Economy

• Saturday, July 28th 2012 - 01:13 UTC

  Plans for a 300bn Euro rescue of Spain and writing down of Greek bonds

  

  Spain has for the first time conceded it might need a full EU/IMF bailout worth 300 billion Euros if its borrowing costs remain unsustainably high, a Euro zone official was quoted in the Madrid media.

• Saturday, July 28th 2012 - 00:32 UTC

  US economy playing against President Obama’s re-election bid

  

  The White House cut its outlook for US growth in 2012 and 2013 on Friday, hours after data showed the economy grew at a tepid pace in the second quarter, raising concerns about a slowdown that could mar President Barack Obama's re-election chances.

• Saturday, July 28th 2012 - 00:10 UTC

  Russia investing heavily in becoming self sufficient in beef production

  

  Russian President Vladimir Putin has an ambitious plan to cut his country's 3 billion dollars annual import bill for beef. He even aspires to return Russia's beef industry to its pre-revolutionary stature.

• Friday, July 27th 2012 - 23:59 UTC

  “Veggie” diet blamed for poor performance of China’s women volleyball team

  

  Fearing tainted meat, China's women's volleyball team has stuck to a strict vegetarian diet for the last three weeks, which the team's coach is now blaming for his athletes' abysmal performance.

• Friday, July 27th 2012 - 05:50 UTC

  US urges Argentina to normalize relations with international financial community

  

  US Department of State Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Mike Hammer urged the Argentine Government to normalize its relations with the international financial community and confirmed President Obama’s administration intention of having “the best possible relations” with Argentina.

• Friday, July 27th 2012 - 05:17 UTC

  Cuba to end Soviet-style economy and will implement market friendly policies

  

  Cuba adopted a new tax code this week and said it would loosen regulations on some state companies while turning others into cooperatives, as one of the world's last Soviet-style economies moves in a more market-friendly direction.

• Thursday, July 26th 2012 - 20:35 UTC

  Mujica warns Uruguay is going through an exceptional period, but it is also finite

  

  President Jose Mujica said Uruguay was going through an ‘exceptional’ period vis-à-vis the world crisis but also warned that exceptionality has limits and is not forever.

• Thursday, July 26th 2012 - 20:28 UTC

  Uruguay central bank suggests “serene alert” attitude to address global crisis impact

  

  Uruguay must adopt an attitude of “serene alert” given the “uncertainty and uncommon volatility” prevailing in the world said central bank president Mario Bergara, underlining the country has reduced “vulnerabilities” considerably.

• Thursday, July 26th 2012 - 20:21 UTC

  Russia will sacrifice 33.000 hogs because of African swine fever outbreak

  

  Russian veterinary services have ordered the termination of 33.000 hogs following an outbreak of Africa swine pest, in the region of Tyer, in the neighbouring province of the capital Moscow.

• Thursday, July 26th 2012 - 19:51 UTC

  ECB to the rescue of Spain and Italy and avoid collapse of Euro zone

  

  European Central Bank President Mario Draghi pledged on Thursday to do whatever was necessary to protect the Euro zone from collapse, including acting to lower unreasonably high government borrowing costs.