International

• Friday, January 18th 2019 - 08:45 UTC

  Speaker of UK Parliament John Bercow, next Brexit victim?

  

  Such is the anger with the Speaker of the UK Parliament at senior levels of government, it has been suggested he could be blocked from getting a peerage when he retires. Ministers are furious at what they see as John Bercow's “bias” during Commons debates on Brexit.

• Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 09:08 UTC

  China injects US$ 83bn to the financial system hoping to prop a declining economy

  

  China’s central bank injected a record US$ 83 billion into the country’s financial system on Wednesday, seeking to avoid a cash crunch that would put further pressure on the weakening economy. China’s policymakers are pledging to step up stimulus measures this year and do more to protect jobs as economic growth cools to 28-year lows.

• Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 09:01 UTC

  McDonald's defeated by Irish rival over the rights to the “Big Mac” name

  

  McDonald's has been defeated in a trademark dispute over its rights to the “Big Mac” name brought by a tiny Irish rival called Supermac's. The European Union Intellectual Property Office, EUPO, ruled that McDonald's did not have the exclusive right to “Big Mac” trademark in Europe, after McDonald's tried to use it to stop the Irish chain from expanding into Europe.

• Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 08:52 UTC

  Goldman Sachs apologizes and blames former partner for Malaysia's major corruption scandal

  

  Goldman Sachs new boss has apologized to Malaysia for the role an ex-partner played in the corruption scandal at one of the country's wealth funds. However, chief executive David Solomon also distanced the bank from the scheme, which saw billions embezzled from the state development fund, 1MDB.

• Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 08:44 UTC

  EU frustrated, (and divided), but waiting for Mrs. May and Westminster Brexit B plan

  

  European Council President Donald Tusk has hinted that the UK should stay in the EU, after the prime minister's Brexit deal was rejected in parliament. “If a deal is impossible, and no-one wants no deal, then who will finally have the courage to say what the only positive solution is?” he tweeted.

• Thursday, January 17th 2019 - 07:31 UTC

  PM May wins no-confidence vote; calls on all parties to work constructively to forward Brexit

  

  Theresa May has called on MPs to “put self-interest aside” and “work constructively together” to find a way forward for Brexit. Earlier, the prime minister won a vote of no confidence by 325 to 306, as rebel Tory MPs and the DUP backed her to stay in No 10. But just 24 hours before, both groups ensured her Brexit plan was voted down.

• Wednesday, January 16th 2019 - 09:10 UTC

  HMS Protector and RRS Shackleton support 100 scientists researching Antarctica glacier

  

  Royal Navy survey ship HMS Protector smashed through nearly 300 miles of Antarctic ice to help scientists begin a five-year mission to understand how West Antarctica is contributing to global sea-level rise.

• Wednesday, January 16th 2019 - 08:54 UTC

  Air pollution, the greatest environmental risks to health says WHO

  

  Nine out of ten people breathe polluted air every day. In 2019, air pollution is considered by the World Health Organization, WHO, as the greatest environmental risk to health.

• Wednesday, January 16th 2019 - 06:20 UTC

  Brexit: what follows? Anybody's guess, but Tories won't yield to Corbyn

  

  It was a Tuesday evening of high-stakes and unprecedented drama that will have an impact far beyond the UK. Prime Minister Theresa May's plan for leaving the European Union - the only one on the table - was voted down by parliament on Tuesday. And, given the constant stream of analysis and speculation, you could be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed by it all.

• Wednesday, January 16th 2019 - 06:11 UTC

  With a Brexit no-deal chances diminishing, sterling gains ground, for now...

  

  The pound has risen after MPs voted to reject Theresa May's Brexit deal by 230 votes. Sterling rose 0.05% to $1.287 after declines of more than 1% earlier in the day. The currency slumped 7% in 2018 reflecting uncertainty about the terms of the UK's exit from the European Union.