Politics

Friday, November 15th 2019 - 09:42 UTC
BRICS summit condemns protectionism and pledges to overcome challenges faced by multilateralism

Five of the biggest emerging economies railed against protectionism on Thursday as they vowed to overcome “significant challenges” facing multilateralism, in a swipe at US tariffs and unilateral action.
Friday, November 15th 2019 - 09:30 UTC
UN chief Guterres sends Personal Envoy Jean Arnault to Bolivia

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres announced on Thursday that he ha appointed a Personal Envoy who would be travelling to Bolivia to offer support to national leaders, following the departure of former president Evo Morales.
Friday, November 15th 2019 - 09:30 UTC
US/UK scientific team on major mission to the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica

Nearly 100 scientists and support staff departed this week for the most ambitious mission to date for Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica.
Friday, November 15th 2019 - 09:29 UTC
Brazil discussing a trade deal with Beijing; Chinese company planning US$ 1bn investment in port

President Jair Bolsonaro and Economy Minister Paulo Guedes want to strengthen trade relations with China. Guedes said the creation of a free trade area between the two countries is under negotiation.
Friday, November 15th 2019 - 09:25 UTC
State of emergency for Venice, while tourists still enjoy the “acqua alta”

Italy on Thursday declared a state of emergency for Venice after an exceptional tide surged through churches, shops and homes, causing millions of euros worth of damage to the UNESCO city.
Friday, November 15th 2019 - 09:21 UTC
Ex Catalan minister hands herself in at a police station in Edinburgh, before a court appearance

Former Catalan minister Clara Ponsati, wanted in Spain for her role in the region's unilateral bid for independence in 2017, was arrested by Scottish police on Thursday.
Friday, November 15th 2019 - 08:56 UTC
Tories leading in opinion polls, but Johnson is having a rough time with crowds

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled a planned campaign visit to a bakery in southwest England on Thursday after protesters gathered outside, the BBC reported.
Friday, November 15th 2019 - 08:51 UTC
ICC will investigate alleged Rohingya genocide, following on case filed in Argentina

The International Criminal Court on Thursday approved a full investigation into Myanmar's alleged crimes against the Rohingya, as the southeast Asian nation faced mounting legal pressure worldwide over their fate.
Thursday, November 14th 2019 - 18:30 UTC
As populism advances, beware of the Polish secret

By Gwynne Dyer – There is a tension at the heart of populist political parties that may ultimately lead most of them to electoral defeat. They depend heavily on the votes of the old, the poor and the poorly educated — “I love the poorly educated,” as Donald Trump once put it — but they are also right-wing parties that do not like what they call “socialism.” (Other people call it the welfare state.)
Thursday, November 14th 2019 - 18:23 UTC
OECD report warns about the middle class “squeezed by the ultra rich”

Middle-class families are seeing their incomes stagnating as they are squeezed by the ultra-rich taking a bigger slice, says an international report from the OECD economics think tank.