The worst of the global financial turbulence is over, but the effects on the world economy will be felt for some time, the head of the International Monetary Fund said Thursday in Brussels before a European Parliament committee.
A blue print to turn Puerto Natales airfield in the extreme south of Chile into an international airport was announced this week by the regional government.
World Trade Organisation director general Pascal Lamy said it is still possible that trade ministers could meet this month to work out the outlines of an agreement in the Doha Round of world trade talks.
Although decolonization has been one of the United Nations' great success stories, the fact that 16 non-self-governing Territories remains means that the task has yet to be completed, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this week.
Britain's Barclays has taken a further one billion sterling write-down on assets and confirmed profits for the first quarter of 2008 will be lower than last year. Last month, the bank warned that tough trading in its investment bank division Barclays Capital during March would cut group profits for the quarter.
The United States has listed the polar bear as a threatened species, because its Arctic sea ice habitat is melting due to climate change. US government scientists predict that two-thirds of the polar bear population of 25,000 could disappear by 2050. However, the government stressed the listing would not lead to measures to prevent global warming.
Spanish airline Iberia reported a loss in the first quarter of the year compared with a 12.9 million Euro net profit last year. Soaring fuel prices and stiff competition forced the company to a loss of 441.000 Euros.
France's biggest retail bank Credit Agricole, is contemplating asking shareholders for an estimated 9.1 billion US dollars to help its financial position after further subprime losses. The move comes after more write-downs at its Calyon investment banking unit as a result of the credit squeeze.
The London Heathrow airport boss who oversaw the opening of Terminal 5 is to leave his job, the airport's owner has said. Mark Bullock had chosen to leave his job as the airport's managing director because of a change to management roles, according to Spanish-owned BAA.
Peru is hosting the fifth European Union/Latinamerica/Caribbean leaders' summit and has displayed 85.000 police and Armed Forces in the capital Lima, of which 6.000 in the immediate area where deliberations will take place. The event begins next Tuesday and concludes Friday with the leaders summit.