International

• Thursday, March 3rd 2011 - 05:30 UTC

  Velux 5 Oceans in Punta del Este; Van Liew with Le Pingouin wins third consecutive leg

  

  The US skipper Brad Van Liew won his third consecutive leg in the Velux 5 Oceans race on Tuesday evening pulling into Punta del Este, Uruguay, eight days after rounding Cape Horn in his 60-foot Eco 60 Le Pingouin..

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 - 17:44 UTC

  New Irish government gauges ‘potential damage’ of Mercosur/EU trade talks

  

  Mercosur negotiations and Ireland’s share of the EU agriculture spending are seen as the main challenging demands for the new Agriculture minister of the Fine Gael-Labour coalition government in Dublin.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 - 17:36 UTC

  Unemployment up in Spain: 4.3 million registered as out of a job

  

  The number of people out of a job Spain, which has the highest unemployment rate in the industrialized world, rose further in February reaching a 15 year high, the Labour ministry said Wednesday.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 - 17:24 UTC

  EU competition regulators raid companies selling digital books

  

  European Union's competition regulators carried out unannounced inspections into various companies that sell digital books on Tuesday on suspicion of operating a cartel and engaging in other banned business practices.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 - 17:21 UTC

  Insurers’ bill for the New Zealand earthquake climbs to 12 billion USD

  

  One of the world's biggest re-insurers Swiss Re described the New Zealand earthquake as a ''significant event'' for the global insurance industry, as it warned insurance losses from the disaster could top 12 billion US dollars.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 - 15:42 UTC

  Range Rover Evoque awarded the title of best “Car Design of the Tear”

  

  The Range Rover Evoque has been awarded the title of Best Production Car in the 2010 Car Design News, Car Design of the Year awards. This highly regarded accolade is the first major international award for the Range Rover Evoque, which is shaping up to be one of the most exciting cars of 2011.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 - 15:29 UTC

  Airlines profits to drop 50% from 2010 because of rising oil prices, says IATA

  

  Airlines stand to earn almost 50% less this year than in 2010 as rising oil prices limit the benefits of a rebounding economy, anticipated IATA.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 - 06:55 UTC

  LSE investigating if one of Gaddafi’s sons plagiarised his PhD thesis

  

  The London School of Economics is investigating evidence that Colonel Gaddafi's son plagiarised his PhD thesis before it took a 2.4 million US dollars donation from his charitable foundation.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 - 06:44 UTC

  New Zealand incorporates second Antarctic patrol vessel with flying colours

  

  New Zealand’s newest offshore patrol vessel and its crew experienced all Antarctica could throw at them during the past three weeks and passed with flying colours, the navy says.

• Wednesday, March 2nd 2011 - 06:30 UTC

  HMS Liverpool, veteran of the Falklands conflict to be decommissioned 2012

  

  HMS Liverpool set sail out of the Mersey city for the last time as her four-day ceremonial visit drew to a close. The Type 42 Destroyer, built by Cammell Laird, was heading north for operational sea training before going on an active deployment in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf later in the year.