International

• Monday, December 4th 2017 - 10:32 UTC

  US regulator allows trading in Bitcoin related financial contracts

  

  Bitcoin has taken another step toward the financial mainstream, after a US regulator said it would let two traditional exchanges begin trading in Bitcoin-related financial contracts. CME Group and CBOE Global Markets exchanges will offer investors Bitcoin futures from later this month.

• Monday, December 4th 2017 - 08:56 UTC

  Hard Brexit puts at risk the Good Friday Agreement, Tony Blair tells BBC

  

  The Good Friday Agreement is “at risk because of Brexit” after the UK leaves the EU, former prime minister Tony Blair has told the BBC. UK and Irish membership of the EU was “central” to the 1998 deal, he told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend. Free movement on the border had been key to reaching an agreement, he said.

• Monday, December 4th 2017 - 07:27 UTC

  Tusk warns UK on post-Brexit offer: “if unacceptable for Ireland, is also unacceptable for EU”

  

  The EU will refuse Britain’s demand for talks on a post-Brexit transition and future trade pact if Ireland is not satisfied with London’s offer on border arrangements with Northern Ireland, European Council President Donald Tusk said this weekend.

• Monday, December 4th 2017 - 07:11 UTC

  UK cabinet minister tells hardliners: “it's Brexit or no Brexit; Support PM May”

  

  There will be no Brexit at all unless Theresa May is supported, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned saying it was not about a choice between “this Brexit and that Brexit”. He was speaking as leading Brexit campaigners issued demands for Mrs May before agreeing any payments to the EU, including ending the European court's jurisdiction the moment the UK leaves.

• Saturday, December 2nd 2017 - 08:56 UTC

  World's biggest marine reserve in Antarctica's Ross Sea comes into effect

  

  The world's biggest marine reserve in Antarctica officially comes into effect on Friday, in what has been hailed as a “watershed” moment in conservation. The marine protected area in the Ross Sea curbs damaging activities such as fishing, to protect wildlife including Adelie and emperor penguins in the high seas off Antarctica.

• Friday, December 1st 2017 - 20:51 UTC

  Falklands response to results of the ICRC humanitarian forensic identification project

  

  The Falkland Islands government has released a response to the results of the International Committee of the Red Cross humanitarian project to identify the remains of the Argentine combatants buried at the Darwin cemetery. The project was the result of a December 2016 agreement between United Kingdom and the Argentine governments, facilitated by the Falklands government.

• Friday, December 1st 2017 - 20:36 UTC

  Falkland/Malvinas: ICRC presents results of humanitarian forensic identification project

  

  The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Friday handed out its forensic reports resulting from the work it carried out to identify the mortal remains of Argentine soldiers buried in Darwin cemetery.

• Friday, December 1st 2017 - 18:40 UTC

  Europe in a divided vote renews the glyphosate license for another five years

  

  European countries have voted to renew the license of glyphosate, a widely used weed killer at the centre of environmental concerns. The proposal at the EU Commission's Appeal Committee got 18 votes in favor and nine against, with one abstention, ending months of deadlock.

• Friday, December 1st 2017 - 18:38 UTC

  Brazilian crucial pension reform bill needs 308 votes, but is still 46 short

  

  Brazil’s lower house Speaker Rodrigo Maia said on Monday he will try to pass a fiscally crucial pension reform bill this year in the chamber, but he told reporters he would only put the measure to the vote if it has enough support.

• Friday, December 1st 2017 - 06:42 UTC

  Argentina as G20 chair will combat protectionism, pledges president Macri

  

  President Mauricio Macri hosted the official launching of the Argentine chair of G20, the world’s major forum for global economic, political, and financial cooperation. In his inaugural speech Macri said Argentina is committed ”to build consensus for fair and sustainable development” and will use its role as the first South American country to chair the G20 group of major economies to combat protectionism.