AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff

TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - October 28, 2007

SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, October 28, 2007

TEXT:

As controversy over private contractors in Iraq continues to swirl, this week we take a look at those in an equally important role, as they guard nuclear power stations. Recommended Reading focuses on security issues at the Peach Bottom nuclear power station, one of several cases in which the private contractors worked so many hours they fell asleep on the job. This issue also covers elections from Argentina to Switzerland, the failure of the US to get a verdict in the country's largest terrorism financing case, fresh warnings of show bombers, and building code recommendations to help mitigate disasters in wildfires. Contact us for more information and analysis at any time.

3. AML/CFT Monitor

Anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism is not simply an issue of compliance with local regulations. It is a global crime that can only be understood by crossing national or regional boundaries. Subscribers to the monthly AML/CFT Monitor receive information and analysis of worldwide incidents, trends, legal and regulatory issues, modalities, and related topics such as financial fraud and narcoterrorism.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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AML/CFT Incidents/Cases
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In Canada's ongoing Air India inquiry, lawyers who work with charities said that anti-terrorism law is ineffective in stopping money from going overseas to finance violent extremism.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=3fd5bb9e-8251-4e82-947d-518c9d3ce69b
http://www.majorcomm.ca/en/

The Law Society of Upper Canada is requesting evidence from a Royal Canadian Mounted Police sting operation that allegedly revealed former attorney Calvin Barry's involvement in a money laundering scheme.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=d3fe878f-c179-42c3-a8ae-cf02b7485e0b&k=0

The Hongkou District People's Court in Shanghai sentenced Pan Rumin to two years and fined 60,000 yuan ($8,000), Zhu Suzhen to 16 months and fined 20,000 yuan ($2,667), and Li Daming and Gong Yuan, were jailed for 15 months and fined of 20,000 yuan. The four people are the first convicted since Singapore's AML law was enforced on 1 January. The convictions stemmed from borrowing identity cards and using them to register bank cards and transfer funds.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-10/23/content_6931153.htm
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-10/24/content_6201509.htm

A French court has sentenced Algerian Rachid Ramda to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 22 years. He was convicted of helping Algeria's now defunct Armed Islamic Group (GIA) finance and organize a series of Paris metro bombings that killed eight and injured nearly 200.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7064911.stm

Akhand Pratap Singh has reportedly confessed to the Central Bank of India (CBI) that he had picked up substantial shares in Venus Sugar, and laundered hundreds of thousands of rupees through a fellow bureaucrat’s wife with whom he had an illicit relationship.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Akhand_Pratap_confesses_to_money_laundering/articleshow/2481725.cms

Italian police arrested 11 men in cities across the country and one in Cannes, France, while seven Italian-Canadians already jailed in Montreal were served additional warrants. Nick Rizzuto and his son Vito ran the drug trafficking and money laundering mafia clan from Canada.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gfJP1EK4QnAhmEVIglm5cBAW6xcg

A lawsuit against Habib Bank, one of Pakistan's largest, has been dropped. Mariane Pearl, wife of the murdered US journalist Daniel Pearl, had accused the bank of transferring funds to a charity allegedly linked to the death. No specific reason for dropping the case was given, but personal reasons were cited, and none of the defendants had answered the suit. Ms Pearl said the way to fight terrorism was self-control over feelings of disgust and horror.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-30147520071024
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iEAqFp_NrD12hzltAnTKbnLVohvQ

Jacqueline Rowe and her niece Sonia Trotter were found guilty in UK court of laundering money obtained through a fake house repair scam.
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nodeId1=232470&contentPK=18780926

Former US state representative in Alaska, Thomas T. Anderson, was sentenced to 60 months incarceration as well as two years’ supervised release and a special assessment. He and a lobbyist created a sham corporation to conceal the existence and origin of payments obtained through bribery.
http://anchorage.fbi.gov/doj/pressrel/2007/bribery101507.htm

In the US state of Illinois, Cornell Fletcher and David Galbreath face felony money laundering charges after a traffic stop that revealed cash and cocaine in the car.
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2007/10/26/two_men_accused_of_money_laundering

Law firm Baker and McKenzie has forced New York corporate partner Martin Weisberg to resign after he was charged with participating in a $55 million fraud and money laundering operation. In 1991 Weisberg had been tried and acquitted on charges of participating in a Ponzi scam involving the Mexican peso.
http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=129605&d=415&h=417&f=416

The biggest terrorist financing trial in US history has ended in a mistrial. The Holy Land Foundation, headquartered in Texas, was the largest US Muslim charity until President Bush ordered it closed. Mohammad El-Mezain, the Holy Land's original chairman and endowments director, unanimously was acquitted on most of the counts. Mufid Abdulqader, a top Holy Land fundraiser and former Dallas public works supervisor, was found not guilty on all counts. Abdulrahman Odeh, the New Jersey representative, was also acquitted on most of the charges. On most counts jurors were unable to reach unanimous decisions. None were accused of committing or directly sponsoring violence, but were accused of sending $12 million to charities they allegedly knew were controlled by Hamas. Prosecutors want to retry the case.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/102207dnmetholyland.1878fd716.html
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/102707dnmetholyland.365f0ff.html
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDk3N2ZkZTVmNmViMGJkYmUxYzJjMGIxNmI3MTJiODM=
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/102207dnmetholylandanalysis.197291827.html
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jKMFnCWM4plr9TTWjzHAtVCaV0-Q
http://www.slate.com/id/2176561/
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN23319902
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/washington/24justice.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-holyland23oct23,1,1922726.story

In Virginia, retired Roman Catholic priest Rodney Rodis pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering in connection with embezzling from churches and wiring monies to purchase property in the Philippines.
http://washingtontimes.com/article/20071027/METRO/110270040/1004

Milwaukee, Wisconsin police found a day care center being used as a front for laundering drug money.
http://www.wisn.com/news/14426743/detail.html
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AML/CFT Legislation and Regulation
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Australia has imposed financial sanctions on Burma's military junta leaders and their families.
http://www.rba.gov.au/MediaReleases/2007/mr_07_19_annex.html
http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2007/fa2410_07.html

The International Trade Unions Confederation (ITUC) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) call for immediate sanctions on trade and investment in the three 'milkcow' economic sectors that provide vital support to the Burmese (Myanmar) military regime: oil and gas, timber and mining, including gems and minerals. Jewelers are urged to stop selling rubies mined in Burma.
http://www.ituc-csi.org/spip.php?article1520
http://www.fidh.org/spip.php?article4771
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3084317.ece

Partnership Africa Canada (PAC) released its third annual review of the Diamond Industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They report that about half of DRC's foreign exchange earnings - $700 million - comes from diamonds, but more could be gleaned if the mining sector was no longer dominated by corruption and exploitation, particularly providing basic services for the poorly paid diggers.
http://www.pacweb.org/e/images/stories/documents/drc_annual review_2007-eng.pdf

The latest issue of PAC's "Other Facets" covers internal debates over the Kimberley Process; blood rubies, book reviews, and other matters.
http://www.pacweb.org/e/images/stories/documents/of25-eng.pdf

The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Center of Canada (FINTRAC) released its annual report. The report highlights that the number of case disclosures FINTRAC issued this year rose by 15 percent to 193. Of these, were 33 cases were suspected to be relevant to investigations of terrorist activity financing or threats to the security of Canada,
http://www.fintrac.gc.ca/publications/nr/2007-10-25-eng.asp

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada (OSFI) released a new Regulatory and Legislative Advisory on Control in fact. Addressing the issue of whether a person controls an entity is relevant in various circumstances throughout the federally regulated financial institutions statutes. The Advisory on Control in fact provides guidance on the factors that OSFI considers in determining whether control in fact exists in a particular situation.
http://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/app/DocRepository/1/eng/guidelines/rulings/cnt_fct_e.pdf

Italy's national retailers' association Confesercenti released its annual analysis of organized crime. It estimates the earnings of the four main mafia families are EU90 billion, not including drug sales. This is more than the country's largest corporations.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,,2197751,00.html
http://www.confesercenti.it/notizia.php?id=2126 (in Italian)

The Center for Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI), a pro-Zionist lobby group in the Netherlands, says the Dutch government's support of United Civilians for Peace (UCP) is financing an anti-Israeli organization, since UCP calls for Hamas to be part of the peace process.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/917224.html
http://www.cidi.nl/
http://www.unitedcivilians.nl

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed an AML decree that could make it even harder for Hamas to obtain funds.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/27/africa/ME-GEN-Palestinians-Money-Laundering.php

The EU drugs monitoring centre (EMCDDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Federal Drugs Control Service (FDCS) to exchange information and technical expertise on the use and trafficking of illegal drugs. Heroin abuse is a growing problem in Russia with an estimated third of Afghan opium being trafficked through the country to the EU where there are up to two million problematic heroin users.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1621

The Financial Investigations Unit of Sri Lanka's Central Bank is extending mandatory reporting requirements on financial transactions cover banks and other financial companies including insurers.
http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/10/27/ft/8.asp

New UK AML legislation brings interim managers under the Trust and Company Service Providers sector. The Institute of Interim Management will present seminars to bring its members and other interim managers up to speed with what they need to do to comply with the new regulations.
http://www.ioim.org.uk/news/newsdetails.asp?ID=113

The US has imposed sanctions of three of Iran's largest state-owned banks: Bank Melli, Bank Mellat, and Bank Saderat. Sanctions also target the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and their Quds Force.
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp644.htm
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp645.htm
http://www.treasury.gov/press/releases/hp644.htm
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jmvAtmi8jIooOgKDjfJ06cxUdalA
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/25/wiran325.xml

