September 24, 2007  nº 544  -  Vol. 5  
 

"No such thing as a man willing to be honest - that would be like a blind man willing to see."

F. Scott Fitzgerald


 

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  • Top News

US senators condemn Petraeus ad

The US Senate has voted to condemn an advertisement attacking the country's top commander in Iraq as he gave key testimony on military progress there. The ad, published in the New York Times by anti-war group MoveOn.Org last week, sparked controversy by referring to Gen David Petraeus as "General betray us". Bush accused Democrats of being afraid to stand up to the group over the "disgusting" ad. Giuliani also attacked Hillary Clinton for not denouncing the ad before posting his own advertisement in The Times that asked pointedly, "Who should America listen to? A decorated soldier's commitment to defending America, or Hillary Clinton's commitment to defending MoveOn.org?"

Germany 'drops CIA extradition'

Germany has dropped a request to the US to extradite 13 suspected CIA agents accused of abducting a German citizen. Der Spiegel reported that Berlin had decided not to proceed in order to "avoid an open conflict with the American authorities". US courts have barred his suit based on the US government's assertion of state secrecy concerns.

Dutch cabinet rules out EU vote

The Dutch cabinet has decided against holding a referendum on the EU's new Reform Treaty, amid fears the public would reject it at the polls. Reports had indicated the Dutch public would vote against the new treaty too.

Job Market Wanes for U.S. Lawyers

Law-school graduates are suffering from a supply-and-demand imbalance that's suppressing pay and job growth. The result: Graduates who don't score at the top of their class are struggling to find well-paying jobs to make payments on law-school debts that can exceed $100,000.

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  • MiMIC Journal

Dell in China

Dell plans to sell PCs through China's largest electronics retailer, Gome, in a move to grab more of the global market.

  • Brief News

World leaders at climate summit

Leaders of 80 countries are expected to attend a special UN meeting in New York to discuss the effects of global warming and the ways to combat it. UN climate chief, Yvo de Boer, said: "I expect the meeting on Monday to express a sense of urgency in terms of negotiating progress that needs to be made." Arnold Schwarzenegger said: "California is moving the United States beyond debate and doubt to action."

Holocaust survivor next to Nazi

A man who survived the horrors of the Auschwitz concentration camp ended up living next door to a former Nazi camp guard in Arizona, US. Nathan Gasch said when Martin Hartmann moved into the retirement complex four years ago he noticed a picture of his neighbor in an SS uniform on the wall. Gasch says he was shocked but that he never reported the incident. Hartmann, 88, was forced to move back to Germany last month and stripped of his US citizenship. The truth about his past was uncovered in a two-year investigation by the Department of Justice's Office of Special Investigations (OSI), a department created in 1979 to pursue war criminals.

Brazil vow to spend on indigenous

The Brazilian government is to spend $270m in the next three years creating new reservations for indigenous groups in the Amazon. Money will also be spent taking water and electricity to isolated groups.

Mattel sorry for 'design flaws'

Mattel has admitted that most of the toys recalled in recent safety scares had "design flaws" and that Chinese manufacturers were not to blame. During talks in Beijing, a senior Mattel executive apologized for the damage that the incidents had done to the reputation of Chinese-made goods.

SEC turning attention to shareholder suits

The Securities and Exchange Commission, turning its attention to shareholder litigation, is planning to hold a roundtable to explore possible reforms this spring. The review comes as the Bush administration and business groups have identified shareholder lawsuits as causing major harm to the U.S. financial markets' competitive position. Three bipartisan groups have written lengthy reports urging reforms in the area, ranging from limiting settlement amounts if an SEC enforcement action is involved to providing clarity on a fraud statute frequently used in private lawsuits. A high-stakes case that could extend liability is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, six law professors have petitioned the SEC in a letter dated Aug. 2 to "take a leadership role in studying  private securities litigation and making or recommending policy changes if and where appropriate."

