International

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 11:35 UTC

  “Oasis of the Seas” with its 2.700 cabins on maiden voyage to Florida

  

  The world's largest cruise liner began Friday its maiden voyage to Florida, gliding out from a shipyard in Finland with an amphitheatre, basketball courts and an ice rink on board. The 16-deck Oasis of the Seas spans 360 metres from bow to stern. Its 2,700 cabins can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew.

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 06:46 UTC

  EU unemployment soars to 9.2%: 22 million out of work

  

  Figures from the Europe Union's statistics office show that consumer prices in the Euro zone fell for the fifth month in a row in October while the unemployment rate for September rose again.

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 06:39 UTC

  British government sacks chief drugs’ advisor

  

  The British government's chief drugs adviser has been forced to resign in the wake of the row over the dangers of class A drugs. Home Secretary Alan Johnson asked Professor David Nutt to resign as chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), saying he had “lost confidence” in his ability to give impartial advice.

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 06:03 UTC

  Methane gas more of a villain on climate change than estimated

  

  The impacts of methane on climate change have been significantly underestimated, say scientists at Columbia University and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre. This effect is now thought to be one third higher than previous estimates.

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 01:20 UTC

  Gibraltar promotes tourism in Madrid with Spanish airline support

  

  The Gibraltar Tourist Board held a tourism workshop in Madrid, Spain this week, in conjunction with Ándalus Líneas Aéreas, as part of the Rock’s government’s commitment to an ongoing joint marketing drive with the airline in Spain.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 21:56 UTC

  Ecuador signs arms and energy deals with Russia: “just the beginning”

  

  President Dmitry Medvedev called new arms and energy deals between Russia and Ecuador just a beginning as Moscow strives to deepen ties in Latin America. Medvedev and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa announced a 22 million US dollars deal for Russia to provide Ecuador with two Mi-17 transport helicopters.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 00:46 UTC

  Shell reports sharp fall in quarterly profit with outlook “very uncertain”

  

  Anglo-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch Shell reported Thursday its quarterly profit fell sharply, and warns the outlook remains “very uncertain”. The company said profit for the three months to September fell 73% to 3 billion US dollars from a year earlier. “We are not expecting a quick recovery,” Shell chief executive Peter Voser said.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 00:39 UTC

  Strong calls for banning Atlantic bluefin tuna trade

  

  Banning trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna is justified by the extent of their decline, an analysis by scientists advising fisheries regulators suggests. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas' (ICCAT) advisers said stocks are probably less than 15% of their original size.

• Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 10:16 UTC

  UK petrol prices at their highest level of the year

  

  Petrol prices in the United Kingdom are now at their highest level of the year, according to the AA. Average UK prices at the pumps are now 107.14p a litre - beating the previous 2009 high of 107.03p a litre on September 9.

• Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 10:08 UTC

  Norway first in Europe to raise interest rates

  

  Norway has become the first European country to raise its interest rates since the beginning of the global financial crisis. The country's central bank raised the cost of borrowing to 1.5% from 1.25% in a widely-expected move.