Global Affairs and Finance October 21 2009

Strong sales of the I Phone and Macintosh computers helped Apple post strong gains, while rivals still struggle. Producer prices and housing starts overshadow strong earnings from Apple and Caterpillar.

Barnes and Noble will now compete with Amazon and Google with its own newsreader called the Nook. In previous hubs I mentioned the competition for this multi-billion dollar market — wish I had thought of it!

Chipmaker’s sales also declined, but stocks rose in after-hours trading.

President Hamid Karzai 's concession appears to have prevented Afghanistan from slipping into chaos. However, this has created implementation problems with U.S. troops in the area. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that the U.S. can't wait for the results of a November 7 presidential run-off to decide whether or not to increase the number of American troops in Afghanistan.

In a bid to lure Anglican traditionalists, the Catholic Church will allow converts to preserve some liturgical traditions from the Church of England.

The Supreme Court has agreed to take a case concerning 17 prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay. The prisoners have been determined not to be a threat to the USA. All 17 are from the Muslim Uyghur region of Western China.

Goldman Sachs vice-chairman says bankers' soaring pay is an investment in the economy. “We have to tolerate the inequality as a way to achieve greater prosperity and opportunity for all," Brian Griffiths, adviser to Goldman Sachs.

As a result of suicide bombers at the International Islamic University killing 4 people and wounded 18 in Islamabad, Pakistani authorities have closed schools and universities across the country.

Projections of UK population of 70 million assume pre-recession migration levels, the projections are actually lower than the set published last year and are founded on what was happening with immigration in the middle of 2008.

A veteran of the Pakistan quick reaction strike team will now head U.N. troops in Liberia.

Swiss and South African governments are donating millions to green projects in Tunisia.