International

Friday, May 8th 2009 - 04:22 UTC
Sterling highly sensitive to quantity easing programs

The British pound fell sharply just after midday Thursday following the announcement from the Bank of England (BoE) that it was expanding its quantitative easing program by a further £50 billion. The move to expand QE from the original £75 billion to £125 billion sent sterling down against a host of currencies including the dollar and the euro.
Friday, May 8th 2009 - 04:16 UTC
Bank of England to pump additional £ 50 billion to the economy

The Bank of England has held interest rates unchanged at their record low of 0.5% but stepped up its program to boost the economy with injections of new money. It is the second month in a row that rate-setters have held the cost of borrowing as attention turns to the results of its scheme of quantitative easing (QE) - effectively printing money - to ease credit conditions in the ailing economy.
Friday, May 8th 2009 - 04:13 UTC
ECB follows US, UK, Japan and announces quantitative easing

The European Central Bank is to embark on its own quantitative easing program in response to the sharpest economic slowdown in Europe since the Second World War, it was announced Thursday. The news follows similar measures in the UK, US and Japan over the past few months.
Friday, May 8th 2009 - 03:13 UTC
Ghost nets and lost fishing gear hurting marine environment

Large amounts of fishing gear lost at sea or abandoned by fishers are hurting the marine environment, impacting fish stocks through “ghost fishing” and posing a hazard to ships, according to a new report jointly produced by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Thursday, May 7th 2009 - 13:38 UTC
Canadian scientists complete genetic sequence of H1N1

A team of Canadian scientists have completed the genetic sequencing of three H1N1 viruses taken from Mexico, Nova Scotia and Ontario, the first complete sequencing of the human swine flu, it was announced Wednesday.
Thursday, May 7th 2009 - 05:32 UTC
EU/US reach provisional deal on hormone-treated beef

United States and the European Union have reached a provisional deal to end a dispute over an EU ban on US hormone-treated beef. The move should prevent the US from implementing 116.8 million US dollars in new retaliatory duties on European products such as French cheese.
Wednesday, May 6th 2009 - 12:53 UTC
Fiat planning a new auto giant with Chrysler and GM Latinamerica

Fiat is eyeing US auto giant General Motors' operations in Latin America as well as those in Europe (Opel) and discussions on a possible deal are under way, an industry source said Tuesday.
Wednesday, May 6th 2009 - 04:36 UTC
Iran’s statements on Israel divide Uruguayan ruling coalition

Uruguay’ Foreign Affairs official rejection of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad latest statements regarding Israel and the Holocaust have caused “disappointment” in certain groups of the ruling coalition since they believe the government “caved in to lobbying from the local Israelite Committee”, reports the Montevideo press.
Wednesday, May 6th 2009 - 04:04 UTC
Canada prepared to challenge EU ban on seal products in WTO

Canada pledged on Tuesday it would launch a World Trade Organization challenge of the European Union's planned ban on seal products, unless the EU agrees to exempt humane and sustainable sealing.
Wednesday, May 6th 2009 - 03:46 UTC
Royal support for Gurkha’s rights to settle in Britain

A senior member of the British Royal Family has privately expressed support for Joanna Lumley's campaign for Gurkha settlement rights, the actress revealed. Ms Lumley told a committee of MPs she had received a letter of support from a royal but would not name them.