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3. AML/CFT Monitor

The AML/CFT Monitor is a monthly 16-page print publication. News highlights from the past week are provided in this free email update, but detailed analysis, background information and source documents are only available to subscribers. Purchase a subscription at our online store:
TAMNI Publications

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AML/CFT Incidents/Cases
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Colombia, Dominican Republic, St Maarten and the US cooperated in a law enforcement operation that has resulted in the indictment of 56 individuals for drug trafficking and money laundering, with 27 arrested to date. Bank accounts, currency, cocaine and ships have been seized.
http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/061006sanjuan.htm

Italian police cracked a cell that sent at least EU1.62 million to the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), an Algerian terrorist group.
http://www.bitsofnews.com/content/view/4111/43/

Macedonia is pursuing a money laundering case connected with cigarette smuggling.
http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=38349&NrIssue=155&NrSection=20

Huy Chi Luong ("Jimmy") and his brother Danny Hung Leung were convicted of multiple counts of money laundering and one of conspiracy. They will be sentenced in December.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/15699019.htm

Samuel T. Currin pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder about $1.4 million from a securities fraud scheme through his law firm's client trust account and offshore accounts, and to obstructing a grand jury investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The former federal prosecutor and judge will be sentenced later.
http://www.wral.com/news/10000950/detail.html

Duong Tuan Tran, a licensed bookkeeper and notary public, has been sentenced in Seattle, Washington, court to five months n prison and two years of supervised release for attempted money laundering in connection with drug trafficking cases.
http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=5508464&nav=menu484_2
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AML/CFT Legislation and Regulation
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Australia's Cole inquiry may find that Australian Wheat Board kickbacks to Saddam Hussein could have been used to finance terrorism.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/payoffs-link-to-terrorism/2006/10/05/1159641464889.html

Bangladesh Bank (BB) governor Salehuddin Ahmad hosted a visit with UK Treasury Minister Stephen Timms, who said they will work to curb terrorist financing without hindering the flow of remittances from Britain to Bangladesh.
http://www.financialexpress-bd.com/print.asp?newsid=39737

Oriental Bank's board has rejected the BB investigation report about embezzlement of huge sums and claims no board members were involved.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/10/06/d61006011811.htm

Canada's Senate Committee on Banking, Trade, and Commerce has been reviewing the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. They have called for lawyers, jewelers and operators of white label money machines to be included in the AML/CFT regime. This is among the recommendations in the Committee's Ninth Report: "Stemming the Flow of Illicit Money: A Priority for Canada: Parliamentary Review of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act"
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/bank-e/press-e/03oct06-e.htm
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/bank-e/rep-e/rep09oct06-e.pdf
http://www.sen.parl.gc.ca/dtkachuk/banking-news-2006-06-20.html

The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Center of Canada (FINTRAC) released its annual report. In the 2005-6 reporting period FINTRAC made 168 case disclosures to law enforcement and/or intelligence, covering transactions of more than $5 billion, more than double the previous year. The 168 cases included:
* 134 suspected money laundering
* 33 for suspected terrorist financing and other security threats
* One involving both
http://www.fintrac.gc.ca/publications/nr/2006-10-04_e.asp

Cayman Islands Financial Reporting Authority Director Lindsey Cacho reports that in 2005-6, 221 suspicious activity reports were filed, a 9.4 percent drop compared to the 244 filed n 2004-5. He suggests better risk management and compliance could account for the decline.
http://www.caycompass.com/cgi-bin/CFPnews.cgi?ID=1016888

Central Asian intelligence services have been tracking militant Islamic groups that include Hizb-ut-Tahrir, but have been unable to trace the source of their financing. Local militants deny foreign connections.
http://jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2371499

Chinese officials are tracing funds from senior officers believed to launder proceeds of corruption and crime internationally, particularly in the US.
http://worldpoliticswatch.com/article.aspx?id=237

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) issued preliminary findings on the role of the European Central Bank (ECB) in sharing financial data by SWIFT. Peter Hustinx said, "We have not concluded our investigation on ECB's role yet, but there are already some observations that I can share publicly. I basically challenge the fact that the ECB continued to allow confidential client banking data to pass to the US although it had become aware of the systematic access by American authorities. Moreover, I cannot help feeling that the ECB should have at least felt morally obliged to inform European governments and authorities about this scheme."
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=EDPS/06/10&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Finland is investigating its first case of money laundering associated with a pawnshop.
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Pawnshop+staff+suspected+of+money+laundering/1135222049850

Northern India's National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Khaplang (NSCN-K) has asked China, France, Russia, the UK and US for assistance in the "war on terror", including help against the  Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN), which it accuses of financing terrorism.
http://www.e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=16..021006.oct06

Jamaatul Daawa, also known as Lashkar-e-Toiba, has written to the US Treasury to reject allegations made in its recent charity guidelines, insisting that LeT does not finance terrorism and that the US is simply sowing hatred among Indian Muslims. These allegations were also reported in a BBC radio File on 4 report.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1056775
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5402756.stm

Oman International Bank's Assistant General Manager and Head of Compliance, Hany Abou-El-Fotouh spoke to the 2006 Risk Management Congress in Dubai, where he discussed financial institutions and areas of risk, including AML/CFT.
http://www.ameinfo.com/97715.html

Serbian Finance Minister Mladan Dinkic reported that there were 145,000 registered transactions worth over EU15,000 this year, of which 526 have been marked as suspicious. Only one verdict, which is still not final, has been brought out of 41 criminal charges against 47 persons and 14 indictments.
http://www.mfin.sr.gov.yu/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1346&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

US President Bush last weekend signed into law the Iran Freedom Support Act that codifies current sanctions.
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=October&x=20061001163206uhyggep0.8763239
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/R?cp109:FLD010:@1(hr417)

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) released guidance on suspicious activity reporting requirements for mutual funds.
http://www.fincen.gov/newsrelease100406.html

The Final Rule for Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations; Terrorism Sanctions Regulations; Foreign Terrorist Organizations Sanctions Regulations has been published in the Federal Register.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-16409.htm
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AML/CFT Modalities
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The Canadian Senate Banking Committee called for changes in AML/CFT laws to address shifts from cash transactions and other traditional mechanisms to precious metals, stones and jewelry.
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2006/10/03/senatemoneylaundering.html

