International

• Friday, January 27th 2012 - 11:12 UTC

  Scottish independence debate rattles across Europe fearing breakaway movements

  

  British diplomats are working behind the scenes to dampen down concern in Europe that Scotland's independence debate could trigger breakaway movements across the continent, reports the Herald Scotland.

• Friday, January 27th 2012 - 10:55 UTC

  Proposing financial transaction tax now is “simply madness”, says PM Cameron

  

  United Kingdom’s Prime Minister David Cameron urged the European Union to take a “bold and decisive action” to curb the economic crisis hovering over the Euro Zone and also described the plan for a financial transaction tax as “simply madness”.

• Friday, January 27th 2012 - 02:28 UTC

  Alicia Castro is Argentina’s ambassador to London; last posting was Venezuela

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández appointed Alicia Castro, 62, as ambassador to the United Kingdom, and the British government has accepted her credentials, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

• Thursday, January 26th 2012 - 19:12 UTC

  Soros says German-driven austerity plans could splinter the European Union

  

  Billionaire investor George Soros said that German-driven austerity plans in Europe risk creating tensions that could splinter the region as it struggles with a debt crisis entering its third year.

• Thursday, January 26th 2012 - 19:05 UTC

  HMS Protector reaches Antarctica, visits Uruguayan and Argentine bases

  

  HMS Protector, the Royal Navy's new ice patrol ship, has arrived in Antarctica for the first time after her long sail south from Portsmouth. Her arrival, via Montevideo in Uruguay, coincided with the centenary of the Royal Navy's Captain Scott reaching the South Pole.

• Thursday, January 26th 2012 - 18:58 UTC

  MP proposes British Overseas Territories be represented in Westminster

  

  Conservative backbench MP Andrew Rosindell has called for the Isle of Man and other Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories, including the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands to be represented in Westminster.

• Thursday, January 26th 2012 - 05:25 UTC

  Do you agree Scotland should be an independent country? Yes, but…

  

  Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said his planned referendum on independence will ask a simple question on whether the country should go it alone, though he didn’t rule out a third option of more power within the UK

• Thursday, January 26th 2012 - 05:22 UTC

  Japan posts first annual trade deficit in more than 30 years

  

  Japan has announced its first annual trade deficit in more than 30 years, a setback for a country known for its exports including cars and electronics. The deficit came in at 2.49 trillion yen (32bn dollars) for 2011, the finance ministry said.

• Thursday, January 26th 2012 - 05:19 UTC

  Norway’s discount carrier orders 222 Boeing and Airbus, totalling 21.5bn dollars

  

  Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA ordered 222 Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS airliners valued at 127 billion Kroner (21.5 billion dollars) as Europe's fourth-biggest discount carrier steps up its competition with state-backed SAS AB.

• Wednesday, January 25th 2012 - 23:51 UTC

  UK says Falklands’ self determination is a universal right enshrined in UN charter

  

  The UK will not negotiate the Falklands/Malvinas Islands sovereignty “until the Islander so wish to” said on Wednesday a spokesperson from the Foreign Office.