International

• Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 09:45 UTC

  Exxon-Mobil hits oil jackpot offshore Guyana: future production of 500.000 bpd

  

  United States-based oil giant ExxonMobil says the latest oil discovery in Guyana will help bring production to more than 500,000 barrels per day. In a statement, the oil company said that it was satisfied with the discovery in the Pacora Well that was safely drilled to a depth of 18,363 feet in 6,781 feet of water. It said drilling began on January 29 this year.

• Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 09:21 UTC

  EU readies list of US goods to be hit by taxes if Trump imposes tariffs

  

  Motorbikes, whiskey and T-shirts are among the US goods that could be hit by EU taxes if the US imposes import tariffs on steel and aluminum. The EU has drawn up a target list of 100 US goods worth €2.8bn (US$3.5bn), the BBC understands.

• Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 09:16 UTC

  NASA satellites help discover super-colony of Adelie penguins in Antarctica Danger Islands

  

  A thriving “hotspot” of 1.5 million Adelie penguins, a species fast declining in parts of the world, has been discovered on remote islands off the Antarctic Peninsula, surprised scientists. The first bird census of the Danger Islands unearthed over 750,000 Adelie breeding pairs, more than the rest of the area combined, the team reported in the journal Scientific Reports.

• Wednesday, March 7th 2018 - 07:32 UTC

  UK threatens Russia with robust response if ex spy and daughter have been poisoned

  

  Britain has threatened a “robust” response if it is proven that Russia is behind the apparent attempted killing of a former double agent. Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found collapsed in their home town in southern England on Sunday, showing symptoms of poisoning.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2018 - 10:00 UTC

  Trump speaks openly of a “trade war”; links tariffs on steel and aluminum to a redrafted Nafta

  

  U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday the U.S. is not backing down on its decision to impose 25% tariffs on steel imports and 10% tariffs on imported aluminum products. Before a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump suggested Mexico and Canada could be exempted from the planned tariffs if a new and “fair” North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is reached.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2018 - 09:54 UTC

  Forget Berlusconi: Italy has become a major setback for the European Union

  

  Italy's general election on Sunday has so far resulted in a hung parliament, with the country's Euro skeptic Five Star Movement emerging as the single party with the most votes. The centre-right coalition headed by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is expected to gain between 248 and 268 seats and a 37% vote share, which is still short of a majority. Some 316 seats are needed to form a government.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2018 - 09:46 UTC

  China increases its military budget 8.1% to US$ 175bn; regional powers “nervous”

  

  China revealed on Monday that it will raise its military budget by US$ 175 billion for the 2018 fiscal year, 8.1% increase that is the largest military spending hike in three years. According to Premier Li Keqiang, the additional funding will “advance all aspects of military training and war preparedness, and firmly and resolvedly safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests.”

• Tuesday, March 6th 2018 - 09:36 UTC

  Beijing anticipates 6.5% growth, steady rise in foreign trade and prudent and neutral monetary policy

  

  China aims to expand its economy by around 6.5% this year, the same as in 2017, while pressing ahead with its campaign to reduce risks in the financial system, Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday. The goal was kept unchanged even though the economy grew 6.9% last year and exceeded the government's target.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2018 - 08:59 UTC

  UK supermarkets ban sales of energy drinks to children under 16

  

  Sales of energy drinks to children under 16 have been banned in most major UK supermarkets, amid concerns about high levels of sugar and caffeine. Boots is also joining supermarkets such as Asda, Waitrose, Tesco and the Co-op in introducing the rule.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2018 - 06:49 UTC

  A month after leaving the Falklands, “Tarini” has reached Cape Town

  

  Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) ‘Tarini’ has reached Cape Town in South Africa. This has marked the successful circumnavigation which started in September last year. The all-women crew has created history with the voyage as it is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation by an all-women crew.