Silvio Berlusconi waters down controversial wiretaps bill

Sliding approval ratings and criticism from Italian prime minister's own allies led to concession

Silvio Berlusconi has watered down a draft bill limiting the use of wiretaps that was criticised even by his own allies.

The bill initially aimed to ban the media from publishing phone tap transcripts until suspects were sent to trial; a step critics said would limit the ability of the press to report on investigations, given the lengthy delays common in the Italian justice system.

A government amendment presented today bowed to pressure from newspapers, the opposition and members of the Italian prime minister's party, allowing the publication of transcripts when considered relevant by investigating magistrates.

By rowing back on one of the most controversial elements of the bill, which Berlusconi says is needed to protect privacy, the government hopes to silence critics within the ruling coalition and win parliamentary approval by the end of the month.

"Common sense prevailed," said Italo Bocchino, a member of Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party, who had voiced strong reservations about the original bill.

Berlusconi said the changes made the bill look different from what he had in mind. "The wiretaps law will change little from the current situation, and therefore will not allow Italians to speak freely on the phone," he said.

Opponents of restrictions on the use of wiretaps by police and the publication of transcripts have said the measures would help criminals and muzzle the press when the government is engulfed in a widening corruption scandal.

Under the new rules, magistrates can order wiretaps only if they have serious evidence that a crime has been committed. Time restrictions would apply and authorisation would be needed to tap the phones of parliamentarians.

The Guardian

Former MI5 chief delivers damning verdict on Iraq invasion

Lady Eliza Manningham-Buller tells Chilcot that invasion increased terrorist threat and radicalised young British Muslims

The former head of MI5 delivered a devastating critique of the invasion of Iraq today, saying it substantially increased the threat of terrorist attacks in Britain and was a significant factor behind the radicalisation of young Muslims in the UK.

Lady Eliza Manningham-Buller told the Chilcot inquiry into the UK's role in Iraq: "Our involvement in Iraq radicalised, for want of a better word, a whole generation of young people – not a whole generation, a few among a generation – who saw our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as being an attack upon Islam".

Asked by Sir Roderic Lyne, a member of the inquiry, to what extent the conflict exacerbated the threat from international terrorism facing Britain, she replied: "Substantially".

She was not surprised, she said, that UK citizens were behind the 7/7 attacks in London nor that increasing number of Britons were "attracted to the ideology of Osama bin Laden and saw the attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan as threatening their co-religionists and the Muslim world".

Invading Iraq and toppling Saddam Hussein allowed al-Qaida to establish a foothold in Iraq which it had never previously managed. "Arguably, we gave Osama bin Laden his Iraqi jihad so that he was able to move into Iraq in a way that he was not before," Manningham-Buller told the inquiry.

She referred to assessments by the Joint Intelligence Committee, of which she was a member, warning ministers that an invasion of Iraq would increase the terrorist threat to Britain. If they read the reports, she said, ministers would have been in no doubt over the threat.

The former MI5 chief said she did not have individual discussions at the time with Tony Blair about the effect invading Iraq would have on the terrorist threat to Britain. She referred to Sir Richard Dearlove, head of SIS, the Secret Intelligence Service or MI6, which provided intelligence for the infamous Iraqi weapons dossier. "I believe the head of the SIS saw him [Blair] much more frequently than I did, for understandable reasons".

Manningham-Buller also mentioned Sir David Omand, the government's security and intelligence co-ordinator in 2003, who told Chilcot earlier this year that MI6 had "over-promised and under-delivered" on Iraq. She said that in March 2002, a year before the invasion, MI5 had advised the Home Office that Iraqi intelligence agents in the UK would pose little threat in the event of war. "We regarded the direct threat from Iraq as low," she said.

The Guardian

French air traffic controllers to strike over unified skies plan

(CNN) -- French air traffic controllers are scheduled to strike Wednesday, affecting flights out of the two main Paris airports, the French civil aviation authority said.

"Due to a social movement, Civil Aviation Management (DGAC) has asked airlines to reduce their flights on Wednesday, July 21," the agency said in a statement.

The country's weather service Meteo France is forecasting stormy weather for the same day, which could disrupt air traffic further.

The strike is starting on Tuesday evening with the cancellation of about 10 EasyJet flights at Orly airport, CNN affiliate France 2 said.

French air traffic control has asked airlines to cancel 20 percent of flights to and from Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle and 50 percent of flights in and out of Paris Orly.

The agency recommends that passengers contact their airline before going to the airport Wednesday.

Controllers are striking over plans to unify European air traffic control.

The CGT, one of the unions representing air traffic controllers, said on its website that five unions are calling for workers to strike to show their opposition to the European fusion project.

CNN

Millions facing hunger in Niger

(CNN) -- Cattle carcasses dot the desert. More beggars show up at street corners in the capital, Niamey. These are indications that Niger is on the brink of catastrophe, say aid workers.