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published the final rules that implement provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) that except banks from the definition of "broker" under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 when they conduct certain securities transactions. Known as "Regulation R," the rules clarify permissible bank brokerage activities that can be conducted under the GLBA exceptions. The Board and the SEC consulted with the FDIC, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Office of Thrift Supervision in all phases of the rulemaking. Financial Institutions will have until the first day of their first fiscal year that commences after September 30, 2008, to comply with the requirements in Regulation R.
http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2007/fil07092.html
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AML/CFT Modalities
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This paper describes Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) Fundraising and Money Transfer Operations.
October 2007.
http://www.kadirgamarinstitute.lk/html/pdf/Terrorist%20Fund%20Raising_Shanaka%20Jayasekara.pdf

4. Emerging Threat Monitor

Climate change, pandemics, and global economic imbalances are just a few of the threats emerging in this 21st century. Subscribers to the Emerging Threat Monitor stay a step ahead with monthly analysis of trends and responses worldwide. It offers executives a heads-up of new risks, and details of the policies and best practices gleaned from every country around the globe.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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ETM Corruption and Transnational Crime
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Joaquim Chissano, the former President of Mozambique, has been announced today as the winner of the inaugural Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. The largest individual award in the world
http://www.moibrahimfoundation.org/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2197030,00.html

Locals in the Chinese village of Xiantang have occupied their village hall for months to protest what they say is official graft.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1018/p01s01-woap.html

The European Commission has approved a Communication to increase the role of Eurojust in the fight against organized crime and terrorism.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1574
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/421

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on a package designed to allow for settlements of cartel cases where the parties not only acknowledge their involvement in the cartel and their liability for it but also agree to a faster and simplified procedure. The draft proposal would allow the Commission to impose a lower fine on parties who agreed to the settlement procedure. Comments on the package of documents should be made by 21 December 2007. Following these comments a revised proposal will be prepared, in consultation with Member State competition authorities, for final adoption in 2008.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1608

Family-owned companies dominate India’s corporate landscape, but they face challenges regarding corporate governance norms such as appointment of successors and transparency in functioning. ICRA and Moody's say that these companies have responded well to the opportunities available in today's fast growing and liberalized world.
http://www.icra.in/aspx/Corporate-Governance.pdf

Pacific Consultants International (PCI) netted 120 million yen by giving false expense reports to the Japanese government regarding chemical weapons disposal.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20071022TDY01305.htm

Peru's Supreme Court convicted former economy minister Jorge Baca Campodonico for misappropriating state funds during the Fujimori dictatorship.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/28/america/LA-GEN-Peru-Fujimori-Minister.php

Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has pardoned her ousted but popular predecessor Joseph Estrada, less than a month after he was sentenced to life in prison for massive corruption.
http://www.op.gov.ph/news.asp?newsid=19158
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=97207

In the UK, the dispute over cash for honors was reignited after the senior Scotland Yard officer in charge of the criminal investigation, Assistant Commissioner John Yates, claimed that Downing Street officials had failed to cooperate, and treated him as a political problem during the inquiry.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/cashforhonours/story/0,,2197982,00.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/24/nloans124.xml
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/public_administration_select_committee.cfm

Four former British Petroleum US employees - Mark David Radley, James Warren Summers, Cody Dean Claborn, and Carrie Kienenberger have been indicted on charges of conspiring to manipulate and corner the market and manipulate the price of propane transported in the TEPPCO pipeline system (TET), using BP resources. Their efforts to sell TET propane at an artificially inflated index price violate federal mail and wire fraud statutes. They are also charges with substantive violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and wire fraud.
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/October/fraud-bp-indictment.pdf

The US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held an oversight meeting in which Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testified regarding the State Department’s performance on several significant issues relating to the Iraq war, including the impact of the activities of Blackwater USA and corruption within the Iraqi ministries on the prospects of political reconciliation in Iraq. The Committee discussed with the Secretary allegations of wrongdoing associated with the construction of the new U.S. Embassy Compound in Baghdad, as well as other matters under investigation. The Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) latest Reconstruction Progress report compares the original goals and expectations of the $18.4 billion Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund with the projects and activities actually completed in the sectors of Electricity, Oil and Gas, Water, Economic and Societal Development, Security and Justice, Health Care, and Transportation and Communications, again finding little progress. One particularly damning report was a $1.2 billion contract with DynCorp for training Iraqi police. It was so badly managed that auditors do not know how the money was spent.
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1570
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/23/america/23contractor.php
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/quarterlyreports/Jul07/pdf/Report_-_July_2007_Section2.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/world/middleeast/19reconstruct.html
http://www.sigir.mil/reports/pdf/audits/07-016.pdf
http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/94174.pdf
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ETM Economies and Financial Systems
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A new European Commission report finds that undeclared work is still a problem in Europe and is undermining the EU's ability to meet its targets for more and better jobs and stronger growth. It is particularly widespread in southern and Eastern Europe. Across the EU, 5 percent of employees admit receiving cash-in-hand wages, varying from 3 percent or less in most continental countries, the UK and Ireland, to over 10 percent in some central and eastern European countries. Undeclared work is more concentrated among students, the unemployed and the self-employed, and has a higher incidence in the construction and household services sectors. The detection risk also matters: people who consider the risk to be small are more likely to be involved in undeclared work. The report identifies the main drivers for the informal economy, sets out successful ways to reduce it and proposes concrete follow-up actions at European and national levels:
* Further reduce the taxation on labor and decrease the administrative burden forming part of the EU's growth and jobs strategy;
* Member States should review the transitional arrangements as soon as possible and in any case before the next phase due early in 2009. In context of labor market tightening in many Member States, these arrangements limiting the mobility of workers from the new Member States are a key example of red tape;
* Facilitate exchanges of good practices, more systematic policy evaluation and better measurement of undeclared work in the context of the EU's new PROGRESS program;
* Investigate the feasibility of a European platform for cooperation between labor inspectorates and other enforcement bodies;
* Integrate concerns about undeclared work in the common principles for flexicurity currently being developed;
* Involve workers' and employers' representatives actively in the fight against undeclared work.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1583
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/424

The EC also presented results of a public consultation on labor laws, which highlight that labor law is central to managing the EU's workforce and to providing workers with a sense of security. Many replies underline, in particular, the need to implement existing labor legislation fully in all Member States and to reach agreement on ongoing issues such as the proposals on Temporary Agency Workers and the review of the Working Time Directive. Reactions also suggest that the national reform process under the EU's strategy for Growth and Jobs and the integrated approach to developing and implementing flexicurity-based principles is the best way forward.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1584

Iraqi Kurds on Monday expressed fear of acute economic woes in their relatively calm region of war-ravaged Iraq if Ankara launches a cross-border incursion against Turkish Kurdish rebels. "The continuing Turkish threats may result in closing the borders which would bring about large damages," said Bahaa al-Din Muhi al-Din.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=86138

The Bank of Israel has ordered Bank Hapoalim to postpone its plan to cut all financial ties with Gaza.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3463762,00.html
http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/DocView.asp?did=1000267767&fid=1725

The third quarter’s Brinker Barometer finds that a phased troop withdrawal from Iraq would be most beneficial for the US economy.
http://news.morningstar.com/news/ViewNews.asp?article=/BW/20071024005795_univ.xml

In "How Much is a Friend Worth", Federal Reserve Bank of Boston researchers report on the results of field experiments in a large real-world social network to examine why decision-makers treat their friends more generously than strangers. They found that "decision-makers vary widely in their baseline altruism, but pass at least 50 percent more surplus to friends as opposed to strangers when decision-making is anonymous. Under non-anonymity, transfers to friends increase by an extra 24 percent relative to strangers, but only in games where transfers increase social surplus. This effect increases with the density of the social network structure between both players. Our findings are well explained by enforced reciprocity, but not by signaling or preference-based reciprocity. We also find that partners' expectations are well attuned to directed altruism, but that they completely ignore the decision-makers' baseline altruism. Partners with higher baseline altruism have friends with higher baseline altruism and, therefore, are treated better by their friends."
http://www.bos.frb.org/economic/wp/wp2007/wp0711.htm
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ETM Environment and Climate Change
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Economic growth, intensive fossil-fuel use, and a decline in the ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are contributing to accelerating increases in greenhouse gas levels.
http://www.nature.com/news/2007/071022/full/news.2007.186.html
http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/activities/AcceleratingAtmosphericCO2.htm

The European Commission released its first sustainable development report.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1576

It has come to an agreement with the countries in the European Economic Area - Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein - on linking their respective Emissions Trading systems, making it the first international agreement of its kind for emissions trading. The newly linked systems will cover 30 countries across the European continent.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1617

And approved emissions trading allocation plans for Bulgaria and Romania.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1614
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1612

Environmental organizations ripped the Environment Ministry for waiting until this month to launch the second phase of the clean-up of the massive oil spill caused by Israel's bombing of the Jiyyeh power plant in July of 2006. The non-governmental organizations lambasted the ministry for wasting the favorable.

