Cowardice is no crime -- at least in the U.S.
When Captain Francesco Schettino hopped a life boat after the Costa Concordia hit a rock off the Tuscany coast, he violated a sacred maritime tradition: that a captain should be the last to leave his ship. The responsibilities of a captain can be traced back to a twelfth century French document called the Rolls of Oleron, which established the first known outlines of maritime law. The sailor's code that's developed from the rolls - or rules - has been celebrated in everything from Conrad's Lord Jim, about a young seaman who abandons a ship in distress, to the Gilligan's Island theme song, with the memorable lyric, "If not for the courage of the fearless crew, The Minnow would be lost!" The rule that a captain should be the last to leave a distressed ship, however, is not a criminal offense -- at least not in the United States. A Westlaw search for the phrase "abandon ship" turned up 618 decisions but none appeared to address a captain's decision to leave a ship before his passengers. The closest federal law that appears to take on the act of leaving a ship before passengers and crew members is seaman's manslaughter, which criminalizes a captain's misconduct or negligence that result in deaths. A version of the statute was used to convict a seaman in the nineteenth century who abandoned 31 passengers aboard a sinking ship on its way to Philadelphia from Liverpool. But seaman's manslaughter has rarely been invoked in recent years -- cited in just 22 court decisions since 1976, none of which involved accusations against a captain leaving a ship prematurely.
Syria rejects power transfer call
Syria rejects an Arab League plan to end months of violence that called for President Bashar al-Assad to step down and hold elections.
EU poised to ban Iran oil imports
European Union foreign ministers are expected to agree to a phased ban on the purchase of oil from Iran, as the West sends warships through the Gulf.
Trust in government has 'suffered a severe breakdown'
Public trust in government has suffered a severe breakdown across the world, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer. Governments have been blamed for the financial and political chaos of 2011. In 17 of 25 countries surveyed governments are now trusted to do what is right by less than half those questioned. Overall trust in government fell by nine percentage points to 43%. Trust in business also fell, from 56% to 53%. Although businesses saw less severe declines in trust, countries at the heart of the eurozone saw sharper decreases.
Chevron appeals Ecuador court's $18bn fine
US oil company Chevron Corp announced Friday that it has filed an appeal with the National Court of Justice in Ecuador asking it to reconsider the decision rendered by an Ecuadorian judge that would require Chevron to pay $18bn in damages from the pollution it has caused to the Amazon jungle. Chevron appealed on grounds that the lower court's decision violated Ecuador's constitution because the court failed to correct or punish the "extensive fraud and corruption" that was being committed by the lawyers representing the plaintiffs. Chevron, which inherited the case after taking over Texaco, argued that the application of law was also incorrect because Ecuador released Texaco from liability during the 1990s.
Germany prosecutors: convicted Nazi criminal should serve life sentence
The Ingolstadt Prosecutor's Office filed a motion on Thursday to jail Klaas Faber, a Dutch native who fled to Germany after being convicted in the Netherlands in 1947 of Nazi war crimes. He is one of the last on the Simon Wiesenthal Center Most Wanted list of surviving Nazi suspects who escaped punishment. Faber, 90, was accused of having participated in 22 murders and aiding the Nazis during their occupation of the Netherlands. Faber and his brother, Piet, were sentenced to death by a Dutch court, and Piet was executed while Klaas' sentence was reduced to life imprisonment. In 1952, he escaped the Netherlands and fled to Germany. Since then, the Netherlands has sought his extradition without success. It is unclear when the Ingolstadt district court will rule on the matter.
Mali becomes first African state to enforce ICC sentences
Mali signed an agreement Friday with the ICC - International Criminal Court to become the first African country to agree to enforce the ICC's sentences of imprisonment. Article 103 of the Rome Statute, which governs the ICC, states that "[a] sentence of imprisonment shall be served in a State designated by the Court from a list of States which have indicated to the Court their willingness to accept sentenced persons." Mali joins Finland, Belgium, Denmark, the UK and Austria as countries which have agreed to detain individuals convicted by the ICC. Finland, Belgium and Denmark were the most recent countries to agree to take convicts.
No bail for lawyer accused of stealing client funds and fleeing to Hong Kong
Douglas Arntsen, the former Crowell & Moring attorney accused of embezzling millions was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court.
