Sunday 25 March marked the bicentennial of legislation that ended the slave trade across the British Empire. Prime Minister Blair delivered a commemorative speech to the event, held at Elmina Castle in Ghana, the site of a slave-trading post. This speech and related information, including contemporary slavery, can be found in Recommended Reading. Another moment for superlatives is the historic power-sharing agreement between Northern Ireland unionists and republicans, described by the Northern Ireland secretary as the triumph of peace over conflict, after nearly 40 years of communal violence and terrorism. Reconciliation efforts in Northern Ireland and, earlier, in South Africa should serve as a model for violence in the Middle East that seems equally intractable, but should be equally open to similar solutions.

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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Denmark's Al Aqsa Foundation chairman Rachid Issa and his deputy Ahmad Suleiman were acquitted of terrorist financing charges after the Copenhagen court ruled there was no evidence that contributions to the Islamic Charitable Society and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth ended up in Hamas' hands.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/03/27/ap3555642.html

Malta concluded its first case of money laundering in the criminal court, where Maria Abela pleaded guilty to illegal money transactions using false documents. She was sentenced to six years.
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=48690
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=48605

Danny Williams has been sentenced to six years for helping launder more than GBP5 million through UK bank accounts, splitting large suns of cash into small deposits.
http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0225croydon/tm_headline=six-years-for--5m-money-laundering&method=full&objectid=18829299&siteid=53340-name_page.html

Northern Ireland's Assets Recovery Agency has obtained a Property Freezing Order from Belfast High Court resulting in the freezing of assets worth an estimated GBP750,000. The assets held by Patrick Paul Carr, Samuel Robert McKee and Joanne Marion McKee are allegedly derived from fuel smuggling.
http://www.assetsrecovery.gov.uk/MediaCentre/PressReleases/2007/ARAFREEZESALMOST750000INFUELSMUGGLINGCASE.htm

John Roger Thomas, Anthony Michael Paul Courtney, Jill Brenda Ashman, David Terrance James, Richard Anthony Davies and Christopher John Maguire have been charged in Wales with money laundering and other acts associated with organized crime and immigration fraud.
http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Community&F=1&id=10931
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/southwalesecho/news/tm_headline=money-laundering-probe--six-in-court&method=full&objectid=18828481&siteid=50082-name_page.html

A Connecticut grand jury returned a 38-count indictment for fraud, money laundering, and immigration offenses against Fares Khraisat, of Jordan, his wife and several others.
http://newhaven.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2007/nh032307.htm
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--moneylaunderingal0329mar29,0,5177498.story

Monica Yates has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering in US district court in Virginia, in connection with diverting funds from new investors to pay false profits to older investors.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vaw/press_releases/yates_28mar2007.html
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AML/CFT Legislation and Regulation
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Australia's financial reporting agency AUSTRAC will open records on suspicious financial transactions to the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, under proposed amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill.
http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/spy-agency-to-access-financial-records/20072428-4sb.html

The International Monetary Fund has released "Kingdom of Bahrain: Detailed Assessment on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism". In Bahrain, the offense of money laundering extends to any type of property and applies to persons who commit the predicate offence, but conviction of a predicate offense is not necessary. Self laundering is an offence, and money laundering may also be ascribed to corporate bodies. Legislation provides a common framework, but implementing that legislation may be traditional regulations, circulars, or rulebooks. Financing of terrorism is not currently a criminal offense, but a law is working its way through parliament. Other efforts are also under way. There are currently four money-laundering prosecutions under way, and five bank accounts belonging to three entities have been blocked.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.cfm?sk=20618.0

Fiji's Cabinet approved implementation of the Financial Transactions Reporting Regulations. The Financial Transactions Reporting Act will come into force 1 May.
http://www.fijilive.com/news/show/news/2007/03/30/30fijilive22.html

The Kimberley Process (KP), chaired by the European Community in 2007, is sending a review mission to Ghana to assess efforts to combat conflict diamonds. The mission will focus on improving Ghana’s internal controls in a bid to tackle the last remaining case of conflict diamonds, and thus contribute to the stabilization of West Africa.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/418

New European Council rules on the assessment of acquisitions in the banking, insurance, and securities sectors include the following prudential criteria for supervisory assessments, to be applied in all member states: the reputation of the proposed acquirer; the reputation and experience of any person that may run the resulting institution or company; the financial soundness of the proposed acquirer; on-going compliance with relevant directives; the level of risk of money laundering and terrorist financing.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=PRES/07/59

India's Union Cabinet approved money laundering information exchanges between the financial intelligence unit and its foreign counterparts, setting the stage for membership in the Egmont Group.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Economy/Policy/Cabinet_okays_India_sharing_info_on_money_laundering/articleshow/1830491.cms

Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, in an interview with Time magazine, calls Palestinian Prime Minister Haniyeh a terrorist, and claims he is financing attacks against Israel.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1604593,00.html

Morocco passed AML legislation earlier this month. Treasury official Zouheir Chorfi and other officials participated in a meeting this week to explain the initiatives.
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2007/03/29/feature-02

Namibia is getting British assistance to curb money laundering and corruption.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200703290723.html

Pakistan is working on a new AML law to ensure transparency in global funds transfers.
http://www.pakistantimes.net/2007/03/31/top8.htm

Britain's Court of Appeal held that "Where there was a prima facie case that a defendant had cheated the Revenue, the unpaid tax could be 'criminal property' for money-laundering purposes, even where the trade whose profits or turnover were taxable was a legitimate trade."
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/reports/article1576910.ece

The US Treasury has designated seven companies and three individuals for contributing to the conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo. They are associated with international arms dealer and war profiteer Viktor Bout, firms associated with gold trader Kambale Kisoni, and others associated with militias.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp334.htm

The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR) in San Francisco released "The OFAC List: How a Treasury Department Terrorist Watchlist Ensnares Everyday Consumers". The report finds that increasing numbers of US businesses screen customers against the OFAC list, leading to stigma and delayed or denied consumer transactions resulting from names similar to those on the list even without a discernable risk to national security.
http://www.lccr.com/03%202007%20OFAC%20Report.pdf

