Stories for October 2017

Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 06:38 UTC
Theresa May tells MPs to be prepared for every eventuality as a hard Brexit looms closer

The UK has set out how it could operate as an “independent trading nation” after Brexit, even if no trade deal is reached with Brussels. Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs “real and tangible progress” had been made in Brexit talks, but the country must be prepared for “every eventuality”. However Labour said “no real progress has been made” since last June's referendum.
Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 06:29 UTC
LATAM non-stop flights between Santiago de Chile and Melbourne

LATAM launched on 5 October non-stop flights between Melbourne and Santiago. The route will offer the only direct connection between Melbourne and Latin America and see three flights per week on a Boeing 787-9.
Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 06:25 UTC
Bottle with message tossed close to Falklands emerges five years later in New Zealand

Tossed into the sea by a sailor on a yacht in the Atlantic ocean, a message in a bottle drifted across the seas for five years. Some 8000 kilometers later, it washed up on a Northland beach in New Zealand. A couple were walking along the waterfront near their home when the corked wine bottle caught their eye. Inside was a letter thrown into the sea near the Falkland Islands, penned on January 20, 2012.
Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 06:17 UTC
Falklands War memorial unveiled in Brecon by ex governor Sir Alan Huckle

The new Falklands War memorial in Brecon, Wales, was officially unveiled on Saturday in the Peace Gardens. The former Governor of the Falkland Islands, Sir Alan Huckle, unveiled the memorial stone while Jock Blair from the Royal British Legion in Brecon unveiled the bench.
Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 06:07 UTC
Public funds to finance election campaigns to help fight corruption, “insufficient”

A political campaign fund set up in Brazil with public money to help fight corruption is not big enough for the country’s 2018 general election, the head of the country’s top electoral court said. Brazil’s scandal-plagued political class voted to establish the 1.7 billion Reais (US$542 million) fund to finance election campaigns after corporate donations were banned in the wake of the country’s biggest ever corruption scandal.
Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 03:00 UTC
Brazilian political system passes a bill forcing social media outlets to censor critical content

In a move that critics say impinges on the legitimacy of democracy, the Brazilian Congress has approved legislation allowing parties and candidates to force social media outlets to censor offensive or critical content by anonymous authors.
Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 02:55 UTC
Rio 2016 Games chairman arrested and suspended on corruption charges

The chairman of Brazil’s Olympic Committee, who helped organize the Rio 2016 Games, submitted his resignation on Saturday, saying he wanted to concentrate on defending himself against corruption charges.
Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 02:48 UTC
Aerolineas Argentinas suspends flights to Venezuela because of security concerns

Aerolineas Argentinas has become the latest carrier to suspend flights to Caracas. The company said it had concerns over security in Venezuela because of increasing criminal violence and political uncertainty. It joins dozens of airlines who have taken similar action.
Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 02:32 UTC
Angela Merkel agrees to an immigration cap as part of her talks to form a coalition

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party has agreed an immigration policy with its sister party, media reports say. The breakthrough in talks with the Christian Social Union (CSU) would overcome a major hurdle as Mrs. Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) seek to form a coalition government.
Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 02:20 UTC
New map of South Georgia by British Antarctic Survey unveiled

A team of cartographers at British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has re-produced a high-resolution updated map of the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. The island, situated at 37°W 54°10’S is a haven for wildlife, a centre for wildlife and fisheries research and famous for the epic voyage by Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men just over a century ago.