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The Oscar Pistorius drama continued to unfold, and a Chinese military unit has reportedly hacked and digitally attacked more than 100 American companies’ databases. The country faces spending cuts totalling more than a trillion dollars, with lawmakers struggling to overlook party lines even in the most pressing of times. Ladies, welcome back to NEWSFLASH, where we give you some of the world’s biggest stories of the week!
Nestlé Pulls Meat Products after Discovery of Horse Meat Traces
Select Nestlé pasta products were pulled from the shelves in Italy, France, and Spain following the discovery of horse meat in some of the food company’s beef pasta meals. The Switzerland-based food company announced that tests had uncovered horse DNA that exceeded the 1% limit allowed in two of its products, prompting Nestlé to mobilize.
The discovery of horse traces in Nestlé’s beef products was another addition to a general horse meat scandal creeping across Europe. While horse meat was first found in British and Irish foods, a dozen or so countries have also uncovered horse traces in their meal products, causing widespread concern across the European continent.
Nestlé’s debacle has also sparked worry in the U.S. about Nestlé U.S.A. meals. However, Nestlé U.S.A. has come forward to reassure the public, stating that the company’s American branch doesn’t import meat from Europe.
Chinese Military Accused of Hacking American Companies
A report by U.S. computer security firm Mandiant revealed that a unit of the Chinese military had stolen data from approximately 115 American companies.
Known as P.L.A. (People’s Liberation Army) Unit 61398, the Chinese military branch is reportedly one of the most sophisticated hacking groups in the world. The unit is based in Shanghai and conducts some of the most complex hacking work for the country’s government.
The Chinese government has denied Mandiant’s allegations, but the company’s 60-page report will still be released, detailing Unit 61398’s hacking procedures and digital attacks against U.S. companies.
Oscar Pistorius Released on Bail
South African Olympian and Paralympian track star, Oscar Pistorius, was released on a 1 million rand ($113,000US) bail on Friday after a week of testimonies regarding the Valentine’s Day murder of his supermodel girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
Pistorius’ family cheered as Magistrate Desmond Nair made his decision to set the hefty bail and postpone the case until June 4. In the meantime, Pistorius has been ordered to turn in his two South African passports and his firearms. The track star is also required to report to a police station twice a week and to refrain from consuming alcohol.
Pistorius is accused of murdering Steenkamp in his upscale Pretoria home. The supermodel was reportedly shot multiple times while cowering in a bathroom, sustaining injuries from which she later bled to death. Pistorius claimed that he mistook Steenkamp for a possible intruder, and hence fired the shots in self-defense. While Nair was not entirely convinced by Pistorius’ testimony, he declared the track star’s fame was enough to ensure that justice would be served, as Pistorius’ high profile means that everything he does will be under intense surveillance.
Republicans and Democrats Failing to Reach Deal Before Dreaded Sequester
The March 1 sequester is looming, but GOP lawmakers and President Obama are still struggling to reach a deal on how to handle the rising national debt.
The President has come forth and blamed the GOP for stalling progress on reaching a compromise, as he did in his weekly Saturday address.
“These cuts don’t have to happen,” he explained. “Congress can turn them off any time with just a little compromise.”
“It appears that Republicans in Congress have decided that instead of compromising, instead of asking anything of the wealthiest Americans, they would rather let these cuts fall squarely on the middle class.”
If sequestration was to occur, $1.2 trillion in government spending cuts would be enacted over a ten-year period. Many government employees are expected to be laid off, especially from the Defense Department. Government programs will also see funding cuts, with healthcare and social services slated as some of the sequestration’s biggest victims.