Stories for 2017

Wednesday, January 18th 2017 - 11:32 UTC
South Georgia: Colossal squid features on latest titanium “marine life” coin

The government and treasury of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands have issued two new coins in its ongoing Marine Life series, which features some the most amazing wildlife found in and around the South Atlantic Ocean. The design, which features the colossal squid, is issued in two versions, including titanium, which is tinted to enhance the design.
Wednesday, January 18th 2017 - 10:27 UTC
Obama commutes sentence of Chelsea Manning, provider of secrets to Wikileaks

President Barack Obama on Tuesday shortened the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former U.S. military intelligence analyst who was responsible for a 2010 leak of classified materials to anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, the biggest such breach in U.S. history.
Wednesday, January 18th 2017 - 10:20 UTC
Scotland “undoubtedly” closer to an independence referendum

First minister Nicola Sturgeon said that plans to take the UK out of the EU's single market brought a second Scottish independence referendum “undoubtedly” closer. She was speaking after Prime Minister Theresa May outlined her government's thinking on Brexit.
Wednesday, January 18th 2017 - 04:26 UTC
Trump barking at the wrong tree: Automation revolution is taking the jobs, not evil foreigners

By Gwynne Dyer

The main message of 2016 was that we are entering a period of economic and political upheaval comparable to the Industrial Revolution of 1780-1850, and nothing expressed that message more clearly than Donald Trump's appointment of Andrew Puzder as Secretary of Labour. Even though it's clear that neither man understands the message.
Tuesday, January 17th 2017 - 17:32 UTC
Xi emphatic tells Davos “we say no to protectionism”; migration crisis caused by war and conflict

China's president Xi told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday that the “migrant crisis had been caused by war, conflict and regional turbulence,” not globalization. Similarly, the 2007/8 financial crisis was caused by “the excessive pursuit of profits and a lack of economic regulations,” he said.
Tuesday, January 17th 2017 - 17:08 UTC
Hard Brexit: UK to leave the single market and Parliament will vote on the final deal, pledges PM May

Prime Minister Theresa May has said the UK “cannot possibly” remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean “not leaving the EU at all”, but at the same time promised to push for the “greatest possible” access to the single market following Brexit.
Tuesday, January 17th 2017 - 10:19 UTC
Eight of the richest people on earth own as much combined wealth as half the human race

Just eight of the richest people on earth own as much combined wealth as half the human race. The charity Oxfam does the math each year and publishes its results just in time for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where many of the spectacularly wealthy are often among the attendees, along with diplomats, political figures, and business and cultural leaders.
Tuesday, January 17th 2017 - 10:06 UTC
IMF downgrades Latin America prospects because of lesser growth in Brazil and Mexico

The International Monetary Fund has become more pessimistic about Latin America in the January economic outlook update. IMF is now forecasting regional GDP growth of just 1.2% in 2017, down from the 1.6% projection it made in October. It also lowered its 2018 estimate for Latin America by 0.1% to a revised projection of 2.1% expansion.
Tuesday, January 17th 2017 - 09:45 UTC
Trump barking at the wrong tree: Automation revolution is taking the jobs, not evil foreigners

By Gwynne Dyer - The main message of 2016 was that we are entering a period of economic and political upheaval comparable to the Industrial Revolution of 1780-1850, and nothing expressed that message more clearly than Donald Trump's appointment of Andrew Puzder as Secretary of Labour. Even though it's clear that neither man understands the message.
Tuesday, January 17th 2017 - 09:29 UTC
Falklands under no pressure from the UK: “final decision on flights will be ours, and ours alone”

The Falkland Islands Government is under no pressure from the UK government to agree to something that we feel is not in our best interests, and ”the final decision on (additional) flights will be ours, and ours alone”. The statement belongs to the elected Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands' chair of the month, Barry Elsby.