Politics

Wednesday, January 9th 2019 - 08:39 UTC
ExxonMobil resumes exploratory drilling off Guyana; first FPSO expected at the end of the year

US energy company ExxonMobil has started drilling one of two new exploration wells offshore Guyana. It’s the first of two wells to be drilled this month. The world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas company said in a statement that the Stena Carron drillship is drilling the Haimara-1 well, located 19 miles east of the Pluma-1 discovery in the southeast Stabroek Block.
Wednesday, January 9th 2019 - 08:37 UTC
Ireland extends a friendly hand to embattled PM May's government

Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister has said the country will not stand in the way if the British Government asks for an extension to Article 50. Simon Coveney said they want to avoid a no-deal Brexit scenario as “everyone loses”.
Wednesday, January 9th 2019 - 08:31 UTC
20-year old student confesses to hacking data of hundreds of high-profile Germans

A 20-year-old man has made a “comprehensive” confession that he was behind a data breach affecting hundreds of high-profile Germans, police say. Styling himself “G0d”, he published private information about politicians, journalists, and celebrities on Twitter, under the username @_0rbit.
Wednesday, January 9th 2019 - 08:30 UTC
Government shutdown persists as Trump and Democrats clash over US/Mexican border wall funding

United States president Donald Trump has demanded funding for his long-promised US-Mexico border wall to halt “a growing humanitarian and security crisis”. But in his first TV address to the nation from the Oval Office, Mr Trump did not declare a national emergency to bypass Congress and build the barrier.
Wednesday, January 9th 2019 - 08:26 UTC
EU claims Trump administration has downgraded the block's diplomatic status

EU says the US government has changed the bloc's diplomatic status in Washington, in practice downgrading it. The Trump administration did not notify the EU about the change. The EU has asked the US to explain the move, EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic says.
Tuesday, January 8th 2019 - 09:28 UTC
Brazilian government and Petrobras in dispute over billions of dollars

Brazil’s Economy Ministry denied that the government would pay US$ 14 billion to state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA to settle a dispute over an oil-producing zone off the Brazilian coast known as the transfer-of-rights area.
Tuesday, January 8th 2019 - 09:25 UTC
US taxpayers will receive refunds, pledges Trump despite government shutdown

Millions of US taxpayers will still receive refunds despite an ongoing partial government shutdown, the White House has said. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has previously delayed tax refunds during a government shutdown.
Tuesday, January 8th 2019 - 09:21 UTC
France plans hooligan-type legislation to crackdown “yellow vest” violent protests

France plans to introduce legislation to toughen sanctions on undeclared protests in response to violent “yellow-vest” demonstrations, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Monday in a hardening of the government’s stance on the unrest.
Tuesday, January 8th 2019 - 08:46 UTC
Sao Paulo Shimbun, Japanese community voice in Brazil, printed its last edition

The Sao Paulo Shimbun newspaper has printed its final edition, ending a 72-year run as a vital reference point and voice for Brazil’s several million Japanese community — the largest in the world outside of Japan.
Tuesday, January 8th 2019 - 08:42 UTC
First Minister Sturgeon: Brexit has strengthened the case for Scottish independence

Brexit has “materially strengthened” the case for Scottish independence, Nicola Sturgeon has said. The First Minister said Scotland’s interests are being “completely ignored and sidelined” and that what has happened in the last two years has reinforced the case for it to leave the UK.