International

• Friday, September 11th 2009 - 08:16 UTC

  Oil price climbs on expectations of global economic recovery

  

  Oil prices closed Thursday above 72 US dollars a barrel following the meeting of the producers' cartel OPEC on Wednesday and the International Energy Agency forecast of stronger demand as the global economy recovers.

• Friday, September 11th 2009 - 08:13 UTC

  Bank of England leaves rates and quantitative easing unchanged

  

  The Bank of England held the United Kingdom’s base rate at 0.5% Thursday, marking the sixth consecutive month of record low rates. The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee also made no changes to its quantitative easing policy.

• Friday, September 11th 2009 - 07:59 UTC

  Chavez claims Israel wants to exterminate Palestinians

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Friday told the Israeli people not to support their “genocidal” government that killed 1434 Palestinians, a third of them civilians, during the latest war on Gaza.

• Friday, September 11th 2009 - 07:56 UTC

  Canadian car parts manufacturer takes over GM German and UK operations

  

  General Motors (GM) has announced that it has chosen the Canadian car parts manufacturer Magna to buy Opel and its sister company Vauxhall. The decision was welcomed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said she was “very pleased” about it.

• Friday, September 11th 2009 - 07:37 UTC

  Venezuela announced nuclear energy cooperation program with Iran

  

  Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez revealed in an interview with the French daily Le Figaro that he has signed an agreement with his Iranian peer Mahmud Ahmadinejad to develop a nuclear program with the help of the Teheran regime.

• Thursday, September 10th 2009 - 11:26 UTC

  UNCTAD joins the “replace the US dollar” debate

  

  The United Nations has stepped into the debate on the future of the US Dollar, mainly that it be replaced as the world's reserve currency. The idea has been floating for some time in world capitals, such as Beijing, Moscow, Tehran and Brasilia but is the first time the world organisation openly takes position.

• Thursday, September 10th 2009 - 05:03 UTC

  Greenspan predicts another financial crisis “but different”

  

  The world will suffer another financial crisis, former Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan has told the BBC. “The crisis will happen again but it will be different,” he told BBC Two's The Love of Money series.

• Thursday, September 10th 2009 - 04:54 UTC

  Russian T-72 tanks for Venezuela; submarines and choppers could follow

  

  Russia and Venezuela are expected to sign a contract on the delivery of at least 100 main battle tanks worth about 500 million US dollars to the Latin American country, a Russian defence industry source said on Wednesday according to Russian news agency Novosti.

• Wednesday, September 9th 2009 - 11:09 UTC

  Uruguayan presidential candidates criticize Iran’s policy towards Israel

  

  The four Uruguayan presidential candidates coincided in criticizing Iran’s position regarding the state of Israel and favoured including in the schools programs teaching the Shoa or Holocaust.

• Wednesday, September 9th 2009 - 10:36 UTC

  Tories promise to end Labour’s “gravy train” and cut Parliament expenses

  

  Opposition leader David Cameron has laid down the gauntlet to PM Gordon Brown by pledging to slash pay, perks and costs at Westminster. The Tory leader outlined plans to cut the number of MPs by 10%, reduce ministerial salaries and do away with subsidised food and drink.