TwistedSifter

Every Wednesday you will find links and top-line summaries to current events around the globe.

Google, Citing Cyber Attack, Threatens to Exit China [New York Times]

- Google, facing an assault by hackers who sought to penetrate the e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists, will stop cooperating with Chinese censorship and consider closing its offices and operations in China altogether, the company said on Tuesday
- Since arriving here in 2006 under an arrangement with the government that purged its Chinese search results of banned topics, Google has come under fire for abetting a system that increasingly restricts what its citizens can read on the Internet
- In China, search requests that include words such as “Tiananmen Square massacre” or “Dalai Lama” come up blank. In recent months, the government has also blocked YouTube, Google’s video-sharing service

Haiti Is Rocked by Powerful Quake [New York Times]

- A powerful earthquake of 7.0 magnitude rocked Haiti just before 5 p.m. Eastern time, 10 miles southwest from the highly populated capital of Port-au-Prince, causing widespread damage and panic with the potential for a high number of casualties in the impoverished Caribbean country
- There were five aftershocks — the worst two were 5.9 and 5.2 magnitude — that followed in the last hour, and more were expected
- Haiti, by far the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, has been beset by natural disasters for most of its recent history. The island is struck by an annual series of hurricanes and is particularly vulnerable to storm-related disasters because much of its forests have been chopped down and used for fuel

China Becomes World’s No. 1 Exporter, Passing Germany [New York Times]

- China overtook Germany as the world’s top exporter after China’s December exports jumped 17.7% for their first increase in 14 months. Exports for the last month of 2009 were $130.7 billion. That raised total 2009 exports to $1.2 trillion, ahead of the $1.17 trillion for Germany
- Helped by a 4 trillion renminbi ($586 billion) stimulus package, China’s economic expansion accelerated to 8.9% for the third quarter of 2009. The government says full-year growth should be 8.3%
- China surpassed the United States as the biggest auto market in 2009 and is on track to replace Japan as the world’s second-largest economy soon. China passed Germany as the third-largest economy in 2007. Even though China overtook Germany as top exporter, the customs agency said total 2009 Chinese trade fell 13.9% from 2008

Venezuela plans blackouts in Caracas, oil town [Reuters]

- Venezuela will switch off lights for hours at a time in Caracas and other cities such as oil town Maracaibo in planned blackouts to tackle power shortages that threaten President Hugo Chavez’s support
- Officials announced the nationwide electricity rationing lasting at least until May on Tuesday and said even schools and small health clinics would be hit in South America’s top oil exporter. Venezuela mostly depends on hydroelectricity for its power and has been hard hit by a drought Chavez blames on the El Nino weather phenomenon
- Venezuelans are already suffering widespread water rationing and increased power cuts and could punish the socialist president for the problems in September elections for lawmakers. Chavez must navigate a number of issues, including price rises after a devaluation and high crime, if he is to maintain his approval ratings above 50% this year

Global recession knocks start-ups [BBC]

- New start-ups were down 10% last year in 20 of the world’s richest nations, said the latest edition of the annual Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). It found that the decline was the most severe in the US, where it fell 24%. The United Arab Emirates saw the most start-up activity in 2009, up 38%
- Now in its 11th year, the 2009 GEM report was based on a study of 54 countries, and more than 180,00 interviews. The study was established by London Business School and Babson College in the US
- Professor Bill Bygrave of Babson College, one of the founders of GEM, said the pool of money had declined from $400bn to $350bn, a 12.5% drop across the 33 countries that taken part in both the 2008 and the 2009 GEM surveys

Israel to construct barrier along Egyptian border [BBC]

- Israel’s government has approved plans for the construction of a barrier along its border with Egypt in a bid to keep out illegal migrants and militants. It will be built along two parts of the border - near the Red Sea city of Eilat and on the edge of the Gaza Strip
- At least 17 migrants, mostly African, have been killed since May by Egyptian police, who say they are trying to stop people trafficking. According to Israeli police estimates between 100-200 illegal immigrants cross into Israel from Egypt every week. Eritrea is the most common country of origin for people trying to cross illegally from Egypt to Israel, followed by Ethiopia and Sudan
- On Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said he had approved the construction of sections of barrier that would block the main infiltration routes along the 266 km (166-mile) frontier, and the installation of advanced surveillance equipment. The project is set to cost $270m and take several years to complete

Jay-Z and Beyonce named ‘top-earning couple’ by Forbes [BBC]

- Music stars Beyonce and Jay-Z have been named Hollywood’s top-earning couple by Forbes magazine. The pair, who married in 2008, earned an estimated $122m between June 2008 and June 2009 - more than any other couple married or unmarried
- In a distant second place was Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford and girlfriend Calista Flockhart with estimated combined earnings of $69m. Actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were ranked third
- Last year, Beyonce out-earned Jay-Z - bringing in $87m to his $35m - helped by chart hits like Singles Ladies and starring in film Obsessed. The couple also topped last year’s list with earnings of $162m

- Conan O’Brien Says He Won’t Host ‘Tonight Show’ After Leno [New York Times]
- Fed earned $45 billion in 2009: report [Reuters]
- Mexican Known for Gore Is Detained [New York Times]
- Heineken in $7.6 Billion Deal to Buy a Big Mexican Brewer [New York Times]
- As China Rises, Fears Grow on Whether Boom Can Endure [New York Times]

Before and after pictures of the Presidential palace in Port-au-Prince show the earthquake’s destructive power. Many are feared dead.

via In pictures: Haitian earthquake [BBC]



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