November 16, 2009 Nº 841 - Vol. 7
"Wisdom too often never comes, and so one ought not to reject it merely because it comes late"
Felix Frankfurter
Insider's view: see how local concerns shape up the global world. Read the daily press review in Migalhas International
_____________
Read Migalhas LatinoAmérica in Spanish every Tuesday and Thursday. Visit the website at www.migalhas.com/latinoamerica
_____________
9/11 trial
Will 9/11 trial be triumph of justice or just for show? The alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four others will be transferred from Guantanamo Bay to New York for a trial in which the death penalty will be sought, the US has confirmed. The five will be tried in a civilian court near Ground Zero. The prosecution says it will seek the death penalty. But Republican leaders immediately criticized the move. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell described it as "a step backwards for the security of our country" that "puts Americans unnecessarily at risk". Former President George W Bush's last attorney general, Michael Mukasey, said: "The Justice Department claims that our courts are well suited to the task. Based on my experience trying such cases and what I saw as attorney general, they aren't." However intelligence memos released earlier this year revealed they had been subjected to harsh interrogation techniques including water-boarding on multiple occasions since his capture - potentially rendering some evidence inadmissible. "Bringing him to New York is going to create too much of a circus around the event and the trial. And if they decides to work with their lawyers to stall the case, they have plenty of tools at his disposal. But the circus parade has probably already left the tent. The man accused of planning the most deadly attack in U.S. history could be in New York City within months. "A lot of mental energy is going to be focused on this particular subject, based on the history of what happened."
Israel rejects Palestinian move
Israel has rejected a move by the Palestinians to gain international recognition for an independent state, saying negotiations are the solution. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said such unilateral moves would unravel past agreements to reach Middle East peace. The Palestinians said they will ask the UN Security Council to recognize an independent state, because of a lack of progress in restarting peace talks.
UK government announces proposal to remove innocent people from DNA database
The UK Home Office on Wednesday unveiled its plans for the retention of DNA profiles in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The new proposals limit the amount of time DNA and fingerprint records of innocent people can be retained on the national database. Under the proposed measures, the profiles of all adults and 16- and 17-year-olds arrested but not convicted cannot be retained for more than six years. All other juveniles arrested but not convicted of any offense will have their profiles retained for three years, regardless of their age at the time of their arrest. The proposals maintain the ability to indefinitely hold DNA profiles of all convicted adults, juveniles convicted of serious offenses, and terror suspects whose profiles could be retained indefinitely, even if they are found not guilty, through a case-by-case review on national security grounds.
Before you open the door to the boardroom, peek through the keyhole!
Michael Page specializes in the placement of candidates in permanent, contract, temporary and interim positions within client companies around the world. Have a look at the new section of the Migalhas website and discover the professional development opportunities with large corporations, in legal and business fields, presented by Michael Page International. Click here to peep through the hole!
_____________
100% Migalhas: www.migalhas.com
_____________
China 'running illegal prisons'
China is running a number of unlawful detention centres in which its citizens can be kept for months, according to campaign group Human Rights Watch. It says these centres - known as black jails - are often in state-run hotels, nursing homes or psychiatric hospitals. Among those detained are ordinary people who have travelled to Beijing to report local injustices. Officials have denied such jails exist, despite earlier reports on them in international and Chinese state media.
_____________
Tell your friends and colleagues you've read it in Migalhas International
_____________
China and US 'not adversaries'
Obama is due to fly to Beijing later on Monday to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao for dinner. The two are expected to hold talks on Tuesday on issues such as trade imbalances, the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea, and the effort to tackle climate change. The US president indicated that he would also raise concerns about human rights in China - as many human rights organizations had asked him to do. Chinese leaders leaders questioned his commitment to free trade, endorsed China's stance on fighting protectionism and declined to back U.S. calls for a stronger yuan. Obama has told China that the two countries are not predestined to be adversaries.
Iraqi Sunni Arab VP threatens to veto election law
Iraq's Sunni Arab vice president threatened Sunday to veto the country's election law unless changes are made giving Iraqis living abroad more guaranteed seats in parliament, throwing the January vote into question. The veto threat comes a week after lawmakers passed the long-delayed legislation, paving the way for national polls in January. Any delay in the voting could derail a U.S. plan to withdraw combat troops from Iraq, a process scheduled to ramp up following the election.
Mozambique police 'kill freely'
Rights group Amnesty International has accused the police in Mozambique of killing people with impunity. Amnesty says 46 people have died at the hands of the police since 2006. It also says investigations are lacking and police prosecutions are rare.
