International

• Friday, May 18th 2018 - 09:06 UTC

  Maduro wraps up electoral campaign next to Erdogan and Maradona

  

  Venezuela's diplomatically isolated president got a show of support from his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan and Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona on Thursday ahead of a weekend election widely decried as unfair. The United States, the European Union and major Latin American countries have criticized Sunday's vote in which populist President Nicolas Maduro is likely to win re-election to a six-year term.

• Friday, May 18th 2018 - 08:56 UTC

  UN report: Growth in global economy exceeds expectations, but increased risks could threaten economic outlook

  

  Growth in the world economy is surpassing expectations and global GDP is now expected to expand by more than three per cent this year and in 2019, reflecting strong growth in developed countries and broadly favourable investment conditions, a new UN report finds.

• Friday, May 18th 2018 - 08:42 UTC

  Ebola outbreak in Congo's jungle and in urban area of a 1.2m city

  

  One new case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) has been confirmed in Wangata, one of the three health zones of Mbandaka, a city of nearly 1.2 million people in Equateur Province in northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo. United Nations troops are stationed in the area as part of the peacekeeping effort.

• Friday, May 18th 2018 - 08:24 UTC

  Oil hits US$ 80, its highest level since 2014; London's FTSE on new all time-high

  

  Benchmark oil contract Brent North Sea hit its highest level since late 2014 on Thursday, breaching US$ 80 per barrel, with some market players predicting it could rise all the way to US$ 100. Higher oil prices, in turn, pushed the shares of energy firms in European stock markets higher, helping London's FTSE to set a new all-time high, and the Paris CAC to establish a fresh 2018 peak.

• Friday, May 18th 2018 - 08:19 UTC

  Europe's top court rules in favor of bees banning three insecticides

  

  The EU's top court has backed an almost complete EU-wide ban on the use of three insecticides, which studies have linked to declining bee populations. Chemicals giants Bayer and Syngenta had gone to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) hoping to get the restrictions on neo-nicotinoids overturned.

• Friday, May 18th 2018 - 07:49 UTC

  IMF confirms support for Macri, but also with greater focus on social protection

  

  The International Monetary Fund will move quickly to agree on a loan program to support Argentina but there are no details yet on what it will entail, a fund spokesman said on Thursday. However spokesperson Gerry Rice also underlined that the IMF nowadays has a greater focus on social protection, in particular towards the most vulnerable, ensuring the economy and living standards.

• Friday, May 18th 2018 - 07:37 UTC

  Cross-party group of UK parliamentarians on two-day visit to Gibraltar

  

  A cross-party group of UK parliamentarians is in Gibraltar on a two-day working visit. The visit takes place against the backdrop of the negotiations for the United Kingdom and Gibraltar to leave the European Union, which means that it will centre on Brexit issues.

• Friday, May 18th 2018 - 07:09 UTC

  Tory MP proposes a Brexit bank holiday to mark June 23 referendum result

  

  A Brexit bank holiday should be created to mark the June 23 referendum result, a Tory MP has said. Peter Bone told ministers that the bank holiday would become known as “independence day” – to laughs from fellow MPs.

• Friday, May 18th 2018 - 06:58 UTC

  Post-Brexit concern: Britain “net contributor” to security collaboration in the EU

  

  Britain is the largest contributor to security collaboration in the EU, a former spy chief has said. Ex-MI5 director general Lord Evans of Weardale highlighted the UK’s input on information flows and expertise. He told a Lords Committee there was a “mutual benefit” from co-operation with Europe on security.

• Friday, May 18th 2018 - 06:40 UTC

  After hammering Brexit bill, Holyrood calls on UK ministers to visit Scotland

  

  Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said there is still time to secure an agreement on vital Brexit legislation as UK Ministers were urged to come to Scotland to hear Holyrood’s concerns. The First Minister told MSPs the Scottish Government was continuing to press the UK Government to listen to the concerns of the Scottish Parliament over the EU Withdrawal Bill.