March 10, 2010 Nº 880 - Vol. 8
"Asking for help falls neatly under the heading of delegating duties and that's what authority figures do."
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Europe rights commissioner cautions against burqa ban
The top rights official at the Council of Europe on Monday rejected the notion of banning Muslim burqa and niqab garments. Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg noted in a written statement marking International Women's Day: "Those who have argued for a general ban of the burqa and the niqab have not managed to show that these garments in any way undermine democracy, public safety, order or morals. The fact that a very small number of women wear such clothing has made proposals in such a direction even less convincing. Nor has it been possible to prove that these women in general are victims of more gender repression than others. Those who have been interviewed in the media have presented a diversity of religious, political and personal arguments for their decision to dress themselves as they do. There may of course be cases where they are under undue pressure - but it is not shown that a ban would be welcomed by these women." Hammarberg stressed that European governments considering bans on burqas and niqabs should first look to Articles 8 and 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights before making any decision.
Chief justice unsettled by Obama's criticism of Supreme Court
John G. Roberts Jr. tells law students that the president's rebuke of a ruling on corporate campaign funding and the subsequent cheering at the State of the Union address were 'very troubling.' Obama's speech in January came a week after the high court ruled 5 to 4 that corporations had a free-speech right to spend unlimited sums to elect or defeat candidates for office. The president, looking down at the six justices in attendance, sharply criticized the Supreme Court for having "opened the floodgates for special interests" to sway elections. "Anybody can criticize the Supreme Court. . . . I have no problem with that," he said. He objected to criticism in such a public setting, where the justices had no choice but to sit silently.
Supreme Court upholds bankruptcy law provisions applied to attorneys
The US Supreme Court on Monday ruled in Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz v. United States that attorneys are considered debt relief agencies under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act when they provide qualifying services. The court also held that the BAPCPA, which requires certain disclosures in advertisements, does not violate attorneys' First Amendment rights. The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled that, while bankruptcy attorneys meet the definition of a debt relief agency, the BAPCPA provisions codified in 11 USC § 526(a)(4) are unconstitutional as applied to attorneys.
Off-shore companies: a legitimate and legal instrument
Succession and estate planning often entails the formation of holdings, companies and/or foreign trusts and foundations. A large share of asset restructuring encompasses the creation of off-shore operations. In his article, Aloysio Vasconcellos, Head Researcher at Westchester International Corporation examines various options in estate and fiscal planning from a Brazilian perspective. Click here to read it.
UN rights experts urge civilian trials for 9/11 suspects
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism Martin Scheinin on Tuesday urged the Obama administration to hold civilian trials for accused 9/11 conspirators, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Scheinin called the military commissions system "fatally flawed" and said that reforming the system would not help. Meanwhile, UN Special Rapporteur on torture Manfred Nowak also argued that the suspects should face a civilian trial. A White House official said Tuesday that while a civilian trial for Mohammed may no longer be a realistic option, the Obama administration is working with lawmakers to allow for civilian trials for other suspected terrorists.
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Regulator to ensure 'every cent' lent by Chinese banks enters real economy
China's banking regulator will work to ensure "every cent" lent out by the nation's financial institutions this year enters the real economy to help guard against inflation while maintaining growth, Chairman Liu Mingkang said.
China legislature weighs election reform proposal
The Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) on Monday opened consideration of election reforms designed to afford equal representation to residents of rural and urban administrative areas. China's current electoral law provides more congressional representatives to residents of urban districts than residents of rural ones. The draft amendment aims to eliminate the disparity in representation.
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Petrobras
La brasileña Petrobras informó que sometió al gobierno federal su propuesta del Programa de Gastos Globales y del Presupuesto Anual de Inversión para 2010 con un límite US$ 44.725,6 millones.
Minería
La acería brasileña Companhia Siderúrgica (CSN) Nacional planea abrir al mercado su enorme mina de hierro Casa de Pedra para fines de junio, al tiempo que también planea ofertas públicas iniciales para otras unidades de la firma, dijo su presidente, Benjamin Steinbruch.