Determined to put an end to gas-flaring by 2008, Nigeria's Federal Government has raised its penalty from N10 to N12,700 per million standard cubic feet of gas (Mscf), effective from January 2008.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=93180

The US Department of Justice announced that British Petroleum and several of its subsidiaries have agreed to pay approximately $373 million in fines and restitution for environmental violations stemming from a fatal explosion at a Texas refinery in March 2005, leaks of crude oil from pipelines in Alaska, and fraud for conspiring to corner the market and manipulate the price of propane carried through Texas pipelines.
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/October/07_ag_850.html
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/October/07_enrd_851.html

Scotland's seas contain some of the most special marine environments in the world, but they are almost completely unprotected from human exploitation. A landmark conservation report, "Finding NIMAs" (Nationally Important Marine Areas), highlights how these parts of our waters are valuable to Scotland and vulnerable to destruction, with the sea treated as a "common resource" available to all. In the report, Scottish Environmental Link (SEL) identifies places of "exceptional biodiversity" and "nationally important marine wildlife", as well as feeding, spawning, mating and migration sites. These include Loch Sween, Isle Of Unst,  Loch Duich,  Firth Of Clyde, Small Isles (Rum, Eigg, Muck And Canna), Gunna Sound And Off Oigh Sgeir, Sound Of Mull, Pentland Firth,  Loch Etive,  Moray Firth,  Aberdeen Bay, Firth Of Forth
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1649
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1680842007
http://www.scotlink.org/

In "Climate Change Research: Agencies Have Data-Sharing Policies but Could Do More to Enhance the Availability of Data from Federally Funded Research" the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that much of the nearly $2 billion annual climate change research budget supports grants from the Department of Energy, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation. Some of the data generated by this research are stored in online archives, but much remains in a less accessible format with individual researchers, some of whom are concerned about data availability. GAO recommends the agencies explore opportunities in the grants process to better ensure the availability of data to other researchers and determine if additional archiving strategies are warranted.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1172

Two years ago, California sought a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars on a state level; the EPA has yet to grant the waiver. Several other states have followed California's precedent, now seeking legal charges against the EPA for violation of taking action within a reasonable time frame.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/nyregion/24emissions.html
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ETM Human Rights
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The World Food Program and the European Commission have sounded the alarm over the humanitarian impact of climate change.
http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2677
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1593

"Ideas for Development" is a new international blog designed to stimulate debate on economic development issues
http://www.ideas4development.org/en/

EU gender equality laws over the past 50 years are summarized here:
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/426

Niger police have arrested a third journalist in what appears to be censorship of news coverage regarding the Tuareg conflict.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24171

A US federal appeals court panel followed a recent pattern of waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on whether lethal injections constitute cruel and unusual punishment. The panel unanimously ordered a stay of execution on Wednesday for a terminally ill prisoner who was scheduled to die by lethal injection in Alabama, arguing that the drug mixture used by the state could interact with Daniel Siebert’s cancer medications and cause excruciating pain.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/25/us/25alabama.html

Texas Judge Sharon "Killer" Keller is being condemned for refusing to wait 20 minutes after the 5 p.m. closing time, for a final death row appeal that had been delayed because of a computer glitch.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/DN-BC-TOUGHTEXASJUDGE_d0675...264a13d.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/27/america/NA-GEN-US-Execution-Texas-Attorney-General.php
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2199266,00.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/25/the_skinny/main3407166.shtml
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ETM Infectious Diseases
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There is little information about H5N1 avian influenza in Africa, where health infrastructure is inadequate, human-to-animal contact common, and where urbanization and altered farming have increased the risk of a major outbreak.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS147330990770244X/fulltext

Indonesia's Ministry of Health announced another fatal human H5N1 infection. Of 110 laboratory confirmed cases in Indonesia through 25 October, 89 have proven fatal. There have been a total of 332 cases, of which 204 were fatal.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_10_25/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2007_10_25/en/index.html

Recent scientific advances and increased vaccine manufacturing capacity have prompted experts to increase their projections of how much pandemic influenza vaccine can be made available in the coming years.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr60/en/index.html

UN agencies and Sudanese health officials are launching a massive nationwide polio immunization campaign after the potentially deadly virus was detected in the conflict-torn country which had previously been declared polio-free.
http://www.emro.who.int/sudan/pdf/pressrelease-polio-1007.pdf
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ETM Legal Systems
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The European Day of Civil Justice was marked on 25 October.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1598

Vice President Franco Frattini, the European Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, addressed the Council of Europe Conference of the European Ministers on the topic of "Emerging issues of access to justice for vulnerable groups, in particular migrants and asylum seeker, children, including – children perpetrators of crime".
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/663
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/421

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) held a home ministers conference on police matters. to increase cooperation in combating terrorism, narcotics smuggling and human trafficking.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/SAARC_home_ministers_conference_concludes/articleshow/2489123.cms

At least 70 Ugandans charged with various offences are languishing in jails in Juba, South Sudan, without knowledge of Arabic or access to interpreters. Uganda is taking steps to repatriate their citizens, to complete their terms at home.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news10232.php
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ETM Natural Resources
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Canada's Premier of Alberta Ed Steimach is defending a 20 percent increase in the province's energy royalties.
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5go10C1hZ_-H8hbpuyW6jqcLfRUzA

Sudan's oil drives the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and has been a growing factor in politics and governance, as discussed in this article, "How Khartoum Uses Oil To Advance Its Agenda".
http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/News/nws2110200721.htm

The US House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing on "Transparency of Extractive Industries: High Stakes for Resource-Rich Countries, Citizens and International Business". This is part of an ongoing examination of poverty and growing income inequality, and focused on the causes and effects of the "resource curse".
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/ht102507.shtml

The US Comptroller General and the National Academy of Science convened a forum on "Measuring Our Nation's Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability". Participants mentioned three lessons learned from the international community: to provide data in a timely manner, to recognize that political interest can wax and wane, and to understand that environmental accounting is a long-term investment. Strategies to overcome key challenges include identifying policymakers, experts and others who support the effort; building an economic business case for environmental accounting; using an incremental approach; and taking the time necessary to develop high quality accounts.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-127SP

Zimbabwe's Murowa Diamonds has completed a feasibility study and set aside US$250 million to expand the Mazvihwa mine.
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=26219&cat=8
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ETM Populations
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The fourth Global Environment Outlook warns that population pressure has taken the Earth to its limits.
http://www.unep.org/geo/geo4/media/
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14550669&vsv=SHGTslot4
http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/population-pressure-takes-earth-to-its-limits/2007/10/25/1192941241428.html

In Australia, the first independent review of all 80 Shared Responsibility Agreements that governments have signed with Aboriginal communities has determined that a central element of the federal government's mutual responsibility policy in indigenous affairs is being undermined by governments that fail to keep to the deals. "Don't Let's Lose Another Good Idea" found significant examples of governments being slow to implement their funding commitments, sometimes with significant consequences for communities. Agreements have also failed to reduce red tape and foster more rapid and responsive funding solutions to communities in need.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/red-tape-bogs-aboriginal-deals/2007/10/22/1192940986349.html

The EU is taking steps to make Europe more attractive to highly skilled migrants and to increase protection of lawfully residing and working migrants. Migration and integration are essential to European countries, where there is a trend towards aging and declining populations.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1575
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/423
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/422

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Sanaa is to create and manage a database that will register migrants and asylum seekers from Africa who have arrived in Yemen by sea after crossing the Gulf of Aden.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=74982
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ETM Social Responsibility
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Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) held its annual conference, with more than 1100 leaders from 40 countries discussing ways to design a sustainable future.
http://www.bsr.org/bsrconferences/2007/index.cfm

This article discusses a similar meeting in Asia.
http://business.inquirer.net/money/columns/view_article.php?article_id=96825
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ETM Technology
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The International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) is depositary of the ITER Agreement that entered into force on 24 October. Under ITER the EU, US, India, China, South Korea, Russia, and Japan, will construct and operate an experimental reactor to reproduce the physical reaction - fusion - that occurs in the sun and star at a scale and in conditions that will demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion as an energy source for the future.
http://www-naweb.iaea.org/napc/physics/ACTIVITIES/ITER.htm
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1586

China launched first moon orbiter Wednesday, the first step into its ambitious three-stage moon mission, marking a new milestone in the country's space exploration history.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-10/24/content_6936966.htm

The European Commission has proposed to postpone until 30 April 2012 the deadline for introducing legislation on workers' exposure to electromagnetic fields, which could have affected the use of technologies such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This will allow enough time to prepare a substantive amendment to the Directive in order to take account of recent research findings on the possible impact of the exposure limits on MRI.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1610

An EU-funded research team, working with scientists at Stanford University in the US and the European synchrotron radiation facility in Grenoble, is the first to determine the structure of a specific membrane protein, known as "recombinant G protein-coupled receptor". Membrane proteins are potentially very important targets for future medicines, because of their involvement in the development of many diseases within the body.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1607
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ETM Weapons (WMD, Proliferation)
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US envoy to North Korean nuclear talks, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, told Congress that the uranium enrichment program no longer will be a threat by year's end.
http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2007/94204.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/25/washington/25weapons.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/25/AR2007102502134.html

Ali Larijani has quit as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator. Iranians are insisting this won't change their policy, but Ali Akbar Velayati - the top foreign policy advisor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - said it is the wrong time to change. Larijani has participated with his replacement, the Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Jalili, at talks with Europe this week. Iran and the EU are beginning to converge on the nuclear issue.
http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10026421
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,512806,00.html
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/868/re73.htm
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/25/europe/EU-GEN-Italy-Iran-Nuclear-Talks.php

The US has imposed sanctions against Iran in what administration officials characterize as an effort to prevent war.
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2007/10/94133.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/washington/26assess.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/26/america/NA-ANL-US-Iran-Sanctions-Analysis.php
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-usiran26oct26,1,6911474.story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/25/AR2007102502606.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=apiTMayemjnI
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/257729.aspx
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/25/AR2007102502840.html

The UN has apologized to Syria over an interpreter's error that created the wrong impression that Damascus admitted that an Israeli air strike last month targeted a Syrian nuclear site.
http://www.metimes.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20071022-114226-5779r
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7141

But suspicion remains. The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) reports that they obtained commercial satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe taken on 10 August 2007 and found a site that could be the target of the Israeli raid inside Syria on 6 September 2007. They report that additional imagery shows the suspected reactor construction building removed and the ground scraped.
http://www.isis-online.org/publications/SuspectSite_24October2007.pdf
http://www.isis-online.org/publications/SyriaUpdate25October2007.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/world/middleeast/26syria.html

India's leftist parties object to the government's efforts for a nuclear cooperation agreement with the US, while the government is attempting to avoid the deal collapsing.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/231397.html

