International

Saturday, December 28th 2019 - 09:52 UTC
UK accused of “crimes against humanity” for not allowing people to return to Chagos islands, their ancestral home

The UK has been accused of committing “crimes against humanity” for refusing to allow people to return to their former homes on the Chagos Islands, despite a ruling earlier this year by the United Nation's highest court.
Saturday, December 28th 2019 - 09:49 UTC
Uruguayan navy seizes record haul of 4.4 tons of cocaine in the port of Montevideo

Uruguayan authorities seized a record haul of 4.4 tons of cocaine at the port of Montevideo in what the navy described on Friday as “the biggest blow to drug trafficking in the country's history.”
Saturday, December 28th 2019 - 09:39 UTC
China's top pig producing province pledges to grow 60 million hogs in 2020

China's top pig producer Sichuan province pledged to produce 60 million hogs in 2020, around levels in previous years, state media reported on Friday, after a deadly pig disease decimated the country's massive pig herd.
Saturday, December 28th 2019 - 09:36 UTC
Fires in Australia threaten the water infrastructure that supplies Sydney

Australian authorities said on Friday that they are focused on protecting water plants, pumping stations, pipes and other infrastructure from intense bushfires surrounding Sydney, the country's largest city. Firefighters battling the blazes for weeks received a reprieve of slightly cooler, damper conditions over Christmas, but the respite is not expected to last long.
Saturday, December 28th 2019 - 09:32 UTC
Defrocked US cardinal paid for silence from Vatican officials, Washington Post reports

A US cardinal gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to powerful Catholic clerics including two popes while facing accusations of sexual harassment, The Washington Post reported on Friday.
Saturday, December 28th 2019 - 09:22 UTC
French transport strike enters fourth week with unions pledging to press on

The head of a hard-line French trade union on Friday vowed to press on with a crippling strike that has cast a shadow over Christmas celebrations, with the stoppages entering a fourth week and becoming the longest-lasting such action since the 1980s.
Friday, December 27th 2019 - 09:54 UTC
Mexico/Bolivia spat over embassy security ring: both sides willing to take the case to The Hague

Mexico's government said on Thursday it was appealing to the International Court of Justice to ensure its diplomatic facilities were respected in Bolivia following its decision to grant asylum to nine people there.
Friday, December 27th 2019 - 09:35 UTC
Top EU official writes a “love letter” to Britain, stressing “you will always be welcome to come back”

A top Brussels official has written a “love letter” to Britain expressing his grief at its decision to leave the European Union - and stressing it was always welcome back.
Friday, December 27th 2019 - 09:30 UTC
Scottish salmon producer defends his brand by going after the illegal food trade with forensic science

A high-end Scottish salmon producer is taking on the illegal food fraud trade with forensic science, ahead of a big push into the United States. Loch Duart has used the technology to launch sting operations on outlets suspected of selling inferior fish, falsely bearing the company's brand.
Friday, December 27th 2019 - 09:20 UTC
World's largest river cruise vessel to be launched in 2020 on the Yangtze River

The world's largest river cruise ship will launch spring of 2020 on China's Yangtze River, according to its maker Victoria Cruise Lines. The ship, named Victoria Sabrina, is operated by the New York-based Victoria Cruises and was created in conjunction with nine research and design firms, according to Victoria Cruises.