AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff

TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - September 9, 2007

SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, September 9, 2007

TEXT:

From the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum declarations to Ukraine's recent increase in UFO activity, this Newsletter provides the most recent news updates in the areas of terrorism and political risk, AML/CFT, emerging threats, critical infrastructure protection, and disaster reduction. This week we recognize that in many parts of the world, September is the month when students return to school. Recommended Reading features stories of returning to school in Afghanistan, Canada, Gaza, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad, the UK and US. Watch next week for a collection of recent and forthcoming evaluations of the situation in Iraq.

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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The Iranian government was found to have provided material and technical support to Hezbollah that supported the 1983 bombing of the US marine barracks in Lebanon. US District Judge Royce C Lamberth has ordered Iran to pay $2.65 billion to the families of 241 marines killed in the attack. Iran dismissed the judgment as without merit and lacking historical context.
https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2001cv2684-46 (judgment)
https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2001cv2684-47 (memorandum and opinion)
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=22279&sectionid=3510203

An Ivory Coast chocolate factory owned in the US is being investigated as a money laundering front.
http://abidjan.usembassy.gov/national_daily_press_review.html
http://allafrica.com/stories/200709070950.html

Japanese police arrested six people for money laundering associated with international fraud.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070903TDY01001.htm
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200709040070.html
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070903p2a00m0na005000c.html

A Mexican judge has sentenced Benjamin Arellano-Felix to another 22 years in prison, on top of a 5-year sentence imposed in April, for drug trafficking and organized crime.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN0426939420070904
http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/narco/charts/afo_chart.pdf
http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/narco/charts/afo_chart_0102.pdf

Niger has accused French nuclear engineering group Areva of financing Tuareg rebels where it mines uranium. Areva insists it is committed to peace.


Former Panamanian President Manuel Noriega will be extradited to France once he completes his sentence in the US. Miami District Judge William Hoeveler lifted a temporary restraint on extradition proceedings and dismissed defense claims that Noriega would not be treated in France as a prisoner of war, as he is in the US. Noriega was convicted in absentia in 1999 of money laundering, and sentenced to ten years in prison. He is wanted in Panama for disappearances and murders of opponents.


In addition to corruption charges, Philippines prosecutors have laid 165 counts of money laundering against retired Major General Carlos Garcia (former armed forces chief comptroller) and his family. Their activities allegedly include laundering through bank deposits, withdrawals, local and foreign fund transfers, and real estate purchases.
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=police5_sept5_2007

Russian oligarch Arkady Gaydamak is wanted in France for arms dealing, fraud and money laundering on a massive scale. n Israel, he is running his own list of municipal candidates.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/politics-proves-a-haven-for-russian-on-the-lam-in-israel/2007/09/07/1188783496461.html

Somali businessman Abukar Adani, a key financier of the Union of Islamic Courts, has refused an offer to return to Mogadishu and negotiate directly with Interim Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi.
http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Islamist_financer_refuses_Somalia_PM_s_offer_to_return_to_Mogadishu.shtml

The Saudi Binladin Group has filed defense papers in US District in response to claims of 9/11 victims' families, survivors, representatives, and insurers that want to hold the group liable for the 9/11 attacks. The Bin Laden family disowned him and made him surrender his stake in the company 14 years ago.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/03/AR2007090301215.html
http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/04/news/newsmakers/bc.apfn.binladenfamilyfo.ap/index.htm

Timothy Felder and Ray Orah were sentenced in the UK to 2.5 and 3.5 years imprisonment, respectively, and sister Ann Felder to 12 months suspended, for laundering more than GBP15 million in drug proceeds through a Nigerian-based car spare parts company.
http://cms.met.police.uk/news/convictions/three_people_sentenced_for_money_laundering

In Maryland, Howard Meyers was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in conspiring to commit money laundering through his illegal gambling business.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/090507/rocknew203824_32372.shtml

Dack Daugherty pled guilty to conspiracy and money laundering in connection with a St Louis, Missouri, mortgage fraud ring.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/moe/press%20releases/archived%20press%20releases/2007_press_releases/september/daugherty_dack.html

Samuel T. Currin, a former US Attorney and North Carolina Superior Court Judge, was sentenced on Tuesday to 70 months in federal prison. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder through his law firm’s client trust account approximately $1.35 million in proceeds from a massive securities fraud scheme; obstructing the grand jury’s investigation of that securities fraud and money laundering scheme; and obstructing the functions of the IRS by failing to disclose on his tax return an off-shore debit card account he controlled in which thousands of dollars were deposited.
http://charlotte.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2007/ce090507.htm

Ohio physician and former county coroner Nico Capurro pleaded guilty of structuring financial transactions in cash-only pain clinics.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/ohs/Press/09-04-07.pdf
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/09/03/daily7.html

Utah pastor Juan Gilberto Lopez was sentenced to five months in prison, five months home confinement, and a $2,000 fine for his role in laundering the proceeds of drugs.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6828001

Virginia Roman Catholic priest Rodney L. Rodis pleaded not guilty to money laundering, wire fraud and mail fraud associated with embezzling funds from his church and wiring at least  $515,231 to the Philippines.
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--priestcharged0906sep06,0,409581.story
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AML/CFT Legislation and Regulation
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Australia's AML/CFT laws are about to rope in non-financial sectors.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22357168-24169,00.html
http://www.austrac.gov.au/

Ghana says that measures are in place to ensure that offshore banking can be adequately supervised, and measures now in place will be further strengthened when the Money Laundering Bill passes into law.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200709061171.html

India's Financial Intelligence Unit issued its first show-cause notice under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002.
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=254258

Pakistan President Musharraf on Saturday promulgated the Anti-Money Laundering Ordinance 2007, which comes into force immediately. This move follows the National Assembly's failure to pass the Anti-Money Laundering Bill.
http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16234&Itemid=38
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C09%5C04%5Cstory_4-9-2007_pg7_2

The Law Society of England and Wales issued a new practice note on AML/CFT. This will help practitioners address the new regulations that come into force in mid-December.
http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/productsandservices/practicenotes/aml.page
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article2378574.ece

Newcastle Business School lecturer Dr Jackie Harvey analyzed UK Asset Recovery Agency and Home Office data, finding no evidence that money laundering has reached the extent the government reports, and little proof that AML legislation is effective.
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2938993.ece

The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCen) has issued interpretive guidance to clarify the due diligence obligations of executing dealers in over-the-counter foreign exchange and derivatives markets pursuant to prime brokerage arrangements under rules implementing the correspondent account provisions of section 312 of the USA PATRIOT Act. Specifically, this guidance addresses whether executing dealers conducting transactions pursuant to prime brokerage arrangements in the OTC derivatives markets establish correspondent accounts with prime brokerage clients that would require the executing dealers to comply with the correspondent account rule.
http://www.fincen.gov/312ForexOTCPrimeBrokerage.html

Treasury has taken aggressive measures against terrorist financing, but this strategy is beginning to lose support.
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2656

US Muslims, civil liberties groups and legal analysts are calling for changes to US law that gives the government virtually unlimited authority to close down and freeze assets of Muslim charities, without due process. Ahead of Ramadan, many Muslim Americans are concerned over their ability to meet religious obligations of charitable giving, as the holy month of Ramadan begins on 12 September.
http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=44967&theType=NB
http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/2349/81/
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070905/METRO/709050383/1003

