International

• Friday, October 9th 2009 - 12:00 UTC

  FAO targets 2050 and how to feed a population of 9.1 billion

  

  The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said on Thursday major investment needs to be made in developing world agriculture. The FAO says that with rapid population growth and changing diets, agricultural production will need to grow by 70% before 2050.

• Friday, October 9th 2009 - 11:55 UTC

  Turbulence ahead for world rice market as stockpiles plunge

  

  Rice stockpiles of the world’s five largest exporters are forecast to plunge by a third to the lowest level in five years, and below last year when prices surged to a record, according to Concepction Calpe, senior economist at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

• Friday, October 9th 2009 - 10:39 UTC

  Mercosur/EU extend sanitary cooperation in agriculture and livestock

  

  Mercosur and the European Union signed this week an extension of an agreement for the financing of an agriculture and livestock health cooperation project according to the UE delegation office in Montevideo.

• Friday, October 9th 2009 - 10:12 UTC

  Economist Roubini warns about “the seeds of the next crisis”

  

  The US economist widely credited with having predicted the financial crisis has warned we are already “planting the seeds of the next crisis”. Nouriel Roubini told the BBC that he is concerned about the growing gap between the “bubbly and frothy” stock markets and the real economy.

• Friday, October 9th 2009 - 10:08 UTC

  Euro-zone leaves rates unchanged: “uncertainty remains high”

  

  The European Central Bank left the main rate at 1% and President Jean Claude Trichet said at a press conference in Venice on Thursday that the ECB has no plans to raise borrowing costs, describing their level as “appropriate”.

• Friday, October 9th 2009 - 10:06 UTC

  Gibraltar to UN: political deal against our wishes is democratically unsustainable

  

  Gibraltar is politically, administratively and legislatively a self-governing country, Chief Minister Peter Caruana said Wednesday night during his address to the United Nations Fourth Committee in New York, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Friday, October 9th 2009 - 05:42 UTC

  Bank of England “wait and see policy” leaves QE unchanged at £ 175 billion

  

  The Bank of England voted Thursday to hold interest rates at its 0.5% record low and continue with its £175 billion program to boost the money supply at its latest two-day meeting. The decision was taken despite concerns over the fragility of the UK recovery from recession.

• Friday, October 9th 2009 - 05:28 UTC

  French Overseas Territories vote in January on degree of autonomy

  

  Two French overseas territories, Martinique and French Guyana will be voting in an autonomy referendum next January 17, although the close relation with France will not be at stake. The announcement was made this week following a meeting of both OT leaders with President Nicholas Sarkozy.

• Thursday, October 8th 2009 - 03:26 UTC

  Spanish Central bank warns about bulging budget deficit and unemployment

  

  Controversy sparked between Spain’s government and the governor of the Central Bank over the magnitude of the budget deficit and rising unemployment which threatens loans and consumers’ repayments plus the stability of some Spanish banks.

• Thursday, October 8th 2009 - 03:21 UTC

  Santander Brazil successfully completes biggest share offering

  

  The Brazilian unit of Spanish banking giant Santander has raised 14.1 billion Reais, approximately 8.1 billion US dollars) in the country's biggest share offering.