International

Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
RN new Type 45 destroyer undergoes successful sea trials

The Royal Navy's first-of-class of the new Type 45 Destroyers HMS Daring has now completed a range of stringent trials and tests and is due to sail to her home port of Portsmouth in January 2009. The 7,500-ton ship is scheduled to undertake several months more of exhaustive trials and training before she is declared ready for operational service.
Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
EU begins annual round of fish quotas and discards

European Union fisheries ministers have begun an annual round of talks to decide the quantities of fish which can be caught from Europe's seas in 2009. The ministers, under pressure from environmentalists, are considering changes that could limit discards - the practice of throwing fish overboard.
Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
UK warning of deadlier mad cow disease strain

The United Kingdom Government's chief adviser on the human form of mad cow disease has warned of a possible new wave of the illness that could kill as many as 350 people in the UK.
Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Rescue plan discussions for British icons Jaguar-Land Rover

British car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover is in discussions with the government over a state bail out, Peter Mandelson has announced.
Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Gibraltar celebrates EU tax case victory with public holiday

Gibraltar Government hailed on Thursday the comprehensive victory in the European Union tax case “as huge for Gibraltar, economically, socially, politically and constitutionally”.
Wednesday, December 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Iraq reporter who threw shoes at Bush, becomes instant hero

Thousands of Iraqis have demanded the release of a local TV reporter who threw his shoes at US President George W Bush at a Baghdad news conference. Crowds gathered in Baghdad's Sadr City district, calling for “hero” Muntadar al-Zaidi to be freed from custody.
Wednesday, December 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
IMF calls leders for more interventionist actions

Governments around the globe need to take widespread interventionist action to stimulate stock markets and prevent further economic declines, the International Monetary Fund has said.
Wednesday, December 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Oil markets more focused on mounting reserves than OPEC

OPEC announced Wednesday an unprecedented production cut of 2.2 million barrels a day in an effort to shore up the price of crude. It's the biggest production cut in the history of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries which pumps more than a third of the world's daily crude supply.
Wednesday, December 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
British pound moving closer to parity with the Euro

The British pound moved ever closer to parity with the Euro on Wednesday amid growing expectations of more deep cuts in UK interest rates. Minutes of the Bank of England's latest meeting revealed rate-setters considered even larger cuts than the 1% move two weeks ago, bringing rates to 2% and equalling the all-time low.
Tuesday, December 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Foreign workers monopolize almost all new UK jobs

Almost all the new jobs created in Britain in the last seven years have gone to foreign workers. Of the 1.3million jobs created since 2001, the vast majority - went to non-UK nationals, official figures show. At the same time the number of UK-born workers in employment fell by 62,000.