Stories for January 11th 2014

Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 11:04 UTC
President Obama names Stanley Fischer vice-chair of the Federal Reserve

US President Barack Obama Friday nominated former Israeli central bank governor and renowned economist Stanley Fischer as vice chair of the Federal Reserve, completing a shakeup of the board's leadership.
Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 08:24 UTC
Argentina denies it is blame for delay in Mercosur/European Union trade talks

Argentina's Foreign Ministry refuted an article by Brazilian newspaper Valór Económico reporting that negotiations between Mercosur and the European Union had been delayed by the failure to reach agreement with Argentina over a joint proposal of goods to include in a free trade agreement
Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 08:20 UTC
Number of US jobs created last December was the lowest for three years

The US economy created only 74,000 jobs in December, with many Americans giving up looking for work, latest figures show. The number of jobs created was the lowest for three years and was well under half the number expected by analysts.
Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 08:13 UTC
US congress becomes 'club' of millionaires: Democrats slightly wealthier than Republicans

For the first time, half of the members of the US Congress are millionaires, according to a wealth analysis. At least 268 of the 534 politicians in the Senate and House of Representatives had a net worth of 1m dollars or more in 2012.
Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 08:08 UTC
China claims to have become the world's top trading nation in 2013

China has claimed that it is “very likely” that it overtook the US as the world's top trading nation, a title the US has held for decades. According to the latest data, China's total trade grew at an annual rate of 7.6% to 4.16 trillion dollars last year.
Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 07:54 UTC
UK launches scheme to protect Scotch whisky industry from fake products

A new scheme has been launched to protect the Scotch whisky industry from fake or sub-standard products. The Spirit Drinks Verification Scheme has been set up by the UK government to help consumers identify genuine UK-made products.
Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 07:48 UTC
Russian vessel incident triggers debate on Antarctica growing tourist industry

The challenging rescue operation launched after a Russian ship became trapped in Antarctic pack ice in December shows the inherent risks facing the frozen continent's burgeoning tourist industry, experts say. Antarctica represents one of the last frontiers for adventurous travelers, an icy wonderland of glaciers, emperor penguins and seemingly endless white expanses.
Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 06:57 UTC
US Supreme Court agrees to consider Argentina litigation case with hedge funds

The US Supreme Court agreed on Friday to consider a dispute over subpoenas in a case stemming from long-running litigation over Argentina's obligations to bond investors in the wake of its default on 100 billion dollars in sovereign debt in 2002.
Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 06:49 UTC
Brazil's inflation off target in 2013 and prospects in election year not encouraging

Brazilian consumer prices ended 2013 higher than expected at 5.91%, above the upper limit of the government target, after inflation surged in December, official statistics released Friday showed. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said last month's inflation figure of 0.92% was the highest for December since 2002, and compared with 0.54% a month earlier.
Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 06:45 UTC
Brazilian jails in collapse: one convict is slain every two days

Brazilian report shows at least 218 inmates were killed in the country’s jails last year, an average of more than one convict slain every two days. The data was published by Brazilian daily Folha de Sao Paulo on Thursday.