Politics

• Thursday, March 1st 2018 - 09:46 UTC

  Two major US retailers announce restrictions on gun sales; Trump tells lawmakers they are petrified of NRA

  

  Two major US retailers have announced new restrictions on gun sales following the shooting at a Florida school where 17 people died. Dick's Sporting Goods, which has more than 600 shops, said it would no longer sell assault-style rifles, and backed “common sense gun reform”. Walmart later said it was raising the minimum age for anyone buying guns or ammunition to 21 years.

• Wednesday, February 28th 2018 - 10:08 UTC

  Falklands second commercial air link: “Avoid any Argentine flight connection”

  

  The recent statement entitled ‘Progress made towards establishing a second commercial Falkland Islands air link’ released by the Falkland Islands Government has met with a mixed reception in the Islands. While some have expressed favor others have reservations and questions.

• Wednesday, February 28th 2018 - 10:00 UTC

  Brazilian presidential hopeful would support privatization of Petrobras

  

  The governor of Sao Paulo and likely centrist presidential candidate Geraldo Alckmin said that he would privatize Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras if he wins the elections in October.

• Wednesday, February 28th 2018 - 09:56 UTC

  Menem forecasts Peronism will rise from the ashes and be government in 2019

  

  Former Argentine president Carlos Menem rated the government of Cristina Fernandez one, out of a scale of ten, and with a smile told a CNN interviewer that all Argentine governments had been exposed to corruption except his. He also anticipated that Peronism will “rise from the ashes” and return to government in 2019.

• Wednesday, February 28th 2018 - 09:46 UTC

  Conservative Putin ready to add another six years to his 18 in power

  

  By Gwynne Dyer
  
  Why wait another month to report on the Russian election (March 18th) when we can wrap it up right now? Vladimir Putin is going to win another six years in power by a landslide — probably between 60% and 70% of the popular vote. The real question is what happens after that, because he will be 72 by the end of his next term and will not legally be allowed to run for president again.

• Wednesday, February 28th 2018 - 09:41 UTC

  Brazil's Public Security minister takes office sacking the head of the Federal Police

  

  Fernando Segovia, the director general of Brazil's federal police which spearhead the country's sprawling corruption cases, was replaced on Tuesday, the press office of the newly created Public Security Ministry said in a statement.

• Wednesday, February 28th 2018 - 09:23 UTC

  North Ireland “hard border” controversy surfaces in in London and Brussels

  

  The British government has dismissed any prospect of a return to a “hard border” on the island of Ireland after Brexit. It followed the leak of a letter from Boris Johnson in which he appeared to contemplate future customs border checks after the UK leaves the EU.

• Tuesday, February 27th 2018 - 09:34 UTC

  Brexit: Corbyn proposes customs union with EU, but for Brussels it is “pure illusion”

  

  Britain should enter a new customs union with the European Union, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Monday, setting up a possible parliamentary defeat for Prime Minister Theresa May who has vowed to leave the arrangement after Brexit.

• Tuesday, February 27th 2018 - 09:30 UTC

  Venezuela Electoral Court admits it's not prepared to organize presidential and legislative on the same date

  

  The president of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), Tibisay Lucena, dismissed the idea of holding legislative elections on the same day as the presidential election scheduled for April 22, as the ruling party has proposed.

• Tuesday, February 27th 2018 - 09:05 UTC

  UK counter terrorism expert warns about far-right violent extremism

  

  The retiring head of counter-terrorism policing in the UK has warned of the growing threat of far-right terrorism. Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, who will retire from the Met Police next month, said four extreme-right terror plots were disrupted last year. Ten Islamist-inspired plots have been foiled since March last year, he added.