International

• Friday, December 17th 2010 - 07:05 UTC

  Euro zone agrees (strict conditionality) bail out permanent mechanism

  

  European Union leaders have agreed to set up a permanent mechanism to bail out any member state whose debt problems threaten the 16-nation Euro zone.

• Friday, December 17th 2010 - 07:01 UTC

  Asia’s emerging giants move closer; agree trade goal of 100 billion USD by 2015

  

  India and China agreed to raise the bilateral trade to 100 billion US dollars by 2015, step up investments and permit banks of other countries to open branches and representative offices.

• Friday, December 17th 2010 - 06:56 UTC

  WikiLeaks Assange free on bail and tagged moves to ten bedroom mansion

  

  WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was granted bail Thursday by the High Court in London and will move from a prison cell in Wandsworth to a country retreat in Norfolk when he is released from custody.

• Thursday, December 16th 2010 - 23:59 UTC

  China and Argentina sign Tax information exchange agreement

  

  China and Argentina signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) in order to improve transparency in the two countries’ bilateral trade and investment.

• Thursday, December 16th 2010 - 23:56 UTC

  IMF votes aid loan to Ireland, but open to discussions with a new government

  

  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a 22.5 billion Euros loan for Ireland and said it was open to re-negotiating parts of the bailout package with a new government provided its overall targets were adhered to.

• Thursday, December 16th 2010 - 03:55 UTC

  Facebook Mark Zuckerberg is Time’s Person of the year 2010

  

  The creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg has been announced as Time magazine’s person of the year 2010, “for changing how we all live our lives in ways that are innovative and even optimistic”.

• Thursday, December 16th 2010 - 00:55 UTC

  Spectacular flypast marks retirement of iconic Falklands’ war veteran Harriers

  

  Britain paid tribute Wednesday to a joint force of Royal Navy and RAF Harrier aircraft with a spectacular flypast to mark their retirement after 41 years of service. A formation of 16 Harriers that became famous during the Falklands’ conflict, took off from RAF Cottesmore into the skies of Lincolnshire.

• Wednesday, December 15th 2010 - 22:49 UTC

  Spain again on the brink as Moody’s questions 2011 financial requirements

  

  Moody's rating agency threatened Wednesday to downgrade Spain's credit rating, hammering markets as it warned of a 170-billion-Euro refinancing challenge ahead in 2011.

• Wednesday, December 15th 2010 - 22:30 UTC

  Irish parliament approves multi-billon Euro EU/IMF bailout package

  

  Ireland's parliament on Wednesday approved (81 to 75) a multi-billion Euro EU/IMF bailout package in the face of opposition threats to renegotiate the deal to force losses on some senior bondholders in Irish banks.

• Wednesday, December 15th 2010 - 22:25 UTC

  Argentina, world’s largest exporter of top football players: 1.800 in 2009/10

  

  Argentina has surpassed neighbouring Brazil as the world's largest exporter of football players, a trend that may not be a good thing for the country's domestic game. Players had become assets to be sold off to repay club debts, one agent said, while the growing exodus of Argentina's best young players is leaving a void in the local game.