November 11, 2009 Nº 840 - Vol. 7

"All of our social problems arise out of doing the wrong thing righter. The more efficient you are at doing the wrong thing, the wronger you become. It is much better to do the right thing wronger than the wrong thing righter! If you do the right thing wrong and correct it, you get better!"

Russell Ackoff

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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

EU negotiates names for top jobs

Sweden's prime minister, the current chair of EU summits, says he is half-way through consultations to determine a shortlist for the new EU top jobs. Fredrik Reinfeldt said he expected to be ready soon to call a special EU summit to appoint the permanent EU president and foreign policy chief. The Belgian Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy, has emerged as a frontrunner for the post of EU president. The Swedish EU presidency website says "it seems increasingly likely that it will be held in November". A third appointment will also be decided at the special summit, the new post of secretary-general for the secretariat assisting the EU Council of Ministers. The council - chaired by a different EU member state every six months, on a rotation basis - represents the EU governments.

THE PRESIDENT'S ROLE

Chosen by 27 member states by qualified majority vote

Two-and-a-half-year term

Can be re-elected once

Chairs EU summits

Drives forward the work of EU Council of Ministers

Facilitates cohesion and consensus

Represents the EU on the world stage

Russia to decide on death penalty moratorium

Russia's constitutional court has begun hearings into whether the death penalty can be re-introduced after a 10-year moratorium. The tribunal is examining the issue after a request by the supreme court, and will have to make its decision by 1 January when the moratorium is due to come to an end. In 1999 the constitutional court ruled that the death penalty could not be used until jury trials had been introduced in all of Russia's 89 regions. The supreme court took the case to the constitutional court in order to clarify the future of the moratorium because the first ever jury trials will take place in Chechnya on 1 January.

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  • Crumbs!

1- Venezuela, Colombia in war of words(click here)

2- Parties Seek More Time to Craft Google Books Deal (click here)

3- Judge Bans Twitter From Court(click here)

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  • MiMIC Journal

Obama says he will raise Yuan issue with China

U.S. manufacturers have complained that Beijing holds the value of the yuan down to make its exports cheaper, and American goods more expensive for Chinese consumers.

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  • Historia Verdadera

Energía

Un enorme corte de electricidad dejó en la noche del martes a decenas de millones de personas en la oscuridad en Sao Paulo y Río de Janeiro, las dos mayores ciudades de Brasil. El director brasileño de la represa Itaipu, la generadora eléctrica más grande del mundo, dijo a una estación de radio que la producción de energía de toda la represa está fuera de línea.

Empresa

La empresa Lafarge Chile S.A. anunció que abrirá dos nuevas canteras de caliza para proveer de la materia prima necesaria a su planta de cementos ubicada en el sector de La Calera.Los nuevos yacimientos permitirán reemplazar completamente la producción de Navío, mina ubicada en la comuna de Nogales, y abastecer la demanda de caliza de planta La Calera por los próximos treinta años.

  • Brief News

EU objects to Oracle bid for Sun

The European Commission (EC) has objected to Oracle's proposed takeover of Sun Microsystems, casting doubt on the $7.4bn deal. The commission has issued a preliminary assessment raising concerns that the takeover could hurt competition in the computer database market. Oracle said that it would "vigorously oppose" the EC objections. The deal between business software firm Oracle and hardware and software maker Sun was first announced in April.

Cadbury rejects hostile Kraft bid

UK confectioner Cadbury has rejected a £9.8bn ($16.4bn) hostile bid from US food giant Kraft, calling the offer "derisory". Kraft offered a mixture of cash and shares for each Cadbury share - the same terms it proposed in September. As Kraft shares have dropped in value since then, the bid is now worth less than the original £10.2bn approach.

Russia admits police corruption

The Russian government has admitted that parts of the police have been turned into what the interior minister has described as criminal businesses. It is the most frank admission so far of corruption and other crimes being committed by members of the police. The interior minister has announced that any policeman accused of committing serious crimes will face prosecution.

Six Brazilian states hit by power outages caused by fault at Itaipu dam

Power is being restored in Brazil after an outage at a dam providing 20 percent of the country's energy thrust about half of the nation's 190 million people into darkness and prompted the deployment of military police in Rio de Janeiro.

