Politics

• Friday, July 31st 2015 - 06:25 UTC

  Former Fed chief says discussion is not monetary policy but government spending

  

  Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warns that government spending “extremely dangerous” to the future of the US economy. Greenspan decried a rise in entitlement costs, which he contended have pressured the U.S. economy.

• Friday, July 31st 2015 - 05:44 UTC

  Ex-Top Gear team will front a new motoring program with Amazon Prime

  

  Former BBC' Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have signed up to present a new show on Amazon's streaming video service. The trio will front three series of a new motoring program for Amazon Prime, with the first season to be made available worldwide in 2016.

• Thursday, July 30th 2015 - 22:31 UTC

  UK Overseas Territories agree on a 'unified front' for December's JMC in London

  

  Leaders of several British Overseas Territories meeting in Bermuda released a joint statement following a Pre-Joint Ministerial Council two-day meeting held last week in Hamilton. The goal of the international gathering was to discuss matters of common interest in order to present a unified front next December at the JMC in London.

• Thursday, July 30th 2015 - 22:28 UTC

  For the sixth straight time, Brazil raises interest rate 50 points to 14.25%

  

  Brazil's central bank raised interest rates to 14.25% from 13.75% as expected on Wednesday, delivering another hefty increase to stifle inflationary risks from a sharp depreciation of the local currency. This is the highest rate since October 2006.

• Thursday, July 30th 2015 - 09:39 UTC

  Brazil's agriculture minister optimistic about a Mercosur/EU trade accord by end of the year

  

  Brazil' minister of agriculture Katia Abreu said she was very optimistic about Mercosur reaching a trade agreement with the European Union, and if there are problems look to Europe, because Mercosur members have almost agreed and finished their proposal.

• Thursday, July 30th 2015 - 09:16 UTC

  Kicillof blasts 'speculators' for promoting a run from the Peso to the US dollar

  

  Argentina's economy minister and central bank governor came out strongly to warn the “devaluation club” and speculators in the foreign exchange market who allegedly are pushing the value of the US dollar and sinking the local Peso.

• Thursday, July 30th 2015 - 09:04 UTC

  Fed pleased with labor market gains but inflation remains 'soft' distant from 2% target

  

  The United States Federal Reserve on Wednesday decided to leave its benchmark federal funds interest rate unchanged at between 0 percent and 0.25 percent, while it offered an optimistic assessment of the world's biggest economy and hinted that a rate hike remains on the short-term horizon.

• Thursday, July 30th 2015 - 08:43 UTC

  Gibraltar protests to Brussels that Spain is again causing disruption and delays at the border

  

  Gibraltar has accused Spain of having chosen once again not to behave as European partners as a result of the latest pedestrian delays at the border. The Gibraltar Office in Brussels was asked to relay information to the European Commission on the latest delays caused by the introduction of an Automated Border Control system on the Spanish side.

• Thursday, July 30th 2015 - 08:30 UTC

  Platini confirms bid to replace Blatter and “give FIFA the dignity it deserves”

  

  Michel Platini launched his bid to replace Sepp Blatter at the helm of world football, pledging “to give FIFA back the dignity and the position it deserves”.
  On Wednesday he sent a letter to the leaders of FIFA's 209 member associations, some of whom he canvassed for their support at the 2018 World Cup draw in St Petersburg last Saturday.

• Thursday, July 30th 2015 - 07:23 UTC

  Argentina asks if Iran nuke-deal includes delisting Iranian wanted in major bomb attack in Buenos Aires

  

  Argentina's foreign minister is asking U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and European Union Foreign Affairs representative, Federica Mogherini to clarify whether Washington's nuclear deal with Iran includes removing from Interpol's list an Iranian wanted in a major bomb attack in Buenos Aires that took place in 1994 and remains unsolved.