As the crisis worsens in Nicaragua, pressure on the part of society that demands the resignation of President Daniel Ortega remains. This generates that, in many cities like Masaya, the streets are blocked with more than 200 barricades while their neighbors organize to guarantee security and collect food for the protesters who are entrenched, resisting the paramilitary siege against the city. However, there has been an overflow of passport applications in recent weeks.
The board of Brazilian food processor BRF SA on Thursday elected Chairman Pedro Parente to the additional post of chief executive, the company said in a securities filing. Parente, the former CEO of state-controlled oil company Petrobras will hold both positions for an initial period of 180 days, BRF said.
Asian shares wobbled on Friday as investors braced for U.S. tariffs against China, while the Euro flirted with two-week lows after a cautious European Central Bank indicated it would not raise interest rates for some time. U.S. President Donald Trump has made up his mind to impose “pretty significant” tariffs and will unveil a list targeting US$ 50 billion of Chinese goods on Friday, an administration official said. Beijing has warned that it was ready to respond.
A UK government's compromise to avoid a Commons defeat on Brexit has been rejected as unacceptable by leading rebel Dominic Grieve. Prime Minister Theresa May had convinced most rebels - who want MPs to have the final say - to back her in a key vote on Tuesday night by giving them assurances. But the wording of the promised compromise has now been published.
Activists faced off with Nicaraguan pro-government forces in hours of deadly clashes on Thursday amid a nationwide strike to protest government repression of dissent that has left at least 162 dead, including an altar boy. Despite the 24-hour work stoppage that gave the capital Managua the air of a ghost town, fierce unrest in other areas persisted, leaving at least four dead during pro-government attacks on activists guarding barricades.
Oxfam GB has been banned from operating in Haiti after its staff were accused of sexual misconduct following the 2010 earthquake. Haiti's government said the decision was taken because of Oxfam's “violation of its laws and serious breach of the principle of human dignity”.
The European Central Bank (ECB) has confirmed it will end a huge program to stimulate the Euro-zone economy in December. The ECB will stop its bond-buying scheme, worth €30bn a month, despite a recent slowdown in the bloc's recovery.
The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday that tax cuts will help fuel the U.S. economy this year and next. But it warned that growth after that will slide to levels just half of what the Trump administration is forecasting.
The former head of the Royal Navy has warned of a developing negative situation over the number of ships available to patrol Britain’s coastal waters post-Brexit. Labour’s Lord West of Spithead told the Lords at question time there were not enough vessels to look after the inshore waters and the exclusive economic zone.
Argentine president Mauricio Macri appointed Finance Minister Luis Caputo as president of the central bank on Thursday, after the outgoing head of the bank resigned and acknowledged having lost credibility.