or other) agreements that you have been asked to modify or verification forms that you have been asked to execute. If you have not yet, you probably will. The reason for this uptick is simple, the European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) goes effect on May 25, 2018, and companies you work with must be GDPR compliant, which, in turn, puts obligations on you.

FBI looked into Trump plans to build hotel in Latvia with Putin supporter

They wanted to build the Las Vegas of the Baltics.

In 2010, a small group of businessmen including a wealthy Russian supporter of Vladimir Putin began working on plans to build a glitzy hotel and entertainment complex with Donald Trump in Riga, the capital of Latvia.

A senior Trump executive visited the city to scout for locations. Trump and his daughter Ivanka spent hours at Trump Tower with the Russian, Igor Krutoy, who also knows attendees of a fateful meeting at the same building during the 2016 US election campaign.

Then the Latvian government’s anti-corruption bureau began asking questions.

The EU cries foul – Poroshenko insists

An unusually terse public message was delivered on 28th March 2018 by EU Commissioner Hahn relating to the failure of Ukrainian legislators to undo legislation requiring anti-corruption NGOs to abide by the same law as that of public officials – and declare incomes/funding.

“On 1 April, the deadline for submission of the asset declarations for civil society activists will lapse. The Ukrainian authorities have not lived up to their commitment. The failure to repeal the extension of this obligation from public officials also to civic activists is contrary to Ukraine’s European aspirations. It is contrary to the strong recommendations given by Ukraine’s international partners, including the EU (also in the context of monitoring Ukraine’s continued implementation of commitments in the visa liberalisation process), the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR.

Who are the allies of Vladmir Putin and Russia in Germany?

Although the German government is clearly oriented toward the West, Germany often plays the mediator with Russia, and business interests also encourage tight connections. DW looks at Russia's best friends in Germany.

Poroshenko approves Annual National Program of Ukraine-NATO cooperation

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday signed a decree "On approval of the Annual National Program under the auspices of the Ukraine-NATO Commission for 2018". "The Annual National Program (ANP-2018) should ensure the fulfillment of priority tasks of Ukraine's cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as relevant decisions taken during the meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Commission at the level of heads of state and government held in Warsaw (Poland) July 9, 2016, and other important agreements with the NATO," the presidential administration reported on its website.

THE CASE THAT NEVER ENDS: ORACLE WINS LATEST ROUND VS. GOOGLE

Oracle's nearly eight-year legal battle with Google just won't end. Tuesday a federal appeals court ruled that Google violated Oracle's copyrights when it built a custom version of the Java platform for its Android operating system. The court sent the case back to a district court to decide how much Google should pay Oracle. But Google can appeal to the Supreme Court. And it should, because the decision will affect not just Google and Oracle, but the entire software industry.

Here Are All the Reasons It’s a Bad Idea to Let a Few Tech Companies Monopolize Our Data

“It’s no good fighting an election campaign on the facts,” Cambridge Analytica’s managing director told an undercover reporter, “because actually it’s all about emotion.” To target U.S. voters and appeal to their hopes, neuroses, and fears, the political consulting firm needed to train its algorithm to predict and map personality traits. That required lots of personal data. So, to build these psychographic profiles, Cambridge Analytica enlisted a Cambridge University professor, whose app collected data on about 50 million Facebook users and their friends. Facebook, at that time, allowed app developers to collect this personal data. Facebook argued that Cambridge Analytica and the professor violated its data polices. But this was not the first time its policies were violated. Nor is it likely to be the last.

Ex-Ukrainian President Yushchenko: Moscow poisoned the Skripals as they poisoned me

Ex-Ukrainian President Yushchenko: Moscow poisoned the Skripals as they poisoned me

'Victory for Kremlin' as Germany approves gas pipeline

Germany has given the go-ahead for a Russian gas pipeline despite the furore over Russia's chemical attack in the UK.

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) in Berlin said Russia could build the pipeline, called Nord Stream 2, on Tuesday (27 March), one day after Germany and other EU states expelled Russian diplomats over Russia's use of a chemical weapon to try to kill a former spy in England.

