March 14, 2012 nº 1,153 - Vol. 10


"The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate."

Joseph Priestley
1733-1804

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  • Top News

U.S. healthcare legal issues at Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled three days of historic arguments over President Barack Obama's sweeping healthcare overhaul law. Each day features a different legal issue:

At issue on March 26: Whether the legal challenge to the law's centerpiece requirement that Americans obtain health insurance or pay a penalty must wait until after that provision, known as the "individual mandate," has taken effect in 2014. At the core of the oral argument will be the Anti-Injunction Act, which dates back to 1867, and whether taxpayers must actually begin paying the penalty for not purchasing insurance before objections to the mandate can be raised in court.

At issue on March 27: Whether Congress overstepped its powers under the Constitution in adopting the individual mandate, the issue at the heart of the legal battle over the law that aims to provide health coverage to more than 30 million uninsured Americans. The administration argued in its written briefs that Congress had the authority under the Constitution's Commerce Clause to enact the mandate under its power to regulate interstate commerce or under its power to tax.

At issue on March 28: First issue: Whether the entire law must fall if the insurance mandate was found to be unconstitutional or if other parts can survive. When Congress adopts legislation, sometimes it includes what is known as a severability clause that allows other provisions to stand in case the courts strike down another part. No such clause was included in the healthcare law. Second issue: Whether Congress had the authority under its power to spend money to require that states expand the number of people eligible for assistance from the states for the Medicaid healthcare program for the poor and disabled. The law will extend eligibility to certain individuals with income up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, beginning in 2014. Previously, states did not have to observe a baseline income level for eligibility.

Judges warn U.S. budget cuts could halt some trials

Some federal civil trials in the United States may have to be suspended because of steep budget cuts that Congress has scheduled to take effect in January. The 27-member group, which is made up of judges from around the country and meets twice a year, said it was concerned about what it described as a looming financial crisis. It warned of significant reductions in staffing and court services if Congress failed to agree to a new plan to reduce the budget deficit or failed to amend the across-the-board cuts now set to take place in January.

Euro MPs back quotas to get more women into top jobs

The European Parliament has backed calls for quotas to put more women into company boardrooms, if member states are deemed too slow to act. The EU Commission wants the proportion of female board members at big companies to rise to 40% by 2020, from the current average of 12%. The Commission has said it may legislate to make quotas compulsory. The Euro MPs in Strasbourg also called for EU-wide measures to boost female representation in politics. Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain are among the countries that have already introduced gender quotas for companies. Critics regard the idea of EU-wide legislation on the gender issue as patronizing and counter-productive.

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  • Crumbs

1 - The exoneration of Bennett Barbour - click here.

2 - Mashable website 'to be sold for £130million' to CNN - click here.

3 - China passes new law allowing secret detentions - click here.

4 - Angry iPhone 4s users sue Apple because Siri sucks - click here.

5 - Murdoch exec Brooks re-arrested in hacking probe - click here.

6 - Wikipedia chief to advise Whitehall on policy - click here.

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  • MiMIC Journal

China faces rare earth trade case

The US, Japan and the European Union have filed a case against China at the World Trade Organization, challenging its restrictions on rare earth exports. Obama accused China of breaking agreed trade rules as he announced the case at the White House. Beijing has set quotas for exports of rare earths, which are critical to the manufacture of high-tech products from hybrid cars to flat-screen TVs. t is the first WTO case to be filed jointly by the US, EU and Japan. They argue that by limiting exports, China, which produces more than 95% of the world's rare earth metals, has pushed up prices.

China backs Japan $10bn bond buy

China gives Japan the go ahead to buy $10bn of government bonds as it tries to make the yuan more international.

China online firms in $1bn merger

China's two largest online video firms, Youku and Tudou, have agreed to merge in a bid to cut costs and boost their market share. Youku is to acquire rival Tudou via a stock swap deal valued at $1bn. The two companies have seen their losses widen in recent months because of the rising costs of acquiring and streaming video content. The merger will create the biggest online video firm in China, the world's largest internet market.

