Business cautiousness in corporations persists during the withdrawal of anti-progressive sentiment

In the world of business, a small study has revealed a concerning trend. Companies whose CEOs or CFOs were paying users of the affair-arranging app Ashley Madison were found to be twice as likely to have had a financial misstatement or involvement in a securities class action. This revelation has sparked discussions about transparency and accountability in corporate leadership.

Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency venture of the Trump family has been a subject of controversy. Criticism from government ethics experts and Democratic lawmakers has been mounting, citing potential conflicts of interest and possible insider transactions. The digital token tied to the venture, WLFI, can now be bought and sold on the market like a stock, making it the family's most valuable asset.

In a different sphere, the US President faced a legal setback when a federal judge ruled that Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard to California to quell protests over immigration raids in June, violated the Posse Comitatus Act.

In the health sector, a cheap generic drug has been linked to increasing lifespans, and it may work by protecting against DNA damage. Additionally, targeted gene therapies have shown promise in the fight against cancer, with one new therapy appearing to kill tumors without damaging healthy flesh.

On the international front, the European Union is reportedly readying new trade deals with Latin America, part of efforts to regain the initiative after making excessive concessions in an agreement with the US. China's leader, Xi Jinping, outlined his vision for a global order with Beijing at its center, winning approval for a development bank attached to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

In politics, Brazil's Supreme Court will begin hearing closing arguments in the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of orchestrating a coup to stay in power. Syria is seeing promising signs of revival nine months after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime and the end of a 14-year civil war, with the country exporting its first official crude oil shipment since 2010.

However, not all news is positive. A landslide in western Sudan killed at least 1,000 people, intensifying hardship in a country besieged by years of civil war, and facing a major drought. Over 25 million people face extreme hunger in the country.

In other news, Russia hammered Ukraine with 526 drones overnight, a further escalation of Moscow's aerial assault. The US military killed 11 people in a strike on a vessel off the coast of Venezuela, officials said the vessel was carrying illegal narcotics.

Finally, in the corporate world, CEOs fired for office affairs often lied about their relationships. Nestle's CEO, Laurent Freixe, was recently fired for having an office affair. Companies tend to sidestep the propriety of such relationships and say executives were "not fully transparent" when questioned.

As always, these news pieces highlight the diversity and dynamism of the world we live in. Stay informed, stay engaged, and stay curious.

Business cautiousness in corporations persists during the withdrawal of anti-progressive sentiment