Vietnam is considering claims of money laundering on the stock market.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/biz/2007/03/677340/
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AML/CFT Modalities
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The IMF's AML/CFT assessment for Bahrain reports that:
"The authorities believe that Bahrain has a relatively low level of domestically generated criminal proceeds and therefore believe that the greatest risk of money laundering is related to foreign proceeds that might transit through Bahrain. Bahrain’s well-developed banking system, along with its geographical location in the Middle East as a transit point along the Gulf and into South Asia make it a potential target for money laundering and terrorist financing activities.... As the authorities have identified, Bahrain is more likely to be used in the layering stage of money laundering rather than for other stages of the process. Its relatively large financial sector with a network of foreign branches and subsidiaries makes it particularly vulnerable to this risk."
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.cfm?sk=20618.0

Montenegro has reported money laundering through real estate. Based on the International Narcotics Control Report, the country also has a black market for smuggled goods, and illegal income from drugs, corruption, tax evasion, organized crime, and other financial crimes.
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2007/03/26/feature-02

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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Bangladesh's National Board of Revenue reports that the undisclosed bank deposits of the top 55 graft suspects hold at least 40 times more money than declared in their latest tax statements.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/03/28/d70328011510.htm

Indonesia's former maritime minister Rokhmin is on trial for allegedly embezzling $1.2 million from the ministry's development fund.
http://english.people.com.cn/200703/28/eng20070328_361795.html
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/IC29Ae01.html

European electrical retailing group DSG International is working with French police to investigate malpractice at a warehouse involving up to $20 million, potentially wiping out profits from its new business division this year.
http://www.dsgiplc.com/layout.aspx?ID=438dced5-8533-4339-97d1-763a256a0b0e&CatID=c7b3b0f4-c2c8-4c48-994f-1e57e444b9a9

Pojaman Shinawatra, wife of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, her brother and secretary, have been charged with tax evasion in connection with proceeds from the 1997 transfer of shares in a telecommunications firm. This is the first criminal case against the family, but dozens of related allegations are making their way to court.
http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/27/opinion/opinion_30030338.php
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/thaksin-wife-in-court-over-21m-tax-evasion-scheme/2007/03/26/1174761379266.html

The US Department of the Interior's Inspector General released their Assessment of the US Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. Their report finds that the ranking official, Deputy Assistance Secretary Julie MacDonald, violated federal rules by sending internal agency documents to industry lobbyists. She also ran roughshod over agency scientists and forced decisions that are unlikely to survive court challenges, in an effort to force through the Bush administration agenda despite the underlying science. Former Interior Department Deputy J. Steven Griles has pleaded guilty to obstructing justice by lying to Congress in service to lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
http://www.doioig.gov/upload/FWS_OLE_Report.txt
http://www.doioig.gov/upload/griles5.txt

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) settled a financial fraud case with natural gas distributor Nicor, and its former Controller Jeffrey Metz, under which they will pay more than $10 million to settle charges that they engaged in improper transactions, made material misrepresentations, and failed to disclose material information regarding Nicor's gas inventory in order to meet earnings targets and increase the company's revenues under a performance-based rate plan administered by the Illinois Commerce Commission.
http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2007/2007-57.htm

SEC has filed civil fraud charges against auto parts manufacturer Collins and Aikman Corporation), former CEO David A. Stockman, and eight other former directors and officers for fraudulent schemes to inflated reported income by accounting improperly for supplier payments.
http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2007/2007-53.htm
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ETM Economies and Financial Systems
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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has raised its growth forecast for 2007 from 7.1 percent to 7.6 percent. Asian economies expanded at 8.3 percent in 2006, with China and India accounting for about 70 percent of the expansion. High foreign currency reserves could be better used to retire debt or purchase higher-yield investments.
http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2007/11662-asian-developments-outlooks/default.asp

The European Commission's annual report on the digital economy finds that information and communication technologies drive 50 percent of EU growth.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/453

Governor of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Sheibany reports that US dollars now make up only 20 percent of foreign reserves. Oil clients are being asked to pay in other currencies, particularly Euros. He does not believe that new UN sanctions will have a substantial economic impact, as they are limited to arms and similar areas.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/28/business/AS-FIN-Malaysia-Iran-Oil-Dollars.php
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6498695.stm
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ETM Environment and Climate Change
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"A Cost Curve for Greenhouse Gas Reduction", in The McKinsey Quarterly, considers the relative economics of different approaches to reducing emissions. Over 25 years, power generation and manufacturing offer less than half the potential for reducing emissions. Nearly a quarter of possible reductions would come from better insulation and other measures that carry no net life cycle cost. Many opportunities lie in developing economies. Current EU climate change goals will cost up to EU1.1 trillion over the next 14 years.
http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1911
http://www.guardian.co.uk/eu/story/0,,2044191,00.html

Australia has launched a Global Initiative on Forests and Climate. This will provide $160 million to reduce deforestation and plant new forests. Prime Minister Howard says this will make more difference than signing the Kyoto protocol on greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Release/2007/Media_Release24221.cfm

Sir Nicholas Stern has called for much more aggressive action, including ratifying Kyoto as an important symbolic act, and stepping up research into solar power and clean coal.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/stern-words-for-australia--slash-emissions-now/2007/03/27/1174761471696.html

The Brazilian government has shut down the Cargill soy processing facility because it lacks a federal environmental impact assessment. The facility has been controversial the discovery that large stretches of the Brazilian rainforest were being cleared to grow soy. Brazil is attempting to build a huge biofuel industry without cutting more rainforest.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/brazilian-government-orders-cl
http://www.farmfutures.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=CD26BEDECA4A4946A1283CC7786AEB5A&nm=News&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=AD06E92C56ED499B8F0867FA3AB15A8E

Brazil's environment minister Marina Silva announced they will provide free satellite internet access for indigenous communities to help protect the rainforest from illegal logging. State and local governments must provide the necessary computers.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N29449199.htm

The European Council and European Parliament reached a final agreement on the Life+ Financial Instrument for the Environment, which simplifies a range of existing environmental programs and instruments to address nature and biodiversity; environment policy and governance; and information and communication.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/431
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=PRES/07/66

