From Algeria's Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat's name change to Zimbabwe's land policies, these news summaries cover key events from around the globe. In addition to terrorism and political violence, there is extensive reporting on emerging threats such as new and re-emergent infectious diseases, issues related to critical infrastructures including data theft and security, and new measures to reduce the impact of disasters. This week's Recommended Reading looks the World Economic Forum and the World Social Forum and their contrasting approaches to globalization.

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 Bangladesh, criminal cases have been filed against senior Oriental Bank officials accused of forgery, embezzlement, and other charges. Among 23 accused are Orion Group chief Obaidul Karim and former managing Director Chowdhury Koyes Sami.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/01/27/d7012701022.htm

Belgian police raided offices of diamond dealers in Antwerp as part of the ongoing Monstrey Worldwide Services investigation. Several offices were closed, and there were several arrests. The managing director of one company suffered a heart attack while reading an arrest warrant, and died soon after.
http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullNews.asp?id=26909
http://www.diamondintelligence.com/magazine/magazine.asp?id=4707

Canadians John Lefebvre and Stephen Lawrence have been freed on bail following their arrests last week on money laundering and other charges connected with illegal online gambling involving billions and originating in the US, where they will face a hearing next week.
http://www.canada.com/topics/finance/story.html?id=208fc442-da51-4653-b093-76de84bc3f9e&k=85628

Gregory L. Ebner of Cincinnati, Ohio was sentenced to 24 months prison, three years of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine for his role in a scheme to structure money transactions to launder proceeds from prescribing controlled substances.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/ohs/Press/01-19-07.pdf
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/01/26/20070126-E3-01.html

In Oklahoma, Lee Snider pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money in connection with accepting bags and briefcases containing money derived from drug trafficking and transporting it through his aircraft leasing business, Mach Aero International.
http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_39953.shtml

A Virginia Grand Jury issued a 10-count indictment to Monica Blair Yates. Charges include mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering in connection with allegations that she falsely led CUNA Mutual Life Insurance customers to believe she was appropriately investing their funds while actually using them for her personal benefit. She continued this scheme as a Merrill Lynch employee.
http://richmond.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel07/wirefraud011207.html
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AML/CFT Legislation and Regulation
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Bangladesh has ordered a 6-month moratorium on Oriental Bank, following continued investigations into fraudulent loans and other serious problems. Criminal cases have been filed against senior officials.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/01/26/d7012601022.htm
http://www.financialexpress-bd.com/index3.asp?cnd=1/24/2007&section_id=1&newsid=50480

From 26 January Hong Kong remittance and moneychangers must verify customer identities and record transactions of HK$8,000 ($1,024) or more.
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200701/25/P200701250094.htm

Following orders from US financial regulators that Japanese banks must improve AML/CFT safeguards at their New York Branches, Japan's Financial Services Agency plans to strengthen rules for domestic banks.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/japan-tighten-bank-money-laundering-rules/story.aspx?guid=%7B1D41A347-F619-4B7F-9153-3E7CFAD0777F%7D
http://www.fsa.go.jp/

Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has set 31 March as the new deadline for banks to comply with the new anti-money laundering initiative, the Suspicious Transaction Reporting (STR), which requires the use of XML for reports.
http://www.efccnigeria.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1192

A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman responded to US allegations that it has diverted UN aid to its weapons programs as follows:
"The DPRK has maintained good relations of cooperation with different bodies of the United Nations for several decades. And aid projects of the above-said bodies, including the UNDP, in the country have been carried out strictly in conformity with the UN regulations and in a transparent way. Nevertheless, the United States is kicking up another anti-DPRK racket over not much aid funds of the UNDP from the outset of the year to meet its dirty political aims. It talks about "offer of illegal funds" and cries out for "investigating aid projects" and "shelving aid program", asserting for no reason that the DPRK might have used the aid funds for the development of nuclear weapons. The United States has made every possible effort to put serious sanctions and blockade against the DPRK. And it is now seeking to intensify pressure on the DPRK and tarnish its image externally by means of blocking the legal aid projects of UN organizations with unjust reasons. As the UNDP has denied, the US assertions admit of no argument as they are a sheer fiction. News services of different countries have said that the U.S. hard-liners, who set in motion the unilateral financial sanctions on the DPRK as soon as the September 19 joint statement was published and drove the six-party talks to a deadlock, invented what it called "suspected diversion of illegal funds", timed to coincide with the DPRK-US talks in Berlin. Such comment is by no means accidental. The DPRK will continue to develop the cooperative relations with the UNDP and other bodies of the UN. However, it will not allow any attempt to politicize the aid project nor accept conditional or unjust aid at all. The U.S. will be wholly accountable for all consequences to be entailed by its ongoing reckless campaign against the DPRK. "
http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2007/200701/news01/26.htm#1

The Philippines Anti-money Laundering Council (AMLC) has increased surveillance to ensure that suspicious money does not end up funding unscrupulous politicians in upcoming elections.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/jan/23/yehey/top_stories/20070123top1.html
http://www.amlc.gov.ph/

Russia's Central Bank revoked a license from Evrostroybank CB for breaking repeatedly the law "On Money Laundering Abatement and Counter Terrorist Financing Act".
http://www.akm.ru/eng/news/2007/january/25/ns1855197.htm

Alexey Frenkel, accused of contracting the murder of Russia's Central Bank deputy chair Andrey Kozlov, wrote a letter that questions the Central Bank's motives, and other matter:
http://www.kommersant.com/p-9913/Alexey_Frenkel/

South African dentist Dr Junaid Ismail Dockrat and his cousin Farhad Ahmed Dockrat, an Islamic cleric and businessman have been accused of links to al Qaeda and the Taleban, based on US claims. The South African government contacted the US regarding the allegations, which both men deny. Despite South Africa's diplomatic efforts, and criticism from human rights organizations, the US treasury has proceeded to designate the two men as financial supporters of al Qaeda, and has asked the UN to add the two men to the Security Council list of those linked to al Qaeda and the Taleban. South Africa has entered an objection to this by asking the UN to delay action There are no measures in place for the innocent to appeal their designation.
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Article.aspx?id=363428
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=296393
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp230.htm

UK Economic Secretary Ed Balls published draft money laundering regulations to implement the EU Third Money Laundering Directive. The draft addresses regulatory burdens while proposing:
* extended supervision so that all businesses in the regulated sector comply with money laundering requirements, including estate agents, trust and company service providers and unsecured lenders;
* strict tests to ensure people running money services businesses and those who help set up trusts and companies are fit and proper;
* extra checks on customers that firms identify as posing a high risk of money laundering;
* a requirement to establish the source of wealth for those in high risk situations, for example those involving deals with high ranking public officials overseas; and
* a strengthened and risk-based regime in casinos, in line with, but stricter than, international standards.
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consultations_and_legislation/money_laundering_directive/consult_thirdmoney_2007.cfm
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/b1999f90-aa2f-11db-83b0-0000779e2340.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,200-2559676,00.html
http://www.accountancyage.com/accountancyage/news/2173246/hmrc-supervise-accountants
http://www.ifaonline.co.uk/public/showPage.html?page=ifa2006_articleimport&tempPageName=430643

Mr. Balls also addressed the Financial Services Authority (FSA) Financial Crimes Conference.
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/speeches/econsecspeeches/speech_est_220107.cfm

The Bureau of Industry and Security of the US Department of Commerce has published the Final Rule imposing restrictions on exports and re-exports of luxury goods to North Korea. Talks regarding financial sanctions n North Korea will reportedly resume on 30 January.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-1180.htm
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=181835
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2007-01-27T062411Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-285201-2.xml

The Federal Reserve Board and the New York State Banking Department executed a Written Agreement with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Tokyo, Japan and its branch in New York that orders the bank to improve AML compliance policies and practices.
http://www.banking.state.ny.us/ea070122.pdf

