International

• Wednesday, June 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  US 2008/09 soybean crop larger than 2007/08 harvest

  

  The US 2008-09 soybean crop is forecast at 81.90 million tons, down 2.5 million tons from a previous estimate after heavy rain in the US Midwest, according to Hamburg-based oilseeds analysts Oil World.

• Tuesday, June 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  ECB member wants “tough” reply to “alarming” inflation

  European Central Bank council member Klaus Liebscher said the bank has to be “tough” when deciding on interest rates and described the current inflation in the Euro zone as “alarming”, according to an interview with Market News International.

• Tuesday, June 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF: current situation testing Latam achievements

  

  IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn warned on Monday of the rising threat of inflation in Latin America, urging policymakers to take steps to contain the shock to prices from energy and food.

• Tuesday, June 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Beijing calls on industry to absorb higher energy costs

  China will cap price rises by manufacturers to keep consumer inflation stable following the country's fuel price hike, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement over the weekend.

• Tuesday, June 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Lux & Ireland richest countries in EU; UK above average

  

  Luxembourg is by far the richest country in the European Union, with Ireland second at almost half its gross domestic product per capita, while Bulgaria is the poorest, according to the latest release from the European Union statistics office.

• Tuesday, June 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Compromise on whale hunting still has not surfaced

  A divided International Whaling Commission opened its annual conference in Chile on Monday with hope for a compromise on whale hunting, which continues around the world, spearheaded by Japan, despite a 22-year commercial ban.

• Monday, June 23rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Oil summit: more investment needed for “adequate” supply

  Leading oil exporters have acknowledged the need to boost supplies to curb soaring prices but stopped short of specific commitments on extra output. Following their week end crisis summit in Saudi Arabia, officials noted price levels were “hostile” and more investment was needed to ensure “adequate” supplies.

• Sunday, June 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  EU admits Czechs have become another Irish problem

  European Union leaders have admitted that the Czech Republic may not be able to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, which has already been rejected by the Irish. The declaration from their summit in Brussels notes that the Czech process is on hold due to legal difficulties.

• Sunday, June 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  EU plans hiking aid per fishing vessel to help with fuel cost

  The European Parliament (EP) on Thursday proposed increasing fishing sector aid up to EUR 100,000 (from 30.000 EUR) per vessel, instead of per company – as is the case today - in order to alleviate the effect of rising fuel prices.

• Saturday, June 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Oil prices challenge divide EU: new plan next October

  European Union leaders have agreed to a 3-month study to find ways of cushioning the impact of soaring energy prices on the region's citizens. At an energy summit in Brussels, ministers discussed plans to ease the pain of record oil and gas prices on consumers and companies.