Stories for January 15th 2010
Mayor Johnson says top bankers fleeing from London over taxes
Thousands of high-earning bankers will flee London because of the Government's taxation policy, Mayor Boris Johnson has warned. He has written to Chancellor Alistair Darling asking for a meeting to discuss his introduction of a 50p income tax rate for top earners and a temporary 50% levy on banking bonuses over £25,000.
China’s overseas investments expand 6.5% in 2009; 40% forecasted in 2010
China's overseas investment in non-financial sectors rose 6.5% last year from 2008 despite the economic downturn, the government said Friday, as the nation kept up its global hunt for resources.
Lula da Silva yields to military eliminates “political repression” term
Brazil’s President Lula da Silva said that he’s not sponsoring a “witch hunt” when he proposes the creation of a Truth Commission to investigate cases of torture and killings of political prisoners during the long military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985.
Surviving Haitians desperate while disorganized relief efforts trickle
The Red Cross estimates 45,000-50,000 people have died in Haiti's devastating earthquake, as rescue teams race against time to find survivors. The US is sending up to 3,500 troops and 2,200 marines but correspondents say aid is so far only trickling in.
Cobos will not summon Congress while Mrs Kirchner is out of the country
Argentine Vice-President Julio Cobos confirmed Thursday that he will not summon the Congress for an extraordinary session to discuss the Argentine Central Bank emergency decrees while Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is not at the country and added that those versions are “distrustful”.
Mujica and Mrs. Kirchner willing to improve bilateral relations
Uruguayan president elect Jose Mujica said “there is no solution out there” for the situation of the Finnish paper mill Botnia, but “we are willing to improve the relationship between both countries”.
One out of three US adults are obese and 17% of children age 2 to 19
Obesity rates in the United States are still sky-high, but for the moment they appear to have stopped climbing higher, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Haiti sits on two seismic fault lines and a major disaster was expected
Seismologists have known for years that a devastating earthquake was likely to hit Haiti. They just did not know when. Although Tuesday’s devastation was wreaked by the most severe quake to hit Port-au-Prince since 1751, the island has been the victim of major seismic activity several times since.
Brazilian project to cut poverty to “developed countries’ level” in six years
Brazil could achieve social indicators similar to those of developed countries by 2016 if the country is able to maintain the same rate of extreme poverty reduction and income redistribution as recorded during the 2003/2008 period, according to an official report from the Presidential Strategic Affairs Secretariat.
China acts to prevent real estate bubble from developing
Chinese property prices rose at their fastest annual rate in 18 months in December according to official figures referred to the country’s 70 large and medium-sized cities. Real estate prices rose by 7.8% from a year ago - up from the 5.7% annual rise seen in November and renewing fears that an asset bubble is developing.
