October 20, 2010 Nº 970 - Vol. 8
"Madness is to think of too many things in succession too fast, or of one thing too exclusively"
Voltaire
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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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Internet users to exceed 2 billion by the end of 2010
One third of the world's population will be online by the end of the year, according to United Nations statistics. The number of people online has doubled to two billion in the last five years, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) said. Of the 226m new net users that have come online this year, more than two thirds are from developing countries. However, the data show that connections in the developed world still outstrip those in the developing world. The report suggests that 71% of people in western countries will be online by the end of 2010, compared to just 21% in developing countries. The ITU believes that broadband is a "transformational technology" that can be used to spur development.
Weighing secured lenders' recent setbacks
Are the bankruptcy courts taking back the reins from secured lenders? Maybe. Over the past two decades, Chapter 11 has increasingly been under the control of secured lenders. As a company begins down the road of financial distress, the company's lenders will demand liens on all the debtor's assets — if they didn't have a lien on all of the assets already — as the price for continuing to provide vital liquidity.
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!
1 - Supreme Court to decide civil liberties suit against John Ashcroft(Click here)
2 - German politicians argue over health checks on test-tube embryos(Click here)
3 - Crown concedes miscarriage of justice at trial(Click here)
4 - Less hype, new law present obstacles for American voters overseas(Click here)
5 - Man sues over 'poisoning' from tuna cans(Click here)
6 - Court sends air steward who jumped plane for drugs treatment(Click here)
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MiMIC Journal
China makes surprise interest rate rise
China has raised interest rates for the first time since 2007, as it tries to rein in inflation and dampen its red-hot real estate market. The People's Bank of China said it will raise its one-year lending rate to 5.6% from 5.31% and its one-year deposit rate to 2.5% from 2.25%. This is the first time China has raised the cost of borrowing since onset of the global financial crisis. The surprise move caught financial markets and investors off guard.
China is said to halt exports to U.S. of some key minerals
An interruption of rare earth exports beyond Japan may signal Beijing's willingness to flex its growing economic muscle.
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TLC - Panamá - EE.UU.
Preocupación en Panamá y Colombia por anuncio del presidente estadounidense Barack Obama quien sugirió a países latinoamericanos, con quienes suscribe los tratados de comercialización, paciencia para esperar las deciciones del Congreso. Ya que sería allí donde hay resistencia a celebrar acuerdos comerciales. (Presione aquí)
Alianzas
La chilena Neos y la estadounidense Foresight Science & Technology firmaron una alianza para el desarrollo y la comercialización de tecnología, además de asesoramiento sobre propiedad intelectual en América Latina. Foresight asesora al gobierno estadounidense y a cerca de 600 compañías al año en la Unión Europea y Canadá a través de franquicias.
Cobre
La brasileña Vale está evaluando la construcción de una fundición de cobre en el estado de Pará, norte de Brasil. Las instalaciones requerirían una inversión de US$ 1.200 mlls.
Por un dulce ?
Arcor, el mayor productor mundial de caramelos y el principal exportador de golosinas de Argentina, Brasil, Chile y Perú esta en busca de capitales, pese a que cuenta con una autorización para cosechar US$ 500 mlls., en Obligaciones Negociables, en esta etapa va por US$ 200 millones. (Presione aquí)
EU proposes new Europe-wide VAT
The European Commission has put forward proposals for direct EU taxes on member states, including a possible EU-wide value-added tax (VAT, comparable to sales tax)). The proposals are part of a package of options for finding new sources of revenue for the European Union budget. EU Budget Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski first said in August that he wanted member states to consider allowing the EU to levy direct taxes. The UK, Germany and France have all rejected the idea of direct EU taxes. Historically, national governments levy taxes in the EU. The 27 EU member states pay a fixed contribution to the EU budget, based on their gross domestic product and a percentage of their VAT. In its budget review, the commission put forward "the option of reducing member states' contributions by abolishing the VAT-based own resource and progressively introducing one or several new own resources as a replacement".
U.S. probing foreclosure document problems
Federal agencies are investigating allegations of widespread errors in foreclosure documents, the White House said. It said an interagency task force on financial fraud has launched an investigation into the foreclosure process. The Federal Housing Administration is also looking into the issue.
Mercosul complains about Falklands missile tests
Several South American countries from the Mercosur trade bloc have officially complained to the UK over planned Falkland Islands military exercises. A recent series of missile tests were also criticized. Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay joined protests from Argentina, which lays claim to what it calls the Malvinas. The official communique issued by Mercosul said it was nonsense to suggest that the military drills were merely routine exercises. The Latin American foreign ministers concluded that if Britain continued to test missiles in or around the Falklands, it would be tantamount to a violation of international maritime law.
