Stories for January 2020

Saturday, January 4th 2020 - 09:47 UTC
Mexican president calls for the release of Julian Assange from prison in London

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday called for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to be released from prison in London, urging an end to what he described as his “torture” in detention.
Saturday, January 4th 2020 - 09:45 UTC
Brazil's Bolsonaro suffering from a hernia, result of the stomach stabbing in 2018

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro says he is suffering from a hernia, apparently, as a result of being stabbed in the stomach in 2018, local media reported on Friday. “I'm pregnant,” the far-right leader joked with journalists at a hospital in Brasilia on Thursday night. “There's a protraction, and maybe in February I'll have a health check.”
Saturday, January 4th 2020 - 09:18 UTC
China pumps an extra US$ 115bn stimulus to the economy effective Monday

China moved to pump more cash into its financial system, suggesting that Beijing remained concerned about faltering growth despite signs that the world's second-largest economy was stabilizing.
Saturday, January 4th 2020 - 09:10 UTC
The new decade official portrait of the Queen and the three heirs

A portrait of the Queen with the next three heirs to the throne has been released to mark the start of the new decade. It shows the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George standing with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Saturday, January 4th 2020 - 09:08 UTC
The world's safest and most punctual airlines are in the Asia-Pacific region.

Qantas Airways was named the safest airline in the world on a Top 20 list published by AirlineRatings.com, followed by Air New Zealand and Taiwan's Eva Airways. Singapore Airlines was sixth, Cathay Pacific Airways ninth and Virgin Australia Holdings 10th.
Saturday, January 4th 2020 - 09:04 UTC
UK needs super talented “weirdos and mistifs” and no more “Oxbridge” graduates

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose Conservative Party trounced Labour in last month's elections, has vowed to strike new trade deals with countries outside Europe after Britain's departure from the European Union.
Saturday, January 4th 2020 - 09:00 UTC
Hillary Clinton appointed chancellor of Queen's University Belfast

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was appointed chancellor of Queen's University Belfast on Thursday, taking up the mainly ceremonial role in Northern Ireland where the peace process was one of the greatest successes of her husband's presidency.
Saturday, January 4th 2020 - 08:35 UTC
More cases in China of a mystery viral pneumonia; fears of a resurgence of SARS

China on Friday confirmed more cases of a mystery viral pneumonia that has sparked fears about a resurgence of SARS, the flu-like virus that killed hundreds of people more than a decade ago. The 44 cases, up from the initial 27 announced on Tuesday, include 11 “severe cases”, health authorities in the central Chinese city of Wuhan said in a statement.
Friday, January 3rd 2020 - 18:14 UTC
Deminers resume work in Falklands following a road accident involving five of its members

Five members of the SafeLane demining team operating in the Falkland Islands were involved in a road traffic incident on December 21. John Hare of Safelane Global told Penguin News the vehicle was the second in a convoy of three.
Friday, January 3rd 2020 - 09:55 UTC
Nisman's death controversy reignited: “there isn't a shred of proof” he was murdered, says president Fernandez

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said on Thursday he doubts that a prosecutor who died two days after accusing former President Cristina Kirchner of a cover-up in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre committed suicide. But he insisted “there isn't a shred of proof” that Alberto Nisman was murdered, as his family insists.