International

Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:55 UTC
Oil prices remain under pressure from US stockpiles and concerns with the global economy

Oil prices jumped as much as 3% on Friday to win back a chunk of the ground they lost in the previous session, but growth in U.S. crude stockpiles and ongoing concerns about the global economy kept markets under pressure.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:52 UTC
MPs urging a “more meaningful role” in ratifying deals, beginning with Brexit

Parliament must be given a veto over any trade deals the UK signs after Brexit, a committee of MPs has urged. Ministers hope to begin negotiating deals with key partners once the UK leaves the EU in March and start implementing them from 2021 onwards.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:49 UTC
Sir David Attenborough still has hope for the future of the planet

Sir David Attenborough says he still has “hope” for the future of the planet. But the Blue Planet and Dynasties narrator says that human beings have to turn their gaze away from themselves.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:44 UTC
Pakistan to resume negotiations with Mercosur for a free trade agreement

Pakistan has officially requested to resume negotiations with Mercosur for a free trade agreement, with discussions expected to begin in early 2019. Islamabad believes it is an opportunity to bridge the trade deficit with countries of the South American bloc.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:35 UTC
Indonesia volcano activity on the rise: exclusion area expanded and flights rerouted

The alert level for Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano has been raised to the second-highest level possible, after a series of eruptions, while all flights around the volcano have been rerouted and a 5km (three-mile) exclusion zone has also been imposed.
Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:27 UTC
French operator purchases majority stake in Gatwick Airport, UK’s second busiest

A majority stake in Gatwick Airport is to be sold to French operator Vinci Airports for £2.9bn. Vinci Airports, part of infrastructure group Vinci, will buy 50.01% of the UK's second-busiest airport. The other 49.99% will be managed by current owners Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
Thursday, December 27th 2018 - 13:21 UTC
Russia announces successful test of unbeatable Avangard hypersonic missile

Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday announced his country had successfully tested a new hypersonic missile named Avangard, which he claimed is impossible to intercept. Putin made the announcement from the National Defence Control Centre in Moscow where he watched a live feed of the missile tests.
Thursday, December 27th 2018 - 09:01 UTC
Venezuela invites Russia to join in gold mining

Venezuelan authorities have offered Russian companies to take part in gold exploration and gold mining in the country, according to Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Vladimir Zaemsky.
Thursday, December 27th 2018 - 08:56 UTC
US citizen becomes first person to cross Antarctica alone and unassisted

A 33-year-old American man has become the first person to cross Antarctica alone and unassisted. Explorer Colin O'Brady finished in 53 days, ahead of British Army Captain Louis Rudd, 49, after an epic race across the ice. Both men set out on 3 November to complete the journey, which killed a British ex-Army officer two years ago.
Thursday, December 27th 2018 - 08:53 UTC
Mount Etna in Sicily hit by a magnitude 4.8 earthquake: 30 people injured

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 hit an area north of Catania on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily early on Wednesday, damaging buildings and injuring about 30 people, officials said.