Sri Lanka will increase capacity of the financial intelligence unit to better investigate financial activities of charities and other concerns.
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?newsID=2048013025
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AML/CFT Modalities
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Following a massive theft of personal information from a large multinational retail chain, there are calls for banks to contribute to solutions, by taking steps to ensure that even if data is stolen, it cannot be used.
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/01/20/tjx_facing_customer_complaints_possible_fines_by_credit_card_firms/
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070120/BIZ01/701200339/1076/BIZ
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196902211
https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/pdfs/pci_security_standards_council_statement_on_recent_data_breaches.pdf
http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?doc_cd=145963&ref=g_homelink

North Korea may be looking to evade US sanctions by using gold exports.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0122/p04s01-woap.html

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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In China, blackmail payments to reporters are increasingly common.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012402061.html

However, China has launched a major anticorruption effort:
*Zhou Zhengyi, once China's 11th richest man, has been arrested on bribery and corruption charges. He had completed a 3-year sentence last May, following a conviction for fraud and stock market manipulation.
http://www.cctv.com/program/bizchina/20070122/103738.shtml
* China's banking supervisor has penalized 49 staff for funding an unauthorized power plant.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-01/27/content_794471.htm
* Chinese auditors are investigating the misappropriation of more than $30 million funds that had been allocated for residents displaced by the Three Gorges Dam project.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/26/content_5659891.htm

German technology group Siemens faced a shareholder revolt over the widening bribery scandal, but the supervisory and management boards survived the protest, with promises that full explanations will be forthcoming.
http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/afx/2007/01/26/afx3364910.html
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2326912,00.html

Former Volkswagen executive Peter Hartz was given a 2-year suspended prison sentence and $750,000 fine in a deal with prosecutors regarding his approval of illegal payments to members of the company's works council.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/25/business/vw.php

Indonesian Corruption Watch reported that 161 cases of corruption were recorded in 2006, up from 125 cases the year before. Losses also increased, from Rp5.3 trillion to Rp14.4 trillion ($1.6 billion).
http://www.antikorupsi.org

A series of corruption charges against senior Israeli officials is reaching a peak with President Moshe Katsav's indictment on a series of charges including rape and sexual harassment of employees, abuse of power, obstruction of justice, fraud and breach of trust. Although he has taken leave during the hearing, he has not resigned.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/817283.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/25/africa/web.0125israel.php

A tape implicating Kenya's former finance minister David Mwiraria in covering up the Anglo Leasing affair was posted online.
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=90200
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=90280

New Zealand-based multinational dairy cooperative Fonterra has been implicated in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal, but has assured the government that it and its Vietnamese intermediary operated legitimately. The documents to back up their claim were unavailable.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=000420DC-39DE-15B7-B5BC83027AF1010F
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ETM Economies and Financial Systems
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The World Economic Forum closed the meeting with a conviction that promises will turn into global action. The top issues discussed included climate change, trade, globalization, and balanced security, including the Middle East.
http://www.weforum.org/en/events/annualmeeting2007/index.htm

The World Bank's latest EU8+2 Regular Economic Report indicates that real GDP growth strengthened in the region, not least in Poland, Slovakia, and Romania, as dynamics improved further in the second half of the year, but the Baltic States, Slovenia, and Bulgaria also grew at an even stronger rate than the year before, despite currency appreciation and some moderation in growth in the euro area. The report predicts that growth is likely to ease in most of the new member states in 2007 as growth slows in the euro area and output moves closer to potential. Tendencies to rising inflation and current account deficits are also noted. In addition, the report includes a Special Topic report on the rapid expansion of credit in "Emerging Europe" and associated vulnerabilities.
http://www.worldbank.org/eca/eu10rer

The International Labor Organization released their report, Global Employment Trends, which shows that the number of people unemployed worldwide remained at an historical high of nearly 200 million in 2006 despite strong global economic growth. Only modest gains were made in lifting some of the 1.37 billion working poor living on less than $2 per day out of poverty, and the pattern looks set to continue this year. Reducing unemployment and working poverty through creation of such jobs should be viewed as a precondition for sustained economic growth.
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2007/2.htm
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/stratprod.htm

The Economist Intelligence Unit reports that fewer than half of companies monitor operating risk of emerging market investments on an ongoing basis, despite significant increases in these investments, as investors have found the risk/reward ratio increasingly favorable.
http://store.eiu.com/index.asp?layout=pr_story&press_id=1580001958&ref=pr_list

China's National Bureau of Statistics reports that the economy expanded in 2006 at the fastest rate in ten years, by 10.7 percent.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warns that proposed EU cross-border trade laws will bog companies down in a legal quagmire, damage online businesses and undermine the UK's financial services sector. CBI says that under the proposals a UK firm selling its goods and services to consumers across the EU would no longer be secure in the knowledge that it is broadly governed by English law. Instead it would have to navigate a minefield of up to 27 different, often conflicting legal regimes - or, more likely, opt not to do business outside the UK.
http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/press.nsf/0363c1f07c6ca12a8025671c00381cc7/ae2f0b170fe6f8f980257265003ac73d?OpenDocument

The US House Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing on the Economic and Societal Costs of Poverty. Testimony included evidence that early intervention is the key to poverty reduction, and that efforts to address poverty needs to move beyond control of welfare recipients.
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=508
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-343T
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/25/us/25poverty.html
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ETM Environment and Climate Change
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Global climate change was one of the major themes of the World Economic Forum this week.
http://www.weforum.org/en/events/AnnualMeeting2007/IssuesinDepth/MMCInterview/index.htm
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/26/business/wbwatch.php
http://www.weforum.org/en/knowledge/Themes/Enviroment/index.htm

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer says that a lack of global leadership on climate change, stemming from an unwarranted fear of economic hardship, is seriously hampering efforts to combat global warming, He pointed to India, which is hosting this year's Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, as an example of a country that is already successfully using economic incentives to encourage sustainable growth.
http://unfccc.int/files/press/news_room/press_releases_and_advisories/application/pdf/20071801_press_release_new_delhi.pdf

US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a coalition of chief executives of some of the largest US corporations, have called on President Bush to support a mandatory cap on greenhouse gas emissions and take other measures to tackle global warming. In the event, they were sadly disappointed. President Bush offered no emission caps. Instead, he suggested replacing gas with ethanol, and setting fuel efficiency standards. Although a major change from six years of denial and support for big oil, it offers no genuine contribution in the struggle to address climate change.
http://www.us-cap.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/24/washington/24energy.html

Computacenter has launched the Green IT Advisory Service to help business reduce the carbon footprint left by electronic equipment, such as the massive waste of leaving appliances on standby.
http://www.computacenter.com/hardware/thinkgreen/default.asp

China's State Environmental Protection Agency found Jilin Petrochemical guilty of breaking environmental laws when in 2005 it discharged 100 tons of benzene, a carcinogen, into the Songhua River. They have been fined the maximum possible, a million yuan ($125,000) for the offenses.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-01/25/content_792982.htm

Lebanon needs urgent international support to clean up widespread pollution and an overwhelming amount of debris caused by last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah, including toxic substances, unexploded cluster bomblets, and other health hazards.
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=498&ArticleID=5499&l=en

The UN Environment Program, Nepalese Government and the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development released "Kathmandu Valley Environmental Outlook". Their collaborative report cites a multitude of economic and human pressures causing environmental degradation: urbanization, population growth, unrestricted and poorly planned land development and insufficient coordination among Government agencies. Management of solid waste and wastewater is of particular concern, followed by air and water pollution. Unless urgent and decisive measures are taken to deal with these problems, harm to the environment will also harm development and growth.
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=498&ArticleID=5500&l=en

The Independent, a British newspaper, has launched a campaign against waste that focuses on unnecessary packaging.
http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2174974.ece

