Economy

• Thursday, April 22nd 2010 - 02:57 UTC

  Latam and Caribbean recovering at a “robust pace” says IMF

  

  Latin America and the Caribbean have “weathered the global downturn comparatively well” and are now recovering at a “robust pace,” the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Wednesday.

• Thursday, April 22nd 2010 - 02:43 UTC

  General Motors repay 8.1 billion to US and Canadian governments

  

  General Motors repaid Wednesday 8.1 billion US dollars in government loans, five years ahead of schedule and nine months after the troubled auto giant declared bankruptcy, signalling that the auto maker may be on the path to profitability.

• Thursday, April 22nd 2010 - 00:34 UTC

  Banco do Brasil buys 51% of Argentina’s fourth largest private bank

  

  Brazilian government controlled Banco do Brasil will pay 480 million US dollars for a 51% stake in Banco Patagonia, Argentina’s fourth largest private bank. The deal is pending regulatory approval both banks said in a release.

• Wednesday, April 21st 2010 - 17:08 UTC

  UK unemployed reach 2.5 million in February, highest since 1994

  

  The number of people unemployed in the UK rose by 43,000 to 2.5 million during the three months to February, official figures have shown. The jobless total is now at its highest since 1994.

• Wednesday, April 21st 2010 - 16:48 UTC

  Ash-cloud cost airlines 1.7 billion; IATA calls for government compensation

  

  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated that the Icelandic volcano crisis cost airlines more than 1.7 billion US dollars in lost revenue through Tuesday—six days after the initial eruption. For a three-day period (17-19 April), when disruptions were greatest, lost revenues reached 400 million USD per day.

• Wednesday, April 21st 2010 - 16:13 UTC

  IMF warns about asset bubbles in developing powers in Latam and Asia

  

  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged developing powers in Asia and Latin America to guard against the kinds of asset bubbles that caused wealthier economies to plunge into recession in the last two years.

• Wednesday, April 21st 2010 - 02:55 UTC

  Goldman Sachs earnings double; UK launches formal probe into fraud allegations

  

  Goldman Sachs Group Inc said first-quarter earnings nearly doubled, while in London Britain's financial regulator launched a formal probe related to civil fraud allegations against the Wall Street bank.

• Wednesday, April 21st 2010 - 02:52 UTC

  Stronger Yuan “critical” for a more stable world economy claims Brazil

  

  A stronger Chinese currency is “critical” for the good of the global economy, Brazil's central bank chief Henrique Meirelles said on Tuesday, joining a chorus of critics of China's foreign exchange policy.

• Tuesday, April 20th 2010 - 14:42 UTC

  UK economy recovery forecasted towards the end of 2011

  

  Prospects for the UK's economic recovery remain poor this year with output growth of 1% or less predicted in 2010, a leading forecaster has warned. It also suggested that although consumer spending is on the rise, it will remain too weak to sustain a recovery this year as consumers try to pay off debts as quickly as possible.

• Saturday, April 17th 2010 - 06:36 UTC

  As markets begin to normalize controversy over capital inflow controls resurfaces

  

  The International Monetary Fund has warned that an over reliance on capital controls could derail the current global recovery. Although admitting that it may be a good idea for one country to apply controls on capital inflow, as the levy imposed by Brazil, “it could encourage too many others in the region to follow suit”.