Politics

• Thursday, December 15th 2016 - 02:32 UTC

  Venezuela definitively spoils Argentina's Mercosur taking-chair ceremony

  

  If Venezuela's intention was to spoil Argentina's ceremony as the new holder of Mercosur pro tempore chair for the next six months, they certainly managed. A low key event at foreign ministers level, instead of a presidential summit, was briefly interrupted by the uninvited attendance of Venezuelan foreign minister 'Delcy Rodríguez' who turned up in Buenos Aires to protest what Caracas considers a Mercosur confabulation against Venezuela, suspended from the block since last 2 December.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 21:47 UTC

  Maduro seizes 4 million toys and promises Father 'Nicolas' Christmas will visit all Venezuelan children

  

  Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro government has seized four million toys on the grounds that their owners were hoarding castles and kiddie cars ahead of Christmas. Now the “Santa Nicolas” government will be giving the toys supposedly to the poor children of the country.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 18:02 UTC

  Chaotic Mercosur: Venezuelan minister turns up in Buenos Aires but Malcorra asks Rodriguez not to attend

  

  In what is turning into a Caribbean soap opera, Venezuela's foreign minister Delcy Rodriguez, with Bolivia's David Choquehuenca, on Wednesday morning turned up at Argentina's foreign ministry pretending to participate in an extraordinary Mercosur council meeting, to which she had not been invited since Venezuela is officially suspended from the group.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 15:24 UTC

  Double taxation: Ecuador, Italy sign agreement to foster private investements

  

  Ecuador signed an agreement with Italy to define the tax obligations of the citizens of the two countries, in order to avoid double taxation on income taxes and equity and prevent tax evasion, the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry said.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 14:54 UTC

  Philippine President Duterte admits avoiding Obama at APEC summit on false pretexts

  

  Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte acknowledged he skipped an evening event at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima to avoid having to shake hands with Barack Obama. In a speech published Tuesday in a Manila newspaper, Duterte made it clear his absence had not been due to a an upset stomach, but rather a move to avoid an awkward situation.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 09:21 UTC

  Yesterday Colombia, now Venezuela closes border with Brazil

  

  The government of President Nicolas Maduro government closed the border with Brazil for 72 hours for the same reason it had taken the same measure with Colombia: money smuggling, Brazilian local authorities and residents of southern Venezuela who routinely cross to Brazil where they can make transactions in bolivars confirmed.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 08:32 UTC

  Maduro/Vazquez address Mercosur conflict; 'uninvited' Venezuelan minister expected in Buenos Aires

  

  On the eve of Argentina becoming the next chair of Mercosur, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro revealed he held an hour long video conference with his Uruguayan peer Tabare Vazquez and they both agreed in building a path “to channel the current conflict”, which has Venezuela suspended from the group, but is rejected point blank by Caracas.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 08:16 UTC

  Airlines operating in Brazil allowed to charge for pax' luggage: lower fares?

  

  The Brazilian government authorized airlines operating in the country to charge for passengers luggage, among other rules that are scheduled to become effective on 14 March 2017. The new rules were approved unanimously and made public on Tuesday by the country's air transport regulator National Civil Aviation Agency, ANAC.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 05:35 UTC

  IAATO's 25 years pioneering performance recognized with place-names in Antarctica

  

  The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) has been recognized in a recent suite of Antarctic place names made by the United Kingdom.The place-names selected for inclusion in a place-naming theme for the pioneers of safe and environmentally responsible Antarctic tourism, includes a group of islands in the Grandidier Channel named the IAATO Islands, to reflect the organization’s role, over the past 25 years, in advocating and promoting the practice of safe and environmentally-responsible Antarctic tourism.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 05:10 UTC

  Trump challenges Congress and nominates close friend of Putin, Rex Tillerson Secretary of State

  

  Donald Trump officially announced his plan Tuesday to nominate ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, a pick that could pose complications in the confirmation process due to Tillerson's ties to Russia. Tillerson, 64, has no government or diplomatic experience but has done extensive work overseas on behalf of his petroleum company.