Zimbabwe's House of Assembly passed the Precious Stones Trade Amendment Bill to address illegal trade in diamonds, which have recently been discovered in some parts of the country. The bill now passes to the Senate.
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=24218&cat=8
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AML/CFT Modalities
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The Australian Institute of Criminology released "Future Directions in Technology-enabled Crime: 2007-09". The report finds:
"New payment systems:
Likely criminal threats in an environment in which internet international funds transfer instructions (IFTIs) and e-currencies continue to grow, arise from the fact that many electronic currency transactions are not captured by regulators, and that internet IFTIs may assist in the money laundering process. The following electronic payment technologies are examples of possible threats in the next two years (AIC 2007).
* Prepaid cards: The anonymity offered by pre-paid cards continues to act as a vehicle for facilitating illicit financial transactions and money laundering, particularly as value limits increase. A recent report (NDIC 2006) emphasizes similar concerns.
* Smart cards: The future will see the development of new hardware devices and software programs that seek to compromise the quality of data-protection mechanisms used in smartcards. In a recent study of 20 different RFID-enabled credit cards issued in the United States by Visa, Master Card and American Express, Heydt-Benjamin et al. (forthcoming) presented proof-of-concept prototypes and attacks. The study suggested that RFID-enabled credit cards are susceptible in various degrees to a range of other traditional RFID attacks such as skimming."
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi2/tandi341t.html
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rpp/78/

This article describes the use of small international transfers to finance terrorist attacks in Europe:


In his memoir, former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said that the conflict in Chechnya is maintained with money from Muslim fundamentalists around the world.
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=3589

This article addressed alleged Eritrean aid for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, Tamil Tigers) and rebels in eastern Sudan.
http://www.africanpath.com/p_blogEntry.cfm?blogEntryID=2241

4. Emerging Threat Monitor

Climate change, pandemics, and global economic imbalances are just a few of the threats emerging in this 21st century. Subscribers to the Emerging Threat Monitor stay a step ahead with monthly analysis of trends and responses worldwide. It offers executives a heads-up of new risks, and details of the policies and best practices gleaned from every country around the globe.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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ETM Corruption and Transnational Crime
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The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has obtained federal court orders declaring that Citrofresh International engaged in misleading conduct related to the false claim that it had found a way to stop the spread of HIV, and other similar statements.
http://www.asic.gov.au/ASIC/asic.nsf/byHeadline/07-233%20ASIC%20obtains%20orders%20against%20Citrofresh%20International?opendocument

Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission has launched investigations into graft alleged against detained former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=2583

Arafat Rahman Koko, younger son of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia, allegedly amassed huge fortune allegedly taking huge bribes in exchange for approvals of deals through the use of influence of his family dynasty. He and his mother were arrested this week.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=2598

A Thai court issued a second arrest warrant against deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra over alleged share sale violations.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2161567,00.html
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ETM Economies and Financial Systems
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The International Labor Organization (ILO) released Key Indicators of the Labor Market. The new report finds that productivity levels have increased worldwide over the past decade, but gaps remain wide between the industrialized region and most others, although some regions have begun to catch up. A major cause of world poverty is waste of workers' productive potential. The US continues to lead the world in labor productivity.
http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_083976/index.htm

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner has pledged to boost a plan to ease immigration and attract skilled workers.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2763619,00.html
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/500

APEC attendees affirmed their commitment to economic cooperation and emphasized the primacy of the multilateral trading system and the Doha negotiations, which are at a critical juncture.  
http://www.apec2007.org/documents/Statement on the WTO Negotiations.pdf
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SYD151465.htm

A Guardian investigation reveals that factory workers in India are being paid as little as 13 pence an hour for a 48-hour week, in often Dickensian conditions in factories owned by exporters. The report demonstrates the gap between rich and poor and highlights retailers' questionable procurement policies.
http://business.guardian.co.uk/retail/story/0,,2161302,00.html

The UK Trades Union Congress (TUC) released "New EU Members? Migrant Workers' Challenges and Opportunities to Trade Unions: A Polish and Lithuanian Case Study". The report finds that thousands of Polish and Lithuanian workers are being exploited:
* More than half have encountered problems at work
* Up to a third have no written contract
* More than a quarter have had problems with payment
* Ten times as many migrants as indigenous workers were paid less than the minimum wage
http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/migrantchallenges.pdf

US food maker HJ Heinz, one of Zimbabwe's first major foreign investors, sold its interest in Zimbabwe-based Olivine to the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco), ending its presence in the country. Zimbabwe's government is the largest shareholder.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200709030048.html
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8RE3GF00.htm

With an inflation rate surpassing 7,600 percent, Zimbabwe revised the exchange rate from $250 to the United States dollar to $30 000, and raised the tax-free income tax threshold to $4 million
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=24247&cat=1
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=318642
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ETM Environment and Climate Change
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The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) has launched the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Bazaar. The CDM Bazaar portal is designed to support exchange of information among buyers, sellers, and service providers engaged in CDM, which has seen exponential growth in the number of projects in both developing and industrialized countries. This service should help all those that serve in the market to get down to business.
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=516&ArticleID=5660&l=en
http://www.cdmbazaar.net/

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has launched the Information Exchange Service for Climate and Tourism. This resource dynamically displays data, studies, policy papers, videos and other material related to tourism and climate change.
http://www.unwto.org/media/news/en/press_det.php?id=1281&idioma=E
http://www.unwto.org/climate/index.php

Arctic Climate Impact Assessment scientists warn that the Greenland ice cap is melting so quickly that it is triggering earthquakes.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/sep/08/climatechange

APEC adopted a Declaration on Climate Change, Energy Security and Clean Development with no binding goals or commitments and an emphasis on economic growth. Consensus was reached by agreeing to work towards "aspirational" goals.
http://www.apec2007.org/documents/Declaration Climate Change.pdf
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=284071

Hindus are being urged to adopt a "green" cremation that burns less wood.
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fg-ashes3sep03,0,2684398.story

The EU plans to include aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), but this will have minimal effect without a major rise in carbon prices.  Researchers at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research found that:
* In order for aviation to play its part in keeping EU carbon dioxide below dangerous levels the EU must considerably strengthen the aviation ETS proposal.
* Current and envisaged carbon dioxide permit prices of less than 50 Euros per ton will have little impact on the demand for flights - and hence will barely affect the rapid growth in aviation emissions.
* Even a much higher carbon price of 300 Euros per ton would only result in a moderate increase in ticket prices, and therefore only a moderate reduction in demand and emissions growth.
* The aviation ETS proposal will not provide sufficient incentives for the aviation industry to make the necessary efficiency improvements in order for the sector to be part of a low carbon EU future
And recommends:
* Aviation should be brought into the ETS earlier, by 2010 at the latest. EU passenger numbers have recently grown at around 6-7 per cent per year, with emissions growing by six per cent annually. By 2012 EU aviation emissions are likely to have increased by 25 percent - 60 percent from 2005 levels.
* The EU should use a 1990 baseline for measuring carbon dioxide from aviation. This will make the ETS more effective at cutting emissions and bring aviation into line with other sectors and the Kyoto Protocol.
* To maximize the economic efficiency of the EU ETS carbon permits should be auctioned (6) - not allocated to airlines for free - in line with the 'polluter pays' principle and recommended in last year's Stern report.
* Improvements to aircraft and engine technology must happen faster than ever before.
* Operational changes such as improved air traffic control and measures to improve aircraft loading must also be introduced.
http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2007/Sept4_RD_Aviation_ETS.htm

A US District Judge ruled that the California Air Resources Board (ARB) must obtain authorization from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before enforcing rules that all ships visiting California ports use distillate fuel in their auxiliary engines.
http://www.sustainableshipping.com/news/2007/08/68958?gsid=91cd6740bf5dfd53425913ea54d103ed&asi=1
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ETM Human Rights
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Hands Off Cain released its annual report on the death penalty. It reports that more countries are renouncing the death penalty, but more people were executed last year than in the two previous years. China leads with 5,000 of the 5,628 executions worldwide. However, China's use of capital punishment has declined across the nation, following stricter requirements and fairer trial procedures. Iran came in second - doubling the 113 people it put to death in 2005, to at least 215 in 2006. This year Iran has increased executions significantly, particularly after a crackdown on immoral behavior launched in July. So far this year there have been at least 145 executions.
http://www.handsoffcain.info/

