Irish cabinet to meet on Wednesday on Brexit developments
Ireland’s cabinet will meet on Wednesday at 0930 GMT to discuss developments on Brexit, a spokesman for Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said, after Britain reached a draft agreement with the European Union on the terms of its exit from the bloc.
Trump envoy urges Russia help free journalist Austin Tice held in Syria
A Trump administration envoy on Tuesday urged Syria’s ally Russia to push for the release of Austin Tice, an American freelance journalist kidnapped in Syria six years ago.
Sterling will rally sharply if there is a Brexit deal, says NEX Group’s Spencer
Michael Spencer, chief executive of Britain’s NEX Group, said on Tuesday he expected sterling to “rally quite sharply” if the Brexit deal was supported by parliament and cabinet.
Mattis backs NATO as France, Germany voice support for EU military
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday that NATO was the cornerstone for the protection of Europe even as France and Germany called for an integrated European Union military.
UK opposition parties demand ‘meaningful’ vote on Brexit deal
Britain’s main opposition parties have written to Prime Minister Theresa May demanding a “truly meaningful” parliamentary vote on its withdrawal from the EU, after the government agreed a draft Brexit text with the bloc.
DUP leader warns May her party could block Brexit deal
The small Northern Irish party propping up British Prime Minister Theresa May’s minority government warned her on Tuesday that it would oppose any Brexit deal which it believed undermined the union between Britain and Northern Ireland.
Brexit spells peril for UK Conservatives’ future, says former minister
Former minister Jo Johnson said that the future of Britain’s ruling Conservative Party would be in peril if Prime Minister Theresa May proceeded with Brexit, hours after Britain agreed the draft text for leaving the European Union.
New Zealand government plans to re-enter doomed Pike River mine to recover remains
New Zealand’s government said on Wednesday it was planning to re-enter the shuttered Pike River coal mine to try to recover the remains of 29 men who died there eight years ago in one of the country’s worse industrial disasters.
NATO looks to startups, disruptive tech to conquer emerging threats
NATO is developing new hi-tech tools, such as the ability to 3D-print parts for weapons and deliver them by drone, as it scrambles to retain a competitive edge over Russia, China and other would-be battlefield adversaries.
Bolsonaro picks army general as Brazil defense minister
Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro appointed retired army General Fernando Azevedo e Silva as defense minister on Tuesday, adding another former military officer to his cabinet while saying that a career foreign service officer may get the top di…
