International

• Saturday, September 19th 2015 - 08:36 UTC

  Pope Francis arrives in Cuba, but dissidents are skeptical about any changes

  

  Pope Francis praised Cubans' “spirit” in the face of adversity in a message broadcast ahead of his trip to the impoverished island. “It does me a lot of good and helps me to think of your faith in the Lord, of the spirit with which you confront the difficulties of each day,” the pope said in a message played on state television.

• Saturday, September 19th 2015 - 07:15 UTC

  UK economists debate on further interest rate cuts to combat low inflation

  

  The Bank of England may have to cut rates to combat low inflation, rather than raise them as its next move, its chief economist Andy Haldane has said. UK inflation may not pick up in the second half of the year, and there are risks of fallout from emerging economies, he said in a speech.

• Friday, September 18th 2015 - 07:58 UTC

  FIFA's investigation reaches Valcke, who is released from his duties until further notice

  

  FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has been put on leave and released from his duties until further notice. A Fifa statement said it had “been made aware of a series of allegations involving the secretary general”.

• Friday, September 18th 2015 - 07:52 UTC

  Fed leaves rates unchanged on concerns about a weak world economy

  

  The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Thursday in a nod to concerns about a weak world economy, but left open the possibility of a modest policy tightening later this year. In what amounted to a tactical retreat, the US central bank said an array of global risks and other factors had convinced it to delay what would have been the first rate hike in nearly a decade.

• Friday, September 18th 2015 - 06:55 UTC

  Falklands' government congratulates new Labor leader, Jeremy Corbyn

  

  The Falkland Islands Government has congratulated the Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn MP on his election success. Mr Corbyn’s campaign to take up leadership after Ed Miliband resigned in May, touched a raw nerve with some Islanders after media picked up on a BBC interview from two years ago in which he said a “degree of joint administration,” could be used as a solution to the dispute over the Falkland Islands.

• Thursday, September 17th 2015 - 20:43 UTC

  Mozambique declared 'free of mines' after 22 years; HALO Trust confirmed destruction of last mine

  

  The government of Mozambique is expected to officially declare the country free of landmines shortly after the British mine clearance charity The HALO Trust confirmed it had destroyed the last mine on its last known minefield.

• Thursday, September 17th 2015 - 10:03 UTC

  Corbyn tells BBC he will not campaign for Britain to leave the European Union

  

  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has told the BBC that he will not campaign for Britain to leave the European Union. Mr. Corbyn said that while policy was “developing” he could not foresee a situation where Labor would campaign for a “Brexit” under his leadership. He has come under growing pressure from Labour MPs to clarify his position.

• Thursday, September 17th 2015 - 09:54 UTC

  Ten dollar bill with Thatcher's face, proposed presidential hopeful Jeb Bush

  

  US Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush has picked the UK's former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, as his choice for the face of the $10 bill. The former Florida governor made the surprise suggestion during a televised debate for the top Republicans vying for the presidential nomination.

• Thursday, September 17th 2015 - 09:19 UTC

  Fisheries worldwide on the brink of collapse, because of over fishing says WWF

  

  The amount of fish in the oceans has halved since 1970, in a plunge to the “brink of collapse” caused by over-fishing and other threats, the WWF conservation group said on Wednesday.Populations of some commercial fish stocks, such as a group including tuna, mackerel and bonito, had fallen by almost 75%, according to a study by WWF and the Zoological Society of London, ZSL.

• Thursday, September 17th 2015 - 08:32 UTC

  Appeals court hands victory to Argentina in bonds dispute; questions Judge Griesa's 'class' expansion

  

  A United States federal appeals court handed Argentina a victory Wednesday in its quest to relieve itself of the pressures of debt owed to American hedge funds and others, saying a judge went too far by letting some bondholders demand payment without proving how much they are entitled to be paid.