Politics

• Thursday, May 23rd 2019 - 09:54 UTC

  Nicaragua national strike to pressure the Ortega regime to release political prisoners

  

  Nicaragua's opposition on Wednesday called a 24-hour general strike to increase pressure on the government of President Daniel Ortega to release prisoners as agreed in peace talks between the two sides.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2019 - 09:45 UTC

  Countdown week for PM May; leader of the House resigns unconvinced of fourth Brexit deal proposal

  

  Prominent Brexit supporter Andrea Leadsom resigned from Prime Minister Theresa May's government on Wednesday, piling pressure on the British leader after a new Brexit gambit backfired and fuelled calls for her to quit.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2019 - 09:44 UTC

  Iran's Supreme Leader announces the demise or Israel and US civilization

  

  Iran's youth will witness the demise of Israel and American civilization, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday in comments published on his official website.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2019 - 09:43 UTC

  Brazil's Prosecutor suing major tobacco companies for health costs derived from smoking

  

  Brazil's solicitor general's office is suing the world's largest cigarette makers British American Tobacco Plc and Philip Morris International to recover the public health treatment costs of tobacco-related diseases over the last five years. The office, known as the AGU, announced the landmark lawsuit late on Tuesday against the two multinational companies and their Brazilian subsidiaries.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2019 - 09:04 UTC

  British Steel and 25.000 jobs on the brink: waiting for government life line

  

  British Steel, the country’s second-largest steel producer, is on the brink of collapse unless the government agrees to provide an emergency 30 million pound (US$ 38 million) loan, two sources close to the situation said.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2019 - 08:59 UTC

  England's to ban plastic straws, cotton buds and drink stirrers by April 2020

  

  Plastic straws, drinks stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds will be banned in England from April 2020, British Environment Secretary Michael Gove said on Wednesday.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2019 - 08:49 UTC

  President Xi tells China to prepare for increasingly complex and difficult times

  

  China must prepare for difficult times as the international situation is increasingly complex, President Xi Jinping said in comments carried by state media on Wednesday, as the country faces increased tariffs in a bitter trade war with Washington.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2019 - 08:18 UTC

  At least a month before US imposes more tariffs on US$ 300bn of Chinese products

  

  The United States is at least a month from enacting its proposed tariffs on US$ 300 billion in Chinese imports as it studies the impact on US consumers, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Wednesday.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2019 - 06:30 UTC

  May 20 has become Bee Day in recognition for this outstanding pollinator

  

  For centuries, bees have labored the world’s fields without gaining much recognition for their contributions to food production and biodiversity. Pollinators such as bees, birds and bats, affect 35% of the world's crop production, increasing outputs of 87 of the leading food crops worldwide, plus many plant-derived medicines.

• Tuesday, May 21st 2019 - 13:52 UTC

  Brazil's e-visa program helped to make 2018 a record year for tourism

  

  The introduction of Brazil's e-visa program last year led to a record 2018 for tourism in the country, according to the latest statistics from Brazil Tourism.