International

• Friday, May 25th 2012 - 06:45 UTC

  UK reassures support for Gibraltar after major incident with Spain in the Rock’s waters

  

  UK reassured support for Gibraltar following Wednesday night’s incident when several Spanish Guardia Civil vessels and a helicopter were involved in a tense standoff with the Royal Gibraltar Police, the Gibraltar Defence Police and the Royal Navy while the Spanish trawlers tried to cast nets in the Rock’s bay.

• Friday, May 25th 2012 - 02:51 UTC

  Alcohol consumption in Latin America is considerably less than in Europe and US

  

  Alcohol consumption in Latin America is low compared to Europe and the US and averages 5.5 litres of pure alcohol per year per capita, although with marked differences between countries and gender. In Europe consumption is estimated at 13 litres of pure alcohol while in the US the average in 9.8 litres.

• Friday, May 25th 2012 - 01:49 UTC

  OECD/World Bank recommends more inclusive growth economic policy

  

  Economic policy should be better designed to bring about more inclusive growth, ensuring that the benefits of increased prosperity are shared more evenly across society, according to a new report from the OECD and the World Bank.

• Friday, May 25th 2012 - 01:16 UTC

  UK deeper in recession; IMF recommends more stimuli measures

  

  Britain fell deeper into recession than initially thought in the first quarter of 2012 due to a slump in construction output, raising the likelihood that the Bank will opt to inject more stimuli to protect the economy from the Euro zone debt crisis.

• Thursday, May 24th 2012 - 16:41 UTC

  Outbreak of tick fever kills 22 cattle in Australia; origin of the parasite unknown

  

  Twenty-two cattle have been killed by tick fever in the New South Wales, Australia. Tick fever is caused by a parasite in red blood cells and the only thing that can spread tick fever is cattle ticks, reports Meat trade news daily.

• Thursday, May 24th 2012 - 16:27 UTC

  China to take measures to boost demand fearing economy slowdown

  

  China has said it will take measures to boost demand and investment amid fears of a slowdown in its economy. The government said it will encourage private investment in sectors such as energy, railways and telecommunications.

• Thursday, May 24th 2012 - 05:40 UTC

  Uninspired EU summit pledges support for Greece, but prepares for “Grexit”

  

  European Union leaders pledged support for Greece on Thursday, vowing to keep the debt-wracked country in the Euro zone as officials prepared behind the scenes for a possible doomsday scenario of exit.

• Thursday, May 24th 2012 - 05:27 UTC

  Immigration has been sidelined in the US at the expense of human capital growth

  

  Immigration has been sidelined by the US government at the expense of economic and human capital growth, according to New York Mayor Bloomberg who blasted the US government for becoming so worried about reelection and so partisan that “they don't consider immigration as an economic strategy”.

• Thursday, May 24th 2012 - 05:13 UTC

  Glut of pigs in the US and China posed to halt four-year rally in prices

  

  The heaviest and most numerous US pig population on record and rebounding Chinese output are creating a surplus that is poised to halt a four-year rally in prices, reports Meat Trade News daily.

• Thursday, May 24th 2012 - 05:03 UTC

  Spain now tells Argentina “YPF is no more than a bump” in a long shared history

  

  Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo adopted on Wednesday a conciliatory tone towards Argentina for the first time after the YPF seizure by saying Argentina and Spain should hold “kindred nation” talks.