Stories for January 2016

Wednesday, January 6th 2016 - 11:54 UTC
Egypt sides with Riyadh and describes Iran's behavior as 'unacceptable'

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has denounced the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran as “unacceptable.” Shoukry said during a visit to Riyadh on Tuesday that Iranian behavior following Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr’s execution was tantamount to “intervening in the kingdom’s internal affairs.”
Wednesday, January 6th 2016 - 11:49 UTC
Emotional Obama calls on citizens to support gun control and defeat the rifle lobby: Republicans furious

An emotional President Barack Obama – at times teary, at others impassioned and angry – urged ordinary Americans on Tuesday to rise up and defeat the well-organized gun lobby in a struggle to cut the carnage of 30,000 killed by gunfire annually in the United States. He accused the gun lobby of holding Congress hostage but called for voters to fight back to so “they cannot hold America hostage.”
Wednesday, January 6th 2016 - 11:35 UTC
Venezuela's opposition takes control of the Legislative: vows to force out President Maduro

Venezuela's opposition broke on Tuesday the government's 17-year grip on the legislature and vowed to force out President Nicolas Maduro despite failing for the time being to clinch its hoped-for “supermajority.” The National Assembly swore in deputies to 163 of the 167 seats, with four lawmakers -- three opposition and one pro-government -- suspended pending a lawsuit over alleged electoral fraud.
Tuesday, January 5th 2016 - 09:04 UTC
Sailing vessel re-edits Argentine navy and merchant service course during the Falklands conflict

An Argentine flagged sailing vessel, “Galileo” left on Sunday from Mar del Plata for an 18 days tour of the South Atlantic following the path of the Argentine navy and merchant vessels during the 1982 conflict. In a later expedition plans are for “Galileo” to reach the Falkland Islands.
Tuesday, January 5th 2016 - 08:57 UTC
Chinese markets recover after Monday's trading suspension; central bank injects funds

Mainland Chinese shares recovered early losses amid volatile swings, following Monday's suspension of trading which led to a global equities sell-off. The Shanghai Composite was up 0.8% at 3,324.27 after opening more than 3% lower, while the Hang Seng also changed direction to head up 0.1% to 21,342.09.
Tuesday, January 5th 2016 - 08:34 UTC
Confirmed: Brazil faces its worst economic plunge in 25 years

Analysts expect Brazil's economy to contract by 2.95% this year after contracting by 3.71% in 2015, marking the biggest drop in economic output in 25 years, the Central Bank said on Monday. The first survey of analysts released this year shows that private sector economists expect the inflation rate to hit 6.87% in 2016.
Tuesday, January 5th 2016 - 08:22 UTC
US Justice Department seeking billions of dollars from Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche

The United States Justice Department has filed a federal lawsuit against Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche that seeks billions of dollars in penalties over claims that the car companies installed devices to deliberately misreport emissions. Nearly 600,000 diesel-engine vehicles were installed with these devices since 2009.
Tuesday, January 5th 2016 - 08:12 UTC
Ascension Island to become a marine reserve as big as the UK, in 2017

The British Overseas Territory of Ascension Island is set to become a marine reserve almost as big as the UK, the British government has announced. Using a £300,000 grant from the Bacon Foundation, the UK government will close 52.6% of the south Atlantic island's waters to fishing. In the rest of the waters there will be a monitored tuna fishery.
Tuesday, January 5th 2016 - 07:09 UTC
Celebrate Shakespeare in his 400th year

By David Cameron - This year’s 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare is not just an opportunity to commemorate one of the greatest playwrights of all time. It is a moment to celebrate the extraordinary ongoing influence of a man who – to borrow from his own description of Julius Caesar – “doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus.”
Tuesday, January 5th 2016 - 06:55 UTC
UK reply to Argentina: no yield on Falklands' right to choose their future

Argentina's January 3rd. statement on the Falkland Islands dispute claiming sovereignty and calling for dialogue with the United Kingdom has received a low key but strong response from the Foreign Office, according to the Mail on line.