International

• 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.

• Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 08:00 UTC

  Europe concerned unemployment undermining recovery

  

  Unemployment in the 16-nation Euro zone remained at 9.8% in October after being revised higher to that level in September (from 9.7 to 9.8%), according to the European Union statistics office in Luxembourg said today. This is the highest rate since December 1998.

• Wednesday, December 2nd 2009 - 15:21 UTC

  European Union Treaty to Make EU More Powerful

  

  The European Union's Lisbon Treaty has come into force with the aim of streamlining EU decision-making. The first EU president also took office along with the bloc's new foreign policy chief.

• Wednesday, December 2nd 2009 - 12:58 UTC

  Spanish Judge Demands US$77 Million From Pinochet’s Wife And Advisers

  

  Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon on Monday demanded that the widow and advisors of former Chilean Dictator Augusto Pinochet pay US$77 million to a Spanish charity for his regime’s victims within the next 10 days.

• Wednesday, December 2nd 2009 - 12:43 UTC

  Google to limit free news access

  

  Newspaper publishers will now be able to set a limit on the number of free news articles people can read through Google, the company has announced.