Court to decide legality of Musharraf's bid for re-election

The Supreme Court of Islamabad was set to resume hearings Monday on the legality of General Pervez Musharraf's bid to be re-elected president, amid a crackdown on opposition leaders for allegedly planning to foment unrest. The decision by the court, which is considering a series of legal actions, is expected within days, and the vote by federal and provincial legislators is scheduled for Oct. 6. Attorney General Malik Mohammed Qayyum has expressed confidence that Musharraf will prevail.

Fujimori, Peru's former leader, to face charges

Peru's former president, Alberto Fujimori, flies home in the custody of police, a day after the Chilean Supreme Court approved his extradition to face charges of corruption and human-rights violations related to "death squad" killings of 25 people.

DHS travel tracking more detailed than previously acknowledged

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS)  is retaining more detailed information on US-bound travelers than previously acknowledged in its Automated Targeting System (ATS) , the Washington Post reported Saturday. Privacy activists say that the ATS, designed to help authorities access the security risk posed by all individuals entering the United States, has recorded highly detailed information, including the reading material carried by one of the activists during personal travel. The activists allege that the information retained by the ATS violates the federal Privacy Act , and also retained information including contact information of relatives and whom travelers traveled with.

UN General Assembly rejects Taiwan membership bid 

The UN General Assembly  agreed by consensus Friday to accept a committee recommendation that Taiwan's latest bid for UN membership  be rejected. Taiwan, which officially refers to itself as the Republic of China, was kicked out of the UN in 1971 by General Assembly Resolution 2758  and replaced by the People's Republic of China as the representative of China. This is the 15th straight year that Taiwan's application for UN membership has been rejected.

ICC prosecutor urges arrest of Sudan war crimes suspects 

International Criminal Court (ICC)  chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo  is pushing world leaders to place the prosecution of war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan on top of the agenda  at a UN meeting on Darfur taking place Friday. In a press briefing before the meeting, Moreno-Ocampo said that peace in Sudan is impossible if alleged war criminals remain free, including Sudanese Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Muhammad Harun , who faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Last month, Moreno-Ocampo criticized Sudan  for allowing Harun to remain the humanitarian minister and failing to arrest Harun after international authorities issued an arrest warrant  earlier this year. Sudanese Ambassador to the UN Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad has said that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir refuses to surrender any Sudanese citizens for prosecution in foreign courts, claiming that Sudan must prosecute any criminals if necessary. Moreno-Ocampo has previously threatened to report  Sudan's failure to arrest war crimes suspects to the UN Security Council .

HSBC closes US sub-prime division

Banking giant HSBC is to close part of its US sub-prime mortgage business, cutting 750 jobs in the process. Back in February, HSBC was one of the first lenders to warn of rising default levels in the US sub-prime sector.

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  • Weekly Magazine Review

Time

Fight for the Top Of the World. As global warming melts the Arctic ice, dreams of a short sea passage to Asia--and riches beneath the surface--have been revived. With Russia planting a flag on the ocean floor at the North Pole, Canada talking tough and Washington wanting to be a player, who will win the world's new Great Game?

Newsweek

Giving Globally: The Search for Solutions. A doctor, a banker, an engineer and a scientist are working separately—and together—to bring lifesaving vaccines to children around the world. How inspired individuals can take on and conquer some of the world's biggest problems.

Business Week

Wage Wars. Workers—from truck drivers to stockbrokers—are winning huge overtime lawsuits

The Economist

Will the credit crisis trigger a downturn? Increasing risk aversion is likely to depress growth.

L’Express

Le Vrai visage de Staline

Der Spiegel

Das Himmelfahrtskommando Vor 50 Jahren begann der Wettlauf im Weltraum. Kalter Krieg im Orbit - vor 50 Jahren begann mit dem "Sputnik"-Start der Aufbruch ins All.

