Chinese shares rose on Friday as the central bank set the reference rate for the Yuan slightly stronger. The bank set the rate at 6.3975 per dollar compared to Thursday's close of 6.3982.
Renan Calheiros, president of the Brazilian Senate, and the man who could help President Dilma Rousseff avoid impeachment in Congress, has proposed a package of measures to rescue Brazil from its current stagflation, but among his demands is “an end to the customs union of Mercosur”.
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) chief Saeb Erekat praised Argentine President Cristina Fernandez for her support and recognition of the Palestinian state as he paid tribute to the backing of the region’s leaders.
Former British prime minister Tony Blair made a dramatic intervention into the debate over the future leadership of the Labor Party this week, warning Labour voters that the party faces “annihilation” if it chooses Jeremy Corbyn as leader.
The UK is to make a formal protest to the government of Ecuador over the country's decision to harbor Julian Assange, the Foreign Office has said. The Wikileaks co-founder sought asylum at London's Ecuadorean embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden.
The Economist Group announced on 12 August 2015 that it will buy back 5.04m ordinary shares (20% of total share capital) from Pearson plc for £182m. Pearson’s remaining shares in the Group will be acquired by Exor for £287m, including all of its 1.26m B shares and 6.3m ordinary shares (30% of total share capital).<br />
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New York district judge Thomas Griesa has said he will consider all Argentine government assets in the United States, except for diplomatic and military ones, as commercial assets which hedge fund NML Capital could try to seize.
The People's Bank of China (PBoC) weakened the Yuan against the dollar for a third consecutive day on Thursday, following reports the central bank intervened to stem the currency's sharp slide late on Wednesday. The PBoC set the Yuan fixing at 6.4010, compared to the previous day's close of 6.3870, sending the currency 0.7% lower to 6.43 per dollar in early trade.
The Shackleton Scholarship Fund, closely linked to the Falkland Islands, has announced their academic awards for 2015. Scholars come from a variety of countries, ranging from Germany to Australia, and the topics chosen are all from the natural sciences.
China's shock 2% devaluation of the Yuan pushed the dollar higher and raised the prospect of a new round of currency wars, just as Greece reached a new deal to contain its debt crisis. Stocks fell in Asia and Europe as investors worried about the implications of a move designed to support China's slowing economy and exports.