World in brief: Migration to U.S. outstrips deaths
Mexico has lost more people to migration to the United States than death since 2000, according to a government report released Thursday.
Mexico’s demographics agency found that an average of 577,000 people migrated to the U.S. each year between 2000-2005, compared to 495,000 deaths a year in the same period. In 2006, 559,000 migrated and there were 501,000 deaths.
Immigration to the U.S. has increased drastically since 1970, when 800,000 Mexicans lived north of the border. Today, there are about 11 million Mexicans living in the U.S., both legally and illegally, the report found.
Tel Aviv, Israel
Rally held for Olmert resignation
Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied in a Tel Aviv square after sundown Thursday, demanding Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resign because of a government inquiry’s scathing criticism of his handling of the inconclusive war in Lebanon.
Olmert remained defiant, hoping to beat back a wave of calls for him to step down.
Turnout on the square in front of Tel Aviv’s City Hall appeared to top 100,000, but police refused to estimate the crowd’s size.
The rally drew a cross-section of Israelis – moderates and hard-liners, secular and religious, young and old, a rare mix symbolizing the widespread dissatisfaction with Olmert.
Caracas, Venezuela
Chavez threatens to take over banks
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Thursday threatened to nationalize the country’s banks and largest steel producer, accusing them of unscrupulous practices.
“Private banks have to give priority to financing the industrial sectors of Venezuela at low cost,” Chavez said. “If banks don’t agree with this, it’s better that they go, that they turn over the banks to me, that we nationalize them and get all the banks to work for the development of the country and not to speculate and produce huge profits.”
It was not clear if Chavez was only referring to Venezuelan banks like Mercantil Servicios Financieros CA and Banco Provincial SA, or if he was also aiming the threat at major international banks with subsidiaries in the country.
Chavez also warned the government could take over steel producer Sidor, which is majority controlled by Luxembourg-based Ternium SA.
Sidor “has created a monopoly” and sold the bulk of its production overseas, forcing local producers to import tubes and other products from China and elsewhere, Chavez said.