TerrorismCentral Newsletter
-- For the week ending January 6, 2008 --

This is the last edition of this Newsletter in this format. Please refer to section 8, Asset Management Network New, for more details. News coverage this week begins with more deadly bombings in Algeria, and ends with highlights of 2007, in Recommended Reading. In between, you will read of the failed hostage rescue attempt in Colombia, money laundering among Zimbabwe's banks, the black eye the US got in privacy ratings, tests of anti-missile systems for passenger planes, celebrity do-gooders, and many other topics.

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 Israel, the Jerusalem District Court convicted Firas Asila of money laundering for transferring $390,000 from an unnamed Arab country to former legislator Azmi Bishara.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/939796.html

An international expert in the trade in blood diamonds will be the first witness to testify at the war crimes trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor when it resumes Monday.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/01/06/taylor.trial.ap/index.html

Hassan Khattab, leader of Ansar el Mehdi ("Mehdi Partisans") was jailed in Morocco for 25 years, and 49 other members received terms of between two and 25 years, for collecting money to finance terrorism, and for planning bombings and robberies.
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN532261.html

Swiss authorities have dropped a 6-year investigation into Saudi businessman Yasin al-Qadi, who was alleged to have used Swiss bank accounts to transfer funds of over $1 million to individuals tied to al Qaeda. However, attention has turned to Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/27/europe/EU-GEN-Switzerland-Terror-Investigation.php
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-zardari4jan04,1,1135126.story

In a Middleton UK court, John David Joyce was sentenced to 17 months in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of money laundering. His girlfriend Stephanie Taylor was given a 12-month conditional discharge after pleading guilty to one charge of money laundering. His actions were associated with fraudulent earnings.
http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/News/news.asp?ID=5374

Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega's battle against extradition to France to face money laundering charges will resume next week after federal district judge Paul Huck set 9 January for the hearing.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jcTrmgK4ZqTTsgkcGT-0bQg3FYig

Daniel L. Prewett is back in federal custody in the US, nine months after the former Sarasota, Florida, investment company owner fled to Italy to avoid a federal money laundering
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080105/NEWS/801050456

Alan M. Ralsky, Scott K. Bradley, Judy M. Devenow, John S. Bown, William C. Neil, Anki K. Neil, James E. Bragg, James E. Fite, Peter Severa, How Wai John Hui, and Francis A. Tribble have been indicted in an international spamming and stock fraud scheme. The indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy, fraud in connection with electronic mail, computer fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, criminal asset forfeiture, and making false statements to law enforcement.
http://detroit.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel08/de010308.htm

The grand rabbi of a Brooklyn, New York-based Orthodox Jewish group - Naftali Tzi Weisz - and five other men accused in a tax fraud and money laundering scheme pleaded not guilty.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/01/01/america/NA-GEN-US-Rabbi-Plea.php

Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari is charged with accepting an unspecified amount of money to transfer $152,000 that he believed was being sent to Pakistan and Afghanistan to support the camp. He pleaded not guilty to terrorism financing charges in New York court, claiming his dealings were solely for personal enrichment. http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080104/NEWS02/801040340/1023/NEWS07
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7198838,00.html

Texas prosecutors are charging Mauricio Celis with money laundering and other charges connected with Mexican drug trafficking.
http://www.caller.com/news/2008/jan/05/state-raids-office-of-celis/
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AML/CFT Legislation and Regulation
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This article discusses money laundering in Armenia:
http://armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&AID=2726&CID=2683&IID=&lng=eng

Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko said the US ambassador would be expelled, and trade in US dollars banned if Washington broadens sanctions against the country.
http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/belarus/belarus.shtml
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/30/europe/belarus.php

The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), a federal agency that analyzes financial transactions for potential signs of money laundering and terrorist financing, will be able to levy fines in 2008 and operate under new disclosure rules.
http://www.economicnews.ca/login.php?page=reportsDetails&newsid=37832&prevview=&view=details&country=&plimit=0&category=All%20Economic%20Reports

Gibraltar published revised anti-money-laundering guidance notes.
http://www.surinenglish.com/noticias.php?Noticia=11973

Nearly 90 Member States have reported to the UN Security Council committee monitoring sanctions imposed against Iran.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sc9205.doc.htm

In Nepal, the Kathmandu police have set up a separate Cyber Cell to address cyber crimes including online scams for laundering money..
http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=131951

Asian Development Bank (ADB) will assist State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to strengthen the anti-money laundering regime including effective consolidation of AML/Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT) monitoring and analytical measures within a single financial intelligence unit.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C05%5Cstory_5-1-2008_pg5_1

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) of the Philippines has reported more than $10 million of funds in banks and insurance proceeds frozen from January to November last year.
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_world.php?id=306107

Rwanda's money laundering law is still in parliament.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200801020556.html

Trinidad and Tobago's Central Bank Governor, Ewart Williams, says that there is great disparity among banks in the islands with regard to the level of preparation and commitment to implement robust anti-money laundering strategies.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/businessday/0,70797.html

Many recruiters, in the view of HMRC and HM Treasury, now fall within the regulated sector for the purposes of Anti-Money Laundering legislation.
http://www.onrec.com/newsstories/19762.asp

St Helena's Attorney General has published a Money Laundering Bill for public consultation.
http://www.sartma.com/art_4876.html

The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) enhanced due diligence (EDD) provisions will apply to correspondent accounts for certain foreign banks established on or after 5 February 2008. On 5 May EDD provisions will apply to all applicable correspondent accounts, including those established prior to February 2008.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-15467.pdf

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has directed banks - some of which were found to have been working with so-called cash barons - to adhere to Zimbabwe's anti-money laundering laws and report any suspicious transactions
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=84&art_id=nw20080103085806189C503685
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-1662_2245909,00.html
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AML/CFT Modalities
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Paraguay's role in the tri-border area adjacent to Argentina and Brazil has led to suspicion that the country is a financial hub for terrorism and organized crime.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nypara275522656jan02,0,1336126.story

An online banking scam in India involves using unsuspecting people are made to transfer stolen money for fraudsters, in what is being called a money mule operation. In a money mule operation, the fraudster first steals bank account details of unwary customers through phishing then has the money transferred to his account by a third person. Once a mule transfers the money into the fraudsters account, usually in a different country, the money is withdrawn and the account closed.
http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14582174

The 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate, a ruthless and mysterious network of 155 families born in the rough hills here in southern Italy's Calabria region, now dominates the European drug trade. By establishing direct ties with Colombian producers and building a multibillion-dollar empire that spans five continents, the syndicate has metamorphosed into one of the craftiest criminal gangs in the world.
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fg-mafia27dec27,0,2007165.story

