Austria’s Parliament Building, in Vienna. (CIA.gov)

Austria drops talk of ‘conflict’ over EU-Canada trade deal

Vienna | Reuters — Austria toned down its opposition to a free trade deal between the European Union and Canada on Friday, two days after social democrat Chancellor Christian Kern had vowed to start a “conflict” over the agreement. While the so-called CETA accord is all but sealed, the Austrian leader’s opposition reflects concerns widely […] Read more


(Europa.eu)

Austria expects ‘conflict’ on Canada trade deal

Vienna | Reuters — Austria is ready to confront other European Union members states over its opposition to a free trade deal with Canada, Chancellor Christian Kern said, because it sees it containing many of the same problems as one being negotiated with the U.S. Austria opposes a proposed free trade deal with the United […] Read more




Cape Horn, the southernmost point of Chile. (CIA.gov)

Chile plans to send TPP deal to Congress this year

Santiago | Reuters — The Chilean government is expecting to send the Pacific trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to its Congress for approval by the end of 2016, President Michelle Bachelet said Thursday. The 12-nation TPP aims to liberalize commerce in 40 per cent of the world’s economy, but its future is […] Read more


A supercomputer-modeled simulation showing the expected impact of global warming on Earth’s surface temperatures. (Photo courtesy NASA)

Man-made warming dates back almost 200 years, study says

Oslo | Reuters — Man-made greenhouse gases began to nudge up the Earth’s temperatures almost 200 years ago, as the Industrial Revolution gathered pace, far earlier than previously thought. Greenhouse gas emissions from industry left their first traces in the temperatures of tropical oceans and the Arctic around 1830, researchers wrote in a recent journal […] Read more

(EC.europa.eu)

Pettigrew tapped to help push through EU trade deal

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada has named a former politician with experience in trade and foreign affairs as the government’s new envoy to help complete its long-negotiated free trade agreement with the European Union, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. Pierre Pettigrew, who served as both minister of foreign affairs and minister for international trade under previous […] Read more


(Corner-Store.ca)

Couche-Tard to buy Corner Store owner in US$4.4B deal

Reuters — Canadian convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard said on Monday it would buy U.S. convenience store chain CST Brands in a deal valued at about US$4.4 billion, boosting its presence in the southeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada. San Antonio, Texas-based CST is one of the largest publicly traded fuel retailers in North America and […] Read more