August 11, 2010 Nº 943 - Vol. 8
"Happiness is not a reward; it is a consequence. Suffering is not a punishment; it is a result."
Robert Green Ingersoll
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Little progress on closing Guantanamo as trials start
The White House says it's sticking to its promise to close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Since Obama took the oath of office, 64 detainees have been relocated. But as the first military trials of Obama's presidency get under way in Cuba this week, that may be the only part of the Guantanamo machinery that's operating as planned. The plan to close the prison has hit a series of roadblocks — some political and some of the administration's own making. For example, advisers split over whether to try the alleged masterminds of the Sept. 11 attacks in civilian courts in New York or in military tribunals. New York politicians balked, so that decision is still on ice. "The basic problem is that you have an administration that's internally divided about how to proceed, that has no obvious partner and a toxic political atmosphere in which this is very few people's highest priority."
Anti libel-tourism bill signed into law
The Speech Act protecting Americans from libel tourism has been signed into federal law. The practice of filing lawsuits in a foreign country because it has more lax standards on libel is known as "libel tourism." The law, which is the first to offer nationwide federal protection, was modeled on a New York state law inspired by an author who faced a libel tourism lawsuit over a book on terrorism financing. In addition to blocking enforcement, the new federal law will allow defendants to clear their names by obtaining a declaratory judgment in a United States court. Americans now can expose in speech and in writing our country's enemies without fear of being sued and losing because of unfavorable foreign laws. Americans have been sued abroad, particularly in England, which makes it much more difficult and costly to defend from such suits, which are deemed frivolous and malicious suits. Problem is, New York's law offers more protection, but the federal statute may supersede state laws. An amendment is being proposed in Congress.
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1 - Obama May Ease U.S. Travel to Cuba Even If Congress Won't Act (Click here)
2 - $125 Million Shareholder Settlement Approved in New Century Financial Collapse(Click here)
3 - Law Dean, Former Judge Named to BP Fund (Click here)
4 - South African journalists fight 'repressive media laws' (Click here)
5 - Law Schools See Signs of Better Job Opportunities for Students (Click here)
6 - Judge temporarily bars California from imposing new furloughs (Click here)
7 - Law snuffs out mailing smokes to deployed troops (Click here)
8 - Gol posts second-quarter loss of 51.9 million reais on currency (Click here)
9 - Judge rules 'N-word' not offensive (Click here)
10 - Sweet ending: Girl at center of lemonade stand controversy makes almost $2,000, headed to Disneyland (Click here)
11 - Is the European court of justice a legal or political institution now? (Click here)
12 - Scientist illegally imported insect (Click here)
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US engineer sold military secrets to China
A jury in Hawaii has convicted a former US engineer of selling military secrets to China. Noshir Gowadia, who helped design the propulsion system for the B-2 bomber, was found guilty on multiple counts - including conspiracy and money laundering. Indian-born Gowadia, 67, could be sentenced to life in prison.
(Click here)
China orders 2,000 factory closures over energy use
China has ordered more than 2,000 factories to shut by next month because they are wasting too much energy. The government described the outdated smelters and other processing plants as backward. It is unclear how many jobs will be lost.
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Repsol
La española inicia proceso administrativo para colocar las acciones de su filial en Brasil a la Bolsa de Valores del país sudaméricano. La oferta será coodinada por los bancos bancos Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, Banco Itaú BBA, Santander, Barclays y Banco BTG Pactual.
Colombia – Venezuela
Colombia y Venezuela reiniciaron relaciones diplomáticas tras la firma de un memorándum de entendimiento entre os mandatarios Juan Manuel Santos y Hugo Chávez. Chávez se comprometió pagar las deudas y se acordó la creación de una comisión para el control de seguridad. Los empresarios colombianos aguardan solución a una deuda de US$ 800 mlls.
Chile – Perú
El presidente chileno, Sebastián Piñera, revisó ayer el proceso que enfrenta Chile ante la Corte Internacional de Justicia de La Haya a raíz de una demanda peruana por límites marítimos y se reunió con el agente chileno ante La Haya, Alberto Van Klaveren, y los embajadores de Perú, Ecuador y los Países Bajos.