  • Daily Press Review

Congolese flee renegade general
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

W.Swing: An expensive peace is better than any war
CongoPlanet.com, Independent online news aggregator

Only 11 Picked NPP Forms, So Far
GhanaWeb, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Germany: Continue to Take Lead in Struggle for Justice
Human Rights Watch (Africa), International news press releases

12 die in Karoo bus accident
iafrica, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa

Groom-to-be survives grim road toll
Independent Online, News portal, Cape Town, South Africa

Heritage Day: Celebration, meditation or reflection?
Mail & Guardian Online, Liberal, Johannesburg, South Africa

Ten injured in highway smash
News24.com, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa

56 Brazilian cities mark World Car-Free Day
Brazil Sun, Independent online news aggregator

Call to ban Sizzla and Elephant Man in Canada
Caribbean News Portal, Online news aggregator

Chile: Supreme Court Extradites Fujimori
Human Rights Watch (Americas), International news press releases

Soldiers Involved in Policing Accused of Abuses
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy

Deadlock - Caribbean slow in making decision for Economic Partnership Agreement 
Jamaica Gleaner, Independent daily, Kingston, Jamaica

Peru: Photo of the day - 500 Million Sol Radar System
Living in Peru, News portal, Lima, Peru

Merkel's meeting with Dalai Lama draws cool response from China
The Globe and Mail, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada

Tory vows stiffer protest laws
Toronto Star, Liberal daily, Toronto, Canada

One killed, six injured in policemen-armymen clash in Ternate
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia

Bush: Saddam's Legacy Slowing Progress in Iraq
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea

Rahul likely to be AICC General Secretary
India Express, News portal, Mumbai, India

Bombay HC warns warring spouses
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India

Bare saves Gamba with late equalizer
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan

Indonesian woman cuts off husband's penis
Malaysian Star, Online news portal,  Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Kiwi league star Pritchard back in court
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand

Gunmen kill Iraqi journalist in Baghdad
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China

Warne: hold the phone, I didn't cheat on her
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia

BJP signals it is ready for polls
The Hindu, Left-leaning daily, Chennai, India

PM lists policies amid poll fever
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

McCanns hired security firm to find Madeline
BreakingNews.ie, Online news portal, Cork, Ireland

Madeleine's parents hire ex-SAS team to hunt for her themselves
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

AT&T launches 3G wireless broadband network in Athens
DMeurope, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

'Pay up' blitz on city's 6,800 absent parents
icLiverpool, Online news portal, Liverpool, England

Calls for a breakup grow louder in Belgium
International Herald Tribune, Independent daily, Paris, France

NW commutes 'most hazardous'
Manchester Online, Independent daily, Manchester, England

The fairest of the seasons
Radio Prague, Online news portal, Prague, Czech Republic

Prime Minister Quiet On Election Rumours
Sky News, Independent newscaster, Middlesex, England

Laughing at Auschwitz:  Leisure Photos of Camp Guards Shock Germans
Spiegel International, Liberal newsmagazine, Hamburg, Germany

Snap poll: MPs give support amid clamour
The Guardian, Liberal daily, London, England

IAWS profits boosted by US unit
The Irish Times, Centrist daily, Dublin, Ireland

Dad kills boy, 4 and goes to pub
The Sun, Conservative tabloid, London, England

Madeleine McCann's parents hired detectives
The Telegraph, Conservative daily, London, England

Monks brave teargas and gunfire to challenge generals' grip on Burma
Times Online, Conservative daily, London, England

Lebanon Anti-Syrian MPs Fear More Attacks
Arutz Sheva, Online, right-wing, Tel Aviv, Israel

Syria, N.Korea Deny Nuclear Cooperation
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England

Anti-Musharraf protesters held in Pakistan
Gulf News, Independent daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Livni to launch campaign to bar terrorist groups from office
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel

Bush Peace Confab a Swan Dive or Belly Flop?
IPS Middle East, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy

BankMuscat to raise capital
Middle East North African Network, Online financial portal, Amman, Jordan

Fukuda: Front-Runner for Japan Premiership
Nahamet, Online news portal, Beirut, Lebanon

Palestinian police arrest top Hamas cleric in West Bank
The Daily Star, Independent daily, Beirut, Lebanon

Because of increasing poverty and price hikes: - Yemenis compromise their health by consuming expired products
Yemen Times, Independent weekly, Sana'a, Yemen

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Copyright 2007 - Migalhas International

The messages that appear in this newsletter are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to be and should not be considered legal advice nor substitute for obtaining legal advice from competent, independent, legal counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.

Transmission of this information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. The information contained on this list may or may not reflect the most current legal development.