links for 2009-12-09

The tax represents the most direct attack on bank bonuses anywhere in the world. All banks in Britain — including the London-based subsidiaries of foreign banks — will be affected, whether they took government bailout funds or not.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd slammed one of the country's top banks on Wednesday after it justified a mortgage rise well above the central bank's benchmark rate by comparing its business to selling banana smoothies.

While acknowledging increasing concerns in Congress and among the public over the nation's growing debt, Obama said critics present a "false choice" between paying down deficits and investing in job creation and economic growth.

With so much money on sidelines, rally has room to run

The government is running out of ways to help the economy as the US faces major issues regarding credit and employment ahead, banking analyst Meredith Whitney told CNBC.