November 5, 2014 nº 1,564 - Vol. 12
"The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it."
Elbert Hubbard
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Supreme Court declines to rule on Senate filibuster challenge
The US Supreme Court on Monday denied certiorari in an appeal challenging the constitutionality of the Senate filibuster. The appeal was brought by four members of the US House of Representatives and the organization Common Cause and sought to overturn an April ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit which found that the district court properly dismissed the lawsuit. The district court dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked standing. On appeal the circuit court held that the lawsuit named the wrong party as a defendant. The lawsuit named Vice President Joe Biden, in his capacity as President of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate, the Parliamentarian of the Senate, and the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate. Common Cause contends that it is barred from suing the Senate directly under the Constitution's Speech and Debate Clause. (Click here)
China approves security law emphasizing counterespionage
President Xi Jinping of China has signed a new Counterespionage Law, replacing the 1993 National Security Law with an updated set of rules that will more closely target foreign spies and Chinese individuals and organizations who collaborate with them. The new law comprehensively revises the National Security Law to emphasize anti-espionage work. The law is better suited to a new situation, and new tasks, facing the country's security needs. The change suggests concerns at the top of the Communist Party that China faces growing political threats from overseas, analysts said. Changing the name of the law from a 'National Security Law' to a 'Counterespionage Law' inevitably sends a message that the party is concerned about — and may intend to more closely monitor — the relationships between many of its citizens and the international community with which China is increasingly intertwined. (Click here)
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1 - Google fined for 'disrespectful' Street View photos of woman's cleavage - click here.
2 - HSBC sets aside $378m in currency probe - click here.
3 - Argentina suspends P&G over tax claims - click here.
4 - Brazil Builds Internet Cable To Portugal To Avoid NSA Surveillance - click here.
5 - UN rights office condemns Singapore homosexuality ruling - click here.
6- UN urges end of impunity for crimes against journalists - click here.
7 - CADE authorizes signature of judicial agreement with TAM - click here.
8 - Elementary, my dear Watson: U.S. court rejects Sherlock Holmes dispute - click here.
9 - Law urgently needed to stop backdated holiday pay claims, employers urge - click here.
10 - Modern slavery bill is ‘lost opportunity’, says human trafficking adviser - click here.
11 - Singapore Passes Its First Law Against Human Trafficking - click here.
12 - Alibaba now worth more than Wal-Mart - click here.
13 - Washington, D.C. Votes To Legalize Recreational Marijuana - click here.
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China ponders opening access to steel, oil industries
China moved closer to opening up key industries to overseas investors with its top economic planning agency floating a plan to ease restrictions on foreign ownership of sectors including steel and oil refining.
Alibaba's quarterly profits rise 15%
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba reports a 15% rise in quarterly profits in its first set of results since it listed its shares in New York.
Termoeléctrica
Australiana Origin desiste de invertir en la central termoeléctrica a gas en Concón con Enap – Chile. La firma ofreció participar solo como minoritario. La estatal chilena continuará con el proyecto y buscará un nuevo socio con experiencia en este tipo de operaciones.
(Presione aquí)
Banca
La venta del 100 % de las acciones del NPB - National Pacific Bank - de Miami a cuatro inversionistas privados estadounidenses se concretó ayer, según informó en un comunicado el Banco del Pacífico de Ecuador.
(Presione aquí)
Fondos buitre
Argentina apeló ante la Justicia estadounidense la decisión del juez Thomas Greisa quien declaro al país en desacato en el litigio planteado en tribunales de Nueva York por un grupo de fondos de inversión.