"Money Laundering and Predicate Crime in Serbia 2000-2005" is a new report from the Administration for Prevention of Money Laundering. It found that tax evasion is the most common method of money laundering in Serbia.
http://www.mfin.sr.gov.yu/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1346&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

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4. Emerging Threat Monitor

For detailed analysis, background information and source documents consider subscribing. Subscriptions to Emerging Threat Monitor can be purchased at our online store:
TAMNI Publications

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ETM Corruption and Transnational Crime
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Transparency International has published the Bribe Payers Index 2006. The report evaluated the 30 leading exporting countries, finding that despite international laws or national wealth, all routinely pay bribes, particularly in developing economies. In order from the countries whose businesses are most prepared to pay bribes, they rank as follows:
India, China, Russia, Turkey, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Africa, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Italy, Israel, Hong Kong, Mexico, Portugal, France, UAE, Spain, Singapore, Japan, US, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, UK, Canada, Austria, Australia, Sweden, and Switzerland.
http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/bpi_2006

Cuban communist newspaper Jeventud Rebelde reports that more than half of state-run enterprises in Havana were selling products at prices higher than advertised, or shorting quantities.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2006/10/061002_cubabiz.shtml
http://www.juventudrebelde.cu/

The EU has published results of a survey that identifies target countries in the fight against counterfeiting. The survey identifies China as the main priority for EU efforts in the fight against counterfeiting, accounting for two thirds of all counterfeit goods seized entering the EU. Secondary priorities are identified as Russia, the Ukraine, Chile and Turkey.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/1321&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has offered to assist Interpol in training officers to crack corruption cases.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2006/October/subcontinent_October204.xml

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has spoken before the Dail (parliament) to challenge corruption allegations over loans and gifts he had accepted. He said he broke no law but apologized for misjudgments, and has repaid the controversial loans.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1003/ahernb1.html
http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=6248&&CatID=60

The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) said that four former ministers should be investigated for their role in the Anglo-Leasing scandal. Their names were not revealed, but include two former finance ministers, and former transport and security ministers among at least 12 accused.
http://www.kacc.go.ke/

Former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos was acquitted of graft charges. Her co-defendant Jose Conrado Benitez was acquitted of tax evasion.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200610070401.htm

Taiwan corruption investigators have cleared Wu Shu-chen, wife of the president, of corruption allegations connected with a department store takeover.

In the UK's ongoing "cash for peerages" scandal, police have questioned four major Conservative Party donors.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,200-2384632,00.html

British immigration judges Mohammed Ilyas Khan and "Judge J" will be investigated by the Office for Judicial Complaints in connection with a high profile blackmail trial.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,1887702,00.html
http://www.judicialcomplaints.gov.uk/index.htm

Computer entrepreneur and billionaire Dylan Creaven has agreed to pay GBP18 million, a luxury villa, and four racehorses, to the UK Assets Recovery Agency and the Republic of Ireland's Criminal Assets Bureau, in connection with tax fraud.
http://www.assetsrecovery.gov.uk/MediaCentre/PressReleases/2006/18.5MTOBERECOVEREDFROMASSETSLINKEDTOVATCAROUSELFRAUD.htm

Robert Lowey and David Alexander Bennett have been sentenced to eight years in prison by the Belfast Crown Court for blackmailing an undercover police officer while claiming to be from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).

An advance fee fraud using email and a fake death certificate cheated a US man from $33,000 in fees for an "inheritance" from an unknown relative in the UK. Police have released a photo of one of the fraudsters and have asked for assistance in identifying him.
http://www.gmp.police.uk/mainsite/pages/jdivcon.htm

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is examining electronic communications of former representative Mark Foley to see if inappropriate messages to teenage pages violated federal laws.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/01/AR2006100100644.html

The head of Vietnam's central Bank, Le Duc Thuy, has decided to return a house in Hanoi that he purchased for himself at a discount, This is the most recent example of senior officials granted privileged access to purchase state property at bargain prices.
http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/?catid=3&newsid=20857
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ETM Economies and Financial Systems
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UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Jose Antonio Ocampo reported to the General Assembly Second Committee on economic and financial matters that the world can expect robust economic growth of 3.6 percent this year, falling to three percent in 2007. He highlighted large external deficits in the US and the threat of a declining housing market; global oil prices and potential supply disruptions, heightened volatility in primary commodities, and widening global imbalances.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2006/gaef3144.doc.htm

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says that the controversial Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are accepted as part of the government's economic plan, and called for political consensus to move forward with all necessary reforms. Note the article in Money Control about the differences between India and China SEZ policy, and an explanatory article from the BBC's Indian economic analyst.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2109840.cms
http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/business/infosystvmohandaspai/whatsdifferencebetweenindiachinassezpolicy/market/stocks/article/243900
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5391058.stm

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni called on Sunday to address rising inflation. President Ahmadinejad and his government have begun taking steps to curb surging prices. The official inflation rate is 10.5 percent, but estimates of the actual rate surpass 16 percent. The costs of staple foods have risen sharply: chicken by 70 percent; cheese and yogurt by 30 percent, and bread by 25 percent.
http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=388738
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5399200.stm

The World Trade Organization (WTO) released a staff Working Paper on "Service liberalization n the new generation of Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs): How much further than the GATS?"
http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/reser_e/ersd200607_e.htm

A summary of the WTO Public Forum 2006 is also available:
http://www.wto.org/english/forums_e/public_forum_e/participation_e.doc
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ETM Environment and Climate Change
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This year's hole in the Antarctic ozone layer is the worst on record. NASA instruments showed that on 25 September the area of the hole reached 29.5 million square kilometers, compared to 29.4 million in September 2000.
http://www.wmo.ch/news/news.html

Environment ministers from the top 20 polluting nations around the world met in Mexico to discuss climate change. The Ministerial Dialog on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development was created under the UK's G8 presidency last year. Although delegates agreed that tackling greenhouse gas emissions is urgent, they also pointed to the enormous gap between the science and the politics of the problem.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5408798.stm
http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/ghg/index.htm
http://www.iea.org/Textbase/speech/2006/mandil/Monterrey.pdf
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued new Air Quality Guidelines, challenging governments around the world to reach dramatically lower standards for levels of pollutants. Reduction of just one pollutant - PM (subscript) 10 - could reduce deaths in polluted cities by up to 15 percent every year.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2006/pr52/en/index.html

The Danish National Space Center has determined that cosmic rays from exploding stars help influence the earth's climate.
http://spacecenter.dk/cgi-bin/nyheder-m-m.cgi?id=1159917791|cgifunction=form

Guatemala and the US, with The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International Foundation, have concluded agreements to reduce Guatemala's official debt to the US and generate $24 million to conserve its tropical forests. The funds will help conserve Guatemala's high altitude cloud forests, rain forests, and coastal mangrove swamps, which are home to hundreds of species of songbirds and waterfowl that migrate between the US and Guatemala, as well as many rare and endangered species, including the resplendent quetzal bird, jaguars and margays. Similar agreements were previously established with Bangladesh, Belize, Colombia, El Salvador, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the Philippines.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp125.htm

Illegal bush fires on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo have created severe smog across the region, forcing some airlines to suspend operations. The thick smog spread to Malaysia and Singapore, where health warnings have been issued.