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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The World Bank’s Department of Institutional Integrity (INT) released "Improving Development Outcomes: Fiscal Year 2007 Annual Integrity Report". It describes the bank's contributions to the global fight against corruption in 2007, with a 25 percent increase in closed investigations from the previous fiscal year, the launch of a Voluntary Disclosure Program to deter private-sector corruption, and agreement on a coordinated approach to rooting out corruption among the International Financial Institutions.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21590415~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been honored for its anti-corruption work.
http://www.oecd.org/document/50/0,3343,en_2649_201185_39805106_1_1_1_1,00.html

The OECD Working Group on Bribery has called on Brazil rapidly to amend its legislation to make companies directly liable for the payment of bribes to foreign public officials, and to ensure that effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions are applicable. They also recommend that Brazil be more proactive in detecting, investigating and prosecuting cases of foreign bribery; clarify that tax rules prohibit the deductibility of bribes to foreign public officials; strengthen its efforts to raise awareness about the fight against foreign bribery in both the public and private sector; and boost the existing law enforcement resources dedicated to fighting complex economic crimes.
http://www.oecd.org/document/43/0,3343,en_2649_201185_39802475_1_1_1_1,00.html

Transparency International launched the Corruption Risk Analysis for Southern Africa. http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2007/nis_africa

On December 27, 2007, Nigeria's Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro ordered Nuhu Ribadu, the head of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to resign his office to attend a one-year course of study at a Nigerian policy institute. The removal of the anti-corruption removal has been widely condemned, and undermines the independence of anti-corruption agencies as well as entrenching the impunity enjoyed by many Nigerian public officials. Pro-democracy and human rights groups are calling on the government to reverse its decision.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4087&Itemid=42
http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4086&Itemid=42
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/04/AR2008010403511.html
http://allafrica.com/stories/200801030227.html
http://allafrica.com/stories/200801030272.html
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/01/01/nigeri17671.htm
http://allafrica.com/stories/200712310755.html
http://www.efccnigeria.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1858

Romania is the leading source of organized fraud on eBay, so the company has sent a team to help authorities there combat the cyber-scourge.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ebay26dec26,0,2735131.story

In Thailand, the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) Office of Special Criminal Cases reports that an increase in fraud is expected in 2008 due to poor economic performance. DSI pointed to fraudulent internet offers, through which investors lost some five million baht.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/12/31/national/national_30060741.php

AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline have been instructed to provide confidential papers to the UK Serious Fraud Office as part of its investigation concerning bribes supposedly paid to Saddam Hussein's former Iraqi regime under the Oil-for-Food program. Eli Lilly is also implicated.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a6349ca2-b741-11dc-aa38-0000779fd2ac.html
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/health/article3111693.ece
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/12/31/cneli131.xml

The Honest Leadership And Open Government Act Of 2007 was passed to "provide more rigorous requirements with respect to disclosure and enforcement of lobbying laws and regulations, and for other purposes".  Lack of enforcement and delays in key provisions aside, lobbyists are already finding loopholes in the law.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695241137,00.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/03/america/03lobby.php
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.02316:
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/g_three_sections_with_teasers/lobbyingdisc.htm
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ETM Economies and Financial Systems
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The conservative Heritage Foundation released the 2007 Index of Economic Freedom.
http://www.heritage.org/index/

Note the Economist Intelligence Unit report "Heading for the Rocks", which addresses financial turmoil following the subprime mortgage crisis.
http://www.eiu.com/site_info.asp?info_name=heading_for_the_rocks

When the Taliban regime lost power in 2002, it left a devastated country behind. With no functioning banking system, Afghanistan's entire economy was financed by informal moneylenders. The World Bank, the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), and the donors that followed, seized the opportunity to establish a model microfinance industry. Four years later, microfinance is thriving despite deteriorating security.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/0,,contentMDK:21590188~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:223547,00.html

Political turmoil in Kenya threatens the country's once stable economy. Depending on the country's response, this is likely to pose only a short-term risk.
http://www.nasdaq.com//aspxcontent/newsstory.aspx?textpath=20080104\ACQDJON200801041733DOWJONESDJONLINE000733.htm

From 1 January all public companies in Norway must ensure that at least 40 percent of their board directors are women. About 75 out of the 480 or so companies it affects have not yet complied, and unless they act by the end of February they face legal consequence that could include dissolution. Prior to this law, seven percent of board directors were female. This has now risen to 36 percent, the highest in the world. Across Europe the average is nine percent. In the US the Fortune 500 has an average of 15 percent.

Before the law was proposed, about 7% of board members in Norway were female, according to the Centre for Corporate Diversity. The number has since jumped to 36%. That is far higher than the average of 9% for big companies across Europe—11% for Britain's FTSE 100—or America's 15% for the Fortune 500. Norway's stock exchange and its main business lobby oppose the law, as do many businessmen. “I am against quotas for women or men as a matter of principle,” says Sverre Munck, head of international operations at Schibsted, a media firm. “Board members of public companies should be chosen solely on the basis of merit and experience,” he says. Several firms have even given up their public status in order to escape the new law.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aS.J0gCborKs&refer=europe
http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10431105
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/yvonne_roberts/2008/01/a_crack_in_the_glass_ceiling.html
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ETM Environment and Climate Change
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California and 15 other states have sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its decision to prevent California from adopting its own, stronger, car emissions standards.
http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/release.php?id=1514
http://ag.ca.gov/cms_attachments/press/pdfs/n1514_epapetition-1.pdf
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-epa3jan03,0,6039527.story
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/us/03suit.html

Nevada is one of 24 states that have mandated that a portion of electricity is derived from renewable sources. Even the city of Las Vegas, known for its bright lights and 24-hour operations, is becoming more environmentally aware. A new solar thermal plant in the desert supplies peak power to the city, and other solar and geothermal power projects are planned, with production expected to quadruple in the next few years.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1228/p01s02-wogi.html

Energy Northwest is giving up on plans to filter certain carbon-dioxide emissions underground at its recommended Pacific Mountain Energy Center outside of Kalama, Washington, after the public-power coalition announced it could not guarantee it would be able to obtain carbon and keep it in rock formations, as well as other complications.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/story/9540855p-9452083c.html
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ETM Human Rights
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In " Libya: Rights at Risk", Human Rights Watch reports that despite some improvements in recent years, in Libya serious rights abuses persist. The absence of a free press, the ban on independent organizations, the torture of detainees, and the continued incarceration of political prisoners, some of them “disappeared,” remain matters of deep concern. To date, international engagement with the oil-rich country has focused on counter-terrorism and business ties. Improved relations between Libya and other governments are welcome, but not at the expense of human rights and the rule of law. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Rice hosted a visit from Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel-Rahman Shalqam. Human rights were not on the agenda.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/01/03/libya17674.htm
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hkuTnpWqSeRjJjTCF6-eJzalVoAAD8TVEHE80
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-03-voa75.cfm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/05/opinion/05sat3.html

