North Korea Rapped Over Rocket Launch

Rocket Is Propaganda Coup For Kim

Updated: 8:35am UK, Wednesday 12 December 2012

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

North Korea had two points to prove with its latest rocket launch.

The first was that it had successfully overcome the technical problems that led to the embarrassing failure of an identical launch in April this year.

The second is that the country has indeed put a satellite into space, which would confirm its long-standing claim that all this is about pursuing a peaceful space programme.

It appears to have succeeded with the first point. The rocket remained airborne for a considerable period. It followed the planned and published trajectory and the three "stages" of the rocket separated and fell to the ocean as scheduled.

April's rocket was airborne for barely over a minute before it disintegrated and fell into the sea off South Korea. This time the rocket travelled for about 3,000km (1,864 miles).

The North Koreans claim to have succeeded in putting a satellite being carried by the rocket into orbit.

This is harder for them to prove. On two previous occasions, officials in the North Korean capital Pyongyang have said they have put satellites into space. But international observers including the US and Russia have found no evidence of this.

Pyongyang is yet to provide images of a working satellite being loaded into the rocket and that rocket then being launched. Even if they did, they would then need to prove that the satellite was in orbit. Only then can their claim that this is about pursuing a peaceful space programme begin to stand up.

The US and its allies, including the UK, believe the rocket launch is a straightforward test of North Korea's ballistic missile technology. They say the "space programme" claim is simply a cover.

North Korea has been conducting underground nuclear tests for some time. A combination of those tests with the successful launch and flight of a rocket would give the country somewhat of a credible nuclear deterrent. If it is creating ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear weapons, it could threaten areas as far away as the west coast of the US.

The timing of this launch is very significant. December 19 is the first anniversary of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, the father of the current leader Kim Jong-Un. December 19 also marks the presidential election in South Korea and the Japanese parliamentary election is on December 16.

The launch will prompt a wave of propaganda within North Korea. It is designed to solidify the leadership of Kim Jong-Un, who is in his early-30s and hugely inexperienced.

Pyongyang announced an intention to launch this latest rocket earlier this month. It gave a launch window of between December 10 and December 21. Last weekend, it extended that window to December 29 citing technical difficulties. The latest launch therefore caught people somewhat by surprise.

Within North Korea, a closed society with no access to international news, there will have been no announcements of the plan in case it failed again. The first North Koreans would have heard of the launch was this morning in a special broadcast on North Korean state TV.

What can the international community do now? Further sanctions perhaps, but they are unlikely to have much of an effect - North Korea is already among the most sanctioned countries in the world.

Pressure on China will no doubt come. Beijing is North Korea's only real ally. The Chinese leadership expressed concern about this latest launch plan, but only because its priority is stability in the region.

The removal of the Kim regime and a North Korea unified with the South would only add to America's clout in the region.

For Pyongyang's part, this launch will provide a massive boost of confidence. Kim Jong-Un and those behind him may now use this confidence and perceived new status to engage with the West in order to secure much needed economic assistance. The problem is, Western governments will never believe the claim that this is all about a space programme.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Argentine Sex Slave Trial Clears 13 Accused

Judges have acquitted all the defendants in a high-profile case of an Argentine woman who was allegedly kidnapped and forced into sex slavery a decade ago.

When Maria de los Angeles "Marita" Veron vanished in 2002, her mother, Susana Trimarco, launched a one-woman campaign to find her - and rescued hundreds of women from sex slavery along the way.

Marita Veron, 23, had left to go to a doctor's appointment in their hometown in the northern Argentine province of Tucuman, but she never came back.

After getting little help from police, Ms Trimarco started her own investigation into a tip that Ms Veron was abducted and forced into sex slavery.

Ms Trimarco was the primary witness during the trial

Soon, Ms Trimarco was visiting brothels seeking clues about her daughter and the search took on an additional goal of rescuing sex slaves and helping them start new lives.

Ms Trimarco has been honoured by the US State Department and the Argentine government, and even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize - but she has never found her daughter.

The 13 people on trial - seven men and six women - faced up to 25 years in prison if convicted on charges they abducted Marita Veron and made her work as a prostitute.

The three-judge panel delayed for more than four hours on Tuesday night before reading their unanimous verdict: not guilty of any of the charges.

The courtroom erupted at the news, with the defendants sobbing and spectators shouting expletives.

Politicians for and against Argentina's government tweeted in support of Ms Trimarco, who was honoured with a human rights award from Argentine President Cristina Fernandez on Sunday night.

Some of defendants react after being cleared

The judges later explained from the bench that despite the testimony of more than 130 witnesses, including a dozen former sex slaves who described brutal conditions in brothels, there was no physical evidence linking any of the defendants to Ms Veron, and no trace of her whereabouts.

