UN urges ban on prison isolation
The UN's torture investigator, Juan Mendez, urges countries to ban the use of solitary confinement in prisons for longer than 15 days.
General strike begins in Greece
A 48-hour general strike against austerity measures begins in Greece, grounding flights, halting most public services and closing shops and offices.
Russia signs free-trade deal with former Soviet states
Russia has signed a free-trade deal with seven other former Soviet republics that will scrap export and import tariffs on a number of goods. No details have yet been revealed about what goods will be included.
Chile students clash with police
Students and police have clashed in the Chilean capital, Santiago, during the latest protest over education reform. With more demonstrations planned for Wednesday, the government has said it will invoke an emergency security law to help quell the violence.
U.S. crafting framework for cyber offense-general
The United States is still crafting a legal framework to guide any offensive moves in cyberspace, months after the Pentagon unveiled a broad cyber strategy. Deliberations on military doctrine and legal framework are "ongoing."
For the U.S. Cyber Command, its mission is to protect Defense Department networks and, if ordered, to go on the offensive to make sure the United States retains the ability to use digitally networked systems on land, at sea and in the air. The military is still looking at "what kinds of options would we want to be able to offer" policymakers for going on the offense. One of the issues is what constitutes "active defense" in cyberspace, equating it with actions that a ship's captain is authorized to take at sea to protect a ship.
Companies faced fewer lawsuits in 2011
A survey of over 400 in-house counsels found that while firms faced fewer suits, regulatory actions and internal investigations rose due to 'a stricter regulatory environment.'
Regulation: The legal economy's best friend?
Legal chieftains at U.S. companies say the long reach of state and federal regulators, even more than the still struggling economy, will be the top factor that draws businesses into court battles in the next year. "Stricter regulation" will be the number one driver of increased litigation according to general counsels and other corporate law officials. In the report, 30% of respondents pointed to regulation for why they expect the number of legal disputes to increase, topping the 26% who said "company growth" would cause lawsuits and 21% that pointed to the "poor economy." Last year, only 19% of the lawyers surveyed said tighter regulation enforcement would the main cause of litigation.
Warning over web security attackA key web security system is no better defended now than when hackers undermined it earlier this year. SSL came under attack in September when hackers stole credentials that let them pose as almost any web firm. The credentials, known as certificates, were stolen from Dutch security firm DigiNotar. The attack is believed to have been carried out by the same hackers who stole certificates from Comodo in March 2011. The system guarantees the identity of a website via certificates that are issued by trusted authorities. It is used millions of times every day to re-assure people that they are connecting to the site they think they are.
S&P downgrades 24 Italian banks
Standard & Poor's has downgraded the credit ratings of 24 Italian banks and financial institutions. "Renewed market tensions in the eurozone's periphery, particularly in Italy, and dimming growth prospects have led to further deterioration in the operating environment for Italian banks," S&P said in a statement.
EU raids banks in probe of possible collusion in interest-rate derivatives
European Union regulators raided banks that offer financial derivatives linked to the Euro Interbank Offered Rate, saying they were investigating possible collusion.
Huge fine for anti-Chavez channel
Venezuela media regulators impose a huge fine on opposition TV channel Globovision, which says the government is trying to shut it down.
L'Oreal heiress Bettencourt under family guardianship
L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, 88, is to be placed under the guardianship of members of her family. A French judge made the ruling based on concerns about Mrs Bettencourt's declining mental health. Bettencourt is estranged from her daughter, Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers, who, along with two grandsons, will now control her wealth and property.
Israel high court rejects appeal against prisoner exchange
The Israel Supreme Court on Monday rejected appeals to halt the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a captured Israeli soldier. The petitions arguing against the release of more than 1,000 jailed Palestinians in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit were filed by four families of the victims of the prisoners set to be released. The petitions were filed within the 48-hour window afforded to members of the public who wish to contest the prisoner exchange by the Ministry of Justice. The prisoner exchange deal came after a landmark agreement between Israel and Hamas that was negotiated last month. The rejection of the appeals by the court cleared the way for prisoner exchange to begin.
Vale open to new iron-ore price mechanism
Brazilian miner Vale SA is open to other forms of negotiations for setting iron ore prices beyond the existing quarterly talks. Vale will maintain the quarterly contract pricing system for iron ore sales, but is willing to look at other options on a case-by-case basis.
