Month: April 2011

April 2, 2011

Afghanistan: Ban Ki-moon condemns UN staff killings

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has condemned an attack on a UN building in Afghanistan as…

April 2, 2011

Gaza: Hamas militants killed in Israeli air strike

The Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas, has warned Israel of "consequences" after an air strike in Gaza killed three members of its military wing. The Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades militants were killed near the southern town of Khan Younis, a…

April 2, 2011

Libya air raid ‘killed civilians’

Seven civilians died and 25 were hurt in a coalition air strike on a pro-Gaddafi convoy in eastern Libya, a doctor there has told the BBC. Dr Suleiman Refardi said Wednesday's raid happened in the village of Zawia el Argobe, 15km (9 miles) from…

April 2, 2011

Ivory Coast: ‘800 die in Ivory Coast ethnic violence’

At least 800 people have been killed in the western Ivory Coast city of Duekoue this week, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said. They died in inter-communal violence in one district of the city, it added. The head of the…

April 2, 2011

Syria unrest: New protests erupt across country

New anti-government protests have erupted in several Syrian cities after Friday prayers, despite heavy security. Witnesses said thousands of people took to the streets chanting "freedom". The state news agency said protesters were calling for…

April 2, 2011

Bank of Ireland shares jump on independence hopes

Bank of Ireland shares have jumped 41% on hopes the government will not have to take a…

April 2, 2011

US unemployment rate falls to new two-year low of 8.8%

The US unemployment rate fell to a new two-year low in March of 8.8%, from 8.9% in February. It was the fourth monthly fall in a row. The unemployment rate has fallen by a percentage point during the last four months. Employers created 216,000 jobs…

April 2, 2011

Eurozone unemployment rate begins to fall

The unemployment rate in the eurozone area has begun to fall, official figures show. For the first time in over a year the percentage of people out of work dipped below 10%, having dropped in February to 9.9%. However, the unemployment rate diverges…

April 2, 2011

Oil price hits 30-month high on new supply fears

Oil prices jumped to their highest close in two-and-a-half years as Libya's conflict and Middle East unrest sparked fresh worries about supplies. Brent crude for delivery in May rose $2.23 to $117.36 a barrel, its highest close since August 2008…

April 2, 2011

Brazil banks sued for Amazon deforestation

Brazil's biggest bank - the state-run Banco do Brasil - is being sued for allegedly funding deforestation in the Amazon. Public prosecutors say the bank lent money to companies that illegally cleared the rainforest and used labour practices…