"It's absolutely clear that this is an act of corruption," said one of Ms Trimarco's lawyers, Jose D'Antona.

Ms Trimarco was clearly upset but kept her composure as she left the courthouse.

Later, she told Argentina's TN news channel that she will promote an effort to impeach the three judges.

"We won't stop until these three con men are put on trial. These judges today were an embarrassment for Argentina," Ms Trimarco said.

Defence lawyer Hernan Molina defended the judges, however, saying they had done the right thing.

"There wasn't any evidence. The judges can't convict innocent people," he told reporters at the courthouse.

Ms Trimarco (3rd from L) receiving an award from Condoleezza Rice in 2007

The defendants, who were all accused of participating in organised crime in Argentina's provinces, told the judges as the trial wrapped up that they were the victims of a politically charged process.

Maria Jesus Rivero, owner of the car service allegedly used to kidnap Ms Veron, told the judges he had already been effectively convicted by Argentine security minister Nilda Garre, who had asked the judges to set an example by convicting them all.

"There isn't a single piece of evidence that links me to the people accused here, just the declarations of liars. Marita isn't here, and we don't have anything to do with this," Mr Rivero said.

Ms Trimarco was the primary witness during the trial, testifying for six straight days about her search for her daughter.

The road to trial was a long one.

With her husband and granddaughter in tow, Ms Trimarco disguised herself as a recruiter of prostitutes and entered brothel after brothel searching for clues.

A woman holds a photo of Ms Veron at a rally against people trafficking

She soon found herself immersed in the dangerous and grim world of organised crime, gathering evidence against police, politicians and gangsters.

In an interview last week, Ms Trimarco recalled how the very first woman she had rescued taught her to be strong.

"She told me not to let them see me cry, because these shameless people who had my daughter would laugh at me, and at my pain," Ms Trimarco recalled.

"Since then I don't cry anymore. I've made myself strong, and when I feel that a tear might drop, I remember these words."

When Ms Veron disappeared, she had a three-year-old daughter Micaela.

Now 13, Micaela has been by her grandmother's side throughout the year-long trial, contributing to publicity campaigns against human trafficking and keeping her mother's memory alive.

In 2008, the story of Ms Trimarco's search for Marita became the basis of a soap opera, Vidas Robadas (Stolen Lives).

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mandela Doctors 'Satisfied' With Treatment

Ailing Former South African President Nelson Mandela has "made progress during the past 24 hours", according to his doctors.

The 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader is continuing to recover from the lung infection that has kept him in hospital for five days, the government has said.

"Doctors attending to former President Mandela have reported that he has made progress during the past 24 hours and they are satisfied with the way he is responding to treatment," President Jacob Zuma's office said a statement.

More follows...

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pope's First Tweet Blesses Internet Faithful

Pope Benedict XVI has sent his first Twitter message under his handle @Pontifex, blessing his new Internet followers.

"Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart," the pontiff said.

Since the Pope announced earlier this month that he would start tweeting under his official Latin title, more than 690,000 people have registered to follow his main account in English.

He gained nearly a million followers in the eight languages of his account - Arabic, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish in addition to English.

However, the Pope does not plan to follow anyone.

The first tweet was believed to have been sent by the Pope himself, though Church officials said subsequent ones would be sent by someone in the Vatican's secretariat of state after papal approval.

The Pope is shown his first tweet during a Vatican audience

In future tweets, the Pope is expected to respond to some of the questions submitted to him in the past days to #askpontifex.

However, some of the questions were humorous, while others were confrontational or dealt with the sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church in recent years.

German-born Pope Benedict is an 85-year-old theologian used to writing philosophical dissertations and papal encyclicals.

But under his pontificate, the Vatican has pushed into the social media, using YouTube and Facebook for special events as it tries to reach out to the faithful, especially the young.

While a pope is infallible under Church doctrine, Benedict XVI's tweets are not, Vatican officials said.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Afghanistan Women Reporting More Violence

The number of violent attacks against women being reported in Afghanistan has more than doubled in a year, according to a UN report.

Some 4,010 cases of violence against women were reported in the seven months between March and October this year, nearly twice as many as in the previous 12 months, says the report.

The figure includes an increase in the number of so-called honour killings, where women are killed for apparent sexual disobedience.

Beating and cutting are still the most widely used forms of violent attack, the report by the UN's mission in Afghanistan found.

However, the majority of cases still go unreported due to cultural restraints, religious beliefs, and because women fear for their lives.

