Politics

• Friday, September 14th 2018 - 08:42 UTC

  US comes out strongly in support of Taipei in its influence policy dispute with Beijing

  

  The State Department announced last week that it would temporarily recall U.S. ambassadors to the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Panama for consultations in Washington. The meetings will focus on recent decisions by Latin American countries to no longer recognize Taiwan and ways the U.S. can “support strong. independent, democratic institutions and economies throughout Central America and the Caribbean”

• Friday, September 14th 2018 - 08:37 UTC

  BoE and European central bank keep rates unchanged; Turkey hikes 625 points to 24%

  

  Stocks in Europe reversed earlier gains by Thursday's close to finish lower, as investors digested fresh news out of the central banking sphere. The pan-European STOXX 600 closed down 0.15%, with the majority of sectors falling into negative territory. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 slipped 0.43% by the close, while France's CAC 40 ended a touch lower, off 0.08%, and Germany's DAX rose 0.19%.

• Friday, September 14th 2018 - 08:28 UTC

  Support for Brazilian proposal to safeguard whales in perpetuity: Japan and allies furious

  

  Tempers flared at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) on Thursday as it voted to back a Brazilian proposal which would safeguard whales in perpetuity, after a bitter debate. The biennial meeting of the 89-nation body passed the host country's “Florianopolis Declaration” which sees whaling as no longer being a necessary economic activity.

• Friday, September 14th 2018 - 08:22 UTC

  Governor Carney warns of economic chaos and property crash in a no-deal Brexit

  

  Bank of England governor Mark Carney has delivered a “chilling” warning to Theresa May’s cabinet that a no-deal Brexit could lead to economic chaos, including a property crash that could see house prices fall by a third.

• Thursday, September 13th 2018 - 10:39 UTC

  IMF team in Buenos Aires for talks on the standby loan package

  

  Officials from the International Monetary Fund are in Argentina as part of talks to strengthen and accelerate a crisis loan package, the global lender said Wednesday. The IMF and Buenos Aires agreed in June on a three-year, US$50 billion rescue lending programme but Argentina has since asked for a more rapid disbursement.

• Thursday, September 13th 2018 - 10:34 UTC

  Argentine labor unions and social groups protest austerity measures in Buenos Aires City

  

  Labor unions and social groups blocked streets in downtown Buenos Aires on Wednesday, with more marches planned over the days ahead over austerity measures proposed by the government and backed by the International Monetary Fund. Protesters are angry about the belt-tightening policies, which are cutting services to low-income Argentines already walloped by inflation of 31 percent and climbing.

• Thursday, September 13th 2018 - 10:22 UTC

  Brazilian presidential candidate Bolsonaro undergoes emergency surgery

  

  Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro underwent emergency surgery on Wednesday evening, according to a medical report released by the hospital caring for him.

• Thursday, September 13th 2018 - 10:17 UTC

  Piñera recalls that in September 1973 Chilean democracy was weakened and sick

  

  The president of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, has said that at the time of the overthrow of the Salvador Allende government in 1973, Chilean democracy was sick and that the crisis of the country was unsustainable.

• Thursday, September 13th 2018 - 10:10 UTC

  Ciro Gomes pledges to de-concentrate Brazil's banks, and to help 63 million listed as delinquent debtors

  

  Center-left populist presidential candidate Ciro Gomes vowed on Wednesday to reduce concentration in Brazil's banking sector if elected in October, warning that he would open the sector up to more foreign competition if necessary.

• Thursday, September 13th 2018 - 10:04 UTC

  Plot to oust PM May withers, but big challenge anticipated at Tory conference in Birmingham

  

  British Prime Minister Theresa May seems to have overcome an internal escalation from her own Conservatives to have her removed, but her supporters are confident she is safe in the leadership, for now. Ms May is under pressure over the so-called Chequers proposal, which her opponents say binds the United Kingdom too tightly to European Union rules and regulations following Brexit.