International

• Thursday, November 16th 2017 - 08:12 UTC

  Leonardo's “Salvator Mundi” smashes all previous records: US$ 450 million

  

  A painting of Christ by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci has sold for US$ 450 million at auction in New York, obliterating previous records. The 500-year-old oil painting depicting Christ holding a crystal orb, called Salvator Mundi — or Saviour of the World — is one of fewer than 20 paintings by Leonardo da Vinci known to exist.

• Wednesday, November 15th 2017 - 11:50 UTC

  Did you have your pill? US approves first pill that can be digitally tracked through the body

  

  US regulators have approved the first pill that can be digitally tracked through the body. The Abilify MyCite aripiprazole tablets - for treating schizophrenia and manic episodes - have an ingestible sensor embedded inside them that records that the medication has been taken, and a patch worn by the patient transmits this information to their smart phone.

• Wednesday, November 15th 2017 - 08:22 UTC

  Parliament begins marathon debate on EU Withdrawal Bill...and PM's May leadership

  

  The British parliament started hours of debate on Tuesday by arguing over when the two-year negotiating period for Brexit should end and whether there should be a fixed time at all.

• Wednesday, November 15th 2017 - 08:15 UTC

  Bloomberg trusts London will continue as the financial center of Europe

  

  Billionaire Michael Bloomberg said on Tuesday that London would continue to be the financial centre of Europe for the foreseeable future and maintain its position alongside New York as one of the dominant trading capitals in the world though Brexit will reduce the city’s growth.

• Tuesday, November 14th 2017 - 18:25 UTC

  High blood pressure redefined at 130/80, says American Heart Association

  

  High blood pressure was redefined Monday by the American Heart Association, which said the disease should be treated sooner, when it reaches 130/80, not the previous limit of 140/90.

• Tuesday, November 14th 2017 - 14:50 UTC

  EU/UK business organizations press for a deal that preserves status quo post/Brexit

  

  European and UK business leaders have told Prime Minister Theresa May of their Brexit concerns. At a meeting in Downing Street on Monday, representatives from groups including the CBI and BusinessEurope pressed for a transitional deal that preserves the status quo after Brexit.

• Tuesday, November 14th 2017 - 09:44 UTC

  Sterling slides on concerns about UK leadership and rebel Tory MPs

  

  Sterling fell against the dollar and euro on Monday as investors worried about Theresa May's ability to stay on as British prime minister and get what they consider to be a good exit deal from the European Union.

• Tuesday, November 14th 2017 - 09:16 UTC

  PM May yields and announces Brexit deal will only hold if is approved by MPs and peers

  

  The Brexit deal covering “withdrawal” issues will only hold if it is approved by MPs and peers in a new piece of legislation to put it into British law, David Davis has said. The Brexit Secretary announced a Withdrawal Agreement and Implementation Bill, which MPs will be able to amend, to cover areas such as citizens’ rights, the so-called divorce bill and a transition period.

• Tuesday, November 14th 2017 - 09:02 UTC

  Powerful friends boycott UN Security Council meeting on Venezuela; EU approves arms embargo

  

  Russia, China, Egypt and Bolivia boycotted an informal public United Nations Security Council meeting on Venezuela on Monday organized by the United States, saying the 15-member body should not be involved in the situation.

• Tuesday, November 14th 2017 - 00:01 UTC

  Japan’s Demographic Lessons for Europe

  

  By Daniel Gros (*) - Demography is not destiny, at least not entirely. Over centuries, policy can affect fertility decisions, and migration can transform a country, as the experience of the United States shows. Over shorter time horizons, however, demographic trends must be taken as given, and can have a profound impact on growth.