China’s support for Venezuela has benefited ordinary people and been broadly welcomed, the foreign ministry said after the U.S. Treasury accused China of aiding Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government with murky oil-for-loan investments.
The Falkland Islands government and the Ministry of Defense have agreed to address the challenge of rotor winds, which have become a serious problem for the operations at the Mount Pleasant Complex.
Mexico believes it can conclude a new free-trade agreement with the European Union before the end of February, Mexican officials have said. The EU and Mexico intend to update a trade deal agreed 21 years ago that largely covers industrial goods. They want to add farm products, more services, investment and government procurement, and include provisions on labor standards and environmental protection.
The Galician company which owns the “Playa Pesmar Uno” arrested last Sunday by the Argentine Coast Guard allegedly for illegal fishing in the South Atlantic, admits the trawler could have involuntarily sailed into the EEZ, because one of the three GPS on board was malfunctioning.
By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com
Oil prices fell back suddenly over the last few trading sessions, dragged down by some forces beyond the oil market.
Plans have been unveiled for the second International Scotch Day – a worldwide celebration of all things Scotch whisky – on Thursday, 8 February this year. As part of the festivities, world-leading Scotch whisky producer Diageo will open up its Archive at Menstrie, near Alloa – a liquid library of more than 5,000 bottles and claimed as the biggest of its kind in the world.
United States president Donald Trump has sparked a backlash from UK politicians by attacking the National Health Service. In a tweet criticising US Democrats pushing for a universal health system, he said thousands of people are marching in the UK because the NHS is going broke and not working. This was believed to be a reference to a Save the NHS march on Downing Street on Saturday, demanding more funding.
Industrial workers in south-western Germany have won the right to reduced working hours as part of a deal that could benefit millions of employees across the country. Workers will be able to reduce their weekly hours from 35 to 28 for up to two years to look after their families.
The European Union wants to be able to restrict the UK's access to the single market if there is a dispute after Brexit, a leaked document suggests. The power to suspend certain benefits would apply during the post-Brexit transition phase before the final arrangements come into force.
Pope Francis is sending a representative, a sex crimes expert, to Chile to investigate whether a bishop there covered up years of abuse, the Vatican announced. The announcement comes after the pope faced backlash earlier this month during a visit to Chile.