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  • Historia Verdadera

Etanol

Tras tres meses de análisis autoridades uruguayas llegaron a un acuerdo para formar una sociedad con la española Abengoa para construir una planta de etanol en Paysandú donde se invertirán US$ 120 mlls. La construcción civil del proyecto industrial comenzará en mayo próximo cargo de una firma dependiente de Abengoa.

Inversiones

Ejecutivos de empresas canadienses especializadas en obras de infraestructura y en financiamiento de inversiones visitan Uruguay para participar en rondas de negocios con firmas uruguayas. La "idea" que tienen es participar de obras bajo la modalidad de Participación Público-Privada, tanto en construcción y operación como en el financiamiento, confirmó el embajador de Canadá en Uruguay, Francis Trudel. (Presione aquí)

Litio

La japonesa Sumitomo analiza la posibilidad de participar en el proceso de industrialización del litio en Bolivia. El Gobierno dijo que aún no recibió una propuesta oficial, a diferencia del interés que ha expresado por construir una planta de geotermia en Potosí. (Presione aquí)

  • Brief News

Argentine court decriminalizes abortion in rape cases

The Supreme Court in Argentina has ruled that women who have an abortion after being raped will no longer be prosecuted. Under Argentine law, abortion is only allowed in cases where the mother's life or health are at risk, or if the woman is deemed "of feeble mind". An estimated 500,000 illegal abortions are carried out in Argentina each year. Some judges interpreted the sentence to mean abortions were only allowed in cases in which a woman "of feeble mind" was raped. Others argued it meant no woman should be punished for having an abortion after she was raped. The Supreme Court also ruled that in future, women would not have to seek judicial permission to get an abortion if they had been raped. The judges said a sworn statement given to the doctor would suffice.

Brazil to bring first charges over dictatorship violence

Brazilian prosecutors said on Tuesday they would file charges against a retired colonel over the disappearance of five guerrillas during the 1964-1985 military dictatorship, the first such case to be brought against any military officer from that era. Rights group Human Rights Watch said the decision was a "landmark step for accountability in Brazil".

Four US banks fail Federal Reserve stress test

Four US financial institutions, including Citigroup, have failed stress tests designed to show they could withstand a financial shock. The Federal Reserve said Citi, SunTrust, Ally Financial and MetLife failed to show they have enough capital to survive another serious downturn. Citigroup is the third-largest US bank. The majority of the 19 tested passed.

Iceland's big trial, travesty of justice

From the outset, many Icelanders regarded the charges against Haarde as wrong, the product of anger and disappointment in a society that saw its economy go suddenly from boom to bust. In the year after the banks collapsed, Iceland’s gross domestic product contracted by about 10 percent. Now, the feeling that this was a political trial has only become stronger, as people see other countries experiencing similar problems.

Greece pays coupons on Italian-law international bonds

About 9 billion euros of bonds issued under laws other than Greek are still outstanding, the finance ministry in Athens said. The point of all this was to avoid a disorderly default. The Greek law bonds were dealt with last week but the foreign bonds haven't been exchanged yet, so the coupons still have to be paid. Meetings for holders of foreign-law bonds will be held at the end of this month and the transactions are due to settle on April 11.

EU to freeze Hungary aid on debt

The European Union has decided to suspend 495m euros ($655m) of funds due next year to Hungary, because of the country's budget deficit. This is the first case of the EU taking action over the budget deficit of any of its members. But the EU will allow three months for Hungary to pass more budget cuts. The decision came as the EU also allowed Spain to run a higher deficit, leading Austria to accuse the EU of applying "double standards". The EU's monetary affairs commissioner Olli Rehn said that "different deadlines" meant direct comparisons of the Spanish and Hungarian cases were not valid, as Hungary had already been given an extension.

Britannica ends its print edition

After 244 years the Encyclopaedia Britannica will no longer be produced in print, new editions will appear only online.

