November 03, 2010 Nº 975 - Vol. 8
"The most important thing in life is to see to it that you are never beaten."
Andre Malraux
Insider's view: see how local concerns shape up the global world. Read the daily press review in Migalhas International
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Rousseff wins Brazilian election
Dilma Rousseff is elected Brazil's first woman president and will succeed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the helm of Latin America's biggest country in January. The Superior Electoral Court said that with almost all the votes counted, she had won 56% against 44% for her rival, Jose Serra of the Social Democratic Party. She promised to "honour the trust" Brazilians had put in her and work to eliminate poverty. Rousseff was the preferred successor of President Lula, who is leaving after two terms with record popularity. Her election as the country's first female leader, Rousseff said, was a sign of the democratic progress Brazil had made. Jose Serra's campaign was an uphill struggle against a president boasting approval ratings of about 80%. This is the second time he has been defeated in a presidential run-off. He said: "I proudly battled the president. To those of us imagining we're defeated: We have only started the real fight." But even though the second round campaign was heated, with many personal attacks and corruption allegations, the candidates didn't differ much in what they had to offer to voters, nor go into great detail over their programs. Brazilians are trusting that Rousseff will be able to build on Lula's social and economic achievements. But they do not have a clear picture of the first woman to be elected for the highest office in the country.
Profile: Brazil's president-elect Dilma Rousseff
A few months ago Dilma Rousseff was not exactly a household name, even inside Brazil. She was a career civil servant who had never held nor run for elected office. Now, in a major leap to the top job, she has become the first woman to be elected Brazil's president. But if many Brazilians, and the wider world, have to date known little about her, she is very familiar with Brazil's corridors of power. Rousseff, 62, joined Lula's government in 2003 as energy minister. In 2005, after a corruption scandal brought down key government figures, Lula made her his chief of staff, a post she held until March 2010, when she launched her campaign for the presidency as the Workers Party (PT) candidate.
Lula dubbed her "the mother of the PAC", a reference to the government's economic development project responsible for spending billions of dollars on upgrading Brazil's infrastructure. Rousseff also headed the board of Brazil's oil company Petrobras and was responsible for drafting much of the legislative framework for the exploration of the country's offshore oilfields. During the election campaign, Lula also referred to her constantly as "mother of the nation" - an image picked up and glossily embellished in her TV election advertisements. Rousseff made it clear that she represented continuity with the Lula government, under which millions of Brazilians saw their standard of living rise. She is known to favor a strong state role in strategic areas, including banking, the oil industry and energy. She has also promised to tackle Brazil's complicated tax system. But if she is to achieve this and other reforms, she will need to quickly acquire political and negotiating skills to get her political program through Congress.
One of the major challenges she faces is the fact that she is not Lula, a man of the people and a consummate politician. Rousseff has a somewhat brusque manner and is reputed to have a short temper - attributes that have, perhaps unsurprisingly, led to her being dubbed the Iron Lady. Her seemingly conventional background changed in the mid-1960s, when she was in her late teens. She became involved in left-wing politics and joined the underground resistance to the military dictatorship that seized power in 1964. She has said that she was never actively involved in armed operations, but in 1970 she was jailed for three years and tortured. There are some who worry she may the turn the country more to the left, especially in Brazil's growing oil sector. She is not expected, though, to be as active on the world stage as Lula, and focus more on domestic priorities.
Dilma Rousseff was born in 1947 and grew up in an upper middle class household in Belo Horizonte. Her father, Pedro Rousseff, was a Bulgarian immigrant. She is twice divorced and has one daughter. In August, she became a grandmother. In 2009, she was treated for and recovered from lymphatic cancer.
US Congress splits between parties
US Republicans have ridden a wave of economic discontent to capture the House but Obama's party has kept the Senate in the elections. Republicans took six Senate seats from the Democrats and propelled Tea Party favorites into the Capitol but, as expected, they fell short of victory. That's the biggest story so far in a turbulent election that followed a volatile and intensely negative political campaign season. However, possession of the House sets them up to block Obama initiatives. The president phoned John Boehner, the likely new House Speaker, to say he hoped to "find common ground" with him. Speaking after his own re-election, Boehner vowed to cut spending and reduce the size of government. He said voters had sent Obama a message to "change course". "Across the country right now, we are witnessing a repudiation of Washington, a repudiation of big government, and a repudiation of politicians who refuse to listen to the people," Boehner said Tuesday night. Compounding the misery for Obama's camp, a Republican captured the president's old Senate seat in Illinois. Even after the results of Tuesday's ballots are counted, they're open to interpretation, according to many analysts. Republicans must decide whether the results give them a true mandate for an agenda that might include tax cuts, smaller government and a repeal of the federal health care overhaul. Democrats can pin their difficulties on the bad economy and note the heavy spending attributed to conservative groups. Independents could be throwing up their hands and saying government's just not working.
Candidates level in Ivory Coast
The presidential election in Ivory Coast is likely to go into a second round as early results indicate that the top two candidates are running neck and neck.
