International

• Wednesday, February 14th 2018 - 09:58 UTC

  British Judge refuses to halt legal proceedings against Assange

  

  A British judge refused on Tuesday to halt legal proceedings against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for jumping bail and fleeing to the Ecuadorean embassy in London in June 2012. The ruling leaves Assange, 46, in a legal and diplomatic impasse, with no way out of the embassy where he has lived for almost six years, unless he decides to face the prospect of arrest by British police.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2018 - 09:36 UTC

  Five ex PDVSA officials on trial in Houston for US$ 1 billion graft probe

  

  U.S. prosecutors announced charges against five former Venezuelan officials accused of soliciting bribes in exchange for helping vendors win favorable treatment from state oil company PDVSA, the latest case to stem from a US$1 billion graft probe.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2018 - 09:22 UTC

  South African ruling party recalls president Zuma to step down

  

  South Africa's ruling ANC party on Tuesday “recalled” scandal-tainted President Jacob Zuma from office but set no deadline for him to step down, pitching the country into further uncertainty. ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule told reporters that Zuma had “agreed in principle to resign” and had proposed leaving in three to six months -- a delay that the party rejected.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2018 - 09:19 UTC

  Israel's Netanyahu defiant says he will complete his term and be re-elected in 2019

  

  In an impassioned 10-minute rebuttal to police recommendations to indict him on bribery and breach of trust charges, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the nation on Tuesday night that not only will this government complete its term, but he will again be re-elected in 2019.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2018 - 09:10 UTC

  UK January inflation remains at 3%; slower food and raw materials prices

  

  United Kingdom inflation remained at 3% in January, the same level as in December, as reported by the Office for National Statistics, ONS. In November it was the six year high of 3.1% and most economists were expecting a small fall in the CPI to 2.9%.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2018 - 09:04 UTC

  Another blow for Oxfam: chairman Fuentes arrested for his time as Guatemala finance minister

  

  The chairman of the charity Oxfam International, Juan Alberto Fuentes, has been arrested in Guatemala. Fuentes was detained as part of an investigation into a corruption scandal dating back to his time as Guatemala's finance minister, but no charges have been brought so far.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2018 - 08:34 UTC

  Gatwick/Buenos Aires air shuttle by Norwegian start from £259 one-way

  

  This Wednesday, the first ever budget flight from London to South America departs from Gatwick airport. Fares on the 14-hour Norwegian Air Shuttle flight to Buenos Aires start from £259 one-way. The seats are tightly packed and food and luggage cost extra, but the no-frills model of flying, so well established on short-haul routes, is becoming increasingly common on intercontinental flights.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2018 - 08:20 UTC

  .UK cruise passengers name 2018 top ships

  

  The winners of the 2018 Cruise Critic UK Cruisers’ Choice Awards were announced today. The awards name the most popular cruise ships of the year, based entirely on UK reviews posted to the Cruise Critic website. The site boasts the largest online cruise community in the world with more than 350,000 cruise reviews, covering approximately 500 of the most popular cruise ships.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2018 - 08:08 UTC

  Sky and BT will broadcast Premier League football beginning 2019/20; three seasons £4.464bn contract

  

  Sky and BT Sport have agreed to pay £4.464bn to broadcast Premier League football games for three seasons from 2019-20. Five of seven live packages have been awarded, with bidding for the remaining two ongoing. Interest from “multiple bidders” remains, the Premier League said.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2018 - 07:51 UTC

  Europe welcomed 671 million tourist arrivals in 2017, up 8% from 2016

  

  Europe welcomed 671 million international tourist arrivals in 2017, an outstanding 8% growth compared to 2016 (+2%), consolidating for the eighth consecutive year, its position as the leading destination worldwide.