But few outside the country have noticed these signs in one of the world's least developed nations. And now an encroaching emergency caused by months of severe drought is threatening to leave 8 million people, or half the nation's population, hungry.

The United Nations' World Food Programme announced Tuesday that it is "massively scaling up" food distribution to people who have lost crops and livestock. In this nomadic, pastoral nation, they are people who have lost everything.

"The drought in Niger is an unfolding catastrophe for millions of people and we are struggling against time to scale up quickly enough to reach the escalating number of hungry," said Josette Sheeran, executive director for the U.N. agency.

Sheeran traveled to Niger to see the crisis for herself and saw a landlocked, drought-prone nation where hunger has been growing steadily since the last harvest in September 2009.

"We are massively scaling up special nutritional help for children under two years of age, whose brains and bodies face permanent damage from acute malnutrition," said Sheeran in a statement released Tuesday after her visit.

CNN

UN Says HIV Epidemic Growing in Ex-Soviet Union

The former Soviet Union and its neighbors are the only places in the world where the HIV epidemic is growing, mainly because of discrimination against infected children and drug users, according to a new United Nations report.

The number of HIV-infected people in Central Asia and Eastern Europe has increased by 66 percent to 1.5 million people since 2001, UNICEF said in the report published on its web site.

About 1.8 million people inject drugs in Russia, and 80 percent of them are under 30, the report said.

One of the main problems in Russia is that young people with HIV find themselves separated from society, said Bertrand Bainvel, UNICEF's representative for Russia.

"HIV-positive children are often denied access to schools and kindergartens, while they need more support," he said in an interview Tuesday. "We need to change the environment to improve the situation".

Five Russian regions have seen the number of HIV-infected people skyrocket by 700 percent since 2006, the report said, without specifying the regions.

In Russia and Ukraine, 6 percent to 10 percent of children born to HIV-positive mothers are abandoned in maternity wards, hospitals and residential institutions, with practically no chance for foster care, the report said.

But a study of HIV-infected mothers, their families and health-care workers from four regions in Russia showed that the disease itself was not the main reason for abandonment.

The Moscow Times

Polish plane crash 'a crime' - Polish politician

The plane crash in which Polish President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others died was a crime, the head of a Polish committee investigating the crash was quoted by Polish Radio as saying on Tuesday.

Last week a Polish TV station claimed the pilots of the plane that crashed in west Russia on April 10 were under pressure to land in thick fog.

Addressing the first session of the committee, formed earlier in July, Antoni Macierewicz said the political responsibility for the Smolensk catastrophe was "clear"

"I have no doubts, that what we have here is a situation which is so dreadful [...] that every word which inflates the drama is justified," he said.

Macierewicz has previously used the word "crime" to describe the Russian probe into the incident.

RIA Novosti

China arrests 450,000 for criminal offences in H1

JINGGANGSHAN, Jiangxi - Chinese procurators have approved the arrest of 453,371 people involved in 303,810 criminal cases during the first half of 2010, according to a statement issued here on Tuesday.

Among those arrested, about 33,000 were minors, down 12.7 percent year-on-year, said the statement sent to Xinhua from a symposium held in Jiangxi province's Jinggangshan.

The symposium was attended by the heads of procuratorates from across the country.

A total of 13,214 people were investigated for commercial bribery or bribery in the construction sector, while 6,032 people were investigated for dereliction of duty and rights violations, the statement said.

Procurators have also investigated 26,793 people for work-related crimes from January to June. Among them, 11,885 people were prosecuted and, of these, 9,693 were found to be guilty.

According to the statement, a total of 286 people were investigated and penalized for work-related crimes while administering sentences and detention from January to June.

China Daily

Medvedev arrives in Finland to hold talks with Halonen

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived on a two-day visit to Finland in the city of Turku to hold talks with Finnish President Tarja Halonen.

The talks will focus on Russian-Finnish relations including trade and economic cooperation, as well as partnership in the energy and lumber industries, European security and the simplification of a visa regime between Russia and the EU.

During the talks, the sides are also expected to discuss nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation issues.

The two presidents will also touch upon social issues concerning child adoption and Russian-Finnish families' child rows.

Last week Finland refused to sign an agreement with Russia on family and civil cases that was due to settle family-based incidents.

Finland has seen numerous high-profile family scandals since a law came into effect in 2008 giving the authorities the right to remove children thought to be in danger from their homes before legal proceedings have started.

RIA Novosti

Farnborough-2010 Airshow to feature state-of-the-art aircraft

The Farnborough International Airshow, a seven-day international trade fair for the aerospace business held biennially in Hampshire, England, opened on July 19, 2010.

In all, 1,500 companies from 39 countries attended the 2008 show, while this year's involves 1,350 participants from 52 states. In all, 59 Russian companies, including 27 defense industry contractors, are taking part in the event.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a long range, mid-sized, wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner, has made its first transatlantic flight and will be on display at the 47th Farnborough Airshow.

