International

• Sunday, November 27th 2011 - 01:49 UTC

  Imperceptibly, the tide of debate is turning on climate change

  

  The forthcoming Durban (Climate change) conference comes at a major crossroads in international relations, with continuing economic malaise in the West being counterpoised with the increasingly rapid shift of power to emerging economies. Mirroring this structural change is a fundamental shift in the centre of gravity of the global climate change debate that few have yet to recognize.

• Sunday, November 27th 2011 - 00:57 UTC

  Blatter confirms decision to award 2018 World Cup to Russia will be investigated

  

  FIFA president Sepp Blatter has confirmed that the decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia will undergo an investigation. Qatar was awarded the 2022 tournament at the same time as the eastern European country, amid allegations that the Asian nation had influenced the decision-making process through the use of bribery.

• Sunday, November 27th 2011 - 00:53 UTC

  UK has more obese women than any other European country: 23.9%

  

  The UK has more obese women than any other country in Europe, according to European Union figures. Data agency Eurostat which looked at 19 countries, found nearly a quarter of UK women - 23.9% - were recorded as being obese in the year 2008 to 2009.
  Just over 22% of UK men were classed as obese, coming second only to Malta.

• Saturday, November 26th 2011 - 03:12 UTC

  FAO estimates record oilseed production but soybean crop will be down

  

  Global oilseed production is estimated at record 472 million tons in the 2011-12 marketing year starting October but the growth in output will be subdued, FAO said in a report. Similarly soy bean production is expected to fall to 260.7 million tons from 265.8 million in 2010/2011.

• Friday, November 25th 2011 - 14:02 UTC

  British Services team ready for two-month Antarctica expedition to honour Captain Scott

  

  The Service personnel who will take part in the British Services Antarctic Expedition 2012 have recently completed their final mission rehearsal exercise (MRX) in the Ecrins National Park region of the French Alps.

• Friday, November 25th 2011 - 02:48 UTC

  Fitch downgrades Portugal’s rating to junk status; pressure mounting on Spain

  

  Rating agency Fitch downgraded Portugal's rating to junk status, citing large fiscal imbalances, high debts and the risks to its EU-mandated austerity program from a worsening economic outlook.

• Friday, November 25th 2011 - 02:12 UTC

  France and Germany agree not to disagree in public about the ECB role

  

  France and Germany agreed Thursday to stop arguing in public over whether the European Central Bank should do more to rescue the Euro zone from a deepening sovereign debt crisis.

• Friday, November 25th 2011 - 02:06 UTC

  UK confirms support for partnership strategy and defence of Overseas Territories

  

  The decision to build an airport tin St Helena and confirmation of UK’s commitment to defend its Overseas Territories were among the main conclusions of the latest Consultative Council (OTCC) which concluded this week in London.

• Thursday, November 24th 2011 - 15:18 UTC

  Chilean economy slows down as the mining sector contracts 6.5% in third quarter

  

  Chile's economy grew a seasonally adjusted 0.6% in the third quarter from the second quarter of 2011, slowing from a downwardly revised 1.3% in the previous quarter.

• Wednesday, November 23rd 2011 - 23:07 UTC

  WTO cuts world’s export growth to 5.8%; warns on unilateral actions

  

  The World Trade Organization slashed its forecast for the world’s export growth to just 5.8% for the year, down from 6.5%. WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, in his annual report said that world trade has slowed “considerably” in recent months.