International

• Saturday, January 24th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Unemployment in Spain reaches 13.9%, highest in 9 years

  

  Unemployment in Spain during 2008 increased by 1.2 million, a 66.4% jump over 2007 taking the official rate to 13.9% which is the highest in 9 years according to the latest figures released by the country's Statistics Institute, INE.

• Friday, January 23rd 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  UN Human Rights Commissioner hails Guantánamo decision

  

  The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has welcomed Thursday's decision by the new United States administration to close the detention facility in Guantánamo Bay, as well as the decision to ban methods of interrogation that contravene international law.

• Friday, January 23rd 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  FAO launches International Year of Natural Fibres

  

  The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched on Thursday the International Year of Natural Fibres 2009, aiming to raise awareness of the importance of familiar natural resources such as cotton, flax, wool, alpaca and even cashmere, which are often taken for granted in the face of rising competition from synthetic materials.

• Friday, January 23rd 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Pod of 50 sperm whales stranded off Tasmania; 2 survive

  

  A pod of 50 sperm whales beached themselves on Australia's southern island state of Tasmania overnight, but only two of the whales survived, wildlife officials said on Friday.

• Friday, January 23rd 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  EU reintroduces export subsidies for dairy produce

  

  The European Union has reintroduced export subsidies for dairy produce, arguing that the economic downturn has put many European farms at risk. The maximum refund for butter has been set at 500 Euros (£469; $650) per ton and the maximum for skimmed milk powder is 200 euros per ton. The last time such refunds were given to dairy farmers was in June 2007.

• Friday, January 23rd 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Britain in recession and fears of prolonged contraction

  

  Britain has officially entered recession after figures showed the worst economic output since 1980, sparking fears of a deep and prolonged contraction. The economy shrank by a worse-than-expected 1.5% in the final three months of 2008, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

• Friday, January 23rd 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Roubini says UK recession with last 18 to 24 months

  

  UK's recession will last between one and a half and two years, a leading economist has warned. That is the estimate of Nouriel Roubini, professor of economics at New York University, and one of the few people to predict the credit crunch.

• Thursday, January 22nd 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Constructive relation with Spain enhance Gibraltar conditions

  

  Gibraltar's Chief Minister Peter Caruana declared that the British Overseas Territory's quality of life and socio-economic and political opportunities are enhanced when relations with Spain are the most constructive possible.

• Thursday, January 22nd 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  It's official: China's growth in last quarter down to 6.8%

  China's economic growth slowed to 9% last year, its lowest rate of growth for seven years (6.8% in the last quarter). The world's third-largest economy was hit hard by the global financial crisis that led to a fall in orders for Chinese exports.

• Thursday, January 22nd 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Toyota breaks GM 77-year reign as top-selling car firm

  

  United States carmaker General Motors sold fewer vehicles than Toyota last year, ending GM's 77-year reign as the world's top-selling car firm. GM said it sold 8,350,000 vehicles in 2008, while Toyota said sales totalled 8,972,000 vehicles.