International

• Friday, July 8th 2011 - 16:17 UTC

  RAF’s Nimrods with a long operational record, including Falklands flew for the last time

  

  After 37 years of operational service the Royal Air Force Nimrod R1 was retired from service last month. The Nimrod R1 last operations were Herrick over Afghanistan and Ellamy in Libya in support of NATO forces.

• Friday, July 8th 2011 - 15:09 UTC

  EU waiting for farm-impact assessment to advance in trade talks with Mercosur

  

  The European Union and Mercosur concluded Friday in Brussels the sixth round of negotiations for a cooperation and trade agreement without any formal exchange of proposals but with the commitment to continue discussions.

• Friday, July 8th 2011 - 06:00 UTC

  Bank of England leaves rates on hold at record low 0.5%

  

  The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has kept UK interest rates on hold at a record low of 0.5%. Economists had expected no move in rates because the latest data has shown the UK economic recovery remains weak.

• Friday, July 8th 2011 - 02:54 UTC

  Brussels funds programs to promote consumption of EU agricultural produce

  

  The European Commission approved this week 26 programs in 13 Member States to provide information and promote agricultural products in the European Union. Total budget for the programs, which will run for between one and three years, is €75.1 million, of which the EU will contribute €37.6 million (50%).

• Thursday, July 7th 2011 - 21:03 UTC

  Streep/Thatcher in ‘The Iron Lady’, promises to be a win-win blend

  

  The first trailer for “The Iron Lady” has been released giving a glimpse of Meryl Streep as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and from the looks of it the Oscar winning actress might have what it takes to convince audiences that she can step into the Baroness' shoes.

• Thursday, July 7th 2011 - 18:36 UTC

  FMD, PPR, brucellosis and rabies, next FAO-OIE disease elimination targets

  

  Foot and mouth disease, FMD, brucellosis, rabies and Pest des Petites Rumiants (PPR) are the next disease-elimination targets for FAO and OIE following success over rinderpest. The FAO conference officially recognized last week global freedom from the deadly cattle virus.

• Thursday, July 7th 2011 - 18:24 UTC

  Former banker praises Uruguay’s handling of “Argentine debacle” in 2001/2002

  

  European policymakers grappling with problems in Greece, Portugal, Ireland and Spain should follow the path set by the Uruguayan government a decade ago, dealmaker William Rhodes told CNBC on Thursday.

• Thursday, July 7th 2011 - 18:11 UTC

  “The News of the World” last mobile phone hacking message: end of game

  

  This Sunday's edition of London’s The News of the World will be its last, News International chairman James Murdoch has said, after days of increasingly damaging allegations against the paper.

• Thursday, July 7th 2011 - 17:00 UTC

  Uruguay praised by WHO as pioneer in combating the global tobacco epidemic

  

  The World Health Organization, WHO praised Uruguay and Canada as pioneers on legislation demanding large graphic health warnings on package of tobacco, on the release of its third periodic report on the global tobacco epidemic.

• Thursday, July 7th 2011 - 16:28 UTC

  Trichet to the rescue accepts Portuguese debt as collateral “come what may”

  

  Hard-pressed Portugal received strong support from the European Central Bank on Thursday after the bank pledged to keep providing it with liquidity in spite of ratings agency Moody's downgrading its debt to ‘junk’ earlier this week.