Petroleras
Las empresas petroleras multinacionales reclamaron a Ecuador el nuevo contrato que define el paso de modelo de participación a prestación de servicios. El reclamo fue realizado a través de un comunicado.
Jury selection begins in Khadr military trial
As jury selection began on Tuesday morning, Khadr stood to greet the pool of 15 military officers who were candidates for the panel that will determine his fate. "How are you?" he asked the group. The final jury will consist of at least five members during the trial, which is expected to last for several weeks and could result in a life sentence for Khadr. US military judge Army Colonel Patrick Parrish ruled Monday that Khadr's confessions are admissible evidence in the trial. Khadr's US military lawyer, Lt.-Colonel Jon Jackson, claimed that his statements were illegally obtained through threats of rape and death by interrogators. Prosecutors argued that they did not rely on Khadr's interrogation confessions and that, according to intelligence agents, Khadr spoke freely. Parrish also ruled that video that US forces found weeks after the battle of Khadr helping al Qaeda operatives make and plant bombs in Afghanistan would be admissible. On Friday, the US Supreme Court refused to block the trial. Last month, the US District Court for the District of Columbia refused to lift the stay on his habeas corpus petition pending the conclusion of the trial. Khadr's defense lawyers have repeatedly sought his repatriation to Canada on the basis that the Canadian government's refusal to request repatriation violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Controversial case
Controversy already surrounds the case of al-Qaida suspect Omar Khadr. The UN special envoy for children in armed conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, has said that the trial is of dubious legality. "The statute of the International Criminal Court makes it clear that no one under 18 will be tried for war crimes, and prosecutors in other international tribunals have used their discretion not to prosecute children," she said. Obama's decision to retain the military commissions has puzzled some commentators as most US terrorism trials are now handled by domestic courts. And it will raise the issue of why he has yet to deliver on an election promise to close Guantanamo Bay.
Defaults are falling, but for how long?
Corporate defaults are falling dramatically, but bankruptcy experts last month warned that it doesn't mean happy days are here again. At a roundtable discussion hosted by Daily Bankruptcy Review's editors last month, Kirkland & Ellis partner Jonathan Henes said the economy is likely to hit another "debt wall."
Driver error in many Toyota crashes
A U.S. safety examination of Toyota vehicles involved in crashes attributed to sudden acceleration so far has not yielded evidence of flaws in Toyotas while pointing instead to driver error.
Foreclosure law firms probed
Three South Florida law firms that represent mortgage lenders are being investigated by the state attorney general over allegations they forged documents filed with the courts in foreclosure cases. The Florida attorney general issued the subpoenas this week, requesting reams of paperwork by the end of the month from attorneys working in the foreclosure capital of the country. The investigation targets firms considered to be handling the largest number of foreclosures in Florida on behalf of lenders, in some cases handling thousands of cases a month. The firms may have presented fabricated documents in court to obtain foreclosure judgments against homeowners. Thousands of final judgments of foreclosure against Florida homeowners may have been the result of improper actions by the firms under investigation. Law firms are not immune to Florida deceptive and unfair trade practice laws.
Sri Lankan war inquiry commission opens
An eight-member commission set up to look into the last years of the civil war in Sri Lanka is holding its first public sitting. Human rights groups say government forces as well as the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels may have committed war crimes before the war ended last year. The Sri Lankan government, dominated by the island's Sinhalese majority, denies its forces committed war crimes. It says this commission will bear witness to the facts.
New 'superbug' found
A new superbug that is resistant to even the most powerful antibiotics has entered hospitals, experts warn. They say bacteria which make an enzyme called NDM-1 travelled back with NHS patients who had gone abroad to countries like India and Pakistan for treatments such as cosmetic surgery. NDM-1 has been found in E.coli bacteria. Similar infections have been seen in the US, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands and international researchers say that NDM-1 could become a major global health problem.
Wikileaks asked to edit Afghan names from US files
Human rights groups are putting pressure on the website Wikileaks to remove the names of Afghan civilians from leaked US military reports. The groups, which include Amnesty International, say Afghans identified as suppliers of information to the US military could face reprisals. The Taliban has executed hundreds of Afghan civilians it accuses of collaborating with US-led forces. The huge cache of classified papers is one of the biggest leaks in US history.
