International

Tuesday, March 16th 2021 - 08:20 UTC
United States accounted for 37% of global arms sales in 2016/20, SIPRI

The United States accounted for 37% of global arms sales during the 2016-2020 period and sold arms to 96 countries. Almost half of its sales went to the Middle East, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report on Monday. US exports increased 15% compared to the 2011-2015 period.
Tuesday, March 16th 2021 - 08:19 UTC
Roman Catholic Church blunt reply: no blessing for same sex unions

The Vatican's orthodoxy office announced on Monday that the Roman Catholic Church could not bless same-sex relationships, in a statement approved by Pope Francis. The statement came from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in response to a question about the church's power to bless same-sex unions.
Monday, March 15th 2021 - 09:24 UTC
A no deal of Argentina with IMF this year, not so bad after all according to Morgan Stanley

International Investment Bank Morgan Stanley has shifted its long-held view on Argentina sovereign credit to “like,” as risks were flexed upside after a lot of bad news had been priced into bonds, including, increasingly, a delay to an IMF program and a further complication with the Club of Paris payment.
Monday, March 15th 2021 - 08:53 UTC
UK, Gibraltar/Spain international agreement of Taxation has entered into force

The UK has ratified the International Agreement on Taxation and the Protection of Financial Interests between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Kingdom of Spain regarding Gibraltar.
Saturday, March 13th 2021 - 09:40 UTC
IDB initiative to help Latin America better compete for Covid-19 vaccines

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced a first-of-its kind initiative that would help Latin American and Caribbean countries better compete to obtain lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines. The instrument would help both countries and vaccine makers resolve indemnity obligations, thereby removing a key obstacle to vaccine contract negotiations.
Saturday, March 13th 2021 - 09:19 UTC
Interpol leads investigators to arrest 13 of the most wanted Latin American fugitives

An Interpol coordinated ‘EL PAcCTO’ operation (20 November– 5 March) has seen a team of investigators from across Latin America locate and arrest 13 of their most wanted fugitives.
Saturday, March 13th 2021 - 08:59 UTC
UK/EU post Brexit first month trade figures are not encouraging

UK/European Union trade contracted in the first month of their new post-Brexit relationship, with record falls in British exports and imports of goods as COVID-19 restrictions continued on both sides.
Saturday, March 13th 2021 - 08:59 UTC
Foreign investment in China in Jan-Feb up 31,5% year on year

China, which achieved a V-shaped economic recovery last year, attracted 176.76 billion yuan (US$ 27.18 billion) in foreign investments in January-February, up 31.5% year-on-year, the commerce ministry in Beijing said on Friday.
Saturday, March 13th 2021 - 08:47 UTC
WHO extends emergency approval for Jansen's on shot vaccine, reiterates support for AstraZeneca

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that it was aware of blood clot concerns linked to “a specific batch” of AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, but maintained that to date, no-one has died from any coronavirus vaccine. The development comes after several European countries suspended the rollout of the jab as a precaution.
Saturday, March 13th 2021 - 08:05 UTC
China represented 17% of the global economy in pandemic plagued 2020

China's economic output is forecast to account for more than 17% of the world's economy in the coronavirus-plagued 2020. As the sole economy recording positive GDP growth last year, China will ramp up efforts and strive to achieve higher quality, more efficient, sustainable and safer development in 2021, a senior government official revealed in Beijing.