Hollings Marine Laboratory researchers in the US state of South Carolina have found a subtle chemical pathway by which normally inoffensive algae, Pfiesteria piscicida, can suddenly start producing a lethal toxin. This discover may explain the long-standing mystery surrounding occasional mass fish kills on the East Coast.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/jan/science/ee_pfiesteria.html
http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2007/jan07/noaa07-r401.html

Ford is the latest US automaker to launch a test vehicle, the Edge, that runs on a combination compressed hydrogen and a battery pack that plugs in to an electric socket, but describe commercialization of the car as a long-term goal. Ford also announced plans to deliver a demonstration fleet of ethanol-fueled hybrids to six states.
http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=25286
http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=25287
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ETM Human Rights
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The UN General Assembly approved by consensus a resolution condemning Holocaust denial. Only Iran publicly disassociated itself from the resolution.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/ga10569.doc.htm

The International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) report that Pakistan has more than 7,000 people on death row, one of the highest numbers in the world, and in a country where flaws in the legal system make the punishment particularly discriminatory and unjust.
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topnews&storyID=2007-01-25T185749Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-285047-1.xml
http://www.hrcp-web.org/
http://www.fidh.org/

In the US state of North Carolina a judge has blocked three executions scheduled over the next three weeks until the state determines the role doctors play in lethal injections. This is the latest in a series of cases that question the use of lethal injections, and fuels support for a moratorium on executions.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/26/america/NA-GEN-US-Executions-North-Carolina.php
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-lethal25jan25,0,7553094.story
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/16558684.htm

In the US state of Mississippi, former Ku Klux Klan member and sheriff's deputy James Seale has been charged in the vicious 1964 murders of Henry Dee and Charlie Moore. These were among the worst incidents of the civil rights campaign, part of the notorious Mississippi Burning case involving the murder of three civil rights workers. Resolution of these horrors remains important today as the fight for racial equality continues.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2823540
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2822956&page=1
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070128/COL0601/701280384/1189/news
http://www.wtok.com/news/headlines/5362891.html
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/jan07/seale012507.htm
http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/miburn.htm
http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2007/ag_speech_0701251.html

Singapore hanged two Nigerians charged with drug trafficking despite pleas from Nigeria, the UN, and elsewhere. UN expert Philip Alston charged that Singapore had failed to respect international legal safeguards, pointing to the trial judge ruling that although there was no direct evidence that Iwuchukwu Amara Tochi knew the capsules contained heroin ignorance did not exculpate him. The international standard insists that l punishment may be imposed only when the guilt of the person charged is based upon clear and convincing evidence leaving no room for an alternative explanation of the facts
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/cover/january07/27012007/f327012007.html
http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/E7E258697043C2C6C125726E003A3E23?OpenDocument
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/24/asia/AS-GEN-Singapore-Nigeria-Death-Penalty.php

Routine torture in Egypt is the topic of this article:
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=296444

China's President Hu Jintao ordered an immediate investigation of the beating death of journalist Lan Chengzhang, which has sparked an international outcry from media groups. Several arrests have been made.
http://www.cpj.org/news/2007/asia/china24jan07na.html
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-01/24/content_791717.htm
http://cmp.hku.hk/look/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=1&NrIssue=1&NrSection=100&NrArticle=765

Two major human trafficking cases opened in Europe this week. France is trying 56 people charged of participating in a Bulgarian baby smuggling ring. Italy has arrested nearly 800 people in a trafficking network involving mostly Eastern European women.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=75669
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6295267.stm
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ETM Infectious Diseases
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The year began with fewer avian influenza outbreaks this year compared to 2006, because there have been fewer cases associated with migratory birds. However, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam have reported outbreaks that have been destructive to farmers and additional human infections, and countries must remain vigilant. The poultry trade and transport of live birds, especially during upcoming holidays such as Tet and Eid, could result in further epidemics.
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/special_avian.htm

Key events this week include:
* Mass culls are underway in many Asian countries, and surveillance has been increased, including heightened alerts ahead of upcoming holidays
* Egypt has confirmed a new human H5N1 infection. Of 19 cases confirmed in Egypt, 11 have been fatal.
* Indonesia is culling all birds in affected areas, including those raised in backyards, and is relocating bird markets, slaughter and storage facilities away from populated areas. Troops are assisting.
* Indonesia has passed 80 H5N1 human infections, with 62 fatal through 22 January
* Avian influenza also affects mammals and insects, including recent cases involving cats and flies
* Hong Kong has identified H5N1 infections as well as a dead falcon with a milder form,
* Hungary has detected a new strain of H5N1 among a flock of geese
* Malaysia issued its highest-level warning
* Thailand has stepped up surveillance following a fresh outbreak and reports of bird deaths in many provinces, including ducks and chickens. A door-to-door campaign is reaching migrants to educate them on infection prevention.

Several articles regarding avian influenza are in the current issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases:
"Subclinical Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Infection in Cats"
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/2/243.htm?s_cid=eid243_e
"Code-based Syndromic Surveillance for Influenzalike Illness by International Classification of Disease"
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/2/207.htm?s_cid=eid207_e
"Avian Influenza Risk Perception, Europe and Asia"
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/2/290.htm?s_cid=eid290_e
"Compensation for Avian Influenza Cleanup"
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/2/341.htm?s_cid=eid341_e
"Pandemic Influenza School Closure Policies"
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/2/344.htm?s_cid=eid344_e

The US Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on Pandemic Flu Preparations. Much has been done, and more remains to be done.
http://appropriations.senate.gov/demoinfo/record.cfm?id=267826
http://www.cdc.gov/about/news/2007/01/gerberding-testimony-avian.htm
http://www.pharmacychoice.com/News/article.cfm?Article_ID=47050
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=N24420040&WTmodLoc=World-R5-Alertnet-4

In "Reduced Efficacy of Insecticide-treated Nets and Indoor Residual Spraying for Malaria Control in Pyrethroid Resistance Area, Benin", Raphael N'Guessan, Vincent Corbel, Martin Akogbeto, and Mark Rowland find that the pyrethroid knockdown resistance gene (kdr) has become widespread in Anopheles gambiae in West Africa, threatening the future of insecticide-treated nets (ITN) and indoor residual spraying (IRS).
http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/13/2/199.htm

Writing in PLoS Medicine, South African scientists and ethicists describe the threat of extremely resistant tuberculosis. In "XDR-TB in South Africa: No Time for Denial or Complacency" they describe the grave threat presented by this rapidly fatal disease, and argue that infected patients must be isolated, forcibly if necessary, to prevent the disease spreading. They also say, "If WHO is sincere in calling for the XDR-TB outbreak in South Africa to be treated in the same light as SARS and bird flu, then global efforts to develop rapid diagnostic tests and novel treatment regimens must be stepped up. In addition to drug development, the appropriateness of using these technologies in countries with TB/HIV epidemics needs to be explored. The determination of XDR-TB requires specialized laboratories and quality assurance, particularly when testing for resistance to second-line anti-tuberculosis agents. Moreover, while the diagnosis of MDR-TB may take weeks or months, new technologies, including liquid culture and PCR probes, can reduce this time. Efforts must be stepped up to sponsor and equip poor countries to address these challenges. Depending on how successfully the South African government controls the outbreak, as in the case of SARS, infection monitoring at hospitals, border posts, and airports may become necessary."
http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0040050

Yaws, which eats away at skin, cartilage, and bones, has re-emerging in poor, rural and marginalized populations in Africa, Asia, and South America after being nearly eradicated nearly 40 years ago.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np04/en/index.html

New Civil Engineer reports that HIV/AIDS is jeopardizing South Africa's preparations for the 2010 World Cup.
http://www.nceplus.co.uk/news/news_article/?aid=57309&sid=47

