Counterfeit goods are big business in Paraguay
Business is booming in the city of Ciudad del Este along the Paraná River, where Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina meet. The city centre is a warren of street vendors and malls selling goods to flocks of tourists — clothing, footwear, electronics, video games, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.- USA Today
Guatemala arrests central bank chief, 14 others, in bribery probe
Guatemala's central bank governor was arrested on Wednesday in a bribery probe that also targeted a former aide of President Otto Perez, who has faced mounting pressure since his vice president quit two weeks ago over a separate graft scandal. – Reuters
Brazil blogger known for reporting on corruption found decapitated
The decapitated body of a Brazilian blogger known for denouncing corrupt politicians has been found in a rural zone in south-eastern Minas Gerais state, police said on Wednesday. Evany José Metzker, 67, was reported missing five days before his body was found near the town of Padre Paraíso in one of Brazil’s poorest regions. – The Guardian
Nigeria: Yale Honours Okonjo-Iweala for Fighting Corruption, Fiscal Transparency
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has received an honorary Doctorate degree from Yale University one of the United State of America's most prestigious institutions of higher learning. – AllAfrica.com
Macedonians protest against corruption
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Macedonia's capital on Sunday, waving Macedonian and Albanian flags in a dramatic display of ethnic unity against a government on the ropes after months of damaging wire-tap revelations. – SABCNews
In Ukraine, corruption concerns linger a year after a revolution
The country is on the cliff of bankruptcy. A spate of politically motivated killings and mysterious suicides of former government officials has sown fear in the capital. Infighting has begun to splinter the pro-European majority coalition in Parliament. And a constant threat of war lingers along the Russian border. – New York Times
Brazil’s economic downturn, corruption scandals shake leader
Dilma Rousseff survived torture and cancer to become Brazil’s first female president. Now the former leftist-militant faces another challenge: saving her presidency and stanching the deterioration of Latin America’s biggest economy. – Wall Street Journal
Italy passes law to tackle rampant corruption
Italy made a fresh attempt at tackling rampant corruption on Thursday when the Chamber of Deputies approved a strongly contested law stiffening penalties for various types of graft and balance sheet fraud. Corruption has long undermined Italy's chronically stagnant economy by deterring foreign investors and pushing up costs. A previous "anti-corruption" package in 2012 proved to have little impact. – Reuters
