International

• Saturday, December 5th 2009 - 02:55 UTC

  Brewing rift between UK and France over financial regulation

  

  Talks scheduled to take place on Friday between UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have been cancelled. They may have helped to clear the air after President Sarkozy said the UK was the “big loser” when a Frenchman got the job as EU financial regulator.

• Saturday, December 5th 2009 - 02:46 UTC

  EC proposes Anglo-Spanish management of Gibraltar waters conservation

  

  The European Commission, having sparked a diplomatic row by approving a Spanish nature site within British Gibraltar waters, now wants Britain and Spain to draw up a “joint management plan” for marine conservation in the area, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Saturday, December 5th 2009 - 02:38 UTC

  Scrappage scheme boosted new car sales in United Kingdom

  

  New car sales in the United Kingdom soared last month as consumers took advantage of the government's car scrappage scheme. A total of 158,082 new vehicles were registered in November 2009, a huge 57.6% increase on the November 2008 figure, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

• Saturday, December 5th 2009 - 02:33 UTC

  European Central Bank begins withdrawing stimuli liquidity

  

  The European Central Bank (ECB) is to start withdrawing some of its special measures to support the economy. The bank is withdrawing some of its cheap short-term loans designed to boost the amount of money available in the markets and encourage bank lending.

• Friday, December 4th 2009 - 09:21 UTC

  China attacks water pollution and plans massive investments

  

  China will invest 13 billion US dollars in the next three years in projects to improve the quality of water faced with serious contamination problems, reported “China Daily”. Most of the money will go to sewage systems, water purifying and rainwater harvesting according to Deputy Environment minister Wu Xiaoqing.

• Friday, December 4th 2009 - 05:06 UTC

  UK government warns bankers “to come back into the real world”

  

  A British government minister has told bankers “to come back into the real world” after Royal Bank of Scotland directors threatened to resign over bonuses. City Minister Lord Myners said it was unrealistic that bankers should expect to be paid million pound bonuses.

• Friday, December 4th 2009 - 04:49 UTC

  Trained African rats help to clear of mines areas of Mozambique

  

  Rats have been effective in the detection of antipersonnel mines and home-made explosives in Mozambique, Africa, and based on the experience an estimated 700.000 square metres (70 hectares) have been cleared.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 13:20 UTC

  Falklands’ war veteran medals fetched a record £ 70.000

  

  Medals belonging to a Falklands war veteran who wanted the cash because his injuries prevented him working have fetched a record £70,000 at auction. Captain Ian Bailey of Ash Vale, Surrey, was awarded the Military Medal for his part in an attack on two Argentine positions on Mount Longdon, in 1982.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 09:16 UTC

  Mrs. Kirchner promises next Ibero-American summit will address Malvinas issue

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner said that the sovereignty claim over Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich islands and surrounding maritime spaces, illegitimately held by Britain, will be paramount in next year’s Ibero-American summit declaration.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 08:16 UTC

  Construction reliance economy no longer an option for Spain

  

  Spanish jobless claims increased by 60,593, or 1.6 percentage point in November, the fourth monthly increase running, admitted the government on Wednesday. The number of people seeking jobless benefits rose by nearly 900,000 or 29% on the year to reach 3,868,946, the Labor ministry said.