U.N.: Ivory Coast leaders incite violence

YAMOUSSOUKRO, Ivory Coast, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- U.N. officials Thursday said Ivory Coast leaders perpetrating violence after the November presidential run-off will be held accountable.

Tensions, hatred between communities, and violence followed in the wake of the election after incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo refused to concede to challenger Alassan Ouattara, the United Nations reported.

The United Nations said Ouattara has been recognized as the president-elect by the international community.

Francis Deng, the special adviser to the secretary-general on the Prevention of Genocide, and Edward Luck, the special adviser charged with guiding protection, said unconfirmed reports continue of serious human rights violations by Gbagbo's supporters and forces he controls, in addition to the use of speech inciting violence and hatred.

The United Nations said its investigators were prevented for a second time from looking into allegations of a mass grave in the village of N'Dotre near Abidjan.

The team saw a building in which 60 to 80 bodies were found, said Simon Munzu, the head of the U.N. human rights division in the Ivory Coast, adding, "We continue to protest the denial of access".

At least six deaths, three disappearances, 20 kidnappings and 11 arrests and injuries were reported this week, said Munzu. UPI

2 hurt in emergency landing

COLORADO SPRINGS, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A Delta Airlines flight headed for Phoenix developed engine problems and made an emergency landing in Colorado Springs, Colo., authorities said.

The (Colorado Springs) Gazette said two passengers suffered minor injuries when Delta flight 1921 from Detroit was forced to land. The Federal Aviation Administration said fire broke out in the plane's main landing gear shortly after touchdown.

The plane had 224 people on board. UPI

Wired journalists deny cover-up over WikiLeaks boss and accused US soldier

Two journalists with access to a secret transcript of comments by Bradley Manning, the US soldier accused of leaking confidential material to whistleblowing website WikiLeaks, have denied speculation that they could potentially help a prosecution against Julian Assange.

The pair, from Wired magazine, said there was nothing "newsworthy" in unpublished internet chat logs between Manning and Adrian Lamo, a former hacker who claims to have discussed the leak with the young intelligence officer and later tipped off the FBI.

Wired.com claimed a scoop in June when it obtained a transcript of the chats and published excerpts in which Manning, 23, appeared to confess to being the source of classified material handed to WikiLeaks, which was founded by Assange.

However, in recent days the journalists have found themselves at the centre of an increasingly acrimonious spat with critics who accuse them of withholding crucial information about the largest leak of military data in history.

The dispute has centred on the 75% of the transcript Wired has not published, claiming the information would infringe Manning's privacy or compromise sensitive military information.

Amid reports that federal prosecutors want to establish that Assange "encouraged or helped" Manning to leak the material in order to make him a co-conspirator, Wired has found itself under pressure to reveal more about the unpublished chats.

Over the past month, Lamo has made fresh claims about the soldier's relationship with Assange.

Suggesting that Assange was more than a passive recipient of the leaks, Lamo has claimed that WikiLeaks either provided Manning with a special FTP server to prioritise his leak or arranged a physical drop-off in the United States. But he admits his claims are based on memory, as the hard drive that contained his copy of the full chat transcript was taken by the FBI. Apart from US law officials, the Wired journalists are the only individuals known to have copies of the full chat.

"The chats Wired has but is withholding – and about which they are refusing to comment – are newsworthy in the extreme," Glenn Greenwald, one of Wired's fiercest critics, wrote on Monday.

The following day Evan Hansen, editor-in-chief of Wired.com, and Kevin Poulsen, the journalist who obtained the web chats, published a response to what they said were Greenwald's personal and unfounded attacks. Today both told the Guardian they had reviewed the unpublished transcripts in the last 24 hours. They concluded there was no discussion shedding new light on the relationship between Manning and Assange.

"If I were a prosecutor, everything I would be looking at [in seeking to mount a case against Manning or Assange] would be in the published record," Hansen said. "We're trying to get the news out there that is relevant to the public. If there was something like that in the unpublished [chat logs] we would have made that public six months ago".

Poulsen also said that there was nothing "newsworthy" in the parts of the transcript they had decided to hold back, adding that nothing "of substance" about Manning's relationship with Assange had been kept secret.