(Presione aquí)
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Republicans win control of US Senate
The Republican Party wins control of the Senate in the US mid-term elections, increasing its power in the final years of Barack Obama's presidency. Throughout the campaign, Republicans focused on voter dissatisfaction with Obama, describing the vote as a referendum on his presidency. As well as taking the Senate, the Republicans are projected to increase their majority in the House of Representatives, where all 435 members were up for re-election. Roughly six in ten voters are either angry or dissatisfied with Obama, though about the same proportion feel that way about Republican leaders in Congress, and most voters have an unfavorable view of both parties. (Click here)
Alabama Sharia law 2014: voters approve foreign law prohibition
Alabama voters passed a constitutional amendment Tuesday to prohibit the use of foreign laws in state courts. Republican state Sen. Gerald Allen, who is also a Baptist deacon, sponsored the amendment. He proposed a similar measure in 2011. It never made the ballot since it made specific mention of Islamic Sharia law, which was deemed a violation of the Constitution. A similar measure was also rejected in Oklahoma last year for the same reason, though the judge who struck it down acknowledged that if the term "Sharia" was removed it could solve the problem.
Hourly rates rise while bills get discounted
Law firms face increasing pressure from corporate clients to contain costs, even as firms in some markets are still increasing their billable rates. These seemingly contradictory findings are contained in two studies analyzing data from in-house legal departments. Chief legal officers are controlling costs through price reductions as well as alternative- or fixed-fee arrangements. More than 90 percent reported receiving price reductions in the last year. Half said they received discounts of 6 percent to 10 percent on their bills. Additionally, discounts of more than 10 percent were reported by 36 percent of the legal officers, up from 28 percent in 2013. Redistributing work to lower-priced firms also contributed to cost-cutting efforts.
UK police 'should be sent to Calais'
British police should be sent to Calais to help solve the port's "tremendous problem" with illegal immigration, the French interior minister says. Increasing numbers of migrants have been trying to enter the UK through the major ferry port in recent months. The Home Office has not yet commented but the UK has previously pledged £12m to help bolster security there. The French government is going to finance the humanitarian aspect. and the British government is going to help with financing the security aspect of the problem.
Restructuring is more than a numbers game
When a company files for Chapter 11 protection a second, third or even fourth time, who's to blame? In "The Tempest," William Shakespeare sagely observed "that the past is prologue." This admonishment is also relevant in cases where an organization files repeated Chapter 11 proceedings, known in the bankruptcy industry as Chapter 22s, 33s and so on. A successful exit from Chapter 11 requires a combination of many complex factors, including the economic viability of the organization, insightful and capable leadership, a well-developed and effective operational plan and a sound financial structure. When these characteristics aren't fully addressed or acknowledged in the restructuring process, the organization is at risk of another Chapter 11 filing or potential liquidation. Approximately 15 to 18% of entities that filed for reorganization in the last 30 years have sought bankruptcy protection more than once.
Israel parliament approves bill barring prisoner exchange
Israel's Knesset Plenum on Tuesday announced their approval of the second and third readings of Parole Bill (amendment no. 14). The bill, proposed by MK Ayelet Shaked, will limit the power of the government to free prisoners as part of foreign relations prisoner swaps by allowing judges to label certain murders as exceptionally severe. Those murders labeled as exceptionally severe will carry a mandatory 40-year sentence. Having passed the second and third readings, the bill will be published in the Official Gazette and become an official law of the State of Israel.
Facebook's government user data requests up 24%
Requests by governments for Facebook's user data are up by nearly a quarter in the first half of this year compared to the previous six months. Global government requests were up by 24% to almost 35,000 in the first six months, the social media giant said. The amount of Facebook content restricted because of local laws also rose about 19% in the same period. News of the increase comes as Facebook fights its largest ever US court order to hand over data from 400 people.
Turkish President gets smoker fined
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered police to fine a man after catching him smoking in a cafe. He wagged his finger at him, saying "there is a penalty for that". Police were then ordered to fine him. Smoking is banned in public buildings in Turkey, including bars and restaurants. The incident has prompted a backlash on social media, with critics accusing the president of increasing interference in private lives.
