(India, China and Brazil...) MELBOURNE: Emerging economies like India, China and Brazil are no longer "policy takers" but are significantly influencing the pattern and scope of international trade, according to WTO Director General Pascal Lamy. "These emerging powers -- China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa -- and many others are no longer policy takers.

Canada has ranked ninth in the UN's annual Human Development Index (HDI), out of nearly 200 countries. The HDI measures health and life expectancy, access to education and standard of living.

Economic growth in Africa is expected to accelerate to 4.7% this year and 5% in 2015, but the advance is failing to translate into job creation and the broad-based development needed to reduce high poverty and rising inequality rates in many countries, the UN has said.

LONDON-The U.K. economy grew strongly in the third quarter but its balance of payments with the rest of the world deteriorated sharply, data showed Friday, raising doubts about the durability of Britain's economic recovery. The Office for National Statistics on Friday confirmed that the U.K.

THE SWISS National Bank (SNB) has fixed its currency against the euro at a rate of 1.2 Swiss francs, after its value rose sharply due its status as a safe haven investment amid the troubled eurozone countries.

The biggest trade deal in decades was struck on Monday. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) cuts trade tariffs and sets common standards in trade for 12 Pacific rim countries, including the US and Japan. It marks the end of five years of often bitter and tense negotiations.

The latest wealth report shows the distribution and development of wealth in Switzerland. According to the report, income and wealth increased in Switzerland in the past 10 years. Since 1998 the average gross income per household increased by 7%. From 2009 to 2011 the monthly average was at 9'565 Swiss Francs.

Swiss unadjusted unemployment rate slightly increased to 3.3 percent in October of 2015 from 3.2 percent in the previous month and matching market expectations, as the number of jobseekers and unemployed went up. Yet, youth unemployment declined by 3.9 percent from a month earlier.

Foreign unemployment fall cuts jobless rate Published on: 10 Apr 2015 09:23 CET Facebook Twitter Google+ reddit Switzerland's official jobless rate fell in March to 3.4 percent from 3.5 percent in the previous month, driven by a drop in foreign unemployment, according to government figures released on Friday. The decline marks the first time since June 2014 that the rate has fallen in a further indication that the Swiss economy is so far weathering the rise in the value of the franc, which forecasters have said will cut growth this year. The percentage of foreigners registered as out of work tumbled to 6.7 percent from seven percent, while the rate for Swiss citizens remained unchanged at 2.3 percent, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) said in its monthly report. The number of unemployed registered in regional job placement offices in March dipped by 4,813 from the previous month to 145,108, Seco said. But the jobless rate last month remained above the 3.3 percent level in March 2014. The rate declined or remained the same in all 26 cantons with the canton of Valais recording the biggest fall, from to 4.6 percent from 5.4 percent. Neuchâtel registered the highest rate (5.7 percent, down from 5.8 percent), just ahead of Geneva (5.6 percent, unchanged). Obwalden had the lowest rate at one percent, down from 1.1 percent. Unemployment in Zurich, Switzerland's largest job market, remained unchanged at 3.6 percent. The impact of the strong franc may not have yet affected the Swiss job market but observers believe that unless the currency weakens, jobs cuts can be expected. In January, the Swiss National Bank abandoned a policy of maintaining a euro floor of 1.20 francs and foreign exchange traders immediately bid up the value of the franc. On Friday, with uncertainty about Greece's finances lingering, the euro was trading at around 1.04 francs, making life difficult for Swiss exporters selling products into the eurozone, the biggest ma

(If that does happen, those...) In a chat with ET Now, Hemindra Hazari, Market Expert, shares his views on markets. Excerpts: ET Now: What could lift off the market, do you think it would have to be a bullish market friendly budget and would we be foolish to even expect that at the current juncture?