International

• Tuesday, July 5th 2011 - 00:15 UTC

  Brize Norton becomes the new home for the RAF Hercules Force

  

  As of this month RAF Lyneham's Hercules fleet has a new base at RAF Brize Norton which is becoming critically important as an RAF logistics support hub including the air bridge with the Falkland Islands.

• Monday, July 4th 2011 - 19:18 UTC

  EU/Mercosur launch ‘timid’ sixth round of trade negotiations in Brussels

  

  Mercosur/European sixth round of negotiations to reach a wide ranging cooperation and trade agreement took off Monday in Brussels, but rather timidly with no immediate prospects of an exchange of proposals for market access.

• Monday, July 4th 2011 - 18:05 UTC

  Redefining ‘default’ so that private banks can roll over Greek debt

  

  Ratings agency Standard and Poor's warned on Monday that efforts to bailout Greece involving private banks could amount to a debt default even as Brussels sees progress being made in resolving the crisis.

• Monday, July 4th 2011 - 18:00 UTC

  OECD warns the Euro Central Bank about ‘aggressive’ hike of interest rates

  

  The European Central Bank should not hike interest rates aggressively and wait for stronger Euro zone growth before increasing rates after this week's expected move, OECD head Angel Gurria said on Monday.

• Monday, July 4th 2011 - 04:48 UTC

  Greece warned aid package means significant losses of “sovereignty” and jobs

  

  Euro zone finance ministers have approved a 12 billion euro instalment of Greece's bailout, but signalled that the nation must expect significant losses of sovereignty and jobs.

• Monday, July 4th 2011 - 04:42 UTC

  French left leaning voters want Socialist Strauss-Khan back in politics

  

  A majority of left-leaning French voters, 60%, want former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, whose high-profile trial on sexual assault charges could collapse, to return to French politics, a poll released showed.

• Saturday, July 2nd 2011 - 05:56 UTC

  Chinese president warns corruption is eroding the Communist party grip

  

  Chinese President Hu Jintao has issued a mea culpa for rampant corruption in the ruling Communist Party, warning members about alienating the public as the organisation celebrates its 90th anniversary.

• Saturday, July 2nd 2011 - 05:28 UTC

  London and Chilean stock exchanges are in the process of integration

  

  Finance Minister Felipe Larraín advanced efforts to integrate the Chilean and London stock exchanges during a recent visit to the United Kingdom. A delegation of government officials and business leaders accompanied the minister on his trip to promote foreign investment in Chile.

• Saturday, July 2nd 2011 - 05:23 UTC

  Former IMF chief case rapidly becoming a Mexican soap opera

  

  Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was freed on Friday from house arrest after prosecutors raised serious doubts about his accuser's credibility, including that she lied to the grand jury.

• Friday, July 1st 2011 - 15:46 UTC

  Expected bumper crop in US makes corn prices suffer its biggest fall in 15 years

  

  The price of corn suffered its biggest fall for 15 years on Thursday, prompting speculation that the high cost of food may start to ease. Corn prices dropped 10% after a US Department of Agriculture report that farmers are sowing unexpectedly large amounts of the grain.