The US House Science and Technology oversight subcommittee held a hearing to examine US laboratory capacity to effectively respond to a radiological attack. They found that such capacity does not exist.
http://science.house.gov/press/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=2023
http://science.house.gov/publications/caucus_detail.aspx?NewsID=2018
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-88

The implementation arm of the Chemical Weapons Convention could claim a number of achievements, including the creation of an effective verification regime and the destruction of more than 30 percent of existing chemical weapons stockpiles, but enormous challenges remained in order to reach the goal of total destruction by the target date of 2012.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/gadis3348.doc.htm

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that the US has refused to decrease or dismantle its chemical weapons, and called on the mass media and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to disclose information and secrets of US chemical weapons.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8607300517

Russia and the US have called for a wider ban on medium-range missiles around the world.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/oct/94141.htm

President Bush said yesterday that a missile defense system is urgently needed in Europe to guard against a possible attack on U.S. allies by Iran, while Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates suggested that the United States could delay activating such a system until there is "definitive proof" of such a threat, but later added that the US has given Russia sufficient concessions. Russia and the US have made no progress in this matter.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/23/AR2007102300706.html
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=47940
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g3J-qQcDd5g8tL6cLx69TqdX2EZw

5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor

The 21st century is the interdependent century. Understanding the implicit and explicit networks on which we rely, and the interdependencies among the sectors of the critical infrastructure is essential for business continuity, economic success, and our very survival. The Critical Infrastructure Monitor, published monthly, analyzes these sectors, regulatory frameworks, and issues of enterprise risk management in global supply chains.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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CIM Agriculture and Food
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The World Trade Organization (WTO) has launched a new comprehensive system for searching for information on WTO member governments' sanitary and phytosanitary measures: food safety and animal and plant health and safety.
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news07_e/sps_ims_oct07_e.htm
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/sps_e/sps_e.htm

Australian researcher Patricia Healy criticizes Australia's legislative framework and its effect on farm safety, with agricultural workers facing at least twice the risk of death on the job. Exposure to pesticides plays a large part in these curtailed lives.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-land-that-provides-a-living-also-brings-death/2007/10/23/1192941065144.html
http://www.ohs.anu.edu.au/publications/pdf/wp%208%20-%20Healy%20and%20Gunningham.pdf

European Commission member Mariann Fischer Boel, responsible for agriculture and rural development, addressed the medium term outlook and future of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/664
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/665
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/657

Rural development plans for Cyprus, Flanders, three areas of Germany, Italy, and Spain, have been agreed.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1604

Italian authorities are investigating alleged price fixing among pasta manufacturers, following a warning of 20 percent price increases.
http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2007-10-23_123132159.html

Ahead of elections, Moscow has reached agreement with major food producers to freeze prices on basic foodstuffs.
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUKL226802520071022?rpc=44
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20071015/84045231.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d9dcc132-8191-11dc-9b6f-0000779fd2ac.html

Britain's Soil Association, which certifies most of the UK's organic foods, has announced that freighted foods will have to meet Ethical Trade standards or be stripped of their organic label. It encourages the UK government to adopt similar policies to ensure genuine benefits for farmers in developing countries. This decision eliminates the fear that a ban would be imposed on organic foods imported by air.
http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/848d689047cb466780256a6b00298980/3a1c3d1cc0d10bff8025737f002d919b!OpenDocument
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7061847.stm

Following the second-largest beef recall in US history, meatpacker Topps has closed after 67 years in business. Hamburger from Topps was associated with E. coli bacteria, which sickened at least 40 people in eight states. This and similar cases have raised serious issues over the US Department of Agriculture's regulatory system, which does not require packers to inspect the meat that has been delivered. The Food Safety and Inspection Service subsequently announced "new, ongoing and upcoming actions to protect public health against the risk of E. coli O157:H7, including expanded testing and more rapid recalls".
http://www.toppsmeat.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/23/business/23meat.html
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Recall_040_2007_Exp_Update.pdf

Zimbabwe ministers, governors, and financial institutions have launched a drive to support a program to get farmers across the country to grow at least one hectare of maize, an effort to increase production and meet National Strategic Cropping Targets, which is necessary to ensure food security.  This initiative gets under way as the government has issued eviction notices and threatens to arrest those white farmer, numbering less than 600, who have not vacated their properties after the expiry of a 30 September 30 deadline. Seven years ago Mugabe's government began seizing land from the 4,000 white farmers then in commercial operation. These lands, meant for redistribution to landless blacks, often went to government officials, and the landless received no support or training, and little of the land was cultivated.
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=26235&cat=1
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=322656
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CIM Banking and Finance
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RSA released findings from its European Information Risk Management survey. It reveals:
* 75 percent of bank respondents are aware of the importance of managing information at a strategic level and across its entire lifecycle.
*  67 percent said it is important to approach Information Risk Management at an enterprise level.
* Only 32 percent have already addressed the initial stage of removing silos for managing information security.
* Half of all respondents admitted that complying with regulations is dealt with on a case-by-case basis instead of with a strategic approach.
* Only 19 percent of respondents recognized that perimeter security cannot be totally effective in protecting the banks' information.
* 47 percent already focus on securing information over securing the perimeter, but only 43 percent understand the need to extend information security management to their data while outside the boundaries of their own systems, with partners, consultants and contractors
http://www.rsa.com/press_release.aspx?id=8831

Aite Group predicts that security vulnerabilities in the online world inevitably will migrate to mobile banking.
http://www.aitegroup.com/reports/200710241.php

Citi India and mChek are piloting secure mobile banking in India. One obstacle is that the Reserve Bank of India does not allow non-banks to provide money transfer services, requiring mobile companies to partner with a financial institution.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Banking_Finance_/ATM_redefined_Its_any_time_mobile_banking/articleshow/2491503.cms

The International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) issued three guidance papers on solvency assessment:
* The structure of regulatory capital requirements
http://www.iaisweb.org/__temp/2_1_1_Guidance_paper_on_the_structure_of_regulatory_capital_requirements.pdf
* Enterprise risk management for capital adequacy and solvency purposes
http://www.iaisweb.org/__temp/2_2_6_Guidance_paper_on_enterprise_risk_management_for_capital_adequacy_and_solvency_purposes.pdf
* The use of internal models for risk and capital management by insurers
http://www.iaisweb.org/__temp/2_2_7_Guidance_paper_on_the_use_of_internal_models_for_risk_and_capital_management_by_insurers.pdf

Securities Industry News and Financial Insight announced the results of their annual ranking of the top global capital markets technology providers and institutional leaders.
* SunGard – Execution Management, Order Management, Portfolio Management, and Transaction Cost Analytics
* Advent Software, Inc. – Portfolio Management (tied with SunGard)
* Thomson Corporation – Advisor Workstation and Business Analytics
* Bloomberg L.P. – Market Data and Transaction Cost Analytics (TCA tied with SunGard)
* National Financial, a Fidelity Investment Company – Operational Risk
* Pershing LLC – Advisor Workstation (tied with Thomson) and Market Risk
* LatentZero Ltd. – Compliance
* Salesforce.com, Inc. – CRM
The 2007 survey also revealed the leading institutional providers based on the view of over 70 technology providers:
* Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
* Citigroup
* JP Morgan
* Merrill Lynch & Co.
* UBS
* Morgan Stanley
* Credit Suisse
* Lehman Brothers
http://www.financial-insights.com/FI/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS20918407

The European Commission has published a call for evidence on the impact of the fragmented regulatory landscape for retail investment products on the protection of retail investors. Input from all interested stakeholders is invited by 18 January 2008. Responses to this consultation will contribute to the Commission's assessment of whether existing rules are sufficient to protect retail investors and, if not, whether corrective action is needed.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1615

European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Policy Joaquin Almunia addressed the European Primary Dealers Association Second Annual European Government Bond Summit on "Reinforcing economic resilience through stronger financial markets".
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/655

Nigeria's National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) signed a memorandum of understanding with Chams Consortium to install 1000 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and 5,000 electronic transaction booths across the country before the end of 2008.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=93077

The New York State Insurance Department's steps to establish a level playing field for all reinsurers was criticized this week by the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). Under New York's plan all without the highest credit ratings would post collateral based on a sliding slide, whether domestic or international. Lloyds has welcomed this step, but PCI says the proposal would lower security.
http://www.ins.state.ny.us/press/2007/p0710181.htm
http://www.lloyds.com/News_Centre/Features_from_Lloyds/Disappointing_failure_by_US_to_devise_serious_reform_of_reinsurance_regime.htm
http://dialog.newsedge.com/newsedge.asp?site=2006121817052505165369&display=Industry+News&folderaction=viewhtml&rtcrdata=off&block=html&headlineslink=off&mode=displaystory&synapseid=2006121914263205129206&storyid=m1025110.7be
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CIM Chemical
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24 years after the Bhopal Gas disaster, India is working towards an out-of-court settlement with Dow Chemical.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hUJM0UA2o-gRgWIC6_D_CIIKLDwg
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=bb75890e-8340-4245-b768-7d4450d2e1db&&Headline=While+Bhopal+waits...