Aerolíneas
El Gobierno de Brasil comunicó a Aerolíneas Argentinas que no podrá efectuar vuelos a ese país que salgan desde Aeroparque, al menos hasta que regularice una serie de trámites que le exige la Administración Nacional de Aviación Civil de este país. Los ejecutivos argentinos dicen que el tema es burocrático. (Presione aquí)
Inversiones
El empresario argentino Juan Carlos López Mena, dueño de la firma de ferries Buquebus, invertirá US$ 10 mlls., en su tambo en Uruguay para el lanzamiento de una línea de productos lácteos premium llamada "Talar Cream".
US eases Cuba, Iran, Sudan sanctions to allow freer web
The US treasury department has eased sanctions on Iran, Cuba and Sudan to help further the use of web services and support opposition groups. US technology firms will now be allowed to export online services such as instant messaging and social networks. Companies had not offered such services for fear of violating sanctions.
Brazil slaps trade sanctions on US over cotton dispute
The Brazilian government has announced trade sanctions against a variety of American goods in retaliation for illegal US subsidies to cotton farmers. The World Trade Organization (WTO) approved the sanctions in a rare move. Brazil published a list of 100 US goods that would be subject to import tariffs in 30 days, unless the two governments reached a last-minute accord.It said it regretted the sanctions, but that eight years of litigation had failed to produce a result.
Illegal file-sharing policy criticised
Plans to suspend the internet accounts of people who download music illegally are unfair, according to the head of Britain's biggest telecoms firm. British Telecom's chief executive, Ian Livingston, says illegal file-sharers should be fined rather than have their internet accounts cut off. He and other industry figures have written to the Financial Times urging changes to the Digital Economy Bill. The bill is going through Parliament and was welcomed by the music industry. It is seen as a weapon in the battle against online piracy. But Livingston says plans to suspend internet access for file-sharers goes against natural justice. Instead he is calling for fines which those accused of downloading could choose to pay, or fight in court.
Burma law formally bars Aung San Suu Kyi from election
Burma's military rulers have issued a law which will bar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from participating in planned elections. The new law prohibits anyone with a criminal conviction from taking part.
US woman charged with wanting to wage violent Jihad
A Pennsylvania woman in her late 40s has been charged with terror offences including using the internet to recruit militants for deadly attacks abroad. A Department of Justice statement said Ms LaRose and five others "recruited men on the internet to wage violent jihad in South Asia and Europe, and recruited women on the internet who had passports and the ability to travel to and around Europe in support of violent jihad". She is charged with "conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, making false statements to a government official and attempted identity theft."
US seeks Nigeria massacre trial
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged Nigeria to arrest and try those responsible for killing hundreds of people near the city of Jos. The massacre is seen as revenge for a previous round of killings in January.
India lawmakers weigh bill to reserve parliamentary seats for women
Indian lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill to ensure that one-third of seats in parliament are reserved for women, marking International Women's Day. The Women's Reservations Bill, introduced in the Rajya Sabha, or Council of States, would increase the number of women serving in the 543-seat legislature, which currently has no gender quota, from 59 to at least 181. The bill is supported by the ruling Congress Party and also has support in the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist parties. The bill would require a constitutional amendment, meaning it must be passed by at least a two-thirds majority. Voting was postponed until Tuesday after opposition MP's tore up the bill in protest.
EADS-Northrop tanker contract exit prompts EU fears
Brussels has said it would be "extremely concerned" if the defense group EADS was prevented from fairly bidding for a major US defense deal. Its comments came after pan-European EADS and US partner Northrop Grumman abandoned a bid for a $35bn mid-air refuelling aircraft contract. Northrop Grumman and EADS said the terms of the Pentagon tender "clearly favor" US aerospace giant Boeing. "Given the open market to US producers we have in Europe, it is very disappointing that a US-led European consortium feels that the revised tanker procurement process is now so biased against them that it is not even worth making a bid," Mandelson said. Alabama Senator Richard Shelby said the competition had been wrongly "structured to produce the best outcome".
