United States Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said the current turmoil in financial markets will slow economic growth but should not spark a recession, according to a report published Thursday in The Wall Street Journal.
Global markets plunged again on Thursday with London's main FTSE 100 index seeing its sharpest fall in four-and-a-half years, but in New York Wall Street shares staged a dramatic recovery after suffering heavy losses earlier in the day.
United States shares have fallen again with problems in the mortgage sector continuing to have an adverse effect on market sentiment but also on warnings from two big retailers Wal-Mart and Home Depot.
Argentine farmers are expected to dedicate 12% more land to corn in the 2007/08 crop despite dry conditions and a shortage of seed and fertilizer, a corn producers' group said this week.
Central banks in the world's leading economies pumped extra money into the financial system for a third straight trading day on Monday helping to soothe markets and scare the dangers of a credit crunch.
Continued frigid artic weather in Chile's key agricultural growing areas will cost the country at least US$200 million in loses, according the industry and government leaders. An estimated 85,000 sheep, cattle, pigs and goats have died for lack of food, and key fruit export crops, including avocados and citrus fruit, have been greatly damaged.
Inflation in China, the world's fastest-growing major economy, accelerated to its highest level in more than 10 years, fuelling speculation that the Government may raise interest rates for the fourth time this year.
United States asked the World Trade Organization to rule in a complaint against China over piracy of copyrighted movies, music, software and books, escalating a dispute that has soured commercial relations between the two trading giants.
The United States Federal Reserve pumped 38 billion dollars into the banking system Friday, marking its biggest operation since the week of the 9/11 terror attacks, as it vied to shore up the US financial system.
The Falkland Islands, considered as part of the South American continent, have the highest percentage of population internet connection, 69%, followed by Chile, 42%, Argentina 34% and Uruguay 33.6% according to the latest release from Internet World Stats.