"Yield and overcome; Bend and be straight;
Empty and be full; Wear out and be new;
Have a little and gain; Have much and be confused."

Lao Tsu

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

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• Top News

California to put death penalty repeal on November ballot

Voters in California are to be asked whether they want to abolish the state's death penalty law. The measure will appear on November's ballot after more than 500,000 people signed up to back the proposal. The measure would see death row inmates have their sentences commuted to life. Just 13 people have been executed since the law was re-introduced in 1978. Backers say abolition could save California $100m per year, but opponents say justice would be harmed.

Obama order allows sanctions for using technology to violate human rights

US President Barack Obama on Monday issued an executive order that will allow the US to impose sanctions on foreign nationals who have used technology to participate in violation of human rights. Obama signed the order after he indicated that Iran and Syria's governments have committed various abuses against human rights with the help of technology, including computer monitoring and network disruption. Under the order, any person found to have used technology to carry out a human rights abuse is not permitted to enter the US. While the order is aimed at agencies aiding the Syrian and Iranian governments in controlling its citizens through monitoring and surveillance, the administration has indicated that future executive orders targeting other countries are possible.

The unconstitutionality of fees levied on mining activities

The Brazilian States of Minas Gerais, Pará and Amapá recently passed several laws authorizing fees to be levied on mining activities to reimburse them for the cost incurred in exercising their police power, dubbed as the supervision of mining activities in their territories. An article published today in Migalhas by Fabio Appendino, Marina Ferrara and Paulo Honório de Castro Júnior, from Rolim, Viotti & Leite Campos Advogados, discusses major constitutional defects in those laws and decrees. Click here to read.

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• Crumbs

1 - Change of tone could help Google in European antitrust case - click here.

2 - Facebook fight in Germany leads to battle over privacy - click here.

3 - Why Shakespeare is … Brazilian - click here.

4 - Should all cigarettes have plain packaging? - click here.

5 - Future of frozen Megaupload data to be decided - click here.

6 - Iceland ex-PM Haarde 'partly' guilty over 2008 crisis - click here.

7 - Actor dies after accidentally hanging himself as Judas during The Passion of Christ - click here.

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• MiMIC Journal
  

Maritime rows

China has pulled out two of its fishery patrol boats from the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, which is known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines. But Manila has denied it has further deployed a battleship and anti-submarine aircraft, while China says it is "intensifying" the conflict. "It will only complicate and scale up the issue to ask other countries to take sides over sovereignty issues."

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First charges filed over BP spill

The US justice department has filed the first criminal charges linked to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. A former BP engineer was arrested on charges of intentionally destroying evidence. He is accused of trying to delete text messages between himself and a supervisor, in October 2010, containing details about how attempts to cap the leaking well were going. In a statement, BP said it "had clear policies requiring preservation of evidence in this case and has undertaken substantial and ongoing efforts to preserve evidence".

Mitt Romney heralds Obama contest

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney vows to take the White House from President Barack Obama, as he racks up a series of primary wins. "Hold on a little longer. A better America begins tonight," he said. His claim to the Republican nomination is now unrivalled, with no serious challengers remaining in the contest.

UN experts welcome US report on criminalizing homelessness

The UN OHCHR - Office for the High Commissioner on Human Rights on Monday welcomed a report published by the US ICH - Interagency Council on Homelessness and the DOJ - Department of Justice which found that ordinances criminalizing homelessness may violate human rights as well as the Fourth and Eighth Amendments. The report condemns the criminalization of the homeless through various acts of living, such as sleeping or conducting personal hygiene measures in public spaces and suggests alternatives to reduce homelessness and implement preventative measures.

The two Sudans appear on the verge of war

Sudan and South Sudan are careering closer to a full-scale war, with fighting along their ill-defined border and belligerent rhetoric coming from both sides. The conflict threatens to cripple the fragile economies in both nations, and it could create new burdens on neighboring countries in east and central Africa, a region prone to humanitarian disaster. In the latest developments, South Sudanese officials say that Sudan's air force bombed its territory for a second straight day on Tuesday. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, speaking while on a visit to China, said the attacks amounted to a declaration of war.

