Stories for March 2021

Tuesday, March 16th 2021 - 09:26 UTC
Defeat in regional elections tarnishing German chancellor Merkel exit from active politics

A collapse in support for Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats in two regional elections on Sunday signaled that a widening corruption scandal and missteps during the pandemic may threaten the party’s hold on power in a national election this September.
Tuesday, March 16th 2021 - 09:14 UTC
EU launches legal action against Britain over Northern Ireland and alleged Brexit accord breach

The European Union launched legal action against Britain on Monday for unilaterally changing trading arrangements for Northern Ireland that Brussels says breach the Brexit divorce deal agreed with London last year.
Tuesday, March 16th 2021 - 08:40 UTC
First US native from the Laguna Pueblo tribe to lead the Secretary of Interior

United States Representative Deb Haaland was confirmed on Monday as Secretary of the Interior, becoming the first Native American to lead a cabinet agency and securing a central role in President Joe Biden's sweeping plans to fight climate change.
Tuesday, March 16th 2021 - 08:40 UTC
Britain's Johnson to announce review of defense and foreign policy: more nukes and military presence worldwide

Britain is to announce an increase to its nuclear weapons stockpile as part of a wide-ranging review of security, defense, and foreign policy, two newspapers anticipated on Monday. The Guardian and The Sun said in their online editions that the UK would look to raise the number of warheads from 180 to 260 by the middle of the decade.
Tuesday, March 16th 2021 - 08:37 UTC
German doctors call for an “immediate return” to lockdown to avoid third wave of Covid-19

Intensive care doctors in Germany warned on Monday that the country would need to make an “immediate return” to partial lockdown if it is to avoid stumbling into a dangerous third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tuesday, March 16th 2021 - 08:25 UTC
Saudi US$ 100 million “gift” to Spain's Juan Carlos I investigated by Swiss prosecutor

Swiss prosecutor is probing whether the late Saudi king broke any laws when he transferred US$100 million to a fund controlled by fellow royal Juan Carlos I of Spain in 2008.
Tuesday, March 16th 2021 - 08:20 UTC
United States accounted for 37% of global arms sales in 2016/20, SIPRI

The United States accounted for 37% of global arms sales during the 2016-2020 period and sold arms to 96 countries. Almost half of its sales went to the Middle East, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report on Monday. US exports increased 15% compared to the 2011-2015 period.
Tuesday, March 16th 2021 - 08:19 UTC
Roman Catholic Church blunt reply: no blessing for same sex unions

The Vatican's orthodoxy office announced on Monday that the Roman Catholic Church could not bless same-sex relationships, in a statement approved by Pope Francis. The statement came from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in response to a question about the church's power to bless same-sex unions.
Monday, March 15th 2021 - 09:55 UTC
Arrest of former Bolivian interim president, escalates hostilities in the country

Bolivia's former interim President Jeanine Añez landed behind bars in La Paz after the new government arrested her on claims she participated in a 2019 coup to seize power. Supporters warned her arrest could lead to civil unrest in certain areas of Bolivia and argued there was no legality in the arrest and charges, but rather a political vendetta.
Monday, March 15th 2021 - 09:50 UTC
Mercosur 26th March summit to be held on line, because of sanitary situation in the region

The Mercosur face-to-face presidential summit scheduled for 26th March originally planned to take place in Argentina that currently holds the rotating chair of the block, will be held online because of the sanitary situation in the region.