International

• Wednesday, February 6th 2019 - 08:45 UTC

  Brussels insists the Irish backstop agreed with PM May is the “only operational solution”

  

  Brussels has stepped up its opposition to attempts to reopen Theresa May’s Brexit deal as senior Tories began talks on alternatives to the Irish backstop. The European Union’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the backstop was the “only operational solution” to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.

• Wednesday, February 6th 2019 - 08:41 UTC

  Forty UK trade agreements at risk in the event of a no deal Brexit, warns CBI

  

  The UK risks “crashing out” of 40 trade agreements spanning five continents in the event of a no-deal Brexit, a business organization has warned. The Confederation of British Industry, CBI, said there were “hugely damaging implications” for the UK if it had to leave trade deals it has through its membership of the European Union.

• Wednesday, February 6th 2019 - 08:37 UTC

  UK's service sector stagnated in January: new orders fell for the first time in 30 months

  

  The UK's service sector stagnated last month, with new orders falling for the first time in two-and-a-half years, according to the IHS Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index (PMI). The figures showed a reading of 50.1 in January lower than December's 51.2.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2019 - 09:35 UTC

  Trump's pick for the World Bank, a skeptic of multilateral institutions

  

  The Trump administration has notified World Bank shareholders that President Donald Trump intends to pick senior Treasury Department official David Malpass as the U.S. nominee to lead the development lender, people familiar with the decision said on Monday.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2019 - 09:07 UTC

  European allies bend to join 'gringo empire' approach

  

  The decision to promote Juan Guaidó as a rival president to Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela was clearly made in Washington, not in Caracas. The speed with which U.S. allies in the Americas and western Europe recognised Guaidó’s claim on Jan. 23 to be the legitimate president of Venezuela would not have been possible without a lot of prior coordination — and a lot of pressure by the Trump administration.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2019 - 08:58 UTC

  Latin American countries call on Venezuelan military to support interim president Juan Guaidó

  

  A group of Latin American countries and Canada has urged the Venezuelan military to support opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president. In a statement, 11 of the 14 members of the Lima Group called for a change of power without the use of force and the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2019 - 06:48 UTC

  UN chief Antonio Guterres sends Lunar New Year greetings

  

  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday extended his warm wishes for the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. In a video message, Guterres thanked China and the Chinese people for their commitment to the United Nations and called for efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous world.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2019 - 06:31 UTC

  China celebrates on Tuesday 5 February, Lunar New Year, identified as the Year of the Pig

  

  Chinese New Year or 'Spring Festival' is China's most important festival and holiday time. Chinese New Year 2019 falls on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, beginning a year of the Pig. China's public holiday will be February 4–10, 2019.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2019 - 06:17 UTC

  Argentine embassy thanks UK government efforts in locating the aircraft carrying Emiliano Sala

  

  Following the discovery of the plane carrying Argentine football player Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson on Sunday, the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) issued a press release midday Monday reporting that “in video footage from the ROV, one occupant is visible amidst the wreckage” of the fuselage identified on the seabed.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2019 - 06:15 UTC

  Impact of a “no deal Brexit” for the tourism industry and jobs in UK

  

  Over 300,000 jobs could be at risk in the Travel & Tourism sector in the United Kingdom and almost 400,000 in Europe if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 29 March, according to a new analysis from the World Travel & Tourism Council released on Monday. A “No Deal” Brexit would have a damaging impact on one of the UK’s most important economic sectors.