August 6, 2007  nº 524  -  Vol. 5  
 

"They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."

Andy Warhol

Insider's view: see how local concerns shape up the global world. Read the daily press review in Migalhas International

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• Top News

Lula tours Latin American nations to develop biofuel, energy agreements

Lula began a six-day, five-nation tour Sunday to develop energy and biofuel agreements in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Bush signs law to expand US warrantless surveillance

Congress in the US has backed a measure allowing the government to eavesdrop on foreigners suspected of having links with terrorism. The House of Representatives approved the bill by a majority of 44 after its approval in the Senate, with the Democratic majority split on the issue. The bill allows taps on foreign phone and internet communications routed via the US, without prior court approval. The law fails to resolve liability concerns faced by phone companies that cooperate, ensuring prolonged controversy and perhaps more problems in carrying out the program.

US House passes clean energy bill

The US House of Representatives has passed a radical new energy bill, which aims to expand the use of renewable fuels and cut tax breaks to oil firms. The draft law details support for "clean" energy sources like biofuels, wind, solar and geothermal resources. It would withdraw some $16bn in annual subsidies from the oil industry. The bill is opposed by President George Bush, and still has to be merged with other energy measures passed by the Senate before it can become law. The Democrats, who now control Congress, are taking on one of America's most powerful lobbies.

U.S. attorney general refuses to answer questions about discrepancies in testimony

AG Alberto Gonzales late Friday declined to provide his congressional critics with information on whether he misled Congress in sworn testimony related to his department's purge of federal prosecutors. Gonzales' refusal increases the likelihood that lawmakers of both parties will seek ways to pry him from office. In a two-page letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, Gonzales reiterated his position that alleged violations of the USA Patriot Act were mistakes rather civil liberties abuses. He said he was not aware of any political briefings at the Justice Department akin to those given by White House political aides at other federal agencies.

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• MiMIC Journal

China cleans up one-child slogans

China has decided to tone down some of the slogans used to promote its one-child policy, in a bid to make them sound less threatening. Some posters used in rural areas will be banned, such as one which read "One more baby means one more tomb." A list of 190 acceptable slogans is being issued instead.

• Brief News

190,000 weapons 'missing in Iraq'

The US military cannot account for 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to the Iraqi security forces, an official US report says. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the Pentagon cannot track about 30% of the weapons distributed in Iraq over the past three years. The Pentagon did not dispute the figures, but said it was reviewing arms deliveries procedures.

US civil rights lawyer Hill dies

Civil rights lawyer Oliver Hill, who played a pivotal role in the fight to end racial segregation in US schools, has died at the age of 100. He fought a series of lawsuits for racial equality, culminating in the 1954 Supreme Court ruling that school segregation was unconstitutional. That decision set in motion fundamental changes in American society.

Morgue mix-ups shock Argentines

Investigations are under way in Argentina after two people - a man aged 71 and a premature baby - were falsely declared dead in separate incidents.

Chavez seeks end to term limits

Chavez has confirmed that he will try to change the law to allow him to remain in power indefinitely. The details have so far been kept under wraps; the constitution is under review and Chavez is expected to make changes to cement in law his socialist revolution.

LA holds anti-gangster protests

Thousands of people in the US city of Los Angeles have staged a protest against a rise in gang-related crime. Many of the demonstrators were former members of some of the city's estimated 30,000 street gangs - criminal groups with links to drugs and prostitution. The protesters heard calls for intervention in the inner cities to curb the spiral of gang violence. Officials announced an anti-gang drive earlier this year, but half the city's murders are believed to be gang-linked. Job creation and after-school programs are one method favored by some civil rights leaders here to curb gang-related violence.

Brazilian airports chief sacked

The head of Brazil's airports authority has been replaced in the wake of the country's worst air crash last month.

Jose Carlos Pereira will be replaced by the president of the Brazilian space agency, Sergio Mauricio Brito Gaudenzi.

In Some Circles, Four Kids Is the New Standard

The newest status symbol for the nation's most US affluent families is fast becoming a big brood of kids. In the past 10 years, the number of high-end earners who are having three or more kids has shot up 30 percent. They call it "competitive birthing."

Rome police probe luggage chaos

Italian police are investigating the chaos surrounding handling of luggage at Fiumicino Airport in Rome. Piles of thousands of pieces of luggage have accumulated in various parts of the airport, and angry passengers have been demanding compensation for lost or delayed baggage. Italy's Civil Aviation Authority claims that baggage handlers have been sabotaging outdated or obsolete equipment, causing huge delays.

Husband's record in White House complicates Hillary Clinton's presidential run

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is running for president on her husband's White House record, and it is a strategy that cuts both ways. The New York senator and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, constantly remind voters of the U.S. economic prosperity in the 1990s and his record on the environment, college aid and family medical leave. Press releases from the campaign often include sentences that start , "Under the Clinton administration ..." This weekend, she was asked whether she would support or repeal four major pieces of legislation enacted during the Clinton administration — the Defense of Marriage Act, the Telecommunications Act, the North American Free Trade Agreement and welfare reform.  All four laws are unpopular with liberal voters who historically dominate Democratic primaries and caucuses. The political landscape for Democrats has changed since the 1990s on issues such as gay rights, trade and welfare reform — due in part to the rise of the influential and polarizing liberal blogosphere. That means candidates like Clinton must shift, too, or defend their refusal to do so.