Researchers at the University of Maryland Baltimore County are using earth science satellite data to see links between weather, disease, and famine. This is helping predict and prevent outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever in Kenya.
http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/insights/archives/2007/01/fighting_diseas.html
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ETM Legal Systems
--------------------------------------------------
UK Home Secretary John Reid issued a statement reminding judges of existing guidelines that could be followed while taking into account the serious problem of prison overcrowding. This statement led to accusations, which have been denied, of judicial interference and changes to guidelines. There was particular condemnation of cases in which non-violent sexual offenders had been freed rather than imprisoned.
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/advice-judiciary-prison-numbers
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6295843.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6372600,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6247339.stm
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1999890,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1

The US Supreme Court, in the case of Jones v Bock, ruled unanimously that a federal appeals court was wrong to make prisoner lawsuits even harder than Congress intended in the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-7058.pdf
http://www.aclu.org/scotus/2006term/26789res20060919/26789res20060919.html

In the case of Cunningham v California, the Supreme Court invalidated California's criminal sentencing law. In a 6 to 3 decision the court found that the 30-year-old law gave judges authority that the Constitution places with juries. No other state is directly affected by this ruling, and its effect on California inmates will probably be modest.
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-6551.pdf
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-scotus23jan23,1,881022.story
http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/national/BO40903/
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ETM Natural Resources
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The World Social Forum called for urgent measures to address competition for natural resources and eliminate corruption, bribery, and plunder to help ensure that oil, gas, timber, diamonds, gold, and other resources are fairly shared with the communities from which they are derived.
http://www.progress.org/2007/plund02.htm

Save the Children has called on governments to urgently eliminate child labor in mining, ensure they are not exploited at mining sites, and call on mining companies to support improvements in the working conditions and livelihoods of families involved in informal mining.
http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/scuk/jsp/resources/details.jsp?id=4918

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reports that diamond exports from the main Miba mining company fell by 80 percent in the past year, mostly due to a violent conflict with illegal miners.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6297425.stm

A project in Ethiopia is trying to save both protected eucalyptus forests and women who gather their wood.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0124/p06s01-woaf.html

Russia plans to further tighten control of foreign investors' access to the continental shelf and its resources.
http://www.mosnews.com/money/2007/01/26/shelfaccess.shtml
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ETM Populations
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A group of forty Bushmen have returned to their homes in Botswana's Central Kalahari Game Reserve, despite a heavy police presence and attempts to persuade them to stay in the relocation camps.
http://www.survival-international.org/news.php?id=2174

Brazil's Enawene Nawe tribe is concerned that a series of dams could threaten their livelihood, which relies on fishing.
http://www.survival-international.org/news.php?id=2193

Indian police are being trained to protect the Jarawa tribe in the Andaman Islands.
http://www.survival-international.org/news.php?id=2192

In a series of articles, IRIN news organization documents the levels of violence and consequent needs of the population in different areas of Iraq.
Anbar:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57061
Baghdad:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57101
Basra:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57079
Kirkuk:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57158
Kurdistan:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57111
Salah ad-Din
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57170
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ETM Social Responsibility
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At the World Economic Forum, Innovest released its list of the Global 100 most sustainable corporations in the world.
http://www.global100.org/

"The Political Economy of Corporate Responsibility in India" says that India is no exception to the rise of CSR around the world. This report describes the history of corporate paternalism in India, the current state of CSR, and its market drivers.
http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/(LookupAllDocumentsByUNID)/A00E0FF825FC59AAC1257258002FFC1E?OpenDocument
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ETM Technology
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The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) delivered its Opinion on the ethical aspects of nanomedicine. They found that:
* Nanomedicine offers the possibility of new diagnostic, treatment and preventive methods that may open up promising areas of medicine
* Addressing concern for safety with respect to nanomedical developments and nanotechnology in general) is essential
* Transparency including openness about uncertainties and knowledge gaps is also essential for public trust in nanotechnology
* There is need for prospective technology assessment, including consideration of social effects (also in developing countries); interdisciplinary research on the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) of nanomedicine; establishment of a European Network on Nanotechnology Ethics; and enhanced information exchange between research ethics committees among EU states or competent bodies in particular on toxicity studies, ELSI-related aspects of nanomedicine and informed consent procedures with regard to safety.
* New regulatory structures are not proposed, any necessary changes should be made within existing regulations
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/32

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers have developed a simple technique for a miniature device to separate samples of proteins, amino acids, and other chemical mixtures, that could potentially be used in microfluidic "lab on a chip" systems.
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/ancham/2007/79/i02/abs/ac061759h.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20000-bc-us-chiplab.xml
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ETM Weapons (WMD, Proliferation)
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The UN Conference on Disarmament opened this week. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the session by noting that military spending worldwide has risen to over $1.2 trillion, and said, "Our aim should be twofold: we must prevent any expansion of nuclear arsenals, and we must accelerate the reduction of existing weapons and stockpiles. All countries should move towards halting production of fissile material for weapon". The stakes are high: in 2006 the Conference could not even agree on a program of work.
http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2416

North Korea has signaled that some flexibility in the next round of talks regarding its nuclear program is possible.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Koreas-Nuclear-Envoys.html

In response to UN economic sanctions imposed against Iran in December, 38 international nuclear inspectors were barred from entering the country. Other inspectors will be allowed, and IAEA can continue monitoring. However, Iran has demanded that the Belgian official in charge of the inspections, Chris Charlier, be removed following information that he has passed information to other countries and media organizations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/23/world/middleeast/23iran.html
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Focus/IaeaIran/index.shtml

An article in the Telegraph cites a senior European defense official claiming that Iran is preparing an underground nuclear test with help from North Korea. US Secretary of State Rice said she is unaware of any basis to the report. IAEA director Mohamed ElBaradai says that Iran will begin installing its 3,000-centrifuge cascade underground next month. Iran denies reports that it has started installing the centrifuges. North Korea denies helping Iran.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/24/wiran24.xml
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2007/79360.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6306221.stm
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/27/koreas.nuclear/index.html

Domestic opposition in Iran appears to be growing over President Ahmadinejad's nuclear stance. Former President Rafsanjani has set up a committee to assess the strategy, and urged a policy of negotiation.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1997720,00.html

Israel, on the other hand, is increasing the temperature with Prime Minister Olmert's assertion that military action can be taken to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and efforts to cut Iran off from world markets.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1998992,00.html
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2183872.ece

Authorities in Georgia aided by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) set up a sting operation last summer that led to the arrest of a Russian man who tried to sell a small amount of nuclear-bomb grade uranium. The operation had not been publicized until now, to try to put pressure on Russia to cooperate in identifying the source of the uranium, which is believed to have come from one of the states of the former Soviet Union, where control of these materials remains poor.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6370811,00.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/25/world/europe/25nuke.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/01/24/uranium.sting.ap/index.html
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10420987
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/georgia_material.html

Note this new report from the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, "Recent Weapons Grade Uranium Smuggling Case: Nuclear Materials are Still on the Loose" by Elena Sokova, William C. Potter, and Cristina Chuen.
http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/070126.htm

The investigation into former Russian spy Alexander Litvenenko's death by polonium poisoning continues. BBC Panorama's investigation suggests there may have been multiple attempts to kill him. The source of the poisoning is now identified as a cup of tea. British police are likely to send their findings to crown prosecutors next week, and are likely to implicate two Russian businessmen. If so, they would also be likely to die in the same way.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/6276225.stm
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2192982.ece
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070125/59693975.html
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10420964

Here is the Health Protection Agency's latest update regarding polonium-210 public health issues.
http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/news/articles/press_releases/2007/070125_pol210_update.htm

This case has spurred drug manufacturers to develop treatments for polonium-210 poisoning.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07025/756780-28.stm

Norwegian Police Security Service head Joern Holme released his annual threat assessment, which included information that they have detected and deterred efforts to secretly obtain nuclear materials and technology from Norway's high-tech and research organizations.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/23/europe/EU-GEN-Norway-Terror.php

