March 31, 2010 Nº 889 - Vol. 8
"Dubito ergo cogito; cogito ergo sum."
(I doubt, therefore I think; I think therefore I am)
Rene Descartes
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US tech coalition calls for new online privacy law
US technology firms and privacy groups have called for an overhaul of privacy laws, saying the government has too much access to private online data. Google, eBay and others have launched the Digital Due Process coalition, seeking to update the 1986 privacy act, passed before internet usage exploded. It calls for warrants to be issued before e-mails and texts are handed over to law enforcement agencies. It seeks more protection of data stored online and mobile tracking information. The coalition is looking to re-write the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 that governs what kinds of private digital information the government has access to and how they may obtain it. As it stands, the ECPA is "a patchwork of confusing standards that have been interpreted inconsistently by the courts. For example, law enforcement agencies can get access to some email information, instant messages, and other data stored online through simple subpoenas, not court-ordered warrants. The coalition has recommended that a warrant be required before internet providers must hand over the online information - just as a warrant is required for a physical search of a suspect's computer or filing cabinets. The law needs to be clear that the same standard applies to email and documents stored with a service provider, while at the same time be flexible enough to meet law enforcement needs.
New law deals setback to malpractice foes
The new health-care legislation has dealt another blow to a movement seeking to limit the amount doctors have to pay in medical-malpractice suits. As a result, tort-overhaul advocates, who battle the well-organized lobby of plaintiffs' lawyers, are struggling to find ways to fight back. Some advocates of a tort overhaul-critics of how the nation's courts compensate the injured-said the bill failed to address their chief concern, that outsize jury verdicts have driven up the cost of malpractice insurance. Such verdicts have also caused doctors to practice "defensive medicine" in which they order unnecessary and pricey tests or procedures, according to tort-overhaul advocates.
Pakistan Supreme Court issues corruption case threat
Pakistan's Supreme Court has threatened to jail the head of the country's anti-corruption agency unless he reopens hundreds of corruption cases. The court said the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau, Naveed Ahsan, would be in contempt of court if he did not act within 24 hours. Several of the pending cases involve President Asif Zardari. Before taking office, he spent years in jail after being convicted on corruption charges he says were politically motivated. The amnesty, which protected officials and politicians from charges dating back to the 1990s, was introduced by former military leader Gen Pervez Musharraf.
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Amnesty urges China to disclose execution figures
Rights group Amnesty International has urged China to disclose the number of prisoners it executes. In its annual report on the use of the death penalty, Amnesty said some 714 people were known to have been executed in 18 countries in 2009. But the group said the true global figure could be much higher, as thousands of executions were thought to have been carried out in China alone.
Barbs traded over Rio Tinto case
China and Australia have traded criticism in the wake of the jailing of four Rio Tinto executives for corruption and commercial espionage. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that there were "serious unanswered questions" about the section of the trial held behind closed doors. A Chinese spokesman accused Australia of making "irresponsible remarks" about the case, which ended on Monday.
Petrobras in loan talks with China Development Bank
Petrobras is in talks with China Development Bank for a $10 billion loan. If completed, the financing package would be the second between Petrobras and China Development Bank. The funds would also help the oil company overcome any delays in the government's capitalization plan, which is under debate in Congress.
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Heineken
La mexicana Femsa anunció que la Comisión Federal de Competencia del país latinoamericano autorizó sin condiciones el intercambio del 100% de las acciones de las operaciones de cerveza de la compañía por una participación de 20% en la holandesa Heineken Group, equivalente a US$ 35.097 mlls.
Arbitraje
Ecuador debe pagar una indemnización de US$ 700 mlls., a la petrolera norteamericana Chevron, además de intereses acumulativos y otros gastos, según el vicepresidente y director jurídico de la petrolera, Hewitt Pate. Sin embargo, la procuraduría de Ecuador argumenta que el laudo arbitral no es determinante por lo que apelo la resolución emitida en Nueva York. Las diferencias entre la petrolera estadounidense y el gobierno de Ecuador tiene vieja data, 2001. (Presione aquí)
Argentina x China
El gobierno argentino esta en una encrucijada. Un conflicto portuario comenzó a afectar las exportaciones de soya, por lo menos unas 15 empresas no han realizado inversiones en la bolsa, a la crisis se suma la decisión del gobierno de China, principal mercado del grano y aceite de soya, que instruyó a sus operadores no comprar aceite de soya proveniente del país sudamericano -Argentina-, la medida tendría su raíz en un ajuste en los estándares de calidad para las importaciones. (Presione aquí)
French PM advised against total Islamic veil ban
France's top administrative body has advised the government that any total ban on face-covering Islamic veils could be unconstitutional. The State Council also said a ban could be justified in some public places. In the ruling, the council said any law could be in violation of the French constitution as well as the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. But it added that rules requiring faces to be uncovered in public places such as schools, hospitals and law courts could be justified for security reasons, to combat fraud and to meet the needs of some public services.
