Uruguay ratified on Thursday its willingness to transfer the Mercosur presidency to Venezuela despite objections from the other members, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. In a brief statement in its official site, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Uruguay, currently holding the Mercosur pro tempore chair reiterates its position to proceed to transfer the presidency, in abidance with what is established by the current Mercosur rules.
Two women Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom are battling to become the next leader of the British Conservative party and thus prime minister, the first time since the late Margaret Thatcher. After the second MPs ballot on Thursday, Home Secretary May finished with 199 votes, Energy Minister Mrs. Leadsom 84 and Michael Gove, the justice secretary, 46.
Four of the biggest US banks have committed to helping maintain London's position as a global financial hub after the UK leaves the European Union. Since the referendum vote there have been concerns that banks would reduce their staff and offices in the country.
Federal Reserve policymakers decided in June that interest rate hikes should stay on hold until they have a handle on the consequences of Britain's vote on EU membership, according to the minutes of the Fed's June policy meeting released on Wednesday.
Brazil's suspended president Dilma Rousseff rejected attempts to impeach her as an injustice in a defense filing Wednesday, as a decision on her political fate moved a step closer. The affair has rocked Brazil as it struggles with a recession and corruption scandals ahead of next month's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez on Wednesday filed a complaint against the judge who recently opened an investigation into allegations she defrauded the state as part of her government's handling of the dollar futures market. Fernandez, who governed Argentina from 2007 to 2015, filed the complaint against judge Claudio Bonadio after appearing in his court in connection with the case.
United States trade deficit grew by 10% in May as exports fell while imports, particularly from China, rose according to the latest report from the Commerce Department. The deficit rose to US$41.1bn in May compared with US$37.4bn in April, while exports decreased by 0.2%, while imports grew by 1.6%.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has said he opposes a race to the bottom of competitive tax cuts. He spoke after George Osborne pledged to cut UK corporation tax in response to the Brexit vote and from Paris, in an attempt to attract UK businesses, the French government promised its taxes will be the most favorable in Europe.
The United States pushed the UK into military action in Iraq too early, a former British ambassador to the UN has said in the wake of the Chilcot report. The long-awaited report said ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair had overstated the threat posed by Saddam Hussein - and military action was not a last resort.
A volcano erupting on a small island in the Sub Antarctic is depositing ash over one of the world's largest penguin colonies. Zavodovski Island is a small island in the South Sandwich archipelago and its volcano Mt Curry has been erupting since March 2016. The island is home to over one million chinstrap penguins -- the largest colony for this species in the world.