Thousands of former child soldiers have returned to their communities in Nepal over the past year, but there are huge challenges facing their successful reintegration.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=76040

The separatist Tamil Tiger rebels and a breakaway group known as the Tamil Makkal Viduthali Pulikal (TMVP)/Karuna faction continue to abduct children to fight as soldiers in the bloody conflict in Sri Lanka.
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/2007/758

The Southeast Asia Press Alliance (SEAPA) reports that press freedom and freedom of expression declined throughout Southeast Asia in 2007.
http://www.seapabkk.org/newdesign/newsdetail.php?No=799

States in the US have hesitated to adopt different procedures in the commonly used process of lethal injections used in most capital cases.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/us/03lethal.html
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ETM Infectious Diseases
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Note "The International Polar Year, 2007–2008, An Opportunity to Focus on Infectious Diseases in Arctic Regions":
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/14/1/1.htm?s_cid=eid1_e

Scientists have discovered a new key to flu transmission, helping to better monitor H5N1 changes that could trigger a human pandemic.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/bird-flu-0106.html

Avian influenza was detected in multiple locations in Bangladesh.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=17423
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=17927

H5N1 was also detected among birds at a kindergarten in Israel.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3490335,00.html

Eight dead monkeys in Uganda's Rwenzori National Park have raised the specter of another Ebola outbreak.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/sun_news/Ebola_scare_as_dead_monkeys_found_in_Bundibugyo.shtml

Roundworms may infect close to a quarter of inner city black children, tapeworms are the leading cause of seizures among US Hispanics and other parasitic diseases associated with poor countries are also affecting Americans.
http://www.plosntds.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pntd.0000149
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N25266569.htm

US officials are conducting a 17-state search for passengers on a recent transatlantic flight who sat within five rows of a woman infected with the drug-resistant TB.
http://www.cdc.gov/tb/flightQA.htm
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/stories/2007/12/30/cdc_1231.html?cxntnid=amn123107e
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ETM Legal Systems
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Bangladesh's caretaker Council of Advisers discussed the draft of the proposed Anti-terrorism Ordinance 2007. They asked for a draft incorporating a "more specific and clearer definition of terrorism".
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=17278

Jiang Xingchang, vice-president of China's Supreme People's Court (SPC), said half of the country's 404 intermediate people's courts use lethal injections. This will be expanded to replace gunshot executions, as the injection is considered more humane.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-01/03/content_6366528.htm

The Czech government has approved the draft of a new penal code that raises the maximum penalty for murder to 20 years in prison, establishes house confinement as a form of alternative punishment, and other measures.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/98895

Israeli human rights group Yesh Din reports that Israel routinely denies Palestinian detainees due process rights in military court hearings. Almost all trials lead to convictions, and the average hearing is two minutes long.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3490698,00.html

Through hunger strikes and protests, militant inmates in Morocco have won perks -- including use of the conjugal rooms -- that make them the envy of the other inmates.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/31/world/africa/31prison.html

Just before Thailand's first elections since the 2006 coup, parliament approved an internal security law that allows the military to maintain significant control.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iwnWqKo53Ck1owAsfdsmAK4qO9HQD8TLP2380

Trinidad's army chief wants soldiers to be given police powers of arrest to help tackle rising crime.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20071231/lead/lead7.html

US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts urged Congress to raise the pay of federal judges in a year-end report that emphasized improving communications with Capitol Hill and the White House.
ttp://www.supremecourtus.gov/publicinfo/year-end/2007year-endreport.pdf
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/US_Supreme_Court/Scotus_Year_end.html
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ETM Natural Resources
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The Communist Party of the Philippines armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), claimed responsibility for an armed raid against the Tampakan copper and gold mining project, in protest against plundering natural resources.
http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page34?oid=43587&sn=Detail

Two oil companies have been given permission by the Peruvian government to explore on lands inhabited by un-contacted tribes.
http://www.survival-international.org/news/2702

At Sierra Leone's largest diamond mine, Koidu Holdings Mining Company in Kono, demonstrators protested the delay in compensating families adversely affected by the mining operation. Police responded violently, shooting dead two people and sending several others to the hospital. The government has launched an inquiry into the matter.
http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page37?oid=42572&sn=Detail

In the US state of Alaska, residents are weighing the funds that would be brought by a proposed gold mine against the impact on the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery, and traditional ways of life.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/24/AR2007122401915.html
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ETM Populations
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On the first anniversary of their historic court judgment, the  First People of the Kalahari, released an open letter to Botswana's President Mogae to act in accordance with the Bushmen's rights.
http://www.survival-international.org/news/2755

Police in the Indonesian province of West Papua are killing, torturing and intimidating tribal people with impunity.
http://www.survival-international.org/news/2754

Japan's population fell by 16,000 in 2007, a government survey said yesterday, renewing fears of a demographic crisis with a smaller working population forced to support a mass of pensioners.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=17497

While considerable efforts have been made to assist hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict in Sri Lanka, more must be done to ensure their safety and access to livelihoods so that they can lead normal lives.
http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/DCC9BA53104B0015C12573BE004C0D6C?OpenDocument
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/idp/index.htm

For the first time in 35 years, the US fertility rate has climbed high enough to sustain a stable population - unique situation among industrialized countries.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/07newsreleases/teenbirth.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/20/AR2007122002725.html
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ETM Social Responsibility
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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has decided to launch the development of an International Standard providing guidelines for social responsibility (SR). The standard for social responsibility will be published in 2010 as ISO 26000.
http://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/fetch/2000/2122/830949/3934883/3935096/home.html?nodeid=4451259&vernum=0
http://www.iisd.org/standards/csr.asp
http://consint.live.poptech.coop/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=90989&int1stParentNodeID=89648&int2ndParentNodeID=96938

CSRWire reports the top corporate social responsibility news of 2007.
http://www.csrwire.com/News/10605.html
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ETM Technology
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Chemical and Engineering News highlights numerous advances in structural analysis and other major stories of 2007:
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/85/8552cover.html

