News Headlines - 25 December 2012
▽Yen Rises From 20-Month Low on Speculation Drop Overdone - Businessweek
The yen rallied from a 20-month low against the dollar on speculation that monetary easing bets had driven the Japanese currency down too rapidly.
▽BBC News - Queen marks Christmas with family
The Queen has been to church with members of her family at Sandringham in Norfolk, as part of her traditional Christmas celebrations.
Church leaders have warned that Christmas Day is in danger of becoming a ‘frenzy of bargain hunting’ after Amazon announced it is launching its sale on December 25. Online retailers expect an astonishing ￡307 million of business on Tuesday alone – 50 per cent more than an average day. Critics have called for the sales to be postponed until Boxing Day, leaving Christmas as a family occasion and religious celebration.
▽Sky News: Is Belgian chocolate's status melting?
Belgium's reputation as the world's chocolate capital could be melting as emerging markets develop a sweet tooth and the recession continues to bite. The region became the base for the industry shortly after the Spanish explorer Cortes returned from Mexico with cocoa pods from Mexico in the 17th century. Three hundred chocolate companies are based in Belgium, which have a combined turnover of over $3bn every year.
▽West Antarctic Warming Faster Than Thought, Study Finds - NYTimes.com
West Antarctica has warmed much more than scientists had thought over the last half century, new research suggests, an ominous finding given that the huge ice sheet there may be vulnerable to long-term collapse, with potentially drastic effects on sea levels.
