International

• Friday, February 21st 2020 - 08:30 UTC

  Ireland unable to form government: resigned PM, is acting as interim leader

  

  Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar resigned on Thursday but stayed on as interim leader while the country's three main parties battle out coalition talks after an inconclusive election.

• Friday, February 21st 2020 - 08:10 UTC

  COVID-19: IATA warns Pacific-Asia region airlines stand to lose US$ 30bn revenue

  

  Airlines operating in the Asia-Pacific region stand to lose a combined US$27.8 billion of revenue this year in the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the International Air Transport Association said on Thursday.

• Friday, February 21st 2020 - 07:50 UTC

  Falklands' women offer a vivid picture of a “small community's” culture to visiting CPA delegates

  

  The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Women’s Conference, hosted by the Falkland Islands and attended by some twenty delegates, opened in Stanley last Tuesday by Deputy Speaker of the House Hon Claudette Prior MBE.

• Thursday, February 20th 2020 - 18:26 UTC

  Pep Guardiola openly attacks his ex club Barcelona in defense of Manchester City

  

  Pep Guardiola went to war with his former club Barcelona on Wednesday as Manchester City's manager defended his current employers in the wake of their European ban. Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu has “thanked” UEFA for banning City from the Champions League and Europa League for two years, a shock sentence handed out on Friday which the Premier League champions plan to appeal.

• Thursday, February 20th 2020 - 18:24 UTC

  Brazilian delegation in Mexico trying to lobby rice exports

  

  A delegation of Brazilian rice producers is on a mission to Mexico this week to lobby for a cut in the 20% tariff their exports face in the lucrative Mexican market, a reduction they say could enable them to compete with U.S. rivals.

• Thursday, February 20th 2020 - 18:22 UTC

  Gibraltar condolences on the death of ex foreign minister Fernando Moran

  

  Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of the Gibraltar government expressed on Wednesday condolences on its behalf, and on behalf of the People of Gibraltar, to the family of Fernando Moran, former Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Spain, who has passed away on 19 January.

• Thursday, February 20th 2020 - 18:10 UTC

  IMF: Argentine debt is not sustainable, a meaningful contribution from private creditors is required

  

  An IMF team, led by Julie Kozack Deputy Director of the Western Hemisphere Department and Luis Cubeddu Mission chief for Argentina, visited Buenos Aires from February 12 to 19, 2020 to discuss the recent macroeconomic developments and learn more about the Argentine authorities’ economic plans and policies. At the conclusion of the staff visit, Ms Kozack and Mr Cubeddu issued the following statement:

• Thursday, February 20th 2020 - 09:00 UTC

  New Zealand die-off: half a million mussels “cooked” in the wild in unusually balmy waters

  

  Up to half a million mussels were effectively cooked in the wild in unusually balmy waters on the New Zealand coast in a massive “die-off” that marine experts have linked to climate change.

• Thursday, February 20th 2020 - 08:55 UTC

  Coronavirus “is our most pressing uncertainty...” for the global economy, admits IMF chief

  

  In the best-case scenario, the economic hit from the epidemic in China will be short-lived, but it comes as the global economy remains fragile, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday.

• Thursday, February 20th 2020 - 08:54 UTC

  World Bank aid to the neediest countries ended in offshore bank accounts, shows data from tax havens and BIS

  

  World Bank aid payments to the neediest countries appear to trigger money flows to offshore bank accounts, suggesting funds are siphoned off from the nations they are meant to help, according to a study published on Tuesday.