International

• Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 06:46 UTC

  Controversial figure named to advisory board of the Euro-zone leading bank

  

  Santander, the Euro zone's biggest bank, has hired Rodrigo Rato, under investigation in connection with allegations of fraud at state-rescued lender Bankia when he was chairman, to its international advisory board.

• Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 06:43 UTC

  China will help Venezuela develop a huge oil field investing 14bn dollars

  

  China’s hydrocarbons company Sinopec and Venezuela’s PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela SA) agreed investments to develop the Junin 1 oil field in the Orinoco oil strip, which will demand 14 billion dollars for a daily extraction of 200.000 barrels, said PDVSA president Rafael Ramírez currently in Beijing.

• Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 06:39 UTC

  Venezuela breaks three Mercosur human rights on human rights on abandoning IACHR

  

  By Juan Francisco Alonso - El Universal - Venezuela is not only a full member of the bloc since July 2012, but it also holds the pro-tempore presidency. The entry into force of Venezuela's denunciation of the American Convention on Human Rights, which implies its withdrawal from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR Court), breaches at least three regulations of Mercosur regional trade bloc.

• Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 01:07 UTC

  British government successfully sells 6% stake at Lloyds and collects £3.2bn

  

  The British government has sold a 6% stake in Lloyds Banking Group at a price of 75p a share, raising £3.2bn. The disposal cuts the government's stake in Lloyds from 38.7% to 32.7% and represents a cash profit of £61m for the Treasury.

• Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 01:03 UTC

  Chinese luxury cruise vessel pays bond and is released after four days

  

  A Chinese luxury cruise ship impounded in South Korea for days due to a legal dispute has been released and returned to China, an official said Tuesday.

• Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 00:32 UTC

  Barclays ‘worst bank for honesty and customer service’ says UK ‘Move Your Money’ rating

  

  Barclays is the worst bank for honesty and customer service, according to an ethical scorecard launched Monday in the UK to guide those looking to switch their current accounts. The bank picked up just four out of 100 points in campaign group Move Your Money’s ratings, with the five biggest banks among the poorest performers in the 70 that were assessed.

• Tuesday, September 17th 2013 - 20:55 UTC

  Rugby player Tuilagi apologises to Cameron for 'bunny ears' gesture

  

  Lions rugby centre Manu Tuilagi has apologised for making a 'bunny ears' gesture behind the head of British Prime Minister David Cameron in a photo-call at 10 Downing Street.

• Tuesday, September 17th 2013 - 07:02 UTC

  Gibraltar drafting legislation to allow fishing under strictly controlled conditions

  

  The Gibraltar Government has taken another legislative step toward allowing fishing with certain types of nets in British Gibraltar territorial waters under limited, strictly-controlled conditions, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Tuesday, September 17th 2013 - 06:54 UTC

  UN describes the Montreal Protocol on ozone “a remarkable success story”

  

  United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called Monday on the international community to continue efforts that will preserve the world’s ozone layer and protect the environment. In his message for the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, Mr. Ban pointed to the Montreal Protocol as an example of how Member States are capable to work for the common good.

• Tuesday, September 17th 2013 - 06:50 UTC

  Obama sets the field for the coming clash with Republicans on the US debt ceiling

  

  US President Barack Obama warned Republicans in Congress on Monday that he will not negotiate over an extension of the US debt ceiling as part of a budget battle that will soon dominate Washington, with a deadline fast approaching.