
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.

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.

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.

London-based cruise company, Noble Caledonia, has announced the inclusion of Gibraltar as the turnaround port for two of its 2016 itineraries in the area. The news has been welcomed by the Rock's government which said this represented a major breakthrough achieved after years of negotiations by the cruise company’s local agent MH Bland with the support of the Gibraltar Tourist Board.

Chinese shares rose on Friday as the central bank set the reference rate for the Yuan slightly stronger. The bank set the rate at 6.3975 per dollar compared to Thursday's close of 6.3982.

Renan Calheiros, president of the Brazilian Senate, and the man who could help President Dilma Rousseff avoid impeachment in Congress, has proposed a package of measures to rescue Brazil from its current stagflation, but among his demands is “an end to the customs union of Mercosur”.

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) chief Saeb Erekat praised Argentine President Cristina Fernandez for her support and recognition of the Palestinian state as he paid tribute to the backing of the region’s leaders.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair made a dramatic intervention into the debate over the future leadership of the Labor Party this week, warning Labour voters that the party faces “annihilation” if it chooses Jeremy Corbyn as leader.

The UK is to make a formal protest to the government of Ecuador over the country's decision to harbor Julian Assange, the Foreign Office has said. The Wikileaks co-founder sought asylum at London's Ecuadorean embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden.

The Economist Group announced on 12 August 2015 that it will buy back 5.04m ordinary shares (20% of total share capital) from Pearson plc for £182m. Pearson’s remaining shares in the Group will be acquired by Exor for £287m, including all of its 1.26m B shares and 6.3m ordinary shares (30% of total share capital).<br />
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