
Global economic growth in the coming two years is facing difficulties because of problems of recession in Japan and stagnation in the European economies and prospects for healthy growth are stuck in low gear, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Tuesday.

France suspended indefinitely on Tuesday delivery of the first of two Mistral helicopter carrier warships to Russia, citing conflict in eastern Ukraine where the West accuses Moscow of fomenting separatism.

Spain's Santander, the biggest bank in Europe by market value, reshuffled its command naming Jose Antonio Alvarez as its new chief executive replacing Javier Marin after his two years in the job, the bank said in a statement.

When it takes up to four million pounds of sand to frack a single well, it’s no wonder that demand is outpacing supply and frack sand producers are becoming the biggest behind-the-scenes beneficiaries of the American oil and gas boom.

After refusing to apologize to Argentina over a much questioned Top Gear episode filmed in Argentina considered “offensive” by the government of President Cristina Fernandez, the BBC has taken the controversy to the next level, deciding to air the episode in the network’s prime-time Christmas slot.

In a move likely to further inflame tensions with Israel’s Arab citizens, a divided Israeli Cabinet approved a bill to legally define the country as the nation-state of the Jewish people.

A world legal expert on the law of the sea is to be engaged by the Gibraltar Government to probe the concept of ‘innocent passage’ as a concept of international law. The concept is regularly cited in relation to Spanish warships and Guardia Civil vessels when they pass through British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, usually when they do not engage in any other activity.

Ambassador Alicia Castro has addressed a letter directly to the Chair of the BBC Trust requesting formal apologies for the “false and biased” account reported on the BBC program “Top Gear” filmed in Argentina, and in a veiled subtle way ends hoping that the long established relationship between Argentina and the BBC, “will continue to blossom in the future”.

The world's largest crane ship, which is capable of lifting oil rigs, has set sail from its shipyard in South Korea for Rotterdam Port in the Netherlands. The Pieter Schelte, which left South Korea last week is due to arrive at the port for completion in December.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted the Polar Code aimed at regulating shipping in Polar Regions. Several environmental groups have criticized the measures for not going far enough to protect the Arctic and Antarctic environments, arguing that while the new code is a positive step forward, it is insufficient to properly protect Polar environments from the anticipated increased levels of shipping activity.