S.E.C. mulls ban on unfettered access to markets
Unlicensed high-frequency traders will no longer be able to gain unfettered or "naked" access to public markets under a rule being considered by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The S.E.C. will meet later on Wednesday to decide whether to require brokerages to have rules in place to protect against potential mishaps from unlicensed traders when brokerages rent out their access to the markets, Reuters reports. The S.E.C. is also expected to propose a controversial plan that would allow it to reward whistle-blowers if the information leads to a successful enforcement case.
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China rejects US mediation in row
China rejects an offer from the US to host three-way talks with Japan over the future of a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea.
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Expropiación
El presidente venezolano, Hugo Chávez, ordenó expropiar una siderúrgica local. Se trata de la empresa Sidetur, que forma parte del holding venezolana Sivensa. La medida se inscribe en el marco del plan de nacionalización de la economía que impulsa Chávez y que hace dos años incluyó la estatización de Sidor, la mayor siderúrgica del país que estaba controlada por el grupo argentino Techint.
Banca
Luego de poner en funcionamiento las cuentas básicas universales gratuitas, el Banco Central de la República Argentina (BCRA) informó que ya entró en vigencia el nuevo régimen para los cargos cobrados por las entidades financieras para la realización de transferencias bancarias. La medida significa que serán gratuitas las transferencias que los titulares de cuentas bancarias realicen a través de las modalidades de home banking (Internet) o cajeros automáticos, hasta un monto diario de 10.000 pesos.
Metro
La Secretaría del Metro de Panamá (SMP) adjudicó el miércoles el contrato de diseño, construcción y puesta en funcionamiento de la primera línea del Metro de Panamá al consorcio Línea Uno, integrado por las constructoras Norberto Odebrecht (55%) y FCC Construcción (45%), que contará con los trenes del fabricante francés Alstom. El monto del contrato es de US$ 1.446.9 mlls., el precio que ofertó el consorcio por la construcción de la línea con 11 estaciones.
Demanda
El Presidente de Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, anunció este martes que llevará a la Corte Internacional de Justicia de La Haya (CIJ) un conflicto fronterizo con Costa Rica, que desplegó policías armados tras denunciar la presencia de tropas nicaragüenses en su territorio. (Presione aquí)
Google sues US in software battle
Google is suing the US government, saying it was unfairly excluded from a $58m deal to revamp e-mail systems at the Department of the Interior. In a lawsuit filed with the US Court of Federal Claims, Google says the terms of the five-year contract rule out its products and favor rival Microsoft. The search giant wants to offer its Google Apps software for the contract. But Google says it was told that only Microsoft's business software could be used - a move it called "arbitrary". The Department of the Interior, which employs about 88,000 people, declined to comment on Google's legal action.
Supreme Court considers violent games rules case
The highest court in the US has heard arguments over whether children can be stopped from buying violent video games involving murder and sexual assault. The Supreme Court case centres on a ban in California on selling or renting games to those under the age of 18. Opponents of the measure says it breaches the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech. But supporters say the law is necessary as violent games can cause harm to children. Supreme Court justices appeared split on Tuesday over whether the restrictions are constitutional.
French doctor arrested on insider trading charges
A prominent French doctor has been arrested on criminal fraud charges that accused him of tipping off a hedge fund manager about setbacks in a clinical drug trial that had not yet been made public.
Colombian police raid drug assets office
Police in Colombia have raided the offices of the government body which controls assets seized from drug traffickers. Police became suspicious after drug traffickers were found to be in possession of properties which had officially been seized by the agency. Colombian Minister of Justice German Vargas Lleras said he had ordered the intervention after "hundreds of irregularities and many serious anomalies" had surfaced at the National Narcotics Office.
BP back to profit after oil spill
Oil giant BP has announced a return to profit in the three months to September after last quarter's record loss.
Brazil finds massive oil field
A newly-tapped oil field off the coast of Brazil could contain up to 15 billion barrels of oil, officials say. Brazil's national petroleum agency said the Libra field most probably held around 8 billion barrels. That matches the size of the giant Tupi oil field, whose discovery in 2007 drew attention to Brazil's potential as a major oil producer. If the 15 billion barrel figure were confirmed it would double Brazil's known oil reserves.
Canada to announce BHP decision
Canada's federal government is set to announce on Wednesday whether it will block mining giant BHP Billiton's takeover bid of the Potash Corporation.
Alstom loses Eurostar court case over German train deal
Alstom, the French engineering company, has failed in an attempt to prevent Eurostar from running German trains through the Channel Tunnel. A UK court rejected Alstom's bid to stop Eurostar's 600m-euro (£521m) order for trains made by Siemens. Eurostar, the sole operator of passenger trains through the tunnel, has been using Alstom rolling stock. Eurostar's order for 10 Siemens trains has raised concerns of a protectionist row between France and Germany. Alstom had sought an injunction stopping Eurostar from completing the deal for Siemens' high speed trains. But at London High Court, Mr Justice Vos said Alstom would be unlikely to succeed at a trial in obtaining a court order setting aside Eurostar's decision to award the contract to Siemens.
