Stories for 2019

Saturday, April 6th 2019 - 09:43 UTC
Trump again puts pressure on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates

United States president Donald Trump said on Friday the US Federal Reserve should lower interest rates and take other unconventional measures to ease pressure on an economy that he said they slowed down. “I think they should drop rates,” Trump told reporters. “I think they really slowed us down. There's no inflation.”
Saturday, April 6th 2019 - 09:39 UTC
Beijing poses a threat, says Pompeo after arrest of Chinese woman trying to enter Trump's Florida resort

The arrest of a Chinese woman who allegedly brought malicious software to US President Donald Trump's Florida resort shows that Beijing poses a threat, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday.
Saturday, April 6th 2019 - 09:37 UTC
Ex Serbian spies jailed for the murder of an outspoken journalist in 1999

Four former Serbian spies have been jailed for the murder of journalist Slavko Curuvija in 1999. A Belgrade court jailed two of the defendants for 30 years each, while two others received 20-year sentences. Curuvija, an outspoken critic of the late Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, was gunned down outside his apartment.
Saturday, April 6th 2019 - 09:33 UTC
IMF releases US$10.8 billion to Argentina and insists on fiscal prudence

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed on Friday the third review of Argentina’s economic performance under the 36-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) that was approved on June 20, 2018. The completion of the review allows the authorities to draw the equivalent of SDR 7.8 billion (about US$10.8 billion), bringing total purchases since June 2018 to SDR 28.01371 billion (about US$38.9 billion).
Saturday, April 6th 2019 - 09:28 UTC
New British passports no longer have “European Union” on the cover

British passports are being issued without the words 'European Union' on the cover, despite the delay to Brexit. The new burgundy passports were introduced from 30 March, the day after the UK was supposed to leave the EU, but some people may still receive the old version until stocks run out.
Saturday, April 6th 2019 - 09:24 UTC
Google’s advisory council on AI only lasted a fortnight

An independent group set up to oversee Google's artificial intelligence efforts has been shut down less than a fortnight after it was launched. The Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC) was due to look at the ethics around AI, machine learning and facial recognition. One member resigned and there were calls for another to be removed.
Saturday, April 6th 2019 - 09:20 UTC
US blacklists PDVSA tankers and two companies shipping Venezuelan oil to Cuba

US Vice President Mike Pence announced sanctions on Friday on 34 vessels of Venezuela's state oil company and two companies that ship crude to Cuba as Washington pushes to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
Saturday, April 6th 2019 - 09:17 UTC
Dutch campaigners hand Shell a lawsuit forcing it to meet Paris climate accords

Climate campaigners marched to Shell's headquarters in the Netherlands on Friday and handed the oil giant a lawsuit aimed at forcing it to meet targets in the Paris accord. Dozens of chanting activists went to the Anglo-Dutch firm's base in The Hague, where they delivered a legal summons with a court date set for Apr 17.
Saturday, April 6th 2019 - 09:16 UTC
Lula's to mark one year in prison next Sunday; all legal appeals rejected so far

 Since entering prison a year ago, Brazil's former president Lula da Silva has been spending his days working out in his cell and fighting to prove his innocence.
Saturday, April 6th 2019 - 09:05 UTC
Nicaragua's Ortega release 50 opposition prisoners

Nicaragua on Friday released 50 opposition prisoners held during nationwide protests against President Daniel Ortega, the interior ministry said, two days after the end of talks aimed at resolving a deadly year-long political crisis.