Mandela to turn 90

Nelson Mandela will come to London in June to celebrate his 90th birthday with a series of events attended by stars and politicians including Oprah Winfrey, Robert de Niro and Bill Clinton, organizers said yesterday.

Three days of celebrations will culminate in an evening concert at London's Hyde Park on June 27 that will feature artists ranging from TV talent show star Leona Lewis to Simple Minds and Annie Lennox.

Mandela, the anti-apartheid activist who spent 27 years in prison before being released in 1990, went on to lead South Africa until 1999, since when he has been involved in charity work including fighting against AIDS.

Proceeds from the concert will go to the 46664 global HIV/AIDS campaign named after his prison number.

Confidence in Brown lost

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has lost the "confidence and trust" of British business in less than a year in office, according to the head of a leading manufacturers group.

Brown also risks sparking an "exodus" of British companies to more favorable tax regimes like Ireland, said Martin Temple, chairman of the EEF manufacturers trade body.

"I wouldn't say it's a major trend yet, but if we don't watch it, we'll get this [exodus]," Temple told the Financial Times newspaper.

Temple's comments came just days after some of the biggest names in British businesses also warned the government it risked a corporate exodus if it pressed ahead with tax proposals on foreign earnings.

(China Daily 05/07/2008 page10)