The US House Committee on Government Reform held an oversight hearing on egg-bearing male fish in the Potomac River, in which they criticized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the slow pace of research into pollutants feminizing male fish, including a 1996 requirement to identify chemicals that disrupt hormones.
http://reform.house.gov/GovReform/Hearings/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=51322

EPA is also under fire for not raising US air quality standards higher, in line with the scientific evidence.
http://www.ansi.org/news_publications/news_story.aspx?menuid=7&articleid=1344

US state of California Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law seven bills to extend protection over the ocean and water quality. The bills address environmental degradation, fishing, development, and ship discharges.
http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/3936/
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ETM Human Rights
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Surging demand for UN peacekeeping operations is stretching the organization to the limits, particularly the full deployments unfolding n Lebanon, Sudan, and East Timor. There are currently 16 peacekeeping missions and two political-peacebuilding missions, with more than 93,000 people working in the field, rising to as many as 140,000 following full deployment.
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/index.asp

To make it easier to provide conflict-resolution information to diplomats, politicians, mediators and other officials around the world, the UN has launched a new website. It includes a comprehensive, indexed database of modern peace agreements, guidance on managing a peace process, and a toolkit of resources including a handbook for drafting language of peace accords.
http://peacemaker.unlb.org

Half of the UN refugee agency's 116 country offices said they had to confront attempts to forcibly return refugees or asylum-seekers (refoulment) to situations where they could face danger, challenging the international system's most fundamental protection, in breach of the 1951 Refugee Convention. Such incidents are increasing worldwide.
http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4523f7cd4.html

The World Health Organization has released a Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women. The new report describes the enormous toll violence by partners has on the health and well-being of women around the world.
http://www.who.int/gender/violence/who_multicountry_study/summary_report/en/index.html

Europe has opened the Human Trafficking Center. The specialized unit is the first to provide dedicated assistance for victims.
http://www.ukhtc.org/

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime released a toolkit to help governments, law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and civil society groups tackle human trafficking more effectively.
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/press_release_2006_10_05_2.html

The European Court of Justice has ruled that women who took maternity leave are not automatically entitled to the same pay as male colleagues doing the same job who did not take time off. Length of service matters, but does not justify unreasonable differences. This ruling shifts the burden of a comparable pay issue onto the employee. Although most European countries permit paternity leave, few men take advantage of it.
http://curia.europa.eu/jurisp/cgi-bin/form.pl?lang=EN&Submit=Rechercher$docrequire=alldocs&numaff=C-17/05&datefs=&datefe=&nomusuel=&domaine=&mots=&resmax=100

North and South Korea have entered into a joint venture that Human Rights Watch reports violates labor laws.
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/10/02/nkorea14284.htm

Ramazan Zorlu, a Turkish national, has been sentenced to 8.5 years in prison in the UK after pleading guilty to managing one of Europe's largest human trafficking organizations.

Montenegro has set standards under an international code of conduct to prevent exploitation of vulnerable children by the travel and tourism industry.
http://www.osce.org/item/20987.htmls

A US federal court in California is reviewing the state's lethal injection execution method, in response to a lawsuit filed by convicted murder Michael Morales who says the method violates cruel and unusual punishment prohibitions of the constitution.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-me-execution2oct02,1,5250172.story
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/scotus/la-me-lethal28sep28,1,4216540.story
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/16/BAG4CL6R5L1.DTL

US Senators discussed the history of waterboarding and other notorious detainee interrogation techniques, pointing out that use of such techniques in prior years resulted in sentences of 15 years hard labor.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/04/AR2006100402005.html
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ETM Infectious Diseases
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A mystery illness in Panama has killed at least 19 people. A national epidemic alert was issued for the disease, which progresses rapidly to the kidneys and causes neurological damage. As the investigation continues, stocks of a high blood pressure medicine have been withdrawn for toxicity testing as it has been linked to some of the victims.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=N07261011&WTmodLoc=World-R5-Alertnet-2
http://www.minsa.gob.pa/minsa2006/noticias.php?key=448 (in Spanish)

Indonesia has confirmed its 69th case of human H5N1 avian influenza. 52 of the confirmed cases have proven fatal. Worldwide, cumulative cases stand at 252 as of 3 October. Of these, 148 have been fatal.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2006_10_03/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2006_10_03/en/index.html

University of Warwick (UK) researchers are developing an entirely new way to convert flu infections into their own vaccines, offering instant flu protection.
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/dipr/

The US Environmental Protection Agency has released an updated list of antimicrobial products to disinfect poultry and other facilities from avian influenza.
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/avian.htm

Amy Ellis Nutt describes animal-born diseased transmitted to new geographies, in "Tracking Killers That Know No Borders".
http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/nutt100606.html

Christopher Chyba describes "Biotechnology and the Challenge to Arms Control" in the October issue of Arms Control Today.
http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2006_10/BioTechFeature.asp
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ETM Legal Systems
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Argentina's prisons are, like most of Latin America, poor, overcrowded, corrupt, violent, and poorly provisioned. Two weeks ago a hunger strike was launched to demand faster trials. This has now spread to 28 prisons and involves 14,000 inmates.