"We have discussions in the newsroom, at every major turn in the Manning case, about whether it is now appropriate to publish the complete logs," he said. "And so far we have concluded it isn't".

Assange is fighting extradition to Sweden, where he faces unrelated allegations – which he denies – of sexual misconduct with two women. Although there is no evidence of an imminent indictment from the US. Assange has said his greatest fear is extradition to the US, where he believes federal prosecutors are "trying to strike a plea deal" with Manning so that he can be charged as a co-conspirator.

The material allegedly leaked by Manning is said to include more than 250,000 confidential diplomatic cables, redacted versions of which have been published by the Guardian and other media outlets over the last two months.

HaikuLeaks

For those with neither the time nor inclination to wade through all 251,287 of the diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, a computer nerd called Fabrice has come up with a solution: HaikuLeaks, a program which has condensed them down to three lines of five, seven and five syllables respectively in Japanese poem style.

One, gleaned from a cable sent from Harare, went:

"As is typical,

the Pope stayed above the fray

and did not comment".

Another, extracted from a cable from the Kazakh capital of Astana, goes: "Instead, he gulped three

cans of Coca-Cola while

inhaling his food".

The cable reveals the soft drink fan was Maksat Idenov, first vice-president of KazMunaiGaz, a state-owned oil and gas producer.

A marvellously bitchy cable about Peruvian president Alan García is condensed to one brutal remark:

"He has written books,

but most critics understand

that is not his gift".

From that cable came another Haiku, this time painting García in a rather kinder light by complimenting him on his calm attitude:

"We have not noted

any tendency to shake,

blink or roll his eyes".

HaikuLeaks uses the data-mining hack codes provided by Haikufinder, which finds sentences within the page which could conform to the 5-7-5 syllable form.

So far, HaikuLeaks has found 65 haikus in 1,830 cables. The Guardian

Chinese president visits low-income families

BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao has visited low-income families in Beijing ahead of the New Year, as he extends his best wishes to people nationwide.

On Wednesday morning in freezing temperatures, Hu dropped in on the low-rent apartment in east Beijing where Guo Chunping and her 17-year-old daughter live.

Guo, renting the two-bedroom apartment from the government, told the president that thanks to the low-rent housing policy, she and her daughter could finally settle down.

"We did not have a stable place to live for years. Now, living in this apartment, we finally feel at home and safe," she said, "The rent is affordable".

The apartment costs her 77 yuan ($11.5) per month.

"I am glad to see you two have a good place to live. The Party and the government have always placed great importance on people's livelihoods. We have made efforts and will make more to help needy people," Hu said.

Hu also visited Li Bo and his family. They live in an apartment near Guo.

Governments at all levels must place great importance on government-subsidized housing projects, to provide more affordable residences for low-income people, he said.

The president urged governments to invest more money in such projects.

Governments should also carefully supervise the projects' quality and improve public facilities near the housing projects, he said.

Hu then traveled to a major heating plant in southeastern Beijing.

Heating services are critical for people's daily life, especially during winter ahead of the New Year and Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese new year, Hu said.

He thanked workers at the heating plant for their hard work and devotion to serving the people, expressing hope they will continue to serve.

The president also inspected a farm in an eastern Beijing suburb which supplies 15 million tonnes of vegetables to Beijing markets annually.

He said he hopes the suppliers can increase production and quality with the application of new technology and improved management techniques.

"The city should ensure the sufficient supply of vegetables and keep prices stable," the president said at a meeting with city government officials. China Daily

Bestseller Makes Unique Bulgarian Gift for Dilma Rousseff at Inauguration

Two prominent namesakes – Maxim Behar from Bulgaria and Maxim Behar fromBrazil – are going to present Brazil's new President, Bulgaria-descended Dilma Rousseff, with the bestseller "111 Rules on Facebook" at her inauguration.

The first woman to become President of Brazil, 62-year-old Dilma Rousseff, whose father was Bulgarian immigrant Petar Rusev, will be receiving a few unique Bulgaria-related gifts at her inauguration on January 1, 2011, and the Bulgarian book "111 Rules on Facebook" will be one of them.  

"111 Rules on Facebook", a bilingual edition (originally published with sections in both English and Bulgarian) dubbed in Bulgaria as the "Bible about life", was authored in 2009 by Bulgarian PR expert, businessman, and former journalist Maxim Behar, and became an instant hit.

