International

• Friday, April 8th 2011 - 20:06 UTC

  US military Unified Command Plan reflect the growing importance of the Arctic

  

  Changes made to the US military’s Unified Command Plan shift geographic boundaries and stress the growing importance of the Arctic, US Pentagon officials said in an American Forces press service

• Friday, April 8th 2011 - 20:04 UTC

  Deadly bacteria named after New Delhi triggers controversy with India

  

  International health journal Lancet on Friday accused the Indian government of being in denial over the issue of presence of drug-resistant bacteria NDM-1 in the public water system of Delhi and argued that the debate over the naming of the bug should not detract one from the health implications of the findings.

• Friday, April 8th 2011 - 17:13 UTC

  EU tells Portugal more reforms are needed to secure the 80 billion Euro bail-out

  

  Euro zone finance ministers told Portugal that it would have to implement new economic reforms that went beyond those proposed by its outgoing government if it hoped to secure aid from the EU and IMF.

• Friday, April 8th 2011 - 17:09 UTC

  Spain an “insurmountable dam protecting the Euro zone” says Deputy PM

  

  Spain has gone from being “another domino” to “an insurmountable dam that it protecting the Euro zone” due to its tough economic reforms, the government said Friday.

• Friday, April 8th 2011 - 05:46 UTC

  China plans fuel and rice prices “stabilization” to contain inflation

  

  China will introduce tax measures to ensure sufficient fuel production if global oil prices exceed 130 US dollars a barrel, China National Radio reported Thursday. Domestic prices of gasoline and diesel may not be increased after crude reaches that level the state broadcasting system said quoting a National Development and Reform Commission official

• Friday, April 8th 2011 - 03:08 UTC

  FAO food prices index drops 2.9% in March but is still 39% over a year ago

  

  The FAO Food Price Index has dropped for the first time after eight months of continuous price spikes, FAO announced Thursday. The Index averaged 230 points in March 2011, down 2.9% from its peak in February, but still 37% above March 2010.

• Thursday, April 7th 2011 - 21:57 UTC

  Drug resistance becoming top global challenge, says WHO on World Health Day

  

  Drug resistance is becoming more severe and many infections are no longer easily cured, leading to prolonged and expensive treatment and greater risk of death, warns the World Health Organization (WHO) on World Health Day.

• Thursday, April 7th 2011 - 21:06 UTC

  Royal Navy preparing young explorers to re-edit Scott’s Antarctica saga in 2012

  

  Budding explorers inspired by Royal Navy Captain Robert Scott of the Antarctic, have had the chance to prove that they have got what it takes to follow in his footsteps during an exercise held at HMS Raleigh this week.

• Thursday, April 7th 2011 - 20:07 UTC

  Bank of England priority list has recovery before inflation: rates unchanged

  

  The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to retain the United Kingdom’s interest rate at 0.5%. The rate, the lowest in the Bank of England’s history, has now been unchanged for over two years despite speculation that higher rates may help combat inflation.

• Thursday, April 7th 2011 - 19:05 UTC

  Euro zone raises interest rate fearing inflation; “sorry peripheral countries”

  

  Euro-zone interest rates have been raised to 1.25% from the record low of 1% by the European Central Bank (ECB). Interest rates had been held at 1% for just under two years following the financial crisis and global recession.