Federal officials push to strengthen law on wiretapping
Law enforcement and counterterrorism officials are so concerned about lapses in compliance with surveillance orders, they decided to push to overhaul a federal law that requires phone and broadband carriers to ensure that their networks can be wiretapped.
France gets EU reprieve on Roma
The European Commission has lifted its threat of legal action against France, saying Paris has responded "positively" to its concerns about expulsions of Roma (Gypsies). The commission says it "will now, for the time being, not pursue the infringement procedure against France". France has pledged to implement a 2004 EU directive on freedom of movement, the commission says. Recently the commission sharply criticized France over the expulsions.
State lawmakers preparing citizenship legislation
Lawmakers in at least 14 states are collaborating on proposed legislation to deny U.S. citizenship to children of illegal immigrants, according to lawmakers, including the sponsor of Arizona's 2010 law targeting illegal immigration.
Netanyahu makes change to controversial citizenship law
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, has ordered a change to the recently-approved Citizenship bill which has inflamed controversy in the Middle East, but critics said it would fail to resolve the bill's problems. He recently was seen to appease his Right wing by approving the bill, which forces non-Jews to swear allegiance to Israel as a "Jewish and democratic state" as part of the process of becoming an Israeli citizen. The measure mainly affected Palestinians seeking to marry Israeli Arabs, and foreign workers. Now Netanyahu has said that the measure will apply to Jews too. The original proposal, which still has to be approved by the Knesset parliament, was strongly condemned as racist. Jamal Zahalka, an Israeli Arab Knesset member, said on Tuesday that the law remained racist because it demanded that Palestinians "debase themselves by swearing allegiance to the Jewish state". The Palestinian Authority recognizes Israel but has balked at Israeli demands that it recognize the country as "Jewish" since this would undermine its claim that Palestinians be allowed a right to return and settle in the country.
EU ministers back hedge fund curb
EU finance ministers reach full agreement on tighter regulation of hedge funds and private equity firms. It will affect the way hedge funds pay staff, by forcing them to defer up to 40% of performance-related pay so they are tied into the fortunes of the fund over a longer period of time. This 40% figure rises to 60% for the really big earners. Half of this pay will be paid in shares of the hedge fund, something also designed to link pay to performance.
Microsoft bets to win in the cloud and rival Google
Microsoft has ramped up its battle with Google in wooing business customers with its next generation cloud-based product. While the software giant dominates the office space with a 94% market share it has been facing increased competition from Google. At a San Francisco event, Microsoft unveiled Office 365. The product brings together Microsoft Office, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online and Lync Online. This means instead of paying for packaged software and installing it on a PC or corporate server, Microsoft will host and deliver the software from its own giant data centers.
Google in breach of privacy law
Google's accidental collection of personal data as part of its Street View project has been branded a "serious violation" of privacy laws. The Canadian privacy commissioner found that the incident was the result of "an engineer's careless error", which saw rogue code accidentally added to Street View software. It has called on Google to tighten up its privacy rules by February or face further action. Google has apologized for the error.
Drug companies hire troubled doctors as experts
Drug companies say they hire the most-respected doctors in their fields for the critical task of teaching about the benefits and risks of the companies' drugs. But an investigation by ProPublica has uncovered hundreds of doctors receiving company payments who had been accused of professional misconduct, were disciplined by state boards or lacked credentials as researchers or specialists. To vet the industry's handpicked speakers, ProPublica created a comprehensive database that represents the most accessible accounting yet of payments to doctors. Compiled from disclosures by seven companies, the database covers $257.8 million in payouts since 2009 for speaking, consulting and other duties. The companies include Lilly, Cephalon, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Pfizer.
Fiat Group to invest $6 bn in Brazil by 2015
Italy's Fiat will invest 10 billion reais (USD 6 billion) in Brazil by 2015 in operations that include production of cars, auto parts and agricultural machinery. Seventy percent of the total will be invested in cars, with the company expecting in 2011 to unveil 20 new models or upgraded version of current ones.
Abuse of temporary marriages flourishes in Iraq
The practice of temporary marriage (muta'a marriage) has long been common in Shiite Muslim communities, especially in Iran. The idea is that rather than having an affair, a man who wants to be sexually involved with a woman should marry her — for a few months, or even, hours — so the relationship will be legitimate. In Iraq, the practice was banned under Saddam Hussein but then flourished after the American invasion. Now, though, some men are using the system to take advantage of poor women, and many of Iraq's Shiites say the very religious institutions that sanction such marriages are to blame.
Retirement protests in France turn violent
Outraged demonstrators clashed with police and set fires ahead of a vote on raising the age for retirement benefits. President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed to crack down on "troublemakers" and guarantee public order, raising the possibility of more confrontations.
