February 18, 2013
Church ready to pay taxes
The Jamaican church said yesterday it would have no problem paying property taxes, if the Government asked it to pay up, as part of measures preparatory to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) pact. "Whatever tax the Government feels that is…
February 18, 2013
PSOJ warns of massive job losses in Jamaica
The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) is calling on the Government to immediately review and make changes to aspects of its new tax regime, which it said could do more harm than good to the economy. "The PSOJ is urging the Government to…
February 18, 2013
German economy to return to growth, says Bundesbank
Germany will avoid recession and return to growth in the first quarter of 2013, the country's central bank has said. The Bundesbank's monthly report for February forecast that the rest of 2013 will see a gradual pick-up in activity in Europe's…
February 18, 2013
Japan shares up as G20 statement stokes weak yen hopes
Japanese shares have risen after finance ministers of the G20 group of nations avoided singling out Japan for criticism over the recent yen weakness. The yen has dipped nearly 15% against the US dollar since November amid Japan's efforts to stoke…
February 18, 2013
Amazon dismisses German warehouse security firm
Online retailer Amazon has ended the contract of a security firm employed at one of its German warehouses, following complaints about workers' conditions. The company, Hensel European Security Services (Hess), was accused of harassing seasonal…
February 18, 2013
Pound continues to weaken against dollar and euro
Sterling has continued to weaken against the dollar and the euro on continued worries about the health of the UK economy. Against the dollar, sterling fell to a seven-month low, and against the euro it was nearing a 15-month low. The falls came…
February 18, 2013
Heathrow airport hits record 70 million passengers
A record 70 million passengers used Heathrow last year, boosting the airport's revenues by 8% to £2.46bn. The airport, the UK's busiest, is operating at close to capacity, with 471,341 flights during 2012, just below the legal limit of 480,000 a…
February 18, 2013
Israel Prisoner X: Ben Zygier ‘leaked Mossad secrets’
Israel secretly imprisoned an Australian man who worked for its Mossad spy agency because it believed he had divulged details of his work, an Australian news programme has reported. ABC News said Ben Zygier was suspected by Israel of informing…
February 18, 2013
UN Report Criticizes Both Factions in Syrian Conflict
A member of the U.N.'s commission of inquiry on the Syria conflict says the International Criminal Court should be called in to probe war crimes in Syria. Carla del Ponte said Monday the U.N. Security Council and the international community must…
February 18, 2013
Al-Qaida Affiliate Claims Baghdad Blasts
Al-Qaida's Iraqi wing has claimed responsibility for a series of car bomb blasts in the capital that killed at least 28 people and wounded around 100 others in predominantly Shi'ite districts. The al-Qaida affiliate, Islamic State of Iraq, said…