The US House passed a bill, HR 1680, which would regulate production, sale and purchase of ammonium nitrate fertilizer that is often used for terrorist bombings.
http://public.cq.com/docs/cqm/cqmidday110-000002611139.html

The American Water Works Association is campaigning to maintain its exemption under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Security program.
http://www.awwa.org/publications/breakingnewsdetail.cfm?itemnumber=30984

A West Virginia court convicted DuPont of wanton, willful and reckless conduct, and ordered the company to pay $196.2 million in punitive damages for its actions at a former zinc-smelting plant. Combined with previous verdicts in earlier phases of the same trial, jury awards against DuPont now total nearly $400 million. DuPont said the verdict could discourage companies from voluntarily cleaning up chemical waste sites. DuPont is appealing the decision to the state supreme court.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/19/business/main3386897.shtml
http://onlinepressroom.net/DuPont/NewsReleases/

Vietnam's National Assembly has passed a new Chemical Law that ensures safety and environmental protection for all chemical-related activities in the country.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/politics/2007/10/751480/
http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/news/261007/domestic_na.htm
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CIM Commercial Facilities
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A detailed contingency plan is helpful, but unless these plans are assessed and updated consistently, they may be outdated when the time comes to use them, and businesses that neglect to audit their contingency plans can face steep fines and penalties for infractions occurred in the event of an emergency.
http://www.todaysfacilitymanager.com/tfm_07_10_profdev.php
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CIM Cybersecurity
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The mortgage process has become increasingly complicated, with personal data passing among independent brokers, financial middlemen, loan officers, investors, and others, increasing the risk of identity fraud and theft.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119309606825767724.html

The number of customers whose personal information was stolen in the TJX case has doubled from a reported 45.7 million customer credit cards compromised to more than 94 million, including 65 million Visa accounts and approximately 29 million MasterCard numbers. This information was gleaned from court filings submitted from banks affected by the data breach.
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/10/25/details_emerge_on_tjx_breach/
http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSN2560111620071025
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/10/tjx-failed-to-n.html
http://www.tjx.com/

US grocery chain Supervalu was the victim of an email scam that tricked the store into depositing more than $10 million into two fraudulent bank accounts, but the FBI detected the fraud before the funds were hidden away.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008939097

Austria has sanctioned the use of Trojans to monitor computers of suspected terrorists and criminals.
http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/97595

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives, held a hearing to review Cybersecurity: A Review of Public and Private Efforts to Secure Our Nation's Internet Infrastructure. Whether by physical or cyber incident, growing dependence on the internet means that a major disruption would have serious and widespread effects, presenting a challenge in public and private cooperation.
http://informationpolicy.oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1565
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-212T

Palestinian militants are using Google Earth to help plan attacks on the Israeli military and other targets.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/25/google.israel

Florida’s Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that a person or company disclosing the results of HIV testing in violation of privacy rights can file suit for damages.
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1192784607475
http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/2007/sc04-1747.pdf
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CIM Dams and Bridges
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Angola and Namibia have pledged to proceed with a huge hydropower project on the Kunene River, which is their common border. A final environmental assessment is pending.
http://www.namibian.com.na/2007/October/national/07C4767332.html

In India, the Naga Peoples' Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) has demanded a review of Mapithel Dam and alleged gross violation of Environment and Forest Acts.
http://www.e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=12..271007.oct07

The Nigerian state of Edo will spend over N200 million on the rehabilitation and maintenance of the Ikpoba River dam, Ugbalo Water Project and Ojierami Dam so that these three major water dams can resume supplying water to different parts of the state.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=802&Itemid=44

Pakistan's North West Frontier Province is reviewing progress of the Kurram-Tangi Dam, including security aspects during construction.
http://thepost.com.pk/NatNewsT.aspx?dtlid=125310&catid=2

The US Army Corps of Engineers will not publish dam flood maps due to alleged homeland security concerns, but Bakersfield California and Tennessee's Wilson County Emergency Management have taken matters into their own hands in order to plan for a dam breach.
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=7269392
http://www.wilsoncountyema.com/wolf_creek_dam.htm
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/269249.html
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CIM Defense Industrial Base
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India is preparing new policies to simplify defense procurement procedures.
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=3130222&C=asiapac

Iraq has formally revoked the immunity from prosecution previously granted private security contractors.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E2FAE25E-EF0D-4175-8097-86E074DE5B46.htm

Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs) may not be practical outside of Iraq.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1019/p03s03-usmi.html

The US Department of State released the Report of the Secretary of State's Panel on Personal Protective services in Iraq. Their key finding is that prompt measures should be taken to strengthen the coordination, oversight, and accountability aspects of State's security practices in Iraq in order to reduce the likelihood that future incidents will occur that adversely affect the overall US mission there. Other recommendations include:
* The Regional Security Office (RSO) should be provided with additional Department of State Special Agents so that an Assistant Regional Security Officer (A/RSO) can accompany PPS movements. The State Department should ensure that each additional A/RSO should complete an Iraq-specific orientation program.
* The RSO should be provided video and audio recording equipment for each security vehicle, audio recording equipment in the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) to record all radio transmissions and computer enhancements to record all Blue Force Tracking data.
* RSO and the Multinational Force in Iraq (MNF-I) should establish a permanent working group to develop commonly agreed operational procedures; establish a robust liaison element; exchange information; ensure optimal situational awareness; and ensure that any issues are discussed and quickly resolved.
* Coordination with MNF-I elements could be further enhanced if the pending order for Harris Corporation Model PRC-110 radios were received. The Department of State should intervene, including with DOD as necessary, to obtain these units.
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/94122.pdf
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/oct/94013.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/23/AR2007102302531.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7059210.stm

State's security chief Richard Griffin resigned a day after a review found that his office had inadequately supervised private contractors protecting US diplomats in Iraq.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/24/AR2007102401429.html

Problems with the booming industry go beyond selected cases in Iraq.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article3098892.ece
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/25/world/middleeast/25blackwater.html
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CIM Emergency Services
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Chemicals pose serious health risks to firefighters worldwide. In Australia, firefighters only recently have been given airsets, and many have developed serious health problems, including high incidence of chemical sensitivity.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/smouldering-dangers-haunt-firefighters/2007/10/22/1192940986364.html

A European Journal of Emergency Medicine survey of health care consumers in Toronto, Canada found a broad consensus for allowing people to jump ahead in the queue for reasons of medical necessity (i.e. pain) but not status (i.e. public official or celebrity), and approximately 50 percent of respondents indicated that they would consider contacting a colleague to improve their position in a queue, and 16 percent had done this
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/071025-3446.asp

In case of an emergency in Baghdad you can dial "122", but emergency workers in the world's most dangerous city have to cope with victims of bombings and shootings, daily medical crises and childbirths, and endless practical hurdles that may make it impossible for them to answer your call.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ig9I8HwrgyEySBa-HggXTIlTRYEA

In New Zealand there are insufficient volunteers and funding to provide fully manned ambulance services in some areas.
http://www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3753336&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

Emergency responders dealing with the wildfires in southern California have asked residents to limit mobile calls. Instead, residents are using text messaging, which requires far less bandwidth.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2007-10-23-TechWildfires_N.htm

California's fires are testing whether emergency response systems have improved since 9/11 and Katrina.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119310424756367957.html

And in Palm Beach, Florida emergency managers plan to work with local clubhouses to distribute antibiotics if needed in a bioterrorism incident.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2007/10/21/s1a_BIOTERROR_1021.html

A noisy parrot that likes to imitate sounds helped save a man and his son from a house fire by mocking a smoke alarm.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gA5ULwqCKkdnAILRlLn0ZhnMCd8wD8SEKING0
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CIM Energy
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International Energy Week: Moscow Energy Dialog is underway in Moscow from 30 October to 2 November.
http://www.minprom.gov.ru/eng/press/events/9
http://www.iea.org/journalists/photos/Tanaka/moscow_oct07/moscow.htm

The Energy Watch Group says that global oil production peaked last year, far earlier than expected, and production will fall by seven percent per annum. Extreme shortages of fossil fuels will cause social unrest and wars.
http://www.energywatchgroup.org/fileadmin/global/pdf/EWG_Press_Oilreport_22-10-2007.pdf

In China, cleaner fuels aren't keeping pace with demand, leaving coal the dominant fuel.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/24/business/24power.php

Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved electricity and fuel cuts against Gaza.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gPa-El8Hu-VAkvKBbod-Wn6uLqbg
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PPGRrUFMXJI

The Kenya Power and Lighting Company is investigating cases of vandalism against power transformers that have caused serious repeated outages. The power company faces serious financial losses from transformer replacement as well as thefts of copper and aluminum conductors.
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=39&newsid=108994

"Conventional Energy Sources and Energy Technology" was adopted in the European Parliament.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/FindByProcnum.do?lang=2&procnum=INI/2007/2091

European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs addressed the topic of EU-Russia energy cooperation during International Energy Week.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/654
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1579

Commissioner Piebalgs also endorsed the work program of Mario Monti, the coordinator of the electrical interconnection between France and Spain through the Pyrenees. The main objective of Monti's work will be to propose solutions that could satisfy all the actors at national but also at regional and local level while fully addressing the need to strengthen the security of energy supply and power interconnections between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1613

Pakistan President Musharraf inaugurated the Sadpara dam, a new power station. He said that coal, hydro, nuclear, and other sources of energy generation will all be used to meet energy needs.
http://www.pakistantimes.net/2007/10/25/top1.htm

Swiss scientists are helping the government of Rwanda to extract potentially lethal methane from Lake Kivu for much needed electricity production, and to reduce the risk of a deadly gas eruption.
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/detail/Researchers_try_to_defuse_African_time_bomb.html?siteSect=105&sid=8308651&cKey=1192213722000&ty=st

British Petroleum subsidiaries in the US will pay a criminal penalty of $100 million, a payment of $25 million to the US Postal Inspection Consumer Fraud Fund, and restitution of approximately $53 million, plus a civil penalty of $125 million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as part of an agreement to defer the prosecution of a charge of conspiring to violate the Commodity Exchange Act and to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. Four former employees have also been indicted on charges of conspiring to manipulate and corner the TET propane market in February 2004, and to sell TET propane at an artificially inflated index price in violation of federal mail and wire fraud statutes, along with substantive violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and wire fraud.
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/October/07_crm_849.html
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/October/fraud-bp-indictment.pdf

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reports that US electricity demand is growing double the pace of new supplies. In the near future this could lead to supply problems.
ftp://www.nerc.com/pub/sys/all_updl/docs/pressrel/10162007_1.pdf