A raucous hazing at a Wall St. fraternity
The chandelier-filled ballroom was teeming with 200 men in tuxedos — and a smattering of women — whose daily decisions can collectively make or break the global financial markets. Most were picking over a lavish dinner that included rack of lamb and crème brûlée. Others were preparing to sing bawdy show tunes. Kappa Beta Phi, an exclusive Wall Street fraternity whose members include big-name bankers, hedge fund billionaires and private equity titans, met at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan on Thursday night for its 80th annual black-tie dinner and induction ceremony. The night's agenda was twofold: install officers for the coming year and haze incoming members by having them don wigs, gold-sequined skirts and skin-tight tops and put on a comedic variety show for the enjoyment of other members. As always, the event was held in strict secrecy, with members being told that "what happens at the St. Regis stays at the St. Regis." Kappa Beta Phi's gatherings have become divisive among members in recent years. Some Wall Street executives, wary of taking part in an event that could be construed as tone-deaf to the economic woes facing the country, are choosing not to attend.
After a legal setback, commodity traders' complaint is to be heard by a lower court
Wall Street's legal challenge to a regulatory crackdown met a procedural obstacle last week, when a federal appeals court dismissed the case. The lawsuit, directed at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's new restrictions on speculative trading, will now move to a lower-level court, delaying a decision on the legitimacy of the regulatory overhaul. At issue is a rule intended to curb speculative commodities trading, which some consumer advocates have blamed for inflating prices at the gas pump and the grocery store. But Wall Street says the rule will crimp legitimate trading while doing little to subdue volatile energy costs.
Time for a fresh approach to bankruptcy fees
Chapter 11 cases take place against a backdrop of employee layoffs, discontinued pension benefits and unpaid suppliers so it is perhaps not surprising that much of the debate over fees is overheated.
Time
Obama's world. The Strategist. The question isn't whether Barack Obama has been a good foreign policy President. It's whether he can be a great one.
Newsweek
The trillion dollar woman. The truth talker. As head of the International Monetary Fund, can Christine Lagarde steer Europe and America away from the brink of the next Great Depression?
Business Week
Iraq: Under (New) Worse Management. Just a month after the U.S. withdrawal, hopes for turning the country into an economic beacon are already in shambles.
The Economist
The rise of State capitalism.
Der Spiegel
Kreuzfahrt in die Katastrophe.
L'Espresso
Come ti prendo l'evasore.
Syria rejects Arab League transition plan
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar
Saudi withdraws Syria monitors, urges world pressure
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England
Arabs set to keep Syria mission
Egyptian Gazette, English-language, Cairo, Egypt
Interior Minister approves residency for 257 foreign worker families, rejects 118 cases
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
Egypt's Islamist-led parliament to hold first session
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel
Lords bid for welfare concessions
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Damascus rejects Arab League proposal for reform
CNN International, London, England
Giffords to resign from Congress
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England
Police search Hollywood beheading victim's home where screaming and shouting was heard before he disappeared
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Dancing On Ice 2012: Mark Rhodes is given his marching orders, as co-presenter Sam Nixon skates on
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Nigeria still reeling from Friday's bomb blasts
EuroNews, International news, Ecully Cedex, France
SYRIA: Syria rejects Arab League call for power transfer
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
Croatian canary in the EU coal mine
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey
Costa Concordia might have had unregistered passengers
Independent The, London, England
Cash economy faces crackdown
Moscow News The, Independent, Moscow, Russia
Sunday Times emails could enforce case against Chris Huhne
Telegraph The, Conservative daily, London, England
Gordon Ramsay buys GBP 4.3m home in Beverly Hills
Telegraph The, Celebrity news, London, England
Court petitioned against B2bn compo
Bangkok Post, Independent, Bangkok, Thailand
Obama set to outline 'economic blueprint'
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
Croatians Vote to Join European Union
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea
Twelfth body found in Italy shipwreck
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India
Ketamine worth Rs 15 lakh seized
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India
Big crowd pays tribute to Matsuda
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan
No record kept of Fukushima disaster meetings
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand
Death toll of boat sinking off Iranian coast rises to 17
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China
Gingrich moves to Florida savouring win over Romney
Straits Times, Pro-government, Singapore
Reality TV: K-Fed collapses
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia
Human rights group criticizes West's lack of support for Arab due to political considerations
Taiwan News, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
Greek PM to meet coalition backers on debt talks
The Economic Times, Business, Mumbai, India
RIM's Balsillie, Lazaridis resign
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom to remain in custody
Globe and Mail The, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada
Obama Calls for Easing Visa Norms to Create Jobs in Tourism
International Business Times, Business news organization, New York, U.S
HONDURAS: Pressed by the U.S., Lobo Amends Extradition Laws
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
Greek uncertainty pressures euro, shares
Reuters, Business News, New York, U.S
Syria rejects Arab call for Assad to quit
Reuters, World News, New York, U.S
RIM's Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie resign
Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario
Leading Kenyans await ICC ruling
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
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