A new map published by the European Commission shows the photovoltaic solar energy potential of different parts of Europe. The interactive on-line Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS), developed by the DG Joint Research Centre, allows users to estimate solar energy performance at any given location in Europe.
http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/solarec
http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/

New EU rules to crack down on sea pollution have come into effect.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/442

Facing reports that carbon dioxide emissions from UK power stations rose nearly 30 percent between 1999 and 2006, Environment Secretary David Milliband has called for increased action on climate change, which he says would not only help the environment but also bring a peace dividend.
http://www.wwf.org.uk/news/n_0000003754.asp
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2007/climate-0329.htm
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/ministers/speeches/david-miliband/dm070327.htm

A US federal district judge, Phyllis Hamilton, suspended Bush administration rules for managing forests after determining that they had not considered the environmental impact of its plan.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033001905.html
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ETM Human Rights
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UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Manfred Nowak presented his annual report to the UN Human Rights Council. He called for the states that commit acts of torture to pay for victims' rehabilitation.
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/2C6E2A3D64ED8FEBC12572AC003BEB35?opendocument

The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) released "Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2007 (Events of 2006)". The report examines civil and political rights in 39 of the 56 participating states, with particular attention to the 2006-7 priority regions of Central Asia, the Russian North Caucasus, and Belarus. IHF explains, "During the initiation meeting of the IHF in 1982, the KGB forced the Moscow Helsinki Group to disband, and Soviet authorities were engaged in massive and systematic human rights violations. While important progress has been made in many countries and fields of human rights since this time, similar violations have reappeared in the OSCE region and are happening in 2007 when the IHF marks its 25th anniversary."
http://www.ihf-hr.org/viewbinary/viewhtml.php?doc_id=7490

China and the EU are among the first of more than 80 states to sign the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/446
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-03/31/content_840971.htm
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/dsgsm312.doc.htm
http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/index.shtml

The UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights released "The Treatment of Asylum Seekers". The report finds that the asylum support system is a confusing mess that has failed asylum seekers and their children. Policies of refusing benefits or banning legal work lead to destitution, seemingly intentional.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt200607/jtselect/jtrights/81/8102.htm

The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on "The 2007 (sic) Country Reports on human Rights Practices and the Promotion of Human Rights in US Foreign Policy". Although the discussion, like the reports, focused on human rights abroad, testimony from John Shattuck and comments from Representative William Dalahunt emphasized America's retreat from the human rights council and other international bodies as undermining its ability to exercise human rights leadership. Worse yet, the "reports lack credibility because the Us government in recent years has engaged in some of the very practices that it condemns in its reports"
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=800
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press_display.asp?id=325
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/sha032907.htm

Guantanamo Bay detainee, Australian David Hicks, entered into a plea agreement that will allow him to serve nine months in prison in Australia, after he had been held in Guantanamo for more than five years. The plea imposes a comprehensive gag order, including barring his from speaking to the press, criticizing his detention, or saying he was tortured, and takes away the right to sue over his treatment.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2934491720070331
http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/reports/report.asp?ObjID=KAr5cKEMvK&Content=982
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,2141,00.html
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ETM Infectious Diseases
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News of a new anti-malarial drug for Africa marked success for coordinating academic research and product development, but raised serious concerns that treatments against tropical diseases are being launched with little scrutiny.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a022bb7e-de5b-11db-afa7-000b5df10621.html

Indonesia's Ministry of Health has agreed immediately to resume sharing H5N1 avian influenza samples with the World Health Organization (WHO). This decision follows a 2-day meeting that addressed the problem of developing countries providing virus samples to WHO, which are prepared for vaccines that are then unavailable to developing countries. The meeting endorsed efforts to increase safe and effective pandemic vaccine access, and concluded:
* WHO Collaborating Centers will continue risk assessment on H5N1 virus samples.
* They will continue to transform virus into seed virus suitable for vaccine production.
* The process will be documented in revised Terms of Reference for WHO laboratories.
* Other agreed uses of the virus will also be outlined in the terms of reference
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr09/en/index.html

Control measures continue in Bangladesh, but have failed to stop the spread of H5N1 infections in local farms. An education campaign has also been launched.

China has confirmed the death of a 16-year-old boy, brining to 15 the number of humans killed by H5N1.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_03_29/en/index.html

Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population has reported two new human cases, both in children.

In Indonesia, the death toll has risen to 71, after three more deaths this week.

Note current H5 outbreaks in animals here:
http://www.oie.int/downld/AVIAN%20INFLUENZA/A_AI-Asia.htm

University of Sheffield researchers report that epigallocatechin gallate (ECGG), found in green tea, may help prevent HIV from binding to cells in the human immune system.
http://www.shef.ac.uk/mediacentre/2007/780.html
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ETM Legal Systems
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Pakistan's suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry addressed lawyers - many participating in massive protests against his suspension and other government actions - to call for an independent judiciary and the rule of law. The Supreme Judicial Council is reviewing corruption charges laid by President Musharraf, who claims he will abide by their verdict. A case of police mistreating lawyers and journalists at a rally earlier this month is under way. Hundreds of opposition supporters have been detained to attempt to tamp down the protests.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/29/asia/pakistan.php
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C03%5C29%5Cstory_29-3-2007_pg11_1
http://www.pakistanlink.com/Headlines/March07/31/12.htm

The UK prison service released "Re-offending of Adults: Results from the 2004 Cohort". The report shows that between 1997 and 2004, proven adult re-offending has been reduced by six percent.
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb0607.pdf

There is, however a record number of inmates: 80,199. Scotland's Chief Inspector of Prisons Dr Andrew McLellan is particularly concerned with overcrowding at Perth Prison, where three prisoners often have to share a cell. Prison overcrowding tends to increase re-offending.
http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/assets/documents/100028EB30032007_web_report.doc
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/03/27145727
http://www.nacro.org.uk/templates/news/newsItem.cfm/2007032901.htm