The American Law Institute elects 64 new members
The American Law Institute (ALI), the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize and improve the law, today announced the names of 64 newly-elected members, raising its total membership to 4,302. Since its founding more than 85 years ago, the Institute and its membership have been dedicated to clarifying and improving the law.
Aviation world at odds over plane loans
Back in the mid-1980s, Boeing and Airbus avoided a trade war by making a gentlemen's agreement not to seek government financing to sell planes in each other's home markets. The deal symbolized an aviation world dominated by the United States and Europe. That world is a lot different now. No longer can Airbus and Boeing count on being the biggest manufacturers of large airplanes. Manufacturers in Canada and Brazil are seeking to gain a foothold in this lucrative market. And not too far in the future, China, Japan and Russia will be competing as well. At the same time, airlines from Asia and the Middle East that did not exist three decades ago, or were small players, are now vying for a much bigger piece of the global aviation market. The old rules, some airlines and plane manufacturers contend, are not working anymore. This week, negotiators from the European Union and countries including the United States, Japan and Brazil will meet in Ottawa to grapple with the politically charged issue. Their goal is to draw up a new agreement by the end of the year on the rules for financing the airplane business — and specifically, how much government assistance is permitted.
US military to accept gay recruits
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar
Dubai Police: Hamas Hit Suspect Nabbed in Canada
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England
Campaign: Aid for needy Al Marfa residents
Gulf News, Independent daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
High court demands state explain why it has failed to demolish outposts
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
MIDEAST: Earning a Living in No Man's Land
IPS Middle East, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
6th Palestinian battalion to deploy in West Bank
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel
Etihad Airways gets first Emirati flight attendant
Khaleej Times, English-language daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Drydocks World wins $100m contract in US
Middle East North African Network, Online financial portal, Amman, Jordan
Gunshots Hit Pentagon, Break Windows
Nahamet, Online news portal, Beirut, Lebanon
Panel formed on Lebanon poll law
Saudi Gazette, English-language daily, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
French strikers, marchers defy Sarkozy on pensions
The Daily Star, Independent daily, Beirut, Lebanon
Words of eyes exhibition deepens Yemeni-French relations
Yemen Observer, Sana'a, Republic of Yemen
More cup heartache for St Pat's
BreakingNews.ie, Online news portal, Cork, Ireland
Landlocked Bolivia's Pacific access
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England
HP unveils webOS 2.0, Palm Pre 2
DMeurope, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
FRANCE: More than a million join protests in latest pension reform push
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
Turkish, German leaders join in mutual pledges for minorities
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey
What Will Escape Osborne's Austerity Axe?
Sky News, Independent newscaster, Middlesex, England
Day of spending cuts begins with raid on BBC
The Guardian, Liberal daily, London, England
Military recruiters told to accept gay applicants
The Independent, London, England
Bombers Storm Chechen Parliament
The Moscow Times, Independent daily, Moscow, Russia
Roo's let United down
The Sun, London, England
Defence Review: our Armed Forces pay for Labour's neglect
The Telegraph, Conservative daily, London, England
Golkar wants 5-10 pct electoral threshold
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia
Typhoon Megi wreaks devastation in Philippines
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
10th Seoul International Financial Forum Kicks Off
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea
Membership of 16 lawmakers restored
Dawn, English-language daily, Karachi, Pakistan
Typhoon regains strength as it targets South China
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India
CVC exposes Rs 8,000 cr Commonwealth Games scam
India Express, News portal, Mumbai, India
Shiv Sena demands ban on burqa
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India
Japan's poverty problem
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan
Petrol tanks running dry as protests hit France
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand
First ever airplane maker awaits flight permission
Pajhwok Afghan News, (Independent news agency), Kabul, Afghanistan
Banks to be audited
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China
9/11 terrorists didn't come from Canada, US told
Sify News, Chennai, India
Money hungry or brave?
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia
Vice President sees 2010 as year for robotics
Taiwan Today, Government Information Office, Taipei, Taiwan
CWG: IT officials conduct searches
The Hindu, Left-leaning daily, Chennai, India
Williams's murder victims pleaded for their lives
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Tensions mount ahead of controversial polls
Caribbean360, Online news portal, St. Michael, Barbados
Heroes saluted
Jamaica Gleaner, Independent daily, Kingston, Jamaica
Williams formally declared guilty in Belleville court
Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario
Guinea moves to halt poll clashes
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Women March against Sexual Violence in Eastern Congo
CongoPlanet.com, Independent online news aggregator
Four dead after eating contaminated food
GhanaWeb, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Food aid, jobs and housing politicized by Ethiopia's Zenawi - HRW report
Jimma Times, Online news portal, Jimma, Ethiopia
More ignorance than resistance
Mail & Guardian Online, Liberal, Johannesburg, South Africa
The New Age rocked by top resignations
News24.com, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa
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