Latest news with #RichardBell
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Four indicted in drug cases
Jun. 6—CANTON — A St. Lawrence County grand jury on Tuesday handed up four indictments for drug possession. Jeyson Infante, 27, of Massena, was indicted by a St. Lawrence County Grand Jury on two counts third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and evidence tampering. He allegedly possessed cocaine with intent to sell it on April 7 in Massena. He is represented by attorney Nicole Duve. Three people were indicted as co-defendents in a methamphetamine case. Richard Bell, 55, of Massena, was indicted on one count of second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, three counts third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and one count second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia. On May 23 in Morristown, he allegedly possessed methamphetamine with intent to sell and cutting agents. He is represented by the St. Lawrence County Public Defender's Office. Kay Bullock, 44, an inmate at St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility, was indicted on one of count second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, three counts third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and one count second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia. On May 23 in Morristown, she allegedly possessed methamphetamine with intent to sell. She does not have an attorney, according to court documents. Anthony Moselle, 55, an inmate at St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility, was indicted on one count second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, three counts third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and one count second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia. On May 23 in Morristown, he allegedly possessed methamphetamine with intent to sell. He is represented by attorney Brian Barrett.
Malay Mail
30-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
From greenwashing to greenhushing — Dalilawati Zainal
MAY 30 — In the race to appear green, are Malaysian companies saying too much or not enough? Sustainability is no longer a voluntary aspiration. It has become a business necessity. As climate risks, social inequalities and governance failures dominate global markets, companies face increasing pressure to show both performance and purpose. In this context, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting has emerged as a foundation of corporate transparency and investor trust. Yet, ESG's rise has also given way to two concerning practices that weaken disclosure integrity. Greenwashing refers to overstated or misleading claims about sustainability efforts, while greenhushing involves withholding genuine ESG progress to avoid external criticism. Both distort market signals, reduce ESG data credibility and impede informed decision-making. While greenwashing inflates ESG performance to attract capital or polish image, greenhushing conceals achievements, limiting corporate visibility and undermining investor confidence. Globally, regulators and investors are paying closer attention on these practices. While greenwashing inflates ESG performance to attract capital or polish image, greenhushing conceals achievements, limiting corporate visibility and undermining investor confidence. Globally, regulators and investors are paying closer attention on these practices. — Richard Bell/Unsplash pic A 2022 analysis by Planet Tracker flagged widespread issues in corporate sustainability claims, many of which were vague or unsupported. That same year, South Pole's Net Zero survey found that one in four companies working on climate targets chose not to disclose their progress. This fragmented global reporting landscape fuels both practices, making it harder for stakeholders to assess ESG risk accurately. Malaysia's ESG ecosystem is evolving, but challenges remain. Before the introduction of the National Sustainability Reporting Framework (NSRF), concerns about the quality, consistency and reliability of ESG disclosures were widespread. Organisational drivers encouraged greenwashing, particularly among companies seeking ESG-focused investment or reputational advantage. Weak enforcement mechanisms allowed such practices to continue with limited consequences. Several Malaysian companies have already faced public scrutiny for questionable ESG claims, suggesting these issues are more prevalent than acknowledged. To address these challenges, the government introduced the NSRF, led by the Ministry of Finance and the Securities Commission Malaysia. The framework aligns domestic ESG reporting with international standards such as IFRS S1 and S2 issued by the ISSB. It aims to address both greenwashing and greenhushing by introducing clearer and standardised disclosure expectations. By reducing ambiguity, promoting benchmarking and supporting future assurance requirements, the NSRF is expected to guide companies toward more data-driven ESG communication and improve overall reporting credibility. However, amid these regulatory shifts, greenhushing remains a quiet but significant risk that the NSRF alone may not fully resolve without complementary measures. Companies, especially in mid-sized or family-owned segments, may still avoid disclosing their sustainability progress out of concern that evolving targets or partial data may attract criticism. This silence reduces comparability across companies and hampers efforts to benchmark ESG maturity at a national level. The financial implications from these practices are real. Companies associated with greenwashing often face higher debt financing costs, especially smaller and non-state-owned enterprises. Markets are starting to penalise opacity and exaggeration. Meanwhile, greenhushing can block companies from accessing ESG-driven investment, as asset managers increasingly rely on transparent disclosures and third-party ESG ratings. Addressing