The UK government increased from 47 to 103 restricted agents listed in the 2001 Antiterrorism, Crime and Security Act from 47 to 103. It now includes 45 viruses, 21 bacteria, 2 fungi, 13 toxins and 18 animal pathogens.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2564774,00.html

A Stanford University report raises a yellow flag over the efficacy of using syndromic surveillance for anthrax detection.
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2007/january24/med-anthrax-012407.html

University of Florida researchers found in preliminary tests that a microwave could kill 98 percent of test spores, which may lead to an effective treatment for biologically tainted mail. Microwaves are also a cheap and simple way to destroy bacteria on dishcloths and sponges. It is important to ensure that the cloth or sponge is wet before microwaving, to avoid it catching fire.
http://news.ufl.edu/2007/01/23/zap-the-bugs/
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411416/970159
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/234/234274_microwaved_cloth_sets_fire_to_kitchen.html

Chinese victims of chemical agents abandoned by Japan after World War II have sued the Japanese government for medical costs, loss of income, and other damages associated with the rupture of a barrel of toxic gas that killed five and affected another 43, who suffer persistent health damage.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/latestnews/2007125/43922.htm

Malaysia passed legislation to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention last year, and has now launched its enforcement regime.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Monday/Frontpage/20070122074303/Article/index_html

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have given strong backing to a report that aims to ensure greater control of the worlds legal and illegal arms trade. Globally, the world spends 15 times more money on arms than on international aid. Much of this is sold to countries that have poor human rights records, and a quarter of the trade in small arms is illegal. With a third of all arms exports coming from the EU, MEPs believe the EU has a duty to act.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/026-2333-015-01-03-903-20070123STO02332-2007-15-01-2007/default_en.htm
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?Type=TA&Reference=P6-TA-2007-0008&language=EN

China this week admitted that it had tested an anti-satellite missile in space, which they insist is for peaceful purposes. Only Russia and the US have similar capabilities. This test has led to calls for the US to deploy space-based missile defense, and warnings of a space weapons race.
http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/070124.htm
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article2181670.ece
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/23/asia/AS-GEN-China-Missile-Test.php
http://www.marshall.org/pdf/materials/492.pdf

Iran is preparing to launch a satellite into space on a modified ballistic missile.
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=awst&id=news/IRAN01257.xml

NATO members Poland and the Czech Republic are discussing US proposals to install missile interceptors and radar systems as part of the US antimissile defense system. All parties say this is only a defensive system that could be expanded to include Russia. Russia believes that it poses a threat to global security.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/24/news/germany.php
http://www.kommersant.com/p-9959/missile_defense_interceptors/

UK Defense Secretary Des Browne insists that replacement of the Trident nuclear missile system is required to maintain a functioning nuclear deterrent against extreme threats to security.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0059c3a8-ace2-11db-9318-0000779e2340.html
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=139832007

The US Department of Defense has unveiled its first non-lethal counterpersonnel, directed-energy weapon. The purportedly non-lethal devise creates an intolerable burning feeling and is intended to repel enemies or disperse crowds.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=2822
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6297149.stm

5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor

The 21st century is the interdependent century. Understanding the implicit and explicit networks on which we rely, and the interdependencies among the sectors of the critical infrastructure is essential for business continuity, economic success, and our very survival. The Critical Infrastructure Monitor, published monthly, analyzes these sectors, regulatory frameworks, and issues of enterprise risk management in global supply chains.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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CIM Agriculture and Food
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The Food and Agriculture Organization released its annual report, The State of Food and Agriculture. It finds that a third of the $600 million annual global food aid budget is wasted due to conditions tying it to processing and shipping by national carriers of donor countries, and such in-kind aid should be replaced by cash payments that boost production in recipient states.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0800e/a0800e00.htm
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000482/index.html

Western Central Pacific Ocean Fisheries Commission, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna, collectively known as the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, have agreed in their first joint action plan to combat the decline in tuna stocks due to overfishing. In addition to data sharing, assessments, and transparent criteria for quotas, they will establish an international inspection program with penalties and sanctions for offenders.
http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=295434

The European Commission has announced plans to reform subsidies for fruit and vegetable farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/75
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/28
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CIM Banking and Finance
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The UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) says that insurance companies have met the deadline to ensure contract certainty: completion of contract terms in advance of the data a policy takes effect.
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/PR/2007/009.shtml

FSA has launched a new division to focus on financial crime.
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/PR/2007/008.shtml

Nasdaq has extended to 10 February its closing date for London Stock Exchange (LSE) shareholders to accept its hostile takeover proposal.
http://www.nasdaq.com/indexshares/Final Extension Announcement.pdf

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Reserve have issued proposed joint rules known as Regulation R to define the extent to which securities brokerage activities of banks are subject to SEC regulations.
http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2007-5.html

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's (FDIC) Supervisory Policy on Predatory Lending describes its characteristics and reaffirms that such activities are inconsistent with safe and sound lending and undermine individual, family and community economic well-being. The statement describes the FDIC's supervisory response to predatory lending, including a list of policies and procedures that relate to consumer lending standards.
http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil07006.html

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Senator Charles Schumer released "Sustaining New York's and the US' Global Financial Services Leadership". The report calls for a major shift in public policy lest financial markets, stifled by stringent regulations, and high litigation risks, lose businesses and high-skilled workers to overseas competitors, relegating New York and other US financial centers to regional market status, adversely impacting the US economy.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2007a/pr021-07.html
http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/pdf/ny_report_final.pdf
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CIM Cybersecurity
--------------------------------------------------
Apple has released a patch for the QuickTime media playback software that had allowed installation of malicious code on vulnerable Windows and Mac OS X computers.
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/application_updates/quicktime713formac.html
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/application_updates/quicktime713forwindows.html
http://secunia.com/advisories/23540/

Cisco has released three security advisories to address multiple vulnerabilities in the Internetwork Operating System Software (IOS).
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20070124-crafted-ip-option.shtml
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20070124-crafted-tcp.shtml
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20070124-IOS-IPv6.shtml

Hacker "Our Godfather" released a Trojan designed to steal Windows Live Messenger user passwords.
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/analyses/trojmsnfakem.html

The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Coordination Center released iCERT/CC Statistics 1988-2006. They recorded 8,064 vulnerabilities last year, a 35 percent increase over 2005. Web application flaws were the main source of the increase
http://www.cert.org/stats/cert_stats.html

Sophos annual security threat report finds that cyber crime will increasingly turn away from email and towards web. Lax security on US web sites is one of the reasons that the US is a cyber crime hotspot, hosting more than a third of sites hosting malicious code, and sending more spam than any other country.
http://www.sophos.com/sophos/docs/eng/marketing_material/sophos-security-threats-2007_wsrus.pdf

The UK Metropolitan Police Authority released a progress report on e-crime that highlights the vast scale of the problem, which has become so large that police are struggling to cope with it and not all allegations can be investigated.
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/mpa/2007/070125/10.htm

IdenTrust sponsored a study on identity management, which finds that recent well-publicized cyber crimes have led to a loss of trust in e-commerce. To combat such crimes, compliance with identity management is essential.
http://store.eiu.com/index.asp?layout=pr_story&press_id=1600001960&ref=pr_list

The data breach at multi-national retailer TJX may be the largest in history. So far it has involved at least four countries, scores of banks, and thousands of customers in serious compromises.
https://www.massbankers.org/pdfs/TJXfraudNR.pdf
http://cbs4boston.com/topstories/local_story_026111916.html
http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO41292/
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=7526eab4-6ddc-4d68-af41-d4901c1988b3&k=0
http://myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/130DA428356447808525726E006D8407
http://www.securityfocus.com/news/11438
https://www.massbankers.org/pdfs/TJXNR1-22.pdf
http://www.tjx.com

