Europe far right courts Israel in anti-Islam drive – Reuters
PARIS (Reuters) – Far-right political parties in Europe are stepping up their anti-Muslim rhetoric and forging ties across borders, even going so far as to visit Israel to hail the Jewish state as a bulwark against militant Islam. National Front leader

New tax law packed with obscure business tax cuts – AP – msnbc.com
The massive new tax bill signed into law by President Barack Obama is filled with all kinds of holiday stocking stuffers for businesses: tax breaks for producing TV shows, grants for putting up windmills, rum subsidies for Puerto Rico and the Virgin

South Africa to Join BRIC to Boost Emerging Markets – BusinessWeek
(Updates with South Africa s membership in other global forums in 12th paragraph.) Dec. 24 (Bloomberg) — South Africa has been formally asked to join the BRIC group of major emerging markets, comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China, bolstering its

Feds reported to OK U.S. sales to Iran – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department has granted nearly 10,000 special licenses to American companies over the past decade so they could sell some types of products in Iran and other countries the U.S. considers terrorist sponsors, The New York Times