Stories for 2012

Saturday, June 16th 2012 - 05:54 UTC
US foreign military sales already a record 50 billion dollars, up 70% from 2011

US Assistant Secretary of State for Political and Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro said that 2012 is already a record-breaking year for US foreign military sales, which are government-to-government sales.
Saturday, June 16th 2012 - 05:14 UTC
C24 chair calls Falklands’ referendum ‘political ploy’; praises Argentine president

The chair of the UN Decolonisation Committee Ecuadorian ambassador Diego Morejón Pazmiño described the UK announcement of a referendum in the Malvinas Islands as a “political ploy”, insisting that the Falkland Islanders can not appeal to the right of self determination.
Saturday, June 16th 2012 - 03:07 UTC
Parents of US child born in 2011 will spend 234.900 dollars until he is 17

The United States Department of Agriculture reported that a US middle-income family with a child born in 2011 can expect to spend about 234.900 dollars for food, shelter and other necessities to raise him or her over the next 17 years, an increase of 3.5% from 2010.
Saturday, June 16th 2012 - 03:05 UTC
Ireland’s banking advice to Spain: “imagine the worst and double it”

Ireland has this banking advice for Spain: imagine the worst and double it. Like Ireland, Spain sought a bank bailout after being felled by a real-estate crash. Now, just as the Irish did, the Spanish are awaiting the results of outside stress tests gauging the size of the hole in the banking system.
Saturday, June 16th 2012 - 03:03 UTC
“Who cares what an American official can think about the situation in Spain?”

Economics Nobel prize (2011) Thomas Sargent admitted feeling “ashamed” when some officials from the US government make recommendations to Europe, Spain and other countries on what policies they should adopt to climb out of the current crisis.
Saturday, June 16th 2012 - 03:00 UTC
Pitting the idea of growth against budgetary rigour is ‘simply rubbish’ says Merkel

Germany's Angela Merkel regretted the lack of confidence among Euro leaders and warned against “mediocrity” as she stood firm against “growth quick fixes” to Europe's crisis.
Saturday, June 16th 2012 - 02:53 UTC
Paraguay landless peasants-police shootout kills 18; Army moves into the area

Paraguay sent the Army after at least 18 people were killed and over eighty wounded, many of them seriously, on Friday in armed clashes that erupted when police tried to evict landless peasant farmers squatting a privately-owned farm in Paraguay, officials said.
Friday, June 15th 2012 - 19:32 UTC
Brazil economy continues anaemic; consumption boost expected in second half of 2012

The Brazilian economy contracted in April for the first time on an annual basis since September 2009, reinforcing economists’ expectations that Latin America’s largest economy will slow for a second consecutive year.
Friday, June 15th 2012 - 19:23 UTC
Euro central banks prepared for any ‘Greek surprise’, anticipates Draghi

The Euro zone economy faces serious risks and no inflation threat, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said on Friday in comments that heightened expectations the ECB could cut interest rates or take other policy action soon.
Friday, June 15th 2012 - 19:20 UTC
Modest gains in world markets waiting for the Greece’s Sunday election

US stock were modestly higher as optimism over a possible coordinated action by major world central banks if Sunday's Greek election causes financial turmoil was tempered by a weak reading on domestic manufacturing.