International

• Monday, April 18th 2011 - 07:05 UTC

  Syrians mark Independence Day in the streets calling for freedom

  

  Thousands of Syrians chanted slogans calling for greater freedom at Independence Day rallies, witnesses said, a day after President Bashar al-Assad promised to lift emergency law.

• Monday, April 18th 2011 - 06:38 UTC

  Arctic coastline crumbling due to effects of climate change, says German study

  

  Arctic coastlines are crumbling away and retreating at the rate of two metres or more a year due to the effects of climate change, it has been claimed. In some locations, up to 30 metres of the shore has been vanishing every year.

• Saturday, April 16th 2011 - 09:57 UTC

  IMF chief warns on the dangerous cocktail of unemployment and inequality

  

  Economic stability depends on a strong middle class that can propel demand. We will not see this if growth does not lead to decent jobs, or if growth rewards the favoured few over the marginalized many.

• Saturday, April 16th 2011 - 02:20 UTC

  EU agriculture impact report before presenting “proposal list” to Mercosur

  

  The European Commission will be presenting in the next weeks a report on the consequences for the European agriculture of a trade agreement with Mercosur, announced EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos following a Thursday meeting of the Agriculture Council in Luxembourg.

• Saturday, April 16th 2011 - 02:10 UTC

  UK celebrates Sunday Malbec World Day, Argentina’s flagship grape variety

  

  Wines of Argentina are gearing up for its first ever Malbec World Day, a global celebration of Argentina’s ‘hero’ grape variety, according to worldwide drinks industry news Harpers Wine & Spirit.

• Saturday, April 16th 2011 - 00:41 UTC

  Eichmann’s escape helped by German intelligence and Roman Catholic Church

  

  The notorious Holocaust planner Adolf Eichmann was helped out of Germany by members of the German intelligence service and the Roman Catholic Church, according to a series of articles by Spiegel based on secret documents.

• Saturday, April 16th 2011 - 00:34 UTC

  Children thefts in Argentina: German investigative journalist barred from the US

  

  German radio correspondent based in Buenos Aires Gabriela Weber, who is investigating the alleged theft of children by a US diplomat during the Argentine military dictatorship (1976-1983) apparently has been permanently denied her request for an entrance visa.

• Saturday, April 16th 2011 - 00:09 UTC

  China’s trade with BRICS associates surged 45.8% in the first quarter

  

  China's top customs authority announced Friday that trade with the other four BRICS nations surged by 45.8% to reach 59.9 billion US dollars in the first quarter of this year.

• Friday, April 15th 2011 - 18:50 UTC

  China’s 3 trillion USD reserves intensify debate on Yuan convertibility

  

  China's foreign exchange reserves exceeded the mark of 3 trillion US dollars for the first time at the end of March 2011, representing an increase of 24% from a year earlier. China retains the world’s leading position in forex reserves, according to data released by the country’s central bank.

• Friday, April 15th 2011 - 18:44 UTC

  Top banker predicts speculative inflows will continue; China’s stats not so rosy

  

  Speculative money continues to flow into emerging markets, including China, and the situation is likely to continue over the long term, a top executive of China's largest commercial bank said Friday.