International

• Wednesday, March 7th 2012 - 02:54 UTC

  Blatter apologizes to Brazil; requests interview with President Rousseff

  

  FIFA president Sepp Blatter sought on Tuesday to defuse a war of words between FIFA and Brazil by personally apologising for disparaging remarks made by a top official about the country's slow progress in preparing for the 2014 World Cup.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 23:55 UTC

  China boosts domestic security budget to face growing unrest

  

  Premier Wen Jiabao said China would strengthen its military's capabilities to win “local wars under information-age conditions”, even as the government announced a steep 11.5% rise in domestic security spending to ensure stability ahead of a leadership transition.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 17:27 UTC

  Brazil’s reviewing its foreign policy but South America remains the “anchor”

  

  Brazil will keep its foreign policy ‘anchor’ in South America but will review the international because of the latest global changes such as the European Union crisis and the Arab spring.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 05:27 UTC

  Waters denies having said what he said and blasts Malvinas war

  

  A few days after the Chilean and Argentine media ran the story that Roger Waters had said that the Malvinas Islands belonged to Argentina, the former Pink Floyd lead singer published a note on his Facebook page where he explained that a local journalist “misunderstood” him since he never made such statement.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 05:23 UTC

  Rousseff and Merkel exchange ideas on ‘monetary tsunami’ and ‘protectionism’

  

  German Chancellor Angela Merkel replied on Monday to Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff claims that Europe is involved in a “monetary tsunami” arguing that developed countries are very concerned with Brazil’s protectionist measures.Merkel and Rousseff met at Hannover where the Brazilian president was invited to open a high technology event.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 05:06 UTC

  FIFA yields and Valcke apologizes to Brazil for his comments

  

  FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke apologized to Brazil on Monday after the country's government officially informed FIFA that it would no longer deal with him because of his remarks about its preparations for the 2014 World Cup.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 04:51 UTC

  China increases defense budget to 100bn dollars; India says it is closer to 150bn

  

  China has announced it will increase defense spending by 11.2% in 2012, for the first time taking its annual military expenditure beyond 100 billion dollars as it puts in place plans to modernize its Army against the backdrop of an uncertain regional environment.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 01:06 UTC

  China targets 7.5% economic growth as it prepares for change of leadership

  

  China expects economic growth of 7.5% this year as it looks for more sustainable expansion, prepares for a change in leadership and rides out a global slowdown. Premier Wen Jiabao unveiled the target at the start of the annual National People's Congress.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 01:00 UTC

  EU conservative governments openly support Sarkozy re-election, claims Spiegel

  

  German Chancellor Angela Merkel has agreed with other conservative European leaders to help President Nicolas Sarkozy in the French election campaign by spurning his Socialist challenger François Hollande, according to the German media Spiegel.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 23:58 UTC

  Brazil sends letter to Blatter: no dealings with FIFA’s Valcke: he’s a bum

  

  Brazil's Sports minister says he has delivered a letter telling FIFA that it won't deal with Secretary General Jerome Valcke during the country's preparations for the 2014 World Cup.