Australia 'sorry' for child abuse
Australian PM Kevin Rudd has apologized to the hundreds of thousands of people who were abused or neglected in state care as children. Rudd said he was "deeply sorry" for the pain caused to the children and their extended families. He said he hoped the national apology would help to "heal the pain" and be a turning point in Australian history. Some 500,000 "forgotten Australians" were abused or neglected in orphanages and children's homes from 1930 to 1970.
Switzerland takes Google to court
Web search giant Google faces a court case in Switzerland because of privacy concerns over its Street View service. The application allows a 360-degree view of any street-level location. "Numerous faces and vehicle number plates are not made sufficiently unrecognizable," said data protection commissioner Hanspeter Thuer. Google said it was disappointed by the move. Thuer is especially concerned about people shown in sensitive locations such as hospitals, prisons or schools. He also said that the height of the camera was problematic because it allowed a view over fences, hedges and walls, meaning that more could be seen from Street View than by a normal passer-by. The commissioner said Google was asked in August to take various measures and had not complied with the requests. The firm says it is sure that Street View is legal in Switzerland and will "vigorously contest" the case.
Gates blocks abuse photos release
The US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has blocked the publication of further images of US soldiers abusing foreign detainees. The US administration filed a request with the Supreme Court late on Friday preventing the release of the photos. The order refers to some 40 images, including some of prisoners being abused in Afghanistan and Iraq. Last month, Congress gave Gates new powers to prevent their release under a law signed by the US president.
Bernie Madoff auction puts a price on irony
There is something a little tawdry about tables and cases filled with old jewelry purses, watches, duck decoys and golf clubs, even if they once belonged to a wealthy crook. The man who orchestrated the greatest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history is behind bars with a 150-year prison term, and now many of his belongings also have new homes. The auction fetched a total of about $1 million, twice as much as the auctioneers had hoped for.
US 'freezer cash' lawmaker jailed
A former US congressman famously caught with $90,000 in cash in his freezer, has been sentenced to 13 years for bribery and money laundering. William Jefferson was convicted in August of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. He was also found guilty of trying to get millions more for brokering business deals in Africa. Jefferson's defense lawyers had argued that he was acting as a private business consultant in making the deals, and sought a sentence of less than 10 years.
Jackpot: Lawyers earn fees from law they wrote
Every lawsuit filed or even threatened under a California law aimed at electing more minorities to local offices — and all of the roughly $4.3 million from settlements so far — can be traced to just two people: a pair of attorneys who worked together writing the statute, The Associated Press has found. The law makes it easier for lawyers to sue and win financial judgments in cases arising from claims that minorities effectively were shut out of local elections, while shielding attorneys from liability if the claims are tossed out. The law was drafted mainly by Seattle law professor Joaquin Avila, with advice from lawyers including Robert Rubin, legal director for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. Avila, Rubin's committee and lawyers working with them have collected or billed local governments about $4.3 million in three cases that settled, and could reap more from two pending lawsuits.
Bankruptcy Rise Slows
Corporate bankruptcies are slowing as companies once on the verge of default have found a new life. But analysts worry the refinancing wave doesn't address companies' deeper problems.
France commission not pushing for burqa ban
French National Assembly representative Andre Gerin said Friday that the country will formally oppose the wearing of burqas, but is unlikely to pursue legislation to ban the garment. Gerin is the head of a special commission created by the French government to evaluate a ban on wearing burqas and other full-face veils in public. He said that even though he strongly opposes burqas, experts that testified before the panel had argued that a ban on the burqa would be hard to enforce and would antagonize Muslims in the country. He also said that while the wearing of burqas poses security and rights concerns, a law banning them would also threaten certain rights.
Spain lawyer alleges discrimination after judge orders her to remove headscarf
A Spanish lawyer said Wednesday that she has filed a complaint with the General Council of the Judiciary alleging abuse of power and discrimination after a National Court judge asked her to leave the courtroom for declining to remove her hijab, or Muslim headscarf. Judge Javier Gomez Bermudez asked lawyer Zoubida Barik Edidi to leave his courtroom last month, in which she was assisting the defense but not actually representing the defendant in a terrorism trial. Edidi has also lodged a complaint with the Madrid Bar Association. The lawyer has participated in several trials in which she was not asked to remove her headscarf, and she claims that her greatest motivation for filing the complaints is so that she may be certain in the future about whether she may wear her hijab in a courtroom. Article 37 of the General Statute of the Legal Profession governs the attire of lawyers and specifies only that lawyers must appear in courts wearing a robe and may wear a biretta, or traditional cap. A lawyer's attire is limited in the statute only in that that garb must be distinctive solely to the profession and appropriate for the dignity and respect of the law and the legal profession.
