International

• Saturday, January 28th 2012 - 09:51 UTC

  ‘King Leo’makes the cover of this week’s TIME magazine but not in the US

  

  Argentine born Lionel Messi, three-time FIFA player of the year, is on the cover of this week's Time, but only if you buy it in Europe, Asia or the South Pacific. The United States cover is actually devoted to “The Power of Shyness”.

• Saturday, January 28th 2012 - 09:35 UTC

  Costa Concordia company offers 11.000 Euros compensation for each passenger

  

  Several of Italy's consumer groups signed an agreement with Costa Cruises to offer about 11,000 Euros to each of the more than 3,000 passengers aboard the Costa Concordia when it hit a rock and capsized near the Italian island of Giglio on January 13, a statement from the consumer groups said.

• Saturday, January 28th 2012 - 07:09 UTC

  UK praises naming of Argentine ambassador to London, calls for “strengthened cooperation”

  

  The British government acknowledged on Friday the naming of the new Argentine ambassador to the United Kingdom, and stated that they hoped the coverage of the long-vacant position will permit “the strengthening of cooperation” between the two countries.

• Friday, January 27th 2012 - 11:18 UTC

  Foreign Office has not discussed Gibraltar with new Spanish government

  

  Foreign Office Ministers have not discussed Gibraltar with the new Spanish Government, a Foreign Office spokesman said on Wednesday.

• 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.