Thursday, Apr. 24, 2008
Numbers
REFUGEES
1% Percentage of refugees living in Greece who have been granted asylum. The country has been criticized by the U.N. for failing to provide interpreters and legal aid for the remaining 99%
50% Percentage of refugees living in Sweden who have been granted asylum, the highest rate in Europe
INTERNET
220 million Number of Chinese who were using the Internet as of February. For the first time, China's total surpassed the U.S.'s, which in 2007 was 216 million
17% Percentage of people in China who use the Internet, compared with 71% in the U.S.
FAST FOOD
1,435 Number of calories in a McDonald's Big Mac meal, which includes a burger, fries and soda
130,000 Number of New Yorkers, according to the state health department, who would avoid obesity if chains like McDonald's published calorie counts on their menus, as required by a recently upheld New York City law
TOBACCO
43 Number of U.S. states that have increased tobacco taxes since 2002; state tobacco taxes generated $14.5 billion in revenue last year
7-c- The country's lowest cigarette tax, imposed by South Carolina, whose Republicans are lobbying to increase it by 50-c- a pack
Sources: New York Times (2); USA Today (2); McDonalds.com Reuters; New York Times (2)