Ukraine and Israel rounded off negotiations on signing FTA agreement, claims Volodymyr Groysman

Ukraine has officially concluded negotiations kicked off in 2015 with Israel on signing of the Free Trade Agreement. This was announced by Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman during a Government meeting.

"We are at the final stage of the negotiations, we will shortly shape conditions for signing of the agreement", the Prime Minister emphasized.

Manhul tapped to head Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention

Member of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) Oleksandr Manhul has been tapped to head the agency. The relevant decision was made at an extraordinary NACP meeting, an UNIAN correspondent reported.

Gideon v. Wainwright and the role of public-defense lawyers

Nikolas Cruz, the defendant in the Parkland, Florida school shooting, stands accused of killing 17 innocent victims. The evidence against him – including a confession – seems overwhelming. Bereft of money, where can he find legal representation? From public-defense lawyers: court-appointed criminal attorneys who represent defendants who cannot afford to hire their own lawyer.

Blockchain and the Legal Landscape (video)

Whith blockchain becoming a part of the corporate vernacular, it’s important to know the basics – particularly from a legal perspective. Pillsbury lawyer Mercedes Tunstall reviews the intersection of blockchain and the law.

Виталий Портников: Пойдёт ли Путин на введение международной администрации на Донбасс?

Estonia shutters Versobank

The 27th March 2018 witnessed the announcement that the Central European Bank had withdrawn the banking licences of Versobank in Estonia upon the recommendation of the Financial Supervision Authority of Estonia.

The bank, owned by Ukrainians Vadim Ermoleav and Stanislav Velinsky had raised flags over repeated failure to combat money laundering.  According to the Head of the Financial Inspectorate Keilar Kessler “Versobank AS has 5,600 customers, of which only 2 thousand are residents of Estonia.  It is one of the smallest lending institutions in Estonia, the closure of which will have no negative consequences for the Estonian financial system, which is why the bank did not initiate a sanction procedure. The satisfaction of depositors’ demands in Versobank is sufficient.”

Gazprom refuses to supply gas, pay off debt to Ukraine - Naftogaz

The Russian gas monopoly, Gazprom, notified NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine that it refuses to comply with the awards of the Stockholm Arbitration obliging them to resume this year gas supplies to Ukraine and pay the Ukrainian side a total of $2.6 billion. According to a report by Naftogaz press office referring to the outcome of the latest round of talks between the two parties held last week.

NATO Braces for Putin’s Next Military Move in Eastern Europe

KYIV, Ukraine—Since 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military aggression in Ukraine has rearranged the national defense chessboards of countries across Eastern Europe.

In turn, the NATO military alliance has deployed weapons and troops eastward, to “make clear that an attack on one Ally would be considered an attack on the whole Alliance,” said NATO’s website. And the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has approved delivery of American anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.

Nord Stream 2 receives full set of permits in Germany

Nord Stream 2 AG received the permit for the construction and operation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline system in the German exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Tuesday, the company said in a press release.

A mere 4% of Ukrainian workers in Poland engaged in intellectual work – poll

A mere 4% of Ukrainians who have worked in Poland in the past five years were engaged in intellectual work. A total of 77% of Ukrainians in Poland mostly worked physically, 16% were employed in the service sector, 3% had work related to intellectual activity, and a mere 1% worked as senior managers, according to a survey conducted by the Rating sociological group on February 9-26, 2018.

Green-card marriages

Hollywood loves a green-card marriage – typically depicted in film as marriage of convenience between a U.S. citizen and a foreigner who wants to become a permanent resident of the United States. But as any real-life couple will tell you, getting a green card – the official document of permanent residency – through marriage is anything but convenient.

Women Don’t Do Mass Shootings, It’s Mostly Young White Men

What is it about guns that attracts young men?  I’ve defended many gun possession cases, but never any with women, and never any mass shootings (random shootings of three or more people) involving black men. (I’ve done plenty of shooting cases involving gangs, but these were not random or mass killings.)

Russia's EU friends decline to expel diplomats

Eleven EU countries have so far failed to join the others in expelling Russian diplomats in solidarity with the UK.

