International

• Wednesday, December 19th 2012 - 04:06 UTC

  Europe opens state of the art satellite tracking station in Argentina

  

  A new satellite tracking station at Malargue, Mendoza, Argentina, was formally inaugurated on Tuesday, completing the trio of deep-space stations and confirming ESA, European Space Agency, as one of the world's most technologically advanced space organisations.

• Wednesday, December 19th 2012 - 01:52 UTC

  Queen Elizabeth becomes first monarch since 1781 to attend a cabinet meeting

  

  Queen Elizabeth became on Tuesday the first monarch, since 1781, during the US war of independence, to make a historic visit to Downing Street and attend a cabinet meeting.

• Wednesday, December 19th 2012 - 01:38 UTC

  Saudi Arabia joins Japan and China, suspends imports of Brazilian beef

  

  Saudi Arabia has suspended imports of Brazilian beef, Brazil’s agriculture ministry said Tuesday, and became the largest country to stop purchases after confirmation of a 2010 case of atypical mad cow disease.

• Wednesday, December 19th 2012 - 01:33 UTC

  Schmallenberg disease hitting lambs and calves spreads to all England and Wales

  

  A disease that can lead to lambs and calves being stillborn or deformed has spread to every county in England and Wales. Some farmers are expected to lose livestock during the lambing season, which is just getting underway.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2012 - 23:36 UTC

  EU Fisheries committee pledges sustainability by 2015 and an end to discards

  

  Tuesday’s vote by the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee to amend CFP reforms have been greeted with enthusiasm by a number of environmental NGOs including ClientEarth, Greenpeace, WWF, the Pew Foundation and OCEAN 2012.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2012 - 22:33 UTC

  Ghanaian government confirms the release of ARA Libertad

  

  The Ghanaian government confirmed on Tuesday it would comply with the UN Law of the Sea court decision to release the Argentine navy flagship ARA Libertad, impounded in Tema since October 2, over a debt dispute between a US hedge fund and the Argentine government.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2012 - 22:18 UTC

  UK names southern part of British Antarctic Territory “Queen Elizabeth Land”

  

  The Foreign Secretary announced on Tuesday that the southern part of British Antarctic Territory has been named Queen Elizabeth Land.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2012 - 05:34 UTC

  Santander keeps growing: absorbs Banesto and Banif and will close 700 branches

  

  Banking giant Santander said on Monday that it will absorb two of its Spanish offshoots, closing 700 branches in the latest stage of Spain's great banking shake-up. The biggest bank in the Euro zone by market value, said it could save 520 million Euros a year by absorbing the offshoots, Banesto and Banif.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2012 - 04:01 UTC

  Argentina says Belgian highest court rules against seizure of diplomatic accounts

  

  The Belgian Supreme Court threw out an attempt by hedge funds to seize Argentina’s diplomatic accounts in that country, according to a release on Monday from the Argentine Foreign ministry.

• Tuesday, December 18th 2012 - 03:39 UTC

  IMF adopts a more flexible position regarding global capital flows management

  

  The International Monetary Fund has developed a comprehensive, flexible, and balanced view on the management of global capital flows to help give countries clear and consistent policy advice.