Political News
Carlos Ghosn escapes 'Japanese injustice', seeks refuge in Lebanon
Carlos Ghosn has fled Japan ahead of his trial on charges of financial misconduct during his period as renault-Nissan chairman and is seeking refuge in Lebanon.
Chinese factory sector growth steady in December, official PMI shows
China's manufacturing sector continued to expand at a steady pace at the end of 2019 with a gauge linked to new export orders revealing the first signs of growth since mid-2018.
Spain's PSOE and Podemos commit to partial roll-back of labour market reforms
Spain's Socialists (PSOE) and far-left Podemos party have unveiled the political programme that they intend to pursue if they garner the parliamentary support thay need to form a coalition government, including a roll-back of the previous government's labour market reforms, higher taxes on capital gains, and on those individuals in the highest personal income tax brackets.
UK High Street sheds over 140,000 jobs - CRR
UK high streets lost over 140,000 jobs in 2019 amid mass store closings among retailers, revealed the latest study from the Centre for Retail Research.
Business optimism in UK plumbs eight-year low
Optimism among small UK businesses plumbed an eight-year low in 2019 in the fourth quarter with Brexit, political uncertainty and slow growth all taking their toll, revealed a study on Monday.
Beijing will honour trade commitments, Chinese ambassador to US says
A top Chinese diplomat said Beijing would honour its commitments under the phase one trade deal that was soon to be signed between Beijing and Washington, even as he criticised talk of a new Cold War as "very irresponsible".
Carney warns firms must cut back on fossil fuel investments
Bank of England governor Mark Carney said all companies and financial institutions must justify their investment in fossil fuels and advised firms to cut down on them as assets in the sector could end up “worthless”.
US national security adviser warns UK about Huawei 5G tech
US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien warned the UK about allowing Huawei into its 5G tech networks claiming that it would pose a national security risk.
China expands list of products with reduced tariffs
Economic authorities in China unveiled tariff cuts at the start of the week in a bid to bolster domestic demand and further open up its economy.
Emails show Trump blocked aid to Ukraine after phone call with Zelenskiy
Newly-released government emails show Pentagon officials froze military aid for Ukraine 90 minutes after a controversial phone call last July between the US President, Donald Trump, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
MPs urge government to improve defence funding over floods
MPs from areas affected by the floods have called on the UK government to increase the funding available for flood defences and emergency response units, the Guardian reported on Monday.
China praises Macau and says won't allow foreign forces to act in HK
President Xi Jinping said on Friday that China would never allow foreign forces to interfere with its special regions of Hong Kong and Macau, praising the latter for its patriotism.
Heathrow's third runway to be delayed 12 months
Heathrow airport has said that the construction of its third runway will be delayed for at least 12 months after the Civil Aviation Authority denied its requests to quadruple spending.
Trump demands immediate impeachment trial
US President Donald Trump has called for an “immediate” Senate impeachment trial as Democrats and Republicans reached an impasse over when it should start.
EU top court rules Catalan separatist had immunity when jailed
The European Union's top court has ruled that Catalan separatist leader Oriol Junqueras had immunity as an MEP when he was jailed last October, and has prompted calls for his immediate release.
Nicola Sturgeon requests fresh independence referendum
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she had formally requested another independence referendum in a letter to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday.
Trump impeached by House of Representatives
Donald Trump became only the third US President to be impeached as members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening approved the two articles charging him.
Trump lashes out at Pelosi and Democrats ahead of impeachment vote
Trump lashed out at Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats who are calling for his impeachment ahead of the vote on Wednesday.
China and Russia suggest lifting UN sanctions on N.Korea
China and Russia proposed late on Monday that the UN Security Council lift some of its sanctions on North Korea, risking heightened tensions with Washington, a draft seen by Reuters on Tuesday revealed.
Hong Kong suffers $5bn of capital outflows due to protests, BoE says
Hong Kong has seen as much as $5bn of capital flee from the Asian financial hub since April in the wake of recent political unrest and the ongoing protests, said the Bank of England on Tuesday.