International

• Thursday, May 12th 2011 - 06:19 UTC

  One third of world food production for humans gets lost or wasted, says FAO

  

  Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tons — gets lost or wasted, according to an FAO-commissioned study.

• Thursday, May 12th 2011 - 06:09 UTC

  World Cups 2018/2022 corruption claims widens; FIFA asks for evidence

  

  FIFA has requested evidence from England's Football Association following claims from its former chairman of corruption by four top-level members of world soccer's governing body.

• Thursday, May 12th 2011 - 05:59 UTC

  China’s inflation eases in April but food costs are scaring the Communist party

  

  China's surging inflation eased slightly in April as Beijing tightened controls to cool its overheated economy. Consumer prices climbed 5.3% over a year earlier, driven by an 11.5% jump in food costs, data showed Wednesday.

• Thursday, May 12th 2011 - 05:34 UTC

  UK/France ratify Defence and Security Co-operation Treaty

  

  UK Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox played host on Tuesday to his French counterpart in London to exchange the ratified Defence and Security Co-operation Treaty between the two countries.

• Thursday, May 12th 2011 - 00:58 UTC

  China tourist group buys 20% stake in Spain’s NH Hotels chain

  

  China's fourth-biggest airline group, HNA Group, has bought a 20% stake in leading Spanish hotel chain NH Hoteles for 431.6 million Euros, NH Hoteles said on Tuesday.

• Thursday, May 12th 2011 - 00:48 UTC

  EU/Mercosur trade talks remain at “technical level and delayed until end of the year”

  

  Reports from the European Union and Mercosur confirm that negotiations for a trade agreement remain at ‘technical level’ and no information will be forthcoming until both sides have agreed on the lists of products to be exchanged.

• Wednesday, May 11th 2011 - 07:39 UTC

  Apple the most valuable brand in the world ends Google’s four year reign

  

  Registering a staggering 84% increase in value over the past year, Apple has emerged as the most valuable brand in the world, ending the four-year reign of Google at the top of the table in the sixth annual BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study.

• Tuesday, May 10th 2011 - 21:27 UTC

  Beijing promises a more flexible Yuan exchange rate, says US Treasury

  

  China assured the United States that it will continue moving toward a more flexible Yuan exchange rate, a US Treasury official said on Tuesday. The announcement came as the Central bank set the Yuan reference rate at the strongest level since 2005.

• Tuesday, May 10th 2011 - 21:23 UTC

  China’s trade surplus soars in April with imports less dynamic than exports

  

  China's trade surplus in April was nearly four times bigger than expected, with exports far exceeding imports. The trade surplus was 11.4 billion US dollars, according to the customs agency, whereas analysts had expected a figure of about 3 billion USD.

• Tuesday, May 10th 2011 - 21:16 UTC

  Triesman claims FIFA members asked for favours to vote for England 2018 World Cup

  

  Former English football association chairman David Triesman has accused FIFA executive committee members Jack Warner, Ricardo Teixeira, Nicolas Leoz and Worawi Makudi of asking for favours in return for their votes for England's 2018 World Cup bid.