September 19, 2014 nº 1,545  - Vol. 12 

"Forty years ago, we were on the tail of the Front Page era. There was a different point of view. Reporters and editors were more forgiving of public people. They didn't think they had to stick someone in jail to make a career."

Mike Royko

Read Migalhas LatinoAmérica in Spanish every Tuesday and Thursday. Visit the website at www.migalhas.com/latinoamerica

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  • Top News
Scotland votes 'No' to independence

Scottish voters rejected a heated bid for independence, providing a narrow escape for a British government that scrambled to dole out promises of new local powers for Edinburgh to head off the breakup of a 307-year-old union. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said early Friday he had accepted that the majority of Scottish voters had decided not to become an independent country. The tally showed 55% of voters rejecting the independence question and 45% favoring it. About 3.5 million votes had been counted. More than four million people were registered to vote in the election. The late surge to reject the independence movement was fueled in part by pledges of new powers that would bring more self-rule to Scotland. But the government also issued tough warnings that Scotland's economy would suffer if it escaped the UK's embrace. The financial markets expressed relief. The "no" vote "removes the huge political and economic uncertainty. In a referendum that involves change vs. staying the same, the status quo option will tend to do better at the polls than is predicted immediately before. Cameron said he was delighted the UK would remain together and called for national unity.

Pound surges on Scottish 'No' vote

Sterling hits a two-year high against the euro and a two-week high against the US dollar in Asian trade, as Scotland rejects independence. In early Asian trade, sterling jumped 0.43% to 1.2743 euros. The pound also jumped nearly 0.8% to $1.6525 against the US dollar, before falling back slightly. The FTSE is also expected to open higher.

Alibaba's IPO Priced at $68 a Share

Alibaba's shares priced Thursday at $68, at the high end of expectations, in what is one of the world's largest initial public offerings ever. Once the so-called smart money piles into a stock, it's usually time to start asking dumb questions. And with Alibaba, there are many. Can the company, which today dominates Chinese e-commerce, fend off competition forever? What about its odd corporate structure? Who, exactly, is checking the company's books? And why did Alibaba recently spend more than a quarter's worth of cash flow on what seemed like a grab bag of investments? In many fundamental ways, investing in Alibaba is nothing like owning a slice of a typical American corporation. It requires far more trust.

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  • MiMIC Journal

China media: Scottish referendum

Chinese papers see the Scottish referendum as a sign of the UK's weakness, while warning against similar calls in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

India and China sign landmark deals

India and China sign 12 agreements, one of which will see China investing $20bn in India's infrastructure over five years.

  • Law Firm Marketing

How to prove your shills without sounding like an "expert" 
By Tom Trush

How often do see words such as "expert," "skilled," "professional," or "knowledgeable" used in marketing materials ?

Especially among service providers, these terms show up everywhere -- and understandably so. They give a glimpse into your capabilities.

But using these words creates a problem. Prospects see them so often that the language loses its effect. Being an "expert" or "professional" turns into just another common claim shared by others in your industry.

So how can you prove your skill and deepen desire for your product or service without sounding like everyone else?

Well, I suggest applying what I call The Kid Creation Effect. Let me share a short story to explain how it works ...

Last Saturday morning I walked into the kitchen to find my 5-year-old son making breakfast. This sight isn't unusual for the want-to-be chef -- Alex loves coming up with new kitchen creations.

This time he had frozen waffles, a loaf of a bread and syrup. First, he toasted two waffles and tossed them on his plate. Then he grabbed a slice of untoasted bread and placed it between the waffles. The stack was then slathered with syrup.

Alex sat at the table and devoured his breakfast with barely a breath.

No doubt, this situation would have been different if I presented him with the same meal.

"Why did you put bread between my waffles?" he would have asked while giving a confused look at his plate.

You see, kids have difficulty finding fault with just about anything they create or discover alone. And, not so surprisingly, adults often share this characteristic.

So, instead of forcing an idea/thought/fact on your prospects, gain an advantage by helping them come to conclusions on their own.

Self-tests work well for these situations. You simply walk prospects through questions that prove your knowledge, present a problem and help identify solutions related to your product or service.

Here's a self-test Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons used to demonstrate selective attention and promote their book: https://youtu.be/vJG698U2Mvo 

Here's one from Dr. Mehmet Oz (an excellent marketer) to help you determine if you have food allergies and should visit a doctor: https://www.doctoroz.com/videos/food-allergy-symptom-checker

And here's Orabrush promoting a product while explaining how to tell when your breath stinks: https://youtu.be/nFeb6YBftHE (notice the free offer).

