International

• Thursday, November 7th 2013 - 07:57 UTC

  Argentina complains South African Airways decision to cut the Buenos Aires route

  

  Argentina's ambassador to South Africa, Carlos Sersale di Cerisano, has criticized South African Airways’ (SAA’s) move to end its service to Buenos Aires as a “political decision” not based on commercial criteria. SAA spokesman Tlali Tlali said the airline was cutting long-haul routes from its network as part of a turnaround strategy to restore profitability. Cutting the route between Argentina and South Africa had to be seen in that context.

• Thursday, November 7th 2013 - 07:51 UTC

  Venice reducing cruise traffic in front of St Mark's square

  

  A special commission approved this week a plan to divert cruise ships away from Venice's historic center by 2016, but activists seeking to rid the city of the giant ships expressed reservations about the proposed new route.

• Thursday, November 7th 2013 - 07:44 UTC

  EU recession close to inflection point but unemployment remains at 'unacceptable levels'

  

  The Euro zone economy's gross domestic product will grow 1.1% in 2014 and 1.7% in 2015, with imbalances diminishing as unemployment remains at unacceptable levels, the European Commission said in a report released earlier this week.

• Thursday, November 7th 2013 - 07:11 UTC

  People of Gibraltar will not be duped by Madrid's latest distortion of 'UK/Spain secret negotiations'

  

  Spain is clutching at straws in trying to pretend that the annual United Nations Fourth Committee consensus decision is somehow something new or that will restart the Brussels Process, the Gibraltar Government said on Wednesday.

• Thursday, November 7th 2013 - 06:58 UTC

  Symbolic fourth bell returns from Wales to Chile's 14th Fire Brigade, 150 years later

  

  In another demonstration of the close links of Chile and Britain, members of the 14th Fire Brigade from the city of Santiago de Chile officially received the fourth bell of the old Compañía de Jesús Church which was completely destroyed by a devastating fire that also killed over 2.500 people in 1863, almost 150 years ago.

• Wednesday, November 6th 2013 - 09:06 UTC

  Brazil's worst rocket launch tragedy had French spies as 'potential culprits'

  

  Brazil’s intelligence agency monitored French spies it suspected of involvement in the 2003 explosion at a satellite launch base, the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper said Tuesday, and though it was finally determined they played no role.

• Wednesday, November 6th 2013 - 02:14 UTC

  Falklands: Argentina's call for dialogue and cooperation “rings hollow”

  

  Argentina’s call for dialogue with UK rings hollow, Romford MP Andrew Rosindell argued in a letter published in The Times in which he said that Argentine claims that the UK is increasing its military presence in the Falklands are false. Instead he argued that the presence there is the minimum necessary to defend the Islands.

• Wednesday, November 6th 2013 - 02:10 UTC

  Spain says Madrid and London reached an agreement on Gibraltar

  

  Spain and Britain have crafted a joint declaration on Gibraltar for presentation to the UN General Assembly, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said Tuesday. The text calls for Madrid and London to reach a definitive solution to the status of the Rock, “listening to the interests and aspirations of Gibraltar that are coherent and legitimate in accord with international law,” Spain's top diplomat said.

• Wednesday, November 6th 2013 - 01:45 UTC

  Gibraltar files complaint to EC because of Spain's 'disproportionate checks' to pedestrians at the border

  

  The Gibraltar Government has sent a complaint to the European Commission about the “disproportionate checks” being conducted by the Spanish authorities on pedestrians entering Spain. It follows the recent build-up of pedestrian queues over the past fortnight, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Tuesday, November 5th 2013 - 13:50 UTC

  Brazil consumer watchdog orders airlines to reduce 'abusive' domestic fare for 2014 World Cup

  

  Brazil's consumer watchdog Procon Rio do Janeiro branch has ordered five airlines to reduce “abusive” domestic fares during next year's FIFA World Cup. Avianca, TAM, Gol, Azul and Oceanair have been accused of inflating prices up to 10-fold during the June 12-July 13 tournament.