International

• Monday, July 11th 2011 - 08:05 UTC

  News of the World exits but the political consequences have just begun

  

  British government lawyers are drawing up a plan to block Rupert Murdoch's bid for the pay-TV operator BSkyB, the Independent newspaper reported on Monday.

• Monday, July 11th 2011 - 07:51 UTC

  China’s trade surplus soars in June with imports growth slowing down

  

  China's trade surplus widened more than expected to 22.3 billion US dollars in June, the highest level in seven months, as imports grew at the slowest pace since 2009. The surplus was 13.1 billion USD the previous month and 20 billion USD a year earlier.

• Monday, July 11th 2011 - 07:46 UTC

  Airline industry test second generation bio-fuels from algae to coconut oil

  

  After decades of waiting, commercial airlines have been given the go-ahead to use fuel made from algae, wood chips and other plants with obscure names. Test flights in recent years by Continental, Japan Airlines and Virgin Atlantic have shown that planes can fly on everything from coconut oil to jatropha, a plant that grows in the tropics.

• Monday, July 11th 2011 - 07:40 UTC

  Millions of tons of plastic debris in oceans lethal threat for whales and dolphins

  

  Millions of tons of plastic debris dumped each year in the world's oceans could pose a lethal threat to whales and dolphins, according to a scientific assessment to be presented at a key international whaling forum this week.

• Sunday, July 10th 2011 - 09:00 UTC

  “The News of the World” last mobile phone hacking message: “Thank You & Goodbye”

  

  The final edition of the paper engulfed in a phone hacking scandal was published today as Rupert Murdoch headed to London to try to save the bigger prize of his takeover of the British broadcaster BSkyB.

• Saturday, July 9th 2011 - 07:13 UTC

  Brazil banned from selling Israeli-technology UAV to Venezuela

  

  Israel Aerospace Industries signed a joint venture with Brazil's Synergy Group to manufacture Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) (drones) to fight drug trafficking in Brazilian borders under the condition that the aircrafts are not sold to Venezuela.

• Saturday, July 9th 2011 - 06:47 UTC

  Inflation at its highest level in three years; concerns over food prices and social unrest

  

  Inflation in China has risen to its highest level for three years, despite a series of interest rate rises and curbs on bank lending. Prices in June rose 6.4% from a year earlier, well above the rate for May.

• 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.