The US Government Accountability Office released three energy-related reports:
"Federal Electricity Subsidies: Information on Research Funding, Tax Expenditures, and Other Activities That Support Electricity Production"
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-102
"Fusion Energy: Definitive Cost Estimates for U.S. Contributions to an International Experimental Reactor and Better Coordinated DOE Research Are Needed"
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-30
"Energy Employees Compensation: Actions to Promote Contract Oversight, Transparency of Labor's Involvement, and Independence of Advisory Board Could Strengthen Program"
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-4
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CIM Government Facilities
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India has promised to provide the same facilities to all soldiers, whether military or paramilitary.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200710241221.htm

The US federal government is the world's largest single owner of facilities, with a total portfolio of more than half a million, but much of this is deteriorating and not aligned with current missions. In "Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies" the National Academies address these issues in detail.
http://books.nap.edu/catalog/12049.html
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CIM Information Technology
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The One Laptop per Child initiative is in sight of becoming a reality. The laptops produced will: have a sunlight-readable display so they can be outside; contain no moving parts; be powered by solar, foot-pump or pull-string powered chargers; and be housed in a waterproof case. Penetration will be aided by an initiative to "give one, get one", in which individuals can purchase two laptops, and have one sent to a child in the developing world.
http://laptop.org/
http://www.unohrlls.org/en/orphan/559/

In recent weeks Korean and European regulators have accused Intel of antitrust violations, but the head of the US Federal Trade Commission has rejected requests from lawmakers, other commissioners, and AMD to investigate anticompetitive practices.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/washington/22ftc.html

The European Commission announced that it will seek a mandate from European Member States to negotiate a new Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) with major trading partners, including the US, Japan, Korea, Mexico and New Zealand. Such an agreement would strengthen efforts to protect European intellectual property around the world, a key part of the EU's Global Europe trade strategy. ACTA’s goal is to provide a high-level international framework that strengthens the global enforcement of intellectual property rights and helps in the fight to protect consumers from the health and safety risks associated with many counterfeit products.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1573

Microsoft has ended its three-year fight to keep Windows closed, and agreed to comply with the European commission's anti-trust ruling.
http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2197106,00.html
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/oct07/10-24MSStatement.mspx
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1567
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/420&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
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CIM National Monuments and Icons
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Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, China, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria and Sweden were each elected to four-year terms during the General Assembly of the 184 States Parties to the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, held in Paris.
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Azerbaijan's director of the Nakhchivan Department of History, Ethnography and Archeology Institute and National Academy of Science of Azerbaijan (NASA) Hajifahraddin Safarli says that Armenian statements of the destruction of a cemetery are groundless, and that, "There has never been monument belonging to Armenians in the territory of Nakhchivan". Armenia wants an investigation.
http://news.trend.az/cgi-bin/readnews2.pl?newsId=1060062&lang=EN

The European Commission has begun legal action against Ireland's failure fully to transpose the EU Environmental Impact Assessment directive into Irish law. Ireland is beginning a review of archaeological practices and hope to avoid instances such as a monument ending up on a major highway.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/1017/tara.html
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/1024/breaking60.htm
http://www.environ.ie/en/Heritage/Archaeology-NationalMonumentsService/News/MainBody,15665,en.htm

The ancient Mexican city of Chichen Itza, once the most important center of the Maya world, has stood in the jungle for more than 1,000 years, and now a land dispute is putting into question the face of archaeological treasures.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1017/p20s01-woam.html?page=1
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CIM Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
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Faced with an acute shortage of uranium to run existing power stations, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd has advanced its maintenance schedule and over the past few weeks, five units amounting were shut down for maintenance.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/231796.html

The French Nuclear Security Authority (ASN) says that Electricite de France's Blayais, Civaux and Golfech nuclear plants in the southwest have an overall satisfactory security level, but must improve operating controls.
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2007/10/26/afx4266357.html

In Japan, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear plant has been closed since July. A small amount of radioactive water leaked, and a control rod is stuck in one of the reactors.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aJqulyPrFI9A
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=a1pnaXLfHYjQ

A Japanese court has rejected a group of citizens that want the four reactors at Hamaoka nuclear power station close. The petitioners fear the danger posed during an earthquake, and will appeal this verdict.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-30169820071026
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20071027TDY01303.htm
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20071027TDY04305.htm

Volvo's truck business has signed an energy agreement with Vattenfall that specifies no electricity generated from nuclear power will be supplied.
http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=1652919

Of Britain's 16 nuclear power reactors, seven have been shut down due to breakdowns and maintenance. Five more nuclear inspectors are needed lest plans for new reactors are put on hold.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7058185.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/oct/24/nuclearpower.energy

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is investigating the case of a North Carolina, train carrying radioactive waste derailing at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant.
http://www.progress-energy.com/aboutus/news/article.asp?id=17362
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2007/10/22/daily43.html
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CIM Postal and Shipping
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James Bond has kept Britain safe from the world's villains for years. But now the spy has a new role — helping deliver the nation's letters.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2007/10/22/noindex/nbond122.xml
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CIM Public Health and Healthcare
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has released the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth. This is the first internationally agreed upon classification code for assessing the health of children and youth in the context of their stages of development and the environments in which they live.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr59/en/index.html

Ontario, Canada home-care systems are stretched to the limit, as the number of clients has jumped 75 percent over the past four years, while funding has risen 30 per cent.
http://www.thestar.com/article/269098

The European Commission adopted a Health Strategy setting out the direction for Community Health action in the years to come. The White Paper, "Together for Health – A Strategic Approach for the EU, 2008-2013" establishes a broad cross-policy framework to respond to a wide range of health challenges in a comprehensive and coherent way. It provides for concrete new actions aiming, among other things, to strengthen European defenses against health threats, to increase prevention and early diagnosis of cancer and to equip citizens with the tools they need to make informed decisions about their health. Overall, the strategy aims to help foster good health in an ageing Europe, to protect the European Union’s citizens against health threats and to support dynamic health systems.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1571

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) voiced concern about reports from the Gaza Strip that a shortage of anesthetics, caused by Israeli import restrictions, has resulted in the closure of surgery rooms and health-care centers. Closures also prevent people with emergency health conditions to leave the Gaza Strip to obtain medical care elsewhere.
http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article3098894.ece

As the number of cholera cases in Senegal this year tops 2,000, Red Cross and UN officials say not enough has changed since a huge epidemic two years ago that affected more than 30,000 people and killed 450.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=74913

Scotland plans to abolish all prescription charges.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/22/nscot122.xml
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/health/reports-06/her06-01-00.htm

Hospitals across the US continue to struggle with wrong-site surgeries and other surgical errors, despite policies implemented in the 1990s requiring medical staff to mark the surgical site on the patient's body, verify patient names, and other tasks. The Joint Commission recently urged professional groups to promote prevention policies and procedures as the best way their members can prevent surgical errors in hospitals, and encouraged hospitals to adopt zero tolerance policies for staff members that fail to follow procedure. http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/articles/2007/10/26/surgical_mistakes_persist_in_bay_state/
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CIM Telecommunications
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The International Telecommunication Union opened the World Radiocommunication Conference, to examine the worldwide use of radio frequencies and meet the global demand for spectrum. The forum runs through 16 November.
http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2007/31.html

The Open Mobile Terminal Alliance (OMTP) has published its white paper on handset security, which promotes the Application Security Framework.
http://www.omtp.org/pdf/presentations_whitepapers/OMTP%20Security%20Whitepaper.pdf
http://www.omtp.org/recommendations_papers/publications_security.html
http://www.omtp.org/recommendations_papers/publications_tro.html

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with NASA, plans to procure the next generation of geostationary operational environmental satellites, called the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R series (GOES-R), which is considered critical to US ability to maintain the continuity of data required for weather forecasting through 2028. In " Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites: Progress Has Been Made, but Improvements Are Needed to Effectively Manage Risks", the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommends steps to ensure that the program effectively manages and mitigates risk.
http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2002
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-18
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-183T

Verizon Communications, the second-largest US telecom company, told congressional investigators that it has provided customers' telephone records to federal authorities in emergency cases without court orders hundreds of times since 2005.
http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110nr106.shtml
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/15/AR2007101501857.html
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CIM Transportation
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Barbados is amending the 2004 Civil Aviation Act to tighten airport security, prevent explosives from getting onto aircraft, and increasing fines for failure to license aircraft.
http://www.nationnews.com/story/308013043606125.php
http://www.cbc.bb/content/view/13019/10/

The European Commission adopted new rules for more interoperability between air traffic management (ATM) systems in Europe. This aims to set common technical and procedural rules and thereby remove barriers to the harmonized use of ATM systems. The new legislation complements three Regulations adopted this year and last year in order to modernize air traffic management systems within the Single European Sky.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1616

India's Ministry of Civil Aviation reviewed aviation security issues at IGI Airport, including access control, background checks, and other measures.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/27/stories/2007102761271300.htm
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=32230

Abu Dhabi International Airport has implemented new security measures in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the directives of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2007/October/theuae_October706.xml&section=theuae

US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) administer Kip Hawley vowed to take long-overdue steps to improve security at the hundreds of overseas repair shops that work on US airplanes.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-10-15-tsa_N.htm
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1907

US security agencies have warned of possible shoe bomb threats on planes.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/25/eveningnews/main3412587.shtml
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2635505120071026
http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/statement_shoes.shtm

In response to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) call for action, the aviation community has completed significant short-term actions to improve safety at US airports, ranging from marking upgrades to training.
http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=9812
http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=9872
http://www.ntsb.gov/speeches/rosenker/mvr071023.html.