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-09/05/content_6080916.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6979510.stm

http://www.ncr-iran.org/content/view/4058/152/

This week is the 30th anniversary of the death in detention of South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. This correspondence in The Lancet discusses the road to Guantanamo, with 30 years of medical involvement in torture.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607614020/fulltext

"Hate on the State: How British libraries encourage Islamic extremism" is the first report published by the right-leaning Centre for Social Cohesion. It finds that the libraries of Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Birmingham - areas serving the densest population of Muslims in London - have stocked a disproportionate number of pro-jihadist texts at the expense of more moderate authors. The report's findings have been endorsed by leading Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan, Sufi Muslim Council leader Haras Rafiq, and "The Islamist" author Ed Huasin. Tower Hamlets reports that it is working to improve the balance in their collection.
http://www.socialcohesion.co.uk/pdf/HateOnTheState.pdf
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6980888.stm

The Times (London) reports that almost half of British mosques are under the control of the Deobandi ultra-conservative Islamic sect.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2402973.ece
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ETM Infectious Diseases
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Australian Aborigines have launched The Healing Place, a trial of traditional bush medicine.
http://wap.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SYD269204.htm

China's Ministry of Health has enhanced a plan to prevent rat plague, including requirements for a national plague emergency command and other measures in response to recent flooding around Dongting Lake moved some two billion rats off their island homes into residences.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/05/content_6668413.htm

The Chikungunya virus has been confirmed in Italy, the first time that it has been established in Europe. Travelers to the affected area are advised to use insect repellent and sleep under mosquito nets, and pregnant women and those with chronic illnesses were told to seek medical advice before visiting the Emilia Romagna region. There is no treatment and no vaccine for the disease.
http://www.ecdc.eu.int/index.html


Samples from 350,000 healthy wild birds in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas have tested negative for bird flu, offering further proof that spread of the virus is mostly contained in domesticated poultry.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/03/healthscience/AS-SCI-Bird-Flu-Wild-Birds.php
http://www.fao.org/avianflu/en/index.html

Indonesia reports its 85th bird flu death. This case takes the worldwide death toll past 200.

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2007_08_31/en/index.html

Russian veterinary authorities have detected H5N1 avian influenza at a chicken farm in the southern Krasnodar region. Quarantine has been imposed, and officials say that it was unlikely that infected meat had reached markets.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070905/76762310.html

Following completion of an External Quality Assessment Project, Vietnam's ministry of health confirms five additional H5N1 cases, including four deaths.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_08_31/en/index.html
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ETM Legal Systems
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Afghanistan is building new jails for female prisoners. There are 300 now, but half of these would qualify as victims under international human rights laws.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/655AB518-EC39-4226-A8AD-126B048536D4.htm

Germany is considering whether to make training at a terrorist camp a criminal offense, and perhaps expand other terrorism and surveillance powers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/world/europe/08investigation.html

India disagrees with a Transparency International report that a majority of people thinks its judicial system is corrupt.
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=91878
http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2007/gcr_2007

Hundreds of lawyers in Pakistan have boycotted courts and held rallies in another campaign to restore civilian rule.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/09/07/top14.htm
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C09%5C07%5Cstory_7-9-2007_pg1_5
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ETM Natural Resources
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South African mining group Anglo Platinum is selling mines to two black-led firms in a deal worth about ($4.85 billion, a transformative black economic empowerment (BEE) plan.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200709050095.html
http://www.angloplatinum.com/
http://www.anooraqresources.com/announcement.asp
http://www.mvelares.co.za/angloplat_announce.php

Uganda’s Vice President, Prof Gilbert Bukenya says that oil money will be deposited on an account outside the country and then drawn to fund anti-poverty programs.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news09055.php
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ETM Populations
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The International Monetary Fund released the September 2007 issue of Finance and Development, which looks at the growth of cities and the trend toward urbanization. Within the next year, for the first time in history, more than 50 percent of the world's population will be living in urban rather than rural areas. Economists generally agree that urbanization, if handled well, holds great promise for higher growth and a better quality of life. But as the lead article tells us, the flip side is also true: if handled poorly, urbanization could not only impede development but also give rise to slums. Other articles in this series look at poverty as an urban phenomenon in the developing world and the development of megacities and what this means for governance, funding, and the provision of services.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2007/09/index.htm

Indian leaders in Brazil have voiced their opposition to a draft law that would allow mining in indigenous territories. They are concerned that mining will destroy the heartland and bring pollution, disease, and alcohol.
http://www.survival-international.org/news/2490

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is expected be adopted in the General Assembly next week.
http://www.thestar.com/article/254160
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=39185
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415694
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=23728&Cr=indigenous&Cr1=
http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf/(Symbol)/E.CN.4.SUB.2.RES.1994.45.En

For centuries, anthropologists have traveled overseas to observe tribal ways. Now a group of Pacific islanders have turned the tables and are studying the British.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2932252.ece
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ETM Social Responsibility
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The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's Research Center for Behavioral Economics and Decision-Making released "Doing Good or Doing Well? Image Motivation and Monetary Incentives in Behaving Pro-Socially". The working paper "examines image motivation--the desire to be liked and well-regarded by others--as a driver in pro-social behavior (doing good), and asks whether extrinsic monetary incentives (doing well) have a detrimental effect on pro-social behavior due to crowding out of image motivation". It concludes that, "By definition, image depends on one's behavior being visible to other people. Using this unique property we show that image is indeed an important part of the motivation to behave pro-socially. Moreover, we show that extrinsic incentives interact with image motivation and are therefore less effective in public than in private. Together, these results imply that image motivation is crowded out by monetary incentives; this means that monetary incentives are more likely to be counterproductive for public pro-social activities than for private ones".
http://www.bos.frb.org/economic/wp/wp2007/wp0709.htm

Britain's largest bank, HSBC, has been asked to conduct a fundamental review of strategy and structure.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6983369.stm
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ETM Technology
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The space, nuclear and other high tech Indian government scientists have been leaving at an unprecedented rate to pursue profits in the public sector.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ISRO_bleeds_as_scientists_leave/articleshow/2341361.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Govt_worried_about_attrition_rate_of_nuke_scientists_/articleshow/2286394.cms
http://dst.gov.in/admin_finance/rs_210/sq3459.htm
http://www.isro.org/joboppor.htm

Japan's technology ministry has issued a strong warning to Takara Bio after the biotech company accidentally flushed a genetically modified virus into public drains. The firm says that the virus was engineered not to proliferate.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070909TDY02001.htm

The head of Russia's space agency, Anatoly Perminov, said that he plans to send cosmonauts to the Moon by 2025 and establish a permanent manned base there in 2027-2032. After the International Space Station is put out of operation, Russia plans to deploy a low-earth orbit platform for aircraft assembly. Russia has flown five foreign space tourists ( a major revenue source), and the first Russian to do so is undergoing medical tests for a planned 2009 visit.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070831/75959612.html

The Zond center for the study of anomalous phenomena claims that Ukraine has seen an increase in UFO activity over recent years, increasing from 10-15 reports a year in the 1990s, to 20-30 now.
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070905/76884234.html
http://en.rian.ru/video/20070905/76882544.html (video)

