July 23, 2007  nº 518  -  Vol. 5  
 

"The biggest sin is sitting on your ass"

Rose F. Kennedy
Mother of John F. Kennedy & Robert Kennedy

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

• Top News

EU talks to thrash out new treaty

The EU is to start drafting a new treaty to reform the 27-member bloc. The launch of talks in Brussels aims to end two years of confusion after the proposed European constitution was rejected earlier. After June's summit, where EU leaders agreed on the treaty's outlines, there is a common desire to proceed quickly. Monday's ceremony launching the talks on the new treaty - called an inter-governmental conference - will be low-key and brief - just half an hour. Portugal, which holds the EU presidency, will submit a first draft of about 100 pages to legal experts from all member states. They will thrash out the details, aiming to reach a final deal by mid-October.

Brazil radar fault stops flights

Five flights between Sao Paulo and the US were turned back after a radar in north Brazil shut down for two hours. The problem occurred just one day after Brazil's president said air safety in the country met international norms. Also Saturday, officials said they had mistakenly sent part of the plane's fuselage to the United States for analysis, thinking it was the flight recorder. Gen. Jorge Kersul Filho, head of the air force's accident prevention division, said the real flight recorder had been located early Saturday in the wreckage and would be sent to Washington later in the day.

Bush bans terror suspect torture

Bush has signed an executive order banning "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" of terror suspects. It says torture and personal abuse - including sexual acts and attacks on religious beliefs - are intolerable. CIA Director Michael Hayden said the order gave the agency the legal clarity it had been seeking.

Antonio de Magalhaes Helped Start Brazil's Liberal Front Party

Antonio Carlos Peixoto de Magalhaes, one of Brazil's most influential politicians who held on to power as the country came under a military dictatorship and returned to democracy, died July 20 in Sao Paulo. Magalhaes had a devoted following in his home state of Bahia, where he served as governor three times and represented the state three times in the Senate. But his harsh manner of dealing with opponents of the 1964-1985 dictatorship and mastery of backroom deal making also earned him enemies, as well as the nickname "Toninho Malvaldeza," or Tony Evil.

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• MiMIC Journal

China could buy stake in Barclays 

Barclays is close to raising around £10bn from the Chinese and Singaporean governments to help finance its takeover of the Dutch bank giant, ABN. Banking sources say the deal is being negotiated overnight. If it succeeds and if Barclays acquires ABN, the Chinese state would emerge with a shareholding of around 7% in the enlarged group. The Asian cash will be used to help Barclays increase its takeover bid for ABN to around £50bn. The deal was arranged by the leading US private equity house, Blackstone - which recently sold a £1.5bn stake in itself to the Chinese state.

• Brief News

Turkey re-elects governing party

Turks went to the polls Sunday for a parliamentary general election that is seen as key in determining the balance between Islam and secularism in their country. Turks re-elected moderate Islamist Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After four years in power, his Ak Party has once again won a majority of seats in parliament. Opponents had insisted that a win for the Islamist-rooted AKP could undermine Turkey's secular traditions.

Bush yields power for colonoscopy

Bush handed power to Vice-President Dick Cheney for just over two hours while he underwent a routine check for cancer of the colon. Under the US constitution, power can be transferred to the vice-president if the president is incapacitated.

Huge rally over Bolivian capital

Hundreds of thousands of people have been taking part in what is being described as the biggest ever protest in Bolivia's main city, La Paz. They are angered by a proposal to transfer the executive and legislative branches of government to Sucre. Sucre served as the sole capital until 1899. Since then, the two cities have shared the title. The latest proposal was put forward by opponents of the country's President, Evo Morales.

Chavez 'battalions' hold meetings 

Plans to form a single political party in Venezuela have taken a step forward with the first activists' meetings.

Sweet deal for Starbucks lovers

Starbucks has put its weight behind the growing palate for premium chocolate with plans to enter the market. The coffee giant said it had teamed up with struggling US chocolate maker Hershey's to produce a range of Starbucks-branded up-market treats. The news helped lift Starbucks shares, which were also given a boost by talk that it could strike a deal with Pepsi.

Web networkers 'at risk of fraud'

People who use internet networking sites are being warned that they could be at risk of identity theft. Credit information group Equifax said members of sites such as MySpace, Bebo and Facebook may be putting too many details about themselves online. It said fraudsters could use these details to steal someone's identity and apply for credit and benefits.

Dry Counterinsurgency Manual Finds Audience

It's 400 pages long and filled with military jargon and acronyms, but more than 2 million people have downloaded the U.S. Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual since it was posted on the Web a couple of months ago.

Brazil Stock Sales of 2.3 Billion Reais Add to Record

MRV Engenharia & Participacoes SA and three other Brazilian companies sold shares in public offerings today, adding to a record-breaking year for share sales in the country. The companies raised 2.3 billion reais ($1.24 billion) today, for a total of 36.4 billion reais in initial and secondary offerings this year. The market this month surpassed last year's record of 31.3 billion reais raised, as companies took advantage of international investor appetite for the country's rising shares and earnings growth. Thirty-nine companies have sold shares in initial offerings this year, topping last year's record of 26 IPOs.

Hamas replacing Gaza courts with legal committee 

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said Saturday that the government in Gaza Strip is replacing Palestinian Authority courts with a judicial panel consisting of an Islamic legal scholar, a military court lawyer, and a prison warden. Abu Zuhri said that the panel would not impose Islamic law, but will be able to apply it if all parties consent to its use in the resolution of their dispute. The judiciary in the Gaza Strip , under orders from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas , has refused to cooperate with the Hamas government and ceased functioning since Hamas  violently took over the territory in June. The committee is now expected to begin considering criminal cases that ordinarily would have been dealt with by the courts.

