Politics

• Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 09:05 UTC

  Trump frustrated: US trade deficit soars to a 10-year high

  

  The US trade gap with the rest of the world jumped to a 10-year high of US$ 621bn last year, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump's deficit reduction plan. The trade deficit is the difference between how much goods and services the US imports from other countries and how much it exports.

• Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 08:48 UTC

  Bolsonaro points to Carnival excesses and triggers Twitter controversy

  

  Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has provoked controversy by posting an obscene video of two revelers at Carnival, saying he wanted to reveal the truth about the festival. The clip posted on Twitter shows two men engaging in sex acts on top of a taxi shelter during a street party.

• Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 08:32 UTC

  Huawei files a lawsuit against the US government for banning purchase of its products

  

  Huawei has filed a lawsuit against the US government over a ban that restricts government agencies from using its products. In a statement, the firm said the US Congress has “failed to produce any evidence to support its restrictions”.

• Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 08:24 UTC

  Another challenge for PM May: Lords vote to negotiate a customs union with EU

  

  Britain's House of Lords passed an amendment on Wednesday calling for the government to negotiate a customs union with the European Union, giving Prime Minister Theresa May a potential new headache in her Brexit plans.

• Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 05:39 UTC

  Venezuelan regime of Maduro expels German ambassador

  

  Venezuela's government expelled the German ambassador on Wednesday as embattled President Nicolas Maduro cracks down on a challenge to his rule. Ambassador Daniel Kriener was expelled two days after he and diplomats from other embassies welcomed home opposition leader Juan Guaido at the Caracas airport.

• Thursday, March 7th 2019 - 05:26 UTC

  EU has urged to table fresh Brexit proposals within the next 48 hours

  

  The UK has been urged to table fresh proposals within the next 48 hours to break the Brexit impasse. EU officials said they would work non-stop over the weekend if “acceptable” ideas were received by Friday to break the deadlock over the Irish backstop.

• Wednesday, March 6th 2019 - 10:30 UTC

  Guaido talks to public sector unions to stage strikes and held bring down Maduro

  

  Opposition leader Juan Guaido held talks with Venezuela’s public sector unions on Tuesday about staging strikes to help bring down the government, as President Nicolas Maduro said a “crazed minority” bent on destabilizing the country would be defeated.

• Wednesday, March 6th 2019 - 09:20 UTC

  Theresa May's “Stronger Towns Fund” described by Labour as “Brexit bribery”

  

  British Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday, March 11 set out plans for a £1.6 billion (US$2.11 billion) fund to help to boost economic growth in Brexit-supporting communities with ministers denying it was a bribe to win support for her EU exit deal.

• Wednesday, March 6th 2019 - 09:00 UTC

  Northern Ireland warns of “grave” consequences of a no-deal Brexit

  

  Northern Ireland's chief civil servant has warned a no-deal Brexit could have “grave” consequences for the region. In a letter to Stormont's political parties, David Sterling comes close to suggesting there may have to be some hardening of the Irish border.

• Wednesday, March 6th 2019 - 08:20 UTC

  China's National Congress told the economy faces a “tough struggle ahead”

  

  China's number two leader Li Keqiang has warned the country faces “a tough struggle,” as he laid out plans to prop up the world's second-largest economy. Opening the annual session of China's parliament, he forecast a slower growth of 6% - 6.5% this year, down from a target of around 6.5% in 2018.