Politics

• Wednesday, April 9th 2014 - 17:26 UTC

  HMS Portland, first Royal Navy visit to Sao Tomé and Príncipe in 29 years

  

  HMS Portland on Atlantic patrol, became the first Royal Navy Ship to visit São Tomé and Príncipe in 29 years when she anchored off the islands for a two day visit. The last Royal Navy Ship to visit the former Portuguese colony was the survey vessel HMS Herald in 1985. Prior to that, the last recorded visit of a Royal Naval Warship was in 1889.

• Wednesday, April 9th 2014 - 07:29 UTC

  IMF joins Argentine GDP linked bonds controversy involving potential payment of 3bn dollars

  

  The International Monetary Fund reported on Monday a steep deceleration of Argentina’s economic activity for 2014, in a context of “high uncertainty”, according to its latest World Economic Outlook released in Washington.

• Wednesday, April 9th 2014 - 07:19 UTC

  President Higgins visit to UK consolidates reconciliation after decades of mistrust

  

  Queen Elizabeth II welcomed the Irish president to Britain on Tuesday for the first time since the republic became independent with a banquet also controversially attended by former IRA commander Martin Guinness.

• Wednesday, April 9th 2014 - 07:08 UTC

  Gibraltar 'close to British hearts', but plenty of room for 'practical dialogue'

  

  UK Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley has told a Spanish newspaper that British people hold Gibraltar ‘close to their hearts’ and that delays at the border are politically motivated. He underscored Britain and Gibraltar’s desire to engage in “practical” dialogue toward better cross-border relations that would benefit communities on either side of the frontier fence.

• Wednesday, April 9th 2014 - 07:03 UTC

  Algeciras mayor highlights 'English occupation' of Gibraltar and the Falklands

  

  The mayor of the Spanish town of Algeciras, Jose Ignacio Landaluce flew back this weekend from Argentina, where he had attended a twinning ceremony with Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego that sought to highlight the ‘English occupation’ of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.

• Wednesday, April 9th 2014 - 06:48 UTC

  Osborne launches with Mantega Brazil/UK 'economic and financial dialogue'

  

  Finance minister Guido Mantega and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced on Tuesday in Sao Paulo the launching of the Brazil/UK Economic and Financial Dialogue to strengthen bilateral trade and cooperation, and investment in infrastrucutre, according to a joint release.

• Wednesday, April 9th 2014 - 06:37 UTC

  Chancellor welcomes insurer’s plans to boost Brazilian activity

  

  Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne welcomed the decision by insurer Hiscox to join the Lloyd’s Brazil reinsurance platform during his current trip to Brazil. This will allow Hiscox to grow its Brazilian business, enabling it to talk directly to potential customers and better understand the local market.

• Wednesday, April 9th 2014 - 06:30 UTC

  Uruguay significantly stronger but still vulnerable to Argentina, says Fitch

  

  While Uruguay's current financial position is significantly stronger than in the early 2000s when its economy suffered from the effects of the Argentine crisis, a severe downturn in Argentina could still have an important impact on Uruguay's economy through a variety of transmission channels, according to a new special report published by Fitch Ratings.

• Wednesday, April 9th 2014 - 06:27 UTC

  Another case of “lynching” in one of Buenos Aires most posh neighborhoods

  

  A purse snatcher on a motorcycle ended in hospital terribly beaten up by furious neighbors from one of Buenos Aires City most posh boroughs caught him after committing the crime. A woman police on the beat had to rescue the robber from the lynching crowd until other officers arrived.

• Tuesday, April 8th 2014 - 22:20 UTC

  Memorial unveiling to commemorate the Battle of the River Plate

  

  Survivors of the first major naval battle of the Second World War will gather at Britain's National Memorial Arboretum to unveil a memorial commemorating the event. The Battle of the River Plate took place 75 years ago (December 1939), and less than a dozen veterans are still alive from this, the only episode of the war to take place in South America.