International

• Saturday, September 8th 2012 - 06:31 UTC

  Merkel supports ECB debt-plan despite strong protests and threats in Germany

  

  Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the European Central Bank on Friday after its plan to buy the debt of troubled Euro zone states stirred outrage in Germany and threats from some in her own party to try and block the scheme.

• Saturday, September 8th 2012 - 06:26 UTC

  Europe threatens to take Russia to the WTO over restrictive practices

  

  Europe's trade chief threatened to take Russia to the World Trade Organization over a string of restrictive practices, saying Moscow needed to play by the rules now it was a member of the global body.

• Saturday, September 8th 2012 - 04:54 UTC

  Prince Harry back in Afghanistan but this time to fly attack helicopters

  

  Britain's Prince Harry has returned to Afghanistan to fly attack helicopters on the frontline just two weeks after he was photographed frolicking naked in Las Vegas. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said he would serve a four-month tour, based out of Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, one of the most volatile regions in the country.

• Friday, September 7th 2012 - 06:25 UTC

  FAO says global food prices remained steady in August, but “the game is not over”

  

  Global food prices remained steady in August, the United Nations food agency said Thursday, but warned that “the game is not over” as it was only the beginning of the harvest season.

• Friday, September 7th 2012 - 06:04 UTC

  IMF showed strong support for ECB new framework in support of the Euro

  

  Managing Director Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showed strong support of the European Central Bank's new framework for intervention in the Euro zone debt crisis, deeming Thursday’s action 'an important step toward strengthening stability and growth.'

• Friday, September 7th 2012 - 05:41 UTC

  ECB bond-buying scheme announcement boosts world markets

  

  Asian shares looked set for their biggest daily gain in nearly five weeks on Friday after the European Central Bank outlined its bond-buying scheme to help calm the Euro zone's debt crisis, while firm US data fed speculation of a strong jobs report later in the day.

• Friday, September 7th 2012 - 05:34 UTC

  Land Rover will manufacture the Freelander and Evoque in China

  

  British luxury car company Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to build two of its models in China. It will be the first full manufacturing plant for the company outside the UK. Although the plans still have to be given final approval by the Chinese government, Jaguar Land Rover has already found a site for the plant, just north of Shanghai.

• Friday, September 7th 2012 - 03:26 UTC

  “Argentine blockade can’t stop the Falklands”, said Islands’ lawmakers in Guatemala

  

  The Argentine blockade can’t stop the Falkland Islands and “if Argentina believes that these aggressions are going to change the mind and spirit of the Islanders, they are dead wrong, much on the contrary”, said Falklands’ lawmakers currently visiting Guatemala on a tour of Central America and Mexico.

• Friday, September 7th 2012 - 03:20 UTC

  Falklands and Latin America affairs responsibility of Minister of State Hugo Swire

  

  After UK government cabinet reshuffle which confirmed Foreign Secretary William Hague and Secretary of Defence, Philip Hammond, the Falkland Islands and Latin America become the responsibility of Minister of State Hugo Swire MP until now Minister of State for the Northern Ireland Office. The new ministerial teams and their portfolios are as follows.

• Friday, September 7th 2012 - 03:15 UTC

  Argentina achieves 12-month trade surplus target in August with 10.04bn dollars

  

  Argentina's trade surplus rose to 1.64 billion dollars in August, more than double the surplus in the same month a year ago achieving the twelve months target four months ahead, President Cristina Fernandez announced on Thursday.