International

• Friday, June 6th 2014 - 08:38 UTC

  Europe appeals to negative interest rates to stimulate the economy and inflation

  

  The European Central Bank has introduced a raft of measures aimed at stimulating the Euro zone economy, including negative interest rates and cheap long-term loans to banks. It cut its deposit rate for banks from zero to -0.1%, to encourage banks to lend to businesses rather than hold on to money. The ECB also cut its benchmark interest rate to 0.15% from 0.25%.

• Friday, June 6th 2014 - 08:21 UTC

  Pope's broom again active: names four experts to watchdog Vatican finances

  

  Pope Francis sacked on Thursday the five-man board of the Vatican's financial watchdog, all Italians, in the latest move to break with an old guard associated with a murky past under his predecessor.

• Friday, June 6th 2014 - 08:08 UTC

  World Cup tickets sold out, disappointing hundreds who queued for hours

  

  The remaining tickets for the most important World Cup matches were sold out fast on Wednesday, disappointing hundreds of fans who waited in line across Brazil.

• Friday, June 6th 2014 - 08:02 UTC

  Italy planning to boost economy by including shadow economy as part of GDP

  

  Drugs, prostitution and arms smuggling may not be legal, but it's all real economic activity, at least in Italy, which will now include illegal enterprises as part of its gross domestic product (a measure of the goods and services a nation produces). Italy has decided to boost the size of its economy by including the value of black market activities.

• Thursday, June 5th 2014 - 07:15 UTC

  Dilma claims FIFA had pledged that stadiums would be built with private funds

  

  As Brazil rushes to finish stadiums and deal with a wave of protests ahead of the June 12 kick-off, president Dilma Rousseff partly blamed FIFA for the spiraling World Cup bill but said the money spent would leave a positive legacy.

• Wednesday, June 4th 2014 - 09:14 UTC

  Uruguay ready to receive Guantanamo prisoners and displaced Syrian children

  

  Uruguayan government negotiations with Washington to receive detainees from the US jail in Guantanamo base, and with the UN to host Syrian children and their families are well advanced, revealed Foreign minister Luis Almagro.

• Wednesday, June 4th 2014 - 08:58 UTC

  Mexico's Pemex sells its majority stake in Repsol over management disputes

  

  Mexico's state-owned oil giant Pemex has sold the majority of its stake in Spanish energy firm Repsol for approximately 2.2bn Euros with the intervention of Citigroup and Deutsche Bank. Pemex has been a shareholder in Repsol for more than 25 years.

• Wednesday, June 4th 2014 - 08:51 UTC

  Euro zone entering 'deflation' zone; ECB expected to boost growth

  

  Euro-zone inflation fell to 0.5% in May, down from 0.7% in April and well below the European Central Bank's 2% target. The fall means the ECB will be expected to take steps to boost growth and counter the threat of deflation when it meets on Thursday.

• Wednesday, June 4th 2014 - 08:30 UTC

  Another 180,000 tickets for the World Cup will be put on sale on Wednesday

  

  Football fans have one more chance to experience the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil live in the 12 stadiums. announced FIFA. As of 00.01 Brazilian time on Wednesday, 4 June 2014, about 180,000 tickets will be up for sale on www.FIFA.com/tickets, in addition to those tickets that are currently available. There will be tickets for all 64 matches.

• Wednesday, June 4th 2014 - 08:19 UTC

  Spain's Felipe VI will be proclaimed on 18 June before the two houses of Parliament

  

  Spain's crown prince will be proclaimed King Felipe VI on June 18 before Parliament in Madrid, legislative officials said Tuesday. The 46-year-old Felipe de Borbon, who currently holds the title of Prince of Asturias, will succeed his father, King Juan Carlos, who announced on Monday that he was abdicating.