EU
eyes bigger global role - 5 October
The 'Yes' vote by Irish voters on the Lisbon Treaty has brought
forward the prospect that the European Union might play a greater
role in world affairs. There are two provisions in the treaty
which might make this possible. These are for a permanent
president of the European Council and a beefed-up foreign policy
representative. The hope among supporters of the treaty is that
these posts will enable the EU to speak more clearly and
coherently on major world issues. - BBC
News website
EU
fine for electronics 'rip-off' - 7 October
The European Union has fined six makers of power transformers a
total of 67.6m euros (£62.6m ; $99.6m) for running a cartel that
artificially hiked prices. The three European and three Japanese
firms operated like "a gentleman's club" by agreeing not
to sell in each other's markets, the EU said. ABB of Switzerland,
Alstom and Areva T&D of France, and Fuji Electrics, Hitachi
and Toshiba were all fined. Siemens of Germany took part in the
cartel but escaped a fine. - BBC
News website
Farm
subsidy system 'in a mess' - 15 October
The EU farm subsidies system is a "masterclass of
misadministration" in most of the UK, the head of the Commons
Public Accounts Committee has said. Edward Leigh MP was responding
to a National Audit Office report condemning the high cost to the
taxpayer. Farming minister Jim Fitzpatrick has disputed figures
showing average claim processing costs were £285 in Scotland, but
£1 743 in England. He said "real progress" had been
made but conceded serious problems existed. The EU's Single
Payment Scheme provides grants to farmers for maintaining their
land. - BBC News website
Finland
Finland
makes 1Mb broadband access a legal right - 14 October
Finland's Ministry of Transport and Communications has made
1-megabit broadband Web access a legal right, YLE, the country's
national broadcasting company, reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, every person in Finland (a little over 5
million people, according to a 2009 estimate) will have the
right of access to a 1Mb broadband connection starting in July.
And they may ultimately gain the right to a 100Mb broadband
connection. Just more than a year ago, Finland said it would make
a 100Mb broadband connection a legal right by the end of 2015.
Wednesday's announcement is considered an intermediate step. - cnet
news website
Italy
Court
weighs Berlusconi immunity - 6 October
Italy's top court has begun reviewing a law that
grants Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi immunity from
prosecution whilst in office. The immunity law enabled Mr
Berlusconi to withdraw from a number of court cases, including
one where he was accused of corruption. Opponents say immunity
violates the principle that all citizens are equal before the
law. - BBC News website
Berlusconi's
shield dented by ruling - 7 October
No one is above the law, not even a prime minister. That is the
conclusion of one of the most eagerly awaited court
decisions in recent Italian history. The country's
Constitutional Court has ruled that Silvio Berlusconi and three
other people in public life - the president of the republic and
the two parliamentary speakers - should not have immunity from
prosecution while they are in office. - BBC
News website
Italy
approves tax amnesty bill - 3 October
Italy's parliament has approved a controversial tax amnesty on
undeclared funds held overseas. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
says the expected repatriation of 300bn euros ($437bn, £274bn)
will help boost state revenues. But the left-wing opposition
says the amnesty will benefit organised crime. - BBC
News website
Adopted
'nobles' at war over vast fortune - 13 October
Two British orphans adopted by one of Rome's most famous
princely papal families are locked in a bitter legal feud over
which of their children will eventually inherit an estate
reportedly worth more than 1bn euros (£930m). At the heart of
the row is whether the children of one of the orphans - who is
gay and had his offspring via a surrogate mother - have a legal
right to the family fortune. - BBC
News website
Netherlands
Dutch
government brings in stricter regulations for migration on
marriage - 9 October
The government wants to discourage marriage migration to the
Netherlands if the partners' prospects are poor. It plans to
step up the requirements for marriage migration and integration.
- eGov Monitor website
Switzerland
Polanski
loses first bid for release - 6 October
Roman Polanski lost his first bid to win his freedom Tuesday as
the Swiss Justice Ministry rejected an appeal by the 76-year-old
to be immediately released from prison, an official said.
"We continue to be of the opinion that there is a high risk
of flight," said ministry spokesman Folco Galli, explaining
the decision. - New York Times
website
Polanski
undergoing medical treatment : lawyer - 18 October
Film director Roman Polanski, arrested in
Switzerland
three weeks ago to face extradition in a US
sex case, has been moved from jail for medical treatment,
his French lawyer said on Saturday. French lawyer Herve
Temime said last week after visiting Polanski in a Zurich
jail that he was depressed and tired and expressed concern
about his medical condition. - Eye
Witness News website
Polanski
appeal for bail rejected - 20 October
Director Roman Polanski has lost an appeal to be released on
bail from a Swiss jail ahead of his possible extradition to the
US. Switzerland's highest criminal court backed an earlier
government ruling that there was a high risk of Polanski fleeing
the country if he was released. - BBC
News website
Swiss
admit US Polanski tip-off - 21 October
Authorities in Switzerland have claimed they acted correctly in
informing their US counterparts that director Roman Polanski was
travelling to Zurich. It was this tip-off, revealed in e-mails
obtained by AP, that set in motion the 76-year-old's arrest last
month on decades-old sex charges. Justice Ministry spokesman
Folco Galli told AP that US officials were asked if an alert
issued in 2005 remained valid. After receiving confirmation, he
said that Switzerland was obliged to act. - BBC
News website
Polanski
may choose to face US justice, says lawyer - 21 October
Film director Roman Polanski, now in Swiss detention, may decide
to face justice in the United States, where he is wanted on a
1977 sex charge, to avoid lengthy extradition procedures, one of
his lawyers said on Wednesday. - Mail
& Guardian website