The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, London

Britain plans to reduce immigration in the face of a weakening economy and rising unemployment, the Times newspaper quoted Immigration Minister Phil Woolas as saying Saturday.

"If people are being made unemployed, the question of immigration becomes extremely thorny t It's been too easy to get into this country in the past and it's going to get harder," Woolas told the paper in an interview.

"This government isn't going to allow the population to go up to 70 million," Woolas said. "There has to be a balance between the number of people coming in and the number of people leaving."

At a time of economic difficulties, employers should put British people first or they will risk fuelling racism, Woolas said.

Immigration has been high under the Labor government which came to power in 1997, and the Times said net immigration is estimated to be more than 200,000 a year until 2012.

Woolas also said he opposed an amnesty for people who came to Britain illegally because it would encourage more illegal immigrants.

The government recently adopted a system under which would-be migrants are awarded points depending on their value to the British economy, designed to encourage skilled immigrants and reduce the number of unskilled economic migrants.

Britain's population is around 61 million.

Another report adds: the Bolivian government announced late Friday an agreement to buy all shares owned by the British company Ashmore Energy International in the local gas pipeline company Transredes.

The deal followed leftist President Evo Morales' decision in June to nationalize the pipeline, which had led Ashmore to file for international arbitration in a Swedish court.

According to local media report, Ashmore wanted 500 million dollars in compensation for its share in the pipeline.

The total value of the deal, under which Ashmore's 25 percent stake in Transredes will be transferred to Bolivia's national oil and gas company YPFB, has not been disclosed.

But a month ago, YPFB paid 120 million dollars to Dutch oil company Shell to buy its 25-percent stake in the pipeline.

"With this step, Bolivians have become owners of their oil gas, their pipelines and refineries," said Vice President Alvaro Garcia in announcing the deal.

He said the takeover will allow the national oil and gas company "to determine prices, production levels and market."

Transredes is one of the key companies supplying natural gas to Brazil. The deal puts YPFP in control of more than 97 percent of its assets.