International

• Monday, November 2nd 2009 - 11:55 UTC

  Massive oil spill from Australian underwater well; top brains unable to plug leak

  

  An oil well at the centre of a massive spill in the Timor Sea off the North West coast of Australia is on fire. The company which runs the well, PTTEP Australasia, said the fire broke out as it made another attempt to plug a leak deep underwater at the West Atlas rig.

• Monday, November 2nd 2009 - 11:38 UTC

  China’s manufacturing increases at fastest rate in 18 months

  

  China’s Purchasing Managers Index, a gauge of the country’s manufacturing activities, rose at the fastest pace in 18 months in October when it expanded to 55.2, up from 54.3 in September, the China Federation of Logistic and Purchasing said this week.

• Sunday, November 1st 2009 - 19:37 UTC

  Bank of Japan to withdraw funds’ support programs as of next March

  

  A divided Bank of Japan began withdrawing from credit markets on Friday and said it would scrap all key funding support programmes by March, resisting government pressure to support corporate borrowing until the economy strengthens.

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 16:12 UTC

  ICANN Approves Non-Latin Domain Name Characters

  

  The Internet's governing body has approved a new domain name process that will allow for non-Latin characters.

• 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.