MIT's Technology Review looks at developments over the past year in:
* Biotech
http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/19982/
* Energy
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19981/
* Hardware
http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/19976/
* Nanotech
http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/19983/
* Software
http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/19986/
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ETM Weapons (WMD, Proliferation)
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North Korea denied claims that it had missed the 31 December deadline for a full nuclear declaration, and instead said it has provided the list to the US. The US Department of State says that it has not received a full list. Talks have stalled amid the dispute, and North Korea has stepped up anti-US propaganda, including a suggestion that it may not want to dismantle its nuclear programs.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jDsrn5qmVUANHrmtASfggyXfhI9gD8TV5M201
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2008/jan/98445.htm
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200801/200801070012.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/04/AR2008010401157.html
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jUJNJ4Wri4s9wrJLVrUr0W2_SgZA

Samar Mubarakmand, Chairman of Pakistan's National Engineering and Scientific Commission, dispelled the notion that Pakistan’s atomic program had been capped, and also denied that infamous nuclear scientist A Q Khan had headed the team that carried out Pakistan’s nuclear tests in May 1998.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/252567.html

Sibel Edmonds, a former Turkish language translator for the FBI, listened into hundreds of sensitive intercepted conversations while based at the agency’s Washington field office, and has now made a series of extraordinary claims about how corrupt government officials allowed Pakistan and other states to steal nuclear weapons secrets.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3137695.ece

Russian customs officials blocked more than 120 attempts at nuclear smuggling in 2007.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/03/wrussia103.xml

The US Bush administration is balking at Libya's request for more money to destroy 23 tons of mustard gas.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ao3wMhrOWsLE&refer=us
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/02/AR2008010202832.html

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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Cereal prices, particularly for wheat and maize, have surged to their highest levels in a decade, driven by poor harvests in key producing countries, fast-growing demand for bio-fuel production and supply constraints on the rice economy. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) latest Food Outlook report anticipates that many countries will reduce purchases, not always in response to improved domestic supplies but rather due to high international prices. Moreover, higher energy costs may force many of the poorer developing countries to curtail expenditures on imported staples to sustain their fossil fuel need. Global expenditures on imported foodstuffs in 2006 could reach a historic high of $374 billion, over 2 per cent more than 2005. Import bills for developing countries are anticipated to rise by almost 5 per cent, mainly due to price increases rather than growth in imports. Forecasted world wheat output in 2006 stands at 592 million tons,  down almost 33 million tons - 5.3 percent - from 2005, but increased winter plantings and good growing conditions raise expectations for a strong rebound in 2007. Typhoons, drought, flooding, diseases and insect attacks marred prospects for rice crops in 2006, so virtually no growth in global production is anticipated this year, and the 2007 outlook is also negative. Increased grain costs will ripple to the meat and dairy sectors. However, sugar production is expected to outpace demand after three years of deficit.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/j8126e/j8126e00.htm
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000459/index.html

Child malnutrition rates have reached their highest level in three years in the Darfur region of Sudan, reaching 16.1 per cent this year, compared to 12.9 per cent last year, surpassing for the first time since 2004 the emergency threshold of 15 per cent. Continuing insecurity has compromised humanitarian access.
http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31
http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080

Rising world demand, climate change and energy security have combined to make agriculture a strategically important industry once more. British farmers are calling for government assistance to help farmers be more productive.
http://www.nfuonline.com/x25049.xml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7169193.stm
http://business.scotsman.com/fooddrinkagriculture/Farming--a-solution-not.3640365.jp

US chemical security guidelines continue to have an unpredictable impact on the agriculture sector.
http://somd.com/news/headlines/2008/6966.shtml
http://www.dunndailyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=93033&TM=41944.48

Arizona State University's Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness are studying the potential monetary losses that may arise in the event of an agriterrorism attack or contamination of imported produce coming through the border between Arizona and Mexico.
http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=13482
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CIM Banking and Finance
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Hardware authentication is proposed as a potential next step for validating online banking transactions.
http://www.secureidnews.com/news/2008/01/04/hardware-authentication-will-aid-online-banking-transactions/

Mobile banking is one of the areas for which new security systems are being developed.
http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10006894o-2000440756b,00.htm
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205208723

The Electronic Payments Association NACHA announced that it has formed a Mobile Banking Work Group under the leadership of its Internet Council to develop an ACH payment platform strategy for mobile banking.
http://www.nacha.org/News/news/pressreleases/2007/Pr121307/Pr121307.htm

Greek police arrested eight people in Crete on Saturday in connection to a series of bank heists on the island and also targets criminal gangs in the mountainous area around Zoniana. On a number of occasions, the thieves used a crane to lift an ATM it onto a small truck, while residents attacked police with stones and metal bars. The thieves were then able to get away and empty the ATM in the mountains.
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100006_31/12/2007_91639

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stipulates security measures for financial and banking institutions, even to the ingredients used for constructing strong rooms, but there is no mechanism to ensure these requirements are met. A major Christmas robbery has highlighted major vulnerabilities.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata/Hi-tech_security_for_banks/articleshow/2667396.cms
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEO20080104201415&Page=O&Title=Thiruvananthapuram&Topic=0

India's stock exchange is cracking down on insider trading.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Sebi%20squeeze%20on%20insider%20trading/256616/

This article provides five suggestions to ensure security in Indian banks.
http://www.cxotoday.com/India/News/5_Tips_to_Ensure_Security_in_Banks/551-85689-909.html

The US Treasury plans to introduce prepaid debit cards, particularly in low-income communities, to make it easier to access social security benefits.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119942055595667309-7E_rfnW_0ebvq7U2o34rq6nCqkE_20080203.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top

Washington state attributes its lowest robbery rate in 20 years to good service.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/346090_bankrob05.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004108641_bankrobberies05m.html
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CIM Chemical
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A new Accenture study finds that chemical companies have invested to improve their supply chains, but there is room for improvement in several areas, including sharing of best practices and training
http://newsroom.accenture.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4628

The Center for Chemical Process Safety has released new guidelines for process safety and a Process Safety Incident Evaluation Tool
http://www.aiche.org/ccps/metrics/index.aspx

New US chemical security rules will affect the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which has reportable levels of several chemicals used in their research.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/chemicals-0104.html

The Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of 2007 was signed into law on 26 December. Although ammonium nitrate is used as a powerful explosive - as in the Oklahoma City bombing - this bill falls far short of provisions requested by counterterrorism and law enforcement officials, although the Fertilizer Institute is pleased with its provisions. Intended to regulate sales of the potent explosive, the laws provisions are weaker than controls in Australia, Germany, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and many other jurisdictions. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reviewing the law and considering how to harmonize it with existing chemical facility rules.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fertilizer31dec31,0,1022490.story
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ny-usbudg275515621dec27,0,988868.story
http://www.tfi.org/mediacenter/pr121907.pdf
http://www.tfi.org/mediacenter/pr121807.pdf
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1680

