Stories for February 26th 2019

Tuesday, February 26th 2019 - 09:57 UTC
Cubans ratify new one-party socialist constitution with modest economic and social changes

Cubans have overwhelmingly ratified a new constitution that enshrines the one-party socialist system as irrevocable while instituting modest economic and social changes, according to the national electoral commission.
Tuesday, February 26th 2019 - 09:55 UTC
Another blow for the Catholic Church: Cardinal Pell found guilty of sexually assaulting choirboys

Australian Cardinal George Pell who helped elect popes and ran the Vatican's finances, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two choirboys, becoming the most senior Catholic cleric ever convicted of child sex crimes.
Tuesday, February 26th 2019 - 09:50 UTC
Trump and Kim Jong Un to meet for dinner in Hanoi on Wednesday

United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet for dinner in Hanoi on Wednesday before their previously announced talks the next day, the White House said on Tuesday.
Tuesday, February 26th 2019 - 09:46 UTC
Re-evaluation of weed-killer glyphosate will be announced in Brazil on Tuesday

Brazil’s health agency has concluded a re-evaluation of the safety of the weed-killer glyphosate, the most widely-used agriculture chemical in the country, and will present the findings and recommended guidelines for its future use on Tuesday, an official said.
Tuesday, February 26th 2019 - 09:41 UTC
Education purge in Brazil: national anthem and Bolsonaro's campaign slogan in all schools

Brazil’s new right-wing government requested on Monday that schools film their students singing the national anthem and that a message including President Jair Bolsonaro’s campaign slogan be read aloud to classes.
Tuesday, February 26th 2019 - 09:29 UTC
(VIDEO) Terrifying moments as British Airways plane was rocked by turbulence on approaching Gibraltar

Shocking footage has emerged of the terrifying moment that a British Airways plane was buffeted by turbulence as it approached the runway in Gibraltar, forcing pilots to abort and divert to Málaga instead.
Tuesday, February 26th 2019 - 09:25 UTC
Dead humpback whale found in the Amazon jungle

Wildlife experts are searching for clues following the discovery of a dead humpback whale in the Amazon jungle — about 15 meters from the ocean. The mammal, which biologists believe to be a 12-month-old calf, was found in undergrowth on the Brazilian island of Marajo, at the mouth of the Amazon River.
Tuesday, February 26th 2019 - 09:18 UTC
Crack in Antarctica's Brunt Ice Shelf: further evidence of climate change?

A chasm and a crack on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica are creeping closer and closer to one another, and when the two finally meet, a slab of ice twice the size of New York City will break away and float out to sea. The two glacial flaws are about 4km apart, and it could take days or months for them to finally rendezvous. But when they do, the iceberg that forms in the Weddell Sea will not be the largest to orbit Antarctica. In fact, it might not even make the historical top 20.
Tuesday, February 26th 2019 - 09:15 UTC
EU ready to postpone UK's exit; Labour could support a second referendum

The European Union opened the door on Monday to Britain postponing its exit from the bloc beyond the March 29 deadline, as the main opposition Labour Party said it could eventually support a second referendum.
Tuesday, February 26th 2019 - 09:07 UTC
Trump anticipates a “signing summit” with China's Xi: trade agreement “very, very close”

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he expects to hold a “signing summit” with China’s President Xi Jinping to seal a trade deal, since negotiators are “very, very close” to an agreement. Cheering global stock markets, the new comments confirm the dispute will not ratchet up immediately, averting an even bigger impact on the global economy.