Smartphone security put on test
While the vast majority of malicious programs are designed to attack Windows PCs, there is evidence that some hi-tech criminals are starting to turn their attention to smartphones. Booby-trapped applications for smartphones have been found online and in recent weeks Apple and Google have removed applications from their online stores over fears that they were malicious. This makes malicious applications hard to spot, say experts, because useful programs will use the same functions. Smartphones are now at the point the PC was in 1999. At that time malicious programs were a nuisance. A decade on and they are big business, he said, with gangs of criminals churning out malware that tries to steal saleable information. Mobiles offer a potentially more tempting target to those criminals.
Google and Verizon outline vision for 'open internet'
Google and Verizon have joined forces to present their vision of an "open internet", intended as a framework for future regulation of US net services. Both champion the idea of an open net for fixed line services but suggest loopholes for mobile traffic and for some specialized content. This could allow net providers to give priority to certain online traffic. Supporters of net neutrality, where all web data is treated equally, fear the plan will spawn a two-tier service.
Guatemala acts on prison killings
Guatemalan authorities order the arrest of former officials and policemen over alleged extra-judicial killings of prisoners in 2006.
Saudi demand on BlackBerry could affect dissidents
BlackBerry users in Saudi Arabia can apparently rest assured that their messaging service will continue. But they cannot be certain their communications will remain entirely private. Dissidents and human-rights activists worry the compromise would mean their private communications could be monitored by security agencies.
Japan PM apologizes for Korea colonization
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Monday apologized to South Korea for Japan's 20th-century colonization of the Korean peninsula. The statement was timed to coincide with the anniversaries of the 1910 annexation of the peninsula and the 1945 South Korean independence, which both occurred during August. (Click here)
ABA backs marriage equality for gays and lesbians
Gays and lesbians should have the right to marry in civil ceremonies, the ABA’s policy-making House of Delegates declared on Tuesday. The measure passed on a voice vote.
False statements in lawyer's own divorce lead to suspension
A proposed public reprimand was rejected as unduly lenient by a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The misconduct involved dishonest behavior in the attorney's own divorce.
China digs for landslide survivors
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar
Saudi Arabia's Demand for Own BlackBerry Server Principle of Sovereignty -Governmental Official
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England
11 employees killed in fire at Dubai workplace
Gulf News, Independent daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
IDF chief to Gaza flotilla probe: Commandos acted proportionately
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
Trial of "Child Soldier" Opens at Guantanamo
IPS Middle East, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
Nasrallah recalls '97 Shayetet to 'deflect pressure'
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel
200 new bus shelters across Dubai soon
Khaleej Times, English-language daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
KNOC unveils oil discovery in northern Iraq
Middle East North African Network, Online financial portal, Amman, Jordan
Six Million Pakistani Flood Victims Need Aid to Survive, Says U.N.
