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International News Services archives articles supplied to clients one year or more after initial publication. These articles are protected by a password and not made available to readers without permission from clients. They are used as a background resource by agency journalists. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.

WELLNESS AT FESTIVE PERIODS

At busy social times, maintaining good boundaries and taking care of your needs when in close quarters with family and friends while detaching fully from work and study is of critical importance to wellbeing.

This year, an extra nugget of sound wellness wisdom  includes using the holiday season to reflect on what impact phone and computer algorithms might have on your  wellbeing.

Whilst their pros and cons are many, especially in the fields of science and medicine, some drawbacks could include:

  • Spending too much time on devices;
  • Comparing oneself to others, causing a loop of anxiety;
  • Compulsive or addictive device use;
  • Creating bias and pigeon holing and
  • Limiting openness to new ideas or activities.
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Cheese (Kars, Turkey) by Sasha India

TÜRKIYE DAIRY PRODUCTION FALLS AS INDUSTRY STRUGGLES WITH INFLATION AND DEPRECIATING LIRA

Türkiye is one of the top 10 milk producers worldwide, according to the Turkish National Dairy Council (Ulusal Süt Konseyi - USK) but the country’s dairy sector has been impacted over the past two years by high inflation and the depreciation of the Turkish lira (1). Production is slowly rebounding, with demand driven by the country’s growing population and new export markets.  

“Until the Covid pandemic the dairy sector was growing really well, then it started to decrease due to inflation and other issues, and has not really recovered,” said Shirley Kaston, co-founder of the Kök Projekt, a food start-up accelerator and consultancy in Istanbul.  
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"Defenders of Donetsk Airport" commemorative coin. Photo Credit: Oleksandr K.

UKRAINE STEPS UP FIGHT AGAINST COMMERCIAL CRIME, BUT CONCERNS REMAIN

Ukrainian authorities, with the support of their European counterparts, are working to rid Ukraine of its former corrupt past – they are having mixed success. Dylan Carter reports. 

While Ukraine battles an invading Russian enemy currently occupying approximately 18% of Ukrainian territory (1), it is also focused on its battle with the ‘enemy within’, namely elevated levels of corruption and other commercial crime. 

Since the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, Ukraine’s pro-Western authorities have worked tirelessly to align themselves with European Union (EU) anti-corruption and anti-fraud efforts, notably establishing the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) in 2014, which prepares corruption cases for prosecution by a Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.

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Chinese Yuan. Photos Credit: Mussi Katz

CHINA CRACKING DOWN ON WEAK AUDITING OF ACCOUNTING CRIME

Major companies in China are under tightening scrutiny for accounting fraud, with major audit firms facing punishing penalties for turning blind eyes. Keith Nuthall, Jens Kastner and Sara Lewis report. 

The Chinese auditing unit of accounting giant PwC has been fined a record Chinese Yuan Renminbi CNY441 million (USD62.7 million) and banned from auditing in mainland China for six months after a regulator concluded it had “covered up and even condoned” fraud.

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Photo Credit: EU-Austritt_(47521165961) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/foto_db/47521165961/

CHEMICAL REGULATION DILEMMA FOR NEW UK GOVERNMENT

The election of a new Labour government in the UK comes at a critical time for chemical regulation in Great Britain (GB) – and hence textile-finishing materials. Public consultation is currently underway on potential changes to how GB (not Northern Ireland) regulates its chemical industry and market.  

When the UK left the European Union (EU) on 1 January 2021, it also left the EU’s comprehensive REACH chemical control system, which was formally replaced by a UK REACH system. This mirrored EU REACH, grandfathering existing registrations and restrictions to the national system, although GB companies lost access to EU databases run by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).…

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PRACTISING HEALTH CARE IS GOOD FOR YOU

We often tend to put ourselves last and feel guilty when we make time for ourselves. But practicing regular self-care is one of the best things you can for yourself and others. Here’s why.

Think of your inner voice – have you ever talked to yourself in a way you would never dream of talking to a loved one? Are you more supportive and encouraging of your friends than you are of yourself when going through a rough patch?…

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LAVA JATO PUSHES MONEY LAUNDERERS TO ADOPT MORE SOPHISTICATED WAYS TO HIDE DIRTY CASH IN BRAZIL 

A senior lawyer in Brazil who has defended criminals accused of money laundering has said how the Lava Jato cases, which highlighted massive public corruption, have pushed launderers towards using crypto-currency to hide dirty money.

But even though the Lava Jato task force was officially disbanded in 2021, Pierpaolo Bottini, partner at São Paulo-based Bottini & Tamasauskas Advogados, and a former director of the Economic Criminal Law of the Brazilian Institute of Criminal Sciences, said this abuse of crypto has been highlighted in cases he is defending. …

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INS BANGLADESH CORRESPONDENT WINS "BRAC MIGRATION AWARD"

Masum Billah, Bangladesh Correspondent of International News Services, has won the prestigious “Brac Migration Media Award” for his story, entitled “Sold in Cambodia: How Bangladeshis are lured into slavery.”

Published in the Dhaka-based newspaper, The Business Standard, Mr Billah’s story clinched the second prize in the “National Newspaper” category, at the eighth annual award ceremony of BRAC, one of the largest NGOs in the world. BRAC introduced the “BRAC Migration Media Award” in 2015 to formally recognise migration journalism.…

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ISSB PUSHES FOR ITS STANDARDS TO BE SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING GLOBAL BASELINE

An International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) symposium in Montréal, Canada, has heard how accounting standards experts are striving to build a “global baseline” of regulation based on ISSB standards, despite the contrasting guidance being developed worldwide. 

Speaking at the event on Friday (Feb 17), Mark Carney, UN special envoy for climate action and finance, and former central bank governor for the UK and Canada, said of the baseline: “It’s critical. You need compatible information.”  

Mr Carney stressed ongoing discussions between the ISSB and major jurisdictions, such as the EU (European Union), the USA and Japan, about the need for regulatory harmony.

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OPINION PIECE – CANADIAN GOVERNOR GENERAL SHOULD SUE TWITTER AND HELP CLEAN UP SOCIAL MEDIA

The disturbing comments published by Twitter about Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon require the same response such defamation would spark against any newspaper should it have distributed such lies – she should sue.

Yes, Canada’s respected 75-year-old first ever indigenous Governor General should sue Elon Musk for defamation, as owner of Twitter, which published these untrue and poisonous comments.

Twitter and Musk made money from them – they attracted eyeballs, which boosted ad clicks, and boosted the social media site’s profile.…

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