The US Congress continued investigating the dismissal of eight US attorneys. The Senate held its third hearing on preserving prosecutorial independence. D. Kyle Sampson, who resigned his post as chief of staff earlier this month, said he had made no connection between the dismissals and the way public corruption cases were handled. He contradicted Attorney General Gonzales' assertion that he had not been involved in deliberations regarding the dismissals, and said that Gonzales has approved and signed off on the cases. Most intriguing is the statement that senior adviser Monica Goodling would invoke the 5th amendment right against self-incrimination if testifying before congress. On an indefinite leave of absence, she gave a sworn affidavit that she will decline to answer any questions from the Committee, calling it "a perilous environment in which to testify".
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=2657
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2996534
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/30/news/justice.php
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/30/fired.attorneys.ap/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-6516151,00.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/26/AR2007032600935.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-03-26-fired-prosecutors_N.htm
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1175245444489
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ETM Natural Resources
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In Australia, the Natural Resources Committee has received 20 public submissions expressing concerns over increases to the natural resource management levy.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200703/1884687.htm

Mongolia is considering how to take advantage of the global resources boom while eliminating corruption, poverty and other problems. Exploitation of the country's copper, gold, coal and uranium resources has placed the country at a turning point.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/mongolias-chance-to-get-it-right-after-genghis/2007/03/30/1174761754935.html

In the US state of Wisconsin, the Natural Resources Board approved expanding the fall deer hunt program, called earn-a-buck, to control herd size, particularly in zones affected by chronic wasting disease.
http://www.startribune.com/531/story/1085898.html
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ETM Populations
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The British Library has launched Sounds Familiar, an interactive spoken English website that celebrates the UK's many different accents, dialects and vocabularies.
http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/index.html
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2398845.ece
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ETM Social Responsibility
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"Why Corporate Social Responsibility is Failing Children", by Save the Children and The Corporate Responsibility (CORE) Coalition, reviews three voluntary codes for companies and reveals that all three have been violated by leading companies. The report concludes that voluntary initiatives alone are wholly inadequate as a means of improving the lives of children because they fail to be enforced and because they attract only a small sub-section of companies in each sector.
http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/scuk/jsp/resources/details.jsp?id=4975&group=resources&section=news&fromgroup=news&newssection=newslibrary&subsection=details

Burger King, the world's second largest burger chain, has announced plans to increase supplies of humanely sourced meat and eggs.
http://www.goveg.com/corp_murderk-victory.asp

GlaxoSmithKline announced submission of a regulatory file to European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for Globorix, a conjugate meningococcal vaccine for strains dominant in the Middle East and North Africa. This is the first case in which a drug company will begin registration for a vaccine from which it will never make a profit.
http://www.gsk.com/ControllerServlet?appId=4&pageId=402&newsid=1006
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a022bb7e-de5b-11db-afa7-000b5df10621.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6508985.stm
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ETM Technology
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The World Economic Forum released the Global Information Technology Report, in which the US has fallen from one to seventh, and Denmark tops the ranking for the impact of technology on the development of nations. They site the political and regulatory environment in this fall.
http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/gcp/Global%20Information%20Technology%20Report/index.htm

China and Russia will launch a joint probe to Mars, around October 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-03/29/content_5911828.htm

The European Commission has created a human embryonic stem cell line registry.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/437
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/122

The Russian Academy of Sciences has rejected a government proposal that would transfer control of the Academy to the state.
http://www.kommersant.com/p754111/r_527/Russian_Academy_of_Sciences_charter/

The Council for Science and Technology released a review of UK government policy commitments to fund research into nanotechnology risks. "Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies: A Review of Government's Progress on its Policy Commitments" finds progress in standards and metrology, international engagement and minimizing workplace and public exposure. However, it has not provided sufficient support for research into the toxicology and health and environmental effects of nanomaterials.
http://www2.cst.gov.uk/cst/Files/nano_press_release.doc
http://www2.cst.gov.uk/cst/Files/nano_review.pdf
http://www2.cst.gov.uk/cst/Files/nano_review_evidence.pdf
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ETM Weapons (WMD, Proliferation)
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Iran has responded to additional UN sanctions by limiting international inspections and access to facilities. European, Russian, and Iranian officials have made little progress in restarting talks. China and Russia have urged Iran to meet UN demands.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Focus/IaeaIran/index.shtml
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/npp/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=19078
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/27/europe/EU-GEN-EU-Iran.php

North Korea does not have the funds to fix decaying infrastructure, which may mean they won't mind closing the Yongbyon nuclear reactor, which is in particularly poor condition. Progress towards denuclearization remains stalled pending transfer of $25 million back to North Korea.
http://www.washtimes.com/world/200-4739r.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/world/asia/27korea.html

Nigeria has placed four corporate officials of Shell Petroleum and 17 other individuals under surveillance pending trial over illegal transportation of radioactive materials in the country.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200703270171.html
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=74003

The Riyadh summit on the Middle East statement included a warning that the region could face a nuclear arms race. Arab League leaders will meet this summer to review plans for a peaceful Arab nuclear industry.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=ed47eb5e-9cd0-42cc-b11d-272016034264&k=6161

The US Senate Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a hearing on nuclear and strategic policy options. Testimony included the assertion that nuclear deterrence is still needed and that explosive testing would not end plans for next generation nuclear warheads. There was also concern that Chinese anti-satellite weapons could lead to nuclear weapons in space.
http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=2636
http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/2007_3_30.html#60B8A6B8
http://www.washtimes.com/national/200-9929r.htm
http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=200-3443r

Russian investigators are pursuing their investigation of the death by polonium-210 poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. To meet his security demands, British police questioned exiled Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky in the presence of Russian police. More than 100 others will also be questioned.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2044806,00.html
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070327/62695150.html

Britain's Ministry of Defense has completed destruction of old chemical weapons.
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/DefencePolicyAndBusiness/BritainCompletesDestructionOfOldChemicalWeaponHoldings.htm

On Wednesday, the US told China to stop selling arms to Iran, and China told the US to stop selling arms to Taiwan.
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/chr032707.htm
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-03/29/content_839139.htm

Axion Corporation and its owner Alexander Nooredin Latifi have been indicted in Alabama on charges of illegally exporting military technology overseas, fraud involving aircraft parts, and submitting false documents to the government.
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/March/07_nsd_200.html