Supreme Court to rule on picketing military funerals
The US Supreme Court on Monday granted certiorari in three cases. In Snyder v. Phelps, the court will take up the controversial issue of picketing the funerals of soldiers killed in combat. Reverend Fred Phelps and members of the Westboro Baptist Church have been traveling around the country picketing military funerals in recent years, claiming US soldiers have been killed because America tolerates homosexuals. The court has been asked to consider three issues:
1. Does Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell apply to a private person versus another private person concerning a private matter?
2. Does the First Amendment's freedom of speech tenet trump the First Amendment's freedom of religion and peaceful assembly?
3. Does an individual attending a family member's funeral constitute a captive audience who is entitled to state protection from unwanted communication?
The suit was brought by the family of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder after Phelps and members of his church picketed his funeral. A federal judge awarded the family almost $11 million in damages, but the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed, holding that Phelps's speech was protected under the First Amendment.
Sri Lanka parliament votes to extend state of emergency until after elections
The Sri Lankan Parliament voted Tuesday to extend the country's current state of emergency until after next month's parliamentary elections. The measure, passed by a vote of 93-24, was opposed by the Janatha Vimukthi Perumana, the country's main opposition party. President Mahinda Rajapaksa dissolved parliament in February to prepare for the April elections, but, under the Sri Lankan Constitution, the president's emergency powers can only be extended for one month at a time, and the extension must be approved by parliament within ten days of the president's declaration. Rajapaksa announced last week that he would reconvene parliament to seek an extension of emergency powers, claiming that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elan (LTTE) still pose a threat, despite an end to the country's decades-long civil war last May.
Dutch church orders inquiry into sex abuse allegations
Dutch religious leaders have ordered an independent inquiry into alleged sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests. Earlier, the Vatican defended its response to child sex abuse allegations in a number of European states, saying it had reacted rapidly and decisively. The German, Austrian, Irish and US churches have all been damaged by sexual abuse scandals, and suggestions that senior clergy covered up what was happening.
Bali bomb-maker killed in raid
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar
Saudi Arabia: Arsonists Burn Down Cultural Center in Riyadh
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England
Dubai Police official denies media reports about arresting suspect on Interpol list
Gulf News, Independent daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
UN joins international condemnation of East Jerusalem building
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
MIDEAST: Israeli Left Emerges From Coma Amid Atrocities
IPS Middle East, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
Israel takes 77 Fatah men off wanted list as reward to PA
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel
Emarat Organizes Training Sessions on Food Safety
Khaleej Times, English-language daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Egypt- Torah Cement 2009 profits rise 23%
Middle East North African Network, Online financial portal, Amman, Jordan
Seven Held in Ireland over Plot to Kill Swedish Cartoonist who Depicted Prophet Mohammed
Nahamet, Online news portal, Beirut, Lebanon
Panel formed on Lebanon poll law
Saudi Gazette, English-language daily, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Yemen offers talks with separatists as unrest flares
Times of Oman, English-language daily, Muscat, Oman
Inmate reoffending 'costs GBP 10bn'
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Director 'sorry' over Fawcett Oscars snub
BreakingNews.ie, Online news portal, Cork, Ireland
Patient's ordeal as bodies are left on ward for hours
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England
Facebook 'putting children at risk' by snubbing paedophile panic button
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Cisco triples routing capacity with CRS-3 launch
DMeurope, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
INDONESIA: Suspected Bali bombings mastermind confirmed killed in police raid
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
No decision made on Turkish role in Syria talks, says Israel
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey
