Category: Uncategorized

Germany’s antitrust authority has launched an investigation into whether U.S. ecommerce giant Amazon is exploiting its market dominance in its relations with third-party retailers who use its website as a marketplace.

The move comes as European regulators have been taking a tough line on U.S. tech giants like Google and Facebook, with the European Commission also looking into Amazon’s dual role as retailer and marketplace.

Germany’s Federal Cartel Office said in a statement on Thursday that it had received many complaints from traders about the business practices of Amazon of late.

Continue reading “Amazon’s treatment of sellers comes under scrutiny in Germany”

A Hawaii man who had a heart attack after a false alert about an incoming ballistic missile flashed up on thousands of cellphones in January has sued the state, accusing it of negligence in the incident that panicked thousands of people.

James Sean Shields was driving to the beach with his girlfriend on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 13, when the state flashed out alerts onto phones across the islands: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”

Continue reading “Startled by false missile alert, man sues Hawaii for heart attack”

A U.S. federal judge on Sunday denied a motion by George Papadopoulos, a former aide for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, seeking to postpone his sentence pending a separate case he hoped would lead to his conviction being overturned.

Papadopoulos will report to jail on Monday to start his 14- day sentence after judge Randolph Moss dismissed his 11th hour bid to remain out on bail.

Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents probing ties between the campaign and Russia, had sought to delay his sentence while a separate case challenging the legality of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s appointment is ongoing. Moss said Papadopoulos’ motion lacked merit.

Continue reading “U.S. judge orders former Trump campaign adviser Papadopoulos to jail”

Citigroup Inc and JPMorgan Chase & Co will pay $182.5 million to settle U.S. investor litigation claiming they violated antitrust law by conspiring with other banks to rig a key European interest rate benchmark.

A preliminary settlement addressing the banks’ alleged manipulation of the European Interbank Offered Rate, or Euribor, was filed on Wednesday night with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, and requires a judge’s approval.

Five banks have reached $491.5 million of settlements in the case, including earlier settlements of $170 million by Deutsche Bank AG, $94 million by Barclays Plc and $45 million by HSBC Holdings Plc.

Continue reading “Citigroup, JPMorgan to pay $182.5 million to settle rate-rigging lawsuit”

A Connecticut federal judge on Thursday certified a proposed class action from tens of thousands of Navy and Marine Corps veterans who say they were discharged for reasons related to their service-connected mental health problems—and then couldn’t seek treatment at the VA because their discharges were other than honorable.

The Associated Press reported Friday that a New Haven, Connecticut, federal judge has certified a class that could include thousands of former sailors and Marines who received what they say were unfair “other-than-honorable” discharges because of behaviors connected to a service-acquired mental health problem. They’re joined as plaintiffs by the National Veterans Council for Legal Redress. Lead plaintiff Tyson Manker of Jacksonville, Illinois, said he was discharged from the Marines after a single incident of illegal drug use connected to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Continue reading “Veterans may sue over discharges they say were result of untreated mental health problems”