Petrobras Scandal Prosecutors Seek Tougher Anti-corruption Laws
Prosecutors who uncovered Brazil's biggest corruption case called on Friday for tougher prison sentences and more legal powers to crack down on rampant graft that costs taxpayers more than the annual budget for education and health. Hoping to ride a wave of national disgust over the latest corruption scandal at state-run oil company Petrobras, the top federal prosecutor's office known as PGR sent Congress proposals to stiffen penalties for corruption to up to 25 years in prison. The prosecutors are seeking legal reforms to speed up the arrest of corruption suspects and seizure of their assets before they can be hidden.
New Phase of Antipiracy Project in Somalia
The Joint Shipping Initiative - made up of Shell, BP, Maersk, Stena and Japanese shipping companies NYK, MOL and "K" Line - has announced it has given$1.5 million of additional funds to a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) project to improve the lives of Somalis and security for seafarers. The UNDP's "Alternative Livelihoods to Piracy in Puntland and Central Regions ofSomalia" project aims to reduce piracy off the coast of east Africa through local economic development, job creation, training, and business development grants on-shore in one of the world's poorest countries.