The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has agreed in principle to allow Chimeras (human-animal embryos) to be created and used for research, but each case will require an individual application.
http://www.hfea.gov.uk/en/1581.html
--------------------------------------------------
ETM Weapons (WMD, Proliferation)
--------------------------------------------------
North Korea says that the US has agreed to lift sanctions and drop its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. The US says that North Korea has agreed to declare and disable all its nuclear programs by the end of this year.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/korea/article/0,,2161579,00.html
http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2007/91674.htm
http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2007/91674.htm

Last weekend, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that Iran has reached its goal of running 3,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium for its nuclear program. The claim was greeted with a mixture of skepticism and concern. On Monday, Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged Monday that Iran would never yield to Western pressure over its nuclear program, and it would outsmart "drunken and arrogant" Western opponents in the standoff.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/02/iran.nuclear.ap/index.html
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=85019
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2369001.ece

The Dominican Republic has become the 140th country to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
http://www.ctbto.org/press_centre/press_release.dhtml?item=298

India has created a 15-person commission to study the ramifications of the pending nuclear cooperation agreement with the US.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/05/asia/AS-GEN-India-US-Nuclear.php

Gerhard Wisser, a long-term resident of South Africa, pleaded guilty to involvement in the AQ Khan nuclear supermarket. He was convicted of seven charges and sentenced to 18 years, suspended. A Swiss man, Daniel Geiges, is due to appear in court later this month to face similar charges.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=318310 /

The UK is reportedly developing a new nuclear warhead.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1661681.0.britain_in_topsecret_work_on_new_atomic_warhead.php

The US Air Force is investigating a serious incident in which a B-52 bomber was mistakenly equipped with nuclear missiles that traveled across the country.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/09/marine_nuclear_B52_070904w/
http://www.fas.org/blog/ssp/united_states/usaf090607.pdf
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=47320
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/09/airforce_nuclear_warhead_070905/

Texas A and M University is taking steps to address numerous problems identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) related to its biological defense programs. While these efforts proceed, there was another biosafety incident last week.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/090707dnmetAM.a9bf9b88.html
http://www.kristv.com/global/story.asp?s=7024948
http://www.sunshine-project.org/TAMU/CDCTAMUReport.pdf

Poland may reach an agreement to install part of a US defense shield by the end of this year. The Czech Republic is moving forward aggressively. Russia remains opposed to installations in Europe, believing it would shift the balance of power. Slovakia also dislikes the plan, preferring a NATO lead.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2773209,00.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/05/AR2007090500362.html
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070906/77053185.html

NATO jets have been escorting Russian bombers on long-range patrols. Norway dispatched fighter jets for the third time in response to Russian bomber runs since mid-July. The UK also scrambled fighters on Thursday.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070906/77043331.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/06/europe/EU-GEN-Norway-Russia-Bombers.php

Costa Rica hosted a conference on cluster bombs, with the aim of making Latin America the first region free of such weapons. Brazil, which produces cluster bombs, was the only country that did not support the Oslo Process for a new international treaty banning the munitions next year.
http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2007/september/05/nac05.htm
http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/news.asp?id=87
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6977242.stm

Britain has privately complained to Beijing that Chinese-made weapons are being used by the Taleban to attack British troops in Afghanistan.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/south_asia/6975934.stm

Activists and human rights campaigners in Nepal believe the government and political parties could do more to control small arms, which continue to maim and kill innocent people.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=74064

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
--------------------------------------------------
CIM Agriculture and Food
--------------------------------------------------
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released "State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources". This report warns that at least one livestock breed each month has become extinct over the past seven years, and its genetic characteristics lost forever. At least 20 percent of the world's breeds of cattle, goats, pigs, horses and poultry are at risk of extinction. This is happening at a time when climate change and the emergence of new and virulent livestock diseases highlight the importance of retaining the capacity to adapt our agricultural production systems. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) adds that modern agricultural methods had overlooked the benefits of genetic traits like coping with drought and tolerating disease that evolved in the developing world. 70 percent of the world's breeds are found in developing countries. The industrial world has six narrowly defined breeds that make up 90 percent of cattle.
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000650/index.html
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a1250e/a1250e.pdf
http://www.ilri.org/ILRIPubAware/ShowDetail.asp?CategoryID=TS&ProductReferenceNo=TS%5F070903%5F001
http://www.ilri.org/ILRIPubAware/ShowDetail.asp?CategoryID=TS&ProductReferenceNo=TS%5F070904%5F002
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/genetics/angrvent2007.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6976322.stm
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news09054.php

APEC attendees "agreed on the need to develop a more robust approach to strengthening food and consumer product safety standards and practices in the region, using scientific risk- based approaches and without creating unnecessary impediments to trade.  Additional capacity building in this area is a priority.  We directed Ministers to undertake further work in this important area and report on progress."
http://www.apec2007.org/

China's Law of Quality Security for Agricultural Products is meant to provide security throughout the agriculture and food supply chain.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90780/6257812.html

The outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK has been linked to leaky drains.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/news/archive/07aug/footandmouth.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/footandmouth/story/0,,2164936,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6982709.stm

Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) has been linked to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), the sudden death of commercial bee colonies in the US, affecting up to 90 percent of hives and having a deleterious impact on agricultural crops that rely on bees for pollination.
http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/19348/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6978848.stm
http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=12-75-05-00
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CIM Banking and Finance
--------------------------------------------------
In India more people have mobile phones than bank accounts. This article describes risk management for mobile payments.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/Hardware/Collin_Timms_Director_Otco_International_Ltd/articleshow/2349179.cms

In the Philippines, a recent bank robbery highlighted security shortcomings, particularly as related to physical transport of currency.
http://www.theboholchronicle.com/fpage.php?issue=280&s1=3734&s2=&s3=&s4=&s5=3736&s6=978&s7=3737&s9=&s10=

Another recent case involved the partial collapse of a bank ceiling, which disrupted security systems. Police called for banks to make sure they are free of rats.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=85229

HSBC is developing security authentication using a phone line and PIN rather than the 2-factor authentication being used by most banks, which is less secure.
http://www.vnunet.com/computing/news/2198177/hsbc-challenge-two-factor-3449460
http://www.hsbc.com/1/2/online-security

The UK Financial Services Authority's (FSA) new framework for recognizing Industry Guidance came into effect on 4 September, marking an important step in the move towards Principles-Based Regulation.
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/PR/2007/098.shtml
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/About/What/industry_guidance/index.shtml

In Houston, Texas, the number of bank robberies has increased dramatically, due to more banks and less security.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5114975.html
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CIM Chemical
--------------------------------------------------
The Maritime Union of Australia again called on the federal government to ban transportation of ammonium nitrate - used in the 2002 Bali bombings - and other sensitive cargoes. They point out that while comprehensive background checks are required of Australian seafarers and port workers, foreign ships are not regulated.
http://mua.org.au/news/general/apecsecurity.html

EU officials are considering creating a database of explosives and a related monitoring and alert system for thefts or other risks.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,2767447,00.html?maca=en-bulletin-433-html

Artificial food color and additives commonly found in children's food exacerbate hyperactive behaviors in children, at least up to middle childhood.
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2007/sep/coloursres
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2007/sep/foodcolours

The American Chemistry Council has launched the essential2security public relations campaign.
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_acc/sec_mediakits.asp?CID=258&DID=632
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_acc/sec_article.asp?CID=61&DID=5039
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CIM Commercial Facilities
--------------------------------------------------
The APEC summit in Australia did not experience a WMD or chemical breach: instead a group of comedians breached the fortified APEC exclusion zone, using a fake motorcade to pass through two security checkpoints before they were stopped.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/07/2026566.htm
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/funny-for-some-but-its-no-joke-for-others/2007/09/07/1188783492136.html
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=ed2b3b0f-8ec6-416c-857f-7d798cd45853&k=30776
http://www.npr.org/blogs/news/2007/09/australian_comedy_show_gets_th.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/chaser-team-in-second-car-stunt/2007/09/07/1188783497265.html