Guatemalan jailed for 6,060 years

A court in Guatemala sentences ex-soldier Pedro Pimentel to a symbolic 6,060 years for his role in the massacre of 201 people during the civil war.

Homeless hotspots plan causes controversy

An "experiment" which involved using homeless people as mobile wi-fi hotspots has attracted criticism, forcing the advertising agency behind it to defend itself. A division of BBH - Bartle Bogle Hegarty equipped 13 homeless people with 4G mifi devices in Austin, Texas. It suggested the public pay $2 for 15 minutes' access to the net. Comments posted to the BBH's site accused the project of being "unseemly" and "wrong". Members of Twitter asked "what has this world come to?" and accused the project of being a "gimmick". However, others praised the idea as being "inspirational" and a chance to create a "positive interaction between the public" and homeless people.

Canada tobacco companies sued in Quebec for $27bn

A Canadian class-action lawsuit that could cost three large tobacco companies up to C$27bn is set to begin in Montreal. Two sets of smokers are arguing Imperial Tobacco, JTI-Macdonald and Rothmans Benson and Hedges manipulated nicotine levels and hid research on the health effects of smoking. It is the largest suit of its kind brought before a Canadian court. The trial opens as six provinces plan to sue the companies for health costs. A similar suit in the US led to major tobacco companies paying $246bn over 25 years for health-care costs.

Federal appeals court overturns terrorist sentence

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Monday overturned the 22-year prison sentence for the "Millennium Bomber," Ahmed Rassam, imposed by the lower court after he was convicted by a jury of nine counts of criminal activity by plotting to bomb Los Angeles International Airport in 1999. The decision came after the US Department of Justice filed an appeal arguing that the sentence was "substantively unreasonable." The court reasoned that the 22-year sentence was too lenient and was based on findings of the lower court that were erroneous. The DOJ argued that, according to federal guidelines, a 65-year sentence would be appropriate based on the severity of the crimes. The appeals court remanded the case to the district court for re-sentencing.

UK court allows right to die case to proceed

A UK High Court justice decided Monday to let a right to die case proceed, the first to be allowed in British court. Justice William Charles ruled that a case brought by Tony Nicklinson, age 57, could proceed to hearing. Nicklinson is the victim of a paralyzing stroke and challenges the UK's definition of murder, seeking medical assistance in committing suicide. Nicklinson argues that British law hinders his rights to private and family life as established in the European Convention of Human Rights for his decision is one of personal autonomy and dignity. The Ministry of Justice argued that granting Nicklinson's request would change the law on murder and that was the job of the Parliament.

Yahoo sues Facebook over 10 disputed patents

Yahoo has filed an intellectual property lawsuit against Facebook. Yahoo claims the social network has infringed 10 of its patents including systems and methods for advertising on the web. Facebook denies the allegation. The move comes ahead of Facebook's planned flotation later this year.

Switzerland referendum supports law regulating public protests

Swiss voters in a referendum on Sunday supported proposed changes to a Swiss law that imposes heavy fines for people who protest without prior governmental authorization. About 55 percent of voters in Geneva agreed to allow the government to impose a fine of 100,000 Swiss Francs, or approximately USD $110,000, on anyone who protests without first obtaining authorization from the Swiss government or fails to comply with police injunctions. The UN, which is based in Geneva, opposes the law.

Apple said to be subpoenaed by U.S. Regulators on Google's mobile search

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission subpoenaed Apple Inc. as part of its antitrust probe of Google Inc., seeking information on how the computer maker incorporates the search engine on the iPhone and iPad, two people familiar with the matter said.

ECJ upholds sanctions on Iran-based bank

The ECJ - European Court of Justice on Tuesday upheld a lower court decision that a UK subsidiary of BMI - Bank Melli Iran can be included in a list of entities engaged in nuclear proliferation. A 2007 UN Security Council Resolution requires member states to freeze the assets, funds and economic resources of entities and their subsidiaries that are determined to be "engaged in, directly associated with or providing support for Iran's proliferation sensitive nuclear activities or the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems."

