International

• Wednesday, January 27th 2010 - 14:53 UTC

  “Year of the Tiger” could signal the end of the majestic cats, warns WWF

  

  According to the Chinese New Year in February marks 2010 as the “Year of the Tiger,” but conservationists worry the Chinese zodiac may actually speed up the tigers’ extinction, with demand for its skin and body parts enticing poachers to hunt the few wild tigers that remain in the forests in Asia.

• Wednesday, January 27th 2010 - 14:47 UTC

  Iraq veteran will represent England in Miss World final in South Africa

  

  A soldier who has served in Iraq has been officially crowned Miss England after the original winner relinquished the title last year to clear her name.

• Wednesday, January 27th 2010 - 14:37 UTC

  Record world unemployment in 2009: not much better this year, says ILO

  

  The number of jobless worldwide reached nearly 212 million in 2009 following an unprecedented increase of 34 million compared to 2007, on the eve of the global crisis, the International Labour Office (ILO) said in its annual Global Employment Trends report released Tuesday in Geneva.

• Wednesday, January 27th 2010 - 14:34 UTC

  Beijing drastic decision to cap excessive lending shakes world markets

  

  Asian markets suffered their biggest one-day losses in three months, as fears over planned limits on lending by banks in China unnerved investors already jumpy at proposed curbs on United States banks.

• Wednesday, January 27th 2010 - 11:21 UTC

  Patagonian ports open to Chinese jiggers if they have no links with Falklands

  

  Argentine Fisheries Under-secretary Norberto Yauhar is sponsoring a fishing cooperation agreement with Beijing that will allow Chinese flagged vessels to enter Argentine ports for provisions, repairs, unloading catches and landing transfers. The only condition is that the Chinese vessels must not have commercial ties with the Falkland Islands government.

• Saturday, January 23rd 2010 - 15:29 UTC

  Record borrowing from UK government takes net debt to 67% of GDP

  

  The British Government borrowed £15.7 billion last month - an amount that was less than expected, but still the highest December figure on record. Borrowing for the whole of 2009 reached £142.6 billion, the highest since Office for National Statistics (ONS) records began in 1946.

• Saturday, January 23rd 2010 - 15:10 UTC

  Commercial air link Gibraltar/Barcelona begins end of March

  

  Andalus Lineas Aereas will renew its service from Gibraltar to Barcelona as from the end of March, exactly six months after it pulled the plug on the route because of low passenger numbers, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Saturday, January 23rd 2010 - 15:02 UTC

  UK British car industry contracted 30% during 2009

  

  The damage wreaked by the recession on Britain's car industry was made clear as figures showed production in 2009 dropped almost a third on the previous year. Car production was down 30.9% compared to the previous year to 999,460 vehicles, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) announced.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 05:15 UTC

  World Bank warns recovery will slow down as fiscal stimulus impact wane

  

  The global economic recovery that is now underway will slow later this year as the impact of fiscal stimulus wanes. Financial markets remain troubled and private sector demand lags amid high unemployment, according to a new report from the World Bank.

• Friday, January 22nd 2010 - 05:07 UTC

  First repercussions of Mrs Kirchner cancelled visit to China

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's postponement of her trip to China is still causing repercussions. Argentine ambassador to China, César Mayoral, tried to minimize her absence, although he regretted that “domestic affairs seem to be given more importance than foreign affairs.”