With students returning to campus, Queens University, Canada, has fortified security of all construction sites, including 24-hour patrols.
http://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2007-09-07/news/construction-security-increased-students-return/

Hotels in Bangkok are stepping up safety and security measures following a fire that injured 16 tourists.
http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/09/07/business/business_30048060.php

Outdated facilities at Britain's Pirbright animal research facility shared by the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) and Meriel Animal Health make bio-security challenging, and contributed to the release of foot-and-mouth disease through a faulty drainage system.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/editorial/display.var.1674502.0.0.php
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,2164471,00.html
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CIM Cybersecurity
--------------------------------------------------
Sony is preparing an update to remove rootkit technology that shipped with USB devices featuring fingerprint authentication. A third party in China developed the software.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6975838.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/magazine/02rubin.t.html

A supposedly new hard disk purchased on eBay, contained information from the Arkansas Democratic Party.
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/198929/

Russian hackers installed at least 22 malicious exploits on the Bank of India web site.
http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/breaking-bank-of-india-seriously.html
http://wormradar.com/vidchoices.html

A French server contains personal details of mostly US computer users, the King IE Exploiter, and domains associated with potential phishing or fraud.
http://blog.spywareguide.com/2007/09/compromised_emails_lead_to_ie.html

Ministers from Europe's German-speaking countries met on Tuesday and agreed to cooperate against internet crime and to improve online security.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2765118,00.html

Spammers are using pseudo 3-D layouts to fool filters.
http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/archive-092007.html#00001267

The Australian Institute of Criminology released "Future Directions in Technology-enabled Crime: 2007-09". The report identifies the ways in which new technologies are likely to be misused in forthcoming years. Developments that could facilitate crimes based on technology include globalization and the emergence of new economics; increased widespread use of broadband services and mobile and wireless technologies; increased use of electronic payment systems; and changes in government use of technology to allow the public to conduct transactions securely, including participation in democracy.
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rpp/78/

China has denied reports that its military hacked into the computer network of the US Department of Defense in Washington in June, forcing a weeklong shutdown.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4f25940e-5a7e-11dc-9bcd-0000779fd2ac.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0c25ead6-5b29-11dc-8c32-0000779fd2ac.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/c39978ba-5b13-11dc-8c32-0000779fd2ac.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/china-denies-hacking-pentagon/2007/09/04/1188783237167.html

There are similar reports of Chinese hackers targeting UK government sites.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/04/news.internet
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/05/hacking.internet
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/05/internet.hacking
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CIM Dams and Bridges
--------------------------------------------------
In the Australian state of New South Wales, funding to refurbish the Chaffey Dam has been secured. Repairs will improve security and increase capacity.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/04/2023211.htm

Iraqi bridge reconstruction has been delayed over security concerns.
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/499389-call-for-rebuild-bids-but-security-is-still-a-concern?ln=en

Thailand's state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) decided Tuesday to suspend its exploration for a new hydropower dam on Salween River until their safety can be assured. This decision follows a grenade attack that killed an EGAT employee last weekend.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=8499
http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/News/2007/Sep/23-Sep-2007.html

The Association of State Dam Safety Officials' annual conference opened today, and continues through the 13th, in Austin, Texas.
http://www.damsafety.org/conferences/?p=149bb5c4-0259-45e5-93af-10d91bb75b6c

This collection of articles summarizes dam safety efforts across the US:
http://www.damsafety.org/news/article.aspx?a=8&p=34b49ab1-b1d0-47b6-a5e3-8ab190b291df

In the state of Illinois, Governor Blagojevich is calling for a $10 billion investment in bridges and roads. However, the Department of Transportation will not release bridge inspection reports, claiming they are not public documents.
http://www.dot.state.il.us/press/r080307.html
http://cbs2chicago.com/illinoiswire/IL--TroubledBridges-I/resources_news_html

In contrast, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has released details of local bridges sufficiency/condition ratings. Nearly a third of locally owned bridges in the state are considered structurally deficient.
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/web.nsf/Secondary?OpenFrameset&Frame=main&src=InfoBridge?openform
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CIM Defense Industrial Base
--------------------------------------------------
Israel's military unveiled a 5-year rearmament program to bolster its ground forces.


The US Army is considering moving medical treatment facilities in Iraq to a private contractor.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/02/AR2007090201157.html

The US aerospace industry remains the largest in the world, but it faces a serious workforce challenge. Employees aged 25 to 34 years dropped to 15 percent of the total US aerospace workforce in 2005, compared to 27 percent in 1992. Some estimates say that roughly a quarter of employees will reach retirement age of retirement by next year. Defense contractors are generally not permitted to hire non-US citizens, so this situation is affecting them particularly.
http://www.businessfacilities.com/bf_07_08_special1.php
http://www.aia-aerospace.org/issues/subject/employment_facts.cfm

This article addresses the militarization of US public service agencies.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=6682
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CIM Emergency Services
--------------------------------------------------
In Canada, the Greater Victoria 911 emergency system suffered a database failure and rerouted a quadruple murder-suicide call inside the home to the wrong dispatch center.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=8300e4ae-1ffa-4d23-a8ae-fc17b6ca95e0&k=42480

The Welsh Ambulance Service reports a big improvement in response times, reaching 66 percent of the most serious within eight minutes, up from 56.2 percent. However, on arrival patients regularly wait more than 50 minutes in ambulances outside emergency departments.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/6979624.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/6976853.stm
http://www.wao.gov.uk/whatwedo/welshambulanceinquiry.asp

US federal agencies are developing a first responder ID program to control access to disaster sites.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/03/AR2007090301229.html

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has updated the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-154/

Recovery workers who spent a significant time at Ground Zero are developing asthma at a rate 12 times the norm.
http://www.jems.com/news_and_articles/news/Asthma_Epidemic_Among_911_Responders.html

This article reviews claims about the toxic dangers of the air during the 9/11 attacks.
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0736,rayman,77703,2.html
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CIM Energy
--------------------------------------------------
APEC attendees "recognized the ongoing economic risks associated with high and volatile energy prices and affirmed that rising energy demand in the Asia-Pacific can best be met by expanded trade and investment to boost supply and greater efficiency in use. We agreed that energy security is best met through efficient energy markets, characterized by free and open trade, secure and transparent frameworks for investment, clear price signals, market transparency, effective governance and competition".
http://www.apec2007.org/

Belarus and Iran have signed a contract allowing state-owned oil company Belarusneft to produce oil at the Jofeir deposit in Iran
http://en.rian.ru/world/20070905/76895754.html

PetroChina International Co Ltd, a branch of PetroChina, and Shell Eastern LNG signed a long-term supply agreement for LNG from the Gorgon project in Western Australia.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/05/content_6665458.htm

French President Sarkozy negotiated the merger of Paris-based Suez group and state-controlled Gaz de France. GDF-Suez will be one of Europe's biggest energy conglomerates.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5104083.html

http://www.suez.com/document/?f=presse/en/CP fusion VA.pdf
http://www.gazdefrance.com/FR/D/97/A/3273/communiques-de-presse.html (in French)
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/articleinteractif/0,41-0@2-3234,49-950865@51-948230,0.html (in French)

India has established a new energy security office in its foreign ministry.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=30972

Kazakhstan is insisting that the Kashagan oil field development plan be altered to give the country the leading role.


Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua will seek emergency powers to combat sabotage of energy installations and remedy a severe shortage of electricity. He has called for all members of the Gulf of Guinea Commission to move quickly to secure the region's energy resources for the benefit of their peoples.
http://wap.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L02136505.htm
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=88609

A year after the US looked on a path to greatly expand the use of coal, increased concerns over greenhouse gas emissions have stalled plans for new plants.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/03/AR2007090301119.html
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CIM Government Facilities
--------------------------------------------------
Last week, the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) was archiving its New York headquarters when they discovered a package labeled as phosgene. Analysis revealed that it is just a solvent, not a chemical weapon.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=23649&Cr=weapons&Cr1=chemical
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/09/06/un.solvent/index.html

Nigeria's Senate went into closed session to address complaints over their new accommodation. Conversations focused security in and around the premises, following complaints that the links between the old and new buildings were not properly constructed, and several related issues.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200709060055.html
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CIM Information Technology
--------------------------------------------------
India's IT sector will generate a 25 percent increase in jobs.
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=91885

Futurists attending The Singularity Summit: AI and the Future of Humanity considered the ethical pitfalls of computers smarter than humans.
http://www.singinst.org/summit2007/
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/09/america/NA-GEN-US-Superintelligent-Machines.php

Data centers are getting greener but have made little progress in reducing their environmental footprints.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/biztech/09/08/tech.green.credentials.ap/
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CIM National Monuments and Icons
--------------------------------------------------
Russian gas giant Gazprom's plan to build a 320-meter (1,050 feet) high glass and concrete skyscraper near St Petersburg's city centre, listed by United Nations cultural watchdog UNESCO as a World Heritage site, has sparked one of the biggest public rebellions of Putin's presidency.
http://wap.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L29732101.htm
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CIM Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
--------------------------------------------------
The World Nuclear Association released "The Global Nuclear Fuel Market: Supply and Demand 2005-2030, predicting steady growth and an adequate supply during this period.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/reference/publications.html

Armenian energy minister Armen Movsisyan told parliament that the new nuclear power plant under construction will cost about $2 billion.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20070907/77382351.html

Australia has agreed to sell uranium to Russia for use in generating nuclear power, with controls to prevent it being passed to Iran or resold for weapons.
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Interview/2007/Interview24540.cfm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6983340.stm

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond announced that for the first time Scotland can produce more green energy than nuclear power.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/09/07145536

Rocky Flats nuclear workers with neutron exposure have been added to the US Health and Human Services' Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-17618.htm

Two workers at the Oak Ridge, Tennessee nuclear weapons facility were splashed with radioactive liquids and decontaminated. Eight other workers are also being monitored.
http://knoxnews.com/news/2007/sep/06/two-y-12-workershit-with-radioactive-liquids/
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CIM Postal and Shipping
--------------------------------------------------
The UN Postal Administration (UNPA), the UN Universal Postal Union, and Swiss Post (UPU) issued four stamps to raise awareness of the importance of humanitarian mail in times of natural catastrophes or conflicts. The UN stamps can only be mailed from the UN in New York, Geneva and Vienna, while the UPU stamp is only valid on mail posted at the UPU International Bureau in Berne.
http://unstamps.un.org/UNPACommerce/en/
http://www.upu.int/news_centre/2007/en/2007-09-06_service_stamp.shtml
http://www.swisspost.com/en/index/uk_privatkunden/ph_home/ph_neuerscheinungen.htm

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) explains their approach to air cargo. They say that when most people use shipping companies, they assume the package is rushed to the airport onto the next flight, but little of this is actually classified as air cargo.
http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/aircargo/index.shtm
--------------------------------------------------
CIM Public Health and Healthcare
--------------------------------------------------
The UK launched a new International Health Partnership to strengthen health systems in developing countries.
http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page13063.asp
http://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2007/20070905_london/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2007/s15/en/index.html

Perhaps one of the beneficiaries will be Bangladesh. Note this article on "Health care financing in Bangladesh perspective".
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=2885

World Health Organization researchers find that depression is more disabling than chronic diseases.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607614159/abstract
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6981678.stm

Critical hospital equipment is vulnerable to interference from mobile phones.
http://ccforum.com/content/11/5/R98

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) implemented duty hour regulations for physicians-in-training throughout the US on 1 July 2003. Two years later, research has found no significant impact of reduced hours on mortality.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/298/9/975

Artificial food color and additives commonly found in children's food exacerbate hyperactive behaviors in children, at least up to middle childhood.
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2007/sep/coloursres
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2007/sep/foodcolours
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/07/nfood107.xml
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20647622/site/newsweek/
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607613063/fulltext

New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation are posting data regarding mortality rates, death rates related to heart attack patients, the frequency of bloodstream infections, and other information online, to encourage full transparency.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/07/nyregion/07hospital.html
--------------------------------------------------
CIM Telecommunications
--------------------------------------------------
Global mobile communications are celebrating 20 years of success since the foundation agreement was signed.
http://www.gsmworld.com/news/press_2007/press07_48.shtml

A new study finds that mobile phone signals can interfere with hospital equipment, even inhibiting function from three meters.
http://ccforum.com/content/11/5/R98

A group of anonymous software developers say they will soon start selling a program that will allow iPhone owners to use the device on cell phone networks around the world.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/09/01/apple.iphone/index.html

The Philippines Senate held a hearing on a case of wiretapping government officials, including President Arroyo. The sole witness, former military intelligence agent Vidal Doble Jr, identified Smart and Globe Telecommunications as the service providers involved.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2007/09/08/2.phone.firms.linked.to.wiretapping.html
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/2007/09/08/news/military.mulls.charging.wiretapping.witness.html

Toward the end of this year, Russia will have 103 satellites in orbit, up from the current 95.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070831/75959612.html

Switzerland has followed the EU lead to slash roaming fees.
http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/front/detail/Swisscom_follows_EU_lead_to_cut_roaming_fee.html?siteSect=105&sid=8166518&cKey=1188842347000&ty=st

The UK's five largest mobile phone companies have adopted the PayForIt system to turn mobile phones into digital wallets.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6764979.stm
--------------------------------------------------
CIM Transportation
--------------------------------------------------
Thefts of luggage at airports are common worldwide.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/04/business/04theft.html

An EU security audit in Cyprus has highlighted a number of concerns, many related to human factors.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=34534&cat_id=1
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=34550&cat_id=1

India's aviation minister Praful Patel has introduced into Parliament the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Bill. This bill would establish a regulatory authority for civil airports, and an appellate tribunal, in light of the trend towards airport privatization.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/07/stories/2007090754871300.htm

An Israeli court awarded tens of thousands of shekels to an Israeli Arab plaintiff who sued the Israeli Airports Authority (IAA) after he was not allowed to board a plane in Haifa because the airport's x-ray machine was not in working order.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3445947,00.html

New Zealand's parliament is preparing the second reading of the Aviation Security Legislation Bill.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0709/S00051.htm

The US Federal Aviation Administration is investigating at least six incidents of persons shining a laser into an airline cockpit.
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=f1a20e8a-b848-4b6e-8767-36706af37a57

