U.S. appeals WTO ruling against national meat labels
WASHINGTON — The United States is appealing a World Trade Organization decision that would make it harder for U.S. consumers to know where meat in the grocery store came from.
The WTO in October rejected U.S. rules requiring labels on packaged steaks, ribs and other cuts of meat identifying where the animals were born, raised and slaughtered. The WTO said the “country of origin labeling” requirements put Canadian and Mexican livestock at a disadvantage.
On Friday, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative appealed the ruling.
U.S. farmers who compete with Mexican and Canadian ranchers welcomed the appeal. National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson on Friday called it “the right thing to do for American family farmers, ranchers and consumers.” But meatpackers oppose the labeling requirements, saying they impose costly paperwork.
Originally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowed the labels to say simply “Product of U.S.” or “Product of U.S. and Canada.” The WTO rejected that approach in 2012.
So USDA made the labels more specific in an attempt to win WTO approval. For example, they can say the animal that produced the meat was “born in Mexico, raised and slaughtered in the United States” or “born, raised and slaughtered in the United States.” But in October, the WTO also rejected the revised rules.
Police arrest 118 globally for flight ticket fraud
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Police around the world have arrested 118 suspects in a global investigation into online fraud that targets the travel industry, a crime said to cost airlines $1 billion a year.
European Union police coordination agency Europol said the arrests were made during two days of coordinated action this week at more than 80 airports in 45 countries.
The investigation targeted criminal online services selling credit card details and fake plane tickets.
Europol Director Rob Wainwright said Friday that the investigation and arrests were the result of close cooperation between law enforcement agencies, the airline industry and credit card companies.
Wainwright said “We are reaching new levels with our cooperation and aim to become an unbeatable alliance with aspirations to make cyberspace as crime free as possible for global citizens.”
Germany signs no-spy deal with BlackBerry
BERLIN — Germany has approved BlackBerry’s purchase of encryption firm Secusmart after signing a “no-spy” agreement with the Canadian smartphone maker.
Duesseldorf-based Secusmart provides special smartphones to German government officials that are meant to be safe from eavesdropping.
German media report that BlackBerry has agreed to provide Germany with access to software source codes.
Public broadcasters NDR and WDR, and daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, also report that BlackBerry has provided Germany with assurances that it isn’t required to pass any confidential data to other governments.
From wire reports
Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth declined to publicly comment on a confidential agreement but said “we have succeeded in protecting our security interests.”
Germany reacted with anger last year to reports, based on documents leaked by Edward Snowden, that the NSA had targeted Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cell phone.