International

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 23:16 UTC

  Europe demanding a decision from Mercosur on advancing the trade talks

  

  The European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso called on Mercosur to decide whether it wishes to advance in trade talks with the European Union jointly, as a block, and suggested the idea of a 'two-speed negotiation', since it is clear that Brazil is interested in advancing and wants to reach an agreement.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 07:10 UTC

  World joins in grief and admiration for South Africa's greatest, Madiba

  

  Former South African president and hero of the anti-apartheid movement, Nelson Mandela, has passed away in his home following a long fight against illness, current head of state Jacob Zuma revealed on Thursday in a press conference.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:57 UTC

  FIFA announces 358m dollars of prize money for the 2014 Cup

  

  The 32 teams at next year's World Cup finals will share a total fund of 576 million dollars, including a prize-money pot of 358m with the winners taking home 35m, FIFA said on Thursday. The amount of money made available to the countries taking part has increased 37% from the 420m on offer at the 2010 finals in South Africa.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:45 UTC

  Brazilian authorities admit to have learnt from Confederations Cup protests

  

  Brazilian authorities say they've learned from demonstrations during the Confederations Cup not to let protesters get too close to stadiums at the upcoming World Cup. Andrei Augusto Rodrigues, security head for major events at Brazil's justice ministry, acknowledged that police misjudged the threat to public safety at Rio de Janeiro in June at the final of the Confederations Cup, a World Cup warm-up.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:38 UTC

  Maracana, July1950, when Uruguay silenced 200.000 Brazilian fans at the Cup's final

  

  Pele, the only person to win three World Cups as a player, said Brazil will enter next year’s tournament with more humility than when the country last hosted soccer’s greatest event in 1950. On 16 July that year Brazil was shocked 2-1 by Uruguay in the final game at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium in what is considered as a national tragedy by some Brazilians.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 06:30 UTC

  FIFA nervous about Cup stadiums; Brazil argues brides are never on time for marriage

  

  Brazilian government has brushed aside the importance of more delays in completing 2014 World Cup stadiums, saying that missing FIFA's deadline will not affect the country's ability to successfully host next year's tournament.

• Thursday, December 5th 2013 - 20:42 UTC

  Battle of the Falklands to be commemorated on Sunday 8th December

  

  The Falkland Islands will commemorate on Sunday the naval engagement of 8th December 1914 when the Royal Navy sunk with a minimum loss of life the German fleet, an event which until Liberation Day, 14 June 1982, was the most outstanding of the Islands calendar.

• Thursday, December 5th 2013 - 20:29 UTC

  Falklands granted 5.9 million Euros by Europe for economic development activities

  

  The European Commission announced on Thursday that the Falkland Islands has been allocated a sum of 5.9million Euros to support economic development activities between 2014 and 2020. The announcement of the new allocation under the European Development Fund was made at the 12th Annual OCT-EU Forum being held in Brussels this week.

• Thursday, December 5th 2013 - 20:03 UTC

  Foreign Office warn football fans to be on the ball when planning trips to Brazil

  

  Ahead of the World Cup draw on Friday the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Football Supporters Federation (FSF) are teaming up to urge England fans to do their homework before booking travel to Brazil.

• Thursday, December 5th 2013 - 19:06 UTC

  How Gibraltar 2002 referendum foundered plan for joint-sovereignty with Spain

  

  It was 2002 when Spain and UK had agreed the broad terms of joint sovereignty over Gibraltar, including inclusion in Schengen and the Customs Union. But the deal unraveled once the then Gibraltar Chief Minister Peter Caruana held the referendum later that year. This is the story as told by former Spanish premier Jose Maria Aznar, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle.