International

• Thursday, July 28th 2016 - 13:56 UTC

  Spanish King “concerned” with political paralysis; no stable government in sight

  

  King Felipe VI is “concerned” with Spain's political paralysis, a lawmaker who met him said as the monarch began a fourth round of talks with party representatives to try and agree on a government. Spain has been without a fully-functioning government for seven months after December elections failed to give any party an absolute parliamentary majority.

• Thursday, July 28th 2016 - 06:19 UTC

  Falklands and bilateral agenda addressed by UK top official in Argentina

  

  The recently appointed UK Foreign Office Permanent Under Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service Sir Simon McDonald was received this week at the Argentine foreign ministry where he met with Deputy minister Carlos Foradori, and one of the several issues addressed was the forensic actions to help identify Argentine combatants buried at the Darwin cemetery, according to a release from Palacio San Martin.

• Tuesday, July 26th 2016 - 21:38 UTC

  Olympics Brazilian security personnel have been trained by Israel Special Forces

  

  Next month's summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will take place under watchful eyes of 10,000 Brazilian soldiers and police officers and all have been highly trained for the job by Israelis, according to a report on the Israel NonStop website, based on details broadcast by Israeli Channel 2 television news reporter Nir Dvori.

• Tuesday, July 26th 2016 - 11:19 UTC

  Calls to reframe BOT-UK relationship: 'Territories are now more strategically important to Britain'

  

  The Premier of the British Virgin Islands Dr D Orlando Smith has called for the relationship between the United Kingdom (UK) and its Overseas Territories (OTs) to be re-framed to become more mutually beneficial.

• Monday, July 25th 2016 - 11:11 UTC

  Malcorra disappointed with leaks from confidential process to chose Bam Ki'-moon successor

  

  Argentina's foreign minister Susana Malcorra confirmed that the United Nations Security Council held its first informal round of consultations among hopefuls for the UN Secretary General post, and underlined that the results of such talks are confidential, and there will be further such meetings, the first step in a long process.

• Monday, July 25th 2016 - 10:17 UTC

  Falkland Islands' portfolio for Sir Alan Duncan

  

  Alan Duncan KCMG MP has been appointed as Minister of State at the Foreign Office, responsible for Europe and the Americas. He replaces Hugo Swire MP, and will report to the new Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson. Sir Alan (59) remit will include NATO, the Americas, the Falklands, Gibraltar and polar regions.

• Monday, July 25th 2016 - 10:03 UTC

  Argentina's tall ship frigate “Libertad” calls in Liverpool, first time in 24 years

  

  The Argentine Navy tall ship frigate Libertad docked in Liverpool on Saturday on its first visit to the Mersey River in 24 years. Arriving in style to the sound of The Beatles, the crew band had been practicing Yellow Submarine since they left Argentina. Docked at Liverpool's cruise terminal she was open to the public on Sunday.

• Monday, July 25th 2016 - 09:51 UTC

  UK ambassador in Argentina presents credentials: new chapter in relations﹖

  

  Mark Kent, the new British Ambassador to Argentina formally presented copies of diplomatic credentials to Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Foradori last week, marking the start of a four-year stint as London’s representative in Buenos Aires. Kent, who was British Ambassador to Thailand from 2012 until April of this year, replaces John Freeman.

• Thursday, July 21st 2016 - 08:17 UTC

  Falklands: Le Boréal 2015 engine-room fire ignited by clogged fuel filter, says report

  

  French maritime authorities have released the engine room fire incident report of cruise Le Boreal on 17 November 2015, which forced the air evacuation of some 90 passengers and crew to the Falkland Islands, while the rest were transferred to her sister ship L'Áustral. According to the report the fire was due to a clogged fuel filter element, which was disassembled under pressure by a crewmember and thus started leaking fuel.

• Thursday, July 21st 2016 - 08:07 UTC

  PM May announces in Germany negotiations for an “orderly departure” from EU this year

  

  Prime Minister Theresa May has said the UK will not begin official negotiations on leaving the EU this year as she held talks with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel. Speaking in Berlin on Wednesday, the PM said securing a “sensible and orderly departure” from the EU would take time, but she insisted the UK would not “walk away” from Europe and wanted to retain the “closest economic links”.