Bear Stearns ex-managers cleared

Two former Bear Stearns hedge fund managers charged with fraud have been found not guilty by a New York jury. Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin were cleared of charges including securities fraud and conspiracy charges relating to the collapse of two hedge funds. Prosecutors had argued the two managers lied to clients to protect bonuses when their funds were losing money. Prosecutors missed the mark so widely in the fraud trial that a juror said after their acquittal she would invest with them if she had the money.

Czech troops in Nazi symbols row

Three Czech soldiers who served as part of the Nato force in Afghanistan have been suspended for wearing Nazi symbols, an unacceptable behavior, Czech defense officials say. Two are said to have adorned their helmets with symbols of SS divisions while serving in eastern Afghanistan. The soldiers' commanding officer was also suspended pending further investigation.

'Banks on steroids' worry France

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has warned that huge bailed-out banks created by the financial crisis could abuse their new power. She has asked other countries to look at the lack of competition from banks "on steroids, relying on public money". "Look at investment banks in the United States where, before the crisis, there were about six. Today there are about three," Lagarde said. "I believe that all that doesn't happen without some effect on competition and abusive behavior."

Brazil opposition senators boycott Petrobras probe

Brazilian opposition lawmakers boycotted a Senate probe of Petroleo Brasileiro SA, claiming that requests for more information are being stonewalled by the government. Three opposition senators on the 11-member investigative committee refused to attend testimony today by Petrobras Chief Executive Officer Jose Sergio Gabrielli, and said they would skip future meetings. The committee hasn't been given access to all the documents requested, and testimony has been voluntary and limited, said opposition Senator Alvaro Dias, who called for the probe into alleged tax evasion and political favoritism.

Top Italy lawmaker to support Berlusconi judicial reform proposals

President of Italy's Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini said Tuesday that he would support legislation to limit the length of trials in the country. The reforms were proposed by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, with Fini voicing his support after meeting with the prime minister. If passed, the bill would place a six-year cap on the total duration of a trail, including appeals. Critics have argued that Berlusconi, scheduled to stand trial later this month on corruption charges from 1997, has pushed for the measure in an effort to avoid his own prosecution. The bill is expected to be introduced in the next few days.

Mexico president calls for stronger adherence rule of law

Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Monday made a public call for greater adherence to the rule of law, more transparent elections, and increased business competition in Mexico, during a speech at the annual Mexico Business Summit. Calderon criticized monopolistic business practices in Mexico, and said transparency was sorely lacking in elections conducted in the country. He also emphasized that only with rule of law can the economy flourish and orderly social life can exist. "The most important task of the state, friends, is this: to respect and enforce the law," he said. "It's the first thing that we commit to rules. And here the Federal Government is absolutely clear: enforce the law only by way of the law itself, which is the source of all legitimacy." Earlier in the summit, Mexico's Secretary of Public Security Genaro Garcia Luna said that media had overemphasized drug violence, claiming that theft is a bigger concern to public safety.

How low will new lawyer pay go?

Reed Smith is cutting billing rates and pay by 20 percent for 51 new associates joining the firm’s U.S. offices in January. The new starting pay will range from $130,000 in major markets to $110,000 in Pittsburgh. At the same time, billable hours expectations for new associates will drop from 1,900 hours a year to 1,700 hours.

  • Daily Press Review

Saudi to Set Up Security Fence on Border with Yemen
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England

Response / Henry Siegman on Burston and 'Israel's pathology'
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel

MIDEAST: The 'Unknown' Fight the Illegal
IPS Middle East, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy

Hizbullah 'expels' Anne Frank from Lebanese school
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel

Mohammed Approves Federal Demographic Body
Khaleej Times, English-language daily, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

UAE shares extend winning streak on recovery hopes
Middle East North African Network, Online financial portal, Amman, Jordan

Report: Taliban Warns U.S. of More Fort Hood-like Attacks
Nahamet, Online news portal, Beirut, Lebanon

Panel formed on Lebanon poll law
Saudi Gazette, English-language daily, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Netanyahu upbeat after talks with Obama
The Daily Star, Independent daily, Beirut, Lebanon

