International

• Wednesday, August 31st 2011 - 00:47 UTC

  Warm reception for Strauss-Kahn in his first return to the IMF

  

  Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn apologized Monday to the institution's staff in his first return visit since charges of sexual assault against him were dropped last week. He was greeted with warm applause.

• Wednesday, August 31st 2011 - 00:40 UTC

  FAO urges readiness against possible major resurgence of H5N1 avian influenza

  

  FAO urged heightened readiness and surveillance against a possible major resurgence of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza amid signs that a mutant strain of the deadly Bird Flu virus is spreading in Asia and beyond, with unpredictable risks to human health.

• Tuesday, August 30th 2011 - 03:52 UTC

  In divided ballot Japan’s ruling party chooses new PM, the sixth in five years

  

  Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda was chosen Monday to become the sixth prime minister in five years, but he needs to overcome a divided parliament and deep rifts in the ruling party if he is to make more of a mark than his recent predecessors.

• Monday, August 29th 2011 - 08:26 UTC

  MPs criticize “offensive” comedy on Lady Thatcher and ‘Falklands’ obsession’

  

  A new “grossly offensive” comedy on Channel 4 portraying Lady Thatcher as a sex-starved Falklands War obsessive, and mocking her frail mental health, has been criticised by MP's.

• Monday, August 29th 2011 - 03:30 UTC

  “Macroeconomics policies must support growth” warns IMF chief Lagarde

  

  The new head of the IMF urged global policymakers to pursue urgent coordinated action, including the mandatory recapitalization of European banks, or risk descent into renewed world recession.

• Saturday, August 27th 2011 - 07:25 UTC

  Ex IMF chief is given back passport and can travel a free man

  

  Dominique Strauss-Kahn was given back his passport on Thursday, his legal team said, clearing the way for the former IMF head to travel abroad for the first time since his arrest three months ago on sex crime charges.

• Saturday, August 27th 2011 - 07:01 UTC

  Tim Cook, the man who replaces Steve Jobs as Apple’s CEO

  

  Steve Jobs took home 1 dollar a year for serving as Apple's CEO. The company's new leader, Tim Cook, is getting a richer deal. Apple's board has given Cook a restricted stock grant of 1 million shares, Apple reported late Friday in a regulatory filing. Those shares have a market value of 383.6 million dollars, based on the stock's closing price on Friday.

• Friday, August 26th 2011 - 13:01 UTC

  Lager beer yeast arrived in Europe from Patagonia 500 years ago

  

  The mystery behind the birth of lager beer has been solved. Scientists have successfully traced the origin of the popular alcoholic beverage to a type of yeast, believed to have travelled 11,000 kilometres from Patagonia, (Argentina) to Bavaria 500 years ago.

• Friday, August 26th 2011 - 03:22 UTC

  Mercosur/Israel trade deal comes into effect following Argentina’s signature

  

  A free trade agreement between Israel and Argentina is set to come into effect on September 9, the Israeli Industry, Trade and Labour Ministry announced this week.

• Friday, August 26th 2011 - 03:14 UTC

  Greenpeace claims top-brand clothing garments tainted with toxic chemicals

  

  Toxic chemicals harmful to the environment and to human health have been detected in products made by 14 top clothing manufacturers, Greenpeace said this week.