Armenia's Public Monitoring Group has released the 2005 report on detention facilities, finding some measures previously recommended have been addressed, and providing more concrete detail of the facilities and recommendations for improvements, including medical services, health, and treatment.
http://www.osce.org/documents/html/pdftohtml/21038_en.pdf.html

Grace Kithaka writes of "How prisoners buy their comfort" in Kenya:
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=39&newsid=82554

The Africa Governance, Monitoring and Advocacy Project (AfriMAP) released "Mozambique: Justice Sector and the Rule of Law", which finds there have been judicial improvements since the end of 1-party rule n 1994, but the independence of the judiciary is still not guaranteed.
http://www.afrimap.org/english/images/report/Moz Discussion Paper (english).pdf

British Home Secretary Reid is meeting with senior prison and probation service officials to determine what to do with excess prisoners when the system reaches its full capacity within a week. EU ministers have not agreed to a prisoner transfer proposal. Initial steps will involve moving a small number of prisoners from secure jails to open prisons and police cells. Although the Attorney General insists public safety will come first, a leaked memo suggests that Reid is willing even to risk jail breaks.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1889444,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5409372.stm
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1890523,00.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2393840,00.html

The UK Forensic Science Service (FSS) has launched a pilot project using DNAboost. The new technology separates out mixed or poor quality DNA samples, making it possible to interpret previously unintelligible samples.
http://www.forensic.gov.uk/forensic_t/inside/news/list_press_release.php?case=59&y=2006

Northern Ireland's police ombudsman finds no need for Tasers to be brought into use by the police force.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/5396354.stm
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2005/082805.html#FeatureArticle

The current issue of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Law Enforcement Bulletin
http://www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/2006/sept06leb.pdf

California's prisons are also nearly out of room, leading Governor Schwarzenegger to proclaim a state of emergency that could allow inmate transfers to other states without their consent.
http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/proclamation/4278/
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prison5oct05,0,4586437.story
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ETM Natural Resources
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The global economy could soon be getting its supply of raw materials from the deep seabed, where copper, zinc, cobalt and gold lie hidden in black smokers and manganese nodules.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,440618,00.html

Sixteen Bolivian miners were killed in a clash between independent and state tin miners.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N07262222.htm

Chad has settled an oil tax dispute with Petronas and Chevron.
http://za.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2006-10-07T140609Z_01_BAN740452_RTRIDST_0_OZABS-ENERGY-CHAD-TAXES-20061007.XML

Indonesian residents in North Sulawesi are protesting a future gold mining operation because of a plan to dispose of the tailings into the sea, and ask for a fresh environmental review to ensure mining operations will not harm the local community and its livelihood. The last environmental impact analysis was more than seven years ago.

Global Witness suggests that a contract between Liberia and Mittal Steel should be renegotiated because the current terms create a virtual state within a state and will not serve the interests of Liberians, including human rights.
http://www.globalwitness.org/press_releases/display2.php?id=380
http://www.globalwitness.org/reports/show.php/en.00097.html

Marking 50 years as an oil producing nation, Nigeria looks at "More Crude Oil, Deeper Poverty" in this article:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200610020865.html
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ETM Populations
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World Habitat Day was marked on 2 October.
http://www.unhabitat.org/categories.asp?catid=490

UN Habitat called for government action to address expanding urban populations. More than a billion people living in urban slums: one of every three urban residents. Urgent steps must be taken to prevent this doubling in the next 30 years. Current projections suggest that by 2050 two-thirds of the world's population - six billion people - will be living in towns and cities, with two-thirds of these in slums. To prevent this sustainable management is required, taking a holistic approach that addresses the underlying causes of rural migration. Addressing the terrible environmental impact of urban growth is also essential.
http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/getPage.asp?page=bookView&book=2101
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=486&ArticleID=5363&l=en

East Asia is witnessing the largest rural-to-urban shift in history.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21053130~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html
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ETM Social Responsibility
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The UN released a study that proposes new guidelines for corporate reporting on the environment, labor standards, human rights, anti-corruption and other measures.
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=486&ArticleID=5365&l=en
http://www.unep.fr/outreach/reporting/docs/Public-UNEP-KPMG-Report-FIN.pdf

The Business and Human Rights Resource Center proposed general principles for a human rights impact assessment in a letter to the UN.
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/348840

Margot Wallstrom, Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy, gave a speech to the GRI Conference on "Active or Reactive - CSR Reporting and Sustainable Development as Tools for Smart Growth"
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/570&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
http://www.amsterdamgriconference.org/

A campaign started n the US to apply pressure on Sudan over its policies in Darfur has gained success with legislation in six states, including California, that have passed laws limiting business links with the government of Sudan.
http://www.sudandivestment.org/
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ETM Technology
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US researchers report that cloned mice can be produced in one step from a terminally differentiated cell, making stem cells unnecessary.
http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ng1895.html
--------------------------------------------------
ETM Weapons (WMD, Proliferation)
--------------------------------------------------
North Korean state television announced plans for a nuclear test, without specifying a date, although some signs indicate preparations are underway. US Secretary of State Rice says a test would be a provocative act. It is also seen as a tactical negotiating ploy. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a formal statement urging North Korea to cancel any planned test and return to talks.
http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20061003/610000000020061003185958E5.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2389183.html

The deputy head of Iran's atomic energy agency, Mohammad Saeedi, has suggested that France monitor its nuclear program through a fuel consortium inside Iran. The suggestion was referred to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who has concluded that Iran will not suspend uranium enrichment, opening discussions for potential sanctions against Iran. French, UK and US officials all rejected the proposal, suggesting it was not new, lacked substance and was a ruse to buy time.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=17706
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1886774,00.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/04/world/middleeast/04iran.html
http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-10-03-voa45.cfm

Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has opened nuclear facilities to foreign tourists to prove the program is peaceful.

US President Bush last weekend signed into law the Iran Freedom Support Act that codifies current sanctions.
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=October&x=20061001163206uhyggep0.8763239

In connection with the UN's annual session on arms control, the Control Arms Campaign released a new report, "Arms Without Borders". The report reveals that Canadian, EU and US companies have circumvented arms regulations by selling weapon components and subcontracting arms manufacturing overseas. This allows the global arms industry to exploit major loopholes in all current arms export regulations, allowing sales to human rights abusers and countries under arms embargoes. For example:
* You can't sell it whole, but you can sell it in individual pieces
- The EU has an arms embargo against China; the US and Canada refuse to sell attack helicopters to China, yet, China’s new Z-10 attack helicopter would not fly without parts and technology from a UK/Italian company (AugustaWestland), a Canadian company (Pratt & Whitney Canada), a US company (Lord Corporation) and a Franco-German company (Eurocopter). China has previously sold attack helicopters to a number of countries including Sudan, which is under a full EU arms embargo and a partial UN arms embargo.
- The Apache helicopter, used by Israel in the recent Lebanon crisis, is made up of over 6,000 parts manufactured worldwide, including in UK, the Netherlands and Ireland. Under the EU Code of Conduct, these countries should refuse to export attack helicopters directly to Israel.
* You can’t sell from here, but you can sell from over there
- In May 2005, Uzbek security forces fired on demonstrators, killing hundreds of people. The Uzbek military used military Land Rovers during the massacre, which were made up of 70 per cent British parts. The Land Rover parts were sent "flat pack" to Turkey, where they were assembled and made into military vehicles. The vehicles were then supplied to the Uzbek government. The UK government has no control over the deal because the vehicles were not assembled and converted into military vehicles in the UK.
http://www.oxfam.co.uk/press/releases/arms_without_borders290906.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1886021,00.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/769530.html