White House counsel resigning in wake of Guantanamo criticisms
The White House announced Friday that Gregory Craig is resigning as White House Counsel and will be replaced by Bob Bauer, Obama's personal attorney. Craig's resignation, effective in January, comes after months of criticism of his management of Guantanamo Bay policy initiatives, including the ban on torture and the release of documents on the treatment of terrorism suspects under the Bush administration. Craig gained notoriety by leading former president Bill Clinton's defense during his 1998 impeachment proceedings.
Time
The Fort Hood Killer: Terrified ... or Terrorist? When an Army major turns mass murderer on America's largest military base, it fuels the worst fear of terrorism experts: Are lone wolves who don't need an al-Qaeda training camp the new threat to homeland security?
Newsweek
How do you solve a problem like Sarah? Gone Rogue. The rise and fall--and rise again--of Sarah Palin.
Business Week
Why wait for health reform? 10 Ways to Cut Health-Care Costs Right Now. Employers and hospitals don't have to wait for Congress to address inefficiencies and waste.
The Economist
Brazil takes off. Now the risk for Latin America's big success story is hubris.
Le Nouvel Observateur
L'explosion des trafics sexuels. Tourisme au Sud, prostitution au Nord... Le marché de la chair s'est mondialisé. Les clients rêvent de jouissance sans entraves. Les prostitué(e)s, de richesse. Mais des bordels de Bangkok aux trottoirs de Paris, les mafias qui contrôlent la traite...
Der Spiegel
Die Angst vor dem Leben. Der Fall Robert Enke: Was Menschen den Halt verlieren lässt.
Iran 'Has Rejected' Nuclear Deal: French FM
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England
Netanyahu seeks to foil Palestinian declaration of statehood, again
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
US-MIDEAST: Baseball Team Urged to Cut Ties with Israeli Group
IPS Middle East, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
Analysis: Unilateral statehood hurts Palestine, not Israel
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel
Paper Court Files to Go Electronic
Khaleej Times, English-language daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Brazilian football team in Oman
Middle East North African Network, Online financial portal, Amman, Jordan
Kosovo Vote a First Since Independence Declaration
Nahamet, Online news portal, Beirut, Lebanon
Panel formed on Lebanon poll law
Saudi Gazette, English-language daily, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Yemeni, Saudi forces launch fresh strikes on Shiite rebels
The Daily Star, Independent daily, Beirut, Lebanon
Russia should fulfill missile defence deal: Iran
Times of Oman, English-language daily, Muscat, Oman
Man on serial sex attack charges
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Man arrested on suspicion of sex attacks on more than 100 elderly people
BreakingNews.ie, Online news portal, Cork, Ireland
Parkinson's disease drug bungle
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England
'Night Stalker' arrest: Police question married carer over hundreds of rapes and burglaries
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Ericsson completes purchase of Nortel CDMA-LTE operations
DMeurope, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Graham Sankey held over attack on Joe Anderson
icLiverpool, Online news portal, Liverpool, England
Man killed in helicopter crash
Manchester Online, Independent daily, Manchester, England
Memoirs of a revolutionary
Radio Prague, Online news portal, Prague, Czech Republic
Police Hunting 'Night Stalker' Charge Man
Sky News, Independent newscaster, Middlesex, England
SPIEGEL Interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: 'Our Goal Is to Defeat Al-Qaida and Its Extremist Allies'
Spiegel International, Liberal newsmagazine, Hamburg, Germany
No Copenhagen deal, we're out of time, Obama warns
The Guardian, Liberal daily, London, England
US 'not seeking to contain' China
The Irish Times, Centrist daily, Dublin, Ireland
Nick Clegg: cancel Queen's Speech and clean up Westminster
The Telegraph, Conservative daily, London, England
Doctors begin risky operation to separate conjoined Bangladeshi twins
Times Online, Conservative daily, London, England
Yudhoyono: Obama "Friend Of Indonesia"
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia
10th Seoul International Financial Forum Kicks Off
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea
Hunters become the hunted
Dawn, English-language daily, Karachi, Pakistan
Thackeray criticises Sachin over 'Mumbai for all' remark
India Express, News portal, Mumbai, India
Ban on plastic bans? Not at Trade Fair!
