
Any discussions that UK has on Gibraltar with Spain “reflect our clear position on sovereignty, which is that the UK will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their wishes” Europe Minister David Lidington has said.

Developed countries are failing to cut unemployment, according to figures released this week by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). July’s figures show unemployment at 8.2% for the 34-country group – unchanged for five consecutive months.The Euro zone is faring even worse, with unemployment sticking at 10%.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday there were generally no taboos in politics but that the Euro zone crisis would not have a mechanism for ‘orderly insolvency’ of one of its members until its permanent rescue mechanism comes into power in 2013.

On September 10th MercoPress reproduced a piece from Meat Trade News Daily (UK farmers claim Uruguay’s ‘Hereford’ meat labelling is ‘misleading’) in which the UK National Farmers Union, NFU called on Asda supermarkets to change its labelling policy after it emerged that its meat marked ‘Hereford Prime Beef Sirloin Steak’ is sourced 6,800 miles away in Uruguay.

China’s imports hit a record monthly high in August, indicating a strong domestic demand despite concerns of a global economic slowdown. Imports surged by 30.2% from a year earlier to 155.6 billion dollars, government data released over the weekend showed.

Miss Universe 2011 will be aired Monday night but there has been plenty of sparking controversy. Catalina Robayo, Miss Colombia has been snapped one too many times without her panties.

OPEC cut its forecast Monday for global oil demand and production, citing the slowing economic recovery. In its monthly report, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said it expected demand growth to drop to 1.1 million barrels per day -- 150,000 barrels per day fewer than its earlier forecasts.

Economic growth is slowing but there is no sign of a worldwide recession, according to global central bankers who said they had no plans for concerted action.

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner travelled on Sunday to France and is scheduled to meet with her peer Nicholas Sarkozy on Wednesday midday at the Palais de l'Élysée, according to French government sources.

Western and Middle Eastern governments pledged to help Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan make the transition to democracy, mobilizing 38 billion dollars of financing, mostly through international lending organizations.