Poll: Half of Americans want pot legalized
Gallup has asked the survey question since 1969 and this is first time half of Americans think pot use should be legal.
Cambodia genocide tribunal to begin Khmer Rouge trial in November
The UN-backed ECCC - Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia announced Tuesday that the trial of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders will begin on Monday, November 21. The prosecution will have two days for opening statements followed by half a day of opening statements for the defense. The first segment of the trial is expected to conclude by December 16 for Christmas recess and will resume after the holiday break on January 9. The four defendants have been indicted on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, religious persecution, homicide and torture.
UN rights expert warns of potential Lebanon slavery
UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery Gulnara Shahinian on Monday said that the Lebanese government must create more legal protections for some 200,000 domestic workers in the country. Without more regulations, Shahinian said, some could be forced into domestic servitude and be subject to physical and psychological abuse.
France court orders block on 'copwatch' website
The Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris on Friday ordered French Internet service providers to block access to Copwatch Nord Paris I-D-F, a website designed to allow civilians to post videos of alleged police misconduct. The decision was applauded by the police union, Alliance Police Nationale (APN), which argued that the website incited violence against police. Jean-Claude Delage, secretary general of the APN, said that "[t]he judges have analyzed the situation perfectly—this site being a threat to the integrity of the police — and made the right decision." Opponents of Internet censorship were also quick to comment on the judgment. Jeremie Zimmermann, spokesman for La Quadrature du Net, a Paris-based net neutrality organization, called the order "an obvious will by the French government to control and censor citizens' new online public sphere." The site was ordered to be blocked immediately.
Indian trust lawsuit leader Cobell dies at 65
Elouise Cobell, who successfully led plaintiffs in the Indian trust class action lawsuit against the US DOI - Department of the Interior, died from cancer Sunday at age 65. The resulting $3.4bn settlement for mismanaged Indian land royalties was the largest settlement in US government history.
Deported Palestinians arrive in exile
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar
Clinton in Tripoli; Gaddafi forces counter-attack
Egyptian Gazette, English-language, Cairo, Egypt
Israeli start-up Waze draws investment from Chinese billionaire
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
'Plane carrying 11 Palestinian prisoners lands in Turkey'
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel
Millions in line for tax rebates
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Vaccine for killer disease tantalizingly close
CNN International, London, England
Blair in Africa aid reliance claim
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England
Bank of England boss Mervyn King: 'This is the year of the Reluctant Recovery'
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Mariah Carey introduces twins Monroe and Moroccan for the first time
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Hamas claims victory over prisoner swap
EuroNews, International news, Ecully Cedex, France
GREECE: New 48-hour general strike begins in Greece
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
26 soldiers killed in clashes in SE Turkey
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey
Greece shuts down in 48-hour strike
Independent The, London, England
New TV complex for Moscow
Moscow News The, Independent, Moscow, Russia
Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit released by Hamas into Egyptian custody
Telegraph The, Conservative daily, London, England
Harry Potter star Emma Watson prepares for Oxford studies
Telegraph The, Celebrity news, London, England
Lions, tigers, bears set free in US
Bangkok Post, Independent, Bangkok, Thailand
Schalit back in Israel after swap for 1,000
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
What Does the DP Hope to Gain from Sabotaging the FTA?
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea
Jubilation as Shalit arrives in Israel
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India
95-year-old woman gets life in dowry case
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India
Our children's future no longer looks so bright
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan
US Presidential hopeful confused over Libya's location
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand
Lebanese politicians hail prisoner swap deal between Hamas, Israel
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China
Kangaroo mauls Australian woman walking dogs
Straits Times, Pro-government, Singapore
Once were weekend warriors
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia
Clinton pledges to back up Libya
Taiwan News, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
China Vice-Premier Li: Global risks rising
The Economic Times, Business, Mumbai, India
Shipbuilding contracts decision coming Wednesday
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario
In Somalia, rain is not enough to provide food security
Globe and Mail The, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada
IMF Warns Australia as Economy Begins to Pick up Pace
International Business Times, Business news organization, New York, U.S
EL SALVADOR: The Uphill Fight for a Disability Pension
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
Stocks rise, but Moody's Spain cut weighs
Reuters, Business News, New York, U.S
Heavy rains, mud hamper advance on Somali rebels in Afmadow
Reuters, World News, New York, U.S
Mallick: Meet the boy the bullies broke
Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario
Somali suicide attack near talks
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
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