News Headlines - 20 December 2018

▽Japan to withdraw from IWC to resume commercial whaling: sources

Japan has decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission in a bid to resume commercial whaling for the first time in about 30 years, government sources said Thursday... The decision, which will be officially announced as early as next week, comes after decades of confrontation between pro- and anti-whaling members of the IWC.

▽EU Targets China's Alleged Tech Looting, Steps Up WTO Fight - Bloomberg

The European Union stepped up a legal fight with China over intellectual-property rights, handing a political boost to a parallel U.S. campaign.
The EU broadened on Thursday a complaint at the World Trade Organization over forced technology transfers by European companies doing business in China. Building on a case filed in June, the bloc is targeting Chinese laws that regulate the approval of investments in the areas of electric vehicles and crop seeds and of joint ventures across industries.

▽EU boy band tells Brits the love isn't over, 'come back to us' | Reuters

As Brexit rapidly approaches, a pro-European Union boy band has made its debut with a ballad to the British people pleading for them to “come back to us” because the love is not over.
The five-member “Breunion Boys”, formed by a Dutch animation artist, launched the video of their first single, “Britain Come Back”, in Amsterdam this week.

▽Thousands protest in Hungary against ‘slavery’ law | Financial Times

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Budapest for a fourth day of protests against new laws that critics say erode workers’ rights and codify government control over the judiciary... An estimated 15,000 Hungarians participated throughout the day, with police using tear gas against a crowd of about 2,000 outside MTV, where 10 opposition MPs asked to read protesters’ demands.
The protests were triggered by the approval last week of a law that would allow employers to seek up to 400 hours of overtime a year. Opponents have dubbed the measure a “slavery law”.

▽Colombia’s ELN rebels announce Christmas ceasefire

Colombia's ELN Marxist guerrilla group has announced a Christmas ceasefire as peace talks with the country's government have been on hold since August.
"The National Liberation Army will cease its offensive operations from December 23 to January 3, 2019, to contribute to a peaceful climate over Christmas and the New Year," said the ELN in a statement.
Such moves by the ELN are not unusual at this time of year... The ELN also reiterated its desire to kick start peace talks that have been suspended since right-wing President Ivan Duque assumed power in early August.