Remember, a conclusion can make your marketing message memorable, but a claim only makes it the same.

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©Trey Ryder FREE LAWYER MARKETING ALERT: If you'd like to receive Trey Ryder's weekly Lawyer Marketing Alert, send an e-mail to [email protected]. Write "Subscribe LMA" in the subject line and write your name and e-mail address in the body of the message.

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  • Historia Verdadeira

Petróleo

La petrolera italiana Eni informó el hallazgo de petróleo en Ecuador, con un volumen estimado de 300 millones de barriles de crudo in situ. El descubrimiento fue en el pozo de exploración Oglan-2, que se ubica en el Bloque 10, a aproximadamente 260 kilómetros al sudeste de Quito.

Oro

La compañía minera de oro AUX, con actividades de exploración de oro en el departamento de Santander, Colombia, cerca de la serranía de Santurbán y fundada por el brasileño Eike Batista, fue vendida por el fondo Mubadala, de Abu Dabi - Emiratos Árabes- a un grupo de empresarios de Catar. (Presione aquí)

Derechos laborales

EE.UU. advierte acción legal contra Guatemala por incumplir estándares internacionales sobre derechos laborales y condiciones en el trabajo. (Presione aquí)

  • Brief News
News Corp calls Google a 'platform for piracy'

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp weighed in on the debate over a proposed European Union settlement with Google, urging Brussels to throw out the settlement and calling Google a "platform for piracy." In a letter to EU antitrust chief Joaquín Almunia on Sept. 8, News Corp Chief Executive Robert Thomson echoed other critics of Google's search functions, saying it "systematically diverts users away from relevant sites to its own related sites for commercial reasons."

Obama hails Congress vote on Syria

Obama says Congress's backing for his $500m plan to aid moderate Syrian rebels shows that the US is united against Islamic State. He spoke moments after the US Senate approved his plan, a day after it was passed by the House of Representatives. "The strong bipartisan support in Congress for this new training effort shows the world Americans are united in confronting the threat from Isil." The bill, attached to a larger measure funding the US government after October 1, will only authorize the program until December 11, allowing the measure to be debated at greater length after the US midterm elections.

Surrogates and couples face a maze of laws, State by State

While surrogacy is far more accepted in the United States than in most countries, and increasing rapidly (more than 2,000 babies will be born through it here this year), it remains, like abortion, a polarizing and charged issue. There is nothing resembling a national consensus on how to handle it and no federal law, leaving the states free to do as they wish. Seventeen states have laws permitting surrogacy, but they vary greatly in both breadth and restrictions. In 21 states, there is neither a law nor a published case regarding surrogacy. In five states, surrogacy contracts are void and unenforceable, and in Washington, D.C., where new legislation has been proposed, surrogacy carries criminal penalties. Seven states have at least one court opinion upholding some form of surrogacy. California has the most permissive law, allowing anyone to hire a woman to carry a baby and the birth certificate to carry the names of the intended parents. As a result, California has a booming surrogacy industry, attracting clients from around the world.

Russia to extend media controls to keep out foreigners

A bill to restrict foreign ownership in Russia's media will soon go before the parliament, which is dominated by MPs loyal to Putin. If made law, the measure will put a 20% ceiling on any foreign stakes in Russian media, including those held indirectly through Russian partners. Russia's main media outlets are state-owned or controlled by loyal oligarchs. Top Putin ally Sergei Zheleznyak said Russia was facing "an information war unleashed against the country".

Oxfam America sues SEC over extractive rule

Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization, sued the Securities and Exchange Commission over a delay in writing a rule to implement a provision of the Dodd-Frank Act mandating oil, gas and mining companies to disclose the payments they make to foreign governments. The lawsuit is the latest in years of wrangling over the rule, which would implement Section 1504 of the law. The provision requires companies to annually disclose the payments they made to foreign governments for things such as licenses and permits needed for development. The SEC narrowly approved a rule in 2012, but business groups, including the American Petroleum Institute, sued to overturn it, and won, with a federal judge ruling to vacate the rule. In May, the SEC quietly said it would rewrite the rule to satisfy the couts in March 2015.

$4.75m for US police race study

A large grant has been given to a project studying police arrest data for racial bias, in the wake of the shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Missouri.

