International

• Saturday, February 27th 2010 - 00:49 UTC

  US says China remains largest holder of Treasury securities

  

  Japan did not surpass China to become the world’s largest foreign holder of US Treasury securities in December, reported the US Treasury Department on Friday following a revision to figures released earlier this month.

• Saturday, February 27th 2010 - 00:47 UTC

  IMF chief suggests “exploring” possible new international reserve currency

  

  The head of the International Monetary Fund said it would be “intellectually healthy to explore” the possible creation of an international reserve currency that would serve as an alternative to the US dollar-.

• Friday, February 26th 2010 - 16:55 UTC

  China recommends US takes steps to promote confidence in the dollar

  

  China defended its move to reduce its holdings of U.S. Treasury securities, saying the United States should take steps to promote confidence in U.S. dollar.

• Friday, February 26th 2010 - 01:27 UTC

  Peru/China free trade agreement becomes effective next March first

  

  The free trade agreement between Peru and China becomes fully effective as of next Monday March first, according to the publication on Thursday of the official decree in Peru’s gazette. China has become Peru’s main trade partner behind the US.

• Friday, February 26th 2010 - 01:23 UTC

  Fed probe into Wall Street firms role in helping Greece mask debt woes

  

  The role of Wall Street firms in deals that may have helped Greece mask its debt woes are under scrutiny in the US, the Federal Reserve chief has said. Ben Bernanke said the Fed and the US financial watchdog were “looking into a number of questions” related to banks' derivatives arrangements with Greece

• Thursday, February 25th 2010 - 01:21 UTC

  World trade drops 12% in 2009; re-launching Doha round “imperative”

  

  World Trade Organisation director-general Pascal Lamy said on Wednesday that international trade fell by 12% in 2009, a marked deterioration on previous estimates which put the drop closer to 10%.

• Thursday, February 25th 2010 - 01:11 UTC

  Genetically altered mosquitoes to help curb spread of dengue fever

  

  Scientists are breeding a genetically altered strain of mosquito in an effort to curb the spread of dengue fever. The dengue virus is spread by the bite of infected female mosquitoes and there is no vaccine or treatment.

• Thursday, February 25th 2010 - 01:06 UTC

  Sperm whales herd hunt “squid balls” at depths over 1.000 meters

  

  Sperm whales may team up and hunt collaboratively, scientists have suggested. A US research team used hi-tech tags to glimpse some of the giant marine mammals' remarkable hunting behaviour.

• Wednesday, February 24th 2010 - 07:13 UTC

  UN praises Latinamerican social policies to confront global crisis

  

  The United Nations development agency stressed the need for good social policies to help Latin America deal with the impact of the global economic crisis, which threatens to undo the progress achieved in the region in fighting poverty and other socio-economic ills.

• Wednesday, February 24th 2010 - 06:15 UTC

  Brazil’s Lula da Silva blasts US Security Council and Britain

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva condemned on Tuesday the United Nations Organization (UN) and its Security Council for not recognizing Argentina's sovereignty over the Malvinas/Falkland Islands.