International

Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 22:11 UTC
BoE ready to pump liquidity if first quarter confirms UK back in recession

The Bank of England has decided not to expand its stimulus program of quantitative easing and has also kept interest rates unchanged at 0.5%. The decision had been widely expected, despite concerns over the strength of the UK economy. The rate has been at that level since March 2009.
Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 22:05 UTC
France and Spain rocked by corruption scandals in the political system

French President Francois Hollande has promised sweeping new anti-corruption measures, a day after his former budget minister admitted having had a secret foreign bank account containing hundreds of thousands of Euros.
Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 22:03 UTC
Japan plans to double money supply to pull the country out of deflation and 2% inflation in two years

The Bank of Japan announced on Thursday the world's most aggressive monetary stimulus today, promising to inject about 1.4 trillion dollars into the economy in less than two years, a radical gamble that sent the Yen reeling and bond yields to record lows.
Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 21:55 UTC
Argentina honours coupon and interest payments on sovereign bonds

Argentina has made on Wednesday a scheduled coupon payment on its 2038 Par bonds and paid interest on its 2015 Boden bonds, the Economy Ministry’s spokeswoman said. Investors are worried Argentina could trigger a technical default if a US appellate court rules against it in a case brought by “holdout” creditors suing for full repayment on bonds in default since 2002.
Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 21:36 UTC
Principle of self-determination

The following column was published in The Malta Times - After her first meeting with Pope Francis, Argen¬tina’s President, Cristina Fernandez, admitted that she tried to recruit the newly-elected Argentine-born Pontiff to support her efforts to gain control of the Falkland Islands. In spite of this predictable move, the Vatican is unlikely to intervene publicly in this conflict.
Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 18:37 UTC
Falkland Islands’ oil industry associate begins offshore production from Israel’s major gas deposits

Houston based Noble Energy which also has interests in the Falkland Islands oil industry announced this week that the Tamar natural gas field offshore Israel has been successfully brought online with all five of the sub-sea wells now producing at stable rates totalling approximately 300 million cubic feet per day.
Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 16:59 UTC
Gas starts flowing from Israel's Levant Basin, what now?

By Jen Alic - The first gas has started flowing from Israel's super-giant Tamar gas-field in the Levant Basin. Where it will go will redraw the Mediterranean energy map and the geopolitics that goes along with it.
Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 07:40 UTC
Batelco completes buyout of Cable & Wireless; includes Falklands, St Helena and Ascension services

Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) has completed the disposal of the majority of its Monaco & Islands division, which was announced last December and includes the South Atlantic islands of Falklands, Ascension and St Helena.
Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 07:28 UTC
UN calls for a world free from the threat of mines and other remnants of war

On 8 December 2005, the UN General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. To that effect UN Secretary General has released a message.
Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 07:07 UTC
On Mine Awareness Day, OAS praises Colombia, Peru and Ecuador

On the International Mine Awareness Day (April 4), the Organization of American States highlighted the successful humanitarian demining efforts throughout the Americas. National authorities in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are to be commended for increasing awareness of the dangers posed by landmines, for reducing the number of landmine victims, and for assuming responsibility for their national programs, said OAS.