International

• Tuesday, June 28th 2011 - 06:07 UTC

  French banks agree to roll over holdings of Greek debt for 30 years

  

  French banks have agreed to roll over holdings of Greek debt for 30 years, President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday, as the Greek government tries to persuade backbench rebels to back a crucial austerity plan to avert bankruptcy.

• Tuesday, June 28th 2011 - 06:01 UTC

  Avoid raw sprouts and seeds to prevent outbreak of E. coli, say Dutch and UK health officials

  

  Dutch and British health officials advised people to avoid raw sprouts and seeds after scientists linked an outbreak of E. coli in France to a highly toxic one in Germany that has killed 47 people.

• Tuesday, June 28th 2011 - 04:41 UTC

  Falklands/Malvinas: Argentina condemns UK “militaristic regrettable statements”

  

  The verbal escalation between the Argentine and British governments in the Falklands/Malvinas Islands sovereignty issue continued Monday with strong exchange of statements.

• Monday, June 27th 2011 - 16:34 UTC

  International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Libyan leader Gaddafi

  

  The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and rebels trying to oust him said their forces had advanced to within 80 km of the capital Tripoli.

• Monday, June 27th 2011 - 15:34 UTC

  FAO elected-chief anticipates high and volatile food prices for several years

  

  The newly elected chief of the United Nations food agency, FAO, anticipated on Monday high and volatile food prices will persist for several years. Brazil's Jose Graziano da Silva was elected on Sunday to replace Senegal's Jacques Diouf.

• Monday, June 27th 2011 - 15:09 UTC

  Chinese local governments have piled a debt equivalent to 1.4 trillion USD

  

  Fresh evidence shows that Chinese local governments commit the same sins as their counterparts in South America and even Spain, where most provinces, states and regional autonomies traditionally pile billions of dollars in debt that following some political arrangement are finally bailed out by the central government.

• Monday, June 27th 2011 - 15:00 UTC

  Soros: EU on verge of economic collapse; some countries will have to exit the Euro

  

  US/UK Hungarian born billionaire investor George Soros says a country will eventually exit the Euro zone and urged policymakers on Sunday to come up with a “plan B” that could rescue the European Union from looming economic collapse.

• Monday, June 27th 2011 - 06:48 UTC

  Brazil’s former Food Security minister voted next FAO Director General

  

  The United Nations’ food agency, FAO, elected Brazil’s Jose Graziano da Silva as its Director General, the first new leader in almost two decades as the world faces near-record food prices that are driving millions into poverty.

• Monday, June 27th 2011 - 06:44 UTC

  Australia, Canada and most of Latam support Mexican candidate as IMF chief

  

  Australia and Canada said they support Mexican central bank Governor Agustin Carstens for the top job at the International Monetary Fund over his rival Christine Lagarde, the French finance minister.

• Monday, June 27th 2011 - 06:40 UTC

  Global rice production reaches 476 million tons in 2011; strong Mercosur recovery

  

  Global rice production is expected to touch 476 million tons in 2011, on the back of improved weather conditions, as the influence of La Niña is expected to neutralize by June, United Nation’s body FAO said.