International

• Sunday, May 22nd 2011 - 13:09 UTC

  Greece’s credit rating downgraded and risks a ‘sovereign default’

  

  Greece’s credit rating was cut on Friday three levels by Fitch Ratings, which said that even a voluntary extension of its bond maturities being studied by EU policy makers would be considered a default.

• Sunday, May 22nd 2011 - 12:58 UTC

  Standard & Poor’s ‘yellow card’ for Italy; promise of balanced budget in 2014

  

  Italy’s Treasury said it will “intensify” structural changes in the economy and push ahead with measures to balance the budget by 2014 after Standard & Poor’s said its debt rating is at risk of a downgrade.

• Sunday, May 22nd 2011 - 12:48 UTC

  London and Madrid address Spanish incursions into Gibraltar waters

  

  British Foreign Minister William Hague raised the UK’s concerns over Spanish incursions into Gibraltar waters during a meeting with his Spanish counterpart last February, according to a response to a question in the House of Lords.

• Sunday, May 22nd 2011 - 12:32 UTC

  European powers endorse French minister Lagarde as next IMF chief

  

  European leaders raced Saturday to nominate a successor for fallen IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn before a G8 summit in France next week, with French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde in pole position.

• Saturday, May 21st 2011 - 10:18 UTC

  Delhi proposal to triangle South Africa Customs Union, India and Mercosur

  

  India will be launching negotiations for a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) with Mercosur although it will first “expedite” talks for a preferential trade agreement with the South African Customs Union (SACU).

• Saturday, May 21st 2011 - 10:15 UTC

  IMF should have a new Managing Director by June 30

  

  The International Monetary Fund said on Friday that it is scheduled to complete the process of selecting a new managing director by June 30.

• Saturday, May 21st 2011 - 09:56 UTC

  Spaniards take to cities’ plazas and call for a protest no-vote in Sunday’s local elections

  

  Tens of thousands of Spaniards angry over unemployment protested for a sixth day, ahead of Sunday's local elections in which the ruling Socialists are expected to suffer heavy losses.

• 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.