5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor

The 21st century is the interdependent century. Understanding the implicit and explicit networks on which we rely, and the interdependencies among the sectors of the critical infrastructure is essential for business continuity, economic success, and our very survival. The Critical Infrastructure Monitor, published monthly, analyzes these sectors, regulatory frameworks, and issues of enterprise risk management in global supply chains.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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CIM Agriculture and Food
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BBC reporter Mark Doyle is undertaking a series of reports analyzing the state of global food production and consumption.
"Tiny island with a global warning"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6495733.stm
"The limits of a Green Revolution?"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/6496585.stm
"Obesity fuelled by cheaper food"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/6495889.stm

The European Commission has adopted a communication on reducing unwanted catches and eliminating discards in European fisheries. Dumping overboard fish or other marine organisms caught unintentionally can involve up to 70-90% of the catches in some trawl fisheries. The proposed approach involves the adoption of a progressive fishery-by-fishery discard ban and the setting of standards for maximum acceptable by-catch, to provide an incentive for fishers to take from the sea only what can be marketed.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/429
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/120

Changes to European agricultural policy have proven popular:
* Over 8 out of 10 European citizens support the ‘cross-compliance’ principle, whereby farmers face a reduction in payments if they fail to meet environmental, animal welfare or food safety standards.
* Almost 5 times as many think that giving more funding to rural development, as well paying farmers directly instead of subsidizing their products are positive developments (49 percent) compared to those who think they are negative (11 percent).
* 88 percent view agriculture and the rural areas continuing to play a central role in the EU
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/survey/index_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb_special_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_276_en.pdf

The Examination Committee Chairman of the Bank of Thailand (BOT) has called for increased building security and protection of banknote printing.
http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=210780
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CIM Banking and Finance
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The European Council approved new rules on the assessment of acquisitions in the banking, insurance, and securities sectors. The draft directive modifies the current legal framework by replacing requirements on individual states with a procedure to be applied as regards notification and decision-making. Deadlines are reduced, and any "stopping of the clock" by the competent authorities is limited to one occasion and subject to clear conditions. The test also sets out prudential criteria for supervisory assessments.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=PRES/07/59

A general framework for payment services in the EU was also approved.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=PRES/07/58n

The EU has adopted a new set of financial rules to simplify access to funding, reduce administrative overhead, and increase transparency and accountability.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/424n

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has posted rules facilitating foreign private issuer deregistration under the Exchange Act. The amended rules are to eliminate conditions considered a barrier to entry, and instead encourage foreign participation in US markets and increase investor choice.
http://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2007/34-55540.pdf
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CIM Chemical
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Given the large increase in use of hair dye products over the last ten years, beginning at a median age of only 16 years of age, and new data on sensitization and skin allergies, the European Commission is extending their assessment to take into account this new data and its impact on consumer safety.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/439
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/123

The American Chemistry Council has called for US President Bush to veto congressional chemical security legislation. Congress wants to permit states to implement stricter laws than those proposed by the Department of Homeland Security.
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_acc/sec_news_article.asp?CID=206&DID=5029
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-uschem295149919mar29,0,6367479.story
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CIM Cybersecurity
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This week, international retail giant TJX Companies revealed that the credit card theft previously disclosed, involves at least 45.7 million credit and debit cards whose data was stolen by hackers. This breach is of historical proportions and will have long-term effects.
http://ir.10kwizard.com/download.php?format=PDF&ipage=4772887&source=487
http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/specials/tjx_credit/
http://money.guardian.co.uk/scamsandfraud/story/0,,2046765,00.html

A flaw in the way Windows handles animated cursors presents a risk of arbitrary code and remote execution. This zero-day bug is being actively exploited and is as serious as the Windows Metafile vulnerability of more than a year ago.
http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/?p=230
http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/?p=230
http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=2534
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/935423.mspx

The Grum-A Worm posed as a beta version of Internet Explorer 7.
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/w32gruma.html

Patches to Cisco's Unified CallManager and Presence Server should be applied to address vulnerabilities used to crash systems.
http://secunia.com/advisories/24690
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20070328-voip.shtml
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CIM Dams and Bridges
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The US Bureau of Reclamation released the final environmental study to improve safety of Folsam Dam in California.
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=1808
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CIM Defense Industrial Base
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Russia's defense ministry reports that arms exports increased by 50 percent from 2001 through 2006.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070327/62707349.html

The boom in US federal technology contracts has led to questioning whether the government is "outsourcing its brain".
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/U.S._Government_outsourcing_its_brain_0330.html

The industry is becoming increasingly globalized.
http://www.forbes.com/businessinthebeltway/2007/03/29/singapore-beltway-defense-biz-washington-07forbes2000-cz_atg_0329beltway.html

The world's 12th largest defense contractor, ITT Corporation, has agreed to pay $100 million in penalties for sending military night-vision goggles to China, Singapore, and the UK. The plea agreement will not end there: the justice department will expand its scrutiny of defense contractor outsourcing.
http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPr30/Newsroom/Query.aspx?SiteName=ITTNew&Entity=PRAsset&SF_PRAsset_PRAssetID_EQ=137623&XSL=PressRelease&Cache=
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/WSJ.20070328.SB117500552140350392/BNStory/WSJ
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CIM Emergency Services
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In Canada, Toronto Emergency Services issued a warning of the technical limitations of voice over internet protocol (VOIP) users in accessing 911 emergency services.
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_9278.aspx

UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom has issued regulations to address similar concerns.
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2046379,00.html

The US National Nuclear Security Administration has completed work on the Cytogenics Biodosimetry Laboratory, designed to assess radiation exposure of victims of nuclear or radiological incidents, thereby aiding medical treatment.
http://www.nnsa.doe.gov/docs/newsreleases/2007/PR_2007-03-29_NA-07-10.htm
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CIM Energy
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The European Commission has launched a debate on the further use of market-based instruments to support green energy policies.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/430

China, Exxon, and Saudi Aramco have announced a joint venture to run China's first fully integrated refining, petrochemical and fuel marketing project.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/exxonmobil/index.jsp?epi-content=GENERIC&newsId=20070330005348&ndmHsc=v2*A1104584400000*B1175413232000*C4102491599000*DgroupByDate*J2*N1001106&newsLang=en&beanID=2030803304&viewID=news_view

