International

• Wednesday, November 26th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  British ID cards become mandatory for foreign nationals

  

  The British government began its identity card program for foreign nationals this week, six years after heated debate over whether the costly plan is an effective tool against terrorism, identity theft and welfare fraud.

• Wednesday, November 26th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Greenhouse gas level reached all time high in 2007, says UN

  

  Greenhouse gases, which drive global warming, continue to increase and carbon dioxide concentrations reached their highest level ever in 2007, according to a publication released Wednesday by the United Nations World Meteorological Organization, WNO.

• Tuesday, November 25th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Markets world-wide soar on Citicorp rescue plan effect

  

  The Citicorp rescue effect which had markets soaring in Europe and United States also impacted in Latinamerica. Brazil's Bovespa was up 9.8% on Monday recovering most last week's losses and the Mexican IPC rose 7%.

• Tuesday, November 25th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  China GDP growth in 2009 “around 7.5%” says World Bank

  The World Bank forecasts that China's GDP growth rate will be around 7.5% in 2009, down from 9.4% in 2008 and 11.9% in 2007.China's export growth is likely to be low in 2009 – around 3.5% (in real terms) compared to 11% in 2008.

• Tuesday, November 25th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  OECD forecasts unemployment peaks in next two years

  

  The number of unemployed in OECD countries is expected to increase by about 8 million people over the next two years as the most serious recession since the early 1980s takes its toll on economic activity, according to the latest OECD Economic Outlook released on Tuesday.

• Monday, November 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  APEC Lima summit pledges open markets and free trade

  

  The 21 economies, which represent almost two thirds of the world's GDP pledged during a two-day summit in Lima, Peru not to erect new protectionist barriers for the next year, and to re-launch stalled World Trade Organization talks.

• Monday, November 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Calls for better UN coordination of ozone depletion efforts

  United Nations should twin its efforts to combat ozone depletion and climate change to reap the greatest economic and environmental benefits, governments concluded at a recent global gathering.

• Monday, November 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  UK pre-budget report: VAT down two points; record borrowing

  

  Britain's Chancellor Alistair Darling has cut VAT but taken borrowing to record levels in moves he says are needed to save the UK from a deep and long-lasting recession. Top earners also face more tax and all National Insurance contributions will rise, he said in his pre-Budget report.

• Sunday, November 23rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Apec: Bush defends free trade agreement

  

  George Bush, the outgoing US president, has continued his defence of free market ideology, despite widespread criticism of it being behind the global economic crisis.

• Saturday, November 22nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  The Economist sorts Latam's pragmatists from its populists

  Michael Reid is The Economist Americas editor and author of “Forgotten Continent: The Battle for Latin America's Soul” (Yale).