Category: World
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Joint Press Release following the 21st meeting of the European Union-Sri Lanka Joint Commission The 21st meeting of the European Union-Sri Lanka Joint Commission took place in Colombo on 18 January 2018. The European Union-Sri Lanka Joint Commission oversees the 1995 EU-Sri Lanka Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development. Its tasks include ensuring the implementation […]
French President Macron outlines ambitious five-year plan
July 05, 2017 (LBO) – France’s President Emmanuel Macron, in a rare joint session of the French Parliament at Versailles, outlined his five-year plan for the European nation Monday, touching on the public’s thirst for change and humane treatment of refugees. Macron stunned traditional parties on both the right and the left, running under the […]
Opinion: Despite Trump-Modi bonhomie, Indo-US economic relations in doldrums
By P.K.Balachandran Despite words signifying undying friendship and bear hugs, which marked President Donald Trump’s interaction with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington on Monday, economic relations between the United States and India seem destined to remain in the doldrums indefinitely. While there was a strong understanding on cooperation to tackle terrorism and on […]
Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, YouTube in forum to counter terrorism
June 27, 2017 (LBO) – Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube announced Monday the formation of a ‘Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.’ The companies in a joint statement said the forum “will help us continue to make our hosted consumer services hostile to terrorists and violent extremists.” The forum builds on the EU Internet Forum […]
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar
June 05, 2017 (LBO) – Saudi Arabia broke diplomatic relations and all land sea and air contacts with fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar on Monday, saying the move was necessary to protect the kingdom from what it described as terrorism and extremism. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt also cut ties with Qatar […]
Dutch elections next week to have implications for EU
Mar 09, 2017 (LBO) – The Dutch will vote in a general election next week that will focus the world’s attention on trends in populism and the future of the European Union. The election on March 15 is a dead heat between Geert Wilders, leader of the populist Party of Freedom (PVV), and Prime Minister […]
IMF worried about elections in Europe, populist candidates
Feb 13, 2017 (LBO) – International Monetary Fund’s chief Christine Lagarde says elections in several countries in Europe, in the context of support for populist parties, is a cause for concern. Germany, France and the Netherlands will hold elections in coming months which may raise questions about the future of the European Union. “I am […]
Trump dumps top lawyer who defied immigration order
Jan 31, 2017 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump fired top federal government lawyer Sally Yates on Monday after she took the extraordinarily rare step of defying the White House and refused to defend new travel restrictions targeting seven Muslim-majority nations. It was another dramatic twist in the unusually raucous roll-out of Trump’s directive that […]
Toyota relinquishes top global sales spot to Volkswagen in 2016
Jan 30, 2017 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp’s four-year run as the world’s top-selling automaker has ended as the Japanese company said on Monday its global sales for 2016 fell short of Volkswagen AG’s. Toyota said global sales across its Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu minicar and Hino Motors Ltd truck brands rose 0. 2 percent to […]
Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th US president: VIDEO
Jan 20, 2017 (Reuters) – Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, succeeding Barack Obama and taking control of a divided country in a transition of power that he has declared will lead to “America First” policies at home and abroad. As scattered protests erupted elsewhere in […]
IMF estimates global growth uptick in 2017-2018
Jan 17, 2017 (LBO) – The International Monetary Fund has estimated global growth of 3.1 percent in 2016, which is projected to increase to 3.4 percent in 2017 and 3.6 percent in 2018, the latest World Economic Outlook report said. Although the 2017-2018 estimates remain unchanged from their October forecast, the outlook for advanced economies […]
Obama says democracy requires solidarity, in farewell speech
Jan 11, 2016 (LBO) – U.S. President Barack Obama gave his farewell speech on Tuesday, highlighting several achievements during his tenure, including reversing a recession and taking out the mastermind of 9/11. He called on democrats to support a peaceful transition of power, the hallmark of U.S. elections, urging supporters that democracy does not require […]