Economy

• Thursday, December 2nd 2010 - 04:19 UTC

  WTO warns rich countries stimulus can jeopardize trade and investments

  

  Stimulus and bailout packages undertaken to cope with the economic crisis can have an impact on trade and investment and need to be managed carefully, according to the head of the World Trade Organization.

• Wednesday, December 1st 2010 - 07:51 UTC

  China opens market to Argentine beef, barley, dairy produce and apples

  

  China and Argentina have signed agreements to allow the import to China of de-boned beef, dairy products, apples, bamboo and barley, China's quarantine administration said on Wednesday. However no mention was made of an expected deal on corn.

• Wednesday, December 1st 2010 - 07:27 UTC

  Euro at 11 month low and Portuguese banks face “intolerable risk”

  

  The Euro remains near 11-month lows against the US dollar as European debt concerns continue to focus on Portugal. With the Portuguese government due to auction 500m Euros of bonds later, analysts are waiting to see the extent of market interest.

• Wednesday, December 1st 2010 - 07:14 UTC

  Food industry in Brazil unable to fill 3.000 jobs with competent staff

  

  In a clear signal of the lack of qualified labour which is suffering the booming Brazilian economy, the powerful Marfrig meats’ processing group admitted it was having difficulties to fill 3.000 vacancies with competent personnel.

• Tuesday, November 30th 2010 - 05:45 UTC

  Irish bail out package fails markets’ test; growing fears about Portugal and Spain

  

  The Euro has fallen against the dollar and major European markets have dropped sharply, a day after ministers agreed a bail-out for the Irish Republic. On Sunday, European ministers reached agreement over a bail-out worth about 85bn Euros.

• Tuesday, November 30th 2010 - 05:43 UTC

  Belgium joins list of European countries with mounting financial problems

  

  Belgium has joined Portugal, Spain and Italy on the hit list of countries that may be heading for financial crisis. Like Ireland, struggling to fend off criticism of its austerity package, there are signs that international bond investors are starting to view Belgium as living on borrowed money and borrowed time.

• Monday, November 29th 2010 - 22:27 UTC

  Obama begins to attack budget deficit: freezes federal workers pay for two years

  

  Amid expectations over President Barack Obama's comments on the Wikileaks scandal, he instead offered a speech to announce a two-year freeze on the pay of federal workers, as he seeks to show he is committed to reining in the ballooning US budget deficit.

• Monday, November 29th 2010 - 20:01 UTC

  Unasur ban‘huge negative impact’ on Falkland Islands?

  

  “A HUGE negative impact on us,” is how one Falklands fishing company views the Union of South American Nations’ declared intention to close their ports to Falklands flagged vessels, or in their words, ‘the illegal flag of the Malvinas’.

• Monday, November 29th 2010 - 05:02 UTC

  Europe confirms 85 billion Euros for Ireland; unveils Stability Mechanism

  

  European ministers reached Sunday an agreement over a bail-out for the Irish Republic worth about 85 billion Euros. The deal will see 35bn euros go towards propping up the Irish banking system with the remaining 50bn euros to help the government's day-to-day spending.

• Saturday, November 27th 2010 - 13:22 UTC

  Japan approves another stimulus package to combat deflation and strong Yen

  

  Japan's parliament has passed a stimulus package worth about 61billion US dollars, designed to kick-start the country's fragile economic recovery. The government had already introduced several stimulus packages.