Web to Court

A Florida real-estate broker, Mike Morgan, and Lennar are in a legal fight over a Web site, started by the broker, that collects complaints about the home-building giant. The case highlights how companies are taking negative Web campaigns seriously.

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

The frenzy over Harry Potter’s latest has reached a crescendo. Way back when to see what all the fuss was about, we read the first installment and enjoyed it, but haven’t read the others. We do, however, fondly recall Lord Voldemort, aka “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.” What ever came of that evil guy? We’re not sure, but there is another “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” lurking among us. His name (at least according to two lawyers): George W. Bush. The motion reportedly said Bush has “the worst approval rating of an American president in a generation,” and that 62% of Americans believe that Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq shows he is “stubborn and unwilling to admit his mistakes.” They say that “the identity of George W. Bush has no relevance to plaintiff’s claim and should not be admitted” and that any “probative value” of Bush’s identity “is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice to defendant.” Mentioning Bush “in and of itself, presents the danger that the jury will favor plaintiff,” they said.

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• Daily Press Review

Cameroon leader predicts victory
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

Secretary-General calls for action to resolve crisis in eastern DR Congo
CongoPlanet.com, Independent online news aggregator

NDC poised to win back Greater Accra seats
GhanaWeb, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Uganda: Adequate Penalties Needed Along With Trials
Human Rights Watch (Africa), International news press releases

Britain drenched while Europe bakes
iafrica, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa

No hidden hand in Hani murder - killer
Independent Online, News portal, Cape Town, South Africa

'Chameleon' sex blogger under lock and key
Mail & Guardian Online, Liberal, Johannesburg, South Africa

'My babies, my babies!'
News24.com, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa

Brazil crash families protest delays
Brazil Sun, Independent online news aggregator

DPP blocks all charges against Machel and Slaughter until review
Caribbean News Portal, Online news aggregator

US: Presidential Order Affirms CIA Secret Detentions
Human Rights Watch (Americas), International news press releases

LABOUR-PERU:  Strike Ends as Teachers and Gov't Sit Down to Talks
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy

PNP stays on course - Battle on for middle-age voters, JLP attracting more youth, PNP solid among elderly
Jamaica Gleaner, Independent daily, Kingston, Jamaica

Peru: Week in Review, Sunday July 22
Living in Peru, News portal, Lima, Peru

Trading with South Korea is like playing soccer uphill
The Globe and Mail, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada

Sisters plead to end violence
Toronto Star, Liberal daily, Toronto, Canada

Floods kill seven in Indonesia
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia

Iraqi Deputy PM Urges U.S. Patience with Pace of Political Reforms
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea

Progress made on 123 agreement: US
India Express, News portal, Mumbai, India

Dawn burglary at Salt Lake house
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India

Ruling for fair trading
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan

Rains to continue in most areas of Peninsular
Malaysian Star, Online news portal,  Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

No end in sight to China floods after hundreds die
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand

German interior minister warns of increased threats
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China

$20m package for forest industry
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia

NDA nominee is Najma Heptulla
The Hindu, Left-leaning daily, Chennai, India

Flood risk remains as rivers rise
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

Islamists win Turkish elections
BreakingNews.ie, Online news portal, Cork, Ireland

Race to rescue flood victims running out of food and drinking water
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

Ryanair, Ticket Text launch mobile ticketing service
DMeurope, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Revealed: Everton's 150m Kirkby dream
icLiverpool, Online news portal, Liverpool, England

Governing party maintains power in Turkey
International Herald Tribune, Independent daily, Paris, France

Ban and fine for death crash driver
Isle of Wight County Press, Independent daily, Isle of Wight, England

Vera to leave Street
Manchester Online, Independent daily, Manchester, England

Pensioner dies after car crash
News & Star, Independent daily, Carlisle, England

Double money for the mayor
North-West Evening Mail, Independent daily, Cumbria, England

Mailbox 7.22.2007
Radio Prague, Online news portal, Prague, Czech Republic

Floods Cause Victims Further Misery
Sky News, Independent newscaster, Middlesex, England

Racism in France:  Sarkozy's Justice Minister Subject of 'Unjust Campaign'
Spiegel International, Liberal newsmagazine, Hamburg, Germany

Thousands without fresh water as floods bring chaos
The Guardian, Liberal daily, London, England

Harrington rises to the challenge at Carnoustie
The Irish Times, Centrist daily, Dublin, Ireland

Japan PM’s agenda at risk in election
The Scotsman, Moderate daily, Edinburgh, Scotland

Hammond the bionic hamster
The Sun, Conservative tabloid, London, England

Child use of antidepressants up four-fold
The Telegraph, Conservative daily, London, England

Egypt Plans to Destroy Houses in Rafiah
Arutz Sheva, Online, right-wing, Tel Aviv, Israel

Millions of Turks Vote in Crucial Election
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England

Pakistan troops kill 19 militants
Gulf News, Independent daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Jerusalem: Blair will focus on Israel-PA peace talks
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel

MIDEAST:  Prisoners Released  to Abbas
IPS Middle East, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy

Banks team up to create $100m realty firm
Middle East North African Network, Online financial portal, Amman, Jordan

Taliban Extends Deadline for South Korean Hostages
Nahamet, Online news portal, Beirut, Lebanon

Olmert: Israel cannot meet Syria's demand on Golan
The Daily Star, Independent daily, Beirut, Lebanon

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