Diacetyl, a flavoring chemical linked to bronchiolitis obliterans, a lung ailment in popcorn plant workers, has been removed by the four biggest microwave popcorn -makers in the US.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/17/america/Safer-Popcorn.php
http://www.thestar.com/article/287058
http://media.conagrafoods.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=202310&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1087864&highlight=
http://www.popweaver.com/PopWeaverNoDiacetyl.pdf
http://www.butterflavoringlunginjury.com/?gclid=CKbAu9eP4JACFSG8Ggodt2ETXA

US health officials are concerned that mercury can be released into the atmosphere from dental fillings of cremated bodies. Not all morticians are willing to pull the teeth of the deceased.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cremate26dec26,0,3146009.story
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CIM Commercial Facilities
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The cancellation of the Dakar Rally is a reminder that sporting events remain attractive terrorist targets.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/01/04/sports/Nancy-Armour-010408.php

Fire and security systems on average only account for five percent of the total building budget, but security budgets are mushrooming.
http://www.business-standard.com/iceworld/storypage.php?leftnm=lmnu9&subLeft=2&autono=309547&tab=r

Indian cities may soon see buildings with over 100 floors.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/City-buildings-may-have-100plus-floors-soon/256633/

In Ireland, at least 300 people will be refused a Private Security Authority (PSA) license to work as door supervisors or security guards in the coming weeks, mainly due to concerns about previous criminal convictions.
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/frontpage/2008/0102/1198880202961.html

Pakistan's businesses have taken security into their own hands, after law enforcement was nowhere to be seen during looting and arson following Benazir Bhutto's assassination.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=89392

In the US state of Indiana, the city of Indianapolis will install 46 new security cameras in public areas before the end of 2008 in order to increase results in a push against street crimes, using Department of Homeland Security grants.
http://www.wishtv.com/global/story.asp?s=7559424

Nevada is encouraging energy savings with financial incentives. New construction that complies with Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) standards will be eligible for rebates on state sales taxes and property taxes. MGM Mirage hopes to obtain LEED certification for its planned 68-acre, $7.5 billion CityCenter project, potentially reducing costs related to air conditioning and electricity.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1228/p01s02-wogi.html

The Nashville, Tennessee building from which thieves stole two computers containing sensitive voter data does not have security guards on duty for half the day on weekends, and it has no alarm system or video surveillance.
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080102/NEWS0201/80102109/1001/NEWS

School officials continue to examine new security systems.
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071215/NEWS01/712150328/1006
http://www.newstribune.info/articles/2008/01/04/news/news01.txt
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.ci.violence29dec29,0,4993659.story
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CIM Cybersecurity
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An unpatched vulnerability in RealPlayer poses a severe risk.
http://secunia.com/advisories/28276
http://www.gleg.net/realplayer11.html
http://www.us-cert.gov/current/index.html#public_exploit_code_for_realplayer
http://www.scmagazine.com/uk/news/article/774594/us-cert-warns-realplayer-exploit

The Delf-CTK Trojan poses as a " security application whose license has expired. Windows machines infected by the malicious software are confronted by a full-screen message that poses as a Windows error, and attempts to coerce victims into paying a ransom to unlock their computer.
http://research.sunbelt-software.com/threatdisplay.aspx?name=Backdoor.Win32.Delf.ctk&threatid=189291
http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/trojan-delivers-pay-by-phone-extortion.html
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9054867&source=rss_news10

Following an increase in email threats and hack attacks in Nepal, the Kathmandu police have set up a separate Cyber Cell.
http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=131951

Privacy International released its 2007 International Privacy Ranking.  Key findings include:
* The 2007 rankings indicate an overall worsening of privacy protection across the world, reflecting an increase in surveillance and a declining performance o privacy safeguards.
* Concern over immigration and border control dominated the world agenda in 2007. Countries have moved swiftly to implement database, identity and fingerprinting systems, often without regard to the privacy implications for their own citizens
* The 2007 rankings show an increasing trend amongst governments to archive data on the geographic, communications and financial records of all their citizens and residents. This trend leads to the conclusion that all citizens, regardless of legal status, are under suspicion.
* The privacy trends have been fueled by the emergence of a profitable surveillance industry dominated by global IT companies and the creation of numerous international treaties that frequently operate outside judicial or democratic processes.
* Despite political shifts in the US Congress, surveillance initiatives in the US continue to expand, affecting visitors and citizens alike.
* Surveillance initiatives initiated by Brussels have caused a substantial decline in privacy across Europe, eroding protections even in those countries that have shown a traditionally high regard for privacy.
* The privacy performance of older democracies in Europe is generally failing, while the performance of newer democracies is becoming generally stronger.
* The lowest ranking countries in the survey continue to be Malaysia, Russia and China. The highest-ranking countries in 2007 are Greece, Romania and Canada.
* The 2006 leader, Germany, slipped significantly in the 2007 rankings, dropping from 1st to 7th place behind Portugal and Slovenia.
* In terms of statutory protections and privacy enforcement, the US is the worst ranking country in the democratic world. In terms of overall privacy protection the United States has performed very poorly, being out-ranked by both India and the Philippines and falling into the "black" category, denoting endemic surveillance.
* The worst ranking EU country is the United Kingdom, which again fell into the "black" category along with Russia and Singapore. However for the first time Scotland has been given its own ranking score and performed significantly better than England & Wales.
* Argentina scored higher than 18 of the 27 EU countries.
* Australia ranks higher than Slovakia but lower than South Africa and New Zealand.
http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-559597

This article provides a personal account of a theft of personal data in Ohio.
http://www.athensnews.com/issue/article.php3?story_id=30231

Recent terrorism incidents in the Indian capital Delhi led to a government order mandating proof of identity. This has already proven controversial, and is likely to prove impractical when the order comes into force on 15 January.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Delhi/Delhi_citizens_ordered_to_carry_I-cards/articleshow/2676075.cms
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080037770&ch=1/5/2008%207:03:00%20PM
http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/06/stories/2008010660980100.htm

