International

Wednesday, December 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Iraq reporter who threw shoes at Bush, becomes instant hero

Thousands of Iraqis have demanded the release of a local TV reporter who threw his shoes at US President George W Bush at a Baghdad news conference. Crowds gathered in Baghdad's Sadr City district, calling for “hero” Muntadar al-Zaidi to be freed from custody.
Wednesday, December 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
IMF calls leders for more interventionist actions

Governments around the globe need to take widespread interventionist action to stimulate stock markets and prevent further economic declines, the International Monetary Fund has said.
Wednesday, December 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Oil markets more focused on mounting reserves than OPEC

OPEC announced Wednesday an unprecedented production cut of 2.2 million barrels a day in an effort to shore up the price of crude. It's the biggest production cut in the history of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries which pumps more than a third of the world's daily crude supply.
Wednesday, December 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
British pound moving closer to parity with the Euro

The British pound moved ever closer to parity with the Euro on Wednesday amid growing expectations of more deep cuts in UK interest rates. Minutes of the Bank of England's latest meeting revealed rate-setters considered even larger cuts than the 1% move two weeks ago, bringing rates to 2% and equalling the all-time low.
Tuesday, December 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Foreign workers monopolize almost all new UK jobs

Almost all the new jobs created in Britain in the last seven years have gone to foreign workers. Of the 1.3million jobs created since 2001, the vast majority - went to non-UK nationals, official figures show. At the same time the number of UK-born workers in employment fell by 62,000.
Tuesday, December 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
2008, tenth warmest year on record since 1850, says WMO

The year 2008 is likely to rank as the 10th warmest year on record since the beginning of the instrumental climate records in 1850, according to data sources compiled by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Tuesday, December 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
UK November retail inflation drops to 4.1%; deflation fears

United Kingdom consumer price index fell to 4.1% in November from 4.5% in October. As a result, the Governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King wrote his third letter of the year to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, explaining why inflation was so far above its target level (2%) and what the Monetary Policy Committee was planning to do to bring it back down again.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
UK retired military claim further defence budget cuts ahead

Two of Britain's former heads of the military have accused the Government of failing the Armed Forces following a cash-saving review of the defence budget.
Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Siemens admits bribery payments and is fined 1.4 b. USD

Electronics giant Siemens AG has agreed on Monday to pay 1.4 billion US dollars to US and German authorities after the company allegedly engaged in bribery, the SEC said in a release.
Sunday, December 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
China stimulus targets five areas; admits slowdown

For the coming fiscal year China will put the bulk of its investment on the development of agriculture, low-cost housing projects, infrastructure, energy conservation and social welfare, according to the Sunday edition of the People's Daily (Communist Party official newspaper).