International

Friday, September 20th 2013 - 20:07 UTC
A ‘message in a bottle’ dropped in South Georgia reaches NZ three years later

A ‘message in a bottle’ dropped just off the north-western end of South Georgia three years ago has washed up on Stewart Island, off the south end of New Zealand - more than half a world away, reports the July edition of the South Georgia Newsletter.
Friday, September 20th 2013 - 19:47 UTC
“Ad hoc talks do not mean four sides” Gibraltar and UK reply to Spain statements

Ad hoc’ talks do not mean four sides: that was the swift and firm declaration from the Government of Gibraltar in response to statements made to the Gibraltar Chronicle by Gonzalo de Benito, Spain’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Friday, September 20th 2013 - 19:43 UTC
Germany’s anti-Euro party could force a ‘grand-coalition’ after Sunday’s election

German voters will go to the polls this Sunday in a national election whose outcome could change the future of Germany and the Euro zone. According to the latest polls, Merkel's conservative lead has narrowed ahead of the vote on Sunday. Merkel and her conservative CDU/CSU coalition would receive 38% of the vote, an INSA poll showed on Thursday.
Friday, September 20th 2013 - 19:38 UTC
Looking back on time: when Garcia Margallo championed for Melilla and Ceuta as tax havens

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo has long been a vocal critic of Gibraltar’s competitive tax framework, denouncing the Rock as “a tax haven” despite its recognised compliance with international standards set by the EU and the OECD, among others.
Friday, September 20th 2013 - 08:35 UTC
Lack of ‘tuning’ and a new historic reality, obstacles for EU/Mercosur trade talks

The lack of ‘tuning’ in trade affairs is not the only motive stalling the decade long Mercosur/European Union trade and cooperation discussions according to EU ambassador in Montevideo, Juan Fernandez Trigo who also included what he described as the ‘new historic reality’.
Friday, September 20th 2013 - 07:58 UTC
IMF sides with Obama calls on Republicans to bury political differences

The International Monetary Fund urged US policymakers to support major reforms at the global lender and bury political differences over the budget to ease one source of risk to the economy and markets.
Friday, September 20th 2013 - 07:52 UTC
Francis calls for a more welcoming church with priests acting as pastors and not dogmatic bureaucrats

Pope Francis said the Catholic Church should not allow its bans on gay marriage, abortion and contraception to dominate its teachings, but must be a more welcoming Church where priests are understanding-pastors and not cold, dogmatic bureaucrats.
Friday, September 20th 2013 - 07:30 UTC
Brazil with no labs to handle drug testing for the 2014 World Cup

With one lab suspended and its replacement unfinished, Brazil won't be able to handle drug testing for the 2014 World Cup alone and is looking overseas for help. The executive director of the country's anti-doping authority said the new lab in Rio de Janeiro should be running a year before the 2016 Olympics. But, Marco Aurelio Klein added, the lab won't be ready for the World Cup next June and July.
Thursday, September 19th 2013 - 21:09 UTC
Merkel rejects coalition with anti-Euro party that could capture 9% of votes on Sunday

A leading member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union rejected coalition talks after Sunday’s elections with the Alternative for Germany party because of its anti-euro stance.
Thursday, September 19th 2013 - 21:04 UTC
Gibraltar ad hoc talks could also include the EC and Andalucia, says Spanish official

The European Commission is likely to be joining Gibraltar, UK, Spain and the regional authorities from Andalucía at separately held, so called, ‘ad hoc’ talks aimed at resolving fishing and environmental disputes that have dominated the summer, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle Gonzalo de Benito Spain’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.