INEQUALITY | Oxfam: Richest 1 percent sees share of global wealth jump

Ukraine Aid CrunchOxfam International says the richest 1 percent of the population will own more than half the world’s wealth by 2016. In a report released yesterday as the World Economic Forum begins in Davos, Switzerland, Oxfam says the world’s richest people saw their share of global wealth jump to 48 percent last year from 44 percent in 2009. The organization is warning that rising inequality is holding back the fight against global poverty. Winnie Byanyima, Oxfam’s executive director, says while world leaders ranging from President Barack Obama to International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde have talked about tackling the world’s extreme economic inequality, “we are still waiting for many of them to walk the walk.” Byanyima says despite inequality being on the global agenda, the gap is widening fast.

EU Counter-Terrorism chief Gilles de Kerkhove, left, and European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini 

EU Counter-Terrorism chief Gilles de Kerkhove, left, and European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini 

EU appeals Hamas court ruling taking group off terror list

The European Union foreign policy chief says the bloc is launching an appeal against last month’s EU court ruling that ordered the Palestinian group Hamas removed from its terror list for technical reasons. Federica Mogherini said yesterday the council of ministers will challenge some of the court’s findings and consider future action to avoid similar annulments. Hamas was put on the EU terrorist list as part of broader measures to fight terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and its funds were frozen. Hamas has long contested the classification. An EU high court on Dec. 17 said the reason for listing it was based too much on media and Internet reports, and not enough on acts examined by competent authorities.

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