International

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 21:21 UTC

  UK farmers come out strongly against Mercosur “cheap meat imports”

  

  Farmers in the UK have warned the EU against a trade deal with Mercosur which could see Brazil and Argentina given access to the European meat market, potentially flooding the market with cheap imports and undermining domestic producers.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 21:07 UTC

  China plans to build 10 million low cost homes in 2011

  

  China plans to build 10 million low-cost homes this year at a cost of 200 billion US dollars, a government minister has said. The move comes as soaring home prices spur complaints about affordability.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 20:45 UTC

  US State Department will no longer comment Wikileaks cables

  

  While offering a press conference in Washington DC, US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley refused to comment on the recently released Wikileaks cables that mention Argentina and said his government would refrain from doing so in the future.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 05:22 UTC

  Oil prices ease as OPEC begins talks to increase output replacing Libya

  

  Oil dropped for a second day in New York as members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries considered talks about increasing production because violence is disrupting supplies from Libya.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 04:46 UTC

  Repsol will explore for oil in the North Slope of Alaska

  

  Repsol, Spain’s main energy group will be investing a minimum of 768 million US dollars for the exploration of oil in the North Slope of Alaska. The operation is a joint venture with the Denver, Colorado US firms 70 & 148 LLC and GMT Exploration LLC, points out a release from Repsol.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 04:40 UTC

  EC tries to downplay impact for farmers of an EU/Mercosur trade agreement

  

  A trade agreement with Mercosur should not have to destroy the European beef industry, said on Tuesday a spokesperson for the European Community who added that such fears are ‘exaggerated’.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 01:39 UTC

  European Parliament highly critical of EU/Mercosur trade talks

  

  The European Parliament passed a highly critical report on trade negotiations between the EU and the Mercosur bloc for considering that they may imply “farming concessions damaging to European producers.”

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 01:36 UTC

  IMF nominates Egyptian national Deputy Managing Director

  

  Ms. Nemat Shafik, a national of Egypt and the UK has been nominated to the position of Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. She will succeed Mr. Murilo Portugal, who resigned effective March 4, 2011.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 01:19 UTC

  Sino-American and trade expert nominated US ambassador in Beijing

  

  President Barack Obama will nominate Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, who this year criticized China for not opening its markets, as next US ambassador to Beijing, two administration officials said.

• Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 01:08 UTC

  Piñera presented with “Star of Palestine” honour; avoids pre-1967 borders controversy

  

  Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera visited both sides of the hotly contested Israeli- Palestine border this weekend. He reasserted his support for an independent Palestinian state, but fell short of formally recognizing the pre-1967 borders.