Legal case

Confiscated Tiger Cub Brought to Oakland Zoo for Long-Term Rehabilitation and Care

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 23, 2024

OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On Tuesday afternoon, Oakland Zoo, acting as agents for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, assisted with rescuing an eight-month-old female tiger from a privately owned facility in the western U.S. The female tiger was found to be suffering from numerous improperly healed fractures in her bones. Oakland Zoo's Veterinary Hospital staff performed a thorough physical exam, CT scan, and bloodwork. It was determined that the patient had ten pathological fractures, leading to pain and a lack of mobility. This led to a 50% muscle atrophy in her legs. She was supplemented with nutrients and given the necessary pain medication. "I've treated over 100 cases of rescued big cats, and unfortunately, these injuries can lead to lifelong medical issues," says Dr. Ryan Sadler, Senior Veterinarian at Oakland Zoo.The Zoo's Veterinary Hospital team is working to build her calcium and muscle growth, which can take several weeks to months. Once her bones have built enough calcium, the Zoo's Veterinarians will work with surgeons to determine the next steps in her healing journey. Oakland Zoo veterinarians are cautiously optimistic, though it will take some time, that she will make a full recovery.

Key Points: 
  • Now receiving specialized care at Oakland Zoo's Veterinary Hospital, the eight-month-old tiger has a hopeful future.
  • Oakland Zoo veterinarians are cautiously optimistic, though it will take some time, that she will make a full recovery.
  • We are grateful to serve in a role that gives her hope for brighter days ahead," says Nik Dehejia, CEO of Oakland Zoo.
  • With their expertise, knowledge, and exemplary standards of care, Oakland Zoo is equipped to execute the rehabilitation this rescued female tiger needs to begin her long journey to recovery.

Does Yang Hengjun have any legal hopes left after receiving a suspended death sentence in China?

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 5, 2024

The Chinese-Australian academic and writer, Yang Hengjun, has been detained in China for five years on suspicion of spying for Australia.

Key Points: 
  • The Chinese-Australian academic and writer, Yang Hengjun, has been detained in China for five years on suspicion of spying for Australia.
  • A secret trial was held in 2021 with no family, friends or Australian consular officials permitted in the courtroom.
  • Today, his fate has finally been made clear: Yang received a suspended death sentence which can be commuted to life in prison after two years of good behaviour.

Yang’s background

  • Yang was born in China and previously worked in the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of State Security.
  • He later moved to Australia, where he became a citizen in 2002, and then to the US where had been a visiting scholar at Columbia University from 2017.
  • Yang had been detained in China previously in 2011, but was quickly released ahead of a visit to China by then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

How frequently is the death penalty used in China?

  • China has a notorious record of imposing the death penalty for a number of different offences.
  • While there has been a downward trend in the number of countries that retain the death penalty and actually carry out executions, reliable data on China is impossible to attain.
  • As such, Amnesty no longer includes any Chinese figures in its annual Global Death Penalty reports.

Does Yang have any rights left under international law?

  • Yang can still appeal his sentence through the Chinese legal system, which effectively provides him with certain levels of protection until his appeals have been exhausted.
  • Diplomatically, though, this would be a basis for Australia to continue to advocate for his release on humanitarian grounds.

Is there anything Australia can do for Yang now?

  • This is significant as convictions for a capital offence in China are typically followed quickly by an execution.
  • Yang’s Australian citizenship will have no doubt have been taken into account in this instance.
  • Any formal efforts by Australia to provide Yang with diplomatic protection under international law are constrained while his legal case is still playing out.

Has China treated Yang with procedural fairness?

  • Australia had very few options to ensure Yang was being afforded these rights in China.
  • China has respected some of the minimum entitlements under this agreement, which has enabled consular staff to meet with Yang and monitor his wellbeing, though China restricted access during the peak periods of the COVID-19 lockdown.
  • And as Amnesty International notes, China has not put forth any evidence to support its assertion that Yang was, indeed, a spy.


Donald Rothwell receives funding from Australian Research Council

HIMALAYA TECHNOLOGIES TO ENTER CRYTPOCURRENCY MARKET

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, December 26, 2023

: 1:21−cv−05054 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.

Key Points: 
  • : 1:21−cv−05054 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.
  • Both Vikram Grover and Himalaya have signed a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) to explore the infusion of these businesses, investments and assets into the Company pending collection efforts.
  • There are no assurances that Himalaya will successfully finance any business or close any of the aforementioned potential strategic transactions.
  • Further information on the legal case, judgment, and MOU are available on the SEC’s EDGAR system under Form 8-K filed December 26, 2023 at https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch under "Himalaya Technologies, Inc." and/or "HMLA".

Canadian landmarks light up, Amnesty International supporters write thousands of letters in celebration of Human Rights Day on Dec. 10

Retrieved on: 
Friday, December 8, 2023

To mark the occasion, several major landmarks in Canada will be lit up after dark – many in Amnesty yellow – on the evening of December 10 (International Human Rights Day), including:

Key Points: 
  • To mark the occasion, several major landmarks in Canada will be lit up after dark – many in Amnesty yellow – on the evening of December 10 (International Human Rights Day), including:
    Mississauga, Ont.
  • Since Write for Rights started in 2001, millions of people have changed the lives of those whose human rights had been targeted and stripped from them.
  • As part of Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign 2022, our supporters took action while Amnesty International Zimbabwe supported them throughout their trials.
  • While reading the letters of support, Joanah said: “Thank you so much to our Amnesty International friends for writing all these letters.

Whistleblowers Reveal Disturbing Details of Houston-Area Massage Envy Sexual Assaults as More Women Come Forward

Retrieved on: 
Friday, December 1, 2023

Three more women have filed a lawsuit saying they were sexually assaulted by a massage therapist at a Massage Envy franchise in Conroe.