Brazil stocks, currency slide on US credit worries

Brazil's stock market and the national currency slumped on Friday, tracking a sell-off in U.S. bourses that pushed investors away from higher-risk assets in emerging markets. The benchmark Bovespa index of the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange slid 3.37 percent to close at 52,846.38 points, its worst one-day decline since July 26 when the index lost 3.76 percent amid similar concerns about the U.S. credit market.

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• Daily Press Review

Darfur's rebel groups reach deal
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

UN Mission Sends More Supplies to Crash Victims in DRC
CongoPlanet.com, Independent online news aggregator

Manhyia Palace reacts to violence near the palace
GhanaWeb, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Côte d'Ivoire: Peace Process Fails to Address Sexual Violence
Human Rights Watch (Africa), International news press releases

No multi-personality for Olivier
iafrica, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa

Petrol chaos spreads
Independent Online, News portal, Cape Town, South Africa

Balfour suspects collusion in jailbreak
Mail & Guardian Online, Liberal, Johannesburg, South Africa

Garage 'sold water not petrol'
News24.com, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa

Dominican Republic, EU free trade accord in 2008
Brazil Sun, Independent online news aggregator

D'Angel and Barbee in Spanish Town drama
Caribbean News Portal, Online news aggregator

El Salvador: Terrorism Law Misused Against Protesters
Human Rights Watch (Americas), International news press releases

BRAZIL:  Amazon Fruit Gatherers Face Biofuel Dilemma
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy

Happy 45th, Jamaica! - Bucknor, Blair OJs - Among six to get fourth highest National Honour
Jamaica Gleaner, Independent daily, Kingston, Jamaica

Climbers from Australia Killed in Avalanche on Peru Mountain Range
Living in Peru, News portal, Lima, Peru

The Crown and the Koran: Toronto imam serves both
The Globe and Mail, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada

More Americans heading North
Toronto Star, Liberal daily, Toronto, Canada

Govt allocates Rp15.7 billion for private teachers' allowances
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia

Bush, Karzai Meet at Camp David
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea

Sensational Sania breaks into top 30
India Express, News portal, Mumbai, India

Job racket: Man conned in Mumbai
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India

Tomlin excited about making debut in Hall of Fame Game
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan

Be wary of HK travel companies seeking personal info
Malaysian Star, Online news portal,  Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Police fire shots to disperse PNG crowd
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand

U.S. copter kills 6 in north of Baghdad
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China

18 injured  in Assam explosions
The Hindu, Left-leaning daily, Chennai, India

Disease lab results 'by Tuesday'
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

Man charged with serious assault after Dublin stabbing
BreakingNews.ie, Online news portal, Cork, Ireland

Hunt for Madeleine: police target new suspect 'carrying child in blanket'
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

Pannon launches video sharing service
DMeurope, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Birthday partygoer is stabbed to death
icLiverpool, Online news portal, Liverpool, England

U.K. braces as livestock disease resurfaces
International Herald Tribune, Independent daily, Paris, France

County show goes on, minus livestock
Isle of Wight County Press, Independent daily, Isle of Wight, England

Two weekend shootings
Manchester Online, Independent daily, Manchester, England

Road Closed After Fire
News & Star, Independent daily, Carlisle, England

Oil search off walney coast
North-West Evening Mail, Independent daily, Cumbria, England

Once Upon a Time in the East
Radio Prague, Online news portal, Prague, Czech Republic

Heathrow Wins Bid To Ban Protest
Sky News, Independent newscaster, Middlesex, England

Sauna World Championship:  Perspire, Persevere, Prevail
Spiegel International, Liberal newsmagazine, Hamburg, Germany

BAA wins injunction to stop Heathrow protest
The Guardian, Liberal daily, London, England

UK exports of meat and milk banned - EU
The Irish Times, Centrist daily, Dublin, Ireland

Britain withholds Malawi aid amid political impasse
The Scotsman, Moderate daily, Edinburgh, Scotland

Foot and mouth laboratory row
The Sun, Conservative tabloid, London, England

UFO sightings published by MOD
The Telegraph, Conservative daily, London, England

Sumo champ rues bad luck as camera catches him out
Times Online, Conservative daily, London, England

Women in Green: Expelling Jews No Longer in Our Lexicon
Arutz Sheva, Online, right-wing, Tel Aviv, Israel

Al-Qaeda Video Vows Attacks on US Missions
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England

New Al Qaida video warns US
Gulf News, Independent daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

PM to Abbas: I hope to pave way for talks on Palestinian statehood soon
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel

IRAQ:  Greece 'Failing Refugees'
IPS Middle East, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy

OPWPCO sees 9pc yearly demand for electricity - Oman
Middle East North African Network, Online financial portal, Amman, Jordan

EU Imposes Import Ban on British Meat, Livestock
Nahamet, Online news portal, Beirut, Lebanon

Jericho to host Abbas-Olmert  meeting ahead of further talks
The Daily Star, Independent daily, Beirut, Lebanon

Qatar gives one-week time limit for implementing cease-fire agreement - Optimism about ending Sa'ada war (Front)
Yemen Times, Independent weekly, Sana'a, Yemen

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