International

• Friday, December 14th 2018 - 09:03 UTC

  ECB confirms it's ending the massive bond-buying scheme

  

  The European Central Bank has confirmed it is ending its huge net asset purchase program to stimulate the Eurozone economy this month. The ECB has stopped its bond-buying scheme, worth €30bn a month, despite a recent slowdown in the bloc's recovery.

• Friday, December 14th 2018 - 08:58 UTC

  Travel group Tui profits up on rise in hotel and cruise bookings

  

  A rise in hotel and cruise bookings has helped European travel group Tui sail through another year with more than 10% growth in profits. It said next year, profits would grow a similar amount as customers also bought more excursions and holiday activities. Tui has seen double-digit growth for the last four years.

• Friday, December 14th 2018 - 08:52 UTC

  US Senate blames Saudi prince Salman for Khashoggi's death and votes to stop military aid in Yemen

  

  The US Senate has voted to withdraw US military aid for Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen and to blame the kingdom's crown prince for the murder of a journalist. The historic vote is the first time any chamber of US Congress has agreed to pull US forces from a military conflict under the 1973 War Powers Act.

• Friday, December 14th 2018 - 08:45 UTC

  EU leaders tell Theresa May that Brexit deal is “not open for renegotiation, only clarifications”

  

  European Union leaders have said the Brexit withdrawal agreement is “not open for renegotiation”, despite appeals from Theresa May. She wanted legal assurances on the Irish backstop to help her deal get through Parliament after she delayed a Commons vote in anticipation of defeat.

• Friday, December 14th 2018 - 07:01 UTC

  HMS Montrose enjoys warm welcome in Chile

  

  HMS Montrose joined Chile’s party of the year as the country celebrated the 200th birthday of its Navy. The frigate was invited to join old friends – former British warships HMS Grafton, Sheffield and Marlborough, now serving under the Chilean flag – and make new friends in the port of Valparaiso where a series of high-profile anniversary events were staged over nine days.

• Thursday, December 13th 2018 - 21:19 UTC

  Socialist Pablo Iglesias regrets about Venezuela: “The political and economic situation is disastrous”

  

  The Spanish Socialist leader, Pablo Iglesias, appeared before the Spanish Senate on Thursday over the alleged illegal financing that his political coalition, Podemos, could have received from Venezuela and Iran. In a tense debate with a senator from the Popular Party (PP), Iglesias said that the situation in the South American country “is disastrous” and that he regrets things he has said in the past.

• Thursday, December 13th 2018 - 09:15 UTC

  Huawei dispute: China arrests second Canadian on suspicion of harming state security

  

  Canadian businessman Michael Spavor, who worked with North Korea, is being investigated on suspicion of harming China’s state security, officials said, days after a former Canadian diplomat was detained in China in an escalating diplomatic row.

• Thursday, December 13th 2018 - 09:04 UTC

  Bolivia, Germany agree to join efforts in extracting lithium from Uyuni

  

  Germany and Bolivia will join forces for the extraction of lithium, as Europe's largest economy moves to secure supplies for battery-powered vehicles, which are believed to be looming over, the German government announced Wednesday.

• Thursday, December 13th 2018 - 07:07 UTC

  Spain's minimum wage will increase by 22% in 2019, announces PM Sanchez

  

  Spain's minimum wage will jump by 22% in 2019 - the largest annual increase in more than 40 years. It means millions of low-paid workers could see a pay rise from €736 ($835; £665) to €900, effective from January. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the increase on Wednesday, declaring “a rich country cannot have poor workers”.

• Thursday, December 13th 2018 - 06:36 UTC

  Pyrrhic victory for Theresa May: 37% of Tories voted against her; Brexit gridlock in parliament remains

  

  Prime Minister Theresa May has won a vote of confidence in her leadership of the Conservative Party by 200 to 117. After securing 63% of the total vote, she is now immune from a leadership challenge for a year. Speaking in Downing Street, she vowed to deliver the Brexit “people voted for” but said she had listened to the concerns of MPs who voted against her.