One World Trade Center open for business
More than 13 years after the original towers were destroyed in the 9/11 attacks, New York's World Trade Center has re-opened for business. Employees at publishing giant Conde Nast are starting to move into the 104-storey One World Trade Center. The $3.8bn skyscraper took eight years to build and is now the tallest building in the US.
Thailand student sentenced for insulting king in Facebook post
A Thai court sentenced university student Akkaradet Eiamsuwan to two-and-a-half years in prison for posting a message on Facebook that the court said insulted the country's king. The criminal court judge found Eiamsuwan guilty of violating the nation's lese majeste law, which punishes people who defame, insult or threaten the monarchy. Thailand's lese-majeste law is one of the harshest, providing for jail terms of three to 15 years. Eiamsuwan, who used an alias to post the Facebook message in March, was originally sentenced to five years in prison, but the court said it reduced his sentence by half because he confessed to the offense.
Spain court suspends symbolic Catalonia independence vote
The Spanish Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended the Catalonia region's upcoming symbolic vote to gauge public sentiment for independence. The unanimous decision to hear the government's appeal effectively bans the vote until the parties present arguments and the court makes a ruling. This vote was planned as an alternative to a non-binding referendum vote for independence that the court suspended in September. The decision was based on Article 161.2 of the Spanish Constitution, which states that the government can appeal resolutions and provisions adopted by the "autonomous communities" of Spain.
Indian Supreme Court says ban on female makeup artists is discrimination
The world's largest film industry, by the number of movies produced, has barred women from working as makeup artists for nearly six decades. But that may be changing. The country's Supreme Court said Monday that it wouldn't allow this "constitutionally impermissible discrimination" to go on. The country's film industry only allows men to become makeup artists. Women are classified as hairdressers. The union that represents makeup artists, says the rule exists to ensure men aren't denied work.
Republicans win control of US Senate
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar
Live updates / Republicans take control of the U.S. Senate
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
Republicans win control of US Senate
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
SEALs at odds over bin Laden killing
CNN International, London, England
Millie Mackintosh flashes toned bottom as she suffers wardrobe malfunction in skimpy dress
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
90-year-old man arrested after feeding the homeless in Fort Lauderdale
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Republicans winners of midterm elections
EuroNews, International news, Ecully Cedex, France
Republicans win control of US Senate in blow to Obama
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
Lauded Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan opens photo exhibition in US
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey
US midterm elections: Florida vote hit by claims of malfunctioning voting machines
Independent The, London, England
Republicans won the Senate: Here's how they did it
Telegraph The, Conservative daily, London, England
Seven life lessons we can learn from Beyoncé
Telegraph The, Celebrity news, London, England
Catalonia presses ahead with independence vote despite court
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
Dutch Royal Couple Visit Gyeongbok Palace
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea
In pics One World Trade Center reopens
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India
26-year-old new mom is Mumbai's 10th dengue victim this year
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India
Abe Cabinet says deal with China preventing Yasukuni visit 'does not exist'
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan
Australia to staff Ebola hospital in Sierra Leone
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand
Ukraine President cancels trip over protests in eastern Ukraine
Straits Times, Pro-government, Singapore
Lightning strikes woman, cripples train signals
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia
NHL Capsules
Taiwan News, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
Barack Obama doing 'insipid job', China paper says ahead of visit
The Economic Times, Business, Mumbai, India
U.S. midterm election: Republicans roll to Senate victory
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Independent unable to break GOP stranglehold in Kansas
Globe and Mail The, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada
Liberty Reserve Brought Down By 'Joe Bogus': How The Feds Arrested Arthur Budovsky
International Business Times, Business news organization, New York, U.S
Using Phytotechnology to Remedy Damage Caused by Mining
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
French government gives green light for GE-Alstom deal
Reuters, Business News, New York, U.S
Republicans seize control of Senate in U.S. midterm elections
Reuters, World News, New York, U.S
Former York University student alleges Ghomeshi fondled him
Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario
AU in Burkina power handover talks
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
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