International

• Friday, September 9th 2011 - 15:49 UTC

  ECB sovereign bond purchasing policy splits ECB; Germans quit in protest

  

  The European Central Bank in Frankfurt confirmed in a Friday afternoon statement that its chief economist and executive board member Jürgen Stark had resigned “due to personal reasons.”

• Friday, September 9th 2011 - 15:44 UTC

  Small shareholders question Pemex stake doubling in Repsol-YPF

  

  A group representing minority shareholders asked Spain’s CNMV stock market regulator to investigate the recent move by Mexican state oil company Pemex to double its stake in Spanish energy giant Repsol-YPF.

• Friday, September 9th 2011 - 15:28 UTC

  UK will reinforce and expand presence in Latin America, says Hague

  

  The UK will reinforce and expand its diplomatic presence in Latin America beefing up embassies and reopening others that have been closed in recent years, said Foreign Secretary William Hague.

• Friday, September 9th 2011 - 02:53 UTC

  OECD urges from G7 and G20 strong signals of leadership and confidence

  

  The outlook for economic growth in developed countries has got much worse in the last three months, the OECD said Thursday, urging leaders of G7 and G20 countries to send strong signals to restore flagging confidence.

• Friday, September 9th 2011 - 01:03 UTC

  Trichet anticipates EU flat growth next 18 months; falls short of ‘new recession’

  

  The Euro fell to a two-month low against the dollar on Thursday after the European Central Bank signalled a pause in its interest-rate tightening cycle that began just five months ago.

• Thursday, September 8th 2011 - 22:24 UTC

  World food prices hold steady at near record; cereals climb further, says FAO

  

  World food prices remained virtually unchanged between July and August 2011 according to the FAO Food Price Index published Thursday. The Index averaged 231 points last month compared to 232 points in July. It was 26% higher than in August 2010 but seven points below its all-time high of 238 points in February 2011.

• Thursday, September 8th 2011 - 22:21 UTC

  Fitch warns it might downgrade China and Japan ratings, but who rates Fitch?

  

  Fitch Ratings warned that it might downgrade China's credit rating within two years as the country's banks struggle with debt loads following a lending surge to help lift the economy during the 2008 financial crisis.

• Thursday, September 8th 2011 - 22:17 UTC

  China and UK to develop offshore trading hub for the Yuan in London

  

  China and the UK are to develop an offshore trading hub for the Yuan based in London. UK Chancellor George Osborne confirmed the agreement after meeting with Chinese vice-premier Wang Qishan in London.

• Thursday, September 8th 2011 - 22:13 UTC

  Bank of England won’t extend liquidity program; leaves rates at minimum

  

  UK interest rates have been held at a record low of 0.5% by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). Concerns about the strength of the UK economic recovery meant economists had expected rates to remain unchanged as they have been since March 2009.

• Thursday, September 8th 2011 - 16:16 UTC

  Mosquitoes never rest: they rapidly develop resistance to insecticide treated nets

  

  Mosquitoes can rapidly develop resistance to bed nets treated with insecticide, a new study from Senegal suggests. In recent years the nets have become a leading method of preventing malaria, especially in Africa.