International

• Tuesday, October 24th 2017 - 07:05 UTC

  Catalonia representatives anticipate civil disobedience against Madrid

  

  Representatives of the government and parliament in Catalonia have warned that civil disobedience may be possible if Madrid actually triggered the constitutional clause stopping the autonomous rights of the region.

• Tuesday, October 24th 2017 - 06:58 UTC

  Venezuela delaying debt payments: foreign reserves down to US$ 9.9 billion

  

  One week before Venezuela faces a critical debt payment, the distressed country is already late on a series of smaller bills. The nation's state-owned oil giant, Petroleos de Venezuela, SA, has two major bond payments totaling about US$2 billion coming due in the next two weeks.

• Tuesday, October 24th 2017 - 06:06 UTC

  Theresa May dismisses a call for second Brexit referendum: “out of the question”

  

  Prime Minister Theresa May has dismissed a call for a second referendum as “out of the question”, affirming that Britain will be leaving the EU. Mrs May was asked whether people should have the chance to vote again by Labour’s Paul Flynn, who said “second thoughts” were superior.

• Monday, October 23rd 2017 - 07:55 UTC

  Two of Italy's richest regions vote for more autonomy

  

  Two of Italy's richest northern regions have voted for more autonomy, according to their leaders. More than 90% of voters in Lombardy, home to Italy's financial capital Milan, and the Veneto region around Venice, voted yes in the non-binding referendum, their presidents claimed.

• Monday, October 23rd 2017 - 07:51 UTC

  Brexit countdown: PM May faces Parliament and Davis travels to Paris

  

  UK Brexit Secretary David Davis will travel to Paris on Monday for talks days after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested Britain would need to up its divorce payment offer to unlock trade negotiations. Davis will have dinner with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in the UK’s latest attempt to jump-start withdrawal talks with the European Union.

• Monday, October 23rd 2017 - 07:45 UTC

  UK's biggest business lobbies calling for urgent Brexit transition deal

  

  Britain's five biggest business lobby groups are calling for an urgent Brexit transition deal, or they warn the UK risks losing jobs and investment. In a joint letter being sent to Brexit Secretary David Davis, the groups, including the Institute of Directors and CBI, will say time is running out.

• Monday, October 23rd 2017 - 07:40 UTC

  Staunch Remainer convinced there's no way to prevent UK leaving the EU

  

  The conservative former chancellor Ken Clarke has said he believes there is now no way to prevent the UK leaving the EU. The staunch Remainer said there was “little doubt” that Brexit would take place and argued a second referendum on any deal would be “folly”.

• Monday, October 23rd 2017 - 05:29 UTC

  WHO Director General rescinds Goodwill Ambassador appointment

  

  World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced that after much listening and reflection, he has decided to rescind the appointment of Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe as a WHO Goodwill Ambassador for NCDs in Africa.

• Monday, October 23rd 2017 - 05:05 UTC

  Catalonia parties meet to decide how to react to Rajoy's announced measures

  

  Catalonia’s separatists weighed their options Sunday ahead of a week that will see Spain take the drastic step of sacking the region’s government as well as calling fresh elections to try and stop the country breaking up.

• Sunday, October 22nd 2017 - 00:38 UTC

  Major scandal after Mugabe was appointed as “WHO goodwill ambassador”

  

  In a tweet, WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus said: “I'm listening. I hear your concerns. Rethinking the approach in light of WHO values. I will issue a statement as soon as possible.” Mugabe, 93, the world's oldest head of state, has long been criticized at home for going overseas for medical treatment as Zimbabwe's once-prosperous economy falls apart.