International

Thursday, January 9th 2020 - 09:55 UTC
UK and EU will remain the “best of friends”, but it is impossible to reach a trade deal by the end of 2020, EC president

UK and the EU will remain the “best of friends” but they will “not be as close as before” after Brexit, the new European Commission president has said. Speaking ahead of talks with the PM, Ursula von der Leyen warned it would be “impossible” to reach a comprehensive trade deal by the end of 2020.
Thursday, January 9th 2020 - 09:54 UTC
Western intelligence believe the Ukrainian airliner that crashed in Iran was not a missile target

The initial assessment of Western intelligence agencies is that a Ukrainian airliner which crashed in Iran on Wednesday was not brought down by a missile, said a Canadian security source. The source said the agencies believed the Boeing 737 plane had suffered a technical malfunction.
Thursday, January 9th 2020 - 09:50 UTC
Italian cities combat harmful emissions and smog by curbing traffic

More than a dozen cities and towns across Italy introduced traffic curbs on Wednesday in a bid to cut harmful emissions following a spike in pollution. A prolonged period of sunny weather with little rain or wind has pushed up air pollution across the country, triggering smog alerts in more than 60 municipalities.
Thursday, January 9th 2020 - 09:50 UTC
Lebanese prosecution summons fugitive auto tycoon Ghosn; a visit to Israel could complicate his status

A Lebanese prosecutor said on Wednesday he was summoning former auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn regarding an Interpol “red notice” over financial misconduct charges in Japan, state media reported.
Thursday, January 9th 2020 - 09:49 UTC
Brazil after other markets if US and China agree on farm deal, mainly soybeans

Brazil could lose some recent gains it made in the global soy market during the US-China trade war if those two countries reach a deal to end their dispute, a Brazilian Agriculture Ministry official said on Wednesday.
Thursday, January 9th 2020 - 09:30 UTC
Pope Francis kisses nun, as long “as you stay calm and don't bite”

Pope Francis, who last month angrily slapped the hand of a woman who yanked him towards her, gave a light-hearted reaction more typical of his papacy on Wednesday when a nun asked him for a kiss. He said yes, although only after she promised not to bite him.
Thursday, January 9th 2020 - 09:22 UTC
WHO growing concern with a possible new coronavirus outbreak in China

A cluster of more than 50 pneumonia cases in the central Chinese city of Wuhan may be due to a newly emerging member of the family of viruses that caused the deadly SARS and MERS outbreaks, World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
Thursday, January 9th 2020 - 09:17 UTC
US has reestablished some deterrence toward Iran, Pentagon chief

United States Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Wednesday that the United States has reestablished some deterrence toward Iran in the wake of the Jan 3 drone strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.
Thursday, January 9th 2020 - 09:11 UTC
Teheran says it has full respect for the independence and sovereignty of Iraq

Iran said on Wednesday it respects Iraq's territorial integrity, after firing missiles at Iraqi bases housing US troops. The early Wednesday strike led Iraq to say it would summon the Iranian ambassador.
Thursday, January 9th 2020 - 08:48 UTC
Something smells rotten in Maputo: Russian bank suing Mozambique over US$ 2bn in loans

Russian bank VTB is suing a Mozambique state-owned company over US$ 535 million it extended as part a series of loans now at the centre of a US$ 2 billion debt scandal. An online court filing dated Dec. 23 shows VTB has lodged a lawsuit in Britain’s High court against the Mozambique state and Mozambique Asset Management, which borrowed the money from VTB as part of a costly project that U.S. authorities say was an elaborate front for a bribery and kickback scheme.