The report details the death of a 15-year-old girl who set herself on fire this year after repeated beatings by her new husband and his father.

When she reported her case to prosecutors she was told to withdraw the complaint or face being jailed.

Despite the bleak picture, Afghanistan has made some progress in using the law to protect women and the increase in the number of cases being reported was deemed "an encouraging development".

A Christian Aid exhibition promoting women's rights in Afghanistan

Before the US invasion, the Taliban regime barred women from going to school or to work.

Billions of dollars in aid have poured into Afghanistan and there have been advances for women.

They now have the right to an education and women sit in the Afghan parliament.

There are fears though that when the coalition forces withdraw from the country by the end of 2014 women's hard-won rights will be reversed. 

There have also been a number of high-profile cases involving women who have been brutally attacked by the Taliban for perceived wrongs.

The most recent to catch global attention was the case of Malala Yusufzai, the 15-year-old education and human rights activist who was shot in the head by the Taliban in neighbouring Pakistan. She was flown to Britain for treatment.

Teenage activist Malala Yusufzai was shot by the Taliban in Pakistan

A new law was introduced in 2009 which made child and forced marriage illegal, as well as buying or selling women for marriage and giving women away to settle disputes.

It also made 17 other acts of violence against women against the law including rape and beating.

This law has been credited with the increase in the number of women coming forward to report violent attacks.

But despite this, in 16 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, where the UN was able to gather detailed information, just 21 per cent of 470 reports of violence against women resulted in convictions.

The report says that rather than following legal procedures, prosecutors refer many cases to groups of local elders.

This sometimes results in cases where a court may have sentenced a rapist to imprisonment while at the same time the elders decide that the victim should marry the rapist.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lottery Winner Murder: Dorice Moore Found Guilty

A woman has been convicted of murdering a lottery winner and then burying his body underneath a concrete slab at her home in central Florida.

Dorice "Dee Dee" Moore showed no emotion as the verdict was read out and the judge sent her to jail for life for shooting dead Abraham Shakespeare, who had won $17m (£10.5m) in 2006. 

Prosecutors said Moore befriended him in late 2008, claiming she was writing a book about how people were taking advantage of him.

They claimed Moore later became Mr Shakespeare's financial adviser but eventually controlled every asset he had left, including an expensive home, the debt owed to him and a $1.5 million (£933k) annuity.

"She got every bit of his money," Assistant State Attorney Jay Pruner said in closing arguments. "He found out about it and threatened to kill her. She killed him first."

The court was told Moore tried to cover up the 43-year-old's death for almost a year, including sending letters and text messages to his family to make it appear he was still alive.

She also allegedly paid a friend to pretend to be Mr Shakespeare, and then call the dead man's mother to say he was okay, but wanted to be left alone.

Dorice Moore showed little emotion in court. Pic: ABC ActionNews

Moore claimed she had been trying to help protect the Lakeland lottery winner's assets from a pending child support case when he was killed by drug dealers.

Her lawyer Byron Hileman argued that there were other potential suspects whom prosecutors refused to consider.

"There were a lot of people who owed Mr Shakespeare a lot of money. One guy owed him a million dollars," he said during his closing arguments.

"The police focused on Dee Dee Moore and they didn't even consider other people."

Moore was briefly banned from the courtroom in Tampa on Monday over concerns that she may have threatened jurors.

She was back a short time later for closing arguments but said she did not want to testify in order to protect her family.

Describing her as  "cold, calculating and cruel, Judge Emmett Battles told Moore that she was probably the most manipulative person the court had ever seen.

"Abraham Shakespeare was your prey and your victim. Money was the root of the evil you brought to Abraham," he said.

Moore has 30 days to appeal against the sentence.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

HSBC To Pay £1.2bn In Money Laundering Case

Record Fine: HSBC's Statement

Updated: 8:39am UK, Tuesday 11 December 2012

HSBC released the following statement after confirming it will pay $1.9bn (£1.2bn) to the US Department of Justice over money-laundering.

HSBC has reached agreement with United States authorities in relation to investigations regarding inadequate compliance with anti-money laundering and sanctions laws.

This includes a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the US Department of Justice. HSBC has also reached agreement to achieve a global resolution with all other US government agencies that have investigated HSBC's past conduct related to these issues and anticipates finalising an undertaking with the United Kingdom Financial Services Authority shortly.

Under these agreements, HSBC will make payments totaling $1.921bn, continue to cooperate fully with regulatory and law enforcement authorities, and take further action to strengthen its compliance policies and procedures.

