China's Finance Minister Jin Renqing has been transferred to a government think-tank and will be replaced by the country's top tax collector, confirmed on Wednesday Beijing sources following press reports.
Laid-off Brazilian factory workers have their jobs back. Nicaraguan farmers are getting low-interest loans. Bolivian mayors can afford new health clinics.
The risk of massive defaults on sub-prime mortgages and heavy debts now poses a bigger threat to US economic prosperity than terrorism, a panel of US business economists said Monday.
Concern that United States house prices could fall sharply has returned after a key survey showed that sales fell to a near five-year low in the year to July. Sales of existing homes fell 0.2% to 5.75 million units in the year, the lowest since November 2002, said the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
Punta Arenas figures as the second most expensive city in Chile behind the capital Santiago, according to the latest report from the Business School of the Universidad del Desarrollo released this week.
Countrywide Financial Corp Chief Executive Angelo Mozilo said on Thursday the U.S. housing downturn is likely to lead the country into recession, but that the largest U.S. mortgage lender will survive.
The Bank of Japan decided Thursday to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 0.5% for the sixth month in a row.
While Wall Street closed Thursday trading down 0.4% and the Federal Reserve pumped an additional 17 billion US dollars in China the stock market capped a bull run, with the Shanghai Composite Index hitting 5,000 points for the first time while Hong Kong shares rallied to a three- week high.
China accused the United States on Thursday of becoming increasingly protectionist, as it hit back following a wave of high-profile trade disputes and export safety scandals.
Wheat prices hit record highs this week. Bad weather in key grain growing areas such as Canada and parts of Europe has limited supplies as demand has risen, sparking fears of a supply shortfall and threats of rising bread prices.