Key Points: 
  • Three more women have filed a lawsuit saying they were sexually assaulted by a massage therapist at a Massage Envy franchise in Conroe.
  • That follows last month’s $1 million settlement of two other sexual assault cases tied to the same massage therapist at the same Massage Envy location.
  • In the latest legal case, former employees have come forward with proof of a cover-up by Massage Envy that allowed a number of additional women to become victims.
  • Defendants in the case are the Massage Envy franchise in Conroe, Massage Envy’s corporate headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, and former massage therapist Jose “Joe” Barajas Franco.

Houston-Area Massage Envy Pays $1 Million Policy Limit Settlement to Sexual Assault Victims

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 19, 2023

A Houston-area Massage Envy has agreed to pay its maximum insurance policy limit of $1 million to two women who filed a lawsuit saying they were sexually assaulted by a male massage therapist during their appointments.

Key Points: 
  • A Houston-area Massage Envy has agreed to pay its maximum insurance policy limit of $1 million to two women who filed a lawsuit saying they were sexually assaulted by a male massage therapist during their appointments.
  • Blizzard Greenberg attorneys represented the women, identified as T.G and M.D., in the lawsuit against a Massage Envy franchise in Conroe.
  • Following reports of the assaults, the Conroe Police Department arrested Jose Barajas Franco and charged him with felony sexual assault.
  • v Massage Envy and Jose Barajas Franco et al., cause number 2022-59001 in Harris County District Court.

Trinity Biotech Welcomes The Decision Of The High Court Of Kenya To Strike Out The Applications To Prevent the Procurement of TrinScreen HIV By The Kenyan Ministry of Health

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 10, 2023

The High Court also discharged the interim orders that previously placed temporary restrictions on the procurement of TrinScreen HIV tests.

Key Points: 
  • The High Court also discharged the interim orders that previously placed temporary restrictions on the procurement of TrinScreen HIV tests.
  • This court ruling marks a positive development for both public health in Kenya and Trinity Biotech.
  • It signifies the removal of the legal barriers that had hindered the sale of TrinScreen HIV test kits to the Kenyan Ministry of Health.
  • Trinity Biotech expects to imminently receive TrinScreen HIV orders for the new Kenyan HIV rapid testing algorithm.

ESET wins long-running patent dispute against Finjan

Retrieved on: 
Friday, September 15, 2023

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ESET has welcomed a California federal jury's ruling in its favor, finding that the leading digital security provider has not committed patent infringement on Finjan Holdings LLC technologies.

Key Points: 
  • BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ESET has welcomed a California federal jury's ruling in its favor, finding that the leading digital security provider has not committed patent infringement on Finjan Holdings LLC technologies.
  • Despite Finjan's claims that its patents were infringed upon, ESET staunchly defended its position and received favorable judgement.
  • "Describing this legal case as a battle is entirely accurate," said Richard Marko, CEO of ESET.
  • With decades of experience at our disposal, having invented and implemented numerous efficient protective layers, we have enough arguments to defend against unfounded patent infringement claims."

Announcement of Settlement Reached in Parks Associates vs Interpret LLC

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 12, 2023

DALLAS, Sept. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- International research firm and longstanding market research and consulting leader Parks Residential Systems Research, DBA Parks Associates , today announces the settlement of its legal case against Interpret LLC, Brett Sappington, and Brad Russell, reached in May 2023.

Key Points: 
  • DALLAS, Sept. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- International research firm and longstanding market research and consulting leader Parks Residential Systems Research, DBA Parks Associates , today announces the settlement of its legal case against Interpret LLC, Brett Sappington, and Brad Russell, reached in May 2023.
  • Parks Associates filed the lawsuit in early 2021 to recover confidential and proprietary information it alleged was stolen by two former employees, Brett Sappington and Brad Russell, for the benefit of their new employer, Interpret LLC.
  • Interpret is led by Andrew Wing, Grant Johnson, and Michael Cai, another former Parks Associates employee.
  • Other previous Parks Associates employees at Interpret include Parks Associates' former President Stuart Sikes and former Research Director Harry Wang, among others.

Mercedes-Benz's legal win over car dealers could transform the way new cars are sold in Australia

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, August 31, 2023

Federal Court judge Jonathan Beach had been expected to deliver his decision at the beginning of the year.

Key Points: 
  • Federal Court judge Jonathan Beach had been expected to deliver his decision at the beginning of the year.
  • It was finally handed down yesterday, after a nine-month delay that highlights the significance of the case.
  • It dismisses all the dealers’ claims against Mercedes-Benz, describing the case as “forensically complex although legally straightforward”.

Why dealers took Mercedes-Benz to court

    • The basis for the dealers’ compensation claim was that Mercedes-Benz allegedly bullied them into signing “agency agreements” that upended this model.
    • The new agreements meant Mercedes-Benz took control of the sales process.
    • It retained ownership of the vehicles and set the sales prices, paying dealers a fixed commission on sales.
    • With dealer showroom traffic already declining, dealers contended that reducing their interaction with customers would dramatically affect their profitability.

Claims dismissed

    • He dismissed all claims against Mercedes-Benz.
    • His judgement upholds Mercedes-Benz’s right to cancel its existing franchisee contracts and replace them with agency agreements.
    • He unambiguously stated that “further consideration needs to be given to the terms of the franchising code and possible modification”.

What does this mean for customers?

    • Fixed-price sales do not appear to blunt Tesla’s momentum, with the Tesla Model Y zooming up the charts to become Australia’s third-best-selling car.
    • Honda, however, in March 2023 reported a 72% decline, recording its lowest new car sales in its history in Australia.
    • All parties need to reset and refine their roles and responsibilities in a rapidly evolving consumer landscape.