Politics

• Monday, July 24th 2017 - 18:20 UTC

  Refuelling Hub for South Atlantic Airbridge confirmed as Cape Verde

  

  The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is pleased to announce that a final decision has been taken on the location of the refuelling hub for the South Atlantic Airbridge (SAA). The SAA will continue to transit through Sal, Cape Verde until 2020, when the Ascension Island runway resurfacing project is expected to be complete.

• Monday, July 24th 2017 - 09:29 UTC

  UK government tries to reassure Ulster farmers about post-Brexit subsidies

  

  British government has attempted to reassure Northern Ireland’s farmers about the level of subsidies they will receive after the UK leaves the European Union. Michael Gove, secretary for the environment, food and rural affairs, visited an agricultural show in Co Antrim at the weekend and also held meetings with the DUP and the Ulster Farmers’ Union.

• Monday, July 24th 2017 - 09:26 UTC

  Submarine HMS Ambush collision off Gibraltar cost at least £ 3.4m

  

  British taxpayers were left with a bill of over £3.4m following the collision off Gibraltar last year between a Royal Navy submarine and a merchant ship. HMS Ambush, one of Britain’s new Astute-class nuclear-powered submarines, sustained damage to its conning tower during a glancing collision with a chemical tanker while submerged in international waters 3.3 nautical miles off Gibraltar.

• Monday, July 24th 2017 - 09:03 UTC

  RAF tanker and US fighter jets nearly crashed as flight controller was distracted by cell phone call

  

  An RAF tanker aircraft and two F-15 fighters came within a split second of colliding over the North Sea after a flight controller was distracted by a phone call, an official report has revealed.The pilots of the RAF Voyager claimed that one of the United States Air Force jets was as near as 50 metres when it flew directly across their path as they were flying at 322mph.

• Monday, July 24th 2017 - 08:50 UTC

  Brazil cuts spending and raises taxes, including on fuel, to try and balance the budget

  

  Brazil's government increased a spending freeze and raised taxes to cover a budget gap this year, reinforcing its commitment to fiscal discipline but dealing a potential blow to fragile economic growth. In a statement by the Finance and Planning Ministries, the government said it will freeze an additional 5.9 billion Reais (US$1.9 billion) in federal spending this year

• Monday, July 24th 2017 - 08:38 UTC

  Morales highlights Bolivian independence from the IMF and World Bank

  

  President Evo Morales has highlighted the total Bolivian independence from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB), which have carried out “devastating economic policies for many years” in this South American nation.

• Monday, July 24th 2017 - 08:22 UTC

  Brenda Hale, named first woman president of the UK Supreme Court

  

  Brenda Hale was appointed as the UK Supreme Court's first female president on Friday, July 21st. The former deputy president of the court for four years will take on the role as the thirteenth President of the Supreme Court on October 2nd, following a line of twelve all-male predecessors.

• Monday, July 24th 2017 - 07:07 UTC

  Mercosur and Colombia agree to a limited list of tariff-free products

  

  Mercosur inked a trade deal with Colombia last Friday to allow limited quantities of tariff-free trade in products including automobiles, textiles and agrochemicals, Argentina's and Colombia's governments said.

• Monday, July 24th 2017 - 06:36 UTC

  Corbyn, “the greatest rebel ever”, invited to avoid de-selection of MPs

  

  A former Labour chief whip has urged Jeremy Corbyn to “reflect” on Tony Blair's approach when party leader by ruling out the de-selection of MPs. Baroness Hilary Armstrong told the BBC Mr Corbyn was “the greatest rebel ever” as a backbencher but Mr Blair was reluctant to discipline him. She said the then prime minister felt that Labour was “a broad church”.

• Monday, July 24th 2017 - 06:09 UTC

  Falklands war new book says invading Argentines faced fierce defense from Marines and suffered heavy casualties

  

  A new book has challenged the official account of the Falklands War, including allegedly one of the worst kept secrets of the conflict. The First Casualty, written by noted military historian Ricky Phillips, reveals that, far from surrendering without a fight when the Argentines invaded the Islands in April 1982, a detachment of Royal Marines battled for more than two hours and killed around 100 of their opponents.