Politics

• Tuesday, July 31st 2018 - 14:20 UTC

  “Some children in UK start school unable to speak in full sentences or read simple words”, claims Education Secretary

  

  Britain's Education Secretary Damian Hinds says it is a “scandal” that some children still start school unable to speak in full sentences or read simple words. Children who start school behind their peers rarely catch up - “the gap just widens”, Hinds will say in a speech pledging halve the number of pupils starting school behind in early talking and reading skills by 2028.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2018 - 10:26 UTC

  BRICS' leaders support Argentina's economic strategy, claims president Macri

  

  Leaders from the BRICS bloc of emerging economies share a “positive outlook” on Argentina's embattled economy, President Mauricio Macri said on Monday. Macri added that leaders from BRICS members - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - meeting in Johannesburg for the July 25-27 summit also expressed their support for the Argentine government's economic strategy.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2018 - 08:29 UTC

  Taiwan president will attend inauguration of Paraguay's Mario Abdo Benitez

  

  President Tsai Ing-wen will visit two of Taiwan's diplomatic allies, Paraguay and Belize, Aug. 12-20, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Maria Liu said on Monday. On the trip, Tsai will make transit stops in the United States - in Los Angeles on first leg and in Houston on the return journey, Liu said.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2018 - 08:12 UTC

  Argentina and Spain sign fisheries MoU to promote conservation and management of straddling species

  

  Argentina and Spain have signed a fisheries and aquaculture bilateral cooperation Memorandum of Understanding. The MoU was stamped in Buenos Aires during the recent G20 Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries ministerial meeting by Argentina's Luis Miguel Etchevehere and Spain's Luis Planas.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2018 - 07:31 UTC

  Trump ready to meet Iran leaders “anytime they want” and “no preconditions”

  

  United States president Donald Trump declared on Monday that he would meet Iran's leaders “anytime they want,” an invitation for face-to-face dialogue with a country he had appeared to threaten with war only days before and an affirmation of Trump's faith in his brand of personal diplomacy.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2018 - 07:20 UTC

  “Rethink devolution” as a result of Brexit, Westminster and Scotland coincide

  

  The UK government “must rethink devolution” as a result of Brexit, a group of MPs have recommended. The process of leaving the EU has sparked a series of clashes between UK government ministers and their counterparts in Scotland and Wales.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2018 - 07:00 UTC

  Venezuela scarce gasoline will be sold only to the politically loyal

  

  Venezuela is taking steps to direct dwindling motor fuel to politically loyal vehicle owners. President Nicolas Maduro ordered a national census on 3-5 August to determine how many vehicle owners possess a homeland identity card, a document created in first quarter 2017 to strengthen the government's social and political surveillance capabilities.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2018 - 06:52 UTC

  UK embassy in Guatemala holds forum on Illegal Wildlife Trade

  

  The British Embassy in Guatemala hosted a forum bringing together local partners in the fight against the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT). Over the past decade, IWT has become a serious criminal industry fuelled by corruption, which has damaged economic growth and sustainable development, undermined good governance and the rule of law across the world, including here in Guatemala.

• Monday, July 30th 2018 - 14:29 UTC

  “Immediate beginning” of trade negotiations with EU, announces Trump's chief economic advisor

  

  President Trump's chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow says that trade negotiations with the European Union are set to begin “immediately” following a meeting between Mr. Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. The two agreed to work toward “zero” tariffs and hold off on additional tariffs at the meeting at the White House on Thursday.

• Monday, July 30th 2018 - 12:38 UTC

  Thomas Cook will stop selling tickets for Sea World and Loro Parque

  

  Global tour giant Thomas Cook says it will stop selling tickets to “any animal attractions that keep orcas in captivity”. That means marine parks like Sea World in Florida and Loro Parque in Tenerife will be dropped next year.