ndia and Iran worked out a new agreement on New Delhi’s crude purchases as sanctions by the U.S. and Europe threatened to disrupt the current method of payment, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Indian companies will pay 45% of their oil imports from Iran in rupees while the two countries figure out how to pay for the rest of the purchase, the Journal report said, citing Sayed Mehdi Nabizadeh, Iran’s ambassador to India.
The arrangement allows India to continue purchasing Iran’s oil despite sanctions from the U.S. that punish anyone doing business with Iran’s central bank, which routes most of the country’s oil payments.
The Web according to Samuel Rubenfeld, a journalist published in The Wall Street Journal, WSJ.com, Dow Jones Newswires, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, Midland (Texas) Reporter-Telegram, The Hill, Village Voice, Newsday, Times of Middle Country and my alma mater's campus newspaper, The Hofstra Chronicle.
I'm 24 and living in Astoria, Queens. I listen to a ton of music and read a lot about politics, public policy, the news media and the future of journalism. I also am a big fan of the Knicks, Jets and Mets. Expect a heavy dose of things to read. • Ask me anything
Samuel Rubenfeld's Tumblr
I'm 24 and living in Astoria, Queens. I listen to a ton of music and read a lot about politics, public policy, the news media and the future of journalism. I also am a big fan of the Knicks, Jets and Mets. Expect a heavy dose of things to read. • Ask me anything
Samuel Rubenfeld's Tumblr
India, Iran Agree On Crude Payment Mechanism - Corruption Currents - WSJ
The Ninth Circuit court of appeals on Tuesday declared California’s Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage in the state, unconstitutional. The decision sets up what is almost certain to be a Supreme Court ruling on the matter. Of course California isn’t the only state wrestling with the issue of marriage equality. Here’s a look at where things stand across the country.
It’s important to note that today’s filing was an opinion, not an order. An order is needed to lift a stay that is currently preventing same-sex couples from marrying in California; as it stands now, county clerk offices are still not issuing marriage licenses to those couples.
MAGAZINE CIRCULATION IS UP! Congratulations to GQ, the New Yorker, and New York Magazine. Newsweek’s newsstand sales also got a bump.
“A tired Knicks team allowed Utah to draw to within six points with under three minutes left. The Jazz could sense that the Knicks were fading, and played extremely effective defense against New York, made possible by regularly double-teaming Jeremy Lin to stop him. The ball made its way around the other Knicks, the time down to a precious few seconds, and Iman Shumpert missed badly on a short jumper with two minutes left. The ball got batted into the hands of Jeremy Lin, standing behind the three-point line, as the shot clock reached one second left. Lin, who has notched a total of one three-pointer in his N.B.A. career, drained a 24-footer to ice the game. Insanity. No one sat down for the final two minutes. It was the Madison Square Garden of Larry Johnson’s four-point play, and it didn’t stop until after Lin dribbled out the clock and gave an on-court postgame interview drowned out by M.V.P. chants, a standing crowd celebrating their unexpected new hero just a little longer.”
— The night Jeremy Lin drew double coverage and the Garden lost its mind | Capital New York
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
“OMG that is so amazing. You get to beat up people for free!!!”
This is one of the most brilliant works of radio journalism I have ever heard.
Top two, three in my 30 years of public radio fandomage.
Poetry disguised as a feature on a woman boxer from Baltimore named Tyrieshia Douglas.
Seriously: It’s like a movie in audio form.
I’m realistic. I know how click and flow work on the Net. I get time. And so I realize that only a handful of you will hit LISTEN and actually listen for eight minutes and seventeen seconds of your life.
But oh, man: if you do…
Phenomenal work. Listen through to the end; this woman’s story is truly amazing.
It was the Jeremy Lin show again at the Garden tonight. Lin managed to top his previous career high of 25, with 28 points leading the (Amar’e and Melo-less) Knicks to a win over the Jazz. New York has officially found their new point guard.
Linsanity. This guy is my new favorite Knick.
Smith & Nephew Pays $22.2 Million To Resolve FCPA Probe - Corruption Currents - WSJ
Smith & Nephew Inc., a medical-device company, agreed to pay U.S. authorities $22.2 million to resolve an investigation into possible violations of foreign bribery law.
The Memphis-based company, which is a subsidiary of the U.K. company traded on the New York Stock Exchange, acknowledged responsibility for the actions of its its affiliates, subsidiaries, employees and agents who made about $9.4 million in improper payments from 1998 to 2008 to a Greek distributor based in Athens, the Justice Department said.
Smith & Nephew, under a deferred-prosecution agreement with the Justice Department, agreed to pay a $16.8 million penalty and to retain a compliance monitor for 18 months. The U.K. parent company agreed to pay the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission $5.4 million in a disgorgement, though it consented without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations.
US Sanctions Iran’s Government, Including Central Bank - Corruption Currents - WSJ
The White House announced sanctions on Monday against Iran’s entire government, including the central bank.
The move, conducted via an executive order, is the strongest salvo used by the U.S. in its confrontation with Iran, and it implements legislation signed by President Barack Obama on Dec. 31 that imposed a freeze of the Iranian central bank’s assets. A fact sheet issued by the U.S. Treasury Department said additional information describing how it will implement the law “will be made available in the near term.”
“I have determined that additional sanctions are warranted, particularly in light of the deceptive practices of the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian banks to conceal transactions of sanctioned parties, the deficiencies in Iran’s anti-money laundering regime and the weaknesses in its implementation, and the continuing and unacceptable risk posed to the international financial system by Iran’s activities,” said Obama in a letter to Congress announcing the order.
The order, signed Sunday by Obama, also changes how financial transactions with Iran’s government and the central bank are to be handled: Since 1995, most transactions were rejected, meaning they couldn’t pass through the U.S. but were turned back. Under Monday’s executive order, however, assets that previously would have been rejected will now be frozen.
Russia, China Veto A Second UN Resolution On Syria - Corruption Currents - WSJ
An in-case-you-missed-it from the weekend:
Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution against Syria for the second time in four months.
The resolution vetoed Saturday came hours after a crackdown that killed hundreds of people and that gave Western powers the impetus to bring the resolution to a vote despite objections from Moscow registered all week. It was stronger than the resolution vetoed in October by Russia and China.
As permanent members of the Security Council, Russia and China hold veto power over any measure brought before the body. The other 13 members all voted in favor of the resolution.
Wasn’t it a great weekend to be a New Yorker?
We got Jeremy Lin beasting on the court with the Knicks, the Rangers won, and now the Giants won the Superbowl.
Ahhhh New York, New York.
