April, 2016

• 14 April

  Singapore eases currency policy, as growth stalls

  

  Singapore / AFP Singapore announced a shock loosening of monetary policy on Thursday to kickstart the stuttering economy, as it forecast a slower growth outlook this year and analysts warned of a possible recession. The city-state’s central bank joined several others around the world in announcing easing measures as they battle sluggish global demand — particularly from key market China ...

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• 14 April

  China to cultivate GM crops on large scale

  

    Beijing / AP China will “facilitate” the planting of genetically modified corn and other plants on an industrial scale in the next five years, officials said, after not authorising any new commercial GM crops for a decade. The controversial science is a key trade issue with the US, whose biotechnology giant Monsanto is a global leader in the field, ...

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• 14 April

  Nikkei chief takes long view on $1.2bn Financial Times deal

  

    Tokyo / Bloomberg Nikkei Inc.’s chief executive officer is taking the long view — the very long view — on the Japanese publisher’s $1.2 billion purchase of the Financial Times last year. While the deal took just five weeks to come together, Tsuneo Kita says it may take as long as 20 years to judge Nikkei’s investment in the ...

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• 14 April

  Russian jets in repeated ‘aggressive’ passes of US warship

  

  Washington / AFP A Russian military jet came within 30 feet of a US destroyer in international waters in the Baltic Sea, US officials say, but Russia on Thursday defended the maneuver as safe. Russian aircraft repeatedly buzzed the USS Donald Cook this week, including an incident on Tuesday in which a Russian Su-24 flew 30 feet (nine meters) above ...

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• 14 April

  US investigates deadly Afghanistan air strikes

    Khost / AFP The US military has said it will investigate air strikes it carried out this month, which Kabul said had killed 17 “insurgents” but which local officials and witnesses said on Thursday were civilians. The US army regularly conducts air strikes in the name of “counter-terror” operations in the eastern regions that border Pakistan, which are strongholds of ...

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• 14 April

  Sweden arrests suspect for planning terror crimes abroad

    STOCKHOLM / AP Swedish prosecutors say a 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of planning terror crimes abroad. The Swedish Prosecution Authority says the suspect had violated legislation that took effect April 1 that includes incitement, recruitment and training for terrorist offenses. Chief prosecutor Agnetha Hilding Qvanstrom says Thursday the investigation has just begun and no more information would ...

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• 14 April

  Belgian minister under pressure over EU security report

    BRUSSELS / AP Belgium’s transport minister is under pressure to resign over a secret European Union report exposing past lapses in oversight of security at airports across the nation. The restricted EU document of last year was made public by two opposition parties. It said that oversight of security measures at the nation’s airports was flawed and there were some ...

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• 14 April

  Clinton, Sanders face off in New York debate

  

    New York / AFP Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders face off Thursday in a closely watched US presidential debate ahead of the key New York primary in the increasingly acrimonious Democratic race for the White House. The former secretary of state holds a double-digit lead over the Vermont senator in polls and needs a big win in next Tuesday’s ...

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• 14 April

  Ukraine parliament appoints pro-EU Groysman as PM

    Kiev / AFP Ukraine’s parliament on Thursday appointed pro-Western speaker Volodymyr Groysman as prime minister in a bid to end months of political gridlock and unlock vital aid to the war torn-state. Lawmakers voted by 257 to 50 to approve the resignation of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk —condemned by President Petro Poroshenko for losing the public’s trust—and select Groysman ...

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• 14 April

  Germany agrees steps to integrate refugees, fight terrorism

  

  Berlin / AFP German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition agreed on Thursday on tough measures to spur the integration of migrants and refugees, including sanctions for failing to take part in programmes such as language classes. The deal, hammered out in six hours of late-night talks between Merkel’s conservative Christian Union bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD), also included plans ...

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