International

• Friday, February 8th 2019 - 08:30 UTC

  Fears in Australia that hundreds of thousands of cattle could have died in record floods

  

  Hundreds of thousands of cattle weakened from a severe drought are feared to have died in record-breaking floods in northeastern Australia, authorities said on Friday, as they stepped up efforts to feed surviving livestock.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 16:57 UTC

  EU calls for free elections in Venezuela at International Contact Group meeting in Montevideo

  

  The High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini warned on Thursday at the meeting of the International Contact Group in Montevideo, on a beside the president of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez, that the group does not seek a “direct negotiation” but a free, transparent and credible Presidential election in Venezuela.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 11:14 UTC

  “Neutral-neutralized” Uruguay hosts international gathering on the Venezuelan situation

  

  Montevideo, the capital of “neutral/neutralized” Uruguay is hosting this Thursday an international gathering with countries of the Americas and the European Union to address, and attempt to solve or find a way out to the delicate and worsening situation in Venezuela.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 10:33 UTC

  As March countdown clicks, UN warns about global implications of the US/China trade dispute

  

  United Nations trade official has warned a US plan to raise tariffs on Chinese goods next month would have “massive” implications for the global economy. The US plans to increase tariffs on Chinese goods if the two sides fail to make progress on a trade deal by 1 March.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 10:17 UTC

  Massive sea birds death along the Dutch coast: possible victims of a spill from 345 containers fallen overboard

  

  Scientists are trying to find out why some 20,000 guillemots have died in recent weeks along the Dutch coast. The birds were all emaciated and there are fears they may have been victims of a spill from the MSC Zoe container ship, from which some 345 containers fell in the sea during a storm.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 10:11 UTC

  Guaido insists with humanitarian aid for Venezuela, but the Army blocks access

  

  Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido stepped up efforts on Wednesday to win recognition from EU holdout states and insisted the armed forces allow desperately needed humanitarian aid to enter the country.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 10:01 UTC

  All horse racing in UK cancelled because of outbreak of equine fever

  

  All British horse racing meetings on Thursday have been cancelled because of an outbreak of equine flu. The decision by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) comes after three vaccinated horses in an active yard tested positive for the disease.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 09:50 UTC

  New Zealand' dairy industry struggling with an outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis

  

  While experts struggle to pinpoint the original source of the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak, New Zealand Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor says resources may be better spent on bio security systems that prevent similar outbreaks. Last May the New Zeland government announced it would try to eradicate the disease, which can cause mastitis and abortions in cows, ordering a phased culling program that's expected to cost close to US$ 700 million.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 09:46 UTC

  Tusk's comments on Brexit and hell trigger massive exchange of surprising tweeting

  

  European Council President Donald Tusk has spoken of a “special place in hell” for “those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan of how to carry it out safely”. He was speaking after talks with Irish leader Leo Varadkar in Brussels.Brexit-backing MPs reacted with anger to the comments, accusing Mr Tusk of “arrogance”.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 09:23 UTC

  Theresa May on “alternative arrangements” mission to Brussels and Dublin

  

  The British Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Dublin on Friday evening for Brexit talks, Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said. Mr Varadkar was speaking after his meeting with Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels this afternoon.