Archive
International News Services archives articles supplied to clients one year or more after initial publication. These articles are protected by a password and not made available to readers without permission from clients. They are used as a background resource by agency journalists. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.
WORLD’S LARGEST AD AGENCY AGREES TO END SHARP PRACTICES AND PAY SEC USD19 MILLION TO SETTLE FCPA CHARGES
London and New York-based WPP, the world’s largest advertising group, has agreed to pay USD19.2 million to resolve charges laid by the USA’s Securities & Exchange Commission that it breached the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The SEC alleged WPP allowed overseas subsidiaries to bribe clients and breach accounting controls.…
ANTI-FRAUD INVESTIGATION TECH DEVELOPS APACE – BUT IT SHOULD AID RATHER THAN REPLACE FACE-TO-FACE QUESTIONING, SAY EXPERTS
With electronic communication methods proliferating, as machine learning and artificial intelligence systems develop fast, the potential for using technology to detect deception and lies is growing. But interrogation experts maintain that the most effective way of detecting lies and deceit remains a combination of face-to-face interviews, backed up with analysis that can help them assess the resulting exchange.…
WHEN IS A LOBBYING SCANDAL REALLY CORRUPTION?
The question of when and whether lobbying is ethically questionable or even a criminal bribe is a complex issue, with rules varying according to jurisdictions. Often, actions that are politically embarrassing, are definitely not bribes, or indeed unlawful in anyway. For example, on September 15, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney survived a no-confidence vote in the Dáil Éireann over his handling of the appointment of former minister for children Katherine Zappone as his country’s ‘Special Envoy to the UN on Freedom of Opinion and Expression’.…
FRAUD HITS GLOBAL GIANTS HARD, DESPITE INCREASED DEFENCES - KROLL
Fraud, corruption and money laundering is hitting the world’s biggest corporations hardest, despite these companies bolstering their financial crime defences, according to Kroll’s latest annual Global Fraud and Risk Report (1). Risk specialists Kroll surveyed 1,336 senior executives from 17 countries worldwide and found 57% from companies with a turnover topping USD15 billion had experienced a “very significant” impact from such crimes, compared to 36% overall.…
ANTI-FRAUD INVESTIGATION TECH DEVELOPS APACE – BUT IT SHOULD AID RATHER THAN REPLACE FACE-TO-FACE QUESTIONING, SAY EXPERTS
With electronic communication methods proliferating, as machine learning and artificial intelligence systems develop fast, the potential for using technology to detect deception and lies is growing. But interrogation experts maintain that the most effective way of detecting lies and deceit remains a combination of face-to-face interviews, backed up with analysis that can help them assess the resulting exchange.…
WHEN IS A LOBBYING SCANDAL REALLY CORRUPTION?
The question of when and whether lobbying is ethically questionable or even a criminal bribe is a complex issue, with rules varying according to jurisdictions. Often, actions that are politically embarrassing, are definitely not bribes, or indeed unlawful in anyway. For example, on September 15, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney survived a no-confidence vote in the Dáil Éireann over his handling of the appointment of former minister for children Katherine Zappone as his country’s ‘Special Envoy to the UN on Freedom of Opinion and Expression’.…
WORLD’S LARGEST AD AGENCY AGREES TO END SHARP PRACTICES AND PAY SEC USD19 MILLION TO SETTLE FCPA CHARGES
London and New York-based WPP, the world’s largest advertising group, has agreed to pay USD19.2 million to resolve charges laid by the USA’s Securities & Exchange Commission that it breached the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The SEC alleged WPP allowed overseas subsidiaries to bribe clients and breach accounting controls.…
FOSSIL FUEL-RENEWABLES BALANCE IN GULF OFFERS ACCOUNTANTS OPPORTUNITY TO FLEX DIVERSE SKILLS
Young and aspiring accountants might balk at the idea of working in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region’s oil and gas sector. A connection to hydrocarbons amid growing societal pressure to de-carbonise economies can, in some circles, attract criticism.
But for GCC accountants, the ability to combine financial reporting with every increasing sustainability assessment tool, means oil and gas might be a good long term career bet.…
TECHNICAL ROUND UP – IFAC RELEASES BLUEPRINT ON SHIFTING GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS TO NATIONAL LAWS
The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has published a blueprint for how upcoming international sustainability reporting standards can be implemented within national and regional jurisdictions. IFAC foresees a different approach for a first block of rules – on investor-focused sustainability information – than for policy-focused sustainability reporting (a second projected block).…
REGULATION OF TRANSPORT OF BIO-BASED OILS AND FATS BY SEE GETS MORE COMPLEX – BUT COMMERCIAL REWARDS REMAIN HIGH
THE TRANSPORT of edible oils and fats by sea is not just big business – it has become increasingly regulated under international convention and controlled by industry standards, with a view to improving efficiencies and reducing the risk of pollution and contamination.…