Politics

• Saturday, March 16th 2019 - 09:21 UTC

  Venezuelan continued oil fallout presents a challenge for global markets, says IEA

  

  A major advisor to energy producing nations has suggested that the continued fallout from Venezuela could present a “challenge” for global oil markets. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that crude supplies from Venezuela are at risk of falling sharply in the midst of an electricity crisis which has paralyzed the country recently.

• Saturday, March 16th 2019 - 09:18 UTC

  Mexican border wall: Trump “proudly” signs veto to secure emergency funds

  

  Donald Trump signed the first veto of his presidency on Friday, overriding congressional opposition to secure emergency funds to build more walls on the US-Mexico border. Trump declared in the Oval Office that he was “proud” to sign the veto.

• Saturday, March 16th 2019 - 08:49 UTC

  Classroom emptied as students in the world demand action on climate change: “you're destroying our future”

  

  Hundreds of thousands of young people skipped school across the globe on Friday, 15 March to march through the streets for an international day of student protests aimed at pushing world leaders into action on climate change.

• Friday, March 15th 2019 - 10:30 UTC

  Sponsored by US, Brazil is to become “a major non-Nato ally”

  

  The United States will strengthen military ties with Brazil to a level usually reserved for NATO allies during President Jair Bolsonaro's visit to Washington next week, boosting growing cooperation between the Americas' two largest militaries, Brazilian government officials said on Thursday.

• Friday, March 15th 2019 - 10:10 UTC

  Carnage in two mosques in New Zealand: 49 killed, tens wounded by terrorists

  

  Forty-nine people have been killed and at least 20 wounded in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described one alleged gunman, who had Australian citizenship, as an “extremist, right-wing” terrorist.

• Friday, March 15th 2019 - 09:21 UTC

  US considering banning Visa and Mastercard transactions in Venezuela

  

  The United States is considering imposing financial sanctions that could prohibit Visa, Mastercard and other financial institutions from processing transactions in Venezuela, a senior Trump administration official said on Thursday. The move, which has not been finalized, would represent another step in tightening the financial noose on the government of President Nicolas Maduro and his supporters.

• Friday, March 15th 2019 - 09:04 UTC

  China approves foreign investment law hopefully to improve relations with US

  

  China's rubber-stamp parliament approved a foreign investment law on Friday that was fast-tracked and may serve as an olive branch in trade talks with the United States. The legislation aims to address long-running grievances from foreign businesses, but the US and European chambers of commerce have voiced concerns that they were not given enough time to give their input.

• Friday, March 15th 2019 - 08:57 UTC

  Connecticut court rules families can sue Remington gun maker for killings of school children

  

  A Connecticut court has ruled that families of schoolchildren killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting can sue American gun-maker Remington. In a 5-4 vote, the US state's Supreme Court said the lawsuit could proceed on the basis of state consumer protection laws.

• Friday, March 15th 2019 - 08:48 UTC

  Argentine inflation in February, 3.8% and 51% in twelve months; central bank new measures

  

  Argentina’s stubbornly high inflation accelerated again in February, the government said on Thursday, sparking the central bank chief to pledge new measures to rein in rising prices that have dogged the South American economy over the last year.

• Friday, March 15th 2019 - 08:38 UTC

  EU open to granting UK a long extension, but some member countries demand certain conditions

  

  European Council President Donald Tusk has said he will appeal to EU leaders “to be open to a long extension” of the Brexit deadline, if the UK needs to rethink its strategy and get consensus. His intervention came as UK MPs voted to seek a delay of the 29 March deadline to leave the EU. EU leaders meet in Brussels on 21 March and they would have the final say.