International

• Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:57 UTC

  Brazil confident of a Mercosur/EU trade accord in coming weeks

  

  The European Union and Mercosur will likely close a trade agreement in the near future, Brazil’s Foreign Trade Secretary Lucas Ferraz said in an interview with Bloomberg. “We’ve never been so close,” Ferraz said adding, “we’ve advanced more in four months than in 20 years”.

• Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:55 UTC

  Trump admits receiving a “beautiful letter” from Chinese president Xi Jinping

  

  US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had received a “beautiful letter” from Chinese President Xi Jinping, as negotiations on a trade deal between the two countries continue in Washington.

• Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:53 UTC

  Mike Zuckerberg has become far too powerful, Facebook has to be broken up, says the social media co-founder

  

  One of the co-founders of Facebook called on Thursday for the social media behemoth to be broken up, warning that the company's head, Mark Zuckerberg, had become far too powerful.

• Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:52 UTC

  BBC presenter fired for a tweet about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby

  

  The BBC on Thursday fired radio presenter Danny Baker for a tweet about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby. The post, which has now been deleted, showed an image of a couple holding hands with a chimpanzee, which is dressed in clothes, alongside the caption: “Royal baby leaves hospital”.

• Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:51 UTC

  Trump called Trudeau and offers support for Canadians sentenced to death in China

  

  US President Donald Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday and offered his support for Canadian citizens detained in China, the White House said. Four Canadians have been detained in China, two of whom have been sentenced to death over drug smuggling accusations.

• Friday, May 10th 2019 - 09:11 UTC

  Shell to invest US$ 2bn annually in Brazil until 2025

  

  Shell plans to invest as much as US$2 billion annually in its Brazilian operations by 2025, Shell’s chief executive officer Ben van Beurden told Brazilian business daily Valor Economico in an exclusive interview published on Thursday.

• Friday, May 10th 2019 - 08:56 UTC

  The US seizes North Korean cargo ship accusing it of violating UN sanctions

  

  The United States says it has seized a North Korean cargo ship, accusing it of violating international sanctions. The justice department said the ship was used to transport coal, North Korea largest export but subject to a UN export ban. The vessel was initially impounded in Indonesia in April 2018.

• Friday, May 10th 2019 - 08:34 UTC

  Pompeo threatens Teheran with “swift and decisive” response to any attack by Iran

  

  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday threatened a “swift and decisive” US response to any attack by Iran, in the latest of a series of escalating statements and actions.

• Thursday, May 9th 2019 - 13:22 UTC

  Pompeo warns UK on intelligence sharing if Huawei is involved in a British network

  

  US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has made a blistering attack against China as he stepped up pressure on Britain, warning that US intelligence-sharing could be risked by the involvement of a Chinese company in a new British telecommunications network.

• Thursday, May 9th 2019 - 09:40 UTC

  Margaret Thatcher, a turning point in British politics

  

  By Greg Wright (*) - She arrived in 10 Downing Street to a chorus of cheers and boos, but promising to be true to the philosophy of St. Francis of Assisi and bring harmony to a nation riven by divisions.