International

• Saturday, October 27th 2018 - 09:29 UTC

  UK and Overseas Territories: “perhaps a review of relations is appropriate”

  

  For years there was consensus between the major UK political parties about the Overseas Territories, but that has now changed and the OTs now face a “more hostile and less supportive UK political class,” Dr Peter Clegg said, adding that perhaps a review of relations is appropriate, one which would “offer the Territories more autonomy, address the UN’s decolonization agenda, and give the Territories a stronger foreign policy voice.”

• Saturday, October 27th 2018 - 09:01 UTC

  S&P lowers Italy's outlook to negative; criticizes Rome's economic and fiscal policies

  

  Standard & Poor’s on Friday left Italy’s sovereign debt rating unchanged but lowered its outlook to negative from stable, saying that the new government’s policy plans were weighing on the country’s growth and debt prospects.

• Saturday, October 27th 2018 - 08:56 UTC

  Sunday regional vote in Germany could decide survival of a weakened Merkel coalition

  

  A Sunday regional election in Germany is closely scrutinized since the ruling coalition's survival much hangs upon the outcome of a state vote. Even before the first voters set foot in Hesse's polling stations, it is widely accepted that what happens in Hesse will have consequences in Berlin. For the German government and perhaps even for the German leader herself.

• Saturday, October 27th 2018 - 08:46 UTC

  Ex Civil Service chief calls for a referendum as only option to a 'disastrous' Brexit

  

  A former head of the Civil Service has backed the call for a people’s vote on Brexit as the only viable option after “disastrous” exit negotiations. Independent crossbencher Lord Kerslake said he had moved from being skeptical about holding a second referendum to joining last Saturday’s march in support of it.

• Saturday, October 27th 2018 - 08:39 UTC

  A no Brexit deal will slow sharply UK economic growth, says think tank

  

  A no-deal Brexit could slam the brakes on the UK’s economic growth, wiping out Chancellor Philip Hammond’s hopes of boosting public spending, a think tank has said. If the UK fails to reach a withdrawal deal with the EU and moves on to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules next March, GDP growth can be expected to slow sharply from 1.4% this year to 0.3% in both 2019 and 2020, said the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr).

• Saturday, October 27th 2018 - 08:35 UTC

  Shale gas fracking suspended in UK following an earthquake

  

  Operations have been suspended at the UK's only active shale gas fracking site following an earthquake - just 11 days after it was given the go ahead. Energy firm Cuadrilla said it would halt fracking at the Lancashire site for 18 hours after a tremor of 0.8 magnitude was recorded.

• Saturday, October 27th 2018 - 08:08 UTC

  Khoshoggi's fiancée rejects Trump invitation; Turkish prosecutors want extradition of 18 Saudi suspects

  

  Turkish prosecutors have prepared an extradition request for 18 suspects from Saudi Arabia in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, authorities said on Friday, after President Tayyip Erdogan urged Riyadh to disclose who ordered the murder.

• Friday, October 26th 2018 - 19:25 UTC

  Search for ARA San Juan deemed “useless” will go on after pressure from Argentine Navy

  

  Ocean Infinity, the US company searching the missing Argentine submarine ARA San Juan, revised its decision to halt operations deemed “useless” until February and resumed work to comply with the minimum 60-day task agreed upon, it was reported.

• Friday, October 26th 2018 - 09:52 UTC

  Juncker wants Venezuelan “dictator” Maduro brought to justice as international pressure mounts

  

  European Union (EU) Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Wednesday Wednesday said Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro has become “a matter for the international justice system” and needs to “be brought before the courts.”

• Friday, October 26th 2018 - 08:53 UTC

  Controversy in Westminster over “legal witch hunt” of British troops that served in Ulster

  

  More than one third of Tory Members of Parliament, including a former Defense secretary - have written to the prime minister to demand an end to “legal witch hunts” of military veterans. Signatories to a letter delivered to Theresa May on Tuesday also include more than 50 members of the House of Lords, including four former chiefs of defense staff.