It is on Facebook that Bulgarian Maxim Behar found and befriended his namesake from Brazil, publisher Maxim Behar from Sao Paulo, whose family also turned out to have Bulgarian roots.

Brazilian publisher Maxim Behar will be among the guests at Dilma Rousseff's presidential inauguration, and will present her with "111 Rules on Facebook" since he and his Bulgarian namesake decided the book would make a unique Bulgarian gift for Dilma.

Thus, Dilma will receive an original Bulgarian edition of the bestseller, days before the book is released in Portuguese in Brazil in January 2011 by the Brazilian publisher Maxim Behar.

"I know my Brazilian namesake from Facebook, and I know that he has Bulgarian roots. Several months ago he offered to publish the book in Brazil, and we rolled up our sleeves to create an even better edition. Then, several days ago he called me to let me know that he will be present at Dilma's inauguration, and that he wanted to present her with the Bulgarian edition of the book," explained the Bulgarian PRexpert Maxim Behar.

"President Rousseff, wishes for 111 months super-successful rule, to be remembered 111 years!" reads the author's dedication to Dilma on the inside of the front cover of the "111 Rules on Facebook" volume to be presented to Dilma by his Brazilian namesake.

"I picked my namesake's book as a present for Dilma because I really liked, and my publishing house liked it very much as well. I wanted to give Dilma something really special with Bulgaria, which also has some connection with Brazil – just as the book is to be released in Brazil in a few days. If the Brazilian readers like the book, we will find one more common thing between Bulgaria and Brazil, in addition to the roots of our new president – who has Bulgarian roots like myself," explained publisher Maxim Behar, who manages the Leopardo Editora publishing house in Brazil's Sao Paolo.

Bulgarian PR expert Maxim Behar's book is the first book ever written on Facebook. It contains 111 general rules about business and business decisions as well as about general decisions in life that have been invented, modified, or summarized by Behar, who posted one of these rules every morning on his Facebook profile status. In addition to Brazil, Behar's Bible about life is to be published Russia, Poland, Spain, Japan, and Korea. Just as the original Bulgarian edition, each new edition will be bilingual, including the original "111 rules" in English.

"111 Rules on Facebook" has its extension in the internet site www.pravilata.com where everyone can write their views on life so that "we all create a better and more filled with wisdom book," says the author, who donates all proceeds from thebestseller to the Bulgarian Foundation "For Our Children".

In addition to "111 Rules on Facebook", the other Bulgaria-related gifts that Dilma Rousseff will receive include a replica of a golden deer head from Bulgaria's most famous "Panagyurishte Treasure" from Ancient Thrace, to be present to her by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, as well as a "family tree" of her Bulgarian ancestors crafted by the Regional History Museum in her father's home town of Gabrovo. Novinite

Woman's hotel death determined a slaying

NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A New York medical examiner said swimsuit designer Sylvie Cachay was strangled and drowned in a Soho hotel room.

The New York Post reported Thursday initial autopsy reports indicating Cachay, 33, who was discovered dead Dec. 9 in an overflowing bathtub in her hotel room at Soho House, may have died of an overdose of the drug, Xanax, were incorrect.

Cachay's partly clothed body was found with neck wounds, bleeding in her eyes and a bite imprint on her hand, the Post reported.

Nick Brooks, 24, Cachay's boyfriend and son of Oscar-winning songwriter Joseph Brooks, was earlier indicted by a grand jury for strangling Cachay but likely now will face murder charges, the Post reported.

Brooks has been held in custody since his arrest on Dec. 10.

Friends who knew the couple said Cachay, who started the swimwear line Syla, had been attempting to break up with Brooks, and a note from Brooks found in Cachay's purse indicated he had resisted those efforts, the Post reported. UPI

Groups sues U.S. over Calif. sacred sites

RIVERSIDE, Calif., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- An American Indian group is suing the Obama administration, saying approval of Southern California solar developments violated laws that protect sacred places.