Clemson University researchers have developed a technique using carbon nanotubes to attract anthrax spores so they can't easily be weaponized.
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jacsat/asap/abs/ja065455o.html

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5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor

Critical Infrastructure Monitor gives you the background and analysis missing from these news briefings. Subscriptions can be purchased from our online store:
TAMNI Publications

--------------------------------------------------
CIM Agriculture and Food
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Nigeria, facing a cashflow problem, has suspended compensation to farmers affected by avian influenza.
http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=10/07/2006&qrTitle=Bird%20flu:%20Govt%20suspends%20compensation%20to%20farmers&qrColumn=NEWS

The US Food and Drug Agency (FDA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating two California spinach producers associated with an E. coli outbreak. Although the contamination is not believed to be deliberate, they are looking for evidence of malpractice or negligence.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01480.html

Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has launched the Vietnam Agricultural Science Institute to ensure food and nutritional security and agricultural advances.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2006/10/620062/
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CIM Banking and Finance
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Bank supervisors from 120 countries endorsed updated international principles for effective banking supervision.
http://www.bis.org/press/p061005a.htm
http://www.bis.org/press/p061005b.htm

Indonesia's central bank will provide incentives such as favorable loans and tax breaks to encourage consolidation of the banking industry through mergers and acquisitions.

UK Financial Services Authority's Chief Executive John Tiner spoke to the Insurance Institute of London. "In search of efficient, orderly and fair markets" was the focus of the talk. In this connection, an investigation into commission disclosures and other measures for greater transparency were announced.
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/Speeches/2006/1003_jt.shtml

Because minority banks play an important role n serving financial needs of underserved communities and minorities, goals were set to reinforce these institutions. The US Government Accountability Office's report "Minority Banks: Regulators Need to Better Assess Effectiveness of Support Efforts" recommends performance measures and regular reviews to determine effectiveness.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-6
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-7SP (survey)

Federal financial regulators issued Interagency Guidance on Nontraditional Mortgage Product Risks.
http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06089.html

Qchex, an Internet-based check creation and delivery service, has agreed to a temporary restraining order to halt unfair business practices. A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint charged that Qchex creates and sends checks drawn on any bank account identified by a Qchex customer without verifying that the customer has authority to write checks drawn on that account.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2006/10/qchex.htm
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CIM Chemical
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The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has deployed an investigation team to assess the chemical fire, explosions, and large-scale public evacuation in Apex, North Carolina, site of a hazardous waste facility operated by the Environmental Quality Company, a consolidator and processor of hazardous waste that operates approximately 14 US facilities. Including one in Michigan, that experienced a major fire earlier this year.
http://www.csb.gov

Newsweek asks, "US Chemical Plants: Are They Safe?"
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15163609/site/newsweek/
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CIM Cybersecurity
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Unofficial patches to address another outstanding Internet Explorer vulnerability have been released.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/926043.mspx
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2006-3730
http://isotf.org/zert/
http://www.determina.com/security_center/security_advisories/securityadvisory_0day_09282.asp

Cyber-Ark released a survey regarding privileged passwords. It found that about half of all enterprises have more administrative passwords than individual ones, and up to 42 percent of these are privileged passwords that are never changed.
http://www.cyber-ark.com/networkvaultnews/survey.asp

A survey from Trusted Network Technologies reveals an increased awareness of the risk of internal data theft. They find:
* any institutions are under constant attack - with more than 5,000 incidents of unauthorized information access a month
* The majority - about 60 percent - worry about employees stealing sensitive data
* Nearly 70 percent say a major data breach would drive their customers to other institutions
* About 63 percent of larger banks and credit unions estimated that a major data breach would cost more than $1 million
http://www.trustednetworktech.com/pr1004_2006.asp

The Indian Government is working on amendments to the Technology Act 2001 to define higher penalties and punishment for computer crimes.

The US Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General released a new report, "Laptop Computers Are Susceptible to Compromise (Unclassified and Redacted)". The report finds that DHS, which is responsible for cybersecurity, does a poor job of protecting sensitive data on laptop computers. They have no standard configuration or patching procedures, and there gaps in inventory controls.
http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/OIGr_06-58_Aug06.pdf

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) relies on a contractor-owned and operated network to facilitate communication and data transmission among Medicare and Medicaid business-related entities. Steps must be taken to ensure that effective information security controls are fully implemented. See "Information Security: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Needs to Improve Controls over Key Communication Network" for details.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-750

The UK's biggest supermarket, Tesco, does not require a personal identification number or signature to pay at automated checkout stations, opening a possible channel for frauds.
http://money.guardian.co.uk/scamsandfraud/story/0,,1888033,00.html

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and their private sector members are working on a standard to counter identity theft and for identity management standards.
http://www.ansi.org/standards_activities/standards_boards_panels/idsp/overview.aspx?menuid=3

California has a new law that bans pretexting in the state.
http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2006/09/25/daily86.html
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CIM Dams and Bridges
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A public inquiry has opened in Quebec, Canada regarding the collapse of a road overpass that killed five people. Meanwhile, engineers inspected 20 bridges Ann overpasses for further review, and there are calls for even greater analysis.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061005/overpass_inquiry_061005/20061005?hub=Canada
http://www.lemagazineids.com/article-40763-Laval-overpass-collapse-freak-occurrence-or-sign-of-failure.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/03/america/NA_GEN_US_Canada_Overpass_Collapse.php
http://www.gouv.qc.ca/portail/quebec/pgs/commun/actualites?lang=en&browser.relurl=/ContentServer/connect/Pgs_v01/pgs/actualites/nouvelles/une/pgs.actualites.061002.mitigation.en

