International

• Thursday, May 29th 2014 - 05:37 UTC

  Argentina announces an understanding with the Paris Club on defaulted debt

  

  Following twelve hours of discussions the Argentine delegation headed by Economy Minister Axel Kicillof managed on Wednesday to agree the main points for Argentina to overcome the approximately 9.5bn dollars default with countries that make up the Paris Club, according to late reports from the French capital.

• Thursday, May 29th 2014 - 02:45 UTC

  WHO calls on countries to raise taxes on tobacco to prevent addiction

  

  On World No Tobacco Day (31 May), WHO calls on countries to raise taxes on tobacco to encourage users to stop and prevent other people from becoming addicted to tobacco. Based on 2012 data, WHO estimates that increasing tobacco taxes by 50%, all countries would reduce the number of smokers by 49 million within the next three years and ultimately save 11 million lives.

• Thursday, May 29th 2014 - 00:54 UTC

  Uruguayan court declines competence to rule on Chinese fishing vessel 'slavery' claims

  

  A Uruguayan criminal court found no merit to continue investigating into incidents allegedly occurred in a Chinese flagged fishing vessel following on claims of 'slavery', ill treatment and beatings, presented by 28 African crewmembers.

• Wednesday, May 28th 2014 - 21:11 UTC

  Krill oil more advantageous than fish oil in reducing high blood triglycerides

  

  A study from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet and the University of Bergen, Norway, published in Nutrition & Metabolism found that the omega-3s in Aker BioMarine’s Superba krill oil are advantageous for reducing high blood triglycerides compared to fish oil.

• Wednesday, May 28th 2014 - 20:54 UTC

  China's oil giant at center of corruption probe

  

  Grins were on the faces of China National Petroleum executives last week as they celebrated a blockbuster 30-year deal for Russian gas. It was a good day for CNPC, the state-owned colossus at the center of China's oil and gas webs and one of Eurasia's biggest energy investors.

• Wednesday, May 28th 2014 - 09:04 UTC

  Celibacy of priests is not a matter of Church dogma, says Pope Francis

  

  Pope Francis said on Monday that the celibacy of priests is not a matter of Church dogma, while defending its value amid calls among some Catholics for the requirement to be dropped.

• Wednesday, May 28th 2014 - 08:36 UTC

  HMS Portland celebrated 13th birthday during current South Atlantic patrol

  

  HMS Portland’s ship’s company celebrated this month the ship’s 13th birthday as they enter the fifth month of a seven-month deployment as the Royal Navy’s Atlantic Patrol Ship.

• Wednesday, May 28th 2014 - 08:06 UTC

  Falkland Islander Debby, first woman to be appointed to top tourism job in New Zealand

  

  Falkland Islands and former Tourism Development Manager for Sulivan Shipping Ltd, Debs Summers, now living in New Zealand has become the first woman ever to join the Board of Directors of leading destinations Management company ID New Zealand.

• Tuesday, May 27th 2014 - 09:41 UTC

  Ireland's Labor to renew leadership after Sunday's shock; coalition imperiled

  

  Irish deputy prime minister Eamon Gilmore said on Monday he will quit as leader of the junior government Labor party, in a move that could destabilize the coalition and its austerity program following a major election setback.

• Tuesday, May 27th 2014 - 09:33 UTC

  IMF Lagarde calls on central banks to cooperate on policy moves

  

  As the United States Federal Reserve debates the timing of its first interest rate hike since 2006, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde is urging central banks to cooperate on policy moves.