International

• Thursday, October 23rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian football super star Pelé joins the cruise industry

  

  On June 28, 2009, the flagship of the Costa fleet will sail the first cruise dedicated to “O' Rey”, the King of world football Pelé. He will be joined by some of Europe's best footballers of the 20th century, presidents of football federations, confederations and clubs, plus great Brazilian performers like Toquinho and Alexandre Pires.

• Wednesday, October 22nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  UN preparing map of underground fresh water resources

  

  The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO will publish the first-ever world map of underground aquifers, which account for some 96 per cent of global freshwater resources, the agency announced in a press release today.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Financial meltdown could increase jobless by 20 million

  The global financial crisis could increase world unemployment by an estimated 20 million women and men, the Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO) said on Monday.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Recession and job cuts hit China's toy industry province

  

  The global economic slowdown is starting to impact on China, the world's biggest industrial production centre. As many as half of all toy manufacturers in the Pearl River Delta could go out of business within the next two years an industry expert said on Monday following the closure of the Smart Union toy factory.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Gibraltar opens new “shop window and face” in London

  

  Chief Minister Peter Caruana proudly showed off Gibraltar's new plush modern London offices which will be known as “Gibraltar House”.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Copper falls below 2 USD benchmark; lowest in three years

  

  Copper tumbled below 2 US dollars a pound for the first time since December 2005, having dropped 34% so far this year. Speculation that the world economy is headed for a recession, including slower growth in China, anticipates a weaker demand for metals.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  New UK Minister for Europe reiterates support for Gibraltar

  

  Caroline Flint, the new Minister for Europe at the Foreign Office, has reiterated the United Kingdom commitment not to enter into talks with Spain on Gibraltar's sovereignty, or any process of talks, against the wishes of the people of Gibraltar. The remarks came at the Gibraltar Day in London reception.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  WTO reports leap in anti-dumping investigations

  The number of investigations into the practice of dumping, or exporting a product at an unfairly low price, surged in the first half of this year, the World Trade Organization (WTO) reported this week.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  UK public sector debt back to 1997 level: almost half of GDP

  The takeover of Northern Rock has helped push the United Kingdom's public sector debt to almost half of gross domestic product (GDP) in the last year, just off highs seen over a decade ago when Labour came to power.

• Tuesday, October 21st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Crisis will get Obama elected forecasts Lula da Silva

  

  Brazilian President Lula da Silva believes the ongoing financial crisis will lead to the election of Democrat Barack Obama as US president.