Economy

• Saturday, May 8th 2010 - 06:28 UTC

  Brazil’s Bovespa Confirms Biggest Weekly Decline since February

  

  Brazil’s Bovespa stock index fell for a second day on Friday closing with the biggest weekly decline since February 2009, on concern that Europe’s debt crisis is worsening and rescue packages could have to be extended to Portugal and Spain.

• Saturday, May 8th 2010 - 06:17 UTC

  Fearing Global Impact from Greece, World Markets Close Sharply Friday

  

  Global stock markets closed sharply Friday amid investor fears that Greece's debt crisis could halt the global economic recovery.

• Saturday, May 8th 2010 - 06:03 UTC

  US Private Sector adds Jobs in April and More People Re-Enter Labour Market

  

  Companies in the United States added 290,000 jobs in April, mostly in the private sector, the United States Department of Labor said Friday, a strong sign that the job market has begun recovering from last year's damaging recession.

• Saturday, May 8th 2010 - 01:42 UTC

  EU Full Support for Euro (and Greece) to Fight Contagion: Creates Stabilization Mechanism

  

  Leaders of the 16 EU member states that use the Euro have approved a 110 billion Euro loan to Greece to prevent its debt crisis from spreading. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said the Eurozone would do whatever it took to safeguard Greece's financial stability. In return for the three-year loan, Athens must cut public spending.

• Friday, May 7th 2010 - 05:36 UTC

  Greek Default “Is Not an Option” and “Never Has Been” Says IMF

  

  A default by Greece on its debt obligations is not and has never been an option, a spokeswoman for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday. A Greek “default is not on the table, has not been on the table” insisted IMF director of external relations Caroline Atkinson.

• Friday, May 7th 2010 - 05:33 UTC

  ECB Leaves Euro Policy Unchanged; European Leaders Set to Approve Greek Rescue

  

  European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet faced down pressure for new moves to shore up the weakest Eurozone countries, but kept options open even as he said Spain and Portugal were “not Greece”.

• Friday, May 7th 2010 - 05:31 UTC

  Chinese Shares Plunge to 8 Month Low on Fears of Tight Credit

  

  Chinese shares plunged to an eight-month low Thursday on persistent concerns over weak overseas markets and government measures to tighten credit and curb property speculation, dealers said.

• Friday, May 7th 2010 - 05:27 UTC

  Brazil’s Bovespa Plunges to a 3 Month Low and the Real to January 09 Level

  

  Brazil’s Bovespa stock index plunged Thursday to a three-month low, extending its drop in the past month to 12%, and the Real tumbled as concern Europe’s debt crisis will spread prompted investors to sell higher-yielding assets.

• Friday, May 7th 2010 - 00:47 UTC

  Greek Contagion Threatens South Europe and UK Banks Warns Rating Agency

  

  Banks in the United Kingdom and Europe risk their credit ratings being damaged because of “contagion” from Greece's debt crisis, a ratings agency has warned. Moody's said banking systems faced “very real, common threats” if doubts were raised about their governments' abilities to pay debts. It referred specifically to UK, Irish, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish banking systems.

• Friday, May 7th 2010 - 00:40 UTC

  IMF Chief to visit Latin America, “Region Brimming with Energy and Promise”

  

  IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn will travel to Brazil and Peru from May 25-28 to meet with government leaders, leading figures from the private sector, and with students and academics as part of efforts to engage more closely with stakeholders in the region.