Category Archive: News
Belgium shuts nuclear reactor for possible cracks
Belgium has interrupted the use of one of its seven nuclear reactors, after suspicion was raised that one of its components might be cracked, according to the local atomic regulator. The Doel 3 reactor, located around 25km north of Antwerp provides around 16 percent of the country’s nuclear energy. The suspected damages aren’t thought to […]
Calls for stimulus as Chinese economy slows down
A slowdown in industrial output and retail sales has seen China’s economy stumble in the second half of 2012, alarming investors who had hoped the world’s second largest economy would be immune to the troubles affecting the US and Europe. The economy slowed to 7.6 percent for the second quarter of this year, the lowest […]
US wants help with Sudan oil deal
After agreeing a deal between Sudan and South Sudan that aims to open up the oil production of the two countries, the US is hoping that China and Middle Eastern states will help invest up to $3bn to get oil flowing. The deal between the two neighbouring countries will see South Sudan pay a fee […]
Greek bank chief sends savings overseas
With the financial crisis engulfing the Greek economy, the leaders of the country’s state owned financial institutions might be expected to show solidarity with struggling citizens by keeping their money in the country. However, it has been revealed that the former chief of struggling ATEbank has been transferring his personal savings abroad. Theodore Pantalakis admitted […]
Burma to borrow from World Bank after 25 years
The World Bank is about to resume lending to Burma for the first time since 1987. Together with its investment branch the International Finance Corporation and the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank has opened its first offices in the former capital, Rangoon (now Yangon). The ADB has also set up shop in the capital […]
Zuckerberg no longer amongst tech top 10 as Facebook drops
As Facebook shares dropped around four percent to a record low on Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg’s fortune took a $423m hit. The 28-year-old is now worth only about $10.2bn, over $400m behind James Goodnight, co-founder of the SAS Institute, and tech’s tenth wealthiest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This Thursday Facebook shares were 47 […]
Rise in grain prices leads to fear for food
A sharp rise in grain prices is reverberating around the world as nations face food inflation. There has been a 30-50 percent gain in the benchmark price of corn, wheat and soyabeans, are echoing the 2007/8 food crisis. Countries likely to face the biggest repercussions are those dependant on agricultural imports. The Indonesian tofu industry […]
Taiwanese economy shrinks
Taiwan’s economy has contracted in the second quarter by 0.16 percent, according to official data. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg had expected it to grow by as much as 0.5 percent. “With deteriorating of European debt crisis and slowdown in major economies, the global demand is expected to decelerate and the outlook of world trade in […]
German banks’ lending to periphery lowest in 7 years
Lending by German banks to weaker parts of the eurozone has dropped to nearly 20 percent since the beginning of the year and is currently at its lowest level since 2005, according to central bank data. A total of €55bn less in net loans were granted to Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain by German […]
Record high for Spanish unemployment
Spain’s unemployment rate has risen once again to 24.6 percent in the three months to June, despite a small decline at the beginning of the summer attributed to temporary positions linked to the holiday trade, according to the National Statistic Institute. Half of those under the age of 26 and available for work are unemployed, […]