Italian Prime Minister Prodi announced that Italian companies will work with Bracilian companies to build four biodiesel plants in Brazil.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/27/america/LA-GEN-Brazil-Italy.php

Portugal has launched a huge solar power station.
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2007/gb20070329_000793.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe_more+of+today's+top+stories

Russia's state-controlled oil company Rosneft has won the first auction of assets from bankrupt Yukos, at ten percent less than the current value. BP investors are concerned over the company's withdrawal from the auction.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8O55RV80.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/world/europe/27russia.html
http://en.rian.ru/business/20070330/62864135.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/04/01/cnbp01.xml

Spain has launched the first commercial scale concentrating solar power plant in Europe.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/448

Venezuelan state oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) has issued bonds totaling $5 billion to pay off debts and finance expansion.
http://www.pdvsa.com/
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CIM Information Technology
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For the first time, Denmark has topped the rankings of the World Economic Forum's Global Information Technology Report 2006-2007 Networked Readiness Index. Here is the list of the top ten in 2006 and (2005):
1: Denmark (3)
2: Sweden (8)
3: Singapore (2)
4: Finland (5)
5: Switzerland (9)
6: Netherlands (12)
7: US (1)
8: Iceland (4)
9: UK (10)
10: Norway (13)
http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/gcp/Global%20Information%20Technology%20Report/index.htm

The information and communication technology sector in Europe drives 50 percent of EU growth, increasing faster than the overall EU economy, and fueling innovation and change in markets and user behavior, as Europe moves towards a knowledge-based economy.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/453

Dell has announced that consumer demand requires it to offer computers preloaded with Linux.
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/ideastorm/ideasinaction?c=us&l=en&s=gen
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CIM Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
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Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization has listed four provinces as potential places to store radioactive waste.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=7c76b53d-34e1-48c4-9a08-a089cfc6988b&k=6859
http://www.nwmo.ca/

Tokyo Electric Power Company admitted that it had concealed the 1984 shutdown of a reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070331a4.html
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070330TDY04001.htm

This is one of many cover-ups, which have led to calls for improved standards.
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070330p2a00m0na041000c.html

Russia plans to spend $5.8 billion on nuclear energy in 2009-2010.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070327/62705239.html

Russia is also offering to help Namibia, a leading uranium producer, with a floating nuclear power plant.
http://www.mineweb.net/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page38?oid=18853&sn=Detail

South Africa's Eskom utility shut down one Koeberg nuclear power plant unit to check for potential damage after one of the transmission lines came into contact with a contractor.
http://africa.reuters.com/business/news/usnBAN023015.html

The Seabrook nuclear plant in the US state of New Hampshire was partially offline and will remain so pending repairs.
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070331/REPOSITORY/703310358/1043/NEWS01
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CIM Public Health and Healthcare
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A Global Forum on Transplantation will assist and support developing countries initiating transplantation programs and work towards a unified global coding system for cells, tissues and organs. The World Health Organization (WHO) spearheading this initiative, also released updated guiding principles, including concerns over increasing cases of commercial exploitation of human materials.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr12/en/index.html

A WHO/UNAIDS expert consultation has agreed that male circumcision should be recognized as another important intervention to help prevent HIV infection in men. Other components of comprehensive HIV prevention include testing and counseling services, treatment for STDs, promotion of safer sex practices, and provision of male and female condoms and promotion of their correct and consistent use.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr10/en/index.html

Guinea Worm has been eradicated in another 12 countries, raising the possibility that it could be eliminated over the next two years.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np15/en/index.html

The EU has adopted measures to improve the safety of medical devices:
* stricter rules for the use of potentially toxic materials, including adequate labeling
* enhancements to the safe single use of devices is enhanced
* studies to see how better reprocessing of devices can be achieved
* specialized medical software will fall under the scope of the new Medical Device Directives, updated in light of new technological developments
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/436
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CIM Telecommunications
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UK telecoms regulator Ofcom ordered voice over internet protocol (VoIP) service providers to notify customers up front of service limitations.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2007/03/nr_20070329

Ofcom has also issued limits on the amount mobile network operators are allowed to charge for connecting to other networks, reducing costs to consumers.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2007/03/nr_20070327

AT and T, Qwest and Verizon have won a record government contract of up to $48 billion for date, voice, and video services.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/29/technology/telcom_contract/index.htm
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CIM Transportation
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The Second International Arab Aviation Security Conference focused on "Working together against civil aviation threats". New trends in international security and safety and the need for constant updates were key topics of discussion.
http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/UAE/210797
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10384

Effective 31 March, Australia has imposed stricter security measures for taking liquids, aerosols and gels on flights to and from Australia.
http://www.dotars.gov.au/transport/security/aviation/LAG/index.aspx

Airports of Thailand found security at Suvarnabhumi insufficient, and may cancel the contract. Other problems with the new airport have led to a partial closure and reopening of the decommissioned Don Muang airport.
http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/26/national/national_30030200.php
http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/30/business/business_30030600.php

In the US, undercover agents were able to slip pose security screeners at Denver International Airport.
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=67166
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=f7841158-0973-42df-90f4-78388f3d7340

The new Changi Command and Control Center will house the Singapore Maritime Security Center, the Information Fusion Center and the Multinational Operations and Exercises Center.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/3/28/nation/20070328145358&sec=nation

The US Transportation Security Administration has expanded to implement security checks at trains and bus stations.
http://www.10nbc.com/index.asp?template=item&story_id=22048
http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/headlines/?ArID=208306&SecID=33

The European Commission has issued the first call for proposals for the Marco Polo program to address road congestion and the environmental impact of freight transport services. Applications are available for:
* Modal shift actions to shift freight from the road to short sea shipping, rail, inland waterways or a combination of modes of transport;
* Catalyst actions aimed at overcoming structural barriers in the freight transport market in the EU, such as low-speed freight trains or technical interoperability problems of transport modes;
* Common learning actions to improve cooperation and optimize working methods and procedures between actors in the freight transport chain.
* Motorways of the Sea actions which shift freight from road to short sea shipping or a combination of short sea shipping and other modes of transport, offering a very large-volume, high-frequency intermodal maritime transport service.
*Traffic avoidance actions, which integrate transport into production logistics in order to reduce freight transport demand by road.
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/marcopolo/guide_proposers/index_en.htm
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CIM Water
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Note last week's coverage of World Water Day.
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2007/032507.html#7

