International

• Wednesday, August 19th 2015 - 07:22 UTC

  FARC have requested to meet Francis and want the Church to join the peace process in Havana

  

  Representatives of Colombia's largest guerrilla movement have asked to meet Pope Francis in Cuba in September and have requested the Catholic Church name a permanent delegate to their peace negotiations with the government.

• Wednesday, August 19th 2015 - 06:51 UTC

  Sargassum seaweed, 'greatest single threat to the Caribbean tourism industry'

  

  It would take at least US$120 million and more than 100,000 people to clean up the Sargassum seaweed that has created “an international crisis” and “the greatest single threat” to the Caribbean, according to Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Sir Hilary Beckles.

• Wednesday, August 19th 2015 - 06:30 UTC

  Scotland, Canada, Chile and Norway committed to a sustainable aquaculture industry

  

  Scotland, Canada, Chile and Norway will work together to promote and grow the aquaculture industry sustainably. The four countries are the world's main exporters of farmed salmon.

• Wednesday, August 19th 2015 - 06:22 UTC

  China stocks continue sell-off on Wednesday after plunging 6% on Tuesday

  

  China stocks continued their sell-off on Wednesday following a 6% plunge in the previous session. The benchmark Shanghai Composite opened down 2.7% at 3,646.75 points on Wednesday before sliding further to register a 5% loss by mid-morning. The index closed down 6.1% at 3,749.12 points on Tuesday, its biggest daily decline since July 27.

• Tuesday, August 18th 2015 - 15:15 UTC

  Chung wants to clean FIFA; accuses Blatter-Platini of father-son relation

  

  Honorary FIFA vice president Chung Mong-Joon says he will clean the sport of football if elected president of FIFA. Chung blames the previous president Sepp Blatter for the recent corruption scandals which have cast shadows over the sport and its organizing body.

• Tuesday, August 18th 2015 - 10:25 UTC

  Chemical blast in Tianjin halts work at auto and farm equipment plants

  

  Toyota and John Deere have said they will halt work at plants near China's port of Tianjin where huge explosions last week killed more than 100 people. Toyota's production lines will be closed until the end of Wednesday while John Deere suspended work indefinitely.

• Tuesday, August 18th 2015 - 09:08 UTC

  Trump blasts Saudi Arabia for making 'a billion a day' and funding terrorism

  

  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump backed the commitment of ground troops if necessary to cripple the Islamic State and complained the US has always come out in support of Saudi Arabia, and while they make 'a billion a day', they are also the world's biggest funder of terrorism.

• Monday, August 17th 2015 - 08:16 UTC

  Nine banks agree to pay US$2bn to investors over rigged foreign exchange rates

  

  Nine banks have agreed to pay 2 billion dollars in settlements to US investors over claims they rigged foreign exchange rates, according to lawyers. They are taking action on behalf of investors, including hedge funds and pension funds, who accuse banks of conspiring to manipulate rates.

• Monday, August 17th 2015 - 07:54 UTC

  Ecuador hits back at the UK over the Assange asylum case in London

  

  Ecuador has hit back at the UK government over who is to blame for the deadlock in the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The 44-year-old Australian has been living in Ecuador's embassy in London for more than three years to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces sexual assault allegations.

• Saturday, August 15th 2015 - 07:38 UTC

  UK present at the Prado agriculture show to promote business and education

  

  The British embassy will be present at Uruguay's Prado agriculture show with a pavilion geared to promote business, education, culture, tourism, gastronomy and entertainment. The 110th edition of the Prado event, Uruguay's main agri-business display will take place in Montevideo, between September 9 and 20.