Stuart Gulliver, Group Chief Executive, said: "We accept responsibility for our past mistakes. We have said we are profoundly sorry for them, and we do so again. The HSBC of today is a fundamentally different organisation from the one that made those mistakes. Over the last two years, under new senior leadership, we have been taking concrete steps to put right what went wrong and to participate actively with government authorities in bringing to light and addressing these matters.

"While we welcome the clarity that these agreements bring, ensuring the highest standards wherever we do business is an ongoing process. We are committed to protecting the integrity of the global financial system. To this end we will continue to work closely with governments and regulators around the world."

In the past several years, the Board of HSBC Holdings plc has taken decisive action to direct management to fix past shortcomings as they have come to light. Since 2011, with new senior leadership teams in place at both HSBC Group and HSBC North America, HSBC has taken extensive and concerted steps to put in place the highest standards for the future.

The Department of Justice has recognised these efforts in the DPA: "Management has made significant strides in improving 'tone from the top' and ensuring that a culture of compliance permeates the institution. The efforts of management have dramatically improved HSBC Bank USA's and HSBC Group's Bank Secrecy Act / Anti-Money Laundering and Office of Foreign Assets Control compliance programmes."

As noted in the DPA, HSBC Bank USA already has, over the past several years, undertaken the following voluntary remedial measures:

• increased its spending on anti-money laundering (AML) approximately nine-fold between 2009 and 2011;
• increased its AML staffing nearly ten-fold between 2010 and 2012;
• revamped its Know Your Customer programme, including treating non-US HSBC Group Affiliates as third parties subject to the same due diligence as all other customers;
• exited 109 correspondent relationships for risk reasons;
• clawed back bonuses for a number of senior officers, and
• spent over $290m on remedial measures.

HSBC Group has also undertaken a comprehensive overhaul of its structure, controls, and procedures. A number of these improvements is included in the DPA. Among other measures, HSBC Group has:

• simplified its control structure, allowing the Group to manage risks worldwide more effectively;
• elevated the role of Group Compliance and given it direct oversight over every compliance officer globally, so that both accountability and escalation now flow directly to and from HSBC Group Compliance;
• created the new role of Head of Group Financial Crime Compliance and Group Money Laundering Reporting Officer, who will help to establish a Global Financial Intelligence Unit;
• made other new senior hires with extensive experience handling relevant international legal and regulatory issues, including a new Chief Legal Officer and a new Global General Counsel for Litigation and Regulatory Affairs;
• adopted a set of guidelines limiting business in those countries that pose a high financial crime risk;
• issued a new global sanctions policy using a more extensive and consistent set of lists to screen all cross-border payments;
• commenced a review of all Know Your Customer files across the entire Group - the first phase of this remediation will cost an estimated $700m over five years, and
• undertaken to implement single global standards shaped by the highest or most effective anti-money laundering standards available in any location where the HSBC Group operates.

Over the five-year term of the agreement with the Department of Justice, an independent monitor will evaluate HSBC's progress in fully implementing these and other measures it recommends, and will produce regular assessments of the effectiveness of HSBC's compliance function.

The agreement notes that HSBC Bank USA and HSBC Group have "provided valuable assistance to law enforcement." HSBC conducted multiple extensive internal investigations, voluntarily made employees available for interviews, and collected, analysed and organised voluminous evidence and information.

HSBC is firmly committed to putting in place robust standards that will help promote the integrity of the global financial system. 

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt: Masked Gunmen Fire On Cairo Protesters

Masked gunmen have opened fire on opposition protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, peppering them with birdshot and injuring nine of them.

Police cars surrounded the scene of the attack but officials said it was unclear who was responsible, as the unrest in the country heads into its third week.

It happened at the start of another day of protest against President Mohamed Morsi and his proposed new constitution.

According to witnesses, the gunmen also threw petrol bombs which started a small fire.

Tanks have been deployed to protect the presidential palace

John Gerges, a Christian Egyptian, said:  "The masked men came suddenly and attacked the protesters in Tahrir. The attack was meant to deter us and prevent us from protesting today.

"We oppose these terror tactics and will stage the biggest protest possible today."

Further violent clashes are anticipated after Mr Morsi announced on Sunday that he will hold a referendum on the new constitution.

Opponents announced a day of protest saying the move was an empty gesture and that the new charter fails to guarantee basic rights with its emphasis on Islam and Sharia law.

A banner in Tahrir Square reads: 'No to constitution'

President Morsi has ordered the Army to cooperate with police to tackle the protesters and protect presidential institutions until after the vote on Saturday.

Tanks and armed troops have surrounded the presidential palace in Cairo since Thursday after running street battles between Mr Morsi's supporters and his opponents, which left seven dead and 700 injured.

Despite their presence they have not confronted the thousands of protesters who have gathered there.