Nationwide Mutual Insurance reports that a lockbox containing computer backup tapes was stolen from a Concentra office, potentially exposing medical claim and health data of more than 28,000 customers. Tapes of Aetna clients were also stolen, exposing medical claim data of 130,000 health insurance subscribers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012401523.html
http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2007/01/personal_data_o.html

Advanced Access Content System (AACS) acknowledged a limited breach in their disc copy protection system.
http://www.aacsla.com

Biometric technologies such as fingerprint readers increasingly are being used for personal identification, but there are no guidelines for using biometric hardware and software that could lead to improved usability and interaction techniques. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted a study examining the effect of the work surface height of a fingerprint sensor on the quality and the time required to collect prints. The findings are available here:
http://zing.ncsl.nist.gov/biousa/docs/NISTIR-7382-Height%20Study.pdf
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CIM Dams and Bridges
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Australia's prolonged drought has cast a more favorable light on new dam construction.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Qld-backs-federal-water-reform-dam-push/2007/01/27/1169788736443.html

The US Army Corps of Engineers is lowering the Lake Cumberland water level to reduce the risk of a Wolf Creek Dam breach, which could cause catastrophic flooding in Kentucky and Tennessee.
http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/pao/issues/WOLcommo/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/23/us/23dam.html

California's Folsom Dam has a new security plan.
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/112769.html
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CIM Defense Industrial Base
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Britain's Conservative Party reports that defense spending is at the lowest since the 1930s and lags behind Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. These assertions and other matters are under review by the Commons Defense Committee.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/22/ndefence22.xml
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/defence_committee.cfm

The Boston Globe reviewed rulings by administrative judges that resolve disputed claims. They found that Halliburton Co., DynCorp International, and other US contractors have fought workers' compensation and medical benefit claims for hundreds of war-zone injuries to their civilian employees in Iraq and Afghanistan. Judges ruled in favor of the employee three times as often as they ruled for the companies and have ordered millions of dollars in compensation to workers whose claims were denied for years, even when the company's doctors agreed that a worker had been injured.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/01/20/for_war_zone_workers_a_new_fight/

Jeremy Scahill, author of the forthcoming "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army" discusses the US reliance of private soldiers in Iraq.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-scahill25jan25,0,7395303.story
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CIM Emergency Services
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Paramedic Greg Friese of Emergency Preparedness Systems is attending a training session in Israel and is sending regular podcasts to EMSResponder.com
http://links.cygnusb2b.com/go.asp?tid=98834&eid=60092&sb_id=162225,162225

In the US state of California, Los Angeles County is testing clinic care for chronic illness, in place of expensive emergency room visits. Many of the patients that rely on emergency rooms, which are legally obliged to provide treatment, are homeless, poor, and immigrants. Uncompensated care in the county reached $1.6 billion per year, and nine emergency rooms have closed in the last five years.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-emergency22jan22,0,2119068.story

The city of Baltimore, Maryland, and its local hospitals have agreed to pool resources to respond in the event of a public health disaster.
http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us/news/press/01-23-07HealthAgreement.pdf

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority invested $140 million for a radio network that can be heard above and below ground, but police won't use it because of widespread interference.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/25/nyregion/25radio.html

Walker County, Texas tested a proposed method of distributing inoculations and medications in the event of a biological incident. It involves a central, undisclosed point of distribution that is then given to law enforcement officers who in turn take it to distribution points for first responders and their families, then local government officials, then residents.
http://www.itemonline.com/local/local_story_024235542.html
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CIM Energy
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The European Renewable Energy Council and Greenpeace commissioned the German Aerospace Center to conduct a study of sustainable energy. "Energy Revolution" provides a roadmap for meeting future needs with renewables and improved efficiency.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/global-energy-scenario
http://www.erec-renewables.org

India and Pakistan have reached agreement with Iran for its natural gas. Their respective governments have three months to confirm the plan.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C01%5C28%5Cstory_28-1-2007_pg3_1
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2007-01-26T134913Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-285139-1.xml

The Oran Group plans to build Scotland's first renewable energy plant using animal biomass by burning animal products from local abattoirs.
http://www.orangroup.co.uk/news/2007/01/25/deputy-first-minister-welcomes-24m-scottish-biomas/

In his state of the union address US President Bush announced plans to double the US emergency oil stockpile.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2007-01-24T021850Z_01_N23281089_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENERGY-USA-SPR.xml

He also called for an increase in biofuels at a level that is unlikely to be attainable and would probably have a negative impact on agriculture for food.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/16530226.htm
http://www.grainnet.com/articles/HighQuest_Report_Questions_the_Feasibility_of_Bush_Plan_to_Increase_Biofuels_Production_-41066.html
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CIM Information Technology
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Cisco has released three security advisories to address multiple vulnerabilities in its Internetwork Operating System Software (IOS).
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20070124-crafted-ip-option.shtml
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20070124-crafted-tcp.shtml
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20070124-IOS-IPv6.shtml

Chinese Communist Party leader Hu Jintao has vowed to "purify" the Internet.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2007-01-24T171156Z_01_PEK95705_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-INTERNET-HU.xml

A New Jersey appeals court has held that Internet subscribers have a reasonable expectation of "informational privacy", which in this case will allow a challenge to a subpoena that led to an indictment for computer-related theft.
http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/nj/comcast.pdf

In "iPhone Trademarks: the Real Issues" Mark Rasch explains US trademark law and the issues underlying Apple's iPhone announcement, Cisco's iPhone trademark lawsuit, and how other companies also own and use iPhone trademarks.
http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/430
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CIM Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
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Australia will shut down its first nuclear reactor, the HIFAR research reactor at Lucas Heights, which is 50 years old. It will take ten years to complete the closure. The new OPAL research reactor will be officially opened in April.
http://www.ansto.gov.au/info/press/2007/HIFARshutdown_mediainvite.pdf
http://www.ansto.gov.au/opal/index.html

Canada's federal government has picked up most of the cost of insuring the country's nuclear facilities against terrorist attack.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=9a63ee47-d8dd-4cf9-b0c9-568123658408&k=39717

India hosted a visit from Russian President Putin in which he reached preliminary agreement with Indian President APJ Abdul Kalem to build four nuclear plants in India.
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=152763
http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=20156
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6298071.stm

Britain's Met Office produced a report on the effects of climate change and nuclear power. Rising sea levels, higher waves and increasingly severe storms present a heightened threat that is unlikely to harm current plants but does have significant implications for the next generation of nuclear power stations.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2007/pr20070124.html

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted Entergy an extension to 15 April to complete installation of back-up power for its alert and notification system, which was originally due by 30 January 30.
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2007/07-010.html
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CIM Public Health and Healthcare
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The World Health Organization reports that measles deaths have fallen by 60 percent since 1999.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr02/en/index.html

WHO has revived efforts to eliminate a disease that was almost eradicated 40 years ago: Yaws eats away at skin, cartilage, and bones, and is re-emerging in poor, rural and marginalized populations in Africa, Asia, and South America.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np04/en/index.html

Performance-linked pay for healthcare workers is the subject of these articles:
"Pay for Performance at the Tipping Point"
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/NEJMe078002
"Public Reporting and Pay for Performance in Hospital Quality Improvement"
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/NEJMsa064964

South African scientists and ethicists warn of the danger presented by extremely drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), and warn that in addition to surveillance and other measures, to prevent the spread of this rapidly fatal and highly contagious illness must involve isolation of patients, forcibly if necessary.
http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0040050
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CIM Telecommunications
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Finnish researchers report they found no overall link between mobile phones and cancer, except that people who had used a handset for longer than ten years were 39 percent more likely to develop a tumor.
http://www.expressen.se/index.jsp?a=848744 (in Finnish)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/25/nmobile25.xml
http://www.microwavenews.com/

