International

• Tuesday, September 18th 2012 - 06:23 UTC

  Meet the official mascot for the 2014 FIFA World Cup: the Brazilian armadillo

  

  Brazil has chosen an endangered armadillo as the mascot for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. While nature's version is light brown in colour, Fifa's mascot is yellow with green eyes and a blue shell, the colours of the Brazilian flag, and will be holding aloft a football.

• Tuesday, September 18th 2012 - 06:06 UTC

  Bahrain telecoms in talks to buy C&W assets, including the Falklands

  

  Bahrain Telecommunications Co is in talks with Cable & Wireless Communications to buy its assets in Monaco and a host of island nations, including the Falklands Islands, a deal potentially worth around 1 billion dollars, three banking and industry sources said, reported in the Emirates media.

• Tuesday, September 18th 2012 - 05:53 UTC

  Paraguay and Syria excluded from South America/Arab countries leaders summit in Peru

  

  The third summit of leaders from South America and Arab Countries, ASPA, will take place in Lima, Peru next 1 and 2 October but without the attendance of Paraguay and Syria which have been suspended from their respective blocks, according to Peruvian Deputy Foreign Minister Jose Beráun.

• Monday, September 17th 2012 - 05:48 UTC

  Spain dumps Paraguay from the Ibero-American summit not to offend Argentina

  

  A top Spanish official made a low profile and unexpected visit to Paraguay last week with the purpose of trying to convince the administration of president Federico Franco to remain absent from the coming Ibero-American summit scheduled for November since Madrid fears his presence could turn the event into a failure.

• Monday, September 17th 2012 - 05:32 UTC

  FCO outlines issues and calls for restraint ‘on all sides’ in Gibraltar/Spain fishing dispute

  

  The upholding of British sovereignty and protecting Gibraltar’s interests are the key issues for Governor Sir Adrian Johns in the current fishing dispute involving Spanish fishermen and the Spanish authorities.

• Monday, September 17th 2012 - 02:30 UTC

  Thousands of Spaniards take to the streets to protest: “enough is enough”

  

  Tens of thousands of Spaniards rallied in Madrid to protest against spending cuts and tax rises in a country reeling from high unemployment and a gruelling recession. Teachers, nurses and social services workers thronged the capital's central Plaza Colon a day after Spain said it would present new economic reforms at the end of September likely to contain more austerity measures.

• Monday, September 17th 2012 - 01:22 UTC

  Ozone protection Montreal agreement, “a showcase of environmental cooperation”

  

  An international agreement to phase out chemicals which attack the Earth’s vital ozone shield celebrates its 25th anniversary as a showcase for successful global environmental cooperation, “protecting our atmosphere for generations to come.”

• Saturday, September 15th 2012 - 06:54 UTC

  Growing number of Spanish companies looking to make business in Latin America

  

  An ever growing number of Spanish companies are setting their eyes on Latin America, a region with an expanding economy, abundant natural resources and much to be done as reported by Spain’s trade offices and Spanish chambers of commerce.

• Saturday, September 15th 2012 - 06:39 UTC

  Busy international agenda for Falkland Islands lawmakers

  

  Members of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly Gavin Short and Sharon Halford are currently attending the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Plenary and Small Countries Conference in Sri Lanka.

• Saturday, September 15th 2012 - 06:27 UTC

  Funds from confiscated illegal fish used to combat poachers in Southern Ocean

  

  Funds generated by the sale of fish confiscated from a vessel that had been poaching in the South Georgia and South Sandwich Island’s Fishery Zone (SGFZ) are being put to good use to fight illegal fishing elsewhere in the Southern Ocean.