International

• Saturday, March 5th 2011 - 06:44 UTC

  About 70.000 people, 20% of the population have fled from Christchurch

  

  About 70,000 people, or 20% of the population, have fled Christchurch, New Zealand's second-largest city, since last week's devastating earthquake, Mayor Bob Parker said Friday.

• Saturday, March 5th 2011 - 06:34 UTC

  Global construction to outpace GDP growth in next 10 years with China and India leading

  

  Global construction will outpace GDP growth over the next 10 years, with China and India accounting for 38% of the 4.8 trillion US dollars increase in output by 2020, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said this week.

• Saturday, March 5th 2011 - 05:40 UTC

  Busy agenda for Chile’s Piñera in Europe and Israel and Palestine

  

  Chilean President Sebastián Piñera arrived in Italy this week for a three-day visit to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the Vatican. It comes at a difficult time for Berlusconi, who is in the middle of a scandal and allegations of tax fraud and consorting with under-age prostitutes.

• Friday, March 4th 2011 - 22:55 UTC

  Socialist candidate, if elected, promises improved relations and dialogue with Gibraltar

  

  Spain’s ruling Socialist (PSOE) coalition candidate for mayor in La Linea, neighbouring with Gibraltar, promised to rebuild relations with the British Overseas Territory if she wins the forthcoming municipal election.

• Friday, March 4th 2011 - 22:03 UTC

  EU farmers warn trade talks with Mercosur could lead to a ‘total collapse’ of the beef sector

  

  European farmers’ organizations claimed on Thursday that current trade talks between the EU and Mercosur could lead to a “total collapse” of the EU beef sector.

• Friday, March 4th 2011 - 06:19 UTC

  Strauss-Khan describes IMF/Argentina relation as ‘romance” with love-hate periods

  

  The IMF relation with Argentina is like romance with its ups and downs, said IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Khan who added he trusted that the IMF technical mission that will be visiting Argentina to help elaborate a new retail prices index would achieve “significant advances”.

• Friday, March 4th 2011 - 06:14 UTC

  Links to Gaddafi’s son ‘knock out” director of London School of Economics

  

  The director of the London School of Economics has resigned over its links to Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. Sir Howard Davies said he recognised the university's reputation had “suffered” and he had to quit.

• Friday, March 4th 2011 - 06:09 UTC

  “Revulsion against corruption” partly sparked Libyan revolution, says Soros

  

  Citizens of oil producing nations must see more benefit from their country's national resources, billionaire investor said George Soros interviewed by the BBC. Revolts in Libya were partly the result of “revulsion against a corruption” fed by the misuse of oil money, he added.

• Friday, March 4th 2011 - 05:59 UTC

  Geithner argues growth in China, India, Brazil are boosting US exports

  

  Rapid growth of emerging economies like China, India and Brazil is boosting the American exports, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has said.

• Friday, March 4th 2011 - 05:56 UTC

  China ready to implement lower tariffs to boost imports

  

  China will reduce import tariffs on a range of products and further cut red tape involved in import application procedures, to “maintain balanced trade” according to statements from a senior official to a local newspaper.