Leaders of Germany's Social Democrats have chosen Martin Schulz, for many years president of the European Parliament, as their candidate to unseat Chancellor Angela Merkel. Schulz promised supporters his campaign for September's elections would focus on hard-working people.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken a stand on social media against the temporary US ban on refugees and immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. PM Trudeau underscored his government's commitment to bringing in those fleeing persecution, terror & war.
The Trump administration is standing firm over its ban on immigration from seven countries despite court rulings and mass protests against it. In a statement, President Trump said visas would once again be issued once the most secure policies were in place, and denied it was a Muslim ban. The move has been widely condemned.
Iraq will lobby against new travel limits to the United States by Iraqis, arguing both countries need to uphold their fight against Islamic State (IS), Iraqi parliamentarians said on Sunday. The Iraqi government has so far declined comment on an executive order signed by new U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday that suspends the entry of travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for at least 90 days.
The residential ship, The World, has broken the record for the most southerly navigation reaching 78°43•997´S and 163°41•421´W at the Bay of Whales in Antarctica’s Ross Sea. The World recorded this polar record at 10:41hrs ship’s time on Saturday. Commanded by Captain Dag H. Saevik this is the furthest south any vessel has ever sailed.
A major rescue operation took place in Ushuaia, Argentine Tierra del Fuego when a cruise vessel from National Geographic, which was non operational since limping back from Antarctica a month ago was hauled on to a special tug-carrier and is now preparing for its piggy-back trip to a Dutch ship yard for repairs.
Last Friday was the busiest cruise season day for Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile: over 6.000 visitors, passengers and crew members, landed making it a great day for local tours operators, artisans, shops and all those linked to the industry.
A US judge has issued a stay temporarily halting the deportation of visa holders or refugees under an executive order from President Trump. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a legal case early on Saturday in response to the order. The judge's stay prevents those caught up in the aftermath from being deported, the ACLU said.
Strong consumer spending helped the UK's economy to grow faster than expected at the end of last year. The economy grew by 0.6% in the October-to-December period, the same rate as in the previous two quarters, according to an initial estimate from the Office for National Statistics.
The US economy grew at an annual pace of 1.9% in the fourth quarter of last year, according to official figures. That was slower than the 2.2% growth rate economists had been expecting and below third quarter growth of 3.5%, which means annual GDP rose by 1.6%, the slowest since 2011 and down on 2015 when the world's largest economy expanded by 2.6%.