International

Saturday, November 4th 2017 - 09:48 UTC
Chinese outbound tourism boom, but hyper sensitive to bad news

The boom in Chinese outbound travel is set to keep on going, according to data from ForwardKeys, which helps forecast future travel by analyzing around 17 million flight booking transactions a day.
Friday, November 3rd 2017 - 08:12 UTC
Ex members of Catalonian government jailed by Spanish prosecution; Puigdemont remains in Belgium

A Spanish judge has ordered nine ex-members of the government in Catalonia jailed while they are investigated on possible charges of sedition, rebellion and embezzlement.
Friday, November 3rd 2017 - 08:08 UTC
Foreign Secretary commits support for freedom of expression projects

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has committed (Thursday 2 November) UK support for freedom of expression projects in countries where press freedom is curtailed.
Friday, November 3rd 2017 - 07:37 UTC
Bank of England's first interest rate increase in a decade; Brexit impact hovers over future decisions

The Bank of England has raised interest rates for the first time in a decade to contain an increase in inflation stoked by the Brexit vote, in what is otherwise a moment of high uncertainty for the economy. In a statement Thursday, the bank said it had lifted its benchmark rate, which affects the cost of loans and savings rates in the wider economy, to 0.50% from the record low of 0.25%.
Friday, November 3rd 2017 - 07:02 UTC
'Cronus' Williamson new Defense Secretary: strength or weakness of PM May's cabinet?

British Prime Minister Theresa May named Gavin Williamson defence secretary on Thursday after his predecessor, Michael Fallon, became the first casualty of a deepening scandal in British politics. Williamson, 41, is a trusted ally of the prime minister whose former job as chief whip involved enforcing discipline for May's Conservative Party in parliament.
Thursday, November 2nd 2017 - 11:34 UTC
PM May and Netanyahu mark centenary of the contentious Balfour Declaration

PM Theresa May is to host her Israeli counterpart as part of events marking the centenary of a British pledge which paved the way for Israel's creation. Benjamin Netanyahu's visit comes on the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration of British support for a Jewish national home in Palestine.
Thursday, November 2nd 2017 - 09:01 UTC
The silent majority of Catalonia and the December 21st election-referendum

By Gwynne Dyer - It's been going on for a while. “Recently in Catalonia we have been living through a kind of 'soft' totalitarianism...the illusion of unanimity created by the fear of expressing dissent,” wrote best-selling Catalan author Javier Cercas in the Spanish newspaper El País in 2014. Those who didn't want independence kept their heads down and their mouths shut, in other words.
Thursday, November 2nd 2017 - 08:49 UTC
London could lose 75.000 financial services jobs by 2019, when UK leaves the EU

The Bank of England expects Britain to lose up to 75,000 financial services jobs in the years after its departure from the European Union in 2019, the BBC reported. London dominates global currency trading and is Europe’s main finance hub.
Thursday, November 2nd 2017 - 08:31 UTC
Fallon resigns saying his behavior “has fallen short”, and argues “culture has changed over the years”

Defense Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has resigned, saying his behavior may have “fallen short” of the standards expected by the UK military. He told the BBC that what had been “acceptable 15, 10 years ago is clearly not acceptable now”.Fallon is the first politician to quit following recently revealed claims of serious sexual abuse in Parliament.
Wednesday, November 1st 2017 - 08:27 UTC
Royal Navy forced into “cannibalization” to meet the shortage of spares

The Royal Navy seems to be copying some of its Latin American peers. In effect the shortage of spares for Royal Navy warships and submarines has forced the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to strip parts from the rest of the fleet, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found.