Indian Home Minister Balakrishnan insists that the security of the Mullaperiyar dam and the interests of the local residents will be assured, and has recently strengthened security at the site.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/08/stories/2006100810010100.htm
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CIM Emergency Services
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EMS Expo and the NAEMT Annual Meeting were held last week, featuring a speech from US Federal Emergency Management Agency Director R. David Paulison.
http://www.emsresponder.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=4180
http://www.emsresponder.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=4165 (event blog)

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) conduct a Long Term Field Evaluation (LTFE) program to evaluate deployed self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs). Results of the evaluation indicate that all SCSRs experience some performance degradation due to the mining environment.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/prepub/ri9671/
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CIM Energy
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"Canada's Energy Outlook" was released this week. It projects energy consumption, production and greenhouse gas emissions through 2020.
http://www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/inter/publications/peo_e.html

China is building the world's largest rural power grid, which now provides access to electricity to nearly all households. Outlying areas especially in the west will be connected within the next few years.
http://english.people.com.cn//200610/08/eng20061008_309939.html

French President Chirac spoke to a meeting of farmers in Auvergne, where he called for crops to be used to produce vegetable-based fuels and chemicals. He set a target of 10 percent of French fuel production to come from vegetables by 2015.
http://www.elysee.fr/elysee/elysee.fr/francais/interventions/discours_et_declarations/2006/octobre/allocution_du_president_de_la_republique_lors_du_xveme_xveme_sommet_de_l_elevage_a_cournon_en_auvergne.61924.html (in French)

Nigeria and Venezuela announced production reductions, but OPEC overall has rejected further reductions or quotas.
http://www.forbes.com/business/2006/10/02/opec-venezuela-nigeria-biz-energy-cx_1003oxford.html

As natural gas supplies began to arrive from the UK-Norway Langeled pipeline, a supply glut has led to price collapses, with traders having to pay to offload supplies. UK gas storage capacity has reached 96 percent.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5402370.stm

Greenpeace has launched legal action against a "fatally flawed" UK government energy review, which backs a new generation of nuclear power plants.
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/climate/climate.cfm?ucidparam=20061005114704&CFID=5871163&CFTOKEN=45958493

"Are Russian Foreign Oil Projects an Endangered Species?" is the question asked by the Economist Intelligence Unit following recent attacks by Russian authorities against four major projects that are entirely or majority foreign-owned.
http://www.garp.com/risknews/newsfeed.asp?Category=6&MyFile=2006-10-06-13631.html

The US Congress authorized the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to release oil to the market during disruptions and protect the economy from damage. In "Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Available Oil Can Provide Significant Benefits, but Many Factors Should Influence Future Decisions about Fill, Use, and Expansion", the Government Accountability Office (GAO) addresses the factors to be considered when filling and using the SPR, and makes a number of related proposals.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-872
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CIM Government Facilities
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A security review has been ordered after an armed intruder entered a secure area near the British Prime Minister's official residence.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1886106,00.html

The US House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations released the last of three Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports on government efforts to rightsize the number of staff assigned to embassies, cut costs, and improve the provision of services. See "Overseas Presence: State and USAID Should Adopt a Comprehensive Plan to Improve the Consolidation of Overseas Support Services":
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-829
http://reform.house.gov/NSETIR/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=51083
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CIM Information Technology
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Hitachi has become the sixth personal computer vendor to recall lithium-ion cell batteries made by Sony, joining Apple, Toshiba, Lenovo, IBM, and Fujitsu. Sony is initiating a global replacement program.

A Nielsen/NetRatings survey of the UK Digital Consumer finds people are buying cutting-edge technology but often don't understand the technical jargon used to describe what the device actually does.
http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/pr/PR_100306_UK.pdf
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CIM Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded a $4.3 million contract to rid a Serbian reactor site of spent nuclear fuel that is posing a serious radiological hazard.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2006/vincamilestone.html

The European Commission and IAEA marked 25 years of cooperation in the control of nuclear materials and facilities.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/1323&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/06/364&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Radioactive emissions from a 1959 nuclear accident at a research lab near Simi Valley, California,  appear to have been much greater than previously suspected and could have resulted in hundreds of cancers in surrounding communities.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rocketdyne6oct06,0,125472.story
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CIM Postal and Shipping
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The US Department of Justice's Inspector General released "The Federal Bureau of Prisons' Monitoring of Mail for High-Risk Inmates, Evaluations and Inspections Report". It finds that the Federal Bureau of Prisons does not read all the mail from and to terrorists and other high-risk inmates on current monitoring lists; does not have enough translators for foreign-language mail nor staff trained to analyze whether terrorists’ communications contain suspicious content. They also cannot effectively monitor high-risk inmates’ oral communications including telephone calls, visits with family and friends and cellblock conversations.
http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/reports/BOP/e0609/final.pdf
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CIM Public Health and Healthcare
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A Lancet editorial calls for mandatory vaccination against human papillomavirus for girls in all EU member states once they are 11 or 12, to help prevent future cases of cervical cancer.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673606694944/fulltext

Germany's grand coalition government has reached agreement on changes to finance the health service, which has an annual budget shortfall of $10 billion a year. Previously, healthcare was financed by compulsory insurance. Now, a new fund will be established to automatically deduct payments form employees and employers. Each health insurer will receive fixed fees and there will be a cap on premium increases. Doubts about the future of the plan, and even its constitutionality, remain.
http://www.bmg.bund.de/ (in German)

The end of India's monsoon season has led to an outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases. There have been some 3,000 cases of dengue fever, including 38 deaths, and an outbreak of chikungunya that has killed 75 people.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/05/asia/AS_MED_India_Dengue_Fever.php

The Philippines Integrated Provincial Health Office in Cebu reports 27 deaths from dengue this year, a significant fall from the 49 last year.
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CIM Telecommunications
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Just before a massive share flotation, Australian telecom giant Telstra has invested AU$1 billion in a 3G-mobile network that will offer speeds five times faster than its rivals, with a broadband internet service to support multimedia downloads. Acceptance for the new services, as well as continued regulatory conflict present risks to the flotation.

