Uruguay and Argentina presidents Tabare Vazquez and Mauricio Macri made on Thursday several announcements referred to bilateral issues indicating relations between the two neighboring countries have effectively improved following years of tension and misunderstandings with the governments of Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernandez.
Uruguayan navy rescue vessel ROU 26 Vanguardia left this week from Montevideo for Antarctica loaded with fuel and provisions for the country's scientific base General Artigas at King George Island.
Rockhopper Exploration PLC on Wednesday was forced back to the drawing board to review its Ombrina Mare project offshore Italy after the country's parliament reintroduced restrictions on activity near the coast. The news could be a blow to the company, which is set to merge with Falkland Oil & Gas Ltd, after Falkland Oil shareholders approved the deal on Tuesday.
British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn tried to assert some authority over the Labour Party this week but his “revenge reshuffle” appeared only to worsen divisions between moderates and his leftist inner circle. Four months into the hard left veteran's tenure following his surprise leadership election win, Corbyn sacked two frontbench moderates for alleged disloyalty and demoted his defence spokeswoman with one commentator calling the situation inside the party “nuts”.
The United Kingdom has reiterated that the sovereignty of Gibraltar is not a matter for discussion or negotiation with Spain. This follows a call by the Spanish Foreign Ministry for a resumption of bilateral dialogue with the UK over Gibraltar.
For the first time in twelve years and Argentine president will be attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that runs between January 20-23. President Mauricio Macri will be present together with ally Sergio Massa, leader of dissident Peronist Renewall Front, in order to attract investment.
On 2 February 2015, Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff sent the Executive message to Congress with her government's plan and promising she would not promote “recession or retrocession.” However eleven months later, Brazil is undergoing full recession and faces retrocession in several areas, having been downgraded by two credit risk agencies.
Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez will host on Thursday his Argentine peer Mauricio Macri to address several controversial issues from the bilateral agenda which are pending from the twelve years of the Kirchner couple. According to Uruguayan sources they include trade, River Plate channels and navigation, ports and pulp mills among other issues.
FIFA investigators have recommended a nine-year ban from football for suspended secretary general Jerome Valcke for seven alleged ethics violations. Suspended in September over allegations linking him to a 2014 World Cup ticketing scam, Valcke’s provisional 90-day suspension expires on Tuesday.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has denounced the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran as “unacceptable.” Shoukry said during a visit to Riyadh on Tuesday that Iranian behavior following Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr’s execution was tantamount to “intervening in the kingdom’s internal affairs.”