The US Federal Communications Commission has launched a taskforce on Media and Childhood Obesity: Today and Tomorrow.
http://www.fcc.gov/obesity/

Vietnam's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications is being restructured to modernize and better manage new technologies.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2007/01/658122/
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CIM Transportation
--------------------------------------------------
"Reviewing Canadian Aviation Security" was an independent study to review prevention of air terrorism. Among the results, they found little screening of charger and corporate flights at Canadian airports, opening their potential use for terrorist attacks. Information sharing between the government and airport security officials is also insufficient.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/tcss/CATSA/Final_Report-Rapport_final/final_report_e.htm
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=3679af72-be12-4cfb-85b2-8f353dac28bb

A group of Sikh priests boarded an Air New Zealand plane with their ceremonial daggers under their robes, exposing significant airport security vulnerability.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10420958

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it would launch the Traveler Redress Inquiry Program on 20 February. DHS says it is "a central gateway to address watch list misidentification issues, situations where individuals believe they have faced screening problems at immigration points of entry, or have been unfairly or incorrectly delayed, denied boarding or identified for additional screening at our nation's transportation hubs".
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1169062569230.shtm
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/privacy/privacy_rpt_nofly.pdf
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d061031.pdf
http://www.epic.org/redirect/trip12407.html

DHS rules requiring citizens of the US, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and some Caribbean islands to present a passport when entering the United States by air have come into force.
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1169569034747.shtm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/23/AR2007012301276.html
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CIM Water
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Australian Prime Minister John Howard has acknowledged the impact of global climate change and launched an ambitious program to address national water issues. He announced more than A$220 million funding for states and territories to improve water infrastructure and management.
http://www.pm.gov.au/news/media_releases/media_Release2340.html
http://www.pm.gov.au/news/speeches/speech2341.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/howards-election-year-watershed/2007/01/25/1169594430061.html

In Bangladesh 100 children die each day from diarrhea caused by bad water. This week the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and UNICEF have agreed jointly to provide nearly $90 million to finance a 5-year water and sanitation scheme that will benefit 30 million people.
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_38126.html

In Kenya, the Nairobi Water and Sewage Company has completed updates to their customer database that will help them collect long overdue bills and identify illegal connections and defective meters.
http://www.nairobiwater.co.ke

Management of solid waste and wastewater, followed by air and water pollution, are the most serious examples of environmental degradation in Nepal that could harm development and growth.
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=498&ArticleID=5500&l=en

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

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
--------------------------------------------------
DRM Incidents
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A cholera outbreak has killed more than 570 people in Ethiopia. Response to the outbreak is hindered by the government's refusal to declare the emergency. Instead, they insist on calling it acute watery diarrhea to avoid harming cross-border trade and, in turn, the economy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6290373.stm

Rift Valley Fever in Kenya has killed at least 148 people and a case has now been identified in Nairobi, presenting a public health alert. Cases have also broken out in neighboring Somalia.
http://www.timesnews.co.ke/26jan07/nwsstory/news2.html
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=90358

Southern Africa's rainy season came earlier and was more widespread than usual. More than 120,000 people have been affected in Angola, Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. At least 84 people have been killed, most of them in Angola, where flooding was most severe in the capital Luanda, leaving more than 70 dead.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EVOD-6XTKLA?OpenDocument

A dengue fever outbreak in Indonesia killed at least 51 people so far this month, and infected more than 3,400.

In central Peru floods and mudslides have left 16 dead, 20 missing, and some 150 families homeless.

There were several strong earthquakes in multiple areas of Indonesia this week. Four people died and four were injured in a 6.5 magnitude quake in North Sulawesi. Other quakes caused limited property damage.

French authorities have launched an inquiry into an accident in which a plane carrying more than 50 passengers skidded off the runway. It his a truck, and killed the driver, but no one on board was harmed.
--------------------------------------------------
DRM Response and Recovery
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The black box recorders on the Adam Air flight that went missing on 1 January off the Indonesian coast have been found with the aid of the USNS Mary Sears, which was able to locate the flight recorder signals, and retrieval efforts are under way.

Lapindo Brantas' exploratory drilling triggered the Indonesian mud volcano that has devastated wide swathes of Java. This is the conclusive finding of the first scientific report into the disaster. It will continue to erupt and spew up to 150,000 cubic meters of mud each day, possible for years to come, leaving the area uninhabitable and more than 11,000 people permanently displaced. Indonesian welfare minister, Aburizal Barkie, whose family controls Lapindo Brantas, has insisted that the eruption was a natural event triggered by an earthquake. Lapindo faces multiple legal actions.
http://www.dur.ac.uk/news/newsitem/?itemno=5090
http://www.gsajournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1130%2F1052-5173%282007%2917%5B4%3ABOAMVE%5D2.0.CO%3B2
http://www.guardian.co.uk/indonesia/Story/0,,1997749,00.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070125-mud-volcano.html
http://www.antara.co.id/en/seenws/?id=18376
http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/heres-the-drill-on-java-let-them-eat-mud/2007/01/18/1169095910204.html

Kenya has banned trade in livestock, the sale of raw milk, and is limiting travel to attempt to limit the spread of Rift Valley Fever, which has now been reported in the capital Nairobi.
http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=40530
http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=17817
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/STED-6XKUFW?OpenDocument

EQECAT estimates that insured losses from European hurricane Kyrill will be from EU2.5 billion to EU5 billion. Risk Management Solutions (RMS) estimates are about the same. Munich Re estimates its losses up to EU500 million, and insured market loss at EU5-7 billion.
http://www.eqecat.com/news/2007/Storm_Kyrill.htm
http://www.rms.com/NewsPress/PR_012307_Kyrill.asp
http://www.munichre.com/pages/06/press_releases/2007/2007_01_26_press_release_246_en.aspx

The MSC Napoli, which was badly damaged during winter storms earlier this month, presents two threats to the English coast, including Branscombe beach in Devon, which is a World Heritage site. First is damage from the heavy oil spill that has already killed at least three dolphins, and harmed many birds and other wildlife. The second threat is form the thousands of people descending on the beach to scavenge goods washed ashore. Police are using hundred-year-old salvage legislation to force people to return goods and stay away from the location. It could take a year or more to complete salvage of the 62,000-ton cargo freighter. Oil is being pumped from the freighter to avoid further leakage.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Environment/waste/story/0,,1997304,00.html
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_headline=beach-bums%26method=full%26objectid=18521469%26siteid=94762-name_page.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6297767.stm
http://www.munichre.com/pages/03/risks/spectacular_container_losses/spectacular_container_losses_00_en.aspx
http://www.mcga.gov.uk

State Farm will participate in a court supervised resolution process to reconsider and fully resolve claims from Hurricane Katrina in three Mississippi coastal counties. Parts of the settlement are on hold pending judicial review.
http://www.statefarm.com/about/media/media_releases/scruggs_katrina.asp
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/24/business/24insure.html
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2007/01/27/76356.htm
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DRM Risks
--------------------------------------------------
Travelers launched the Risk Control customer Web portal, which is designed as a one-stop shop for answers to many risk control questions.
http://investor.stpaultravelers.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=177842&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=952456&highlight=
http://www.stpaultravelers.com/business_insurance/risk_control/

Nationwide Mutual Insurance commissioned a survey of 1,200 Americans, which finds that 83 percent believe they are safe drivers and 59 percent believe they do not "Drive While Distracted". However, 73 percent talk on cell phones, only 16 percent drive at or below the speed limit, and 38 percent admit they have driven a certain distance without any recollection of doing so.
http://vocuspr.vocus.com/vocuspr30/Temp/Sites/2625/1ad0f5725cdb4adbbadfd89a6562c902/Nationwide%20Survey%20On%20the%20Go%20w.tips.pdf
--------------------------------------------------
DRM Mitigation
--------------------------------------------------
At the World Economic Forum, the UN announced that Citigroup's Foundation will grant $3.2 million over two years to fund the Strengthening Emergency Needs Assessment Capacity initiative that focuses on gathering data on potential future disasters.
https://wfpen.ernsystems.com/publicfiles/WFPEN_PressRelease_Davos.pdf
https://wfpen.ernsystems.com/viewpublic/About

7. Recommended Reading

This week we look at two annual meetings: the World Economic Forum and the World Social Forum. They are held at the same time, reflecting the counterbalancing forces of globalization and its opponents, who point to the negative impact that globalization has had on many of the poorest and most vulnerable around the world.

