Most of the attention on the Panama Papers has been focused on the effects of offshore banking on developed countries. In fact, the countries that suffer the most from this form of tax avoidance are the developing countries. The group, Global Financial Integrity, has estimated that developing countries “lost US$7.8 trillion in illicit financial flows from 2004 through 2013”. That money dwarfs the amount of money those countries receive in development assistance. It is money that these countries can ill-afford.
South African President Jacob Zuma was not impeached on corruption charges by the South African Parliament. The Parliament, dominated by Zuma’s party, the African National Congress, held that the decision of the Constitutional Court that Zuma had in fact violated the constitution was not a “serious” violation of the constitution. The decision not to impeach Zuma is a serious setback for the rule of law in South Africa, and various groups, including many churches, have vowed to lead a campaign to force Zuma’s resignation.
Anti-Semitic incidents in Austria increased by more than 80 percent between 2014 and 2015. The data confirm what has appeared to many observers as a very worrying trend in Europe. Many of these incidents occurred on the internet so it is difficult to identify the perpetrators. But such activity needs to be vigorously addressed by the authorities.
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