International

• Saturday, May 21st 2011 - 09:45 UTC

  Lipsky calls for continued support for ‘shaky’ economies in Europe

  

  The global economic recovery is accelerating but remains vulnerable to setbacks said IMF acting Managing Director John Lipsky said as he urged continued international support for shaky economies in Europe.

• Saturday, May 21st 2011 - 03:09 UTC

  EU and Latam lawmakers more positive about a trade agreement with Mercosur

  

  The outcome of a two-day European and Latin America lawmakers’ meeting in Uruguay was considered very positive and a strong message to forward negotiations on the sensitive EU/Mercosur trade and cooperation agreement.

• Friday, May 20th 2011 - 10:16 UTC

  China says new IMF chief should better represent emerging economies

  

  The new leadership of the IMF should reflect changes in the world economic order and be more representative of emerging market economies, People’s Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan said on Thursday.

• Thursday, May 19th 2011 - 22:30 UTC

  Netanyahu rejects Obama’s proposal of Palestinian state on 1967 borders

  

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said US President Barack Obama vision of a Palestinian state on the borders of 1967 could leave the Jewish state “indefensible”.

• Thursday, May 19th 2011 - 22:22 UTC

  DSK granted bail and formally indicted; will appear in court June 6

  

  Dominique Strauss-Kahn on Thursday was granted bail by a judge in a New York court, after being formally charged with trying to rape a hotel maid. Strauss-Kahn had earlier resigned as the International Monetary Fund's boss.

• Thursday, May 19th 2011 - 22:19 UTC

  England decides to abstain from voting for FIFA presidency

  

  England’s Football Association's board has decided to abstain in the vote for the presidency of Fifa. Sepp Blatter, the current head of football's world governing body, is being challenged by Qatari Mohamed Bin Hammam, the president of the Asian Football Confederation.

• Thursday, May 19th 2011 - 21:47 UTC

  Central banks in ‘gold rush’ to diversify reserves

  

  Mexico, Russia and Thailand added gold now valued at about 6 billion US dollars to their reserves in the first quarter of 2011 as metal prices advanced to a record, the dollar weakened and US Treasuries lost investors money.

• Thursday, May 19th 2011 - 17:28 UTC

  Japan falls into recession following March’s triple blow

  

  Japan's economy shrank much more than expected in the first quarter and slipped into recession after the triple blow of the March earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis hit business and consumer spending and tore apart supply chains.

• Thursday, May 19th 2011 - 17:23 UTC

  Spanish opposition anticipates “changes” in dealings with Gibraltar

  

  The Foreign Affairs spokesman for Spain’s conservative Popular Party, Gustavo de Arístegui, said that his party would continue to seek dialogue with Gibraltar if it wins national elections in Spain next year. But he also warned that “there will be changes” in Spain’s dealings with Gibraltar.

• Thursday, May 19th 2011 - 17:17 UTC

  After shock in Japan force Honda Brazil to cut 400 jobs and halve production

  

  Japanese car maker Honda Motor Co on Wednesday said it will leave redundant 400 workers and halve production at a factory in Brazil beginning next month because of a shortage of parts from earthquake-affected plants in Japan.