Alexa Chung Wears Cycling Shorts To Chanel's Autumn/Winter Fashion Show 2010
Look Magazine, London, England
Carlisle soldier Sarah Bryant was unlawfully killed, rules coroner
News & Star, Independent daily, Carlisle, England
U.S. Woman Accused In Terrorist Plot
Radio Free Europe, Prague, Czech Republic
Militants Attack British Aid Agency Office
Sky News, Independent newscaster, Middlesex, England
An Economic Fire Department for Brussels: The Trouble with Calls for a European Economic Fund
Spiegel International, Liberal newsmagazine, Hamburg, Germany
Start Afghanistan peace talks now, UK tells Karzai
The Guardian, Liberal daily, London, England
Biden condemns Israeli settlement plans
The Independent, London, England
Liam Adams back in High Court
The Irish Times, Centrist daily, Dublin, Ireland
One Killed in Blaze at Opera Nightclub
The Moscow Times, Independent daily, Moscow, Russia
Patients' medical records go online without consent
The Telegraph, Conservative daily, London, England
Sir Terry Wogan beats Chris Evans to radio award
The Telegraph, London, England
Gunmen storm World Vision office in Pakistan
Times Online, Conservative daily, London, England
Aceh people unperturbed by police's anti-terror operations
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia
Biden condemns new Israeli settlement plan
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
10th Seoul International Financial Forum Kicks Off
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea
At least five killed as gunmen attack NGO office in Mansehra
Dawn, English-language daily, Karachi, Pakistan
President to hold meeting with government and regional akims
Gazeta.kz, Official online newspaper, Kazakhstan
Massive uproar in LS over eviction of MPs
India Express, News portal, Mumbai, India
Goa police may file FIR against cops
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India
Wait long enough and daikon legs get fashionable
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan
Kelantan to hold special prayers for rain
Malaysian Star, Online news portal, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Bali bombing suspect killed in police raid
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand
UN chief slams Israeli approval of plans for new settlements in East Jerusalem
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China
America's 'Jihad Jane' charged for supporting terrorist plot
Sify News, Chennai, India
Just outstanding
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia
U.S. assets should not be 'politicized': China
Taiwan News, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
Taiwan's corruption ranking improves
Taiwan Today, Taipei, Taiwan
Four Indians die in suspected arson of Malaysian shop
Thaindian News, Bangkok, Thailand
India takes a giant leap for womankind
The Hindu, Left-leaning daily, Chennai, India
ARSON AT RAMCO
Antigua Sun Online, Independent daily, St. John's, Antigua
Ex-politician suspected in deadly police shootout
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario
New boutique hotel opens
Cayman Net News, Online news portal, George Town, Cayman Islands
Dominican President's efforts to end Chavez -Uribe tiff fizzle
Dominican Today, Independent daily, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
RIGHTS-CUBA: Hunger Striker Refuses to Go into Exile
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
Killing highlights Ocho Rios transport woes
Jamaica Gleaner, Independent daily, Kingston, Jamaica
Hospitals in Peru will resume distributing free morning-after pills
Living in Peru, News portal, Lima, Peru
Bryant's late jumper sinks Raptors
The Globe and Mail, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada
?PSA president threatens 'week of rest'
Trinidad Guardian, Independent daily, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
Nigeria 'ignored attack warnings'
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
ICC: Jean-Pierre Bemba trial postponed
CongoPlanet.com, Independent online news aggregator
NALAG should fulfil development aspirations of the people- Mr Aidoo Mensah
GhanaWeb, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Wanted Bali bomber killed
iafrica, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Man hacks sister to death in 'ritual'
Independent Online, News portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Meles says aid was not diverted by TPLF
Jimma Times, Online news portal, Jimma, Ethiopia
Metropolitan 2009 profit down on higher policy lapses
Mail & Guardian Online, Liberal, Johannesburg, South Africa
No word yet from Winnie - ANC
News24.com, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Police pensioners petition commision over pay cut
Vanguard, Independent daily, Lagos, Nigeria
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