International

Monday, August 24th 2015 - 11:05 UTC
UK reopens embassy in Teheran and Iran in London; initially at chargé d'affairs level

The British embassy in Iran has reopened, nearly four years after it was closed. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond attended a ceremony on Sunday in Teheran with Iranian diplomats to mark the reopening while Iran has also reopened its embassy in London.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 10:16 UTC
HMS Lancaster, RFA Gold Rover and South African units in naval exercise

Three South African Navy ships have joined two British Royal Navy vessels and welcomed them to Simon’s Town. The frigate HMS Lancaster and Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker, Gold Rover, on Atlantic Patrol Tasking have both spent 19 days travelling 4,000 miles across the cold South Atlantic, calling at the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 09:56 UTC
Chinese shares fall sharply on Monday; IMF says it's a “necessary adjustment”

Chinese shares continued their sharp fall on Monday as concerns over the country's slowing growth and volatile markets sparked panic among traders. The mainland benchmark index, the Shanghai Composite, fell sharply by 8.4% to 3,211.75 points, extending last week's losses.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 09:35 UTC
Mafia boss funeral of “King of Rome” reveals close links with city officials

The funeral of an alleged mafia boss in Rome has sparked anger after a lavish cortege with black-plumed horses, petals dropped from a helicopter and the theme tune from The Godfather. Italian politicians denounced the ostentatious send-off for Vittorio Casamonica, 65.
Monday, August 24th 2015 - 08:54 UTC
Pope Francis and the Malvinas

By Jimmy Burns - The snapped moment of encounter projected fast and globally on the world wide web has become as much as a characteristic of the Francis papacy, as his twitter account @pontifex. This is a papacy with a charismatic personality and instinctive communicator at its helm. It is also a papacy advised by media specialists and diplomats that know something about the opportunity offered by the digital age to spread a message with an impact that would have inconceivable just a few years ago.
Saturday, August 22nd 2015 - 08:16 UTC
World markets plunge on fears of a China-led global slowdown

The S&P 500 suffered its biggest daily percentage drop in nearly four years and the Dow confirmed it had entered into correction territory as fears of a China-led global slowdown rattled investors around the world.
Friday, August 21st 2015 - 11:35 UTC
Royal Navy's third Astute Class attack submarine ready for sea trials

Artful, the third of the U.K. Royal Navy’s new Astute Class attack submarines, has arrived at her Scottish base port from where she will carry out sea trials before entering service later this year, the U.K. Ministry of Defense announced.
Friday, August 21st 2015 - 07:49 UTC
Merkel calls for a free trade accord between the Europe Union and Mercosur

German Chancellor Angela Merkel pressed Brazil's government on Thursday to further open its markets to foreign companies, and said she saw an opportunity to reach a free-trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur trade bloc. Merkel is on a two-day visit to Brazil with a large delegation of government officials and representatives from German companies.
Friday, August 21st 2015 - 06:34 UTC
Shanghai Composite's 'virus' reaches Western markets

Asian stocks saw sharp falls on Friday as mounting concerns over China's slowing economy continued to affect global markets. It follows big falls in US and European markets on Thursday, with the Dow Jones dropping more than 2%.
Friday, August 21st 2015 - 06:05 UTC
“What purpose has the past four years of insults toward Gibraltar served?”

Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel García-Margallo, came under flak from the opposition PSOE for his ‘frivolous and inappropriate’ comments about Gibraltar, which were dubbed ‘Francoist’ by one Socialist politician, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.