Author: LoveWorld UK

Japan’s government announced on Friday that it will send a warship and patrol planes to protect Japanese ships in the Middle East as the situation in the region, from which it sources nearly 90% of its crude oil imports, remains volatile. Under the plan approved by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet on Friday, a helicopter-equipped destroyer and two P-3C patrol planes will be dispatched for information-gathering aimed at ensuring safe passage for Japanese vessels through the region. Japan, a U.S. ally that has maintained friendly ties with Iran, has opted to launch its own operation rather than join a U.S.-led…

Everton were held to a 0-0 home draw by Arsenal on Saturday in a dull Premier League clash, which took a back seat to both clubs naming new managers in a bid to revive their fortunes. Carlo Ancelotti, named as the new Everton manager barely an hour before the kickoff, got a first glimpse of the Toffees from the directors’ box as did Arsenal’s new head coach Mikel Arteta who was appointed by the Gunners on Friday. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford produced a superb reflex save to deny Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from close range shortly after the break before an almighty…

China will cut tariffs from January 1st on hundreds of products ranging from frozen pork to high-tech parts next year, lowering trade barriers to support the economy. The world’s second largest economy has typically used high tariffs to protect local industries. Tariff rates on frozen pork are due to be lowered to 8% from 12% for some countries – as China struggles to cope with an outbreak of African swine fever. The deadly disease has wiped out about half of the country’s pigs and dealt a heavy blow to the pork industry. The lower tariffs will benefit many of its…

A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced five people to death for the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year, the public prosecutor has said. Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the Saudi government, was killed inside the kingdom’s consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul by a team of Saudi agents. The Saudi public prosecutor said it was the result of a “rogue operation” and put 11 unnamed individuals on trial. A UN expert has concluded that it was an “extrajudicial execution” and Special UN rapporteur Agnes Callamard called for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to be investigated…

Scorching heat baking Australia eased on Monday bringing relief from extreme bushfires, which destroyed around 180 houses and killed one person over the weekend, allowing fire and emergency personnel to begin assessing the damage caused. The town of Balmoral, south of Sydney, with a population of 400 and 150 houses, was virtually destroyed, authorities said.  There are currently nearly 100 fires are burning across New South Wales state. Temperatures hit a record 41 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit) last week as an extreme heatwave swept across the country and a long-running drought in the country’s east has created tinder-dry conditions.…

Tesco has suspended production at a factory in China following allegations forced prison labour was used to pack charity Christmas cards. The supermarket said it would de-list the supplier of the cards, Zheijiang Yunguang Printing, if it was found to have used prison labour. According to the Sunday Times, Florence Widdicombe, aged 6, opened a £1.50 box of Tesco cards to find that one of them – featuring a kitten with a Santa hat – had already been written in. In block capitals, it said: “We are foreign prisoners in Shanghai Qingpu prison China. Forced to work against our will.…

The US National Menorah was lit near the White House on Sunday for Hanukkah, in a celebration that is one of the most high-profile events in the country to mark the Jewish holiday. The eight-day Hanukkah celebration, also known as the Festival of Lights, started at sundown on Sunday December 22. The lighting of the National Menorah in Washington, on the Ellipse near the White House, dates back to 1979 when then-President Jimmy Carter participated in the ceremony at nearby Lafayette Park. The Jews have celebrated Hanukkah (The Festival of Lights) since 160 – 165 BC, to mark the miracle…

Bailey worked for 30 years at the BoE, where he was central to efforts to shore up the British banking system during the global financial crisis. In 2016 he moved to his current role running the Financial Conduct Authority, which is responsible for cracking down on financial misconduct. “Andrew was the stand-out candidate in a competitive field,” finance minister Sajid Javid told reporters. “He is the right person to lead the Bank as we forge a new future outside the EU and level-up opportunity across the country.” Bailey, 60, said in a statement that he was honoured to take over…

After suffering several defeats in the previous parliament, Johnson now enjoys a large majority and should face little opposition in passing the bill to implement Britain’s biggest foreign and trade policy shift in more than 40 years. More than three years since Britain voted to exit the EU in a 2016 referendum, the deep uncertainty over Brexit has now been replaced by the firm deadline of Jan. 31. “This is the time when we move on and discard the old labels of ‘leave’ and ‘remain’ … now is the time to act together as one reinvigorated nation, one United Kingdom,”…

The PM’s spokesman said the Withdrawal Agreement Bill would expand this power to courts below the Supreme Court. He added this would ensure judges at lower courts would not be “inadvertently” tied to the rulings “for years to come”. But others warned the move would cause legal uncertainty. MPs are set for an initial vote on the withdrawal bill on Friday, after the Conservatives won an 80-seat majority at last week’s general election. Previous rulings of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) are set to be incorporated into the case law followed by British courts after Brexit. The provision is contained in…