United States President Barack Obama congratulated Argentine president-elect Mauricio Macri on his victory in the runoff in a phone call, according to a brief release from the White House.
Australian mining giant BHP says mud spilled by the devastating collapse of a dam at a Brazilian mine is not toxic. On Thursday the UN said the dam burst at the Samarco mine unleashed a flood equivalent to “20,000 Olympic swimming pools of toxic mud”.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Thursday the fatal shooting of an opposition leader appeared to be a gangland score-settling dismissing claim it was politically motivated ahead of elections. An attacker shot Luis Manuel Diaz dead on Wednesday evening in the central Guarico region at a campaign rally for the December 6 legislative elections, party officials said, ratcheting up fears that violence could erupt in the lead-up to the polls.
Brazilian banks which follow closely events in Argentina and prospects of the new government under president Mauricio Macri, believe the official exchange rate of 9.67 Pesos to the dollar will inevitably have to be devalued, to 12 Pesos by the end of the year, which means a 24% depreciation.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) signed in Guyana, this week, agreements that will see countries of the eastern and southern Caribbean benefiting from US$165 million in development assistance.
Falkland Islands lawmakers have reacted with caution and expectation to the election of Mauricio Macri, ex Buenos Aires mayor, as Argentina's next president. He will succeed on 10 December Cristina Fernandez and twelve years of rough relations with Kirchnerism and constant intimidation.
Leader of the British opposition Jeremy Corbyn is facing a shadow cabinet revolt over his announcement that he cannot back proposals for airstrikes in Syria. It comes after David Cameron made his case for extending military action against the Islamic State saying “every day we don't take action is a day ISIL grows stronger”.
The Organization of American States (OAS), secretary general Luis Almagro condemned the killing in Venezuela of an opposition leader during a political rally ahead of the 6 December legislative election, and called for an immediate end to violence in the country.
Britain's David Cameron and Argentina's president-elect Mauricio Macri agreed to “strengthen relations” and “to pursue a path of open dialogue” between their countries after a phone call Thursday, Downing Street said.
The Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird said it saw off competition from Europe and beyond including Korea and Singapore to be selected as the preferred bidder to build a new vessel for the UK-funded Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The contract was signed last week and it is expected that full production will start in June next year, and on completion the vessel will be operated by NERC’s British Antarctic Survey (BAS).