British territories including Gibraltar are being used by criminals and foreign officials to launder ‘corrupt’ money through the purchase of up market UK properties, according to the respected anti-corruption organization Transparency International.
Colombian government and Marxist oriented guerrillas jointly announced an agreement to remove landmines and other explosives from the battlefield in a sign of progress in their two-year-old peace talks being held in Cuba.
Drinking a few cups of coffee a day may help people avoid clogged arteries - a known risk factor for heart disease - Korean researchers believe. They studied more than 25,000 male and female employees who underwent routine health checks at their workplace.
Following a meeting of the European Central Bank's rate-setting Governing Council in Cyprus on Thursday, ECB president Mario Draghi said the bank would start buying sovereign bonds from Euro zone countries on Monday next week.
Shares in China fell after the country's government set its official growth target at 7% for this year. The rate is lower than last year's target of 7.5%, which China missed after it grew at the slowest pace in 24 years. The Shanghai Composite closed down 1% at 3,248.48, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 1.1% lower at 24,193.04.
American billionaire Paul Allen has announced the discovery of the famous World War Two Japanese battleship, the Musashi, more than 70 years after it was sunk by US forces. Mr, Allen said the vessel was found by his private exploration team. It was at a depth of more than 1km on the floor of the Sibuyan Sea off the Philippines.
The South Atlantic Air-bridge linking RAF Brize Norton in the UK with the Falkland Islands will no longer fly nationals from a list of countries and although no specific reasons were given, the release underlines that the “Ministry of Defense places the greatest importance on the security of its people, facilities and operations”.
The Conservative Government will never discuss the future of Gibraltar’s sovereignty against the wishes of its people, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told the House of Commons this week.
The UK and Mexico signed in London a memorandum to further support trade and markets, and advance cooperation between the two countries export promotion organizations, UK Export Finance and Bancomext, Mexican Trade Development Bank.
British Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed President Peña Nieto of Mexico to Downing Street on Thursday afternoon as part of his State Visit to the UK.