Alan M. Ralsky, Scott K. Bradley, Judy M. Devenow, John S. Bown, William C. Neil, Anki K. Neil, James E. Bragg, James E. Fite, Peter Severa, How Wai John Hui, and Francis A. Tribble have been indicted in an international spamming and stock fraud scheme.
http://detroit.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel08/de010308.htm
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CIM Defense Industrial Base
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India's civil aviation ministry wants to extend its concept of flexible airspace to some 30 defense airstrips across the country, opening up the military spaces for commercial traffic and reducing congestion at existing commercial airports.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Defence-airstrips-may-open-to-commercial-use/254663/

In October, the US Army trained 20 women to work as security guards in a Baghdad suburb after a female suicide bomber entered a nearby building without being searched.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jIeNA4W77uuXkBmerkQS4F7PsbVQD8TVBSI00

The US military is having second thoughts on reinforced vehicles - MRAPs - that are poorly suited to Iraq, and could undermine the value of feet on the ground.
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-mrap27dec27,0,3353495.story
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CIM Emergency Services
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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has approved a new policy requiring at least two officers to respond to dangerous calls.
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/news/2007/2007_12_19_sweeney_backup_e.htm
http://www.thestar.com/article/287269

Waste management company BGP has developed a mobile unit that could incinerate pathogens from bioterrorism, avian flu and mad cow disease.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/840294.html

Many US Virgin Islands residents have complained about for some time that emergency response is inadequate. A recent response scenario verified these concerns.
http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2171&Itemid=1

US hospitals are increasingly shutting down their burn centers in a trend could leave the nation unable to handle widespread burn casualties from a fiery terrorist attack or other major disaster. EMS systems need to revise Myocardial Infarction strategies to take this into account.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2007-08-07-2713698343_x.htm
http://www.jems.com/news_and_articles/columns/Heightman/EMS_Systems_Face_Reduced_Burn_Bed_Availability.html

New Haven, Connecticut, fire officials are concerned that fire fighters were exposed to asbestos earlier this month when up to 60 fought a fire at the Kresge department store. Two debris samples sent to the Department of Public Health tested positive for asbestos, though daily tests have shown safe air quality in the area around the building.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--asbestosconcern1226dec26,0,669307.story
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CIM Energy
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Will $100/barrel oil change your life?
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10430264
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gvoRNoKy5y4HlqIAawqKkZc9BbHQ
http://www.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/01/04/oil.above100.ap/
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/01/04/stories/2008010450940800.htm
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/5429991.html
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article3137515.ece
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/beyond-the-barrel/2008/1/4/much-ado-about-100-oil.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17810373

Bangladesh's first-ever rice-husk-burn biomass power plant began commercial operation yesterday at Giaspur, a remote village in Gazipur.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=17448

China exceeded its 2007 target of closing small coal-fired generators by 43 percent, amid increased efforts to save energy and cut emissions.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6330290.html

Gazprom has offered to take control of Serbia’s state-owned petroleum monopoly, Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS), in exchange for investments in a gas pipeline and storage facility. This proposal has raised concerns in Serbia and Europe over Russia's control of the resources, and the cost of its political support.  Serbia is looking for a higher valuation than initially offered.
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/01/03/afx4489414.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/47d2816c-b721-11dc-aa38-0000779fd2ac.html
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CIM Government Facilities
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Israeli media reported that a bunker is being built at Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's residence, to withstand a nuclear or chemical attack. The construction includes thickening walls, digging, and installing air purification equipment capable of countering chemical agents. Olmert's office denied the report, and said that workers are merely adding a safe room, which is commonly installed to protect residents in case of rocket attacks. A nuclear bunker is being built outside Jerusalem. It is expected to be completed in 2011.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6324530.html

The US state of Colorado has modified the Capitol building to control access, following two shooting incidents last year. Once fully open, it can now take up to ten minutes to pass through security.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jan/05/capitol-security-aims-to-balance-access-safety/
http://www.denverpost.com/preps/ci_7882777
http://cbs4denver.com/politics/metal.detectors.capitol.2.623679.html
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CIM Information Technology
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Burma opened the Yadanabon Information and Communication Technology Park ("Yadanabon Cyber City") on 14 December. This is the country's largest ICT center, but is located east of Mandalay, while most universities and IT businesses are based in Rangoon or Mandalay.  
http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/News/2007/Dec/43,%20Dec,%202007.html
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=9715

The One Laptop Per Child group sharply criticized Intel's withdrawal from the project but said the departure of the semiconductor giant would not hinder the effort.
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSN0326574120080104
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Intel#INTEL_RESIGNS_FROM_OLPC
http://www.nasdaq.com//aspxcontent/newsstory.aspx?textpath=20080104\ACQDJON200801041732DOWJONESDJONLINE000729.htm

A scheme to give one million low-cost laptops to Nigerian schoolchildren has stalled because some policymakers say the money would be better spent on other educational projects, while government officials and private computer companies have actively worked to undermine the project.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=76023
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CIM National Monuments and Icons
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Bulgaria has some of the richest archaeology sites in the world. Grave robbers and plunders are aware of the valuable treasures - and often get there first.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,524976,00.html

Malaysia's government unveiled a major initiative to protect Hindu temples in an apparent bid to pacify ethnic Indians who complained that hundreds have been demolished in the Muslim-majority country.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/24/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Indian-Unrest.php
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CIM Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
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India's external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said that a civilian nuclear deal with the US, in addition to sources such as coal, would meet India's nuclear requirements, even in the face of rising oil prices.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Ndeal-to-meet-energy-needs-in-view-of-rising-oil-prices-Pranab/253321/

India and Pakistan exchanged lists of their nuclear sites, under an agreement to do so each year on New Year's Day.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=17489

A new generation of nuclear power plants could burn 100 tons of surplus weapons-grade plutonium as a good way of keeping it away from terrorists.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/dec/24/nuclearpower.energy

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released instructions for companies building new nuclear power plants in the US to enter into a Conditional Agreement with DOE to qualify for a portion of the $2 billion in federal risk insurance.
http://www.energy.gov/news/5791.htm

The fallout from a video showing nuclear power plant guards sleeping on duty continues today.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010304442.html

Exelon Corp will replace Wackenhut Corp. with an in-house security force at its nuclear power plants, including Oyster Creek Generating Station in New Jersey.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/ocean/story/7522831p-7423221c.html
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CIM Postal and Shipping
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Guyana's customs officials had thwarted several attempts to install security cameras at post offices to help stamp out drug trafficking, by arguing it would be an invasion of privacy.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=56536155

The watchdog of Switzerland's postal services says that Swiss Post is massively overcharging for postage stamps every year, by $266.4 million.
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/Regulator_stamps_Swiss_Post_as_too_expensive.html?siteSect=105&sid=8579041&cKey=1199034553000&ty=st

