Stories for August 2015

Monday, August 24th 2015 - 11:05 UTC
UK reopens embassy in Teheran and Iran in London; initially at chargé d'affairs level

The British embassy in Iran has reopened, nearly four years after it was closed. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond attended a ceremony on Sunday in Teheran with Iranian diplomats to mark the reopening while Iran has also reopened its embassy in London.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 10:56 UTC
Guatemala president will not quit and rejects corruption allegations

Guatemalan President Otto Perez said he will not resign and rejected allegations that he was one of the ringleaders of a corruption scandal shaking the country.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 10:35 UTC
Franco-Brazilian journalist beaten-up in Ecuador leaves the country but promises to return

Detained, beaten-up and threatened with deportation: Franco-Brazilian journalist Manuela Picq experienced the rough edges of Ecuador's political system after attending an anti-government rally this month backed by union bosses and indigenous leaders.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 10:24 UTC
Tierra del Fuego inflation in July, 1,5% and 28.2% in the last twelve months

The Consumer Price Index in Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province reached 1.5% in July and 28.2% in the last twelve months, according to the province's Stats and Census office.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 10:16 UTC
HMS Lancaster, RFA Gold Rover and South African units in naval exercise

Three South African Navy ships have joined two British Royal Navy vessels and welcomed them to Simon’s Town. The frigate HMS Lancaster and Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker, Gold Rover, on Atlantic Patrol Tasking have both spent 19 days travelling 4,000 miles across the cold South Atlantic, calling at the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 09:56 UTC
Chinese shares fall sharply on Monday; IMF says it's a “necessary adjustment”

Chinese shares continued their sharp fall on Monday as concerns over the country's slowing growth and volatile markets sparked panic among traders. The mainland benchmark index, the Shanghai Composite, fell sharply by 8.4% to 3,211.75 points, extending last week's losses.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 09:35 UTC
Mafia boss funeral of “King of Rome” reveals close links with city officials

The funeral of an alleged mafia boss in Rome has sparked anger after a lavish cortege with black-plumed horses, petals dropped from a helicopter and the theme tune from The Godfather. Italian politicians denounced the ostentatious send-off for Vittorio Casamonica, 65.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 09:13 UTC
Carlitos Tevez shocked with poverty, causes an uproar in Argentina

The Argentine football star Carlos Tevez, who played in England, Italy and is now back in Argentina caused a major uproar when during a television interview he said that in the northern province of Formosa he had come across poor people who were literally 'dead hungry'.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 08:54 UTC
Pope Francis and the Malvinas

By Jimmy Burns - The snapped moment of encounter projected fast and globally on the world wide web has become as much as a characteristic of the Francis papacy, as his twitter account @pontifex. This is a papacy with a charismatic personality and instinctive communicator at its helm. It is also a papacy advised by media specialists and diplomats that know something about the opportunity offered by the digital age to spread a message with an impact that would have inconceivable just a few years ago.
Saturday, August 22nd 2015 - 08:16 UTC
World markets plunge on fears of a China-led global slowdown

The S&P 500 suffered its biggest daily percentage drop in nearly four years and the Dow confirmed it had entered into correction territory as fears of a China-led global slowdown rattled investors around the world.