these risks will require not only regulatory measures but also professionals who can uphold ESG reporting integrity, especially accountants. Accountants are central to governance, risk management and assurance functions. Their ESG responsibilities now include ensuring that disclosures are accurate, complete and verifiable. In Malaysia, where most ESG reports are unaudited, accountants can play a crucial role in offering independent assurance that builds trust and reduces information asymmetry between companies and stakeholders. The global momentum toward structured sustainability reporting offers Malaysian professionals a timely opportunity. IFRS S1 and S2 provide a consistent framework to enhance assurance practices. However, the current lack of local standardisation and limited adoption of ESG assurance still enables greenwashing to persist. This highlights the need for regulatory and professional bodies, such as the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA), to embed ESG assurance into the national audit and ethics landscape, supported by professional development and capacity-building. To turn regulatory progress into impact, Malaysia must adopt a multi-faceted approach. First, regulators should consider mandating third-party assurance for sustainability reports, particularly for listed companies in sectors with material environmental and social risks. This would introduce a crucial layer of accountability. Second, enforcement mechanisms must be clearly defined, with real consequences for material misstatements or omissions. Stronger oversight will be vital to reducing both greenwashing and greenhushing. Third, capacity-building initiatives must target small and medium enterprises (SMEs), many of which lack internal ESG expertise or resources. Finally, alignment with international standards must be reinforced through sector-specific guidance and practical tools to ensure consistent and high-quality disclosures. Technology also holds promise. Blockchain, ESG data platforms and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools can enhance data traceability, detect inconsistencies and strengthen transparency. These solutions benefit both report preparers and users by improving the reliability of ESG information. Public education and investor awareness are equally important. As ESG criteria continue to influence capital allocation, stakeholders must be equipped to distinguish between meaningful disclosures and mere optics. Informed investors and consumers can exert pressure on companies to uphold integrity in their sustainability claims. At its core, greenwashing and greenhushing are two sides of the same problem, which is compromised transparency. Both erode stakeholder trust, distort valuations and delay meaningful progress. For Malaysia to lead in sustainable finance and responsible business, ESG disclosures must be grounded in integrity, rigour and accountability. This shift requires collective effort. Regulators, board members, investors, auditors and accounting professionals all have a role to play in elevating ESG reporting from a compliance exercise to a driver of long-term value. In a business environment shaped by climate risk and stakeholder expectations, the message is clear. Say what you do, and do what you say. * Dr Dalilawati Zainal is a senior lecturer at the Department of Accounting, Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya, and may be reached at [email protected] ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Glasgow Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Hospitality group wants study of Glasgow tourist tax impact
UKHospitality Scotland outlined its opposition to tourist taxes as Glasgow City Council closed its consultation on its plan to introduce a 5% visitor levy on overnight stays in the city today. The industry body has called on the council to carry out a detailed economic assessment of the implications of the levy, which it said could affect three million visitors and nine million accommodation nights in the city. Glasgow is looking to follow Edinburgh in seeking approval to bring in a 5% levy. It is estimated that the levy would generate more than £11 million of income for Glasgow per year. Leon Thompson, executive director of UKHospitality Scotland, said: 'Tourism is a significant driver of the Glasgow economy, as a large employer for local people and a beneficiary of almost a billion pounds in tourist spend in the city. 'A huge amount of work has been undertaken in the past 15 years to develop the city's visitor economy and it's continuing on an upward trajectory, particularly with the Commonwealth Games being held next year. 'Our firm belief is that tourist taxes such as this harm our competitiveness on the world stage, put off visitors and harm our local businesses and economy. 'With almost three million visitors and nine million nights spent in accommodation each year, a thorough assessment of the impact of the levy is critical to ensure the development of Glasgow as a tourist destination is not put at risk. 'The council itself has acknowledged the demand from local businesses and groups for an impact assessment. I hope they act on the feedback it has been given by UKHospitality Scotland, the Greater Glasgow Hotels Association, and others, and continue to engage with the sector on these proposals.' In its response to the consultation, UKHospitality Scotland said that funds raised by the levy, which based on the average room rate in Glasgow would equate to a cost of £4.29 per night, should be used to develop tourism and hospitality services in the city. Commenting when the consultation was launched in February, deputy council leader Richard Bell said: 'We think there is a strong case for a visitor levy - which means people who enjoy what our city has to offer, but who do not pay local taxes, are asked to contribute alongside citizens. 'Many Glaswegians will already be familiar with this sort of charge, which is very common abroad.'
