Politics

• Tuesday, September 19th 2017 - 09:04 UTC

  Hurricane Maria flattens Dominica: “we need help, we need help of all kinds”

  

  The British Overseas Territory of Dominica has suffered “widespread damage” from Hurricane Maria, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced. “We have lost all that money can buy,” he said in a Facebook post. The hurricane suddenly strengthened to a “potentially catastrophic” category five storm, before making landfall on the Caribbean island.

• Tuesday, September 19th 2017 - 08:37 UTC

  Trump's first address to the UN Assembly: all countries will be listening

  

  United States President Donald Trump, in his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, will harshly criticize North Korea, Iran and Venezuela. “He will speak in extremely tough terms about the North Korean menace and the threat it poses to our security and the security of all the nations in that room,” according to a senior White House official who gave reporters a preview of the address.

• Monday, September 18th 2017 - 10:41 UTC

  Scottish government supports Catalonia's right to decide its future

  

  The people of Catalonia should determine its future, the Scottish government has said. The region's government has insisted a referendum on independence from Spain will go ahead on 1 October. Madrid has vowed to block the vote, saying it is unconstitutional.

• Monday, September 18th 2017 - 09:40 UTC

  Washington considers closing embassy in Havana because of “sonic attacks”

  

  The United States is considering closing its embassy in Cuba after diplomatic staff reported health problems which Washington blames on a “sonic attack”. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said a decision whether to shut to the mission in Havana was “under evaluation”.

• Monday, September 18th 2017 - 09:33 UTC

  Spain pledges to keep border “fluidity” with Gibraltar following Brexit

  

  Spain’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alfonso Dastis, sought to reassure cross-border workers during a visit to La Linea, insisting Madrid would work to minimize the impact of Brexit on Spanish citizens, “and very especially those from the Campo and La Linea” who cross every day to Gibraltar.

• Monday, September 18th 2017 - 09:17 UTC

  Lib/Dem a growing “plausible alternative” given Tories and Labour's disarray, says Sir Vince Cable

  

  Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has insisted he is a credible candidate to be the next prime minister. Despite heading a party with just 12 MPs, Sir Vince said he could replace Theresa May in Downing Street.

• Monday, September 18th 2017 - 07:43 UTC

  EU and UK business leaders voice concern about slow pace of Brexit talks

  

  Business leaders have voiced concern about the slow pace of Brexit negotiations, warning it could affect a constructive exit from the EU. BusinessEurope, an umbrella group representing business federations across Europe, said companies needed certainty and time to prepare for future arrangements.

• Monday, September 18th 2017 - 07:35 UTC

  UK's Blue Belt Initiative taken as reference at the International Marine Protected Areas congress in Chile

  

  The British Embassy in Santiago participated this month with over 30 British delegates and a GREAT-branded stand at Impac4, the world’s largest Congress on International Marine Protected Areas held in La Serena, a city located in the north of Chile. The Congress, hosted by the Chilean Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment, was followed by a High Level meeting in the city of Viña del Mar, near Santiago, Chile’s capital.

• Sunday, September 17th 2017 - 12:44 UTC

  UK's Newton Fund offering opportunities for regional workshops and travel grants

  

  The Newton Fund, a UK Government initiative, has announced the opening of applications for scientific researchers of six Latin American countries (among them, Argentina) to take part in regional workshops on biodiversity or travel grants to the United Kingdom.

• Sunday, September 17th 2017 - 11:44 UTC

  Britain's unemployment falls to a 42 year low, but wages remain far below inflation

  

  Britain’s unemployment rate has fallen to a new year 42-year low, official data showed on Wednesday, but wages growth remains far below overall inflation. The unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in the quarter through to the end of July, reaching the lowest level since 1975, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement. It had stood at 4.4% in the three months to June.