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Jeffrey Picower, Madoff key investor died at 67
Jeffry Picower was found unconscious in his swimming pool in Palm Beach, Florida in the United States on Sunday afternoon, October 25, 2009. He was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Medical Centre. Jeffry Picower was one of those key investors who invested with Madoff. Bernie Madoff was convicted of swindling for operating an investment scheme and defrauding thousands of his investors. [cnn.com and independent.ie]
Read the full story, Madoff investor drowns in Florida pool, at the CNN site.
Read the full story, Madoff friend found dead in swimming pool, at the Irish Independent site.
United Kingdom economy still in recession
The gross domestic product (GDP) of the United Kingdom has contracted for six consecutive quarters. It was reported that according to official records that between July and September, the United Kingdom economy declined by 0.4 percent which indicates that the UK is still in recession. [bbc.co.uk]
Read the full story, UK economy is still in recession, at the BBC site.
China negotiates for oil in U.S. waters
Four years ago, United States denied China’s bid for Unocal on national security grounds. Four years later, the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) is reportedly in negotiation to purchase leases by the Norwegian StatoilHydro in U.S. waters in the Gulf of Mexico. China has a growing demand for oil but its local supply is stagnant, so China is looking for sources abroad especially in U.S. waters. Gulf of Mexico is the source of about a quarter of U.S. crude oil production. [latimes.com]
Read the full story, China’s push for oil in Gulf of Mexico puts U.S. in awkward spot, at the Los Angeles Times site.
Fernald Preserve in Ohio: Toxic Legacy of the Cold War
The Fernald Preserve in Ohio, United States has flowers and birds but also has tons of radioactive waste. Fernald was one of the many facilities that once supplied the nuclear arsenal of the United States. The plant was shut down in 1989 but the place remains contaminated. Fernald is part of the toxic legacy of the Cold War. [latimes.com]
Read the full story, Toxic legacy of the Cold War, at the Los Angeles Times site.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai ‘did not get enough votes’
It was reported that according to the Electoral Complaints Commission, the current President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai did not gain enough votes for an outright win in the August 20 presidential election. He needed at least 50 percent votes to avoid a runoff with his closest rival former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah. If a runoff is necessary, the Afghan election officials have tentatively set November 1 as the date for a runoff. [cnn.com and bbc.co.uk]
Read the full story, Karzai ‘facing runoff for Afghan presidency,’ NGO says, at the CNN site.
Read the full story with video, Karzai ‘stripped of outright win’, at the BBC site.
Goldman Sachs’ profits more than $3bn
US Bank Goldman Sachs announced on Thursday that it profited $3.19bn for the period July to September 2009, almost quadrupled its profits compared to the period July to September 2008. Goldman Sachs also set aside $5.35bn to cover pay and bonuses for the quarter.
In a report by ITN on July 2009 Goldman Sachs also made huge profit for the second quarter. It was mentioned in this report that Goldman Sachs accepted £6.1 billion of taxpayer bail-out cash and benefited from a host of other US government programmes. [cnn.com, bbc.co.uk and itn.co.uk]
Read the full story with video, Goldman Sachs profits crush estimates, at the CNN site.
Read the full story, US banks’ profits beat forecasts, at the BBC site.
Read the full story, Bailed-out Goldman makes huge profit, at the ITN site.
Internet access a legal right in Finland
In Finland, a broadband Internet access is a legal right. Finland has become the first country in the world to declare it a legal right. About 95 percent of the population in Finland have some sort of Internet access.
It was also declared that Internet access is a human right in France but now Finland steps further by legally mandating speed to have a fast Internet access. [cnn.com]
Read the full story, Fast Internet access becomes a legal right in Finland, at the CNN site.
Boyzone Singer Stephen Gately suddenly died at 33
The Irish Band Boyzone Singer Stephen Gately died of natural causes at the age of 33. It was reported that he suffered a pulmonary oedema, an accumulation of fluid on the lungs. Earlier, there was a speculation of foul play but police said that there were no signs of suspicious circumstances. Stephen Gately died on Saturday, October 10, 2009 while on holiday in Majorca, Spain. The judge has already authorized Gately’s family and Andrew Cowles, his civil partner, to bring his body back home to Ireland. [bbc.co.uk and independent.ie]
Read the full story, Gately ‘died of natural causes’, at the BBC site.
Read the full story, His body was discovered by partner Andy, insist family, at the Irish Independent site.
Read the full story with video, Boyzone star Stephen Gately dies, at the BBC site.
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