April 06, 2016

Panama Papers Take Down A Head Of State And Make China Uncomfortable

 
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THE WORLD IN A NUTSHELL

APRIL 6, 2016  /  SUBSCRIBE

PNUT GALLERY

The FBI hasn’t even finished its victory lap in its battle against Apple, but WhatsApp is already giving it a headache. The Facebook-owned messaging company just encrypted all messages for its users, meaning you can send your lover naked photos with some peace of mind. 

IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ
Panama Papers Claim Its First Head Of StateEmbattled Icelandic PM Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson (what a name) resigned from his post just two days after the Panama Papers leak revealed that he and his wife personally benefited from a bank bailout that he helped orchestrate as PM — a matter that he failed to disclose to Parliament. Things started off on a bad foot when Suddeutsche Zeitung, the German paper that broke the news, blindsided him during an interview and caused him to walk out.

The leaks were particularly painful for Iceland, a country of 300,000 people which was brought to near bankruptcy (and placed on a terror watchlist by the UK) by three banks that borrowed more than seven times the country’s GDP. Gunnlaugsson was supposed to clean up shop, but it turned out he also had his hand in the cookie jar. GOOD READ: The Firm At The Center Of The Panama Papers China Has Blocked All Mention Of ‘Panama Papers’ From InternetA little censorship never hurt anybody, according to Beijing. The Chinese government has ordered its news companies to remove all mention of the Panama Papers from their websites, threatening harsh punishment to any news sites that fail to comply. Why is the mere mention of the leak equated with “attacking China” you may ask? The treasure trove of 11.5 million documents already shows that relatives of at least eight current or former members of China’s top ruling body possess offshore companies through Mossack Fonseca. The revelation is particularly touchy when you remember that China punished 300,000 people (including top military commanders) due to corruption over the past few years

NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

#pnut4prez: Wisconsinites Vote For Candidates Despite his unwillingness to wear a Cheesehead hat, Ted Cruz trounced Trump in the Wisconsin primary thanks to those who were turned off by Trump’s Trumpiness. Bernie Sanders also took home the Democratic primary in the state by a 44-28 margin. The duo’s latest victory gives them some momentum but will likely be their last major victory before the New York primary on April 19. 

Azerbaijan Calls Ceasefire And Might Even Mean It This TimeAfter four days of intense fighting — and a “ceasefire” similar to the kind you see in Syria — the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia said they were halting hostilities and ending the violence. The last four days of conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh resulted in at least 46 people dead, with international communities fearing the declaration of war. In the meantime, local Armenian authorities have been organizing shelters for the refugees from frontline villages. Bihar Is About To Become The Most Boring State In India Taking bars, hotels and many other businesses by surprise, the Indian state of Bihar has announced that it will ban the sale of all alcohol. Although the government said last week that the ban would be phased in over six months, top elected official Nitish Kumar said that the motion was so popular, they might just ban all sales of alcohol immediately. Sure it seems like a good idea now, but think of tomorrow’s hangover. Business owners are already voicing their anger over unsold stock, and the move is expected to cost the government 40 billion rupees ($602 million) in lost revenues from taxes on alcohol sales. Keeping Our Eye On…
  • Hiroshima: US Secretary of State John Kerry will make history next month when he becomes the highest-ranking American official to pay tribute to the victims of Hiroshima. 
  • Villanova: The school’s win against UNC might be “the best title game ever” after Kris Jenkins’ game-winning 3-pointer in the last 0.5 seconds of the game. We were all Sad Jordans today.
  • South Africa: Parliament in South Africa is debating a motion to impeach President Jacob Zuma after a court ruling against him. Zuma had breached the Constitution by failing to repay public money used to upgrade his private home.

LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

Woman Gives Up Home For 24,000 CatsSome may say it’s crazy. Others (maybe just cats) might say it’s heroic. A California woman has transformed her 4,000-square-foot home into what’s believed to be the largest no-cage cat sanctuary and adoption center in the United States. After rescuing over 24,000 cats over the last few years, she now houses up to 1,000 felines at any given time. Currently, she only offers housing to felines, but this would be the ideal Airbnb for that one aunt that everyone has. 

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