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General released the redacted Audit Report, "Transportation Security Administration's Oversight of Passenger Aircraft Cargo Security Faces Significant Challenges". They summarize:
" The Transportation Security Administration relies on inspections carried out by Aviation Security Inspectors as an integral part of a multilayered approach to oversee and ensure air carrier compliance with cargo security regulations. However, Aviation Security Inspectors face challenges monitoring and reporting air carrier compliance with federal regulations that address the acceptance, handling, and screening of cargo transported on passenger aircraft.  The Transportation Security Administration’s inspection process may not accurately represent the extent to which air carriers comply with cargo screening requirements. <<>> to determine compliance <<>> We reviewed inspection reports that specifically addressed screening compliance at five selected airports and concluded that   determined compliance or noncompliance based on actual observations. Additionally, the Transportation Security Administration does not provide sufficient resources for air carrier inspection coverage.  Therefore, Aviation Security Inspectors do not have the capability to monitor cargo screening activities and are unable to report accurately on air carrier compliance.  The Transportation Security Administration’s compliance database, the Performance and Results Information System, is ineffective as a tool to monitor and report air carrier compliance with screening regulations. The current level of oversight does not provide assurance that air carriers are meeting congressionally mandated goals of tripling the amount of cargo screened for passenger aircraft and that air carriers are properly applying exemption rules for cargo screening.  Consequently, the process increases the opportunities for the carriage of explosives, incendiaries, and other dangerous devices on passenger aircraft." They made seven recommendations, of which one has been fully implemented. This was one of the issues addressed in the House Committee on Homeland Security hearing, "Holding the Department of Homeland Security Accountable for Security Gaps". TSA has responded to the Inspector General's report.
http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/OIGr_07-57_Jul07.pdf
http://www.aircargonews.com/070907/ussecurityslammed.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-09-06-cargo_N.htm
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3013&Itemid=125
http://homeland.house.gov/hearings/index.asp?ID=83
http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/ac_response.shtm

The navies of Australia, India, Japan, Singapore and the US held a 6-day naval exercise. "Malabar" was one of the largest such peacetime exercises, and took place in the Bay of Bengal.
http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-29398720070907
http://www.indianexpress.com/sunday/story/215311.html
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=31690

Crews from Burma, the Philippines and Eastern Europe who have undergone no background security checks will be shipping some 1,500 tons of chemical explosive in and out of Australia's Botany Bay during this week's APEC summit.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/explosive-cargoes-steam-by-airport/2007/09/04/1188783236870.html
http://mua.org.au/news/general/files/APECmaritimesecurity.pdf

Guyana has set up an emergency radio network to fight rising pirate attacks along rivers and the Atlantic coast.


European Parliamentarian Willy Meyer has called for Gibraltar, Spain and the UK to create a maritime authority that can end collisions in the Strait of Gibraltar.
http://www.gibfocus.gi/details_headlines.php?id=1749

India is in the process of implementing legislative measures to enforce the International Code for Security of Ships and of Port facilities.
http://www.business-standard.com/economy/storypage.php?leftnm=3&subLeft=1&chklogin=N&autono=296922&tab=r

Malaysia attributes close cooperation among littoral countries for the dramatic decline of piracy along the Malacca Straits.
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=282527

Canada's federal government is investing in additional security for public transit systems in Toronto, including the Union Station rail, bus and subway hub.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2007/09/06/ttc-security.html

Shanghai's subway lines are being fitted with high-tech antiterrorism devices ranging from explosives detectors to surveillance cameras.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/06/content_6669352.htm

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, "roads are impassable or nonexistent, large riverboats no longer ply the waterways and air travel is prohibitively expensive, leaving many people to rely on an increasingly dangerous railway system long past its prime."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/04/africa/04congo.php

In the UK, Network Rail will undergo an urgent overhaul of its track inspection regime after admitting that the catalog of errors that caused the fatal west coast train crash in February could be repeated.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/transport/Story/0,,2162615,00.html
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/documents/4277_Lambrigg summary report.pdf

TSA is testing railroad baggage screening and other rail security measures.
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S186966.shtml?cat=300
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=620036&category=FRONTPG&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=9/7/2007
http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/vipr_blockisland.shtm
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Copy/Title_Image_Copy_Page&cid=1080080554204&c=am2Copy&ssid=342

Nonetheless, US railways present a "virtually endless series of possibilities for a terrorist hoping to kill thousands of people".
http://www.motherjones.com/news/featurex/2007/09/homeland-insecurity-off-track.html

Canada is considering limiting the speed of big rigs to improve safety and reduce harm to the environment.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=b593c22e-896f-4fa6-9313-89e2e78e7109&k=74742

A San Francisco Appeals Court ruled that Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) one-year pilot to allow 100 Mexican carriers access to the US beyond the current 25-mile border restriction zone may proceed as planned. This decision came just prior to an Inspector General review of the program's safety, affirming FMCSA's plans to go beyond statutory requirements and check every truck that crosses the border as part of the demonstration. Despite such assurances, there is significant organized opposition to the plan.
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/news/news-releases/2007/090707.htm
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2506
http://www.teamster.org/07news/hn_070907_1.asp
http://www.landlinemag.com/Special_Reports/2007/Sep07/090707_Hill_conf.htm
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CIM Water
--------------------------------------------------
A BIS Shrapnel survey finds that 29 percent of Australian households plan to install a rainwater tank or grey water system during the next 12 months.
http://www.bis.com.au/news/rainwater_3-9-07_mr.html

A Public Opinion Strategies poll on behalf of Marsh reports that with less than three percent of the world’s water now reachable and fit for human consumption – a figure that is shrinking – 40 percent of Fortune 1000 companies surveyed said the impact of a water shortage would be severe or even catastrophic.  Despite this, only 17 percent say they have prepared for such a crisis.
http://www.risksmarts.com/documents/PressRelease20070906.pdf

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
--------------------------------------------------
DRM Incidents
--------------------------------------------------
Category 5 Hurricane Felix has killed at least 130 people in Nicaragua and one in Honduras. Dozens remain missing, and both countries are on alert for flooding.

The death toll from the cholera outbreak in the eastern Indian state of Orissa has killed more than 200 people. This follows flooding that has also destroyed food and water supplies, contributing to the rising infection and death rate.

85 people have died and more that 130 are injured following an accident in which a crowded truck and trailer carrying pilgrims plunged into a 25-meter-deep gorge in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

In Tanzania a bus and a truck collided, killing at lest 27 people.

At least 15 people returning home from a Guatemala election rally died when the truck carrying them was swept away as it tried to cross a river overflowing, in the middle of the rainy season.
--------------------------------------------------
DRM Response and Recovery
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The International Telecommunication Union has deployed 50 satellite terminals in remote areas of southern Peru to help restore emergency communication links in the wake of the deadly earthquake.
http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2007/NP09.html

Spanish authorities have been heading salvage operations following the 12 August collision between the "Tom Gertrud" and cargo ship "New Flame". Political tensions in the disputed area have caused some complications in recovery efforts, including a delay in removing fuel from the New Flame bunker, which is close to breaking up. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) is providing assistance.
http://www.emsa.europa.eu/ennews20070903101748.html
http://www.gibfocus.gi/details_headlines.php?id=1657

On Tuesday a Swiss court convicted four air traffic controllers of criminal negligence that led to the deaths of 71 in the collision on 1 July 2002, of a Bashkirian Airlines
plane and a DHL cargo jet near the town of Ueberlingen in southern Germany. Three Skyguide air traffic controllers were sentenced to 12-months suspended, one was fined, and four were acquitted.
http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/front/detail/Four_Skyguide_employees_found_guilty.html?siteSect=105&sid=8170439&cKey=1188972914000&ty=st
http://en.rian.ru/world/20070904/76571862.html

In "Review of FEMA Guidance for Monitoring Debris Removal Operations for Hurricane Katrina" The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General calls for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prepare a single comprehensive document for monitoring debris removal operations and to better define requirements for contracting debris-monitoring services.
http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/OIG_07-63_Aug07.pdf
--------------------------------------------------
DRM Risks
--------------------------------------------------
Marsh has launched the new Center for Risk Insights.
http://www.risksmarts.com/

Control Risks released its first business travel report. Key findings include:
* Only 39 percent of UK firms have a travel security policy. 59 percent of US firms have such a policy.
* 59 per cent of business travelers have little confidence that their firm would be able to help them in the event of an emergency
* 38 percent never do any research on the countries they visit
*  40 percent would not know who to call in an emergency
* 72 percent never carry an emergency phone number
* 56 percent of business travelers have no support systems back home
* 53 percent think the world will become a more dangerous place for them over the next five years
* 40 percent think they are more likely to be targeted by extremists or terrorists than other travelers.
* 86 percent of business travelers believe their employer has a legal obligation to support them while abroad.
http://www.crg.com/default.aspx?page=984