Nahamet, Online news portal, Beirut, Lebanon
Panel formed on Lebanon poll law
Saudi Gazette, English-language daily, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Iran digging graves for American troops in case of attack
The Daily Star, Independent daily, Beirut, Lebanon
Lebanon charges politician with spying for Israel
Times of Oman, English-language daily, Muscat, Oman
YMN, microfinance network aims to alleviate poverty
Yemen Observer, Sana'a, Republic of Yemen
The OPEC Fund for International Development Scholarship
Yemen Times, (Independent weekly), Sana'a, Republic of Yemen
Bank 'to revise' growth forecast
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Dow Jones down more than 50 points
BreakingNews.ie, Online news portal, Cork, Ireland
Brown urges Britons over Pakistan
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England
'Sex mad' nurse Brent Mott guilty of strangling wife and staging car crash
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Dell launches Android Streak tablet
DMeurope, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
DIPLOMACY: Chavez and Santos agree to renew ties
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
Two killed in pipeline explosion in Southeast Turkey
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey
House Of Harlow's Must-Have Necklace
Look Magazine, London, England
Ex-Oasis guitarist helps Cumbrian music festival sell-out
News & Star, Independent daily, Carlisle, England
The Rundown - August 11
Radio Free Europe, Prague, Czech Republic
Child Tracking Device
Sky News, Independent newscaster, Middlesex, England
Picture This: Dog Days
Spiegel International, Liberal newsmagazine, Hamburg, Germany
US-backed fighters in Iraq defect to al-Qaida
The Guardian, Liberal daily, London, England
Mexican court orders recognition of same-sex marriages
The Independent, London, England
US air steward freed from custody
The Irish Times, Centrist daily, Dublin, Ireland
All in Little Switzerland Have a Tale to Tell
The Moscow Times, Independent daily, Moscow, Russia
The germinator
The Sun, London, England
Sylvester Stallone gets Arnold Schwarzenegger to stomach a comeback
The Telegraph, London, England
Business facing a wave of green taxes
The Telegraph, Conservative daily, London, England
Six of world's best wild-water swims
Times Online, Conservative daily, London, England
Two foreign ministers discuss Peninsula situation
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia
FIFA probes alleged North Korea player punishment
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
10th Seoul International Financial Forum Kicks Off
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea
At least 40 killed in GB rains, landslides
Dawn, English-language daily, Karachi, Pakistan
Thales Alenia Space Ships Three Second Generation Satellites to Globalstar
Gazeta.kz, Official online newspaper, Kazakhstan
Russia reduces wildfire area by half
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India
Militants attack Army jeep in Rajouri, civilian killed
India Express, News portal, Mumbai, India
Cloudy day in Delhi, rains expected
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India
Can Japan's politics change people's despair to hope?
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan
Students not allowed to be involved in political parties, Cabinet decides
Malaysian Star, Online news portal, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Little hope for survivors of China floods
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand
Commander surrenders
Pajhwok Afghan News, (Independent news agency), Kabul, Afghanistan
Audit report clears Indonesia's palm oil giant SMART of deforestation accusation
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China
Subcontinent 'superbug' in UK hospitals 'resistant to all known antibiotics'
Sify News, Chennai, India
Himalayan Viagra 'murders'
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia
China's property prices continue to rise at a slower pace in July
Taiwan News, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
Volunteers from 8 nations paint wedding mural
Taiwan Today, Government Information Office, Taipei, Taiwan
UN aid for Pak flood victims to focus on survival needs of six million people
Thaindian News, Bangkok, Thailand
Give peace a chance, Manmohan tells Kashmiris
The Hindu, Left-leaning daily, Chennai, India
Alzheimer's predicted by spinal-fluid test
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Teens grow with LIME Learning
Caribbean360, Online news portal, St. Michael, Barbados
Minister extends public consultation on Conservation Law
Cayman Net News, Online news portal, George Town, Cayman Islands
Media uncover names of Army, Police officers held in major drug case
Dominican Today, Independent daily, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
ARGENTINA: Limits to Economic Growth Loom
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
'He didn't rat on Coke' - Attorney for J'can convict in US denies reports he squealed on 'Dudus'
Jamaica Gleaner, Independent daily, Kingston, Jamaica
Gas from Camisea bloc 88 will not be exported, Peru Prime Minister says
Living in Peru, News portal, Lima, Peru
Magnitude 6 earthquake shakes Vanuatu
The Globe and Mail, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada
Pakistani militants urge rejection of Western aid
Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario
Rains trigger landslide outside Manning's home
Trinidad Guardian, Independent daily, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
Campbell agent denies court lies
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Opposition, Civil Society Reject Elections Timetable
CongoPlanet.com, Independent online news aggregator
Vice President calls for partnership between Ghana and Iran
GhanaWeb, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Swine flu cases in NZ
iafrica, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Cop who died in cells had been helping out
Independent Online, News portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Americans oppose mosques construction across nation
Jimma Times, Online news portal, Jimma, Ethiopia
RIM to share some BlackBerry codes with Saudis
Mail & Guardian Online, Liberal, Johannesburg, South Africa
No bus services in Tshwane
News24.com, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Senate set to overhaul aviation industry
Vanguard, Independent daily, Lagos, Nigeria
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