The World Economic Forum was launched in 1971. It is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas. The nonprofit foundation, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is impartial and tied to no political, partisan or national interests.
http://www.weforum.org

Geoffrey Allen Pigman's "World Economic Forum: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Global Governance" (Routledge, 2007) provides an excellent introduction. It covers the history, how it works, its role in contemporary society, theoretical questions, generating knowledge, and other issues.
http://www.routledge.com/shopping_cart/products/product_detail.asp?sku=&isbn=9780415702041&parent_id=&pc=/shopping_cart/search/search.asp?search%3Dworld%2Beconomic%2Bforum
http://www.opendemocracy.net/globalization-institutions_government/wef_4270.jsp

This year 2,400 people attended the annual meeting, including 800 CEOs or Chairmen, the highest number of business executives ever attending. There are also 211 public figures, including 24 heads of state or government, 85 cabinet ministers, 24 ambassadors and 58 heads or senior officials of international organizations; more than 482 participants from civil society including-31 heads of non-governmental organizations, 13 union leaders, 161 leaders from academic institutions and think tanks, 270 media leaders, and 22 religious leaders of different faiths

The theme of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting was "Shaping the Global Agenda: The Shifting Power Equation". The notion of shifting power ranges from users given new power through web applications (Web 2.0, Second Life, blogs) to shifting economic power to Asia (China and India).

The power of the internet was illustrated by the Forum's actions:
* The first blog of any international organization, with asked all participants asked to provide at least one posting.
http://www.forumblog.org
* This and all other blogs related to the meeting will be part of a bloggregator, the Davos Conversation page
http://www.weforum.org/davosconversation
* Selected participants are also being interviewed in the virtual world of Second Life.
http://secondlife.reuters.com
* Best pictures are made available on a public photostream

The power of dialog among participants from different walks of life is illustrated among multiple initiatives and task forces:
* Global Health Initiative
http://www.weforum.org/globalhealth
* Disaster Resource Network
http://www.weforum.org/drn
* Humanitarian Relief Initiative
http://www.weforum.org/hri
* Global Education Initiative
http://www.weforum.org/gei
* Global Risk Network
http://www.weforum.org/globalrisks

These links go to special reports with collections of articles and blogs on the World Economic Forum:
* AmericaEconomia (Latin America)
http://www.americaeconomia.com/PLT_WRITE-PAGE~SessionId~~Language~0~Modality~0~Section~1~Content~28640~NamePage~NoticiasArti~DateView~~Style~-1.htm (in Spanish)
* BBC (UK, World)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/business/2007/davos07/default.stm
* Bloomberg (US)
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/specialreport/davos.html
* CNN (US, World)
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/davos/
* Forbes (US)
http://www.forbes.com/2007/01/23/world-economic-forum-lead-lead-citizen-davos07_cx_ag_0123davos_land.html
* Financial Times (UK, World)
http://www.ft.com/indepth/davos2007
http://www.ftd.de/politik/international/153449.html (in German)
* Handelsblatt (Germany)
http://www.handelsblatt.com/news/Unternehmen/World-Economic-Forum/default_204296.aspx (in German)
* Independent (UK)
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2181592.ece
* International Herald Tribune (US, World)
http://www.iht.com/indexes/special/davos/index.php
* Le Temps (France)
http://letemps.blogs.com/davos2007/ (in French)
* Menafn (Middle East)
http://www.menafn.com/wef1.asp
* Rediff (India)
http://in.rediff.com/money/wef.html
* Reuters (UK, World)
http://today.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage.aspx?type=davos2007&src=cms
http://secondlife.reuters.com/
Sueddeutsche (Germany)
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/special/686/98588/ (in German)
* Swissinfo (Switzerland)
http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/front/detail/Key_speakers_at_WEF_summit_strike_unusual_note.html?siteSect=105&sid=7462022&cKey=1169672466000
* Swiss TV (Switzerland)
http://www.sf.tv/sf1/wef/index.php (in German)
http://www.tsr.ch/tsr/index.html?siteSect=756500&rubricId=10215 (in French)
* Telegraph (UK)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?menuId=242&menuItemId=9266&view=SUMMARY&grid=F2&targetRule=&_requestid=467894
* Times (UK)
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,19149,00.html
* Wall Street Journal
http://blogs.wsj.com/davos/

The World Social Forum was formed by a group of Brazilian organizations that held the first Forum in 2001. It was designed as a counterbalance and opposition to the large multinational corporations, governments and institutions that favor globalization, and dominate the World Economic Forum.

This year's meeting was held in Kenya and attracted 60,000 participants from all over the world. For the first time large numbers of African delegates were able to attend. In contrast to the high tech broadcasts and formal agenda of the World Economic Forum, this massive public event was a chaotic collection conversations, art, poetry, dance, drama, and protests. Topics covered included HIV/AIDS, poverty, gender equality, debt cancellation, fair trade, and many other issues. The meeting ended with a 14 kilometer run through the slums of Nairobi.
http://wsf2007.org/

Press coverage of the World Social Forum can be found through these links:
* BBC (UK, Global)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6295855.stm
* Daily Star (Bangladesh)
http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/01/26/d70126011811.htm
* Guardian (UK)
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sasha_simic/2007/01/post_1008.html
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sasha_simic/2007/01/post_1001.html
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sasha_simic/2007/01/post_997.html
* Financial Express (Bangladesh)
http://www.financialexpress-bd.com/index3.asp?cnd=1/26/2007&section_id=4&newsid=50672
* IRINnews (Global)
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57194
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57195
* Nation (Kenya)
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=60&newsid=90443
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=90330
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=90331
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=90331
* NZZ Online (Switzerland)
http://www.nzz.ch/2007/01/26/eng/article7466029.html
* OneWorld South Asia (UK, Global)
http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/145501/1/5339
* People's Daily Online (China)
http://english.people.com.cn/200701/26/eng20070126_345098.html
* Prensa Latina (Cuba)
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B6907D712-A369-4073-B405-F46B65E37D1A%7D)&language=EN
* Scotsman (UK)
http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=134742007
* Social Rights Bulgaria
http://www.socialniprava.info/article1720.html
* Standard (Kenya)
http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news_s.php?articleid=1143964061
* Voice of America (US)
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2007-01-25-voa26.cfm

Also note the BBC's special series on Globalization:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6279679.stm

8. Asset Management Network News

TAMNI has released two new Special Reports. "The Interconnected Century: Critical Security Issues" describes the ways in which individuals, governments, and businesses rely for their very survival on networks, both explicit and informal. It raises the issues of how these networks interact, and provides examples of practical ways to address risks and opportunities in each sector of the critical infrastructure.

"Trends in Terrorism 2006" provides statistical summaries and analysis of the trends in attacks, tactics, facilities, geographic distribution and other areas for 2006. It includes quantitative comparison over time, and compares these to trends over the past 40 years, and how they compare to natural disasters. This year has expanded to include a chronology of major incidents.

People who purchase a subscription to one of the Asset Management Network Monitors receive related Special Reports at no additional charge. If you purchase one of our premium subscription services between now and 31 January, ten percent of the purchase price will be donated to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP

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All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2006 by The Asset Management Network Inc.

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

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