Washington, D.C., got an early Christmas present in the form of the restoration of the D.C., postmark, which had been largely replaced by a Maryland postmark after the 2001 anthrax attacks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/18/AR2007121800776.html
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CIM Public Health and Healthcare
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Treating children with severe pneumonia at home is just as safe and effective as treating them in hospitals.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr01/en/index.html

Cuba has achieved the lowest infant mortality rate in Latin America, at 5.3 per 1,000 live births. The worldwide average is 52, and the average in Latin America is 26. The US records 6 infant deaths per thousand live births.
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={6F4E0660-5CA6-4E5F-8879-FD9AB86521FB})&language=EN
http://www.unicef.org/sowc06/

The Czech healthcare system underwent a minor revolution on 1 January as patients were asked to pay a small fee each time they visit their doctor.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/01/02/czechs_start_paying_healthcare_doctor_fees/7554/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7165831.stm

The parasitic disease river blindness, once thought eradicated from Ivory Coast, has re-emerged in some regions following years of armed conflict that wiped out mechanisms for surveillance and control.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=75991

The scale of Scotland's binge-drink culture was exposed on 1 January - Hogmanay - as it emerged that ambulances were sent to three alcohol-related incidents per minute at the height of New Year celebrations. Similar problems were seen across the UK.
http://news.scotsman.com/health/999-crews-deal-with-three.3632212.jp
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3118841.ece
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CIM Telecommunications
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The French Health Ministry on Wednesday issued a warning against excessive mobile phone use, especially by children, though it recognized science had not proved cellular technology was dangerous.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyid=2008-01-02T210148Z_01_L02231577_RTRUKOC_0_US-FRANCE-MOBILES.xml

US telecommunication company Verizon Communications has not yet been accorded security clearance for offering data services in India.
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?leftnm=lmnu9&subLeft=2&autono=309725&tab=r

Kuwait is to reduce the charges of international phone calls charges by 20 percent in 2008, the minister of communication said yesterday. The new reduced fees will apply to all international calls, via both fixed-lines and cell phones, except those made to other Gulf countries. Abdullah Al-Muhailbi said in a statement received by the Kuwait Times that such a move is meant to help counter the spread of illegal call agents.
http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NjU3Njc1Mzg1
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CIM Transportation
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The US will test anti-missile systems on several passenger planes.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jQRs4sgOZZBN66PA8W5N4UFgrAbAD8TVGM9O0
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-01-04-anti-missile-jets_N.htm

The new policy to limit lithium batteries on passenger aircraft came into effect 1 January.
http://www.dot.gov/affairs/phmsa1107.htm

The Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) continues to enroll federal port workers.
http://www.businessnorth.com/briefing.asp?RID=2258

Pakistan is increasing security at railway stations and bridges.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=89834
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CIM Water
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Kosovo has asked NATO to secure a large reservoir in the north out of concern Serbs living there might cut vital water supplies if the Albanian majority declares independence from Serbia within weeks.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20509185.htm

A new ultra-modern $58 million water treatment plant outside Kano, Nigeria’s most populous city, came on line in December but experts say that the city’s basic water needs will still not be met.
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76058

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
--------------------------------------------------
Huge waves struck eastern Indonesia, wrecking a ship and four fishing boats, and killing two passengers. Flooding across central and east Java killed more than 110 people in the last week.

Four more people have drowned in Zimbabwe, bringing to 31 the numbers killed in flooding caused by a month of heavy rains, which have also claimed two lives in neighboring Mozambique.

A volcano erupted in Chile, forcing hundreds to evacuate.

Munich Reinsurance reports that economic losses from natural catastrophes were up 50 percent on the previous year and insured losses totaled just under $30 billion.
http://www.munichre.com/en/press/press_releases/2007/2007_12_27_press_release.aspx

The number of aircraft accidents in 2007 fell to its lowest level since 1963, according to the Aircraft Crashes Record Office.
http://www.baaa-acro.com/Communique%20de%20presse-UK-010108.htm
--------------------------------------------------
DRM Response and Recovery
--------------------------------------------------
Eastern Sri Lanka is beginning to dry out from heavy flooding brought on by monsoon rain during much of December that at its height displaced 250,000 people.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=76053

A deadly December flood in the Pacific Northwest of the US has led to anger and recriminations associated with debates over how to balance people, water, fish, forests, and farms. In particular, logging is accused of damage to the fishing industry and contributing to mudslides.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/03/america/03flood.php
--------------------------------------------------
DRM Risks
--------------------------------------------------
A devastating health emergency looms in Kenya where an explosion of post-election violence has killed hundreds and displaced a quarter of a million others.
http://www.merlin.org.uk/Lists/News-Detail.aspx?id=664

Israeli experts from the geophysical institute of Lod warn that three minor quakes in December are a reminder that Israel and the West Bank are on a sensitive fault line, and a major earthquake is fast approaching.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iNosvULF7emsv2Y16oklUaxelnJA

In the US motor vehicle accidents claim the lives of up to 6,000 teenagers each year. A new survey commissioned by Allstate Insurance reveals:
* Nearly 90 percent of teens surveyed said they hope their friends will be safer on the road in 2008
* Just 11 percent included driving more safely among their personal New Year's resolutions.
* 34 percent reported being frightened as a passenger because the driver was being careless, but did not say anything to the driver.
* 57 percent admitted to driving more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, 22 percent have raced another vehicle and 19 percent have received a traffic ticket.
* An alarming 18 percent of respondents admit to being a passenger in a car being driven by a teen who was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
* Supporting the importance of peer influence among teen drivers who are willing to break the law yet want their friends to drive safer, respondents were specifically interested in having their friends eliminate unsafe practices including driving without seatbelts (41 percent) and speeding (40 percent). And, while teens may be excited about the new MP3 player their friend as a holiday gift this year, they don't want them distracted by it while driving. More than two-thirds of teens surveyed said they wanted their friends to avoid technology distractions (i.e. texting, talking on a cell phone, and scrolling through an MP3 player) while driving.
http://media.allstate.com/categories/38-2007/releases/4361-allstate-survey-nine-of
--------------------------------------------------
DRM Mitigation
--------------------------------------------------
In the Indonesian province of West Sumatra, Governor Gamawan Fauzi opened a 2-day National Exhibition of Disaster Preparedness with the warning, "West Sumatra is a supermarket for disasters, earthquakes and tsunamis.... Society must be provided the knowledge to minimize fear, and the system of disaster response must be perfect".
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=76049

7. Recommended Reading

Here is a roundup of stories that summarize events in 2007 and look forward to 2008.


