Stories for 2008

Wednesday, June 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Ecuador Colombia relations back in the cold and trade threats

Ecuador will not resume diplomatic ties with Colombia after the latter decided to postpone renewal of relations, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Maria Isabel Salvador announced this week in Quito.
Wednesday, June 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
WTO plans final push for Doha round talks next July 21

World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy called on Wednesday for a group of ministers from thirty main countries to meet from July 21 to push the Doha round of global free trade talks toward conclusion, diplomats said.
Wednesday, June 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Global food crisis, key issue in agenda of coming G8 summit

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that he will focus his attention on raising the issue of food security at the G8 summit of major industrialized nations in Japan early next month, as well as the challenges of climate change and the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Wednesday, June 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Chavez arms shopping in Russia to defend “revolution”

President Hugo Chavez said that Venezuela will continue to strengthen its military power following the announcement that vice president Ramon Carrizalez and Defence minister General Gustavo Rangel Briceño would be traveling to Russia to intensify military cooperation.
Wednesday, June 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Uruguay down plays announcement of gas and oil discovery

Uruguayan authorities downplayed the announcement earlier this week of the discovery of significant natural gas reserves and “possibly” oil in the River Plate close to the Brazilian border.
Wednesday, June 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
US Federal Reserve leaves interest rate unchanged at 2%

In a move which did not surprise, the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept interest rates unchanged at 2%. In its usual release following the two day meeting the Open Market Committee said that “recent information indicates that overall economic activity continues to expand, partly reflecting some firming in household spending”.
Wednesday, June 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Talented workforce becoming growingly borderless and global

Manpower Inc. released this week the results of its Borderless Workforce survey of nearly 28.000 employers across 27 countries and territories revealing that 31% of employers worldwide are concerned about the impact on the labor market from talent leaving their country to work abroad
Wednesday, June 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
US 2008/09 soybean crop larger than 2007/08 harvest

The US 2008-09 soybean crop is forecast at 81.90 million tons, down 2.5 million tons from a previous estimate after heavy rain in the US Midwest, according to Hamburg-based oilseeds analysts Oil World.
Tuesday, June 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
ECB member wants “tough” reply to “alarming” inflation

European Central Bank council member Klaus Liebscher said the bank has to be “tough” when deciding on interest rates and described the current inflation in the Euro zone as “alarming”, according to an interview with Market News International.
Tuesday, June 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
IMF: current situation testing Latam achievements

IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn warned on Monday of the rising threat of inflation in Latin America, urging policymakers to take steps to contain the shock to prices from energy and food.