Broadband telecommunications have the potential to spur rapid economic growth and facilitate job creation, according to a United Nations reported unveiled this week, which urges countries to implement national broadband plans or risk losing the benefits of the global high-speed digital communications.
Commodity prices fell on Thursday for a fourth day, following weak economic news from Europe and the US. Oil prices were down 10% at one stage, with US light, sweet crude ending the day below 100 US dollars a barrel.
Europe is extremely concerned about the consequences of the instability in Libya which could mean a humanitarian crisis of proportions if Libyans take to the sea and try to reach the European continent in look of food, hope and jobs, warned the EU Commissioner for Food Aid Kristalina Georgieva.
Sun, sea and sangria come top of the list for European pensioners seeking to relocate for retirement, a new survey showed this week. The survey by employee management consulting firm Aon Corporation found that one in four Europeans wishing to retire abroad would like to move to Spain, followed by France, Italy and the United States.
European Central Bank President Jean Claude Trichet said Europe is recovering faster than forecast and money markets are improving, paving the way for the ECB to phase out liquidity tools used to fight the financial crisis.
Peruvian president Alan Garcia criticized spiralling military expenditure in South America, a fact he linked to the recently created Union of South American Nations, Unasur.
Ten European countries, fearing the impact on agriculture, are openly challenging the EU decision to resume trade talks with Mercosur which is to be officially announced next Monday when the opening of the Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union Summit in Spain.
Under pressure from Europe to deliver (shape up or ship out) Spain's PM has outlined a plan to tackle the country's budget crisis, amid concerns that problems afflicting Greece may spread across the Eurozone.
United States shares closed lower on Tuesday as global stock markets stalled on niggling worries over European debt problems. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index closed down 0.34% following a turbulent day's trading, and a nearly 4% rise on Monday.
More immigrants from non-European Union countries are returning to their native lands this year with help from the Spanish government, a situation similar to 2009, when the number of immigrants forced to pack up and go doubled because of the economic crisis.