International

Saturday, February 21st 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Eurozone economies slow sharply in fourth quarter

Economies in the Eurozone, the group of 16 countries that use the Euro, shrank by 1.5 per cent in the last quarter of 2008. This is the region's third quarterly contraction in a row and represents the Eurozone's sharpest slump since the euro was created in 1999.
Friday, February 20th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Portugal hosts Latam ministerial meeting before G-20

Portugal will host in March a meeting of Finance ministers and Central Bank presidents from Latinamerica and Spain to coordinate a joint position regarding the current global recession, said the Portuguese Finance ministry on Thursday.
Friday, February 20th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Israel: Netanyahu has 6 weeks for new coalition government

Shimon Peres, Israel's president, has chosen Benyamin Netanyahu, the leader of the Likud party, to form a new coalition government within six weeks.
Thursday, February 19th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Five EU members in breach of 3% GDP deficit rule

The European Commission has taken disciplinary steps to tackle swelling budget deficits in six EU countries.
Thursday, February 19th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
UK's Brown calls for a “grand bargain” at next G-20 summit

World leaders must strike a “grand bargain” to deal with the economic downturn, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday. He called for more cooperation on banking reform and fiscal stimulus packages as he outlined his hopes for the G20 summit of world leaders in London in April.
Thursday, February 19th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Telecoms innovation, dynamo for global recovery says UN

The global financial crisis could provide entrepreneurial opportunities for budding information and communication technology (ICT) businesses, which in turn can power economic recovery, according to a new United Nations report.
Thursday, February 19th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
UK government exploiting terrorism says former MI5 chief

Britain's former head of intelligence, MI5 head Dame Stella Rimington has claimed the Government had exploited people's fear of terrorism to restrict civil liberties. In an outspoken interview she said ministers risked handing a victory to terrorists by making people “live in fear and under a police state”.
Thursday, February 19th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Climate change net advances, but so loss of rain forest

New releases from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) this week show two sides of the human effect on climate change, with a report revealing hastened degradation of the earth's largest forest zone and the Danish city of Copenhagen becoming the 100th member of a climate-friendly network.
Wednesday, February 18th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
First proven case of “mad cow disease” in haemophilic patient

The United Kingdom Health Protection Agency has confirmed the first case of the human form of “mad cow disease” in a patient with haemophilia. A post-mortem showed the man, who was “over 70” and had received plasma products before rules were introduced to limit contagion, died infected. However he died of other causes and had not shown any symptoms, the HPA said.
Wednesday, February 18th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
IMF insists main immediate goal is to clean-up banks

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that global recovery efforts are being undermined by the presence of “toxic” assets on banks' balance sheets. IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said in an interview to French radio France-Inter that this undercuts stimulus efforts by various governments.