Stories for December 2018

Monday, December 10th 2018 - 09:41 UTC
French military join WWF France to combat climate change as a “national security threat”

France’s military has teamed up with an environmental non-profit organization for the first time to study the threat of climate change where the country is at war, a representative of the green group said. So far, WWF France and the Ecole de Guerre, the top French military academy, have been jointly promoting their view that climate change is a national security threat.
Monday, December 10th 2018 - 09:34 UTC
European Court of Justice will rule if UK can cancel Brexit on its own despite 27 EU members

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is to rule on whether or not the UK can cancel Brexit without the permission of the other 27 EU members. A group of anti-Brexit politicians and campaigners has argued that the UK should be able to unilaterally halt the Brexit process if it wants to do so.
Monday, December 10th 2018 - 09:31 UTC
Maduro consolidates his power with victory in the municipal elections

President Nicolás Maduro consolidated his power even more by sweeping the elections to elect the municipal councils before an opposition that mostly decided to boycott the process since they consider that there are no conditions to guarantee a transparent election.
Monday, December 10th 2018 - 06:58 UTC
Red Cross underlines the significance of the remains' identification process in the Falklands

The head of the International Red Cross humanitarian project, Morris Tidball-Binz, who led the identification process of Argentine combatants fallen in the 1982 South Atlantic conflict and buried in the Falkland Islands, said that the fact the dead can rest in peace, “is a fundamental step to build confidence among nations”, such is the case of Argentina and the United Kingdom.
Monday, December 10th 2018 - 06:43 UTC
Mercosur and EU start a technical talks round in Montevideo, waiting for Bolsonaro

Mercosur and the European Union will be holding a round of technical talks this week in Montevideo, starting on Monday, with the purpose of building a strong consensus that could anticipate an agreement sometime next year.
Monday, December 10th 2018 - 06:33 UTC
70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights reaches its 70th anniversary on Monday, a chance to highlight the many important breakthroughs brought about by the landmark UN document, and to remind the world that the human rights of millions are still being violated on a daily basis.
Monday, December 10th 2018 - 06:02 UTC
Mrs. May expected to lose the Tuesday vote on her Brexit deal, but will stay on

Commons vote on Tuesday will not be delayed, the Brexit Secretary has said, amid growing calls for the PM to go back to Brussels to renegotiate. Stephen Barclay also said Theresa May could stay in post if, as expected, MPs reject her Brexit plan.
Monday, December 10th 2018 - 05:51 UTC
US/China trade negotiations have a deadline: March first, says Lighthizer

U.S.-China trade negotiations need to reach a successful end by March 1 or new tariffs will be imposed, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Sunday, clarifying there is a “hard deadline” after a week of seeming confusion among President Donald Trump and his advisers.
Monday, December 10th 2018 - 05:38 UTC
Brazil incoming energy minister favors nuclear and wind power; “hydro has reached its limit”

Brazil’s incoming mines and energy minister, Bento Albuquerque, supports more nuclear and wind power development to diversify the country’s energy matrix, while saying hydropower had reached its limit, newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported.
Monday, December 10th 2018 - 05:30 UTC
Ecuador expects to renegotiate debt with China; president off to Beijing

Ecuador plans to renegotiate the terms of its debt to China, President Lenin Moreno said ahead of a trip to Beijing, adding that a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for additional financing was possible.