European watchdog warns Acta could threaten rights

A European data protection watchdog has added its voice to growing criticism of proposed anti-piracy legislation. The EDPS - European Data Protection Supervisor said that the Acta - Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement might have "unacceptable side effects" on individual rights. "While more international co-operation is needed for the enforcement of IP rights, the means envisaged must not come at the expense of the fundamental rights of individuals. A right balance between the fight against IP infringement and the rights to privacy and data protection must be respected. It appears that Acta has not been fully successful in this respect."

What is Acta?

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement is an international treaty aiming to standardize copyright protection measures. It seeks to curb trade of counterfeited physical goods, including copyrighted material online Preventative measures include possible imprisonment and fines. Critics argue that it will stifle freedom of expression on the internet, and it has been likened to the controversial US Sopa - Stop Online Piracy Act. Acta has been signed by 22 EU members but has yet to be ratified by the European Parliament.

Facebook's I.P.O. could be delayed

The target date for Facebook's initial public offering continues to change. Company officials had chosen May 17. Today, the social network is more likely to begin its roadshow on May 14, "or even as late as the very end of May," and delay the I.P.O. until early or mid-June.

Israel authorizes three West Bank settlement outposts

Israel has decided to make legal under Israeli law three settlement outposts in the West Bank, the prime minister's office has said in a statement. It said that a ministerial committee had decided to "formalize the status" of Bruchin and Rechelim, in the north, and Sansana, near Hebron in the south. The Palestinian Authority strongly condemned the decision.

EU warns Argentina over nationalizationThe EU's trade commissioner has warned Argentina that its nationalization of the oil firm YPF will have long-term consequences and may put off investors. Euro MPs say the EU should review the tariffs that help Argentina's exports. "The consequences for its own economic development will be felt for a long time to come." The EU would do "everything in its power" to support the Spanish government's claim for full compensation. It said.

Mexico-US migration on the slide

Decades of increasing Mexico-US immigration have come to an end, a report says, citing tough border control and economic conditions in both nations. More than 12 million migrants entered the US from Mexico since 1970, more than half legally. "While it is not possible to say so with certainty, the trend lines within this latest five-year period suggest that return flow to Mexico probably exceeded the inflow from Mexico during the past year or two. The downward trend includes a sharp reduction in the number of illegal Mexican migrants living in the US, the report says.

Brazil set for vote on forest law

Brazil's Congress is set for a final vote on the country's forest code, which environmentalists say will spur Amazon deforestation. The bill, passed by the Senate in December, eases fines for some previous illegal clearance if farmers commit to a reforestation program. Farmers' groups say the bill will promote sustainable food production. But environmentalists say the new forest code will be a disaster and lead to further destruction of the Amazon. The revamp of the forest code has been discussed for months, with the bill undergoing numerous changes.

Wal-Mart Bribery probe in us seen as expanding to consider cover-up claim

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. may spend hundreds of millions of dollars investigating $24 million in alleged Mexican bribes as the US government weighs whether the company or executives also broke the law by covering up an internal probe, former federal prosecutors said.

Dutch Cabinet collapses

A day after the fall of his government, Dutch PM Mark Rutte has urged MPs to react "responsibly" to the serious economic problems facing the country. His minority government collapsed over last-minute disagreements about finding billions of euros in austerity cuts. "The economy is flagging, employment is under pressure and national debt grows faster than we can afford," he said. Alarm over Europe's financial predicament is surging again. The immediate cause is the European Union's fiscal pact. Germany insisted on this plan to cut public borrowing sharply and immediately, and euro-area governments hoped it would restore stability. It's doing the opposite.

Egypt approves law on presidential candidate ban

Egypt's ruling army on Tuesday approved a law drafted by the Egyptian Parliament which bans certain candidates from the upcoming presidential elections. The law was passed early in April and prevents anyone who held a rank of party leader or higher during the regime of former president Hosni Mubarak from running for president for 10 years. However, it was unclear if the law was passed in time to block the candidacy of Ahmed Shafiq who very briefly served as Mubarak's prime minister and for a short period following his rule.