NASA is withholding results from an unprecedented national survey of pilots that found safety problems like near collisions and runway interference occur far more frequently than the government previously recognized. Congress and the public are demanding the results be released.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-10-22-air-safety_N.htm
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/10/25/218890/nasa-refusal-to-release-safety-data-creates-controversy.html
http://www.abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=3765351
http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-10-25-voa34.cfm
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/25/opinion/ednasa.php

The US Senate Homeland Security Committee held a hearing on terrorist screening. Committee members are concerned with numerous vulnerabilities in the watch list, and the problem of the federal government lacking a strategy, an implementation plan, or clear lines of authority and responsibility.
http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=497
http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=1573&Month=10&Year=2007&Affiliation=C
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-110

European Commission member responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Joe Borg discussed issues of Europe's integrated Maritime Policy.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/648
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/646
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/645

The US Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard have released "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower," a unified maritime strategy that explains the comprehensive role of the sea services in an era marked by increased globalization and change. This is the first time a unified maritime strategy has been signed by all three of the sea services.
http://www.navy.mil/maritime/MaritimeStrategy.pdf

The International Maritime Bureau has outstanding piracy alerts regarding the Chittagong anchorage in Bangladesh and Iran's Shatt Al Arab river.
http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php
http://www.icc-ccs.org/main/all_piracy_al.php

More than $90 million of steel - including safety clips - has been stolen from Mozambique's national railways. The steel is resold in scrap yards
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=322682

In the US state of North Carolina, train cars carrying radioactive waste derailed at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant.
http://www.progress-energy.com/aboutus/news/article.asp?id=17362
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/751326.html
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/10/toxic_train.html

The US House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism and the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight, held a hearing on The Future of Border Security: Can SBInet Succeed? Already the Secure Border Initiative is harming trade and freedom of movement.
http://homeland.house.gov/hearings/index.asp?ID=96
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-131T
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/21/us/21border.html
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CIM Water
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Speaking at the opening of the exhibit on water and f sanitation, organized by the American Museum of Natural History and the UN Department of Public Information, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for greater efforts to ensure the most basic of human needs: safe water and adequate sanitation.
http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2811

A paper published by researchers from IIT-Delhi and Jamia Milia Islamia has claimed that the Indian government has overestimated the utilizable water resources of the country by up to 88 percent and India had breached its water security levels way back in 1997-98 by overexploiting the resource.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Govt_overestimated_water_availability/articleshow/2493862.cms

Since the 1970s, Mauritania's capital city Nouakchott has been growing explosively and today a million people call the scruffy, ramshackle city's collection of tin-roofed shacks and rough concrete buildings home. The sanitation system has not kept up with the demand, and the Mauritanian capital often looks more like an open garbage dump than the country's showcase city, but the new government is starting to tackle to problem of waste management.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=74906

The American Water Works Association is campaigning to maintain its exemption under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Security program.
http://www.watertechonline.com/news.asp?N_ID=68446

In the southern US, Alabama, Florida and Georgia are in the midst of a water war over drought-stricken areas and water sharing.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1022/p02s01-ussc.html
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/10/25/governors_1026.html
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/10/23/drought_1024.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ab62c4a0-81a5-11dc-9b6f-0000779fd2ac.html

Concerns about Chicago's drinking water surfaced Monday after guards employed by a private security company were found asleep and removed from the city's two water filtration plants.
http://www.nbc5.com/news/14394609/detail.html
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/615134,CST-NWS-water23.article
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/616804,CST-NWS-water24.article

6. Disaster Reduction Monitor

Natural and manmade events are inevitable, but they need not become disasters. Subscribers to the monthly Disaster Reduction Monitor learn from past incidents to prevent future disasters. It includes analysis of historical events, emerging risks and risk mitigation, and features new techniques to address disaster reduction, ranging from technical advances to regulatory best practices and micro-finance.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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DRM Incidents
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Spanish officials found one survivor and seven bodies in a boat en route from Cape Verde to the Canary Islands that had originally carried more than 50 African migrants.

A Chinese shoe factory in southern Fujian province caught fire, killing 37 of the 56 workers inside, while 19 were injured, several critically.

An unlicensed fireworks factory in China's southwestern Chonqing province suffered an explosion that killed at least 16 and injured 15 or more.

At least 17 people have died and more than 80 have been injured in raging wildfires burning across southern California. Nearly a million people have been displaced. There is an estimated $1.6 billion in insured property damage. More than 27,000 acres have been destroyed, including 1,300 homes and a hundred commercial structures. California has been declared a major fire disaster.

A fire in an Australian gold mine trapped 54 miners underground for several hours but all were rescued unharmed.
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DRM Response and Recovery
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Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) has determined that the Garuda crash at Yogyakarta airport this year, in which 21 people died, was due to the pilot's error in landing too fast and too steeply. In addition to the pilot - who ignored numerous warnings - the co-pilot, airline, airport operator, and Indonesian civil aviation authority were criticized. Criminal charges may follow. Evidence gathered was not provided to the police or the public, angering relatives of the victims.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/10/24/218837/garuda-crash-report-criticises-pilots-airport-and-regulator.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/general/garuda-crash-evidence-kept-secret/2007/10/22/1192940986444.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/garuda-pilots-face-sack-prosecution/2007/10/23/1192941064786.html

Wireless networks and social networking systems have become an important tool in helping southern California respond to wildfires.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2007-10-23-TechWildfires_N.htm?csp=DailyBriefing

California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has provided some basic guidelines to ensure that fire recovery is not affected by fraud. The Identity Theft Resource Center, based in San Diego, has also issued advice regarding potential identity theft situations that could arise from the fires.
http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0100-press-releases/0060-2007/release057-07.cfm
http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0100-consumers/0060-information-guides/0040-residential/upload/Home-Inventory-Guide.pdf
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/artman2/publish/headlines/Scam_Alert_Southern_California_Residents.shtml

Risk and Insurance has released the second part in its "World Trade Center In-Depth Series". "The Disease Within" discusses the unprecedented level of workers' compensation claims, and the difficulties that lawyers, unions, and legislators face while trying to find the money to pay out claims to rescue workers and volunteers suffering the after effects of the time they spent working at Ground Zero. Flaws in the workers' compensation system mean that much of this money will have to come from federal grants, liability awards, and disability pensions, and little has been forthcoming.
http://www.riskandinsurance.com/story.jsp?storyId=31723035
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DRM Risks
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AIR Worldwide has released a new typhoon model for China.
http://www.air-worldwide.com/_public/html/newsitem.asp?ID=1351

On the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, Mount Soputan volcano has erupted, but the weak ash spray did not to pose an immediate threat to residents, who were told to wear a mask to prevent respiratory problems. A more serious threat is posed by Mount Kelud, where thousands of villagers have been displaced, many forcibly. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited the displaced, and stayed with them on Wednesday night. Despite the volcano remaining at the highest alert level, the absence of an eruption has made it difficult to convinced the displaced to stay away from their homes and crops. Some 350,000 people live within 10 kilometers of the volcano, growing coffee, sugar cane, pineapples and papayas in the rich volcanic soil. This is harvest season for coffee and cloves.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUKJAK218686._CH_.242020071025
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSJAK86822
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2CDBE348-7A65-448A-87AD-8E682544787D.htm
http://africa.reuters.com/world/news/usnJAK156560.html

The wildfires in southern California pose an increasing problem because the fires themselves are hotter, faster, and more erratic than in the past.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1024/p01s04-usgn.html
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DRM Mitigation
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US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, Ranking Member Susan Collins, and Chairman of the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, Mary Landrieu responded on Monday to the proposed National Response Framework (NRF) being prepared by the Department of Homeland Security. In a letter to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, the influential senators thanked DHS for working toward the Committee’s recommendation to make the National Response Plan clearer and more accessible to users, but they are concerned about whether DHS is properly implementing the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Act of 2006; the lack of a clear chain of command; the process by which the NRF was developed; and the ongoing need for proper operational plans.
http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=PressReleases.View&PressRelease_id=1571&Affiliation=C

In California, many safety features had been incorporated into planning and building code changes after 1993 fired, but these rules vary among towns and jurisdictions, and a more aggressive approach is being called for, including insurers beginning to re-evaluate their own policies in providing wildfire coverage.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-saved24oct24,1,1209821.story?coll=la-headlines-frontpage
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1675261,00.html

The California Building Standards Commission in July approved standards recommended by the state fire marshal for buildings in fire hazard zones. The rules come into force in January 2008.
http://www.bsc.ca.gov/

US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mitigation experts went to Texas to provide information to protect homes affected by tropical storm Erin from future damage, addressing such issues as:
*  Effective techniques for cleaning up mold
* Relocating electrical systems above potential floodwater
* Elevating heating, cooling and water systems
* Installing backflow valves to prevent sewer backup
* The availability and benefits of flood insurance
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=41490

7. Recommended Reading

Although we have heard much recently about the faults of private security contractors in Iraq sometimes the danger lies in one's own backyard.