The heated debate over proxy access
Proxy access is a hotly debated topic. Advocates contend that loosening the limits on proxy access will empower shareholders, heighten board accountability, restore shareholder confidence and result in more economically run public corporations. Detractors refute these propositions and assert that proxy access is a Potemkin village that will pre-empt state law, enable special-interest shareholders to hold up companies and otherwise provide corporations with few of the benefits that its proponents argue, other than increased costs to comply with new regulations. These are only a few of the arguments on both sides outlined in more than 700 comment letters that the Securities and Exchange Commission has received on the subject.
UN rights expert: racism, xenophobia increasing
UN Special Rapporteur on racism and human rights lawyer Githu Muigai said Monday that racism is increasing as a result of xenophobic teachings and violence. Delivering two reports to the UN General Assembly, Maugai said that states must enforce internationally recognized standards and prevent discrimination. Muigai identified immigrants in particular as bearing the brunt of xenophobic intolerance and warned against characterizing migration as a problem and threat to social cohesion. Queried about Arizona's recent controversial immigration law, Muigai indicated he felt it equipped the police with too much power to compromise fundamental human rights. He called on states to condemn extremist organizations promoting or inciting racial discrimination and acknowledged that passing anti-discrimination legislation alone was not enough. Muigai is set to travel to Bolivia in the coming weeks.
Uruguay high court annuls dictatorship amnesty
The Uruguayan Supreme Court ruled Monday that amnesty granted for crimes committed by the country's 12-year dictatorship is unconstitutional. The Expiry Law, adopted in 1986, granted amnesty to military officials accused of human rights violations during the country's 1973-1985 dictatorship. The court's ruling will allow investigators to proceed with 20 murder cases against Uruguay's former dictator, Juan Maria Bordaberry. Voters upheld the amnesty law in national referendums twice. Currently, the Broad Front, a coalition of government leftists, is seeking a piece of legislation that supersedes the Expiry Law. The initiative was partially approved in the Chamber of Deputies, but has not yet been approved by the Senate.
Supreme Court to rule on juvenile Miranda rights
The US Supreme Court on Monday granted certiorari in five cases and called for views by the Acting Solicitor General on two pending petitions. In JDB v. North Carolina, the court will determine whether a juvenile student who incriminated himself while being questioned by law enforcement officers was in custody and therefore entitled to the safeguards set forth in Miranda v. Arizona and the additional protections afforded to juveniles by NCGS § 7B-2101(a). The Supreme Court of North Carolina held that the student was not in custody when he made incriminating statements and therefore not entitled to the protections of Miranda or the North Carolina statute.
Yemen court sentences Somali pirates to 5 years in prison
A penal court in the Aden province of Yemen on Sunday sentenced a group of 10 Somali pirates to five years in prison. The men were convicted on charges of committing acts of piracy against Yemeni fishing boats. Three other individuals were also tried but were acquitted for lack of evidence. The 13 individuals were originally arrested in October 2009 in the Gulf of Aden, an area where maritime piracy remains a serious problem despite international efforts to curb it. The men were tried in a specialized criminal court created in 1999 by an executive order from Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh to handle issues involving piracy, terrorism and hostage-taking. Earlier this month in Yemen, the trial began for 13 other Somali pirates accused of seizing Yemeni boats to use in launching attacks on merchant vessels, with the prosecution demanding the death penalty.
Vatican to implement EU financial crimes legislation by end of year
A spokesperson for the European Commission on Friday said that the Vatican will implement the European Commission's laws against money laundering and financial fraud by the end of the year. According to Amadeu Altafaj, spokesman for EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn, EU and Vatican officials discussed a draft law consistent with the EU rules on October 15. Negotiations began after the Vatican bank was accused of a series of financial improprieties. In addition, the Holy See must set up an implementing body for the new legislation that will control the Vatican and the Holy See's financial institutions. Pursuant to the agreement, the Vatican must implement the new laws by December 31.
Iranian Woman to be Hanged Wednesday: Rights Group
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England
Panel formed on Lebanon poll law
Saudi Gazette, English-language daily, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Venezuela and Columbia energy deals
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England
US MIDTERMS: Republicans seize House, Democrats hold Senate
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
Obama humbled by conservative wave
The Independent, London, England
US Republican Party makes sweeping gains in midterms
The Irish Times, Centrist daily, Dublin, Ireland
Nicolas Sarkozy: Britain and France 'interdependent'
The Telegraph, Conservative daily, London, England
India, Japan conclude negotiations on CEPA
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India
Power outage disrupts Parliament sitting (Updated)
Malaysian Star, Online news portal, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Former Russian PM dies - report
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand
Democrats retain majority in U.S. Senate
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China
Deputies call Dominican Republic's border cops a corrupt agency
Dominican Today, Independent daily, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Honduras Has Much to Explain in Human Rights Exam
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
Candidates level in Ivory Coast
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Oromia: Jimma University sues company over generators
Jimma Times, Online news portal, Jimma, Ethiopia
Advocate Barbie faces R1,2m claim from victims
Mail & Guardian Online, Liberal, Johannesburg, South Africa
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