International

• Tuesday, May 12th 2009 - 04:43 UTC

  No peace between pro and anti-whaling countries, anticipates BBC

  

  Moves to make a peace deal between pro and anti-whaling nations have stalled, with no chance of agreement. Countries have been talking for nearly a year in an attempt to hammer out an accord by this year's International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting. But a draft report seen by BBC News admits the process has “fallen short”.

• Tuesday, May 12th 2009 - 04:40 UTC

  Brown apologizes for “wrongs” on behalf of politicians from all parties

  

  Britain’s House of Commons authorities are to try to bring forward the publication of MPs' expenses receipts from the planned date of mid-July. The Commons Commission, which oversees MPs' affairs, rejected calls for immediate release of the details but said they would be published as quickly as possible.

• Tuesday, May 12th 2009 - 04:34 UTC

  Gibraltar representatives will not be present at this year’s C24

  

  The Leader of the Gibraltar Opposition Joe Bossano will be away for a week in order to participate in the annual regional seminar organised by the United Nations special committee on decolonisation, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Tuesday, May 12th 2009 - 01:26 UTC

  UK submits extended continental shelf claim around Falklands

  

  The United Kingdom made on Tuesday 11 May 2009, its submission in respect of its extended continental shelf around the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

• Monday, May 11th 2009 - 12:23 UTC

  Hague pledges full support for Gibraltar and forecasts Tory victory

  

  Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague visited Gibraltar with a clear message for the people of Gibraltar from David Cameron, the Conservative leader: “A Conservative government will always cherish the relationship with Gibraltar and will have nothing to do whatsoever with any shared sovereignty deal over Gibraltar”, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Monday, May 11th 2009 - 12:15 UTC

  World is better prepared for influenza pandemic, says Dr. Chan

  

  At the end of last week, the World Health Organization said it had no immediate plans to raise the pandemic alert to level 6 from 5, though the agency continues to closely monitor the spread of the virus.

• Monday, May 11th 2009 - 10:31 UTC

  British banks CEOs dampen expectations of a swift recovery

  

  Bad debts at part-nationalised UK Royal Bank of Scotland could soar to almost £12 billion this year, the bank has said. RBS, which is 70.3% owned by the British taxpayer, posted loans losses of £2.9 billion for the first quarter of 2009, but directors said full-year bad debts could be “at least” four times as high.

• Monday, May 11th 2009 - 08:59 UTC

  Flu scare: Canadian officials cull 500 animals in pig farm

  

  Canadian officials in the province of Alberta culled 500 hogs from the pig farm where the new swine flu virus, A/H1N1, was detected, but it was not because the animals were sick, the province’s chief veterinarian said Saturday.

• Monday, May 11th 2009 - 07:55 UTC

  Independent audit body to audit British Parliament expenses

  

  Plans for an independent auditing body to validate Britain Members of Parliament expenses claims are expected to be approved on Monday, following weeks of damaging stories. Senior Labour MP Sir Stuart Bell said MPs would be asked to approve the body, made up entirely of independent people.

• Monday, May 11th 2009 - 07:48 UTC

  British MP’s expenses scandal: call for an early election

  

  A former speaker from the British House of Commons said that Parliament should be dissolved if the expenses scandal continues to rumble on. Tory Lord Naseby said the status of Parliament had been brought “right down into the pits” and Gordon Brown could be forced to call a general election as a result.