The decade's most influential lawyers
The annual Most Influential Lawyers special report, edited by The National Law Journal, selected 40 attorneys in a dozen key legal areas whose work between Jan. 1, 2000, and Dec. 31, 2009, was so consequential that it helped to push the profession, an industry or a practice area substantially forward. The report focused upon lawyers in the following specific practices: antitrust; appellate; bankruptcy; civil rights; corporate; energy and environmental; in-house; intellectual property; labor and employment; legal education; litigation; and regulatory. In other words, we're primarily focusing on hard-working lawyers who've been in the trenches on big deals or major litigation or who have been pioneering at in-house positions or the nation's law schools. The list spans law firms, academia, government and advocacy groups, but, consciously subtracts a few obvious categories: Members of the Supreme Court and attorneys general, for instance, are generally influential by definition, and they are not included here. See more at https://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/index.jsp
Serbia offers Srebrenica apology
The Serbian parliament condemns the massacre of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995, ending years of denial.
US and France vow to push for new sanctions on Iran
Obama and Sarkozy said they're unified over new sanctions if Iran fails to rein in its nuclear ambitions. Obama said the United Nations may agree on the new steps "within weeks. Sarkozy promised "all necessary efforts to make sure Europe as a whole engaged in the sanctions regime".
Political fallout of Moscow's Metro bombings
As Russia grapples with the security crisis triggered by the Moscow bombings, top political figures find themselves no longer immune from the local media's distrust and criticism. Medvedev has wasted little time in announcing he wants laws amended to improve public transport safety and make counter-terrorism measures more effective.
Fed pulls the plug on mortgage purchases
The Federal Reserve will stop buying mortgage-backed securities this week, ending a massive program that's been helping the housing market recover. The Fed has bought more than $1.2 trillion of mortgage-backed securities in all.
French court upholds verdict in oil spill
A French appeals court held the oil giant Total and related parties responsible for environmental damage caused by a tanker spill in 1999.
Crime victims sue over Calif early release law
A victims rights group has sued to block a state law that could allow thousands of criminals out of prison early. The inmate release law that took effect in January is designed to save $500 million and ease prison overcrowding by freeing as many as 6,500 inmates.
Russia president signs bill extending human cloning ban
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a bill Monday re-implementing a ban on human cloning in Russia, according to the Kremlin Press Service. The bill, which replaces a previous ban on human cloning that expired in 2007, prohibits attempts to clone human beings until the state determines how to regulate the practice. The bill does not prevent embryonic stem cell research. The lower and upper houses of Russia's parliament approved the legislation earlier this month.
Trailblazing lawyer, 91, feels pain of her pro bono foreclosure clients
At the age of 91, New York's former solicitor general is going back to her legal roots to volunteer on behalf of clients facing foreclosure. Shirley Adelson Siegel was the only woman in her class at Yale Law School, and she still stands out. "At a minimum, Ms. Siegel is an inspiration of the Lance Armstrong variety, a dazzling model of exceptionalism," the New York Times says. "She can still pluck dates, titles and the names of obscure committees from her memory as if she had an internal fail-safe Google function." Siegel volunteered in a foreclosure project at the City Bar Justice Center.
Farc frees second Colombian soldier
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar
Asharq Al-Awsat Talks to Iraqi VP Tariq al-Hashimi
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England
Shaikh Ahmad Bin Zayed's body recovered
Gulf News, Independent daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Report: Iranian nuclear scientist defects to U.S.
