The IMF predicted the UK would grow by 1.4% in 2008 and 1.1% in 2009, down from the 1.8% for 2008 and 1.7% for 2009 that it predicted in July.
Nigeria surpassed Venezuela as the fourth largest foreign supplier of crude oil to the United States for the first five months of 2008, the US Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.
Europe's largest bank HSBC has warned that conditions in financial markets are at their toughest for several decades after suffering a 28% fall in half-year profits. HSBC saw profits drop by 3.9 billion to 10.2 billion US dollars in the first six months of the year, as its North American arm made a 2.8 billion loss.
China policies in support of small and labor intensive enterprises are taking effect and there is no need for more adjustment measures, said on Monday a high ranking Chinese member of the Communist party.
Commodities fell sharply Monday as another big drop in crude prices prompted traders to shed copper, corn and other hard assets as alternative investments.
The coming visit this week to Argentina of a top official from the Holy See has triggered speculation in the Buenos Aires press that a Vatican request for the creation of a new diocese in Tierra del Fuego could include the Falkland Islands.
Critics who say the United Nations only churns out hot air will find even more of the stuff if they visit the UN New York headquarters this month. Under the Cool UN initiative, the air conditioning will be turned down and temperatures will rise several degrees.
Credit rating agencies could be banned or prosecuted under a draft European Union law aimed at making them more accountable for the advice they give. Firms that rate debt investments, such as Fitch, Moody's and Standard & Poor's, have been criticized for their role in the sub-prime mortgage crisis.
The new law would replace a voluntary code of conduct.
Russia is to form a state grain trading company that will control the majority of the country's cereal exports, it has been reported.
Inflation in the Euro zone accelerated to its pace in more than 16 years in July, 4.1% from 4% in June, according to the European Union statistics office in Luxembourg. A separate report showed unemployment was 7.3% in June.