Stories for February 2017

Thursday, February 2nd 2017 - 17:53 UTC
Tillerson sworn in as Secretary of State; he was approved by a Senate 56-43 vote

Rex Tillerson was sworn in as secretary of state by Vice President Mike Pence in a ceremony presided over by President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday evening. Before Tillerson was sworn in, Trump spoke briefly in the Oval Office.
Thursday, February 2nd 2017 - 17:35 UTC
Petrobras scandal reaches Chile: Bachelet denies receiving any financial support

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday denied reports she received financial support for her 2013 campaign from a construction conglomerate that is involved in Brazil's huge Petrobras corruption scandal. Grupo OAS is among dozens of Brazilian companies that are embroiled in a kickback scheme that is the biggest corruption scandal in Brazil's history.
Thursday, February 2nd 2017 - 17:28 UTC
Argentine night air patrolling reveals “city of floating lights” in the South Atlantic

A floating “city” of lights belonging to hundreds of jiggers, “mostly Asians”, operating in the grey fringes of the South Atlantic Argentine Economic Exclusive Zone, EEZ, at the 200 miles borderline have been filmed and monitored night after night by Argentine navy patrol aircraft, reports the Patagonia media.
Thursday, February 2nd 2017 - 11:44 UTC
Parliament backs by clear majority Brexit negotiations

MPs have voted by a majority of 384 to allow Prime Minister Theresa May to get Brexit negotiations under way. They backed the government's European Union Bill, supported by the Labour leadership, by 498 votes to 114. However the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats opposed the bill, while 47 Labour MPs and Tory ex-chancellor Ken Clarke rebelled
Thursday, February 2nd 2017 - 11:17 UTC
Mexico denies Trump threatened to send troops to stop the “bad hombres”

The Mexican government on Wednesday vehemently denied reports that President Trump threatened to send US soldiers into Mexico during a phone call with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. Such a threat “did not happen during that call,” said a government statement released on Twitter Wednesday night.
Thursday, February 2nd 2017 - 11:12 UTC
Industrial output in Brazil dropped 6.6% last year compared to 2015

Brazil's industrial output rose in December at its fastest monthly pace in two and a half years, in a likely one-time boost that did not reverse the sharp losses of one of the worst years on record for local manufacturers.
Thursday, February 2nd 2017 - 10:32 UTC
White Paper on Brexit planning to be released on Thursday, announces PM May

Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed that Downing Street will publish a white paper on Brexit planning on Thursday. Speaking from the dispatch box at Prime Minister's Questions, May confirmed the arrival of the paper in response to a question from Tory backbencher Maria Miller.
Thursday, February 2nd 2017 - 10:24 UTC
Definitive: Malvinas Veterans' Day, April 2, remains unmovable

It's definitive; Argentina will not be making three national days, including Malvinas Veteran Day, floating holidays, following the intense controversy which the initiative triggered when it was first announced by the administration of president Mauricio Macri.
Thursday, February 2nd 2017 - 08:02 UTC
Falkland Islands receives Red Cross representatives

Two representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) tasked with identifying fallen Argentine soldiers buried at Darwin cemetery, are due to arrive in the Falkland Islands on Thursday, 2nd February for 9 days.
Wednesday, February 1st 2017 - 09:16 UTC
Spain insists, co-sovereignty proposal for Gibraltar is “a generous offer”

Spain is seeking “the consensus of everyone” in order to further its sovereignty aspirations over Gibraltar, the country’s Minister for Foreign Affairs said in an interview at the weekend.Alfonso Dastis Quecedo told La Vanguardia newspaper that “there is no doubt” as to Spain’s position in respect of the Rock. “We want that piece of Spain to be reintegrated into Spain,” he said.