International

• Tuesday, September 20th 2011 - 21:33 UTC

  (Paymaster) Germany needs Parliament approval on deciding Euro zone bailouts

  

  Leading lawmakers in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition have agreed a draft law on an enhanced Euro zone bailout fund to give a greater say to parliament in line with a court ruling earlier this month.

• Tuesday, September 20th 2011 - 21:27 UTC

  Euro-zone growth forecasts plummet: 1.6% this year and 1.1% in 2012

  

  The IMF cut its growth forecast for the 17-nation Euro zone by nearly half a percentage point to 1.6% in 2011 and even weaker conditions are seen for next year with growth of just 1.1%. Currently the single currency region is scarcely growing at a 0.25% annual rate.

• Tuesday, September 20th 2011 - 09:09 UTC

  S&P downgrades Italy’s rating by one notch with negative outlook

  

  Standard and Poor's downgraded its unsolicited ratings on Italy by one notch to A/A-1 and kept its outlook on negative, a major surprise that threatens to add to concerns of contagion in the debt-stressed Euro zone.

• Tuesday, September 20th 2011 - 08:42 UTC

  ‘Falklands Sea’ could fall hostage to South Korea/Japan sea names dispute

  

  South Korea is considering using the Argentine name for waters around the British-Overseas Territory Falkland Islands, in retaliation for Britain's refusal to use Seoul's name for the sea off the east of the Korean peninsula, according to Seoul newspaper reports

• Tuesday, September 20th 2011 - 08:39 UTC

  UN launches all-out attack on non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer

  

  The United Nations launched on Monday an all-out attack on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer and diabetes with a summit meeting devoted to curbing the factors, like tobacco and alcohol use, behind the often preventable scourge that causes 63% of all deaths.

• Tuesday, September 20th 2011 - 01:12 UTC

  US diplomatic measures to make Iceland desist of its whaling activities

  

  US President Barack Obama announced diplomatic measures to be taken by the United States against Iceland in condemnation of its whaling activities.

• Monday, September 19th 2011 - 21:30 UTC

  UNESCO drafts action plan to improve journalists’ safety and punish instigators

  

  Participants at a UN forum that met in Paris have drafted an action plan to improve the safety of journalists and ensure that crimes committed against them do not go unpunished.

• Monday, September 19th 2011 - 21:20 UTC

  EU and US debt crises contagion threatens developing world investor confidence

  

  The head of the World Bank on Monday said a drop in investor confidence was already feeding through to developing nations from a growing debt crisis in advanced economies and urged “cooperative action.”

• Monday, September 19th 2011 - 21:17 UTC

  Times Atlas triggers controversy on the rate of Greenland’s ice loss

  

  The Times Atlas of the World exaggerated the rate of Greenland's ice loss in its thirteenth edition last week, scientists said on Monday.

• Monday, September 19th 2011 - 16:41 UTC

  Brazil reiterates it will defend recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN

  

  Brazil will ‘defend’ the recognition of a Palestinian state during the coming United Nations General Assembly discussions, said President Dilma Rousseff’s international affairs advisor Marco Aurelio García.