The collapse of the sewage system in Gaza was predicted, and reflects earlier warnings from and to the Israel Water Commission.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3383665,00.html

Every place that supplies water to southern California is dry, suggesting a pattern that could eventually produce the perfect drought.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dry31mar31,0,4609263.story

6. Disaster Reduction Monitor

Natural and manmade events are inevitable, but they need not become disasters. Subscribers to the monthly Disaster Reduction Monitor learn from past incidents to prevent future disasters. It includes analysis of historical events, emerging risks and risk mitigation, and features new techniques to address disaster reduction, ranging from technical advances to regulatory best practices and micro-finance.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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DRM Incidents
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In Central Java, Indonesia, a dengue fever outbreak that started three months ago has infected 6,318 people, and killed 124. A concurrent malaria outbreak in one village infected 60, and left four dead last month.

At least 98 people have died following a gas tanker explosion in northwestern Nigeria. The tanker tripped over, and people were trying to retrieve fuel from the tanker when they were trapped in the fire.

A gas explosion at the Yujialing Coal Mine in Shanxi province left 26 miners dead.

Heavy flooding in the Dominican Republic and Haiti has left 11 dead and displaced more than 4,000 people.

A passenger boat capsized off the coast of Guinea, leaving as many as 60 of the 120 passengers on board dead.

A fire in a Moscow nightclub killed ten, including two Bulgarians, and injured several others.

Six Chinese construction workers died when part of a subway tunnel being built for the 2008 Olympics collapsed.

65 tornados hit the US states of Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas in the latter part of the week, killing four people, and injuring several more.

In Australia, three people died in a collision between a passenger ferry and a private cruiser underneath Sydney's Harbor Bridge. A 14-year-old remains missing, and several people were injured, one seriously.

A liquefied gas tank exploded in the 5-star Kaya Hotel in the Turkish resort town of Belek, killing a kitchen worker, and injuring 11 people.
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DRM Response and Recovery
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This week's collision underneath Sydney's Harbor Bridge was the worst accident in 80 year and the second fatal accident in three months. Sydney Ferries insists that its safety record is improving, but several investigations in the collision are under way. There are already recommendations to introduce a speed limit on the channel beneath the bridge.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21469619-2702,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21477089-421,00.html

The US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has levied a $1.5 million fine against the Massey Energy Company for 25 violations that contributed to the Aracoma mine fire in January 2006, in which two West Virginia coal miners died. This is the largest fine ever imposed by the agency. MSHA has referred the case to the US Attorney for possible criminal charges.
http://www.msha.gov/Media/PRESS/2007/NR070329.asp
http://www.msha.gov/Fatals/2006/Aracoma/aracomareport.asp

In October 1999, a Thames Train went through a red light at Ladbroke Grove, west London, as it was leaving Paddington Station. It hit a First Great Western express train, and the first class carriage in front burst into flames, leaving 31 people dead and more than 400 injured. This week, Network Rail, which took over from the operator Railtrack, was found guilty of breaches in health and safety over a number of years that led to the disaster. They have been fined GBP4 million plus court costs.
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=2907
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article1570831.ece
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1204
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DRM Risks
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The rise in the number of boats in the channel below Sydney's Harbor Bridge has prompted concerns that this is contributing to a rise in fatal accidents.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rise-in-boat-numbers-prompts-safety-fears/2007/03/29/1174761668675.html
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DRM Mitigation
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New Orleans, Louisiana, has unveiled a detailed evacuation plan.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-8/117532097018330.xml

7. Recommended Reading

25 March marked the bicentennial of parliamentary legislation to end slavery across the British Empire.

In addition to events across the UK, the event was marked at for Elmina Castle, Ghana, the site of a slave-trading post. Prime Minister Tony Blair delivered this speech:

This is a very special day.

Two hundred years ago, the British Parliament legislated to end the slave trade across the British Empire.

The vote in our Parliament and the efforts of the Royal Navy began the long process of disrupting and dismantling the transatlantic slave trade - one of the most shameful enterprises in history.

So it is right that this anniversary is being marked today here in Ghana's Elmina Castle, the scene of such inhuman abuse, and in cities across the UK - in Liverpool, Hull, Bristol and London which played their role in this deplorable trade.

It is an opportunity for the United Kingdom to express our deep sorrow and regret for our nation's role in this inhumanity and for the unbearable suffering, individually and collectively, the slave trade caused.

It presents us, too, with the chance to remember the lives of the millions who passed through this fort and many like it, never to see their homeland or families again, and to pay tribute to the courage and conviction of those who campaigned to end this vile trade.

The people who fought against slavery came from all walks of life.

They include former enslaved Africans like Olaudah Equiano, church leaders like Thomas Clarkson and statesmen like William Wilberforce.

But the campaign also involved countless men and women, black and white, now forgotten by history, from across Africa, including Ghana, from Britain and many other countries.

They prayed, organised, marched and sometimes fought to change our world for good.

We must remember them all today and celebrate the sheer power of the human spirit to overcome such injustice.

And we must use this bi-centenary to rededicate ourselves to show the same courage and dedication to tackle the challenges facing us in the 21st century.

We must act to tackle the many forms of modern day slavery, the forced recruitment of child solders, human trafficking and bonded labour.

We must remember as well that poverty, social exclusion and conflict is at the root of this cruelty.

There is a great deal more to do. But in recent years, we have also seen great progress.

The international community has come together to write off the debts of the poorest countries.

Debt relief, for example, has enabled health care charges to be scrapped in Zambia.

It has released the investment to build 2,500 primary schools in Tanzania so they can meet their target of universal primary education years ahead of schedule.

There's been increased funding to tackle AIDS, already providing 1.6 million in poor countries with anti-retroviral drugs.

Britain is determined to continue to lead the drive to overcome all these challenges.

The goal, for example, of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation we recently launched is to save the lives of five million children a year.

