Federal prosecutors and Odebrecht SA have agreed on the world's biggest plea and leniency deal under which the embattled engineering conglomerate would pay around 7 billion Reais (US$ 2 billion) in fines related to its role in Brazil's biggest corruption scandal, local media reported.
Britain dismissed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's unprecedented expression of support for Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage to be made British ambassador to Washington, saying pointedly that there is no vacancy for the job. Trump, who after his election victory met Farage before any EU leaders, said on Twitter that “many people” would like to see the former metals trader turned politician as Britain's ambassador.
Brazil's federal government reached a deal to help cash-strapped states with their fiscal woes in exchange for support from governors on deeper structural reforms including pension reform and the capping of public employee salaries.
Argentine foreign minister Susana Malcorra thanked her Panama peer Isabel de Saint Malo for the standing historic support from Panama to Argentina´s sovereignty claim over the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, (under UK control), and looked forward to strengthening the excellent bilateral relations, according to an official Wednesday release from San Martin Palace.
Colombia's government and FARC guerrillas will sign a new peace accord on Thursday, after a previous agreement to end their half-century-old war was defeated in a referendum, both parties said. The new, revised accord will be submitted to Congress for approval, rather than put to another referendum, they added.
The Argentine government reached an agreement Wednesday with businessmen and CGT union leaders that there will be no layoffs until March 2017, to give workers reassurances that that there is a commitment to create new jobs and to preserve the existing ones.
Zhang Xiangchen, China's deputy international trade representative, said his country would defend its rights under World Trade Organization tariff rules should Trump uphold his campaign threats to levy punitive duties on China-made goods, which, according to an Auxtralian expert, is “very unlikely” to happen.
The Falkland Islands Government announced that on Wednesday the Executive Council approved the Terms of Reference to update the Falkland Islands Economic Development Strategy. The existing EDS was published in October 2010 following an extensive, two-year consultation process, and was intended to provide a blueprint for economic growth and development to 2025.
Former OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza said on Wednesday that he plans to seek the Socialist Party's nomination for president of Chile. I come to confirm that I am available to participate in the decisions of the Socialist Party, he told reporters at the party's Santiago headquarters just hours after resigning as Chile's agent in litigation with Bolivia before the International Court of Justice.
United States stocks extended their post-U.S. election rally Tuesday with moderate gains that pushed the Dow above 19,000 for the first time and the three major indexes to record closing levels for a second straight day. The S&P 500 ended above 2,200, led by gains in telecommunications, up 2.1%, and consumer discretionary up 1.2%. The small-cap Russell 2000 index also set another record-high close.