International

• Wednesday, May 30th 2018 - 08:29 UTC

  New Zealand to cull 150.000 cows to eradicate outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis

  

  New Zealand, which produces three percent of the world’s milk, announced this week its plan to cull about 150,000 cows to eradicate the disease Mycoplasma bovis. The largest mass animal slaughter in the country’s history will cost some US$ 612 million. If successful, it would be the first time an infected country has eliminated the disease-causing bacteria.

• Wednesday, May 30th 2018 - 08:12 UTC

  French tycoon and head of defense group Dassault Group

  

  French entrepreneur and politician Serge Dassault has died at the age of 93, his family has said. Mr Dassault led the Dassault group after his father, Marcel's, death in 1986. The group has numerous firms in aeronautics and armaments and owns the French newspaper, Le Figaro.

• Tuesday, May 29th 2018 - 09:04 UTC

  Nicola Sturgeon in Brussels raised Scottish concerns over Brexit

  

  Nicola Sturgeon has raised Scottish concerns over Brexit in a meeting with chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier. The first minister said they held a “constructive and positive discussion” during her trip to Brussels. She said she told Mr Barnier that the Scottish government believed the UK should remain within the customs union and single market after leaving the EU.

• Tuesday, May 29th 2018 - 09:01 UTC

  Impersonation of Mao Zedong sparks uproar on Chinese social media

  

  A publicity stunt at a conference about blockchain technology in China, which saw an actor impersonate Mao Zedong, has sparked uproar on social media. Xu Guoxiang imitated Mao - by wearing a grey suit and speaking in his Hunan accent - at the Boao Blockchain Forum for Asia in Hainan Province.

• Tuesday, May 29th 2018 - 08:51 UTC

  Ireland's abortion vote adds to PM May woes and strains relations with Ulster coalition ally

  

  Britain's leaders are facing increasing calls to take action to loosen abortion restrictions in Northern Ireland after the Republic of Ireland's landmark referendum in favor of doing so, but complex political realities may make quick action difficult.

• Tuesday, May 29th 2018 - 08:18 UTC

  Political storm in Spain: congress will subject PM Rajoy to a no confidence vote this week

  

  Spanish lawmakers have agreed to subject Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to a vote of no confidence this week. It comes in the wake of graft convictions of businesspeople and officials tied to his conservative Popular Party (PP).

• Tuesday, May 29th 2018 - 08:11 UTC

  Italy's Mattarella appoints ex IMF interim prime minister and quells the situation... for now

  

  Italy's president set the country on a path back to fresh elections on Monday, appointing a former International Monetary Fund official as interim prime minister with the task of planning for snap polls and to pass the next budget. The decision to appoint Carlo Cottarelli to form a stopgap administration sets the stage for elections that are likely to be fought over Italy's role in the European Union and the euro zone, a prospect that is rattling global financial markets.

• Tuesday, May 29th 2018 - 08:09 UTC

  Falklands: Argentine cabinet chief will honor fallen British combatants, at St. Paul's cathedral

  

  Argentine cabinet chief Marcos Peña will be honoring the British combatants fallen during the South Atlantic conflict when he travels to the UK. The ceremony is scheduled for next 4 June at St Paul's cathedral in London

• Monday, May 28th 2018 - 14:07 UTC

  International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, Secretary-General to Visit Troops in Mali

  

  On Tuesday, 29 May, the United Nations will commemorate the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. Today, more than 96,000 uniformed personnel from 124 troop- and-police-contributing countries serve under the blue flag, alongside more than 15,000 international and national civilian staff and nearly 1,600 United Nations Volunteers.

• Monday, May 28th 2018 - 08:10 UTC

  EU's Brexit negotiator has called for “realism” from UK government

  

  The European Union’s Brexit negotiator has called for “realism” over the terms of the future relationship between the UK and Brussels. Michel Barnier’s comments came after claims from EU officials that Britain has a “fantasy” approach to the talks sparked anger.