The UK is committed as well to helping respond to the challenges facing the African and Caribbean diaspora.

At home, we are stepping up our drive to tackle racism and inequality in all its forms so everyone has the chance to make the most of their talents and potential.

Today, of course as we commemorate this bicentenary, we also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence.

I was delighted this month to welcome President Kufour to Downing Street during his State Visit to the UK - and to say that modern Ghana is again a beacon of hope for Africa just as it was 50 years ago.

I also want to take this chance to commend the British Council for its invaluable work in enabling people in Africa and the UK to explore our shared history, to challenge stereotypes and increase understanding.

This day in 1807 represented a historic turning point in the relationship between Africa and the UK.

In marking this bicentenary with equal reverence and celebration, we must commit ourselves to tackling the injustices in our modern world with the same energy and dedication as the courageous campaigners against the slave trade showed 200 years ago.

Thank You.

SOURCE:
http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page11342.asp

ADDITIONAL READING:

Reuters lists some key facts about the slave trade, and the Jamaica Gleaner provides a chronology:
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL25418778.html
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070326/news/news4.html

Save the Children released a new report on the most widespread forms of child slavery.
http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/scuk/jsp/resources/details.jsp?id=4974&group=resources&section=news&fromgroup=news&newssection=newslibrary&subsection=details

The British Council in Ghana held a solemn commemoration including presentations and performances from politicians, poets and musicians attempting to make sense of the past.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/ghana.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6494097.stm

Nigerian poet Tolu Ogunlesi wrote this poem to commemorate the anniversary:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6485263.stm

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are asking people to take time this coming weekend to reflect on the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade and use the anniversary of the Act for its abolition as a springboard for taking action to tackle the impact of the trade’s legacies today, including examples of human trafficking and oppression across the globe.
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr2707.html

The tireless campaign of the group of Evangelical Christians who worshiped in Holy Trinity Clapham, known as the Clapham Sect, lead to the 1807 Act and the abolition of slavery itself in 1833. William Wilberforce, the most prominent leader of the movement, worshipped in this church.
http://htc.churchinsight.com/Group/Group.aspx?ID=31501

Holy Trinity Clapham was one of two starting points for the Walk of Witness, in which the Wilberforce family participated.
http://www.makingourmark.org.uk/moreinfo.html
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2318749.ece

There is a series of exhibits across the UK, including "Uncomfortable Truths" at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/uncomfortable_truths/index.html
http://nyartsmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7082&Itemid=164

The end of the slave trade was marked in Africa and elsewhere around the world, including areas where the practice and related crimes continue:
"Africans mark abolition of slave trade"
http://investing.reuters.co.uk/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=managerViews&storyID=2007-03-26T094821Z_01_ZWE635279_RTRUKOC_0_SLAVERY-ABOLITION.xml
"Africa 'still in chains'"
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/africa-still-in-chains/2007/03/26/1174761319343.html
"Caribbean remembers horrors of slave trade"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17790220/
"Exchanging views on the slave trade"
http://www.hertsessexnews.co.uk/news/observer/2007/03/22/small%20talk.lpf
"Group haunted by history of slave dungeons"
http://www.thestar.com/article/193074
"Island of ghosts where slavery is an echo"
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21447987-2703,00.html
"Jamaican anger over slave trade"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6494717.stm
"Keeping it under their hats"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6476645.stm
"Slavery's Last Frontiers: Breaking The Shackles of bondage - Ghana faces evil past, and present"
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070326/news/news5.html
"Slaves' descendants commemorate abolition of trade"
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4005190a12.html
"Sons for Sale"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2040354,00.html
"Statement by the Prime Minister" (Canada)
http://www.news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=286789
"Once a slave in the US, still fighting for her freedom"
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0322/p13s01-usju.html
"The day an evil began to wither"
http://www.thestar.com/Unassigned/article/195787

Two hundred years on, issues of reparations and apologies remain unresolved.
"Bishop: 'Why I am NOT saying sorry for slavery'"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/newscomment.html?in_page_id=1787&in_article_id=444346
"Church considers slavery payments"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6494243.stm
"Counting the cost of the slave trade"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6422721.stm
"History shows apology helps heal"
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2007/03/25/lvapology0325a.html
"The Legal Basis of the Claim for Slavery Reparations"
http://www.abanet.org/irr/hr/spring00humanrights/gifford.html
"Marching to London to hear a single word ... sorry"
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,2041857,00.html
"Regret' Over Md. Role in Slavery: State Senate Resolution Follows Similar Action in Virginia"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/16/AR2007031602551.html
"Slave trade 'a crime against humanity'"
http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol15no3/153racis.htm
"Slavery, abolition and apologies"
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,2041839,00.html
"Slavery apologies debated across US"
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-apology19mar19,1,6586127.story

The movie Amazing Grace chronicles Wilberforce's battle against the slave trade.
http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/

In conjunction with the release of the film, the Amazing Change Campaign has been launched to address contemporary slavery.
http://www.theamazingchange.com/

Many other organizations have campaigned against contemporary slavery and slavery-like practices:
* Anti-Slavery (UK)
http://www.antislavery.org/
* Anti-Slavery Project (Australia)
http://www.antislavery.org.au/
* Anti-Slavery Society (UK)
http://anti-slaverysociety.org/
* Comite Contre L'Esclavage Moderne - CCEM (EU: in Dutch, English, French, Italian and Spanish)
http://www.ccem-antislavery.org/
* Coalition Against Slavery in Mauritania and Sudan
http://members.aol.com/casmasalc/
* Coalition of Immokalee Workers (US)
http://www.ciw-online.org/slavery.html
* iAbolish (US)
http://www.iabolish.com/

8. Asset Management Network News

On 12 April we are conducting a breakfast seminar, "Islamic Finance: An Introduction". Attendees will interact with international experts from industry, research, security and compliance, to Address:

* The overall marketplace, and the opportunities it presents now and in the future
* Key principles and challenges
* Recent examples and a detailed case study
* Strategic consideration of regulatory and governance issues
* How to take the first steps on your own or with partners

Each attendee will also receive supplementary printed materials for further reference.

Email for additional details, or visit www.tamni.com and click on Seminars.