The list as of Tuesday (27 March) included Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Some of them are likely to join the EU mainstream in the next few days.

Chief Prosecutor suspects Medvedchuk of plotting coup in Ukraine together with Ruban, Savchenko

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko has said the Prosecutor General's Office has questions to the leader of the Ukrainian Choice movement, Viktor Medvedchuk, about his involvement in plotting a coup in Ukraine together with the former hostage swap negotiator, Volodymyr Ruban, and Ukrainian Member of Parliament Nadiia Savchenko. "We have questions as for the activities of the Ukrainian Choice as a center of anti-Ukrainian propaganda.

Putin’s Favorite Tactic Has Finally Backfired

Putin’s Favorite Tactic Has Finally Backfired

Черные дни Кемерово

В Кузбассе произошел один из крупнейших по количеству жертв пожаров в истории страны

NATO ambitions

As mass Russian “diplomatic” (spooks with diplomatic cover) expulsions occur in a surprisingly coordinated manner across the US and EU nation states (plus a few other nations too), the headlines will rightly focus thereon – despite the fact that no nation has expelled anywhere near enough to seriously hinder Kremlin intelligence gathering in any nation for long, or cause a lack of continuity/agent legacy management due to the number of “diplomats” left in post, and now also faced with having to identify all the replacements and carry out the usual CI work for each, the blog will look at an issue that won’t grab the headlines.

LawPay: The Trusted Payment Partner for Law Firms

When you select a partner for your firm, choose the best. Only LawPay has the experience and knowledge that comes from over a decade of building a complete end-to-end online credit card processing program for attorneys. LawPay is honored to be the only payment solution recognized as a member benefit by 47 state bars and part of the ABA Advantage program.

Eight Steps to Avoid Getting Sued Over Your Investigation

Thorough investigations can protect employers from claims that their decisions were discriminatory, retaliatory, or in bad faith. Conversely, a defective investigation can increase an employers’ exposure to those same claims. Consider, for example, Viana v. FedEx Corporate Services, an unpublished Ninth Circuit opinion issued on March 22, 2018. The appellate panel in that case overturned summary judgment for the employer because (among other things) there were issues regarding the adequacy of the investigation. The court noted, for example, that there was evidence that the supervisor conducting the investigation referred to the plaintiff using derogatory and sexist terms and failed to get the plaintiff’s side of the story before deciding to terminate.

Ukraine eyes €500m EU aid, while fighting corruption

Kiev is hoping to secure more than €500m in EU aid by July, amid its never-ending fight against corruption.

"Hopefully, it will be in June. I really hope so," Oleksandr Danyliuk, the Ukrainian finance minister, told EUobserver in an interview.

Spy poisoning: Russian diplomats expelled across US and Europe

The United States and its European allies are expelling dozens of Russian diplomats in a co-ordinated response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in the UK.

It is said to be the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history.

Prime Minister Theresa May said 18 countries have aligned with the UK, expelling more than 100 diplomats.

Russia vowed to retaliate to the "provocative gesture".

Statement by the President of Ukraine on the expulsion of 13 Russian diplomats from the Ukrainian territory

In response to a cynical chemical attack in Salisbury (UK), Ukraine, in a spirit of solidarity with our British partners and transatlantic allies, as well as in coordination with EU countries, decided to expel 13 of the remaining few Russian diplomats from the Ukrainian territory. As it is known, our diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation are de facto frozen.

Russia once again confirmed its dismissive attitude not only to the sovereignty of independent states, but also to the value of human life. Ukraine feels it every day in the occupied Ukrainian Crimea and Donbas.

Statement from the Press Secretary on the Expulsion of Russian Intelligence Officers

Today President Donald J. Trump ordered the expulsion of dozens of Russian intelligence officers from the United States and the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle due to its proximity to one of our submarine bases and Boeing. The United States takes this action in conjunction with our NATO allies and partners around the world in response to Russia’s use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom, the latest in its ongoing pattern of destabilizing activities around the world. Today’s actions make the United States safer by reducing Russia’s ability to spy on Americans and to conduct covert operations that threaten America’s national security. With these steps, the United States and our allies and partners make clear to Russia that its actions have consequences. The United States stands ready to cooperate to build a better relationship with Russia, but this can only happen with a change in the Russian government’s behavior.