Iceland ex-PM convicted of single charge over role in banking collapse

A special court in Iceland on Monday convicted former prime minister Geir Haarde on one out of the four criminal charges he faced concerning the collapse of the country's banking system in 2008, announcing that he would not face any punishment. The charges stemmed from the collapse of the country's three major banks in 2008 while Haarde was leader of the country's ruling Independence Party. Haarde was convicted of failing to take the steps to be sure a comprehensive analysis of the risk the state faced after the collapse of the banking system was completed. Haarde dismissed his conviction as a formality and talked about possibly appealing his conviction to the ECHR - European Court of Human Rights.

Dewey & LeBoeuf lender deadline draws near

The firm has less than a week to renegotiate terms of its $100 million credit line as it scrambles to stay afloat.

US finds California mad cow case

The US Department of Agriculture confirms it has detected a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, in a California dairy cow.

Wal-Mart took part in lobbying campaign to amend anti-bribery law

Wal-Mart, the giant retailer now under fire over allegations of foreign bribery in Mexico, has participated in an aggressive and high-priced lobbying campaign to amend the long-standing US anti-bribery law that the company might have violated.

• Daily Press Review

Annan calls new Syria violence 'unacceptable'
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar

Egypt comedian found guilty of offending Islam
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England

Violence persists in Syria as Annan urges truce compliance
Egyptian Gazette, English-language, Cairo, Egypt

IDF chief to Haaretz: I do not believe Iran will decide to develop nuclear weapons
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel

'Egypt gas co. hires int'l law firm for Israel suit'
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel

Hunt urged to quit over BSkyB bid
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

Romney moves closer to U.S. presidential dream
CNN International, London, England

Mad cow disease found in California
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England

Four spies given anonymity at 'body in the bag' inquest as coroner rules exposing their identities would 'harm' national security and international relations
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

The Only Way is the chop for Lauren Goodger who is 'axed' from the reality show after showdown with bosses
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

French presidential contenders woo National vote
EuroNews, International news, Ecully Cedex, France

FRENCH ELECTIONS 2012: Stakes are high as Sarkozy flirts with France's far right
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France

Another fault line in Iraq
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey

FBI warns virus victims face 'internet doomsday'
Independent The, London, England

MMBR-RTS stock exchange suffers outage
Moscow News The, Independent, Moscow, Russia

HMS Astute: Royal Navy's world-beating GBP 1.2bn nuclear submarine
Telegraph The, Conservative daily, London, England

Russell Brand bamboozles MPs at drug hearing
Telegraph The, Celebrity news, London, England

Chelsea oust Barcelona
Bangkok Post, Independent, Bangkok, Thailand

MLB's Wang apologizes for affair
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan

8 N.Korean Defectors Arrive in Seoul
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea

Blast at Lahore station, two dead: police
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India

Youth kills self over MMS blackmail
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India

Smith named Petrino replacement
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan

Gillard's $100m plan for Gallipoli
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand

Israel remembers fallen soldiers, terror victims on Memorial Day
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China

Empire State Building to soon lose status as tallest in New York
Straits Times, Pro-government, Singapore

'Lest we forget': thousands gather for Anzac Day dawn service
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia

Sudan aircraft kills 16 in South Sudan: UN
Taiwan News, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan

Vedanta says full-year iron ore production drops
The Economic Times, Business, Mumbai, India

Breivik trial told bomb left Oslo like a 'war zone'
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Canadian universities reach to Brazil for brainpower
Globe and Mail The, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada

European Gains Boost World Markets: Daily Markets Wrap
International Business Times, Business news organization, New York, U.S

Brazilian Mining Giant under Fire for Deaths, Environmental Damage
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy

Dow, S&P rise on earnings, Apple jumps late
Reuters, Business News, New York, U.S

Romney targets Obama after sweeping five more primaries
Reuters, World News, New York, U.S

Griffin: Toronto Blue Jays drop opener to Baltimore Orioles, 2-1
Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario

ANC upholds Malema's expulsion
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

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