News in English

29. April 2017, 02:00

UK officially starts Brexit

The British Prime Minister Theresa May is formally beginning the process of leaving the European Union today, by sending a letter invoking article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to Brussels. Its delivery will trigger two years of negotiations on the terms of Britain's exit. In a statement in the British parliament, May will urge Britain to come together as it embarks on what she will call a 'momentous journey'. Britain's Finance Minister, Phillip Hammond, said that both London and Brussels will have to make compromises to reach a final agreement: “We can’t cherry pick, we can’t have our cake and eat it. By deciding to leave the European Union, and negotiate a future relationship with the EU, as an independent nation, there will be certain consequences of that and we accept those.”

Stock exchange deal blocked

The European Union has blocked a proposed merger of the London Stock Exchange and Germany's Deutsche Börse. It was the latest attempt by the parties to create Europe's biggest exchange. The EU's competition commissioner said the deal would have created a "de facto monopoly" for certain financial services.

Challenges for Trump on climate change

Pressure groups in the United States say they'll be taking legal action against President Donald Trump's executive order, which rolls back environmental safeguards. A number of leading US companies have written to Trump, voicing their support for the Paris Climate Agreement - in which the US committed itself to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions. The executive order significantly weakens measures enacted by President Obama, aimed at curbing global warming. Trump says he intends to create jobs in the US by reviving the country's coal industry: “The miners told me about the attacks on their jobs and their livelihoods. They told me about the efforts to shut down their mines, their communities and their very way of life. I made them this promise – we will put our miners back to work!”

US internet privacy law scrapped

The US House of Representatives has voted to scrap online privacy rules introduced by the Obama administration. The regulations, which haven't yet come into effect, would have required internet service providers to seek their customers' permission before collecting and sharing data.

Valls to support Macron

The socialist former Prime Minister of France, Manuel Valls, says he'll vote for the centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron rather than his party's candidate, in the upcoming presidential election. Valls said he would do all he could to prevent the far-right leader Marine Le Pen from winning the election.

The weather

Mostly sunny but with a slight chance of isolated rain showers in the east and south. Highs today ranging from 14 to 24 degrees.

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