International

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 00:37 UTC

  French conservatives attack IMF Strauss-Khan who is eyeing Sarkozy’s post

  

  France's economy minister Tuesday urged IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn to stay at the global lender, as French conservatives sought to impede his potential bid for the French presidency next year.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 00:32 UTC

  World Bank food prices index jumps 15% in four months, just below 2008 record

  

  Rising food prices have driven an estimated 44 million people into poverty in developing countries since last June as food costs continue to rise to near 2008 levels, according to new World Bank Group numbers released ahead of the G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Paris.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 00:30 UTC

  IMF calls for Yuan and SDRs to play greater role in global finance

  

  IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said the currencies of China and other emerging economies such as Brazil should play a greater role in global finance, as part of a bid to promote monetary stability

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 00:28 UTC

  Japan insists G-20 must address the issue of capital inflows to emerging economies

  

  Japan's finance minister made it clear Tuesday that Tokyo is particularly interested in discussing ways to deal with the problem of strong capital inflows into emerging economies when he meets with officials from the Group of 20 industrial and developing nations in Paris later this week.

• Tuesday, February 15th 2011 - 23:02 UTC

  Worldwide in 2010, 44 journalists were killed; most vulnerable local reporters

  

  At least 44 journalists were killed worldwide because of their jobs last year, with Pakistan the deadliest country to work in, a rights group said Tuesday.

• Tuesday, February 15th 2011 - 21:45 UTC

  New CPI basket eases China inflation; Beijing says it has abundant grain reserves

  

  China said on Tuesday consumer prices rose 4.9% in January, a lower-than-expected figure. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, was 0.3 percentage points higher than in December but still lower than November’s 28-month-high of 5.1%.

• Tuesday, February 15th 2011 - 20:17 UTC

  UK/Spain holds talks on ways to re-launch trilateral dialogue with Gibraltar

  

  The Spanish media revealed that Spain’s Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez will be in London this coming Thursday to meet with her UK counterpart William Hague for a bilateral meeting on various international issues including Gibraltar.

• Tuesday, February 15th 2011 - 19:26 UTC

  France warns it wants EU/Mercosur farmers subject to the same “strict” rules

  

  France warned Tuesday that it is following closely European Union/Mercosur trade talks to ensure that farmers from both blocks are strictly subjected to the same rules.

• Tuesday, February 15th 2011 - 11:35 UTC

  Extreme weather and panic buying send wheat soaring to new highs

  

  Countries anxious to avoid a repeat of the 2007-2008 global food crisis when they were caught short of grain supplies, have stepped up their buying programs and are driving prices to new highs.

• Monday, February 14th 2011 - 23:54 UTC

  Former UK farmers’ leader calls for stricter foot and mouth disease controls

  

  A leading farmer form South West England has called for new measures to stop another outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the UK. Anthony Gibson, former regional director of the National Farmers Union, wants disinfectant footbaths for travellers arriving from problem areas.