Court says Navy investigators illegally scan civilian computers

An appeals court ruling has offered a rare glimpse at the extent to which military police investigations reach into civilians' computers. Apparently, they scan civilian computers quite often — and to a degree that a 9th Circuit appeals court has now found violates the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act.

Why do you care about fairness ? Ask a chimp

Anyone who has spent time with a child knows the all too familiar refrain: "That's not fair!" But it's not just humans who recognize when they're not getting an equitable share of pie (or toys, or time with Mom and Dad, as the case may be). Some animals, including monkeys, fish and dogs, can also detect inequity. What we haven't known is whether animals notice when they get favored treatment and will reject a treat to keep things equal. Primate researchers Sarah Brosnan of Georgia State University and Frans de Waal of Emory University say yes — but only some species will. "The response to getting less than a partner ... is widespread throughout the animal kingdom in species that cooperate," Brosnan tells Shots. "Cooperative species" include primates, some species of fish, and wolf packs, among many others. But the second half of fairness, she adds, is noticing when you get more, and doing something about it to maintain that social relationship. "This second aspect is something special," Brosnan says. Getting less of something in the short run, in exchange for a social gain — like having a happy partner by your side — is unusual. In fact, only humans and their closest ape cousins seem to do it. The findings are part of Brosnan and de Waal's broader review of inequity among nonhuman primates and other animals, published Thursday in Science. One study they cite found that when two capuchin monkeys worked together to achieve rewards, if one received a grape and the other a cucumber (less yummy, I'd have to agree), the monkey with the cucumber would toss it away, in apparent anger.

YouTube On the flip side, when two unrelated chimps put side by side were presented with a tasty grape and a less tasty carrot, the chimp with the grape sometimes threw it away. "I would say that the most likely cause was either fear of retribution or just general discomfort about being around an individual getting less than you," says Brosnan. Differences in the social hierarchy also played a role, she says. Dominant chimps were angrier when they were on the receiving end of a lesser reward than those lower in the pecking order. The results among the chimps are indicative of highly cooperative societies, where relying on someone else is especially crucial. This may be why chimpanzees and humans will avoid inequity, Brosnan suggests, to have long-term cooperation from friends.

Nike shareholders concerned about sponsorships

Nike executives fielded concerns about risks in athletic endorsements at their annual shareholder meeting in the wake of several high-profile suspensions of sponsored athletes for violent behavior.

Australia boosts parliament security amid attack 'chatter'

Security is being upgraded at the Australian parliament following "chatter" suggesting extremists could target it for attack. PM Tony Abbot said Australian Federal Police would assume responsibility for security at the site in Canberra. The move came a day after major anti-terrorism raids took place in Sydney. They were aimed at thwarting an alleged plan by Islamic State (IS) supporters to carry out killings in Australia, including an on-camera beheading.

Airlines' luggage surcharges are legal, says European court

Airlines are within their rights to charge a supplement to customers checking-in their luggage, a court has ruled. The European Court of Justice ruled that airlines faced extra costs storing and processing checked-in luggage. But it added that hand baggage was necessary for passengers and should not face a price supplement. The decision is a boost to low-cost carriers that have made optional charges key to their business models. A Spanish court referred the case to Luxembourg to see if it complied with EU law on pricing freedom.

Obamacare: Seven million pay premiums

The number of people who have signed up and paid for President Barack Obama's signature healthcare plan is higher than estimated. Figures released on Thursday showed 7.3 million people had paid their monthly premium for the marketplace scheme. Original independent forecasts had predicted six million users, and there was a botched launch last year. But the figure was down from the eight million who initially signed up when the scheme opened. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the largest overhaul of the US healthcare system since the 1960s. It aims to extend health insurance coverage to some of the estimated 15% of the US population who lack it.

Bangladesh parliament approves amendment allowing impeachment of high court justices

The Bangladesh Parliament on Thursday unanimously approved an amendment to the nation's constitution granting the parliament authority to impeach Supreme Court justices. The amendment, backed by the ruling Awami League, faced heavy criticism from judges who viewed the change as an attempt by the ruling party to exert more control over the judiciary. Under the new amendment, Parliament will be allowed to impeach judges on grounds of "misbehavior or incapacity."

It's hard to unseat a judge

Calls for resignation of a federal judge accused of beating his wife gathered steam this week. But short of a Congressional impeachment, he can't be forced to step down. Pressure on US District Judge Mark E. Fuller of Alabama escalated Wednesday with three US senators demanding that he resign following his domestic violence arrest last month.