Obama, Netanyahu meet on Mideast crisis
Times of Oman, English-language daily, Muscat, Oman

Ministers to unveil DNA data plan
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

Dunne ridicules Domenech
BreakingNews.ie, Online news portal, Cork, Ireland

Nato seizes bomb-making materials
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England

Goodbye, my beloved son: Father gives up court battle to keep his disabled boy alive
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England

Clearwire to rause USD 1.564 bln from existing investors
DMeurope, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Graham Sankey held over attack on Joe Anderson
icLiverpool, Online news portal, Liverpool, England

Gang attacks fire crew with fireworks - CCTV
Manchester Online, Independent daily, Manchester, England

Czech economy gets taste of deflation but prices seen returning upward
Radio Prague, Online news portal, Prague, Czech Republic

Fallen Heroes: Services Mark Armistice Day
Sky News, Independent newscaster, Middlesex, England

Flirting with History: Merkel Positions Herself as Crisis Chancellor
Spiegel International, Liberal newsmagazine, Hamburg, Germany

Brown told axing childcare vouchers would cost seats
The Guardian, Liberal daily, London, England

McNamara stands his ground
The Irish Times, Centrist daily, Dublin, Ireland

MPs' expenses: watchdog fails to back plans to clean up sleaze
The Telegraph, Conservative daily, London, England

Germany stunned after 'suicide' of Robert Enke, national team goalkeeper
Times Online, Conservative daily, London, England

President Yudhoyono to visit Malaysia
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia

10th Seoul International Financial Forum Kicks Off
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea

US defence funding conditions opposed
Dawn, English-language daily, Karachi, Pakistan

Docs' strike claims a dozen lives in Bihar
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India

Sony-Ericsson phone ups its appeal; Bluedot treats the ladies
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan

Anwar files RM100m defamation suit against NST
Malaysian Star, Online news portal, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

US sniper executed in Virginia
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand

Visby Declaration calls for building a knowledge based society in EU
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China

The curious spending sprees of Nicolas Cage
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia

BSP, Trinamool score major wins in by-elections
The Hindu, Left-leaning daily, Chennai, India

HSBC numbers promising
The Standard, Business daily, Hong Kong

BREAKING NEWS: Sniper John Allen Muhammad executed
Antigua Sun Online, Independent daily, St. John's, Antigua

Jah Cure denies Trinidad arrest
Caribbean News Portal, Online news aggregator

Search continues for woman who jumped off Kaieteur Falls
Caribbean360, Online news portal, St. Michael, Barbados

Cayman's first Premier
Cayman Net News, Online news portal, George Town, Cayman Islands

Treasure hunter denies search off Dominican coast is halted
Dominican Today, Independent daily, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

EDUCATION-URUGUAY: Literacy Starts at Home
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy

Bloody disgrace - Storage-bag shortage causes clot at collection centres - Drives to gather vital fluid cancelled, donors turned away
Jamaica Gleaner, Independent daily, Kingston, Jamaica

Peru's Juan Diego Florez presented stamp honoring Luciano Pavarotti
Living in Peru, News portal, Lima, Peru

Excitement building in New Zealand ahead of World Cup qualifier
The Globe and Mail, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada

DiManno: Royal protesters missed their mark
Toronto Star, Liberal daily, Toronto, Canada

Indian Kathak dancer enthrals Queen's Hall audience
Trinidad Guardian, Independent daily, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

Charles Taylor 'duped' by Nigeria
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England

Congo rebel fight 'must continue'
CongoPlanet.com, Independent online news aggregator

Common African maritime charter to boost trade
Daily Nation, Independent daily, Nairobi, Kenya

Deported mum flees homeland for Ghana
GhanaWeb, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Opposition leaders bust
iafrica, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa

Bafana's boastful Benni bounces back
Independent Online, News portal, Cape Town, South Africa

Ogaden: Seasonal Flooding affects 16,000 households
Jimma Times, Online news portal, Jimma, Ethiopia

Eskom pleads for patience on Maroga
Mail & Guardian Online, Liberal, Johannesburg, South Africa

Mbeki blamed for Aids crisis
News24.com, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa

Electricity consumers attack PHCN manager
Vanguard, Independent daily, Lagos, Nigeria

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