The La Cuna de Aztlan Sacred Site Protection Circle alleges the expedited approval process OK'd last year by U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar circumvents laws that protect Indian burial grounds and other resources, the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise reported Wednesday.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials fast-tracked paperwork and reviews so projects could be ready for construction by the end of the year, a requirement for projects to qualify for federal stimulus subsidies, the newspaper said.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Diego, seeks to rescind the approvals of three projects in San Bernardino County, two in eastern Riverside County, and one in Imperial County.

The developments collectively cover 23,842 acres of previously undisturbed land.

BLM spokesman David Briery said the agency is reviewing the complaint.

Cory Briggs, an attorney for the Indians, said he would ask a judge to halt the projects so graves and other sacred places are not destroyed. UPI

Medical center pays $30M for violations

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A Detroit medical center Thursday agreed to pay $30 million to settle federal charges stemming from a kickback scheme, the U.S. Justice Department said.

Federal prosecutors charged the Detroit Medical Center, which owns and operates facilities in Detroit, with engaging in inappropriate relations with referring doctors, mostly concerning independent contractor relationships and office lease agreements that were not up to fair market value or not formalized in writing.

"Improper financial relationships between healthcare providers and their referral sources can corrupt a physician's judgment about the patient's true healthcare needs. In addition to yielding a substantial recovery for taxpayers, this settlement should deter similar conduct in the future and help make healthcare more affordable for patients," said Tony West, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Division.

The medical center is in the process of selling its facilities to Vanguard Health Systems Inc., of Nashville. The alleged violations pertained to the medical center's transaction with Vanguard. The hospital, which also signed the settlement, discovered and disclosed the violations, Justice said.

"We applaud the hospital leadership's decision to come forward voluntarily to disclose these issues to the government," U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said. UPI

Guinea President Alpha Conde purges top civil servants

All civil servants in the office of Guinea's president and prime minister are to be replaced, Alpha Conde orders, nine days after being sworn in.

The BBC's Alhassan Sillah in Conakry says hundreds of people are affected by the decree.

He says many are believed to be beyond the retirement age but remained in work because of their political connections.

Mr Conde, a veteran opposition leader, was declared the winner of Guinea's first democratic election in 52 years.

Those losing their jobs have all been put at the disposition of the employment ministry to either redeploy them or second those who are due for retirement, according to the decree read out on national television.

Our correspondent says unemployment, particularly among graduates, remains endemic in Guinea, partly because previous regimes have allowed their political allies to remain in office.

Guineans are among the poorest people in West Africa, despite the fact that the former French colony is the world's leading exporter of the aluminium ore bauxite. BBC News

West chides Russia over ex-tycoon Khodorkovsky trial

The US, UK and Germany have criticised the new six-year sentence imposed by a Russian court on former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Khodorkovsky, who is near the end of an eight-year term for tax evasion, has been told he will stay jailed till 2017 for embezzlement and money-laundering.

The US said the new sentence seemed to be an abuse of Russia's legal system.

Russia has not yet responded, but previously rejected Western criticism of the guilty verdict as interference.

After the sentencing, US state department spokesman Mark Toner said Washington was concerned by the apparent "abusive use of the legal system for improper ends, particularly now that Khodorkovsky and [former business partner Platon] Lebedev have been sentenced to the maximum penalty".

Later an unnamed senior US administration official, quoted by Reuters news agency, said the sentencing might complicate Russia's expected entry to the World Trade Organisation in 2011.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "disappointed" by the sentence. BBC News

3 sentenced for stealing Auschwitz sign

KRAKOW, Poland, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- A Swedish man was sentenced to nearly three years Thursday for his part in stealing the "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign from the entrance to Auschwitz in Poland.

Anders Hoegstrom is to serve his two-year, eight-month sentence in Sweden, the Krakow Post reported. Hoegstrom, who allegedly arranged the theft of the sign, reportedly has ties to neo-Nazi organizations.

Two Poles received sentences of as much as 2 1/2 years. All three pleaded guilty in November.

The sign, which can be translated as "Work makes you free" or "Labor liberates," greeted new arrivals at the Auschwitz death camp. More than 1 million people, including Jews, Roma and Soviet soldiers, were put to death there. A work camp, however, was associated with the facility.

The sign disappeared in December 2009 and was recovered three days later cut into three pieces. It has now been placed in the museum at the camp and a replica hangs over the gate. UPI

2 dead in strikes on Christian homes in Iraq

Baghdad (CNN) -- At least two people were killed and 14 others were wounded Thursday in a wave of bombings targeting Christian homes in Baghdad, an Interior Ministry official said.

