International

• Friday, July 24th 2015 - 00:07 UTC

  Shell allowed to drill in Alaska's Arctic, once the required emergency equipment arrives

  

  The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday granted Royal Dutch Shell two final permits to explore for crude in the Arctic this summer, but said the company cannot drill into the oil zone until required emergency equipment arrives in the region.

• Thursday, July 23rd 2015 - 08:58 UTC

  Discouraging outlook for commodities this year confirms World Bank

  

  The outlook for commodities remains grim for this year, except that oil will fall a bit less than previously forecast, the World Bank said. Average prices for fuels such as crude, natural gas and coal will tumble 39% from 2014, while those for materials like metals and fertilisers will fall about 12%, the Washington-based lender said in its quarterly “Commodity Markets Outlook” released Wednesday.

• Thursday, July 23rd 2015 - 08:37 UTC

  Tourism in South America reported strongest growth in Jan-April period

  

  International tourism demand continued to be robust between January and April 2015 with tourist arrivals increasing 4% worldwide according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Almost all regions enjoyed strong growth with the Americas leading growth and by sub-region, Oceania and South America boasted the strongest increase (both +8%), followed by the Caribbean and Central and Eastern Europe (both +7%)

• Thursday, July 23rd 2015 - 08:18 UTC

  Protesting French farmers promised €600m of emergency government help

  

  Dramatic protests across the north of France have won the country’s farmers €600m of emergency government help. This week thousands of tractors blockaded motorways and brought cities to a standstill, as the plight of producers dominated the nation’s news.

• Thursday, July 23rd 2015 - 07:48 UTC

  Small fire on cruise vessel in Jamaica suppressed by its own equipment

  

  A fire aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that departed from Port Canaveral injured one crew member, but company officials say it was quickly extinguished. Black smoke could be seen billowing from the 1,112-foot Freedom of the Seas as it docked in Jamaica on Wednesday with 4.500 passengers.

• Wednesday, July 22nd 2015 - 07:22 UTC

  BRICS bank (New Development Bank), takes off in low-key Shanghai ceremony

  

  Officials from the world's largest emerging nations launched on Tuesday the New Development Bank (NDB), the second of two new policy banks heavily backed by Beijing that are being pitched as alternatives to existing institutions such as the World Bank. Also known as the BRICS bank, it follows soon after the establishment of the China-led Asian Investment Infrastructure Bank (AIIB).

• Wednesday, July 22nd 2015 - 07:00 UTC

  Australia debates effects of warming ocean waters on its fisheries

  

  New evidence is emerging that climate change could join overfishing as a major threat to the world's seafood supplies. While Australia – a small producer on a global scale, accounting for only 0.2% of the world's seafood – has relatively healthy fisheries, it is suddenly and quite brutally feeling the effects of warming ocean waters.

• Wednesday, July 22nd 2015 - 05:58 UTC

  French president to announce emergency measures in support of farmers

  

  President Francois Hollande has said he would unveil emergency measures to help France’s livestock and dairy farmers on Wednesday. Tuesday’s announcement came as as livestock farmers caused chaos in the north west of France, using tractors and trucks full of manure and rubble to block roads.

• Tuesday, July 21st 2015 - 05:49 UTC

  White House advisor, expert in stimulus next IMF chief economist

  

  The International Monetary Fund has named as its new chief economist Maurice Obstfeld, an academic and White House economic adviser known for his work on money flows and international finance.

• Tuesday, July 21st 2015 - 05:18 UTC

  UK Territories’ Environment Ministers chart a course for a sustainable future

  

  Environment Ministers from the UK Overseas Territories (OTs) and Crown Dependencies (CDs) gathered together for the first time ever in Gibraltar’s Garrison Library last week to consider the environmental challenges facing the Territories.