Section: Independent Online (South Africa)
Emerging stocks edge down
Emerging stocks edged down but held above 6-1/2-month lows on the prospect of delayed US rate hikes. ||| London – Emerging stocks edged down on Tuesday but held above 6-1/2-month lows on the prospect of delayed US rate hikes, while shares and currencies in oil exporters fell as oil prices sank to their lowest in nearly four years. With the...
WTO tobacco call a long way out
The World Trade Organization will not rule on a legal challenge to Australia’s landmark tobacco packaging laws until at least the first half of 2016, the panel of judges said. ||| Geneva – The World Trade Organization will not rule on a legal challenge to Australia’s landmark tobacco packaging laws until at least the first half...
China won’t cede to HK protesters
China’s ruling party believes it has offered enough concessions to Hong Kong in the past, and will give no ground to protesters. ||| Beijing – China’s ruling Communist Party believes it has offered enough concessions to Hong Kong in the past, and will give no ground to pro-democracy protests because it wants to avoid setting a...
MH17 victims’ belongings recovered
Dutch experts have collected jewellery, watches, credit cards and other personal items from the MH17 crash site in Ukraine. ||| Hrabove, Ukraine – Four Dutch experts and local emergency services made a start on Monday recovering personal belongings from the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in east Ukraine, carting away boxes of...
Russia’s ruble plunges to new low
Russia’s ruble has slumped to a new all-time low against the euro as the spillover from the Ukraine crisis and falling oil prices pummelled the economy. ||| Moscow – Russia’s ruble on Monday slumped to a new all-time low against the euro as the spillover from the Ukraine crisis and falling oil prices pummelled the economy.The...
Russia signs deals with China
Russia and China signed energy, finance and trade deals that Moscow hailed as evidence a policy turn towards Asia will help it weather Western sanctions imposed over the Ukraine crisis. ||| Moscow – Russia and China signed energy, finance and trade deals on Monday hailed by Moscow as evidence a policy turn towards Asia will help it weather...
MH17: Abbott wants answers from Putin
Australia’s Tony Abbott has promised to confront Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the downing of Flight MH17. ||| Sydney – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Monday that he would use an upcoming G20 summit to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin over the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 and the “murder” of...
Kiev’s embattled defence minister quits
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has accepted the resignation of his defence minister, Valery Heletey. ||| Kiev – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Sunday accepted the resignation of his defence minister who has been under fire over a rout of government forces in the east which led to Kiev calling a ceasefire with pro-Russian...
Teams ‘will comb MH17 crash site’
Ukrainian search teams will scour the crash site of Flight MH17 and return human remains and belongings to The Netherlands. ||| Amsterdam – Ukrainian search teams will comb the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which went down on July 17, and return human remains and belongings to The Netherlands, Dutch television reported. Dutch...
‘It’s the ultimate diplomatic prize’
Five seats are up for grabs in the 15-member United Nations Security Council – and voting takes place this week. ||| New York – Years of campaigning for a seat at the world’s “top table” come to a head this week when elections are held to the United Nations Security Council, which decides on such weighty matters as sanctions,...