The strikes appeared to be a coordinated because they all took place within an hour, the official said. Explosives were left outside and in the gardens of at least six dwellings across Iraq's sprawling capital.

It's not clear whether all of the casualties were Christians, but the assaults mirror the early morning bombings of Christian homes in Baghdad November 10.

In the east, in New Baghdad, at least two people were killed and three others were wounded. In central Baghdad, in the Karrada district, three people were wounded. There were two explosions in the gardens of homes in western Baghdad. In Yarmouk, a man was wounded in a blast and in Ameriya, two people were wounded.

In the southern region, in Dora, three people were wounded when a bomb went off in a garden.

In the southwestern Baghdad neighborhood of Saydiya, a bomb detonated after the doorbell was rung and residents opened the door. Two people were wounded in that attack.

The violence is the latest targeting the Christian minority in Iraq, which has a predominantly Muslim population.

Strikes in Baghdad and in Mosul in the north have generated great fear in the Christian community and have caused many people to leave their homes for other parts of Iraq or other countries.

Many Christians said they toned down their Christmas celebrations this year because of threats by militants in recent weeks. CNN

European parliament to discuss sanctions against Belarus

The European Parliament will meet on January 12 to discuss possible sanctions against Belarus following a clampdown on protests against the results of the recent presidential polls, parliament chief Jerzy Buzek said on Thursday.

"The European parliament will examine the conduct and aftermath of the presidential elections including the excessive and disproportionate forces by the Belarusian authorities, the beating and detention of opposition presidential candidates and violence against journalists and civil society activists,” he said.

“We will also discuss the possible further responses from the side of the European Union," Buzek added

He also called for the "immediate release of political prisoners and for an immediate end to the violence by the authorities".

Opposition candidates have been charged in connection with the street protests that broke out after President Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner of polls in the former Soviet republic earlier this month. They could face up to 15 years in jail.

The opposition claimed the election was rigged to give Lukashenko a fourth straight term of office.

Lukashenko called the protestors “traitors” and accused them of receiving assistance from abroad in their attempts to “overthrow the state”. RIA Novosti

Moldova's Lupu named candidate for parliament speaker

Moldova's Democratic Party leader Marian Lupu was nominated as a consensus candidate for parliament speaker on Thursday.

He was nominated by Democratic Party and Liberal Party factions and is likely to be elected as he is the only candidate.

A simple majority is needed to elect a speaker.

Lupu said earlier in the day a center-right coalition comprised of the Democratic Party and the Liberal Democratic Party will be formed.

Marian Lupu, 44, is also expected to run for the presidency. However, the center-right coalition, which has a total of 59 votes, lacks the two extra votes necessary to elect a president.

A parliamentary majority of 61 votes is needed to elect the country's president and end the stalemate that has left the impoverished ex-Soviet republic without a full-time president since mid-2009. RIA Novosti

Boney M dancer dies in St. Petersburg hotel aged 61

Bobby Farrell, the only male member of the disco group Boney M, died aged 61 in a hotel of Russia's second largest city, St. Petersburg, a spokesman for the city's investigation department said on Thursday.

"A probe [into his death] is underway," the source said without elaborating.

The website of City Concert entertainment agency said Farrell and Boney M were to perform two shows in St. Petersburg on December 28 and 29, but their location was not disclosed. Russian media reported that the band was to perform at a private party.

A Russian tabloid, Life News, said Farrell felt ill after a conflict during his show, and died of a heart attack.

A source close to the organizers said Farrell's long-time co-performer, Liz Mitchell, was in tears over his death. Mitchell's husband, Thomas, who is with his wife and the rest of the group in St. Petersburg, could not be reached by telephone to confirm the cause of the dancer's death.

The Dutch consulate in St. Petersburg said it was informed of its citizen's death, but received no official notification from Russian authorities.

Boney M, popular in late 70s, was the favorite ensemble of disco fan Leonid Brezhnev and still enjoys great popularity in Russia. RIA Novosti

Sob investigação, Vaticano adota novas regras contra lavagem de dinheiro

O Vaticano --cujo banco está sob investigação por suspeita de lavagem de dinheiro-- adotou nesta quinta-feira novas regras para ficar de acordo com as exigências internacionais em relação à transparência financeira, combate ao terrorismo e a fraudes.