The army took control of the country following the downfall of Hosni Mubarak's regime but has since sought to remain a neutral force.

Anti-Morsi protesters outside the presidential palace

Mahmoud Ghozlan, the spokesman for Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood party, said the opposition could stage protests but should keep the peace.

"They are free to boycott, participate or say no; they can do what they want. The important thing is that it remains in a peaceful context to preserve the country's safety and security," he said.

The latest outbreak of violence in Egypt has sparked concern among Western leaders. They have criticised Mr Morsi's attempt to adopt sweeping powers, which triggered the protests more than two weeks ago.

He reversed the decision at the weekend but his determination to push through a new and hastily drawn-up constitution has sparked fresh unrest.

If the new charter is rejected in Saturday's vote, Mr Morsi has promised to have a new one produced by 100 officials chosen directly by the public rather than appointed by the Islamist-dominated parliament.

However, analysts say it is unlikely that the new constitution will not win support in a referendum.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Philippines Typhoon: UN Launches Aid Appeal

More than 600 people have now been killed as a result of Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines, which has left millions more without food and shelter.

At least 900 people remain missing, including 300 fishermen as landslides and floods obliterated entire communities in the south of the country.

Civil defence chief Benito Ramos said the fishermen were headed to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and to the Pacific Ocean.

Many of those missing could be among the hundreds of unidentified bodies, many of them bloated beyond recognition, Mr Ramos said.

Typhoon-affected residents scramble to get relief assistance in New Bataan

The United Nations has launched a £40m ($65m) global aid appeal to help the thousands affected.

The UN will provide an immediate aid package as well as long-term support for the southern region of Mindanao which has been hardest hit by Typhoon Bopha.

"Five million people were affected and they need express assistance," Imogen Wall, spokeswoman for the UN, has said.

"Priority needs are food, water and shelter but there's also a big emphasis on helping people's livelihood," she said.

The region will need sustained assistance for at least six months, she added.

A number of villages are still completely cut off and not receiving any aid a week after the typhoon struck.

Nearly 400,000 people have lost their homes and are crowded inside evacuation centres.

Relief workers have reported looting of shops in at least one hard-hit town on Mindanao's east coast. Homeless people without a space in government shelters have been reduced to begging on roadsides.

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the typhoon-devastated region on Monday showed the precarious situation survivors face, although the quake was too deep to cause any damage.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt: Morsi Orders Army In Ahead Of Protests

President Mohamed Morsi has ordered the Egyptian army to "preserve security" and help police tackle protesters ahead of a mass demonstration over the new constitution.

A new decree compels the army to "co-operate" with police, orders it to "protect vital institutions" and gives it powers to make arrests until after a controversial referendum on the constitution on Saturday.

The order, which comes into force today, says: "Armed forces officers participating in missions to preserve security and protect vital state institutions ... all have powers of legal arrest."

The opposition to Mr Morsi has called for another day of protest on Tuesday over the new constitution and further outbreaks of violence are widely anticipated.

Tanks and armed troops have surrounded the presidential palace in Cairo since Thursday following running street battles between Mr Morsi's supporters and his opponents, which left seven dead and 700 injured.

Despite their presence they have not confronted the thousands of protesters who remain gathered there.

The army took control of the country following the downfall of Hosni Mubarak's regime but has since sought to remain a neutral force.

Tanks have been deployed outside the presidential palace

Mr Morsi attempted to quell the violence in the country on Saturday by surrendering the decree which gave him sweeping new powers and which triggered the recent unrest in the country.

Instead he said there would be a referendum on the new constitution, which opponents claim does not guarantee basic rights to Egyptians with its emphasis on Islam and Sharia law.

Opponents rejected the referendum. They view the draft constitution, largely drafted by Mr Morsi's Islamist allies, as undermining human rights, the rights of women, religious minorities, and curtailing the independence of the judiciary.

Mr Morsi has pushed on with the new charter, saying it is necessary to secure democratic reform.

The spokesman for the National Salvation Front opposition, Sameh Ashour, said: "We do not recognise the draft constitution because it does not represent the Egyptian people."

Hundreds have been injured and seven killed in running battles

He said that going ahead with the referendum "in this explosive situation with the threat of the Brothers' militias amounts to the regime abandoning its responsibilities".

The Muslim Brotherhood, Mr Morsi's party, has responded to the call for the new day of protest by organising a rally of support.                  

If the new charter is rejected, Mr Morsi has promised to have a new one drawn up by 100 officials chosen directly by the public rather than appointed by the Islamist-dominated parliament.

However, analysts say it is unlikely that the new constitution will not win support in a referendum.

20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More