Citigroup tells appeals court of its Argentina quandary

A lawyer for Citibank N.A. said the government of Argentina has "a gun to our head," threatening the forced takeover of its branch in that country if the bank obeys a US judge's order blocking it from making payments to holders of $8.4 billion in Argentine bonds. US District Judge Thomas Griesa in Manhattan barred Citibank on July 28 from forwarding a $5 million interest payment due Sept. 30 to the bondholders if the South American nation continues to refuse to make payments on its defaulted debt. If it doesn't pay, Citibank claimed, the Argentine branch and its executives face possible criminal and civil penalties, including the loss of its banking license and nationalization by Argentina.

Arab Bank assailed at trial for serving terrorism 'stars'

Arab Bank Plc, Jordan's biggest lender, was the "bank of the stars" for the terrorism world and willingly aided the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a lawyer told New York jurors in a bid to recover damages on behalf of hundreds of victims of the group's attacks. The bank was sued in a potentially landmark case for allegedly doing business with more than 150 Hamas leaders and operatives linked to two dozen attacks in Israel, mostly suicide-bombings. The plaintiffs, victims of the attacks or their relatives, seek to hold the Amman-based lender responsible for assaults which occurred in the early 2000s amid a wave of violence, including deadly explosions in buses and restaurants. The bank said most of its customers weren't designated as terrorists by foreign governments, and warned jurors that a victory for the plaintiffs will have far-reaching effects on international banking, undermining compliance systems for trillions of dollars in transfers.

DC leaders will propose 'concealed carry' law to address federal judge's gun

D.C. gun owners could begin applying to carry concealed weapons within weeks under emergency legislation announced Wednesday in response to a federal judge's ruling in July that the city's firearms law was unconstitutional.

State law prohibiting 'upskirt photos' thrown out

A state law banning "improper photography" in public is no longer valid. The state's highest criminal court threw out the law as a violation of free-speech rights. Essentially, giving anyone the right to take photos of you and your children in public without your consent.

  • Daily Press Review

Scotland voters reject independence
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar

Scottish voters reject independence from the U.K.
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel

Scotland votes 'No' to independence
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

Miley Cyrus flag stunt condemned
CNN International, London, England

Jennifer Lawrence attempts to go incognito behind her handbag as she leaves Coldplay concert
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

Pound soars in 'relief rally' and Footsie set to climb as markets welcome No vote
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

We'll take the 'No' road: Scottish voters reject independence
EuroNews, International news, Ecully Cedex, France

Live: Cameron urges unity after Scotland rejects independence
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France

Aga Khan Museum brings artistic riches to Toronto
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey

Eight bodies found in village latrine after attack on Guinea Ebola education team
Independent The, London, England

Major Ukrainian TV provider drops Russian channels
Moscow News The, Independent, Moscow, Russia

Landmarks in animation history: from Mickey Mouse to Simpsons
Telegraph The, Conservative daily, London, England

Landmarks in animation history: from Mickey Mouse to Simpsons
Telegraph The, Celebrity news, London, England

Congress backs Obama on aid to Syrian rebels
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan

Incheon Asian Games Kicks Off with Grand Ceremony
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea

Aus sleuths say IS plotted Mumbaistyle attack main target Abbott
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India

DMK man hacked to death in public view
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India

UK leader pledges to honor promises to Scotland
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand

Ukraine President cancels trip over protests in eastern Ukraine
Straits Times, Pro-government, Singapore

Anna's iPhone heartbreak
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia

Alibaba mega IPO caps founder Jack Ma success tale
Taiwan News, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan

Royal Bank of Scotland scraps plans to move south after Scots vote to stay in UK
The Economic Times, Business, Mumbai, India

Scotland votes 'No' to independence in historic referendum
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Scotland rejects independence
Globe and Mail The, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada

Liberty Reserve Brought Down By 'Joe Bogus': How The Feds Arrested Arthur Budovsky
International Business Times, Business news organization, New York, U.S

Latin America at a Climate Crossroads
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy

U.S. Treasury's Lew says growth lagging in euro zone, Japan
Reuters, Business News, New York, U.S

Putin suggests Vienna as host in event of Ukraine peace talks
Reuters, World News, New York, U.S

Scotland referendum: Scots vote to reject independence
Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario

Ebola team 'found dead in Guinea'
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

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