O papa Bento 16 assinou um decreto ("motu proprio") que estabelece leis internas do Vaticano, fazendo com que o banco da instituição e todos os seus outros departamentos acatem as normas e cooperem com autoridades estrangeiras.

"A partir de hoje, todas as organizações associadas ao governo da Igreja Católica (...) tornam-se parte de um sistema de princípios jurídicos e instrumentos que a comunidade internacional cirou para garantir a coexistência justa e honesta de um mundo cada vez mais globalizado", diz um comunicado do Vaticano.

O decreto tem como objetivo "prevenir e lutar contra a lavagem de dinheiro proveniente de atividades criminais e para o financiamento do terrorismo", afirma o texto.

Com a decisão, o Vaticano cumpre um passo decisivo para a transparência de suas transações econômicas, objeto de graves acusações e suspeitas por décadas. O anúncio ocorre três meses depois do início de uma investigação contra dois dirigentes do Banco do Vaticano, cujo nome formal é Instituto Vaticano para as Obras Religiosas (IOR).

As novas leis do Vaticano visam cumprir as exigências do Grupo de Ação Financeira contra a Lavagem de Dinheiro (FATF, na sigla em inglês), baseado em Paris. O órgão exigia que o Vaticano aprovasse uma legislação que configura a lavagem de dinheiro como crime, estabelecesse uma entidade para relatar transações suspeitas e investigá-las, além de estabelecer regras que obrigassem os bancos a identificar os clientes e disponibilizar informações às autoridades responsáveis.

REGRAS

As regras --que ocupam 30 páginas e contêm mais de 50 artigos-- entram em vigor em 1º de abril. A nova conduta se refere não apenas ao Banco do Vaticano como a todos os outros departamentos da instituição. A mudança significa que escritórios como o braço missionário do Vaticano --que lida com dezenas de milhões de dólares todos os anos-- também estarão sujeitos a regulações e supervisão de autoridades.

Além disso, funcionários do Vaticano suspeitos de violar ar normas serão investigados e julgados pelo tribunal da instituição, podendo ser detidos em prisões italianas, de acordo com um acordo entre a instituição e o governo italiano. O crime de lavagem de dinheiro pode ser punido com até 12 anos de prisão.

Com o decreto, o papa Bento 16 também criou a Autoridade para a Informação Financeira, um organismo especial para combater a lavagem de dinheiro e vigiar as operações financeiras da Santa Sé, anunciou o Vaticano.

A instituição havia prometido criar uma autoridade para a inspeção das finanças até 1º de janeiro de 2001, e tinha prazo até 31 de dezembro para implementar as regras da União Europeia (UE) para lavagem de dinheiro.

"A Santa Sé aprova o compromisso da comunidade internacional e quer fazer suas as regras adotadas para prevenir e combater estes terríveis fenômenos", escreveu o pontífice.

INVESTIGAÇÃO

Em 21 de setembro, promotores de Roma sequestraram 23 milhões de euros [R$ 50 milhões] e colocaram o presidente da instituição, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, e seu vice sob investigação. Segundo os promotores, o banco infringiu a lei ao transferir dinheiro sem identificar o destinatário nem a quantia.

Os valores estavam depositados em uma conta do IOR no banco italiano Credito Artigiano e seriam transferidos à sede do J.P. Morgan em Frankfurt (20 milhões de euros, equivalentes a R$ 44 milhões) e ao italiano Banco del Fucino (3 milhões de euros, equivalentes a R$ 6 milhões). O sequestro ocorreu depois que foi detectada uma suposta omissão na identificação das pessoas envolvidas nas operações, irregularidades que se inserem em leis contra a lavagem de dinheiro.

O Vaticano disse que a investigação foi um "mal entendido", e que pretendia solucioná-lo em breve. No entanto, cortes de Justiça de Roma se recusaram duas vezes a liberar os fundos. Folha Online

Lula assina MP que estabelece mínimo de R$ 540 a partir de sábado

O ministro da Fazenda, Guido Mantega, afirmou na tarde desta quinta-feira (30) que o presidente Lula já assinou a medida provisória estabelecendo aumento do salário mínimo de R$ 510 para R$ 540 a partir de sábado, 1º de janeiro.

