International

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 15:43 UTC

  Argentina in France trying to work out a debt deal with the Paris Club

  

  Desperately credit-short Argentina outlined on Monday its conditions for repaying some 9.5 billion dollars in debt to the Paris Club, a senior official at the group of creditor nations said, as the government of President Cristina Fernandez seeks to revive long-stalled talks. Argentina's international reserves have fallen to its lowest level since 2006.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 15:38 UTC

  Less incursions into Gibraltar waters by Spanish vessels: “a slight change of attitude”

  

  A drop in the number of incursions by Spanish state vessels into British Gibraltar territorial waters could signal “a slight change in attitude” in Madrid, a British Government minister said on Monday. The observation was made during a question and answer session in the House of Lords in which there was evident cross-party support for Gibraltar in the face of pressure from Spain, reports Gibraltar's Chronicle.

• Monday, January 20th 2014 - 22:26 UTC

  New body to regulate Libor; several big league banks fined for rate-rigging

  

  A new body has been appointed to administer Libor - the London Interbank Offered Rate. A subsidiary of the Intercontinental Exchange Group (ICE), a global network of exchanges and clearing houses, has been appointed to ensure Libor cannot be rigged by banks again.

• Monday, January 20th 2014 - 22:19 UTC

  Over 400 priests defrocked in two years by former Pope Benedict XVI

  

  Close to 400 priests were defrocked in only two years by the former Pope Benedict XVI over claims of child abuse, the Vatican has confirmed. The statistics for 2011 and 2012 show a dramatic increase compared to previous years, according to a document obtained by the Associated Press (AP).

• Monday, January 20th 2014 - 22:07 UTC

  Cuba proposes declaring Latam and the Caribbean a Zone of Peace

  

  Cuba that is hosting a major regional summit at the end of the month will propose that Latin America and the Caribbean be declared a Zone of Peace, according to reports from the Cuban Foreign ministry.

• Saturday, January 18th 2014 - 06:32 UTC

  Gibraltarians will travel to EU offices in Brussels to protest Spain's border controls

  

  The Gibraltar Government will sponsor a group of Gibraltarians and local residents who plan to travel to Brussels to protest before the European Union about delays caused by Spanish checks at the border, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle. The group approached the Government in recent months and is said to include people from all walks of life and from all shades of political opinion.

• Saturday, January 18th 2014 - 06:26 UTC

  Hague tells Scotland that the “UK is stronger and safer together”

  

  Foreign Secretary William Hague has said the United Kingdom is “stronger and safer together” as he outlined the case for Scotland to reject voting for independence. Mr. Hague spoke of shared values between Britain and Scotland and said that remaining united would give the UK greater international “clout” and allow it to be “better able to make a difference in the world”.

• Saturday, January 18th 2014 - 06:21 UTC

  Obama announces contention policy for NSA monitoring activities

  

  President Barack Obama has announced a ban on US eavesdropping on the leaders of close friends and allies, and rein in the vast collection of Americans' phone data in a series of reforms triggered by Edward Snowden's revelations.

• Saturday, January 18th 2014 - 06:10 UTC

  Haiti PM Lamonthe pledges free, fair and honest elections later this year

  

  Haiti’s Prime Minister Laurent Lamonthe has pledged that his government will provide the necessary means to the electoral council to facilitate the holding of legislative and local elections this year.

• Saturday, January 18th 2014 - 05:55 UTC

  Dairy values and meat peaked in 2013 according to FAO Food Price Index

  

  The FAO Food Price Index averaged 206.7 points in December 2013, nearly unchanged from November, as a sharp increase in dairy prices and firming meat values largely balanced out a steep decline in sugar quotations and lower cereal and oil prices.