International

• Thursday, February 9th 2012 - 20:30 UTC

  Euro zone rate left unchanged; all eyes set on how to save Greece from default

  

  The European Central Bank kept interest rates on hold on Thursday and altered its assessment of risks to the economic outlook as investors focus on the ECB possible role in helping Greece avoid default.

• Thursday, February 9th 2012 - 20:25 UTC

  Bank of England pumps an extra £ 50bn to boost the UK economy

  

  Bank of England has agreed to extend its quantitative easing (QE) program by £50bn to give a further boost to the UK economy. When completed, it will bring the total amount of QE stimulus to £325bn.

• Thursday, February 9th 2012 - 20:20 UTC

  Judge Garzon barred from office for challenging Spanish 1977 amnesty law

  

  The famous human rights crusader, the Spanish judge who won fame with his attempt to extradite former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in the 1990s, is barred from office for eleven years for abusing judicial powers.

• Thursday, February 9th 2012 - 19:54 UTC

  “People of the Falklands want to remain British” and they will be defended

  

  UK Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday no one should doubt his determination to keep the Falkland Islands British as he dismissed President Cristina Fernández announced complaint to the United Nations.

• Wednesday, February 8th 2012 - 23:57 UTC

  Eight ton whale shark hauled out of the water: Largest catch?

  

  A group of Pakistani fishermen caught a monstrous whale shark in the Arabian Sea. A video clip was posted on YouTube showing the fish, about 40 feet long and six feet wide, being hauled in at the port using cranes in the Pakistani city of Karachi.

• Wednesday, February 8th 2012 - 23:28 UTC

  Argentina has no more claim to the Falklands than Canada does to Alaska

  

  Argentina has no more claim to the Falklands than Canada does to Alaska Giving the Falkland Islands to Argentina makes as much sense as giving Alaska to Canada: none whatsoever, says George Grant.

• Wednesday, February 8th 2012 - 19:56 UTC

  Argentina is welcome to take Falklands ‘militarization’ to UN, but also principle of self determination

  

  There was considerable anticipation and speculation in the Falkland Islands on Tuesday as residents and visitors alike waited to hear Argentine president Cristina Kirchner’s much-publicized evening announcement.

• Tuesday, February 7th 2012 - 16:57 UTC

  Oil rig operating in the Falklands signs three year contract off Norway

  

  A consortium of companies appears to be spending a large day-rate on an Ocean Rig unit which has been fixed for a firm three years off Norway. The semi-submersible Leiv Eiriksson, currently operating in Falklands waters has been wrapped up for a 15-well program over a minimum of 1070 days on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, Greek rig owner Ocean Rig said on Monday.

• Tuesday, February 7th 2012 - 12:57 UTC

  “There is a point where Islanders will say to the Argentines, 'To hell with you.'”

  

  The following piece was published by The Independent, an interview of the Falkland Islands Governor Nigel Haywood by Falklands-born writer, journalist and expert in Latin American and defense affairs, Graham Bound.

• Tuesday, February 7th 2012 - 06:09 UTC

  China growth could drop by half in 2012 because of the Euro crisis warns IMF

  

  Economic growth in China could drop by half this year in the event of a sharp recession in Europe, the IMF predicted on Monday in a report that underscored the importance of global trade to the world's second largest economy.