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India
Japan squanders opportunities in scoreless draw with South Africa
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan
Selangor assembly: Area yet to be designated for liquor sale
Malaysian Star, Online news portal, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Fans hurt in Christmas ritual
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand
PNA Seeks UN Recognition of Palestinian State
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China
Carmen gives high fashion Chanel the needle
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia
NIA raids several places in Mumbai
The Hindu, Left-leaning daily, Chennai, India
Pacific Andes on the prowl
The Standard, Business daily, Hong Kong
PAYING TRIBUTE
Antigua Sun Online, Independent daily, St. John's, Antigua
Beenie Man Big Day Out protests in New Zealand
Caribbean News Portal, Online news aggregator
Blood collection crisis in Jamaica averted
Caribbean360, Online news portal, St. Michael, Barbados
Talk on taxing money transactions
Cayman Net News, Online news portal, George Town, Cayman Islands
Dominican Republic names new Culture Commissioner in US
Dominican Today, Independent daily, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
U.S.-HONDURAS: Washington Stresses Urgency of Unity Govt
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
'Dudus' Drama, Jamaica caught between a rock and a strongman
Jamaica Gleaner, Independent daily, Kingston, Jamaica
Peru's Juan Diego Flórez sang in Quechua with Magaly Solier
Living in Peru, News portal, Lima, Peru
Tomlinson finds extra motivation
The Globe and Mail, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada
Hundreds of H1N1 shots tossed out
Toronto Star, Liberal daily, Toronto, Canada
Sanjay's a sound Choice
Trinidad Guardian, Independent daily, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
Nigeria peace talks 'fruitful'
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Mazembe to play Asian champs
CongoPlanet.com, Independent online news aggregator
Kazini planned to visit America
Daily Monitor, Independent daily, Kampala, Uganda
Taxes to go up in next budget?
GhanaWeb, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Oz PM apologises for abuse
iafrica, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Watch out for fake plastic surgeons
Independent Online, News portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Amnesty- Ethiopia: Free Birtukan Mideksa letter to US Secretary of State
Jimma Times, Online news portal, Jimma, Ethiopia
Woods masterclass leaves Aussies wanting more
Mail & Guardian Online, Liberal, Johannesburg, South Africa
ASA to fight takeover bid
News24.com, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Journalists threaten hunger strike over failed S-East roads
Vanguard, Independent daily, Lagos, Nigeria
____________
How are we doing?
We would like to hear from you how we perform. What you like and what we should change or add… Send us an email; we aim to please!
Tell your friends and associates…
to subscribe to Migalhas International! www.migalhas.com
Express yourself
Want to share your opinion, your experience, your questions? You are welcome to do so. This forum is yours. Please contact the editor: [email protected]
Events
We welcome information about your events or conferences to come. Please contact the editor.
Sponsors
Become a sponsor. Spread your name in the business and legal spheres around the world in Migalhas International.
Subscription
To subscribe: Register your name and your address at https://www.migalhas.com
To unsubscribe: Send your name and e-mail address to in the subject line. We will remove your name soonest.
Address changes: If you want to continue to receive Migalhas International, please make sure we have your current e-mail address.
Contact
Michael Ghilissen, editor: [email protected]
Miguel Matos, publisher: [email protected]
Please feel free to send your comments, questions and suggestions to the editor.
Your comments
We always welcome information, articles, testimonials, opinions and comments about something you've read in Migalhas International. Please forward your contributions to the editor.
Confidentiality
When you add your name to Migalhas International, you can be sure that it's confidential. We do not share, trade, rent or sell this list. Our "privacy policy" contains no fine print. No one gets our list. Period. Your e-mail address is safe with us.
Sharing Migalhas International
If you'd like to share this Migalhas International with friends and colleagues, feel free to forward this issue including the copyright notice. Or, invite them to subscribe so they receive their own Migalhas International every week.
Sources
The content of the Miglhas International newsletter is edited for purposes of news reporting, comments and education from several sources, including: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The London Times, Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, The Financial Times, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Google News, International Herald Tribune, Paper Chase (jurist.law.pitt.edu), The World Press Review: https://www.worldpress.org, Forbes, Fortune, Time, Newsweek, Harvard Business Review, American Bar Association, American Lawyer Media, FindLaw.com, Reuters, Associated Press, Internet Business Law Services, Folha de S.Paulo, O Estado do S.Paulo, Lexis Nexis, West Law, CNN, The Globe and Mail, The Los Angeles Times, Wikipedia and more.
Fair use notice
This newsletter contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of legal, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
The messages that appear in this newsletter are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to be and should not be considered legal advice nor substitute for obtaining legal advice from competent, independent, legal counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.
Transmission of this information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. The information contained on this list may or may not reflect the most current legal developments.
www.migalhas.com
Copyright 2009 - Migalhas International