Economics Report.Here are some of the topeconomic stories of two thousand ten.The world continued to strugglewith a slow recoveryfrom the financial crisistwo years earlier.Greece admitted to bigger-than-expectedbudget deficits.Investors punished Greecewith much higher borrowing costs.The sixteen countries that use the eurojoined the International Monetary Fundin offering loans of about one hundredforty billion dollars in May.But, Greece had to agree todeeply cut government spending.Some demonstrations againstthe measures turned violent.(SOUND)And debt problems extended beyond Greece.Ireland asked euro-area membersand the IMF for help last month.Its rescue was even bigger,considering the sizeof the Irish economy.Euro-area nations have set upa bailout fund of aboutone trillion dollars.But the IMF worriesthat may not be enough.Portugal, Spain and Italycould soon require emergency loans.And the euro has declined,making imports more costlyfor the area's struggling economies.China's exports of importantindustrial metalsalso made news this year.China temporarily cut offrare earth metals meant for Japanafter a territorial dispute in September.China controls nearly all ofthe rare earth metals market.These metals are used in everythingfrom smart bombs to batteries.China recently announced lower exportlimits for rare earths for next year.In the United States, the central banktook steps to speed recovery.The Federal Reserve announced a planto add six hundred billion dollarsto the economy.The goal is to keep long-terminterest rates low and makeinvestment--and hiring--easier.Unemployment remainedabove nine percent all year.On Wall Street, a sudden dropin a big stock index shockedinvestors on May sixth.The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped about nine percent in less thanan hour before mostly recovering.A five-month federal investigationof the so-called flash crashsuggested a single big trademay have been the cause.Rich nations continued to hurteconomically this year. But World Bank economist Hans Timmer saysnot all countries are reporting problems.HANS TIMMER: "By far the most,the biggest story is the very strongperformance of the emerging economies."The so-called BRIC nations, Brazil,Russia, India and China, are expectedto report notable economic growth this year.And that's the VOA Special EnglishEconomics Report written by Mario Ritter.Happy New Year, everyone.