International

• Saturday, October 25th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Asia-Europe concert efforts for coming financial summit

  

  Asian and European leaders called for a concerted effort to weather a financial crisis that originated from the United States and has now spread globally as the 7th Asia-Europe meeting opened on Friday.

• Saturday, October 25th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Falling oil market ignores OPEC production cut

  

  Crude prices plunged Friday despite a hefty OPEC cut in production as recession fears gripped global markets in panic, heightening concerns about declining energy demand. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for December delivery, tumbled to 64.15 USD a barrel, down 3.69 from its close Thursday.

• Saturday, October 25th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Global crisis: East Asian nations pledge 80 billion USD

  

  East Asian nations have pledged to set up an 80 billion US dollars swap scheme by mid-2009 to help protect the region from financial turmoil. The move by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is backed by South Korea, China and Japan.

• Saturday, October 25th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  IMF Emergency financing mechanism has 200 billion USD

  The International Monetary Fund, which has announced its readiness to act in support of nations hit by fallout from the global financial turmoil, is holding talks with several countries about possible new lending programs. According to an official release IMF has 200 billion US dollars ready for loans.

• Friday, October 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  EU-Asia summit in Beijing in spite of award to dissident

  In spite of strong lobbying from Beijing the European Parliament prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was awarded to a Chinese human rights activist and political dissident.

• Friday, October 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Five years on, the EU and Cuba formally restore ties

  The European Union and Cuba have formally restored ties five years after the EU imposed diplomatic sanctions on the island following mass arrests of dissidents.

• Friday, October 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Call for leadership and partnership on United Nations Day

  

  As the world contends with numerous crises, ranging from food insecurity and climate change to financial uncertainty and the development challenge, leadership and partnership are more important than ever to tackle today's most pressing issues, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message marking United Nations Day.

• Thursday, October 23rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Asbestos on watch list of hazardous substances says FAO

  

  Ministers and officials will decide whether to add three hazardous chemicals – including the world's most widely used form of asbestos – to a trade “watch list” under a United Nations-backed treaty, aimed at helping developing countries more effectively manage potentially harmful imported substances.

• Thursday, October 23rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Ban Ki-moon to discuss global crisis with economists

  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will meet with a group of eminent economists tomorrow as part of his evaluation of the impact of the global financial crisis on United Nations efforts to achieve the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

• Thursday, October 23rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Oil price at a 16-month low as energy demand contracts

  

  Oil prices tumbled on Wednesday to a 16-month low amid more evidence that the economic downturn was drying up energy demand. Light, sweet crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange - the benchmark price - settled at 66.75 US dollars, around five dollars lower than the day's high.