A MP deve ser publicada amanhã e tem eficácia imediata, mas será discutida pelo Congresso Nacional, que pode alterá-la.

O valor representa a reposição da inflação e é duramente criticado pelas centrais sindicais, que defendem reajuste para R$ 580.

A presidente eleita, Dilma Rousseff, sinaliza que aceitaria um valor maior caso ficasse acertado desconto no reajuste de 2012, cujo ganho acima da inflação será calculado com base no crescimento da economia em 2010 --com previsão de superar 7%.

"Os oito anos do governo Lula foram o período em que o salário mínimo mais cresceu. O presidente cumpriu sua promessa de valoriza e de ter uma política para o salário mínimo", afirmou Mantega, ressaltando a previsão de reajuste maior em 2012. "Os R$ 540 não trarão uma pressão tão grande na Previdência, o que nos ajuda no equilíbrio fiscal".

Na sua última fala em cadeia de rádio e TV como presidente, Lula afirmou que o salário mínimo no seu governo teve ganho real de 67%. Na campanha, Dilma Rousseff falava em 74%.

De 2003 a 2010, o mínimo teve oito reajustes, que ao todo chegaram a 53,5% acima da inflação acumulada.

Na campanha de 2002, Lula havia prometido duplicar o poder de compra do mínimo em quatro anos. Folha Online

Ex-magnata russo é sentenciado a mais seis anos de prisão

O ex-magnata russo Mikhail Khodorkovsky foi condenado a passar seis anos adicionais na prisão por acusações de enriquecimento ilícito e lavagem de dinheiro.

Como sua sentença atual expira em 2011, Khodorkovsky, 47 anos, agora deve ficar preso até 2017.

Segundo o veredicto do juiz, ele “só poderá ser recuperado sendo isolado da sociedade”.

Khodorkovsky foi condenado na segunda-feira por um tribunal em Moscou em um julgamento criticado pelos Estados Unidos e outros países. Seus defensores dizem que as acusações são motivadas por razões políticas.

O ex-magnata, que já foi o homem mais rico do país, entrou em rota de colisão com o ex-presidente e atual premiê russo Vladimir Putin por financiar partidos de oposição.

Clique

Julgamento

O julgamento desta semana foi o segundo de Khodorkovsky, que cumpre, desde 2003, pena de oito anos por fraude e evasão de impostos.

Neste novo caso, Khodorkovsky e seu sócio Platon Lebedev foram acusados de desviar milhões de toneladas de petróleo de sua própria empresa, a Yukos, e de lavar o dinheiro proveniente do desvio entre 1998 e 2003.

Nesta quinta-feira, a corte em Moscou sentenciou os dois homens a 14 anos de prisão, mas a sentença leva em conta o tempo que eles já passaram presos.

Enquanto o juiz Viktor Danilkin lia o veredicto, a mãe de Khodorkovsky gritou: “que você e os seus descendentes sejam amaldiçoados!”

Os réus, porém, reagiram calmamente à decisão judicial.

Críticas

Khodorkovsky nega as acusações e disse que “um Estado que destrói suas melhores empresas e confia apenas na burocracia e no serviço secreto é um Estado doente”.

Muitos críticos acreditam que o governo quer manter o ex-magnata atrás das grades pelo maior tempo possível porque ele desafiou o primeiro-ministro Vladimir Putin ao financiar a oposição.

Em uma entrevista transmitida na semana passada, Putin se referiu a Khodorkovsky dizendo que "um ladrão tem que ficar na prisão".

Os advogados do ex-magnata disseram que as declarações de Putin "dissiparam qualquer dúvida sobre quem pressiona o tribunal" e afirmaram que os comentários poderiam ajudar em um apelo caso Khodorkovsky fosse julgado culpado.

Caso permaneça preso até 2017, Khodorkovsky não voltará à sociedade até a próxima eleição presidencial russa, em 2012. Alguns analistas acreditam que, caso estivesse em liberdade, ele poderia ameaçar o candidato do Kremlin no próximo pleito. BBC Brasil