China's consumer prices rose sharply in October reaching a decade-high monthly inflation rate of 6.5% adding to pressure for measures to cool the politically sensitive continuous surge in food prices.
Airbus revealed the name of the first individual to purchase the A380 super-jumbo, the world's largest passenger plane. Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is the mystery buyer of the VIP A380 version also called the Flying Palace.
Developing countries are deeply divided about how to advance on global trade talks and few ministers will attend a meeting this week meant to show their unity.
Euro-zone finance ministers urged China to bear more responsibility for global financial stability as they prepared a top-level mission to lobby Beijing about its runaway trade surplus with Europe.
Economic growth will slow in most European economies in 2008, with a number of countries vulnerable to tightening credit because of rapid rises in housing costs or high levels of private debt, the International Monetary Fund has reported.
Global banks are likely to loose up to 400 billion dollars stemming from mortgage investments that have soured in the US housing slump, according to an industry report. Major banks will have to continue to write off stricken multibillion investments in mortgage backed securities.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the Antarctica on Friday to see firsthand the impact of climate change and the melting of glaciers.
World cereal prices are expected to stay high during the next year because of low global stocks, production problems and continued strong demand, according to the latest forecast of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), released Wednesday.
In anticipation of the International Year of Sanitation in 2008 and with more than 2.6 billion people – 40% of the world's population – lacking access to toilets and other sanitation facilities, the head of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme has urged governments to adopt low-cost technology to ensure adequate sanitation for all.
Stressing the continuing need to promote democratization, development and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, the General Assembly agreed to observe 15 September each year as the International Day of Democracy.