Wealth International, Limited

Offshore News Digest for Week of March 18, 2002


BAHAMAS SELLOUT TO O.E.C.D. ATTACKED

NASSAU. A lame duck government agrees to share tax information with other nations' tax collectors; attacked for surrendering sovereignty.

More on this story here and here and here.

WAY BEYOND OFFSHORE

What their creators claim are 'autonomous free zones' have no shores at all. Read about Sealand, Freedom Ship and the World of ResidenSea.

More on this story here.

GRAND DUCHY, SMALL TREASURE

There's more to LUXEMBOURG than mutual funds, banks and financial privacy.

More on this story here.

A LEFTIST LOOKS AT LUXEMBOURG

A notorious left-wing writer weaves a conspiracy about Clearstream, alleged to be "a shadowy system to secretly move trillions of dollars exploited by tax evaders, drug runners and even terrorists."

More on this story here and here.

BERMUDA IN THE SPOTLIGHT

HAMILTON. US taxes drive corporations to Bermuda, but the island is not involved in the IRS offshore credit card investigations.

More on this story here and here.

ITALIAN BANKS WELCOME OFFSHORE TAX EVADERS

ROME. A national tax amnesty has Italian banks competing for an estimated offshore 100 billion euro (US$87 billion).

More on this story here.

HONG KONG HAS PROBLEMS, BUT IT'S NOT DOWN YET

Insiders take a closer look at the Far East's most famous offshore financial center. What they see is not all bad.

More on this story here and here.

GIBRALTAR RALLIES FOR SOVEREIGNTY

Almost all residents attend a mass demonstration against a UK sellout to Spain, as Tony Blair plans an EU cash bribe to appease The Rock.

More on this story here and here

Even as Gibraltar gets off the OECD blacklist, the UK Foreign Office conspires against the government of this offshore colony.

More on this story here and here.

COLORADO 'OFFSHORE' BANK FALTERS

DENVER. Colorado's first 'offshore bank' was out of money and out of time before the state's banking board gave it a reprieve.

More on this story here.

CUBAN CAPITALISM?

A new book says it not only exists, but offers real opportunities.

More on this story here.

MARGARET THATCHER: GET U.K. OUT OF E.U.

Time has for Britain to pull out of the European Union says Baroness Thatcher. She damns the EU as 'fundamentally unreformable'.

More on this story here and here.

U.S. VISA LAW CHANGES SLOW FOREIGN VISITORS

This explains why since 9/11 it's much more difficult to get a US visa.

More on this story here.

FAST ACTION ON U.S. PASSPORTS

It takes just a matter of a few days, but a lot more money.

More on this story here.

FLORIDA COURT CRACKS OFFSHORE TRUST

Imprisonment for contempt persuades the grantor of a Bahamas trust to come clean with creditors.

More on this story here.

BBC DISCOVERS MONEY LAUNDERING

LONDON. Belated BBC news about crooked money.

More on this story here.

FRENCH BANKS UNDER INVESTIGATION

PARIS. The French government loves to lecture other nations about dirty cash; now its two major banks are under investigation.

More on this story here.

And the French are investigating Osama Bin Laden's brother for alleged money laundering.

More on this story here.

HEDGE FUNDS BREAK RECORDS

Hedge funds around the world attracted record breaking amounts of money last year, according to a new survey.

More on this story here.

ASIA ON THE REBOUND?

Exports are up, chip orders are rising, bourses are booming. But the region is far too reliant on the U.S.

More on this story here.

LATIN AMERICAN FINANCES SHAKY

In the wake of Argentina's collapse, other Latin American economies are nervous.

More on this story here.

MITCHELL WARNS ON ANTI-OFFSHORE LAW

WASHINGTON. Daniel Mitchell of the Heritage Foundation, leading offshore expert, warns the US Congress might pass laws curbing tax benefits for US companies re-locating offshore.

More on this story here and here.

BAHAMAS ATTACKS OFFSHORE BANKS

NASSAU. The Bahamas offshore financial services sector is under attack yet again, this time from the Central Bank of The Bahamas.

More on this story here.

BAHAMAS BALONEY

NASSAU. Having sold out to the OECD tax collectors, the lame duck Bahamas government tries to sugar coat its stupidity.

More on this story here.

U.S. LABOR UNIONS OPPOSE BERMUDA MOVE

NEW YORK. A group of labor unions wants to block a US corporation from moving its legal venue to Bermuda.

More on this story here.

SUN HAS SET ON THE BRITISH EMPIRE

LONDON. A sad summary of the decline and present state of what's left of Her Majesty's worldwide imperial possessions.

More on this story here.

ISLE OF MAN CUTS CORPORATE TAXES

DOUGLAS, Isle of Man. Manx corporations will get major tax cuts.

More on this story here.

EUROPE TURNS RIGHT

Portugal, Italy, Denmark and Norway all have elected governments more disposed toward free markets and limited government.

More on this story here.

EXPATS IN EUROPE MAY GET NEW RIGHTS

Expatriates working in EU nations may finally have red tape and restrictions lifted. Here how and why.

More on this story here.

LIECHTENSTEIN UPS FINANCIAL SURVEILLANCE

VADUZ. Financial Services Unit given new powers.

More on this story here.

HONG KONG OFFSHORE BUSINESS CONCERNED

A pending agreement between its Communist China rulers and the HK SAR government disturbs offshore financial businesses.

More on this story here.

U.S. CREATES LATIN WATCH LIST

MIAMI. Ignoring due process, the US government plans to exclude from US entry Latin American officials it decides are corrupt.

More on this story here.

U.S. TREASURY WANTS TAX SHELTER CRACK DOWN

The Bush administration wants tougher penalties to stop US companies and individuals from using tax shelters.

More on this story here.

And the Treasury closes down yet another tax shelter.

More on this story here.

U.K. BANKS FACE DILEMMA

Operating under recently adopted 'anti-terrorist' laws, banks are now spies for government and police. Confidentiality is gone.

More on this story here.

SOUTH AFRICA SUSPECTS BANKS

JOHANNESBURG. RSA Offshore investment banks face a government probe of actions that allegedly caused the RSA rand to plunge.

More on this story here.

EMERGING MARKETS HOT

Tip: invest now in undervalued offshore emerging markets.

More on this story here.

OFFSHORE LIFE INSURANCE HELPS TAX PLANNING

Certain types of international life insurance can be used successfully for strong wealth preservation strategies.

More on this story here.

DOCTORS OFFSHORE BANK TAX FRAUD

3 US physicians go to prison for income tax cheating.

More on this story here.
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