International

• Wednesday, November 30th 2011 - 06:06 UTC

  IDB calls for democratizing access to internet broadband in Unasur members

  

  Members of the Union of South American Nations, UNASUR, need to improve cooperation and stimulate private investment to increase access to broadband services, a move that will lead to a reduction in costs and greater usage, according to two studies by the Inter-American Development Bank released at a meeting of UNASUR communication ministers.

• Wednesday, November 30th 2011 - 06:03 UTC

  Improved transparency for IDB loan operations and activities

  

  The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) became a signatory of the International Aid Transparency Initiative, a voluntary, multi-stakeholder effort to make information about aid spending easier to find, use and compare.

• Wednesday, November 30th 2011 - 06:00 UTC

  Euro zone ministers looking to the IMF to help boost rescue fund

  

  Euro zone ministers agreed on Tuesday to ramp up the firepower of their rescue fund but couldn't say by how much and raised the possibility of asking the IMF for more help after Italy's borrowing costs hit a Euro lifetime high of nearly 8%.

• Wednesday, November 30th 2011 - 05:53 UTC

  S&P reduces credit ratings of big US/EU banks following overhaul of criteria

  

  Standard & Poor's reduced on Tuesday its credit ratings on several big banks in the United States and Europe as the result of a sweeping overhaul of its ratings criteria.

• Wednesday, November 30th 2011 - 00:27 UTC

  Spanish Conservative press predicts the demise of the Gibraltar Tripartite Forum

  

  Spain’s Conservative daily ABC diplomatic correspondent is predicting the demise of the Tripartite Forum, involving Spain, UK and Gibraltar, under Mariano Rajoy PP government expected to take office in mid December

• Wednesday, November 30th 2011 - 00:19 UTC

  UK without a fully operational aircraft carrier until 2030, says spending watchdog

  

  Britain may be without a fully operational aircraft carrier until 2030, according to a report published by the Commons spending watchdog. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says two carriers being built will cost more, offer less military capability and be ready much later than planned.

• Tuesday, November 29th 2011 - 21:00 UTC

  Global temperature in 2011, the tenth highest on record, says WMO

  

  Global temperatures in 2011 are currently the tenth highest on record and are higher than any previous year with a La Niña event, which has a relative cooling influence. The 13 warmest years have all occurred in the 15 years since 1997. The extent of Arctic sea ice in 2011 was the second lowest on record, and its volume was the lowest.

• Tuesday, November 29th 2011 - 15:59 UTC

  Russian ambassador thanks RAF S&R chopper team including Prince William

  

  The Russian Ambassador has thanked the crew of the RAF Search and Rescue Flight, which included Prince William, for their attempts to rescue the crew of a sinking Russian cargo vessel this weekend.

• Tuesday, November 29th 2011 - 15:42 UTC

  Ice Patrol HMS Protector steaming for its deployment to Antarctica

  

  The Royal Navy's new ice patrol ship, HMS Protector left Portsmouth Monday for a seven-month deployment surveying and patrolling the frozen continent of Antarctica. The 5.000-tons ice-breaking ship completed an intensive period of sea trials and training prior to deploying to the Antarctic Peninsula.

• Tuesday, November 29th 2011 - 15:34 UTC

  UK opens new consulate in Recife, next to northeast Brazil main trade and sea hub

  

  Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne on Tuesday opened a new Consulate General in Recife, Brazil - the city which became home to one of the first ever British missions in South America in 1808.