Swatch and Tiffany sue each other over partnership

Swatch and Tiffany are suing each other following the collapse of their production deal. In 2007, Swatch agreed to produce watches under the Tiffany brand. Under the deal the two firms would have shared the profits. But last year Swatch ended the deal, accusing Tiffany of blocking the development of the business. Swatch is now suing Tiffany for 3.8bn Swiss francs, and Tiffany has launched a counterclaim.

Belgium urges ICJ to order Senegal to prosecute or extradite Chad ex-president

Lawyers for the Belgian government on Monday urged the ICJ - International Court of Justice to order Senegal to either prosecute former president of Chad Hissene Habre or extradite him to stand trial for atrocities committed during his eight years in power. Habre served as president of Chad from 1982 to 1990 and has been residing in Senegal since rebels ousted him from power in 1990. Belgium alleges that, during that time, Habre was involved in the murder or torture of more than 40,000 political opponents. When he was ousted in 1990, he sought refuge in Senegal where he has resided ever since. Belgium indicted Habre in 2005 for crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture but has been unable to extradite him to Brussels to stand trial despite repeated requests to Senegalese authorities. Senegal placed Habre under arrest in 2005 after he was charged by Belgium.

  • Daily Press Review

Syrian troops retake opposition stronghold
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar

Egypt: 'virginity test' victim to take case to int'l courts
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England

Annan is 'optimistic' but no Syria deal yet
Egyptian Gazette, English-language, Cairo, Egypt

Rick Santorum wins Alabama, Mississippi primaries
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel

Analysis: Egypt uneasy in dealings with Israel
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel

PM urges peaceful change in Syria
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

CNN: Santorum to win two U.S. primaries
CNN International, London, England

HBO halts horse filming after death
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England

Rick Santorum wins both Alabama and Mississippi - crushing Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in primary races
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

Kate Moss takes a drag on a cigarette during another night out with her friends
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

Larijani on Iran's new democracy
EuroNews, International news, Ecully Cedex, France

FRANCE 24 EXCLUSIVE: FRANCE 24 exclusive video: Syria's sniper alleys
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France

Turkish Navy adopts new high-sea strategy
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey

Syrian general and 'friend' of Assad set for Olympics invitation
Independent The, London, England

416 people had billion ruble incomes in 2011 - tax service
Moscow News The, Independent, Moscow, Russia

Child benefit cuts: 351,000 stay-at-home middle class mothers could lose some of their state pension
Telegraph The, Conservative daily, London, England

Nigel Lawson, Terry Jones and the attraction of the older man
Telegraph The, Celebrity news, London, England

SET up 0.85% at opening
Bangkok Post, Independent, Bangkok, Thailand

Pigs need 'no growth drug' guarantee: COA
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan

Lee Bets on N.Korea Pipeline as Lasting Legacy
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea

Iran conducting cyber-war with BBC: broadcaster
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India

North Indians' meet: BJP leader faces criticism
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India

Tokyo has way to go to gird for Big One, consultant says
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan

Santorum wins Alabama, Mississippi primaries
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand

Miss Belarus 2012 beauty pageant
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China

Republican Santorum takes Mississippi, Alabama caucuses
Straits Times, Pro-government, Singapore

Sydney sun's halo
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia

US: Santorum wins Republican primaries in Alabama, Mississippi
Taiwan News, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan

Sri Lanka C. bank: Will act to curb rupee volatility
The Economic Times, Business, Mumbai, India

Ex-Mountie found guilty of police officer's murder
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Video: Santorum: 'We did it again'
Globe and Mail The, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada

House Prices Rise in Wellington but Cheaper than in 2011
International Business Times, Business news organization, New York, U.S

Victims of War, Victims of Oblivion
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy

Wall Street rallies in 2012's best day, Citi falls late
Reuters, Business News, New York, U.S

Santorum wins big in South, grabs conservative banner
Reuters, World News, New York, U.S

Star exclusive: Officer accused of kicking protesters at G20 summit revealed
Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario

SA leader urges 'bribe' inquiry
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

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