Rebel News - Independent News and Analysis

Three months after announcing a major data theft from its Swiss branch, the UK-based HSBC Bank has acknowledged that as many as 24,000 customers' information had been stolen.

The chief executive of the Swiss subsidiary offered an apology to clients on Thursday, with an initial statement putting the figure of exposed client data at 15,000, excluding 9,000 people who no longer hold accounts with the bank.

China's National Bureau of Statistics says consumer prices in China have increased in February for the fourth straight month.

The consumer price index rose 2.7 percent last month, compared with the same period last year.

Mexico's Carlos Slim has topped Forbes magazine's billionaire list, becoming the first person from outside the US to lead the rankings since 1994.

According to Forbes' estimates, the net fortune of Slim, 70, who built a telecommunications empire after buying Mexico's state-run phone monopoly two decades ago, rose by $18.5 billion last year to more than $53 billion.

A strike by British Airways' cabin crew looks inevitable as talks between a labor union and Europe's third-largest airline over pay cuts ended without agreement.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) which is a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions, said on Wednesday that the airline rejected peace proposals aimed at averting a strike.

This time Max Keiser and co-host, Stacy Herbert, report on the fake shop fronts making a "revived" economy in Northern England; the Chile quake causing Goldman Sachs's high frequency trading to lose 2.1 trades per day; and the mobs in Indonesia, a "revolution" in Ireland and online media preventing an orderly transfer of wealth. Keiser also speaks to investigative journalist, Greg Palast, about the RICO case against US bankers and politicians and about vulture funds preying on the Third and First world economies.

Spanish police have seized more than a tonne of cocaine in two separate raids. The hauls, which were being smuggled from South America, had a total street value of more than 50 million dollars. The country's demand for recreational drugs is now the highest in Europe - a statistic that the Spanish authorities are struggling to reverse. And as the drug culture expands, alarm bells are starting to ring, as Igor Ogorodnev reports.

Head of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization Babak Afghahi says Iranian goods will be sold with creditable trademarks in Kuwait's market.

"The Kuwaiti Union of Consumer Co-operative Societies is committed to sell Iranian goods with creditable trademarks in Kuwait's market," IRIB quoted Afqahi as saying on Wednesday.

New figures released on Wednesday show a strong year-on-year increase in China's exports, even better than forecasted before.

According to Chinese customs data, China's exports increased 45.7 percent to reach 94.5 billion dollars in February from a year earlier — fastest pace in three years.

The Brazilian government has announced increased trade tariffs against a variety of American goods in response to illegal US subsidies to cotton farmers.

Brazil on Monday published a list of 100 US goods subject to import tariffs that will go into effect in 30 days, unless the two sides can reach an agreement.

The deputy head of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) said Tuesday the company is studying 22 oil and gas development contracts with foreign companies.

"Negotiations over four of the contracts are [almost] concluded," Hojatollah Ghanimifard told Fars news agency. "By finalizing these contracts, the Oil Ministry will accomplish all its contractual commitments under the country's fourth development plan."