A team of scientists, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), heads to Antarctica this week (14 February) to investigate a mysterious marine ecosystem that’s been hidden beneath an Antarctic ice shelf for up to 120,000 years. The iceberg known as A-68, which is four times of London, calved off from the Larsen Ice Shelf in July 2017.
The United Kingdom Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has charged Barclays Bank PLC with unlawful financial assistance related to billions of pounds raised from Qatar in 2008. The same charges were brought against Barclays PLC in June last year.
Ministers and senior officials from UK Overseas Territories (OTs) and Crown Dependencies (CDs) travelled to the Isle of Man last week to discuss the future of the environment in their jurisdictions. This was the third Council of Environment Ministers of UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies and took place in Douglas, on 6th and 7th February. Previous meetings took place in Gibraltar in 2015 and continued in Alderney in 2017.
The British Government is supporting a project to encourage municipalities from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to adopt practices which can prevent corruption. The initiative, under the “Islands of Integrity” concept, aims to address the root causes of corruption by encouraging free-market policies and enhancing efficiency.
Hundreds have attended the funeral of a Royal Navy medical officer who saved hundreds of troops during the Falklands War. Surgeon Capt Rick Jolly, who reputedly saved the life of every British serviceman he treated, died aged 71 on 13 January.
Brazilian President Michel Temer criticized the government of neighboring Venezuela for leading that country into a crisis that is causing an exodus of refugees into northern Brazil. Brasilia has called for democratic reforms by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who has consolidated power as his country’s economic crisis deepens with shortages of food and medicine.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Luis Barroso asked for the head of the Federal Police to clarify comments he made in a Reuters interview published a day earlier regarding an investigation of President Michel Temer.
Brexit impact studies released to MPs by the UK government reveal the North East of England and West Midlands will sustain the biggest hit to economic growth from Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.
The Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth arrived in Gibraltar for her first overseas port visit. As she sailed into port under close security escort, UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson highlighted the Rock’s strategic role for UK military operations.
The global climate perspective is darkened by a climate change that has accelerated in recent years and is becoming increasingly difficult to reverse. The ambitious temperature limits established in the Paris agreement are about to be overcome. Among its consequences, it is revealed that at least 26 million people will be dragged into poverty annually due to climatic causes and the retreat of the ice in the poles and mountain glaciers accelerates exponentially.