International

• Wednesday, May 20th 2009 - 02:36 UTC

  First time in 300 years: House of Commons speaker forced to stand down

  

  The first House of Commons Speaker to be effectively forced out of office in 300 years took place Tuesday when Michael Martin told MPs he intends to stand down. In a brief statement to a packed House of Commons he said he would step down on 21 June, with his successor set to be elected by MPs the next day.

• Tuesday, May 19th 2009 - 14:02 UTC

  British economist blames financial sector for current optimistic forecasts

  

  Behind the idea that the current economic crisis will be over by 2010 are the interests of the financial sector that are trying their most to avoid a greater regulation of markets claims British Professor Robert Wade.

• Monday, May 18th 2009 - 11:02 UTC

  IMF head forecasts global economy recovery at end of 2009

  

  The turnaround in the global economic slowdown could come in October or November this year, but an economic recovery depends on many factors and isn't likely to start for another year, the head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Khan, warned Friday.

• Monday, May 18th 2009 - 08:37 UTC

  Crucial WHO assembly to decide on A/H1N1 flu vaccine production

  

  The spread of swine flu and possible vaccine production dominate the agenda of the World Health Organization assembly which begins Monday in Geneva until May 22.

• Sunday, May 17th 2009 - 12:51 UTC

  Labour voters support equals that of UK Independent Party, 17%

  

  The ruling Labour slumped to be neck and neck with the United Kingdom Independence Party in a poll as voters looked set to punish mainstream parties over the expenses scandal at the ballot box next month.

• Sunday, May 17th 2009 - 12:45 UTC

  UK to complain Spanish Navy incursion in Gibraltar’s territorial waters

  

  Britain will formally complain to Spain about the recent incursion by a Spanish Navy patrol boat into Gibraltar's territorial waters. The fisheries protection vessel 'Tarifa' entered British waters and deployed a small speedboat to carry out checks on Spanish fishermen off the east side of the Rock, reports The Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Saturday, May 16th 2009 - 13:15 UTC

  Euro zone first quarter contraction of 2.5% surprises economists

  

  The economies of the 16 countries of the Euro zone experienced its worst quarterly drop in GDP in the first three months of the year, shedding 2.5% according to a release from the EU statistics agency Eurostat.

• Saturday, May 16th 2009 - 13:10 UTC

  British voters want snap election; Labour support down to 22%

  

  Almost two in three British voters believe a general election should be called as soon as possible amid mounting public anger about Member of Parliaments' taxpayer-funded expense claims, a poll has revealed.

• Friday, May 15th 2009 - 11:31 UTC

  Record contraction of the Spanish economy

  

  The Spanish economy slid deeper into recession in the first quarter of this year, official data showed on Thursday revealing that output shrank by 1.8% from the level in the previous quarter. On an annualized basis the contraction was a record 2.9%, the steepest in half a century.

• Friday, May 15th 2009 - 11:12 UTC

  Booing incident gets the sack for Spain’s state television sports editor

  

  Spain's state television sacked its head of sports coverage on Thursday, saying it was a mistake not to have shown a soccer crowd from Catalonia and the Basque Country booing the Spanish national anthem during the country's Copa del Rey final.