"Cargo Accumulation Modeling – The Guy Carpenter Approach" outlines the techniques and thought processes used to analyze accumulations of cargo exposure. Case studies include an assessment of Japanese cargo exposures and their vulnerability together with an assessment of the total value of cargo onboard container vessels.
http://www.guycarp.com/portal/extranet/insights/reportsPDF/2007/Final Approved Cargo Modelling - 24 Aug.pdf

Australian researchers warn that the northern end of the Bay of Bengal could be at risk of giant earthquakes and tsunamis in coming decades.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6980422.stm

This north Atlantic hurricane season has seen the unprecedented case of the first two hurricanes, in line with the number predicted, reach maximum Category 5 intensity. Hurricanes Dean and Felix took similar paths due to a persistent high pressure weather system usually located further northeast.
http://www.air-worldwide.com/_public/html/air_currentsitem.asp?ID=1321
http://www.rms.com/NewsPress/PR_2007_0903_Felix.asp

EQECAT predicts that a category 5 hurricane through the center of the Gulf of Mexico, where there are many offshore energy platforms, could generate energy producer damage and loss in excess of $65 billion.
http://www.eqecat.com/news/2007/GOM_HurrLoss.htm

British offshore unions Unite and the Offshore Industry Liaison Committee (OILC) have asked the Health and Safety Executive to investigate safety from Shell oil platforms in the North Sea, following staff complaints in five locations and the departure of several key personnel.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/6980894.stm

Renewal of US federal reinsurance for terrorism risk is up for consideration. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that extending the federal terrorism insurance backstop could cost the government about $8.4 billion from 2008 through 2017.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdoc.cfm?index=8600&amp;type=1
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdoc.cfm?index=8520&amp;type=1
http://www.rules.house.gov/announcement_details.aspx?NewsID=2975
--------------------------------------------------
DRM Mitigation
--------------------------------------------------
APEC attendees " agreed on the need to further strengthen APEC’s efforts to build community resilience and preparedness for emergencies and natural disasters.  We welcomed APEC’s work to address and prevent threats to the customs, maritime, aviation, and mass transit sectors as well as to enhance pandemic preparedness and our ability to fight infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS.  To that end, we endorsed the APEC guidelines to ensure that economies continue to function in times of pandemic and guidelines to help create a supportive environment in the workplace for workers living with HIV/AIDS.  We agreed to support the sharing of influenza specimens in a timely manner and to promote transparent, fair and equitable access to vaccines and other benefits that derive from them."
http://www.apec2007.org/

"World Catastrophe Reinsurance Market: New Capital Stabilizes Market" is an annual report from Guy Carpenter that finds the catastrophe reinsurance market is stabilizing following a tumultuous renewal cycle in 2006. Globally, rates dropped by six percent in 2007, versus an increase of 32 percent in 2006.
http://www.guycarp.com/portal/extranet/insights/reportsPDF/2007/2007 World Catastrophe Report.pdf

In "Global Reinsurers' Complex Risk Profiles Demand Sophisticated Enterprise Risk Management" Standard and Poor's Ratings Services finds that ERM evaluation plays an increasing role in capabilities of reinsurers to manage the various risks to their balance sheets.
http://www.standardandpoors.com

After the floods this season that affected over 130,000 people in nine West African countries, humanitarian actors are urging international donors to invest in risk reduction and the mitigation of floods.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=74078

The US House Financial Services Committee is moving forward with the Homeowners Defense Act of 2007, which encourages states to pool catastrophe pool risks then transfer them to private markets. A hearing this week demonstrated skepticism from the insurance industry and strong opposition from the Bush administration.
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr0905072.shtml

7. Recommended Reading

In many parts of the world, September is the month when students return to school. This week's Recommended Reading features stories of returning to school. Watch next week for collected evaluations of the situation in Iraq.


AFGHANISTAN

As the new school year begins on 10 September in Afghanistan's insurgency-hit southern provinces, there are concerns hundreds of schools will remain closed due to insecurity.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=74153
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C09%5C09%5Cstory_9-9-2007_pg7_20


CANADA

Toronto Catholic board officials are investigating how a 13-year-old boy carried a stun gun into school, why he thought it was necessary, and how school officials can prevent similar incidents in the future.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/254148


GAZA

With insecurity having a devastating effect on school education in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations agency entrusted with aiding Palestinian refugees today unveiled a new action plan aimed at reversing failure rates of up to nearly 80 per cent in mathematics and over 40 per cent in Arabic.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=23702&Cr=palestin&Cr1=


RUSSIA

Russian students return to school on 1 September, the Day of Knowledge. For many years a day of celebration, it is now clouded by memories of the 2004 Beslan school siege, in which 331 people, mostly children, were killed.
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=3570
http://africa.reuters.com/world/news/usnGOR163771.html
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/08/f984cbc9-dde5-4394-8bac-a63092cfc1eb.html

Note "Beslan: The Tragedy of School No 1", by Timothy Phillips.
http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/politicsphilosophyandsociety/0,,2093355,00.html
http://arts.independent.co.uk/books/reviews/article2600323.ece


SRI LANKA

School reconstruction in the north and east is uneven: the legacy of decades of conflict and the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. A camp for internally displaced persons in Alles Garden, not far from Trincomalee, is the only home 14-year-ole Vinoka Rosari has ever known.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=74156


THAILAND

Hundreds of schools in southern Thailand have been forced to close due to repeated insurgent attacks. Human Rights Watch has documented the tragic impact of these attacks. In their most recent report they explain:
"Since the resurgence of insurgent violence in January 2004, Pejuang Kemerdekaan Patani have put the Thai education system as their primary target, calling it a symbol of infidel occupation and suppression of ethnic Malay Muslim identity. To date, 71 teachers from government schools have been murdered and more than 100 injured in attacks carried out by alleged separatist militants, while 170 schools have been burned down. Thai security forces have struggled unsuccessfully to protect schools, teachers, and students. The lack of security has occasionally forced government schools in a district or even an entire province to close down. Against the backdrop of growing attacks on teachers and schools, General Surayud announced on June 18, 2007, that he had ordered the closure of schools in remote and violence-prone areas across the southern border provinces".
http://hrw.org/reports/2007/thailand0807/
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/06/14/thaila16189.htm


TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Students will arrive in school next week, following days of parent protests against the condemned school building and poor temporary accommodation.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161200151


UNITED KINGDOM

To counter unhealthy eating habits and school menus, the Food for Life Partnership encourages schools to use fresh, local and organize ingredients, and to get children involved with local farms and producers, and cooking.
http://www.foodforlife.org.uk/
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article2406384.ece


UNITED STATES

In Kentucky, the Governor's Task Force on Campus Safety has released a report with its recommendations for enhancing safety at the states' colleges and universities.
http://www.dpp.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/34C366A3-6A6C-4131-A5DA-42F462A48377/0/GovernorTaskForceReport.pdf

A much more extensive report was released in Virginia, following an investigation into the Virginia Tech shootings.
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/TempContent/techPanelReport.cfm

In Washington, thousands of Kindergarten - grade 8 students will login to their tuition-free public virtual school. Personalized virtual learning is increasingly popular.
http://www.wava.org/

8. Asset Management Network News

Subscribers receive a range of original documents, like the Afghanistan Opium Survey, and exclusive Special Reports as part of their Monitor subscriptions. They represent an important value added to the monthly reports.

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