Poltorak : Ukraine to build military bases according to NATO standards

Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak announced the construction of four military base complexes in different regions of Ukraine: Shirokiy Lan, Cherkaske, Starychi and Dachnoe-2. Defense Ministry spokesperson Dmytro Gutsulyak said on Saturday, March 24 that this was discussed during Poltorak’s meeting with people's deputies on the day before.

Poltorak said that the construction of improved barracks on the territory of the military bases is planned and underway, including barracks for female soldiers, canteens, sports facilities and infrastructure development. The minister further stated that this year should see the construction of 184 barracks.

End of the Nondisclosure Agreement? Not So Fast

Nondisclosure agreements have become ubiquitous in corporate America, used to bar employees from sharing trade secrets, disparaging their former employers and speaking publicly about confidential settlements.

Protect Your Data. Then Hope for a Tech Revolution.

Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, credited with inventing the World Wide Web, tweeted up a storm on Thursday, reassuring internet users that they could reassert control over their data -- and the web's future -- after the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook scandals. He's right, but not necessarily in the way he imagines.

"What can Web users do?" Berners-Lee wrote. "Get involved. Care about your data. It belongs to you. If we each take a little of the time we spend using the web to fight for the web, I think we'll be ok. Tell companies and your government representatives that your data and the web matter."

Зубов пояснил, в чем украинский язык превосходит русский

Заявления о том, что украинский язык "лингвистически ниже уровнем" русского языка – абсурдны с научной точки зрения.

Что касается их оценочной составляющей, то в подобных заявлениях "сквозит нацизм и расизм", - сказал "Обозревателю" российский историк и оппозиционер Андрей Зубов, комментируя высказывание декана Высшей школы телевидения МГУ Виталия Третьякова.

Changes for H-1B visa applications

On February 22, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) issued new guidance about documentation requirements for H-1B visa petitions. Intended to help USCIS officers evaluate applications, this guidance outlines more robust, although not necessarily new, standards for the contracts and itineraries that support a petitioner’s application for a work visa.

M&A in the USA

What is the current state of the M&A market in your jurisdiction?

Although 2016 saw a decrease in the total number and value of deals in the US compared to 2015, activity increased heavily towards the end of the year. October 2016 saw a record high of $250 billion in transactions according to financial information provider Dealogic, making it the busiest month in terms of deal value in history.

That momentum has continued in the first half of 2017 as US M&A deal values have increased by over 2% year-on-year from 2016, despite a drop in the volume of deals, according to Mergermarket. 

Unveiling of the Connection memorial in Eindhoven. The tragedy of MH 17 united us! We will always remember and do everything to bring those responsible to justice! pic.twitter.com/E2OMiKj2Ap

— UKR Embassy in NLD (@UKRinNLD) March 25, 2018

CHECK-IN KIEV: Ryanair launches flights to Kiev in Ukraine – a stag-do favourite with beds from £3 a night and beers as low as 50p

RYANAIR will fly to Ukraine from London Stansted from this October.

Tickets for the flights to the Ukrainian cities of Kiev and Lviv go on sale today from £19.99.

The low-cost airline had initially planned to start flying to the country last year, but had walked away from the deal last July over alleged attempts to protect the market for Ukrainian competitors.

The move by the low-cost airline is great for the Eastern European country, which has been on the brink of a humanitarian crisis thanks to a five-year conflict with Russia.

Public Council for Integrity withdraws from the judicial vetting process

It has been a while since the Public Council for Integrity was last mentioned by the blog.

The PCI is a body designed to have input into the selection of the judiciary that will function after judicial “reform” is completed.

It’s self declared purpose was to prevent the reappointment of Ukraine’s most odious, corrupt, and inept judges – those involved in unlawful “EuroMaidan/Revolution of Dignity” decisions, those that live well beyond their means and who cannot reasonably account for their wealth, and those that have a history of decisions which have ultimately led to ECfHR rulings against Ukraine.