FOREIGN POLICY: The Top 10 Stories You Missed In 2007
10. Armed Robots Take the Field in Iraq
9. American Jews Turn away from Israel
8. Dengue Fever Runs High
7. Thai Junta Gives Itself a Raise
6. The American Heartland Grows Crops—with Human Proteins
5. The Cubans Are Coming
4. Waiting on the Iraqi Navy
3. Dear Osama: We’re Breaking Up
2. U.S.-Mexico Border Fence Gets Cut in Half
1. The Cyberwars Begin
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/top10-2007/index.html


AP CHRONOLOGY OF NEWS EVENTS IN 2007
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i6q_7tdYQtsO0B9_jpaq5y4Dr7HQD8TQO5280


ECONOMIST: Christmas Specials
"The Bible v the Koran: The battle of the books"
http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10311317
"Hunter-gatherers: Noble or savage?"
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10278703
"Staying at the top: Mao and the art of management"
http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10311230
"Fraud and financial innovation: The match king"
http://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10278667
"Retailing: Birth, death and shopping"
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10278717
"Charts: Worth a thousand words"
http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10278643
"Counting people: Census sensitivity"
http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10311346
"Beauty and success: To those that have, shall be given"
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10311266
"The sex life of the panda: Black and white and red all over"
http://www.economist.com//world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10278727
"Falling off high places: Human lemmings"
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10278696"
"Poker: A big deal"
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10281315
"Mormons: From polygamy to propriety"
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10311362
"Urban poverty in India: A flourishing slum"
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10311293
"18th-century climate change: The summer of acid rain"
http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10311405
"Japanese sea-drifters: When Japan was a secret"
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10278660
"American spirituality: Where 'California' bubbled up"
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10278745
"Kitchens: Downstairs Upstairs"
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10281275


REUTERS ALERTNET CELEBRITY DO-GOODER POLL
A Reuter's AlertNet put actress Angelina Jolie at the top of a poll for the best celebrity humanitarians of 2007. She was followed by
2. Bono
3. Desmond Tutu
4. Bill Gates
5. Bill Clinton
6. Jimmy Carter
7. Kofi Annan
8.  Mia Farrow
9. Don Cheadle
10. Brad Pitt
The worst names in celebrity humanitarianism:
1. Madonna
2. Paris Hilton
3. Oprah Winfrey
4. Bono
5. Bob Geldof
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N21258532.htm
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N21261391.htm


COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS
With 65 journalists killed, 2007 has been an unusually perilous year for the press, as Iraq and Somalia have driven the death toll to its highest point since 1994. Capsule summary of all journalists killed:
http://www.cpj.org/deadly/killed07.html


THE TOP 10 UNDERREPORTED TECHNOLOGY STORIES OF 2007
1. Java is becoming the new Cobol
2. Sun Microsystems is back in the game
3. Hackers take aim at Mac OS X
4. There are some threats you can worry less about
5. Companies may have found a way around H-1B visa limits
6. Open source's new commercial strategy
7. End-to-end Ethernet finally arrives
8. Blade servers arrive for the masses
9. BI is dead; long live BI
10. Balance of power shifts to software buyers
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9054459


From Western Australia, we hear of a year of wild weather extremes:
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23010475-2761,00.html


The Canadian Press named the top newsmakers of the year:
http://www.thecanadianpress.com/english/online/OnlineTopstory.aspx


Toronto Star newspaper columnist Jennifer Wells culls her files for the best business quotes of the year.
http://www.thestar.com/article/289731


From China, the People's Daily lists the top 10 international news events in 2007:
1. CPC's 17th National Congress draws more global attention to China
2. Soaring crude oil price makes energy safety more crucial
3. UN Bali summit seeks ways to ease global warming as it menaces humanity
4. Situation turns volatile in Pakistan with assassination of B. Bhutto
5. China launches Chang'e-1 amid upsurge in outer space exploration
6. US Middle East policy starts to adjust; Palestine-Israel talks restart
7. Korean Peninsula Situation eases off with breakthrough in 6-Party Talks
8. US intelligence report denies Iranian nuclear arms bid, but US government keeps up pressure again Iran
9. US sub-prime loans affect whole globe, with repercussion being felt worldwide
10. Russia's might beefs up as a major power, its frictions with West exacerbates
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90780/91343/6330495.html


The People's Daily also lists seven major changes related to people's livelihood in 2007:
Change 1 Poor students can afford college education
Change 2 New job offers available
Change 3 Minimal welfare standards shelter those hard up for money
Change 4 Housing to rent at low-price makes housing affordable
Change 5 Peasant farmers can afford to seek medical help
Change 6 Pensions raised for retirees
Change 7 Clean atmosphere no longer a dream
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6330356.html


German cities rang in the new year with a clean air campaign.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3031262,00.html?maca=en-bulletin-433-html


In New York City, crowds have hailed the arrival of the New Year with a brightly lit giant crystal ball. This year, it dropped for the 100th time with a new energy-efficient system of light emitting diodes replacing incandescent bulbs.
http://www.timessquarenyc.org/nye/nye_ball.html
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=4067179


Nasdaq Announces Year-End Index Performance Statistics:
http://www.nasdaq.com/newsroom/news/newsroomnewsStory.aspx?textpath=pr2008\ACQPMZ200801031319PRIMZONEFULLFEED133742.htm&cdtime=01%2f03%2f2008%20+1%3a19PM


OMB WATCH: A Year for Failure: Regulatory Policy News in 2007
* White House Interventions
Part I: Systemic Regulatory Changes
Part II: Manipulating Agency Rulemaking
* Import Safety
* Industry Influence
* Ignoring Science
http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/4120/


The US Federal Bureau of Investigation provides its top 52 news stories of 2007:
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel07/yearinreview_2007_122607.htm


INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE POTATO 2008
In December 2005 the UN General Assembly declared 2008 as the International Year of the Potato. In taking this action, the Assembly affirmed the need to focus world attention on the role that the potato can play in providing food security and eradicating poverty, and in achieving internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.
http://www.potato2008.org/en/aboutiyp/index.html


2008 A LOOK AHEAD
Christian Science Monitor editors and reporters have come up with eight global themes for readers to keep an eye on this year:
1: Why the era of cheap food is over
2: Global elections watch: All eyes on US race
3: Global flash points: How to spot signs of peace
4: As oil passes $100, the question: will it stop?
5: China's Olympian year
6: Iraq: A year of Transition?
7: Global warming: Now what?
8: Will the credit crunch continue?
http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/lookahead2008/


BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson gazes into 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7163203.stm

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