Politics

• Wednesday, May 13th 2009 - 01:48 UTC

  Record unemployment in UK, totals 2.2 million

  

  United Kingdom’s unemployment has jumped by almost a quarter of a million to take the total to 2.2 million, official figures have revealed. Data showed a quarterly rise of 244,000 - the biggest increase in the number of people looking for a job since 1981.

• Wednesday, May 13th 2009 - 01:39 UTC

  Washington expresses full support for Paraguayan president Lugo

  

  United States explicitly expressed support for Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo and his administration in response to some “instability” rumours which are “not positive” for the country.

• Tuesday, May 12th 2009 - 09:51 UTC

  Immediate Argentine reaction to UK’s Falklands’ sea shelf submission

  

  The Argentine government expressed on Monday its most vigorous rejection to “the United Kingdom’s pretension to establish maritime spaces round the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich islands, which are part of Argentine national territory”.

• Tuesday, May 12th 2009 - 05:36 UTC

  Venezuelan president warns media about “hate messages”

  

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez warned he will take strong action against all media involved in the spread of “hate messages, trampling with the truth or promoting war”.

• Tuesday, May 12th 2009 - 05:30 UTC

  Chavez takes over farms and denies the right to “private land”

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered Sunday the expropriation of more than 10.000 hectares (24.710 acres) of arable lands belonging to six farms and mixed farming industries in the state of Barinas, south-western Venezuela arguing that farms “are not weekend resorts for the rich

• 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 - 09:32 UTC

  Kirchners desperate bid to retain power in mid term election

  

  Former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner will run for a seat in Congress in a bid to bolster the ruling party in June 28 mid-term elections. The ballot is seen as referendum on the government of current president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her husband, Nestor Kirchner.