The B-787, which performed its maiden flight in December 2009, is called a revolutionary aircraft, and with good reason. The Dreamliner, which features more composite materials than any other large passenger aircraft to date, also consumes 20% less fuel than other planes in its class. Consequently, Boeing has signed contracts for the delivery of more than 800 B-787s, and this is certainly not the limit.

The Dreamliner highlights one main trend in the development of civil aviation. State-of-the-art aircraft technology is primarily used to facilitate fuel efficiency, while the performance and specifications required were attained many years ago and are unlikely to change in the near future.

RIA Novosti

Lou Piniella to retire at end of season

CHICAGO, July 20 (UPI) -- Chicago Cubs Manager Lou Piniella said Tuesday he would retire at the end of the 2010 season, his fourth leading the Cubs and 23rd as a major-league manager.

Chicago had winning seasons each of Piniella's first three seasons as manager but the Cubs are 42-52 and in fourth place in the National League Central going into a game Tuesday against Houston.

Piniella, 66, said he announced his plans because team General Manager Jim Hendry asked him of his plans and "I told him I had made the decision to retire at the end of the season.

"Since my decision has now been made, I don't want to mislead anyone about my intentions when asked about the future," Piniella said in a statement from the Cubs.

Piniella is 307-271 as the Cubs manager and took the team to the division title in 2007 and 2008. Counting his managerial service with the New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays, Piniella has a 1,826-1,691 record. He was also voted manager of the year three times.

UPI

Mercury Prize Shortlist announced

Paul Weller, The xx, Dizzee Rascal and Corinne Bailey Rae all make the 12-strong list

By Anthony Barnes, Press Association

Chart veteran Paul Weller was today shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize for the first time in 16 years - and will battle it out with past winner Dizzee Rascal.

Also in the running are hotly tipped The xx - whose music provided the theme for the BBC's election coverage - and 40-something Mancunian trio I Am Kloot have made their shortlist debut with their fifth album.

They are among 12 acts battling for the respected award, officially called the Barclaycard Mercury Prize, which rewards the outstanding album of the year.

Dizzee, whose career has soared in recent years, first won the Mercury with debut release Boy In Da Corner in 2003. This latest nomination for Tongue N' Cheek is his third in only four albums, as he was also listed in 2007 for Maths + English.

Weller has only once been nominated for the Mercury since its 1992 launch. His second solo release, Wild Wood, was shortlisted in 1994, losing out to M People's Elegant Slumming on the night.

Also finding a repeat inclusion is Laura Marling, whose I Speak Because I Can follows her 2008 debut Alas, I Cannot Swim on to the shortlist.

As well as a £20,000 prize, the award can be an invaluable method of raising awareness for shortlisted acts and many see a huge sales boost.

However, last year's winner, Speech Debelle, bucked the trend and failed to strike a chord with the music-buying public. Her album Speech Therapy has still to dent the top 40.

Established names on this year's list include Corinne Bailey Rae - whose album The Sea deals with how she coped following the death of her husband - and Scottish rock trio Biffy Clyro.

Kendal quartet Wild Beasts - noted for Hayden Thorpe's unusual countertenor singing voice - and Oxford's Foals are both shortlisted for second albums.

The Independent

Ex-North Korea spy to help solve Japan's abduction mystery

Kim Hyon-hui may have information on Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korean spies during the cold war

A former North Korean spy who carried out one of the deadliest plane bombings of the cold war has arrived in Tokyo to help solve the mystery surrounding Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang.

Kim Hyon-hui was sentenced to death after being convicted of bombing a South Korean airliner in 1987, killing all 115 people on board, but was later pardoned and went on to write a bestselling autobiography about her life as a secret agent.

She flew in to Tokyo after the Japanese authorities waived strict immigration controls to allow her to meet the relatives of two Japanese citizens snatched by North Korean agents in the late 1970s.

Hyon-hui says she was tutored by a woman who is among several Japanese abducted by North Korean spies at the height of the cold war. She may also have information about Megumi Yokota, who was taken from near her home, aged 13, in the late 1970s.

Kim's visit comes at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula, coinciding with reports that a North Korean cabinet official who led talks with the South, has been executed, and as Seoul and Washington announced a joint naval exercise designed to remind Pyongyang of the formidable military forces it would confront should a conflict break out.

Kwon Ho-ung, who headed the North's negotiating team from 2004-07, was executed by firing squad, according to the Dong-a Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper. His death appears to be part of a purge of "impure" officials connected with policy failures. In March, the regime executed two officials responsible for a botched currency revaluation.

Next week's naval exercise will send a "clear message" to the North following the sinking in March of a South Korean naval vessel, the US defence secretary, Robert Gates, told reporters in Seoul .

"These defensive, combined exercises are designed to send a clear message to North Korea that its aggressive behaviour must stop, and that we are committed to together enhancing our combined defensive capabilities," he said.

The Guardian