Informa Telecoms and Media released research findings that the rate of adoption of mobile phones will slow, ending the era of massive overall worldwide growth. There will be industry consolidation, and new services will be added to encourage more use of each phone.
http://www.informatm.com/itmgcontent/icoms/whats-new/20017378108.html

Nokia has introduced Wibree, a short-range wireless radio technology that is up to ten times more energy efficient than Bluetooth. It focuses on the sensor market, and is likely to work alongside the multimedia functions in Bluetooth - at least for the moment.
http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1079020
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/index.php?p=3714
http://www.bluetooth.com/Bluetooth/SIG/Directory/Promoters/

UAE has banned access to unauthorized voice over internet protocol services, insisting it must fall within other telecommunication regulations.
http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Society/10073037.html

A new security service, first launched in the UK, triggers a high-pitched screech on a mobile phone once it is reported stolen, sends a message reporting the theft, and automatically disables the phone.
http://www.remotext.com/
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CIM Transportation
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Hakan Ekinci has been arrested for hijacking Turkish Airlines Flight 1476 from Tirana, en route to Italy. He was not armed, but had researched airplanes online.
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/5204789.asp?gid=74
http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200610041206-1078-RT1-CRO-0-NF82&page=0&id=agionline-eng.italyonline
http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1472812006

Thailand's Crime Suppression Division has been told to step up security at the new Suvarnabhumi airport from terrorist attacks, including the 7-floor passenger terminal, the airport control tower, and the main office. They did not anticipate a major software glitch in the automated cargo system. Two system crashes left over 6,700 luggage items stranded, affecting more than 20 domestic and international flights. The cause of the problem has not been determined.

The European Union and US have reached an interim agreement for sharing limited airline passenger data.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5412092.stm
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=5960

The 60 Minutes television program's investigation into "Unlikely Terrorists On No-Fly List" helps illustrate some of the EU concerns.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/05/60minutes/main2066624.shtml

Also note the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) new report on "Terrorist Watch List Screening: Efforts to Help Reduce Adverse Effects on the Public"
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-1031

The EU has adopted new restrictions on liquids carried by air passengers, as well as other rules, following the new threat posed by liquid explosives.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/1313&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has announced further delays and a corporate restructuring.
http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/06_10_03_a380_delays_company_restructuring_plan.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2hi/business/5405524.stm

Following a federal court decision in California, state and federal regulations are being established to control all discharges from ships in US waters, including ballast water. The Environmental Protection Agency will regulate discharges from 30 September 2008. The decision was in response to a suit brought by environmental groups concerned about the economic and ecological consequences of invasive species arriving in US waters through unregulated ballast water. Ballast waters had previously been exempt from clean water regulations.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/15554251.htm
http://ww.pennnet.com/news/display_news_story.cfm?Section=WireNews&Category=HOME&NewsID=139075
http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/3936/
http://www.epa.gov/owow/invasive_species/interagency.html

At the Maritime Industries Forum, European Commission member Joe Borg, who is responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, described "A new approach to maritime policy: reinvent today for a reinforced tomorrow".
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/567&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
http://www.mif-eu.org/

The European Commission has adopted a new directive to improve road safety on major roads across the EU.
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/roadsafety/index_en.htm
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CIM Water
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A UN Environment Program report finds that good progress has been made in curbing oil and chemical pollution, but a rising tide of sewage is threatening the world's seas and oceans, endangering human health, wildlife and livelihoods ranging from fisheries to tourism. About 80 percent of marine pollution originates from the land and as coastal populations grow, could rise even more.
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=486&ArticleID=5364&l=en

Water utilities using chemicals such as chlorine will no longer have to repeat vulnerability assessments and emergency response planning previously required by the US Bioterrorism Act of 2002.
http://www.watertechonline.com/NewsPrint.asp?print=1&mode=4&N_ID=63995&UniqueURL=683774613-2006-10-4-1-5-7

The China Geological Survey reports that half of China's shallow groundwater is contaminated.
http://english.people.com.cn//200610/08/eng20061008_309884.html

Legislation signed into law in California confers on the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) the power to conduct water quality investigations and impose administrative civil liability for violations of specified water quality requirements. SWRCB and the Regional Boards must make certain enforcement information available online, and requires the Regional Boards to coordinate with the SWRCB on water quality issues and to report rates of compliance.
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=sb_729&sess=CUR&house=B&author=simitian

In an affluent suburb of Zimbabwe's capital Harare, water supplied have been reconnected after three weeks in which t was unavailable. Although reservoirs are full, the government s unable to spare foreign currency to obtain water treatment chemicals and spare parts.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55833

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6. Disaster Reduction Monitor

News highlights from the past week are provided in this free email update, but detailed analysis, background information and source documents are only available to subscribers. Disaster Reduction Monitor subscriptions and other titles can be purchased here:
TAMNI Publications

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DRM Incidents
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Ethiopia's Ministry of Health, Ethiopia has reported a total of 22,101 cases of watery diarrhea and 219 deaths in five of nine regions. The outbreak is tied to ongoing flooding and displacement.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2006_10_04/en/index.html

In Bangladesh, a bus carrying up to 45 passengers plunged into a river: 11 people were rescued.

Typhoon Xangsane struck Vietnam. 40,000 people were evacuated, but 30 people were killed and 269 injured when the typhoon made landfall last Sunday. More than 6,250 houses were totally destroyed, nearly 230,000 houses damaged, and over 785 boats were sunk or damaged.

Ahead of a South Korean national holiday, two trucks collided in heavy fog. This caused a vehicle pileup involving dozens of cars. At least 11 people were killed, and about 50 were injured.

Flooding in Thailand has killed four people, and is threatening large dams.

An explosion at a chemical plant n the US state of North Carolina injured 18 people and forced some 17,000 people to evacuate the area. Hazardous materials teams are responding to the resultant fire, helped by falling rains but hindered by a chlorine gas cloud. The fire is expected to burn through the weekend, but residents slowly are beginning to return. The US Chemical Safety Board and the Environmental Protection Agency deployed investigation and assessment teams.
http://www.raleighchronicle.com/2006100611.html
http://wistv.com/global/Story.asp?s=5505503
http://www.apexchemical.com/
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DRM Response and Recovery
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Today marks one year since the disastrous Kashmir earthquake that killed more than 73,000; injured nearly 70,000; and left millions homeless. A year later, winter has come early to Kashmir, where 1.8 million survivors continue to reside in makeshift tents or tarpaulins, and other temporary facilities. Less than 20 percent of those whose homes were destroyed have been able to rebuild..
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/06/366&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21082797~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html
http://157.150.195.46/News/briefings/docs/2006/061006_Bush.doc.htm

The provincial government of Quebec, Canada, has ordered a public inquiry into the 1 October collapse of a road overpass that killed five people.

