Stories for October 2017

Friday, October 13th 2017 - 12:11 UTC
Israel follows the US and will pull out of “highly politicized” UNESCO

Israel has said it will join the US in pulling out of the UN's cultural organization Unesco, after US officials cited “anti-Israel bias”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the US decision as “brave and moral,” a statement said.
Friday, October 13th 2017 - 12:04 UTC
Recession ahead for UK economy, be it a soft or hard Brexit, forecasts leading investment bank

The Conservative Party’s plans for a “no deal” hard Brexit would plunge the UK into immediate recession, cost the British economy £400 billion and wipe 18% off GDP growth by 2030, a leading investment bank has warned.
Thursday, October 12th 2017 - 20:55 UTC
Global food prices up 0.8% in September, according to FAO Index

Global food prices rose slightly in September, as firmer prices of vegetable oils and to a lesser extent dairy products offset declining prices for staple cereal grains. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 178.4 points for the month of September, up 0.8% from August and marking a 4.3% increase from a year earlier.
Thursday, October 12th 2017 - 20:48 UTC
US elimination of 2018 World Cup, a blow to Fox Sports and FIFA partners

The United States men’s soccer team was eliminated from World Cup qualifiers Tuesday, a shocking result that could leave sponsors and media partners in the lurch for millions of dollars. The US fell 2-1 on the road to Trinidad & Tobago. That result, coupled with wins by Panama and Honduras, eliminated the Americans from contention for a spot in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Thursday, October 12th 2017 - 20:44 UTC
IMF forecasts Venezuela's inflation to reach 2.300% next year and unemployment 30%

Venezuela’s triple-digit annual inflation rate is set to jump to more than 2,300% in 2018, the highest estimate for any country tracked by the International Monetary Fund.
Thursday, October 12th 2017 - 20:31 UTC
Falklands issues set of crown coins to mark centenary of the Windsor Royal House

The government and treasury of the Falkland Islands have issued (9th October) a new set of crown coins which mark the centenary anniversary of the establishment of the British Royal House. The Royal House came about due to the circumstances just after the fighting for the Great War began (1914–1918).
Thursday, October 12th 2017 - 18:50 UTC
FAO calls on all countries to crack down on illegal fishing

All countries should join the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) to make sure the landmark treaty aimed at cracking down on illegal fishing succeeds in its aims of ridding the world of a multibillion-dollar scourge that damages human nutrition and environmental sustainability, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said.
Thursday, October 12th 2017 - 12:16 UTC
Bolivians in the streets reject president Morales attempt to a fourth running reelection

Thousands of Bolivians took to the streets to protest against President Evo Morales’ attempt to get re-elected despite the fact that the constitution does not allow for a fourth consecutive term. The demonstrations that took place in the country’s nine regional capitals warned President Morales that the people of Bolivia will not allow him to participate in any more elections.
Thursday, October 12th 2017 - 12:10 UTC
Brazilian central bank insists on the need to limit pension spending

Brazil’s lawmakers can’t duck their responsibility to pass belt-tightening measures, central bank President Ilan Goldfajn told a Senate hearing in Brasilia this week. Reform proposals, particularly a constitutional amendment to limit pension spending, will help keep inflation low, reduce the structural interest rate and buoy the country’s overall recovery, Goldfajn said.
Thursday, October 12th 2017 - 12:04 UTC
Obama officials treated “special relationship with Britain as a joke” and liked to refer to Falklands as Malvinas

The so-called special relationship between the United States and United Kingdom was regarded as a joke by Obama administration officials, a former government aide has said. Jeremy Shapiro, who served as an adviser in the US state department under Barack Obama, said the relationship was “unrequited.”