International

• Friday, March 16th 2018 - 10:38 UTC

  Three Caribbean nations blacklisted as tax havens by the European Union

  

  European Union (EU) finance ministers have added the Bahamas, the US Virgin Islands and St Kitts and Nevis to a tax haven blacklist, while removing St Lucia from the list. And Trinidad and Tobago remains on the list which was created last December.

• Friday, March 16th 2018 - 10:28 UTC

  Western leaders abhor nerve-agent attack and point to Russia: “no plausible alternative explanation”

  

  The leaders of France, Germany, the US and UK say there is “no plausible alternative explanation” to Russia having been behind the nerve agent attack in the UK. They condemned the “first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War”, calling it an assault on UK sovereignty.

• Friday, March 16th 2018 - 10:06 UTC

  Hammond and Johnson will be visiting Argentina

  

  British Chancellor Philip Hammond and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson are scheduled to visit Argentina as part of the G20 ministerial round of meetings in coming weeks, announced UK ambassador Mark Kent following talks on Thursday with foreign minister Jorge Faurie.

• Friday, March 16th 2018 - 03:11 UTC

  Falklands plans fishing talks with Argentina after more than a decade

  

  Exchanges of information between the Falkland Islands and Argentina about fish and squid stocks could begin again before the middle of this year, if all parties are in agreement. Director of Natural Resources John Barton said: “Dialogue with Argentina on the conservation of shared marine resources has the potential to allow for better management of shared fish stocks and improve sustainability of such stocks.”

• Thursday, March 15th 2018 - 08:59 UTC

  UK expert in Montevideo to promote British sheep genetics in Uruguay

  

  A British expert in export certification is visiting Uruguay with the aim of promoting the regeneration British genetics in Uruguayan flocks. In Uruguay there are currently four sheep breeds of British origin: Suffolk, Romney Marsh, Hampshire Down and Southdown, in addition to British Texel.

• Thursday, March 15th 2018 - 08:48 UTC

  Micro-plastics presence in bottled water controversy; companies argue they operate at highest standards

  

  Test on major brands of bottled water have found that nearly all of them contained tiny particles of plastic. In the largest investigation of its kind, 250 bottles bought in nine different countries were examined. Research led by journalism organization Orb Media discovered an average of 10 plastic particles per liter, each larger than the width of a human hair.

• Thursday, March 15th 2018 - 06:51 UTC

  UK, Argentina and Falklands closer to agreeing on fisheries cooperation

  

  The United Kingdom, Argentina and the Falkland Islands are closer to agreeing on South Atlantic fisheries improved cooperation, for the conservation of shared resources as once existed with regular joint scientific cruises.

• Wednesday, March 14th 2018 - 16:28 UTC

  Nerve-gas poisoning: UK announces expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats

  

  The UK will expel 23 Russian diplomats after Moscow refused to explain how a Russian-made nerve agent was used on a former spy in Salisbury, the PM says. Theresa May said the diplomats, who have a week to leave, were identified as “undeclared intelligence officers”. She also revoked an invitation to Russia's foreign minister, and said the Royal Family would not attend the Fifa World Cup later this year.

• Wednesday, March 14th 2018 - 09:42 UTC

  Counter terror police looking into “unexplained” death of Russian exile in London

  

  Counter-terror police are leading an investigation into the “unexplained” death of a man in London. He is believed to be Russian businessman Nikolai Glushkov, who claimed political asylum in the UK after being convicted of fraud.

• Wednesday, March 14th 2018 - 09:39 UTC

  Taoiseach Varadkar insists in an open “invisible” Ireland border

  

  Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has dismissed claims that people crossing the Irish border would have to pre-register after Brexit. Speaking from the United States, where he is conducting a series of St Patrick’s Day engagements, the Taoiseach said: “No, it is not a solution that we envisage.”