Economy

• Friday, March 30th 2018 - 02:19 UTC

  Venezuela sanctioned by Switzerland for human rights violations

  

  Switzerland Wednesday aligned itself with other European countries by imposing sanctions on Venezuela for “human rights violations and
  undermining the rule of law and democratic institutions,” the Federal Council announced.

• Tuesday, March 27th 2018 - 09:42 UTC

  The World's Biggest Investors Have Lost $436 Billion In 2018

  

  Wall Street is shocked, but it shouldn't be: Tariffs targeting China should have been a given, and now the market's tanking on trade war fears as if it just crept up on everyone, but Trump's been very clear on this.

• Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 14:00 UTC

  Heatwaves, hurricanes, floods: 2017 costliest year ever for extreme weather and climate events, says UN

  

  Hurricanes, monsoon floods and continuing severe drought made 2017 the costliest year ever for severe weather and climate events, according to a new report by the United Nations weather agency launched on the eve of World Meteorological Day.

• Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 09:13 UTC

  China announces US$ 3bn target for retaliation in trade dispute with Washington

  

  China announced a US$ 3 billion list of U.S. goods including pork, apples and steel pipe on Friday that it said may be hit with higher tariffs in a spiraling trade dispute with President Donald Trump that companies and investors worry could depress global commerce. The Commerce Ministry urged Washington to negotiate a prompt settlement to the conflict over Trump's tariff hike on steel and aluminum but set no deadline.

• Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 09:06 UTC

  Argentina expanded 2.9% last year; 2018 challenging given the persistent drought effect on crops

  

  Argentina's economy expanded 2.9% in 2017 from the prior year and 3.9% in the fourth quarter versus the same period in 2016, the Indec statistics agency said this week. The year-over-year figure was slightly above the 2.8% annual growth rate given last month by Argentina's monthly economic activity indicator, seen as a proxy for gross domestic product.

• Thursday, March 22nd 2018 - 22:22 UTC

  Bank of England leaves rates unchanged for now, waiting for more Brexit data

  

  The Bank of England signaled on Thursday that it remains on course to lift interest rates in Britain this year and next, as figures showed a yearlong squeeze on consumers caused by a steep fall in the pound appears to be coming to an end.

• Thursday, March 22nd 2018 - 22:16 UTC

  Trump calls for reciprocity and reveals US$ 60bn tariffs in China imports

  

  President Donald Trump announced on Thursday his plans for tariffs on up to US$60 billion annually in Chinese imports, designed as retaliation for an administration report that will outline Beijing’s violation of U.S. intellectual property rights.

• Thursday, March 22nd 2018 - 14:53 UTC

  Cambridge Analytica partner in Brazil under prosecutor investigation

  

  Brazilian prosecutors on Wednesday said they had opened an investigation into whether London-based political consultancy Cambridge Analytica acted illegally in Brazil, as controversy over the firm’s data harvesting practices spreads across the globe.

• Wednesday, March 21st 2018 - 20:25 UTC

  Powell's Fed confirms gradualism: anticipates 5 more modest rate increases in next 21 months

  

  The Federal Reserve is raising its benchmark interest rate to reflect a solid U.S. economy and signaling that it's sticking with a gradual approach to rate hikes for 2018 under its new chairman, Jerome Powell. The Fed said it expects to increase rates twice more this year. At the same time, it increased its estimate for rate hikes in 2019 from two to three, reflecting an expectation of faster growth and lower unemployment.

• Wednesday, March 21st 2018 - 10:03 UTC

  Financial leaders reject protectionism, but prepare for a trade war

  

  The world’s financial leaders rejected protectionism on Tuesday and urged “further dialogue” on trade, but failed to diffuse the threat of a trade war days before U.S. metals tariffs take effect and Washington is to announce measures against China. Finance ministers and central bankers of the world’s 20 biggest economies, which represent 75% of world trade and 85% of global gross domestic product, discussed trade disruptions as a risk to growth at a two-day meeting.