The Herald Scotland
02-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Hospitality group wants study of Glasgow tourist tax impact
Glasgow is looking to follow Edinburgh in seeking approval to bring in a 5% levy. It is estimated that the levy would generate more than £11 million of income for Glasgow per year. Leon Thompson, executive director of UKHospitality Scotland, said: 'Tourism is a significant driver of the Glasgow economy, as a large employer for local people and a beneficiary of almost a billion pounds in tourist spend in the city. 'A huge amount of work has been undertaken in the past 15 years to develop the city's visitor economy and it's continuing on an upward trajectory, particularly with the Commonwealth Games being held next year. Read more: 'Our firm belief is that tourist taxes such as this harm our competitiveness on the world stage, put off visitors and harm our local businesses and economy. 'With almost three million visitors and nine million nights spent in accommodation each year, a thorough assessment of the impact of the levy is critical to ensure the development of Glasgow as a tourist destination is not put at risk. 'The council itself has acknowledged the demand from local businesses and groups for an impact assessment. I hope they act on the feedback it has been given by UKHospitality Scotland, the Greater Glasgow Hotels Association, and others, and continue to engage with the sector on these proposals.' In its response to the consultation, UKHospitality Scotland said that funds raised by the levy, which based on the average room rate in Glasgow would equate to a cost of £4.29 per night, should be used to develop tourism and hospitality services in the city. Commenting when the consultation was launched in February, deputy council leader Richard Bell said: 'We think there is a strong case for a visitor levy - which means people who enjoy what our city has to offer, but who do not pay local taxes, are asked to contribute alongside citizens. 'Many Glaswegians will already be familiar with this sort of charge, which is very common abroad.'
BBC News
08-02-2025
- BBC News
'No room for complacency' in tackling child abuse in Guernsey
There is no room for complacency when it comes to protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation, says the lead of a child safeguarding Islands Safeguarding Children Partnership (ISCP) works with other agencies to support and safeguard children in Guernsey and Goosey, ISCP's pan-island independent chair, said: "The agencies involved in protecting children should never be complacent."He said: "We will continue to challenge partner agencies to consider what improvements can be made to promote the welfare of children in the islands and when we find these opportunities we will always push to take them." 'Continue to challenge' ISCP has been drawing attention to the work of its partner agencies as part of the Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence awareness week - 3-9 February Goosey said the multi-agency support hub aimed to insure referrals were triaged and people were signposted to services if support and interventions were needed to protect and support ISCP last conducted a major audit into child safeguarding in 2021, which resulted in Guernsey Police creating a digital safety development officer role focussed on preventing digital crime. It said its work also includes guidance for responding to the challenges of protecting children and young people exposed to exploitation through different forums including county lines, gangs, and youth Police's Deputy Chief Officer Richard Bell said: "Child sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse is a priority for Guernsey Police."Our public protection unit have and will continue to bring offenders in front of the courts to face the consequences of their serious actions."He added: "For anyone who has been a victim, please know it is not your fault. When you are ready, we are here to listen and can offer you support every step of the way. You are not alone."
