International

• Wednesday, February 19th 2014 - 23:15 UTC

  Italian prime minister designate expects a parliament confidence vote on Monday

  

  Italian Prime Minister-designate Matteo Renzi said he expected his new government to be in place in time for a formal vote of confidence in parliament on Monday, after he wrapped up consultations with the main political parties.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2014 - 22:45 UTC

  Hague launches business and science programs to attract talented Brazilian students to UK

  

  The business-education partnership between Brazil and the UK will benefit hundreds of talented Brazilian students aiming to study in the UK, said Foreign Secretary William Hague who is on a three-day visit to Brazil.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2014 - 22:38 UTC

  Mercosur to meet 7 March to finalize the proposal to be presented to EU

  

  In early March Mercosur will have readied its proposal to liberate trade to be presented to the European Union, the basis for a wide-ranging cooperation and trade agreement between the two blocks, announced Rubens Barbosa, head of the Trade Council from the Sao Paulo State Industries Federation, FIESP.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2014 - 22:24 UTC

  Hague and Figuereido optimistic about outcome of the delayed Mercosur/EU trade pact

  

  Brazilian and UK foreign ministers Luiz Alberto Figuereido and William Hague said that Mercosur and the European Union are concluding the tariffs' reduction proposals which they plan to exchange as part of the process leading to a wide ranging cooperation and trade agreement between the two blocks.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2014 - 22:16 UTC

  YPF signs agreement with Petronas for shale development in Vaca Muerta

  

  Argentina's state oil company YPF announced this week that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a subsidiary of Malaysia's national oil company Petronas for unconventional oil and gas resources development in Argentine Patagonia.

• Wednesday, February 19th 2014 - 04:41 UTC

  Analyst Snowden elected as students' delegate at the University of Glasgow

  

  Former NSA analyst Edward Snowden was elected as the students delegate in the Scottish University of Glasgow.

• Tuesday, February 18th 2014 - 20:39 UTC

  Spain battles Sub-Saharan migrants who managed to break into Melilla

  

  About 150 sub-Saharan migrants managed to enter Spain’s north African enclave of Melilla on Monday after a group of 250 stormed a barbed-wire border fence, the Spanish Interior Ministry said. Spanish media showed video of those who got over the fence running down the streets of Melilla shouting “Barca, Barca!” as they headed toward a detention centre.

• Tuesday, February 18th 2014 - 20:30 UTC

  Scotland independence leads to debate on the pound and EU membership

  

  Separatist leader Alex Salmond insisted that Scotland would keep the pound if it left the UK and accused British politicians of bluffing by ruling out a currency union in a campaign of fear that would provoke a backlash from Scots.

• Tuesday, February 18th 2014 - 06:09 UTC

  Hague in Brazil for a three-day visit to reaffirm close links and Strategic Dialogue

  

  Foreign Secretary William Hague arrived in Brazil for a three-day visit to further the strong and growing partnership between the UK and Latin Americas leading economy. This is Mr. Hague's second visit for a series of meetings and events which started at Manaus where he visited the Arena Amazonia stadium, host of England's first 2014 World Cup match against Italy on June 14.

• Tuesday, February 18th 2014 - 05:58 UTC

  “Extremely difficult, if not impossible” for an independent Scotland to join the EU, says Barroso

  

  European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said it would be “extremely difficult, if not impossible” for an independent Scotland to join the European Union. Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr he said an independent Scotland would have to apply for membership and get the approval of all current member states.