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November 22, 2009

Cameron Budget would focus on growth

Tory leader prepares to signal a break from his 'age of austerity' rhetoric, by telling a business audience that the first Budget of an incoming Conservative government would 'go for growth'


Four arrested after Northern Ireland attacks

Police and suspected dissident Irish republicans exchanged gunfire in Northern Ireland at the weekend leading to four arrests. In a separate attack, two men drove through security gates at the police board's headquarters in Belfast abandoning a 400lb bomb


Chicago Fed chief sees 10.5% jobless peak

US unemployment is likely to peak at about 10.5 per cent and may not start to come down until the summer of 2010, according to Charles Evans, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago


Run-off in Romanian presidential contest

The outcome of the first round of Romania's presidential elections means Traian Basescu, the centre-right incumbent, and Mircea Geoana, his Social Democrat challenger, will face off in a second round in two weeks


Ashton plunges into daunting agenda

Unlike Herman Van Rompuy, whose 2½-year term as president of the European Council starts only in January, Lady Ashton will take over half of her new job as soon as the Lisbon reform treaty enters into force on December 1


Sixty-five leaders to attend climate summit

The Danish government announced this weekend that leaders of most of the world's biggest economies were planning to attend, including the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Japan, Australia, Brazil and Indonesia


Splits widen for Democrats over health reform

President Barack Obama's mission to reform US healthcare vaulted another legislative hurdle over the weekend, but the scramble to secure his own party's votes sheds light on the messy compromises that may be needed to get it to the finish line


Ahmadi-Nejad tests Brazilian diplomacy

Critics say the visit will lend legitimacy to Tehran as it faces intense international pressure led by the US over its nuclear ambitions and alleged support for terrorism


Albanian opposition to boycott Parliament

Socialist deputies will not return until government agrees to partial recount of votes cast in June election


China coal mine blast death toll reaches 92

Sixteen miners remain trapped after a gas explosion in Hegang in Heilongjiang province


India feels the chill as US warms to China

Attempt to revive good relations amid concerns that India has slipped down on the US priority list


November 21, 2009

Health bill passes first US Senate test

A broad healthcare overhaul was poised to clear its first US Senate hurdle as the last wavering senators said they would vote to begin debate on the legislation, giving Democrats the 60 votes they need


Tories want army pull-out from Germany

Britain should withdraw its army from Germany so it can take on "expeditionary roles" elsewhere under a strategic Nato overhaul, the British opposition defence spokesman said


Medvedev ire puts party consensus in focus

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev harshly criticised Russia's hegemonic United Russia political party for allowing dirty election practices at the party's annual congress in St Petersburg, saying it must 'get rid of bad political habits'


Ohio sues three ratings agencies

The top three US credit ratings agencies are accused of 'wreaking havoc' on US financial markets by providing inflated ratings and costing state funds hundreds of millions of dollars


November 20, 2009

ECB unwinds liquidity support for banks

The surprise announcement of tougher standards for asset-backed securities used as collateral highlights how far the bank is planning its 'exit strategy' to dismantle measures taken after last year's collapse of Lehman Brothers


'Civilian surge' to help Afghanistan

As training for 36 officials begins in the US, questions about political goals remain


Barnier set to win EU financial role

Michel Barnier, former French foreign minister, is set to be put in charge of the EU's single market, in a contentious move that followed a night of political horse-trading over top jobs in Brussels


Dubai ousts financial chief over debt troubles

Dubai has removed the high-profile governor of the Dubai International Financial Center as a political power struggle caused by the emirate's financial troubles continues to build


Obama healthcare drive faces critical vote

Barack Obama faces the next big test of its push for healthcare reform Saturday evening when the Senate meets to decide whether to proceed to a debate on its $848bn draft legislation


Germany warns US on market bubbles

Germany's new finance minister has echoed Chinese warnings about the growing threat of fresh global asset price bubbles, fuelled by low US interest rates and a weak dollar


Chinese white weddings boost platinum

Chinese brides, who value platinum partly because it goes so well with a white wedding dress, are on course to snap up enough of the metal to make up for a fall in demand from the auto components industry


Foreign policy tests Obama-Clinton bond

A bond between president and the secretary of state helps when it comes to executing foreign policy. While Mrs Clinton's relationship with Mr Obama is cordial, one would be hard-pressed to call them buddies


Contest starts for plum EU posts

The race to secure senior jobs in the next European Commission has intensified with the big member states keen to secure the most important economic dossiers


Mekong's turbulent fight for survival

The region faces a difficult balancing act between development and conservation


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