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
IRAQ: Uphill Coalition-Building Battle for Winners Unfolds
IPS Middle East, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
US officials say they are not pushing east J'lem resolution
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel
Windy, Dusty Conditions in Store
Khaleej Times, English-language daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Oman eyes more tourists from UAE
Middle East North African Network, Online financial portal, Amman, Jordan
9 Dead in Explosions in Russia's Dagestan Region
Nahamet, Online news portal, Beirut, Lebanon
Panel formed on Lebanon poll law
Saudi Gazette, English-language daily, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Alleged Lebanese-German CIA victim sentenced over mayor attack
The Daily Star, Independent daily, Beirut, Lebanon
Abu Dhabi sheikh, sovereign fund head, found dead
Times of Oman, English-language daily, Muscat, Oman
Trapped motorists freed from snow
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Met officer to learn fate after G20 assault case
BreakingNews.ie, Online news portal, Cork, Ireland
Ex-drug chief slams mephedrone ban
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England
Pet shop owner who sold goldfish to boy hauled before court and ordered to wear electronic tag
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
TDC, Vodafone expand partnership to Sweden, Norway
DMeurope, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
DIPLOMACY: Sarkozy and Obama stand united on Iran sanctions
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
UN secretary general's first official visit to Central Asia
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey
Rihanna And The Great Ankle Sock Debate
Look Magazine, London, England
County planners oppose west Cumbria windfarm proposal
News & Star, Independent daily, Carlisle, England
Yugoslav Internet Domain Name '.yu' Finally Discontinued
Radio Free Europe, Prague, Czech Republic
Power Cuts And Drivers Stranded In Blizzards
Sky News, Independent newscaster, Middlesex, England
L'Americain in Washington: Sarkozy Searches for Friendship with Obama that Has Eluded Him
Spiegel International, Liberal newsmagazine, Hamburg, Germany
Brown likely to stay as PM in hung parliament
The Guardian, Liberal daily, London, England
US calls on Sarkozy to boost Afghan presence
The Independent, London, England
BoI reports 1.8bn pre-tax loss
The Irish Times, Centrist daily, Dublin, Ireland
Putin Vows to Dredge Terrorists From Sewers
The Moscow Times, Independent daily, Moscow, Russia
Gordon Brown could lose and still be Prime Minister
The Telegraph, Conservative daily, London, England
Danny Dyer in commando training for new film
The Telegraph, London, England
Australian restaurant introduces flip-flop surcharge
Times Online, Conservative daily, London, England
Gayus Tambunan arrested
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia
China urged to substantiate goodwill as ECFA talks open
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
10th Seoul International Financial Forum Kicks Off
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea
Drone attack kills six militants in North Waziristan
Dawn, English-language daily, Karachi, Pakistan
Next summons to military service declared
Gazeta.kz, Official online newspaper, Kazakhstan
Kasab following al-Qaida manual: Nikam
India Express, News portal, Mumbai, India
Curfew continues in parts of Hyderabad
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India
Can Turkey fulfill its trans-Atlantic promise?
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan
Tengku Faris files to declare Regent's appointment invalid (update)
Malaysian Star, Online news portal, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Putin talks tough after Moscow bombings
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand
Blast kills two in south Russia's Dagestan
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China
Indian-American engineer set to transform US power grid
Sify News, Chennai, India
The Collider made simple(r)
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia
Enrolment of students with a non-ROC parent hits record high
Taiwan Today, Government Information Office, Taipei, Taiwan
Sikh stabbed to death at birthday party in Vancouver
Thaindian News, Bangkok, Thailand
An experiment at conditions nearing those after the Big Bang
The Hindu, Left-leaning daily, Chennai, India
Tourism minister dialogues with key tourism stakeholders
Antigua Sun Online, Independent daily, St. John's, Antigua
Clinton backs contraception for maternal health
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Police crack down on crime
Cayman Net News, Online news portal, George Town, Cayman Islands
Prosecutor confirms Sobeida-Figueroa PR shopping trip
Dominican Today, Independent daily, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
POLITICS-COLOMBIA: Not Enough Just to Be a Woman
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
Drier days ahead
Jamaica Gleaner, Independent daily, Kingston, Jamaica
Peru plants 100 million trees to fight against climate change
Living in Peru, News portal, Lima, Peru
Berdych stuns Federer as upsets continue at Key Biscayne
The Globe and Mail, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada
Strike Squad dumps Doctors in charity clash
Trinidad Guardian, Independent daily, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
Zimbabwe farmers win SA property
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Katanga Governor Says Not Running for 2011 Presidential Elections
CongoPlanet.com, Independent online news aggregator
Ayariga asks youth to maintain faith in government
GhanaWeb, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
China slams lax standards
iafrica, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Woman's body found under lover's bed
Independent Online, News portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Oromo-Ethiopian scholar Jawar describes non-violent peaceful struggle (Audio)
Jimma Times, Online news portal, Jimma, Ethiopia
We paid the price for poor possession, says Fergie
Mail & Guardian Online, Liberal, Johannesburg, South Africa
Bonuses as municipalities crumble
News24.com, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa
AC asks Obasanjo to steer clear of 2011 polls
Vanguard, Independent daily, Lagos, Nigeria
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