Politics

• Friday, April 8th 2011 - 17:09 UTC

  Spain an “insurmountable dam protecting the Euro zone” says Deputy PM

  

  Spain has gone from being “another domino” to “an insurmountable dam that it protecting the Euro zone” due to its tough economic reforms, the government said Friday.

• Friday, April 8th 2011 - 03:08 UTC

  FAO food prices index drops 2.9% in March but is still 39% over a year ago

  

  The FAO Food Price Index has dropped for the first time after eight months of continuous price spikes, FAO announced Thursday. The Index averaged 230 points in March 2011, down 2.9% from its peak in February, but still 37% above March 2010.

• Friday, April 8th 2011 - 03:03 UTC

  US retaliates expels Ecuadorean ambassador, but wants ‘positive’ relation with Quito

  

  The United States expelled on Thursday Ecuador’s ambassador to Washington in retaliation for the expulsion of the top US diplomat in Quito. Within hours, Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa accused the US of infiltrating his country’s police.

• Thursday, April 7th 2011 - 21:49 UTC

  Three year contract for the new Ice patrol HMS Protector to replace the Red Plum

  

  The Royal Navy will have a new ‘Protector’ of British interests in Antarctica. HMS Protector, upholding the famous name of the 1950s and 60s Antarctic survey vessel, is being loaned on a three-year trial with the Fleet while the long-term future of the Antarctic Patrol vessel HMS Endurance is considered.

• Thursday, April 7th 2011 - 21:06 UTC

  Royal Navy preparing young explorers to re-edit Scott’s Antarctica saga in 2012

  

  Budding explorers inspired by Royal Navy Captain Robert Scott of the Antarctic, have had the chance to prove that they have got what it takes to follow in his footsteps during an exercise held at HMS Raleigh this week.

• Thursday, April 7th 2011 - 20:33 UTC

  Peruvian presidential run-off between Humala and Keiko Fujimori, forecast polls

  

  Nationalist presidential candidate Ollanta Humala is forecast to get just under 30% of the vote in Peru's election on Sunday and face lawmaker Keiko Fujimori in a run-off, sources with access to two different polls said on Thursday.

• Thursday, April 7th 2011 - 20:14 UTC

  Messi’s Facebook page collects 7 million Likes in just a few hours

  

  Few hours after Argentine football star Lionel Messi started a Facebook Page, the Barcelona's striker has almost 7 million Likes.

• Thursday, April 7th 2011 - 19:05 UTC

  Euro zone raises interest rate fearing inflation; “sorry peripheral countries”

  

  Euro-zone interest rates have been raised to 1.25% from the record low of 1% by the European Central Bank (ECB). Interest rates had been held at 1% for just under two years following the financial crisis and global recession.

• Thursday, April 7th 2011 - 18:05 UTC

  In spite of latest measures, Brazil’s ‘currency war’ looks set to rumble on

  

  If recent evidence is anything to go by, Brazil’s latest effort to stem the rise in the Real is unlikely to have a lasting impact on the markets, according to Capital Economics.

• Thursday, April 7th 2011 - 10:15 UTC

  Brazil’s latest effort to stem flood of capital and contain the ‘Mighty Real’

  

  Brazil unveiled Wednesday the latest effort to stem a flood of foreign capital that is driving the local currency sky-high and undermining the competitiveness of the country’s exports. Finance Minister Guido Mantega blamed the currency woes on the Federal Reserve policy that keeps US interest rates near zero.