Stories for April 2018

Friday, April 13th 2018 - 09:07 UTC
Juncker insists that Brexit deal must “fully respect” Spain's veto on Gibraltar

Jean Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, has again underlined the EU’s position that the Brexit deal must “fully respect” the terms of the Gibraltar veto granted to Spain in the bloc’s negotiating guidelines.
Friday, April 13th 2018 - 09:03 UTC
Australia calls off search for woman that fell overboard from P&O Pacific Dawn

Australian authorities have called off a search for a woman who fell overboard from a cruise ship in the Coral Sea. The passenger fell from the Pacific Dawn about 16:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Thursday, about 300km west of New Caledonia.
Friday, April 13th 2018 - 09:03 UTC
Falklands tourism operators agree 2017/18 was a successful cruise season

Visitor arrivals to the Falkland Islands were up 3.1% compared to the previous tourist season, confirmed Executive Director of the Tourist Board Stephanie Middleton to Penguin News. The Falklands' season ended on April 7 with total visitor arrivals for the season at 57,496. Ms Middleton outlined how, as with last season, it was the expedition vessels that mainly contributed to the hike in numbers.
Friday, April 13th 2018 - 08:55 UTC
Barnier: EU “unanimous solidarity” with the Spanish position on Gibraltar

The controversial ‘Clause 24’ veto granted to Spain by the European Union in its Brexit negotiating guidelines reflects the “unanimous solidarity” of the remaining EU members with the Spanish position on Gibraltar, the EU’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said in an interview.
Friday, April 13th 2018 - 08:50 UTC
UK can still reverse its Brexit decision until 2021, says Michel Barnier

The EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK can reverse its position on leaving the single market and customs union up until the end of the Brexit transition period. The EU official gave Theresa May until December 31 2020 to change her mind on Britain exiting the pair as it withdraws from the EU, saying: “So long as they have not left, during the transition period, everything is still possible.”
Friday, April 13th 2018 - 08:44 UTC
New Zealand bans new offshore exploration and targets a clean energy future

Permits for offshore oil and gas exploration will no longer be issued by the New Zealand Government as part of its commitment to a clean energy future. The move will not affect existing permits for exploration or extraction, meaning the industry is likely to continue in the nation for several more decades.
Thursday, April 12th 2018 - 09:08 UTC
Sixty Brazilian members of Congress added Lula to their names

More than 60 Brazilian members of congress from the opposition Worker's Party have formally changed their names. They have added the name 'Lula', after Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was jailed last weekend.
Thursday, April 12th 2018 - 09:04 UTC
WHO and UNICEF issue new guidance to promote breastfeeding in health facilities

WHO and UNICEF today issued new ten-step guidance to increase support for breastfeeding in health facilities that provide maternity and newborn services. Breastfeeding all babies for the first 2 years would save the lives of more than 820 000 children under age 5 annually.
Thursday, April 12th 2018 - 08:59 UTC
Argentina central bank keeps benchmark interest rate at 27.75%

Argentina’s central bank held its benchmark interest rate at 27.25% this week, the monetary authority said in a statement, noting that high-frequency indicators suggested core inflation would remain high in April, but below March’s levels.
Thursday, April 12th 2018 - 08:56 UTC
Moody's raises Brazil's sovereign rating from negative to stable

Credit rating agency Moody's this week raised the outlook of Brazil's sovereign rating from negative to stable.