Category: Trade

REYKJAVIK, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – Iceland asked the International Monetary Fund to help it overcome a crippling banking crisis with a loan of two billion dollars (1.58 billion euros), its government said on Friday. “The Icelandic Government has reached an agreement…with a mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a comprehensive stabilisation programme,” […]

WASHINGTON, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – The global financial crisis inflicted more pain Friday on a wide range of corporate sectors, prompting heavy losses in stock markets, while the IMF readied a rescue of some 200 billion dollars for debt-laden countries. Amid grim financial news from around the world, stocks saw another tumultuous day, starting […]

PARIS, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – Emerging market countries, their once vibrant economies now under increased strain in the global finance crisis, can no longer be counted on help prop up world stock markets. “The escalation of the crisis revealed or exacerbated existing vulnerabilities (in emerging countries), such as current account deficits, that were ignored […]

HANOI, October 25, 2008 (AFP) – At least 11 Vietnamese men have died after drinking suspect alcohol in Ho Chi Minh City over the past month, state media said Saturday. The latest death was a 44-year-old man, who had been hospitalised Wednesday and died Friday, the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper said. The paper quoted […]

MUMBAI, October 25, 2008 (AFP) – Jet Airways, India’s biggest domestic airline, reported Saturday a second-quarter net loss from a profit in the same period a year earlier, hit by rising fuel costs and fewer passengers.The airline posted a net loss of 3.84 billion rupees (80 million dollars) after announcing a profit of 283.6 million […]

BEIJING, October 25, 2008 (AFP) – World leaders vowed Saturday to overhaul the global financial system in the face of recession fears, but US President George W.Bush urged nations to “recommit” to free markets despite economic turmoil. After a week of growing economic gloom and plunging stock markets, Asian and European leaders meeting in Beijing […]

TOKYO, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – The US dollar tumbled to a 13-year low against the yen in Asian trade on Friday as investors sought refuge amid rising fears of a global recession, dealers said. The euro fared little better, hitting the lowest level in about six years against the yen on expectations that European […]

MUMBAI, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – India’s central bank kept its key interest rates steady on Friday but declared it was ready to take “unconventional and swift” measures to deal with the global financial crisis.“This (crisis) is unchartered territory with no standard or conventional solutions,” Reserve Bank of India governor D. Subbarao said in his […]

VIENNA, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – OPEC President Chakib Khelil expressed confidence on Friday that the oil cartel’s members would stand by their commitments to cut output as decided at an emergency meeting here. “I’m very confident. I think they don’t have a choice,” Khelil told a news conference here. “What choice do they have? […]

NEW YORK, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – US shares plunged Friday amid a wave of panic selling and a meltdown in share prices around the world on rising fears of a global recession. NEW YORK, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – US shares plunged Friday amid a wave of panic selling and a meltdown in share […]

WASHINGTON, October 22, 2008 (AFP) – After errant bankers and humbled insurers, the turn came on Thursday for ratings agency bosses to receive a verbal lashing from US lawmakers investigating the financial system meltdown. The heads of leading agencies were accused by a House of Representatives committee of ignoring warnings signs, following the “delirious mob” […]

NEW YORK, October 22, 2008 (AFP) – Recession fears stalked trading floors around the world Wednesday, sparking major losses in Asia, Europe and on Wall Street as investors weighed prospects for a prolonged global downturn. The realization that a worldwide financial crisis is pummeling economies — and driving down growth, employment and corporate profits in […]