Politics

Friday, September 22nd 2017 - 09:29 UTC
Catalonia pro independence demonstrators fill streets of Barcelona wrapped in the “estelada” flag

Thousands gathered on Thursday to demand the release of a dozen Catalan officials arrested in connection with a vote on independence that Spanish authorities are challenging as illegal. The demonstrators, who met at the gates of Catalonia’s judicial body in Barcelona, answered a call by pro-independence civic groups to stage long-term street protests against the police surprise crackdown one day earlier.
Friday, September 22nd 2017 - 09:25 UTC
Chilean central bank revokes reciprocal credit line with Venezuela

Chile’s central bank said it had revoked a reciprocal credit line with its Venezuelan counterpart, citing what it called Venezuela’s failure to pay back its debts. In a statement, Chile’s central bank said it had notified Venezuela’s central bank and that the line would be cancelled within 10 days.
Friday, September 22nd 2017 - 09:07 UTC
Brazil fears Venezuelan default on US$ 5bn contracts: it missed US$ 262m payments

Brazilian officials plan to visit Venezuela next week to prevent Caracas from defaulting on contracts worth as much as US$5 billion after falling in arrears on a payment due to infrastructure contractors this month, newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo reported on Thursday.
Friday, September 22nd 2017 - 08:58 UTC
Boris Johnson remains as Foreign Secretary; “we are a nest of singing birds”

Theresa May is expecting Boris Johnson to remain in her Cabinet as Foreign Secretary, Downing Street has said. The comment came after Mr. Johnson dismissed reports that he might be on the verge of quitting and denied the Cabinet is split over Brexit, insisting: “We are a nest of singing birds.”
Friday, September 22nd 2017 - 08:47 UTC
Falklands' Patrol Vessel HMS Clyde to be relieved by HMS Forth

HMS Clyde celebrates her tenth anniversary in the South Atlantic this week. The Falklands Patrol Vessel was commissioned on July 5, 2007 and arrived on September 21.
Friday, September 22nd 2017 - 08:32 UTC
Sale of tickets for the commercial air service to St Helena came live this Friday

The sale of tickets for the scheduled air service to the British Overseas Territory of St Helena went live on Friday. Airlink will operate a weekly service between St Helena and Johannesburg and St Helena and Cape Town, via the stopover at Windhoek International Airport in Namibia. Flights will commence on Saturday, October 14.
Friday, September 22nd 2017 - 08:09 UTC
Argentine prosecutor Nisman death, a homicide, according to toxicology report

A new toxicology report on the body of Alberto Nisman, the late Argentine prosecutor, found that ketamine and clonazepam were in his blood at the time his death, Argentine federal criminal prosecutor Ricardo Saenz announced this week.
Thursday, September 21st 2017 - 16:05 UTC
European Parliament Brexit negotiator visits Ireland to address border issue

The European Parliament's Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, has said it is up to the UK to find a way to avoid new controls on the Irish border, which echoes the position already laid out by the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. Mr. Verhofstadt is in Northern Ireland to meet political leaders at Stormont ahead of a visit to the Irish border.
Thursday, September 21st 2017 - 15:31 UTC
Civil disobedience escalates in Catalonia as Madrid stamps on independence referendum logistics

Spain’s prime minister called on Wednesday on Catalan separatist leaders to end their “escalation” as several thousand people took to the streets of Barcelona to protest at Madrid’s attempts to stop a banned referendum on independence.
Thursday, September 21st 2017 - 08:44 UTC
Merkel heading for a fourth term running, but an extreme-right party is poised to enter parliament

German Chancellor Angela Merkel looks almost certain to clinch a fourth term in the general election next Sunday while a far-right party is poised to enter parliament for the first time since the end of World War II.