500K protest British budget austerity
LONDON, March 26 (UPI) -- A half-million protesters marched in London Saturday against the British government's budget cuts, organizers said.
The march, staged by the Trades Union Congress, proceeded for hours from Victoria Embankment past the Houses of Parliament to Hyde Park, where Labor Party leader Ed Miliband addressed the crowd, the BBC reported.
Sky News and the Daily Mail said the march drew 500,000 people. One union, Unite, said so many members wanted to attend it could not find them enough transport to London.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber told the rally, "We are here to send a message to the government that we are strong and united. We will fight the savage cuts and we will not let them destroy peoples' services, jobs and lives."
Miliband said: "The Tories said I should not come and speak today. But I am proud to stand with you. There is an alternative."
Several groups of black-clad, masked marchers split off and scuffled with police, vandalizing banks, storefronts and hotels, including the Ritz. Police arrested 200 people, Sky News said.
Education Secretary Michael Gove said earlier the government was "inheriting a terrible economic mess [and] we have to take steps to bring the public finances back into balance."
Banks begin cutting debit card incentives
NEW YORK, March 26 (UPI) -- Major U.S. banks are dropping debit card rewards in response to the Federal Reserve's move against swipe fees charged to retailers.
Many financial institutions already have increased ATM fees and are threatening to limit debit card spending in response to the Fed's proposed cap, saying they must find revenue elsewhere, CNNMoney reports.
Wells Fargo, which also owns Wachovia, announced Friday it will no longer offer its debit rewards program for new customers.
JPMorgan Chase notified existing customers last week they will lose their debit rewards in July, having dropped them for new customers in February. SunTrust will stop giving award points April 15.
Citi said it is "in the process of evaluating potential changes to our rewards programs."
Debit rewards are awarded for activities such as spending, carrying high balances and making minimum deposits. Customers can redeem the points they collect for cash or gift cards.
Curtis Arnold, founder of CreditRatings.com, said banks "risk losing customers and won't have the same customer loyalty."
"Maybe what they're hoping will happen is there will be a consumer backlash that results in changes to the regulation, so that scrapping debit rewards can just be a temporary thing," he added.
Italy, Tunisia reach pact on refugees
ROME, March 26 (UPI) -- Tunisia's new government has agreed to measures intended to block refugees from heading to Italy and convince those in Italy to return, Italian officials say.
The Italian government said it would provide a line of credit of 150 million euros ($210 million), the Italian news agency ANSA reported. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Friday some of the money will be used for economic assistance for Tunisians now in Italy illegally who agree to return home.
Italy also agreed to provide training and resources for Tunisian border control.
Tunisian refugees have swamped the island of Lampedusa, officials say. The island, part of Sicily politically, has an immigration reception center and is closer to Tunisia than Italy.
Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said 15,700 Tunisians have reached Italy this year, almost four times the total for 2010.
Immigrants now outnumber the local population on Lampedusa.
Maroni said Italy wants to get a handle on the refugee situation in Tunisia in case the chaos in Libya causes a massive exodus.
"We are getting ready in case the earthquake happening in Libya is followed by a human tsunami," Maroni said.
Court seeks Interpol warrant for Musharraf
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, March 26 (UPI) -- A spokesman for former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said a court's request Saturday for an international arrest warrant is politically motivated.
The anti-terrorism court accused Musharraf of involvement in the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto, The Washington Post reported. The court in Rawalpindi, after an in-camera session, directed a police agency to seek a warrant from Interpol.
Musharraf has been living in London. A spokesman said Saturday he is scheduled to visit the United States soon and plans to make the trip.
Bhutto was shot Dec. 27, 2007, as she campaigned in Rawalpindi for parliamentary elections. The assassins also set off explosives, killing about 20 people.
A U.N. report found that top officials interfered with the investigation into Bhutto's death but did not suggest the assassination was ordered. Five Taliban members and two Army officers have been arrested.
Musharraf had talked about returning to Pakistan to run for office again but is likely to put a hold on his plans.
