International

Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
EU Human Rights Court ruling limits British DNA database

Nearly a million innocent British citizens could have their records removed from the national DNA database after a court ruled holding them breached their human rights. The European Court of Human Rights severely criticised police powers to take and hold samples from suspects even if they are released or cleared.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Labour MPs more rebellious under Brown than with Blair

British Labour MPs rebelled on more occasions during Gordon Brown's first full parliamentary session as Prime Minister than during the whole of Tony Blair's first four-year term in office, a new report has shown.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Guatemala and Belize agree to take border dispute to The Hague

Guatemala and Belize signed an agreement on Monday to have their century long territorial dispute settled by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, following a referendum on both countries supporting the ICJ initiative.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
EU agrees on need to invest on digital infrastructure

British PM Gordon Brown said more investment is needed in technology and environmentally friendly industries in an effort to tackle the downturn. Brown held Downing Street talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Jose Manuel Barroso, head of the European Commission.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
MP Green office raid: Commons accuses ministers of contempt

British Ministers were accused of treating the House of Commons with contempt as they sought to delay an inquiry into a police raid of an MP's parliamentary office, reports the London press.
Monday, December 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
UK/Argentina talks to bury remains of pilot in Falklands

Argentina and the United Kingdom are involved in negotiations for a humanitarian flight to the Falkland Islands to carry the remains of an Argentine pilot for his burial at the cemetery in Darwin, according to Monday reports in the Buenos Aires press.
Sunday, December 7th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
British author named Artist for Peace by Unesco

The prize-winning British children's author and illustrator Lauren Child has been selected as the latest Artist for Peace by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the agency announced.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
British Airways exploring potential merger with Qantas

British Airways announced it is exploring a potential merger with the Australian flag-carrier Qantas Airways. However BA warned there was “no guarantee that any transaction will be forthcoming”.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Commons office raid: Home Secretary stands by the police

United Kingdom's Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has defended the decision to call in the police to investigate leaks from the Home Office. In a Commons statement, Mrs Smith again insisted she had no prior knowledge that Tory frontbencher Damian Green was about to be arrested in connection with the inquiry.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
ECB lowers rate to 2.5%, but cautions about further cuts

European Central Bank President Jean Claude Trichet said on Thursday cutting interest rates too low or too fast could leave policy makers with few options to respond to a deepening recession.