Economy

• 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.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 23:59 UTC

  Russia orders 3 million tons of Argentine animal-feed corn; first delivery January

  

  Russia is interested in purchasing 3 million tons of Argentine animal feed corn to supply its domestic market following the catastrophic drought and fires suffered by the country during summer months in the northern hemisphere.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 16:25 UTC

  Mantega proposes “diluted” inflation index with no fuel or food items included

  

  Brazil Finance minister Guido Mantega is proposing a “dehydrated” inflation index with the purpose of reducing interest rates faster under the incoming administration of president-elect Dilma Rousseff, reports the influential O Estado de Sao Paulo.

• Thursday, November 25th 2010 - 20:58 UTC

  World corn production slightly lower; lowest inventory in four years

  

  World corn production will be 0.5% lower than forecast last month as reduced U.S. and Brazilian crops result in smaller-than-estimated inventories, the International Grains Council reported on Thursday.