Brazil confirmed the Gal flight that crashed in the Amazon, killing all 155 on board, had been struck by a private jet flying at the same height. The two US pilots were unharmed, and have been detained during the investigation into the worst air disaster in Brazil's history. Here is the story of one of the survivors:
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article1792646.ece

In 2002, the Biscuit Fire burned nearly half a million acres of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in southwestern Oregon. "Biscuit Fire Recovery Project: Analysis of Project Development, Salvage Sales, and Other Activities" is a new report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) that reviews the latest, most complex post-fire recovery project ever undertaken by the Forest Service. Salvage sales of dead wood and incidents of improper logging have been controversial, not least for losing money. Annual reporting will describe future progress.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-967
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DRM Risks
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Early snows are already falling in Kashmir. Assistance to survive the winter is urgently needed.
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/press/releases/asian_quake_0041006.htm

US President Bush, in a signing statement , said that he will not comply with a homeland security law that sets minimum experience qualifications for the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)  nor with a provision that authorizes the FEMA director to tell Congress about national emergency preparedness needs without first getting permission from the White House.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1160206764253020.xml

The National Science Board has issued for public comment a draft report "Hurricane Warning: The Critical Need for a National Hurricane Research Initiative".
http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/committees/hurricane/index.htm
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DRM Mitigation
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The World Bank and UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) launched a new initiative to lower risks and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters: the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. The Bank will contribute $5 million annually to ISDR, which will provide expertise and technical assistance to low and middle income countries over the next three years of the new program.
http://www.unisdr.org/isdrindex.htm
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,pagePK:34382~piPK:34439~theSitePK:4607,00.html

The UN World Food Program (WFP) launched a new humanitarian response Network, modeled after the Humanitarian Response Depot. The Network has hubs in Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Each is equipped with strategic stocks and is ready to transport life-saving supplies within 24 to 48 hours by air and sea. The magnitude and number of emergencies has grown in recent years. In 2005, WFP delivered 6.2 million metric tons of food.
http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2257
http://www.unhrd.org

The US President's Working Group on Financial Markets (PWG) released a report on terrorism risk insurance. It finds that the unpredictable and varied nature of terrorist attacks makes private terrorism insurance uncertain at best, and coverage for chemical, nuclear, biological or radiological incidents unlikely to develop. The report, released by the Treasury Department, says that subsidized federal reinsurance dilutes demand for private sector reinsurance and therefore harms private reinsurance capacity. Without making a recommendation for or against renewal of the 2002 Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), they say that TRIA helped support increased private participation insurance, and improved affordability and availability since 9/11. However TRIA was intended to be a temporary stabilization effort, not a permanent measure. The insurance industry, however, insists that the federal backstop provided by TRIA is the sole reason that a private market for terrorism risks exists at all. The Reinsurance Association of America said that the idea that terrorism reinsurance is growing is speculative, and the belief in continued growth mere wishful thinking.
Press Announcement:
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp126.htm
Report:
http://www.treas.gov/offices/domestic-finance/financial-institution/terrorism-insurance/pdf/report.pdf
Letter to Congressional Committee Leadership:
http://www.treas.gov/offices/domestic-finance/financial-institution/terrorism-insurance/pdf/letter.pdf
Reinsurance Association of America
http://community.reinsurance.org/

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7. Recommended Reading

On 7 October 2001, the US launched its aerial bombing campaign on Afghanistan, following the Taleban's refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden. Opposition forces seized Mazar-e Sharif in November and soon after entered Kabul and other key cities. The Taleban gave up its last stronghold of Kandahar on 7 December.

Five years later, we look at the most recent publications on the war and its aftermath.

The bestseller in the bunch comes from Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf. "In the Line of Fire: A Memoir" (Free Press, Simon and Schuster) covers operating against al Qaeda, working with President Bush and Prime Minister Blair, nuclear relations with India, the 2005 earthquake, and much more.
http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=523841

Newsworthy revelations from the book include:
* About Musharraf:
"Night before his book launch, Musharraf wants to check Kargil lines, Hindi version"
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/13337.html
"Playing a cunning game of survival in the war zone"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2088-2382744,00.html
"Book Tour Details"
http://pakistaniat.com/2006/09/21/musharraf-line-fire/
* Nuclear Proliferation
"Proof of A Q Khan network left Musharraf embarrassed"
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/13220.html
"In Book, Musharraf Expands on North Korean Nuclear Link"
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/26/world/asia/26musharraf.html
"General admits: Pak Army fought Kargil, AQ Khan helped Iran"
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/13443.html
* Foreign Relations:
"Will Musharraf's book reopen old wounds?"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/south_asia/5380350.stm
" Musharraf denies India, Pakistan on brink of nuclear war in 1999"

"We'll bomb you to Stone Age, US told Pakistan"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2369505,00.html
"Mush memoir may increase trust deficit"
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2030212.cms
"US paid Pakistan terrorist bounty: Musharraf"
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/us-paid-pakistan-terrorist-bounty-musharraf/2006/09/25/1159036472297.html
"Musharraf now has Pak’s Kargil toll: 357"
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/14208.html
* Regional Reaction:
"Musharraf book selling state secrets: Pak opposition"
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/13537.html
"Musharraf's book: Eyes fixed on elections?"
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/09/30/d60930020427.htm
"Musharraf memoirs set for 'hot sale' in India"
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/09/27/d609271301133.htm
"Musharraf book draws mixed response"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5398678.stm

Turning attention to Afghanistan, we look at Sarah Chayes account of what happened after the fall of the Taleban. She covered the war as a correspondent with National Public Radio, then left that job to join Afghans for Civil Society.

Her book, "The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban" (Penguin Press) talks about the recent history and the impact of US policy, as well as her personal experience of local warlords, death threats, suicide bombs and assassinations, corruption, and severe poverty.
http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781594200960,00.html

Excerpt:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5690769

Book Reviews:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/18/AR2006091801402.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/books/review/Rohde.t.html?ex=1159934400&en=33d7ab6c7395549f&ei=5070
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/27/RVGLJKKQAI1.DTL

Interviews:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2006/05/09/american_activist_finds_her_calling_in_afghan_hot_spot/
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6054254
http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/10/20031029_a_main.asp
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/afghanistan/chayes.html

Also take note of this major research project from the Senlis Council, "Afghanistan Five Years Later: The Return of the Taliban".
http://www.senliscouncil.net/modules/publications/014_publication/

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