US judge declares Swiss banker, lawyer fugitives

sacbeeWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A federal judge in Florida has declared a banker and lawyer from Switzerland who were indicted on fraud charges as fugitives from justice.U.S. District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley signed the order against banker Hansruedi Schumacher and attorney Matthias Rickenbach on Thursday in West Palm Beach.Schumacher and Rickenbach are accused of helping rich Americans evade… Read more

Australian, New Zealand Dollars Strengthen on Job Gains, Outlook for Rates

BloombergDec. 10 (Bloomberg) — Australia’s dollar gained for a second day after a report showed employers added more than six times the number of jobs forecast by economists. New Zealand’s currency advanced on prospects for higher interest rates.The so-called Aussie rose after the statistics bureau said employers increased jobs for the third month in November, unexpectedly pushing down the… Read more

Israel: 10000 West Bank Settlers Protest

New York TimesAbout 10,000 West Bank settlers and their backers demonstrated in downtown Jerusalem on Wednesday, pledging to defy a temporary building ban imposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. The relatively large turnout reflected support for increasingly fierce settler resistance to the government ban. Settlers held signs and banners that read ‘We will continue to build’ and… Read more

Kuwait lops $4.1B Citi stake

New York PosKuwait Investment Authority, the nation’s sovereign-wealth fund, sold its stake in Citigroup for $4.1 billion after helping the US bank boost capital during the financial crisis.The fund converted Citigroup preferred securities, purchased for $3 billion last year, into common shares and sold them, making a profit of $1.1 billion, KIA said.Sovereign wealth funds are selling investments… Read more