Stories for July 2018

Wednesday, July 25th 2018 - 06:06 UTC
Italy rejects Brussels plan to pay Euro 6.000 for each migrant saved at sea

“We don't want money, we want dignity”, was the reply of Italian Minister of Interior Matteo Salvini to the European Commission proposal for EU member states be paid 6,000 Euro to accept and deal with each migrant saved at sea in the Mediterranean as they attempt to reach the European Union.
Wednesday, July 25th 2018 - 05:51 UTC
Theresa May takes personal control of EU withdrawal negotiations

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has informed Parliament that she is taking personal control of EU withdrawal negotiations, with new Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab “deputizing” for her in talks.
Wednesday, July 25th 2018 - 05:36 UTC
Argentina's stats office data reveals recession is round the corner

Argentina's economy shrank 5.8% in May versus the same month last year, government statistics agency Indec said on Tuesday, the second straight month of declines in a sign of looming recession and a possible GDP contraction in 2018.
Wednesday, July 25th 2018 - 05:20 UTC
Ecuadorean president visits UK; speculation about a deal on Julian Assange's future

Ecuador has said its president will not discuss the future of Julian Assange during a visit to the UK. Lenin Moreno was scheduled to speak in London and later travel to Scotland to the University of Edinburgh. He will also address businessmen interested in investing in Ecuador.
Tuesday, July 24th 2018 - 22:01 UTC
China wants a long-last relationship with Brazil in agricultural goods

Reports that China wants a “long-last relationship” with Brazil in terms of trade in agricultural goods and other products received attention in Asian markets. The two countries are ready to take their trade relationship “to new levels” amid an escalation of global trade wars, China's ambassador to Brazil Li Jinzhang said during an agribusiness conference in São Paulo on Monday.
Tuesday, July 24th 2018 - 21:35 UTC
Brazil willing to open its market to farm products: “you have to give something to get something”

Brazil could benefit by offering access to its domestic markets in exchange for opening new foreign markets to its farm products, Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said on Monday, pointing to opportunities in the trade of pork and coffee.
Tuesday, July 24th 2018 - 21:27 UTC
Singapore and Mercosur confirm negotiations for a free trade agreement

Mercosur and Singapore have started negotiations for a free trade agreement, officials from both sides announced on Monday on the sidelines of the 13th Pacific Alliance Summit held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Tuesday, July 24th 2018 - 07:00 UTC
EU waters down Mercosur expectations of a trade agreement next September

Despite EU and Mercosur countries remaining committed to reaching a trade agreement, the European Commission did not endorse the South American bloc’s target to reach an agreement by September, as substantial gaps remain between the two sides.
Tuesday, July 24th 2018 - 06:35 UTC
Some eight million of UK “just managing families” no better off than in 2003

Millions of “just about managing” families are no better off today than those in 2003, new research from the UK's Resolution Foundation indicates. The remarkable income stagnation for so many reveals that the British economy has been failing to generate income for people over many years despite record levels of people in work.
Tuesday, July 24th 2018 - 06:21 UTC
Foreign secretary pleads for more EU flexibility in Brexit talks: fears of a “no deal by accident”

A no-deal Brexit would damage British relations with Europe for a generation, Jeremy Hunt warned as he pleaded for Brussels to show more flexibility in negotiations. The Foreign Secretary used a visit to Berlin to say that while a failure to achieve a Brexit deal would be “challenging” for the UK, it would “thrive” in the long term.