Pope Francis on Monday said Christians and Muslims were brothers and urged them to reject hatred and violence as he visited a mosque in the Central African Republic's capital which has been ravaged by sectarian conflict.
India's economic growth picked up in July-September, outpacing China on improving domestic demand and manufacturing activity, and the acceleration could persuade the country's central bank to keep interest rates unchanged at its Tuesday meeting.
The Venezuelan government sought Monday to downplay security fears around the country's upcoming legislative elections, rejecting the possibility of violence or a coup. With polls showing President Nicolas Maduro's populist movement on track for a landmark defeat by the opposition in Sunday's vote, speculation and rumors have swirled about possible violence or moves by the ruling party to cling to power.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that China's currency, the Yuan, will join the fund's basket of reserve currencies. Currently just the US dollar, the euro, the yen and the pound are in the group.
Argentina’s conservative, business-friendly president-elect Mauricio Macri won the presidential election earlier this month with 51.34% of the vote, according to final results released Monday. His rival, incumbent Daniel Scioli, finished with 48.66% percent, said the head of the national electoral authority, Alejandro Tullio.
Murilo Ferreira has resigned as chairman of Brazilian state oil company Petrobras, the firm said Monday. Ferreira, the CEO of mining giant Vale, took a leave of absence in September and Luiz Nelson Guedes de Carvalho, who has served as interim chairman since then, will continue in that role for the moment, the company said in a brief statement.
Argentine President-elect Mauricio Macri said in a television interview that he would place his assets in a blind trust after being sworn in on Dec. 10. Macri also reiterated his commitment to combat corruption and said he would turn any official suspected of corruption over to judicial authorities.
The European Union said it hopes the election of a centre-right government in Argentina will give new impetus to stalled talks on a free trade pact with Mercosur, the Latin American bloc.
The following open letter from the Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro was addressed to president Nicolás Maduro regarding the pre-electoral climate in Venezuela, which is holding legislative elections next Sunday in very questionable and controversial conditions for opposition candidates.
Spanish citizen Jose Antonio Cordeiro Otero has received the Falkland Islands’ Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honor in recognition of his services to the Falkland Islands and particularly for his work in the fishing industry. The award was presented by the British Ambassador Simon Manley during a ceremony at the Ambassador’s Residence in Madrid.