International

Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 01:03 UTC
Chinese luxury cruise vessel pays bond and is released after four days

A Chinese luxury cruise ship impounded in South Korea for days due to a legal dispute has been released and returned to China, an official said Tuesday.
Wednesday, September 18th 2013 - 00:32 UTC
Barclays ‘worst bank for honesty and customer service’ says UK ‘Move Your Money’ rating

Barclays is the worst bank for honesty and customer service, according to an ethical scorecard launched Monday in the UK to guide those looking to switch their current accounts. The bank picked up just four out of 100 points in campaign group Move Your Money’s ratings, with the five biggest banks among the poorest performers in the 70 that were assessed.
Tuesday, September 17th 2013 - 20:55 UTC
Rugby player Tuilagi apologises to Cameron for 'bunny ears' gesture

Lions rugby centre Manu Tuilagi has apologised for making a 'bunny ears' gesture behind the head of British Prime Minister David Cameron in a photo-call at 10 Downing Street.
Tuesday, September 17th 2013 - 07:02 UTC
Gibraltar drafting legislation to allow fishing under strictly controlled conditions

The Gibraltar Government has taken another legislative step toward allowing fishing with certain types of nets in British Gibraltar territorial waters under limited, strictly-controlled conditions, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.
Tuesday, September 17th 2013 - 06:54 UTC
UN describes the Montreal Protocol on ozone “a remarkable success story”

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called Monday on the international community to continue efforts that will preserve the world’s ozone layer and protect the environment. In his message for the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, Mr. Ban pointed to the Montreal Protocol as an example of how Member States are capable to work for the common good.
Tuesday, September 17th 2013 - 06:50 UTC
Obama sets the field for the coming clash with Republicans on the US debt ceiling

US President Barack Obama warned Republicans in Congress on Monday that he will not negotiate over an extension of the US debt ceiling as part of a budget battle that will soon dominate Washington, with a deadline fast approaching.
Tuesday, September 17th 2013 - 06:34 UTC
Italian engineers manage to set Costa Concordia upright 20 months after grounding

Engineers in Italy have succeeded in setting the cruise ship Costa Concordia upright, 20 months after it ran aground off the island of Giglio. They said that the unprecedented salvage effort ”reached degree zero (vertical), which was our target”.
Monday, September 16th 2013 - 22:02 UTC
Vigo starts bio-bank to store commercial fisheries marine parasite samples

The Marine Research Institute from Vigo, Spain has launched the first world bio-bank which collects, stores and will distribute samples of marine parasites and associated bio-molecules such as the anisakis, in the framework of the EU ‘Parasite’ project to assess their sanitary and commercial impact on the food chain and validation of tools to mitigate effects.
Monday, September 16th 2013 - 01:32 UTC
Colombia denies registry of the ‘Escobar’ trademark to family members

Colombia’s government has refused registration as a trademark of the full name “Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria” the country most notorious narcotics criminal. According to local news in Bogotá the application was filed by Maria Isabel Santos Cabalerro, Juana Manuela Marroquín Santos and Juan Sebastian Marroquín Santos, Escobar’s widow and children respectively who changed their names after settling in Argentina in the late 1990.
Monday, September 16th 2013 - 01:29 UTC
Leading Spanish bank ready to lend 10bn dollars for infrastructure in Brazil

Following a meeting with President Dilma Rousseff, Banco Santander Chairman Emilio Botin said that the Spanish bank has 10 billion dollars available to finance infrastructure projects in Brazil. He also anticipated that loan book growth at Banco Santander Brasil SA would be up about 10% in 2013.