Economy

Sunday, November 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Ecuador auditing sovereign bonds delays interest payments

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said Saturday that his government is invoking a 30-day grace period and has until December 15 to decide if it will make a 30.6 million USD interest payment on 2012 bonds due Saturday.
Sunday, November 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Brown claims G20 backed his blueprint for combating crisis

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown claimed Saturday that world leaders had backed his blueprint for combating the global slowdown. He said they had agreed to “fiscal measures” to stimulate the economy - likely to mean increased government spending and cuts in taxes.
Sunday, November 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
G20 agrees financial reform agenda and free trade timetable

Global leaders at the G20 financial summit in Washington have pledged to work together to restore global growth. They said they were determined to work together to achieve “needed reforms” in the world's financial systems.
Sunday, November 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Uruguay Peso down 2.6% in November against US dollar

For the fourth week running the US dollar appreciated in Uruguay's money markets having ended last Friday 0.50% higher against the Uruguayan Peso, mainly forced by strong domestic demand and a similar evolution of the greenback in Brazil.
Sunday, November 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Mercosur forum on new international financial architecture

The global financial crunch, rapidly becoming a threatening full fledged international recession will be addressed Monday in Montevideo, Uruguay by Mercosur leaders.
Friday, November 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Soros forecasts “decimation” of hedge funds

Billionaire investor George Soros offered a gloomy outlook for the US economy, stating that a depression is possible. Testifying at a US Lower House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Thursday, Soros predicted that not only will the US muddle through a “deep recession,” but that hedge funds will be “decimated” by the current financial crisis.
Friday, November 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Japan pledges 100 billion USD to boost IMF crisis fund

Japan will propose at the upcoming Group of 20 Washington summit the doubling of the current 340 billion dollars provided to the International Monetary Fund to help strengthen its capacity to address financial crises and is willing to pledge 100 billion US dollars of its reserves, according to government sources in Tokyo.
Friday, November 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Bush defends 60 years of free-market system success

US President George W Bush has admitted the financial system needs reforming, but insists the credit crunch was not a failure of the free-market system. Speaking Thursday in New York, Mr Bush said that while financial markets did need some new regulation and more transparency, free trade should not be restricted.
Friday, November 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
High unemployment and modest 2010 upturn, SAYS OECD

Economic activity is expected to fall by 0.9% in the United States in 2009, by 0.5% in the Euro area and by 0.1% in Japan as OECD countries enter a protracted slowdown, according to latest projections.
Friday, November 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Euro zone officially in recession; first time since 1999

The Euro-zone has officially slipped into recession after EU figures showed that the economy shrank by 0.2% in the third quarter. This follows a 0.2% contraction in the 15-nation area in the previous quarter from April to June. Two quarters of negative growth define a technical recession.