International

Monday, April 14th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Protestors win half victory over Japanese whaling fleet

Japan blamed the failure of its whaling fleet to net little more than half its target catch this year to “relentless interference” from environmentalists and described the situation as “regrettable”.
Monday, April 14th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Massive production of bio-fuels: “crime against humanity”

Massive production of bio-fuels is “a crime against humanity” because of its impact on global food prices, said on Monday United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler.
Sunday, April 13th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
G7 ministers target financial sector and credit rating agencies

The G7 group of most industrialized nations, meeting in Washington, approved a plan Saturday aimed at easing the continuing crisis in the global credit markets.

Including calls for more oversight of financial firms and greater financial transparency, G7 members have committed themselves to its implementation
Sunday, April 13th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Bankers acknowledge “weakness in business practices”

The credit crisis is still sending shockwaves around the world and leading banks have now accepted much of the blame for the current turbulence in the financial markets. At a meeting of the Institute of International Finance in Frankfurt, senior bankers acknowledged that “weaknesses in business practices”, including bankers' pay and the management of risk, may have contributed to the crisis, reports the BBC.
Sunday, April 13th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Sub Antarctic seabed

An earthquake magnitude 7.1 struck Saturday in the vicinity of Macquarie Island, which lies about halfway between Australia and Antarctica and 2.000 kilometers south from the New Zealand capital Wellington, said the US Geological Survey.
Sunday, April 13th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Zoellick warns food prices will push millions to poverty

The rapid rise in food prices could push 100m people in poor countries deeper into poverty, the head of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, has said.

His warning follows that from the leader of the International Monetary Fund, who said hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of starvation.
Friday, April 11th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Global financial crisis brings together IMF and Stiglitz

Economy Nobel Prize Joseph Stiglitz, a fierce critic of the International Monetary Fund said that “this time” the fund's experts “have it right” in their assessment of the current global financial and credit crisis, which many economists however consider as to harsh and pessimistic.
Friday, April 11th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Poor countries grain bill forecasted to soar 50% in 2008

With food riots reported across the globe from the Philippines to Haiti, the United Nations agricultural agency warned Friday that the cereal import bill of the world's poorest countries is forecast to rise by over 50% in the current fiscal year.
Friday, April 11th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
“Rice prices crisis” has become a global challenge, says IRRI

Rice prices are set to keep rising as demand is outstripping production according to the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). In its Rice Today publication IRRI calls for more research on how to increase rice productivity and face the “rice prices crisis”.
Thursday, April 10th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
UK cuts rate 0.25%; expects inflation to fall back in mid term

The Bank of England on Thursday lowered interest rates to 5% from 5.25% in an attempt to spur the UK economy. This is the third rate cut since early December.

BoE argued that concern over the slowing down of the economy was more immediate that inflation, which should fall back to 2% in the mid term.