At the beginning of October the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) set 9 October for a public meeting with plant manager Exelon to discuss the results of their inspection of security issues at the Peach Bottom nuclear power station. On the 19th, NRC issued the following press release:

"The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has issued a letter to Exelon confirming the company’s plans to address concerns related to the security program for the Peach Bottom nuclear power plant.  Exelon operates the two-reactor plant, which is located in Delta (York County), Pennsylvania. Known as a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL), it is being issued to the company to emphasize and confirm its agreement to take certain actions in response to inattentiveness on the part of some security officers at Peach Bottom.  The company’s actions include: detailed briefings to security force personnel on acceptable behavior; round-the-clock supervisory oversight of security activities at the plant; and keeping the NRC informed of the status of the Peach Bottom transition from a contractor security force to one that is run by Exelon. 'This CAL is intended to confirm the continuation of Exelon’s short-term response to the inattentive security officer situation.  The NRC’s reviews are ongoing and we will not hesitate, if needed, to seek additional actions to ensure the security program is functioning as required', NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins said. The commitments contained in the letter will remain in effect until the NRC has reviewed Exelon’s root cause analysis of the security program issues, the company’s corrective actions and implementation schedule, and the company’s method for assessing the effectiveness of the corrective actions. On Sept. 20, the NRC sent an eight-member Augmented Inspection Team (AIT) to Peach Bottom to look into information that security officers at the facility may have been inattentive while on duty.  The inspection was concluded on Sept. 28 and a public meeting with Exelon held in Delta on Oct. 9 to provide preliminary results of that review.  Among other things, the inspection confirmed that multiple security guards were inattentive on multiple occasions and that Exelon and Wackenhut, the contract security force provider, missed opportunities to identify such behavior.  However, the inspection team also found that security at the plant was not significantly degraded as a result and that Exelon took prompt action to address inattentiveness issues once they were identified. The NRC plans to conduct a follow-up review to assess Exelon’s root cause analysis and corrective actions.  The team inspection is tentatively scheduled for early November. Consideration of appropriate enforcement measures will be undertaken upon completion of the NRC reviews.
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2007/07-053.i.html
http://www.pseg.com/companies/nuclear/peachbottom.jsp
http://www.exeloncorp.com/ourcompanies/powergen/nuclear/peach_bottom_atomic_power_station.htm
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/peach_bottom.html


This came a year after the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) had informed Exelon about security lapses at the Peach Bottom plant, including sleeping guards. This situation attracted widespread publicity, and Exelon subsequently terminated their security contract with Wackenhut. This was not an isolated incident: security guards were found sleeping at nuclear power plants in Limerick and Three Mile Island, both in Pennsylvania and operated by Exelon Corporation, which still contracts Wackenhut for security.
http://www.seiu.org/media/pressreleases.cfm?pr_id=1151
http://www.seiu.org/media/pressreleases.cfm?pr_id=1483
http://www.seiu.org/media/pressreleases.cfm?pr_id=1485


SEIU also launched the EyesOnWackenhut web site to help private security customers make an informed decision in selecting a security contractor. Note its links to articles about the sleeping guard incidents.
http://www.eyeonwackenhut.com/


Congressional hearings, numerous inspection and audit reports, independent inquiries, news reports, and a whistleblower found repeated lapses, errors, and performance problems.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/10/our-view-on-nuc.html
http://governmentmanagement.oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1407
http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/210624
http://www.al.com/opinion/press-register/index.ssf?/base/opinion/119330381717810.xml&coll=3
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-388
http://www.ig.energy.gov/documents/CalendarYear2000/ig-0487.pdf
http://www.ig.energy.gov/documents/CalendarYear2004/ig-0636.pdf
http://www.ig.energy.gov/documents/CalendarYear2005/ig-0674.pdf
http://www.ig.energy.gov/documents/IG-0741.pdf
http://www.miamiherald.com/456/story/279815.html
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/patriotnews/article250787.ece
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/statehouse/article244114.ece
http://www.solanconews.com/Gov/Articles/2007/071003_NRC_peachbottom.htm
http://www.ydr.com/newsfull/ci_7173797


This week, Wackenhut set out a New Strategic Direction for its Nuclear Services Division, as laid out in the following press release:


PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wackenhut Corporation, the leading security services provider, announced today a new strategic direction for its nuclear services division following an in-depth assessment that was initiated approximately 10 months ago with the change in executive leadership. This assessment involved a detailed look at industry requirements and its current service delivery model.

"We have witnessed and experienced a growing gap between the needs of the nuclear industry and the delivery of contract security services -- both those we provide and those of our competitors," said Eric Wilson, President of Wackenhut Nuclear Services. "Our business has unfortunately evolved into a staff-augmentation model which, based upon our new assessment, can no longer adequately support the delivery of world-class security solutions as expected by today's nuclear plant executives and regulators."

Wackenhut's assessment confirms that although minimum regulatory requirements were always met, prior to 9/11 oversight groups did not always hold plant security to full nuclear model standards. In the pre 9/11 world, security programs were viewed as ancillary and "compliance based;" the security workforce represented a relatively small proportion of station staffing; and, security providers were not well aligned with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering and other station functions. All of this changed following 9/11. Today, security service providers must manage to higher standards and are subject to ever-growing regulatory requirements (e.g., Interim Compensatory Measures (ICM), Access Authorization (AA) Orders, a new Fatigue Rule, a new Design Basis Threat (DBT), Security Plan revisions, etc.). Today's security workforce represents a much larger share of station staffing and to be effective must be closely aligned with station operations.

"Our conclusion," says Wilson, "was that we needed to fundamentally re-think our business model to respond to our customer's evolving needs. As a result, we will be moving from a traditional 'cost plus' business model to one focused on the provision of security solutions under a Strategic Alliance model similar to that adopted by leading Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) suppliers."

Key components of Wackenhut's new strategic direction for its nuclear services include:

* An uncompromised commitment to quality and to leadership in the regulated security industry
* Mutual planning, shared responsibilities, and a full recognition and reconciliation of costs and service trade-offs
* Emphasis on a 'continuous quality improvement culture' through professional training and leadership development
* Promotion of a single nuclear industry culture with our customers
*  Improved integration of security operations with key station operating functions (e.g., operations, maintenance, engineering, etc.)
* Clear accountability for results and the establishment of outcome-based performance measures

Wackenhut Nuclear Services (WNS) will be renamed, Regulated Security Solutions (RSS), to represent this new strategic direction. "We knew we had to take this new strategic direction several months ago when the results of our industry assessment were first evaluated. The recent incident of inattentiveness at Peach Bottom as well as impending rule changes by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) only confirm that this is the right course of action," said Wilson.

"For us, this is a question of leadership. The commercial nuclear power industry and the public at large expect and deserve the highest level of security. In order to respond and deliver in today's new environment, we must provide solutions that are sustainable and service that is geared toward achieving optimum outcomes," Wilson said. He added, "Our new model will ensure that our customers are able to focus their full attention on power generation while we focus on our core competency which is the delivery of world-class security solutions. In the end, we believe that the Strategic Alliance Model will prove to be the most effective and least costly alternative for our customers."

About the Wackenhut Corporation

The Wackenhut Corporation is the leading provider of security and security-related services in the U.S. With operations across the country, Wackenhut has the expertise and the resources to meet its customers' requirements for quality security, training, consulting and investigative services. Wackenhut is the employer of choice to more than 38,000 men and women, many of whom have proudly served in the military or have had law enforcement careers. Additional information about Wackenhut is available on its Web site at http://www.wackenhut.com.

SOURCE Wackenhut
http://www.g4s.com/usw/usw-services-nuclear.htm

8. Asset Management Network News

For those of you in or around Boston on 1 November, we are sponsoring a unique program that may be of interest. Here are the details:

Anything, Anytime, Anywhere: 21st Century Interactions
1 November 2007
7:30 am registration; 8 am-12 am Keynote Speech and Panel Discussion; 12am-1 pm networking lunch buffet
Location: British Consulate, 1 Memorial Drive, 15th floor, Cambridge MA (Photo ID required)

The future is here in a world of video, voice, data, and services delivered in any format and on any device you designate, anywhere in the world. Over the course of the past year, this new reality has been addressed across MTLC clusters. Technology companies offering SOA and SAAS demonstrated how these highly distributed applications offer the foundation for delivering services. CSID/RFID looked at remote sensors and their application for identifying the counterfeit drugs that so concern Life Sciences. Financial Services held a series of meetings in which managing a highly regulated investment portfolio via mobile phone was at one end, and providing peer-to-peer payments in social networking environments at the other. Robots in the battlefield met telemedicine to solve some of the most serious healthcare problems in their most challenging environments.

This session brings all of these experiences and best practices together with a combination of peer-to-peer discussion and interactive demonstrations. It features a Keynote Address by Sharon Gillett, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable, and will look to the future of global communications and services in a world without boundaries or borders.

We will then return to the here and now with a panel discussion among industry and technology experts responsible for implementing current and future Anytime Anywhere solutions:
Moderator:
* Mike Barrett, Managing Partner, Critical Mass
Panelists:
* Joe Barboza, CEO, Cyphermint
* Brenda Horn, Senior Manager, Enterprise Strategic Planning, Raytheon
David Kopans, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Fat Spaniel
* Walter Kuketz, CTO, Collaborative Consulting
* Doug McClure, Corporate Manager for Technology Services, Partners Telemedicine
* Carol Rose, Executive Director, ACLU-Mass

The panel will address such questions as:
* Thinking both globally and locally, where does your industry and your company fall in the anything, anytime, anywhere space?
* Is anytime anywhere an operational necessity or a strategic advantage?
* What approaches are you taking to address regulatory, privacy, and security issues?
* Are there established or emerging best practices in business or technology?
* How do you define and meet customer and employee expectations, a generation at a time?
* Where are the opportunities for Massachusetts in the global market?
* What is your favorite wireless toy? What do you think will be your future favorite?

Register online at
http://www.masstlc.org
Cost: Members and TAMNI subscribers $50.00; Non-members $100.00

If you have any questions, send along an email, and it will be forwarded to the appropriate party.

And, if you can't join us on the day, don't despair! The event will be available via podcast.

HOW TO CONTACT US:

Please contact us with your questions or comments by sending email to editor@terrorismcentral.com.

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Editorial Team
TerrorismCentral

All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2007 by The Asset Management Network Inc.

DISCLAIMER: This publication is made available with the understanding that it does not provide legal or other professional services. Although we have used sources we believe to be reliable and every effort has been taken to ensure accuracy of information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy, completeness, or usefulness. The opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The Asset Management Network Inc. The Asset Management Network Inc. is not responsible for the content of external websites. Mention of such websites does not imply endorsement. The Asset Management Network Inc. specifically disclaims any liability or loss which is incurred as a consequence, direct or indirect, of the use or application of this publication.

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