Fiscal initiatives could boost global economic growth, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Monday in its semi-annual economic forecast. The Paris-based think tank predicted a global gross domestic product (GPD) growth rate of 3.3% in 2017, a figure that remained unchanged from its last outlook released in June.
Ambassadors and representatives of nations that signed the Ottawa Convention called on Monday in Santiago for a quicker clearing of minefields, so that by 2025 the world will be completely free of landmines.
Paul Nuttall has been elected leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, replacing Nigel Farage. The 39-year-old Member of the European Parliament, who served as UKIP's deputy leader for six years, won 62.6% of support among party members He promised to put the great back into Britain and force the government to give us a real Brexit.
Oil prices fell over 1 percent Monday in Asia following a decline of more than 3 percent Friday over disagreement between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC exporters like Russia. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were trading at $46.40 per barrel at 0035 GMT (7.35 a.m. ET), down 84 cents, or 1.8 percent, from their last close, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were down 74 cents, or 1.6 percent, at $45.32 a barrel.
Dr Vijay Rangarajan CMG has been appointed United Kingdom's Ambassador to Brazil in succession to Alexander Ellis. Dr Rangarajan will take up his appointment in Spring 2017. Outgoing ambassador Ellis has been appointed Director General at the Department for Exiting the European Union and will be taking his new role next January.
A United Kingdom member of parliament and Special Envoy for Trade and Investment, Mark Prisk is in Brazil for a round of business talks in the oil and gas, financial services, mining and infrastructure sectors. Mr. Prisk is visiting Brazil for the second time in six months and his agenda will take him to Rio do Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia.
During a visit to Chile, British Armed Forces Minister Mike Penning underlined the deep and historic defense ties between the UK and Chile, which he described as a key ally with a longstanding relationship, particularly through the Royal Navy and Chilean Navy.
World reactions to the death of the Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro who ruled the island for half a century have been as controversial as his life and influence in world affairs. “His revolutionary ideals left few indifferent”, Ban Ki-moon was quoted, and Pope Francis was more diplomatic and referred to the sad news and promised prayers to Cuba's patron Virgin.
Francois Fillon, a socially conservative free-market, won France’s center-right presidential primaries on Sunday, setting up a likely showdown next year with far-right leader Marine Le Pen that the pollsters expect him to win. Fillon, who went into Sunday’s second-round run-off as firm favorite, had won over 67% of the vote in a head-to-head battle with another ex-prime minister, Alain Juppe.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has given a Russian passport to US action film star Steven Seagal in a moved aimed at easing relations with the United States.