Politics

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:53 UTC

  Chilean Justice makes history: Six people sentenced for the murder of ex-president Eduardo Frei Montalva

  

  Six people were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on Wednesday for the 1982 death of former President Eduardo Frei Montalva, marking a historic ruling in the highest profile murder case from Gen. Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:40 UTC

  Humanitarian aid to Venezuela caught in a divided UN Security Council

  

  Three days after proclaiming himself Venezuela’s head of state, Juan Guaidó wrote to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asking for help in tackling the country’s urgent humanitarian crisis.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:33 UTC

  Irish backstop is “part and parcel” of the UK's Brexit deal and stands as it is

  

  The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier says the Irish backstop is “part and parcel” of the UK's Brexit deal and will not be renegotiated. Speaking at the European Parliament, Mr Barnier said it was a “realistic solution” to preventing a hard border.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:30 UTC

  UK car industry on “red alert”: Brexit uncertainty had done enormous damage

  

  Investment in the UK car sector almost halved last year and output tumbled as Brexit fears put firms on “red alert”, the industry's trade body said. Inward investment fell 46.5% to £588.6m last year from £1.1bn in 2017, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:28 UTC

  Barclays is transferring €190bn of assets from London to Dublin

  

  Barclays is moving €190bn (£166bn) of assets to Dublin because it “cannot wait any longer” to implement its Brexit contingency plan. The High Court, which has approved the move, says the move involves 5,000 clients. However, few jobs in London are expected to be affected.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:25 UTC

  Washington warns traders not to deal with gold or oil “stolen from the Venezuelan people”

  

  The White House warned traders on Wednesday not to deal in Venezuelan gold or oil following its imposition of stiff sanctions aimed at forcing socialist President Nicolas Maduro from power.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:22 UTC

  German economy threatened by a chaotic Brexit, warns Berlin's economy minister

  

  The clouds darkened over Europe's slowing economy on Wednesday as the German government slashed its growth forecast and said concerns about a chaotic Brexit and trade tensions were holding back the continent's powerhouse. Germany's Economy Ministry said Wednesday it was cutting its 2018 forecast to 1% from 1.8% in its previous outlook issued last fall.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:18 UTC

  Poland and Germany inclined to strike a renewed Brexit deal with Britain

  

  The Polish Prime Minister and senior German politicians have urged Brussels to strike a Brexit deal with Britain in the first sign of divisions within the European Union over its blanket opposition to offering fresh concessions to Theresa May.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:15 UTC

  Federal Reserve adopts “wait and see” policy. Economy facing contradictory picture of crosscurrents, says Powell

  

  The Federal Reserve on Wednesday signaled its three-year-drive to tighten monetary policy may be at an end amid a suddenly cloudy outlook for the U.S. economy due to global headwinds and impasses over trade and government budget negotiations.

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:11 UTC

  Juan Guaidó: Venezuelans, Strength Is in Unity

  

  To end the Maduro regime with the minimum of bloodshed, we need the support of pro-democratic governments, institutions and individuals the world over.