International

• Saturday, December 23rd 2017 - 12:01 UTC

  Venezuelan minister praises China and lashes out at the US, in Beijing

  

  Venezuela’s foreign minister blamed the United States for his country’s spiraling debt crisis, saying Washington’s “permanent attack” had left the economy crippled. Jorge Arreaza lashed out at Donald Trump, US and European sanctions, and American interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs at the Venezuelan embassy in Beijing during a three-day official visit.

• Saturday, December 23rd 2017 - 10:37 UTC

  Brazil and Paraguay soccer executives sentenced in US on corruption charges

  

  Two former top South American football executives have been found guilty of multiple charges at a US trial into corruption in the sport: Jose Maria Marin, the former head of Brazil's Football Confederation (CBF), and Paraguay's Juan Ángel Napout, who led South America's football governing body Conmebol, were convicted on Friday.

• Saturday, December 23rd 2017 - 10:30 UTC

  Theresa May says she is more than “Madame Brexit”, and is “in for the long term”

  

  British Prime Minister Theresa May has insisted she is more than “Madame Brexit,” having been given the title by Poland's prime minister. She said there were “other things” she wanted to achieve apart from delivering a successful exit from the EU - such as improvements to education and training, and insisted she was “in it for the long-term”, shrugging off suggestions she had had a bad year.

• Saturday, December 23rd 2017 - 10:23 UTC

  Rajoy rules out talks with exiled Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont

  

  Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday said he would not hold talks with exiled Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont in the wake of the results of Catalan regional elections held Thursday.

• Saturday, December 23rd 2017 - 09:58 UTC

  Petrobras corruption: Offshore corporation agrees to pay US$ 422 million in fines

  

  Keppel Corporation's offshore and marine unit has reached a global resolution with criminal authorities in the United States, Brazil and Singapore in relation to corrupt payments made by a former agent in Brazil. The resolution, involving three jurisdictions across the world, is unprecedented for a Singapore company.

• Saturday, December 23rd 2017 - 08:47 UTC

  Trump administration recognizes reelected Hernandez as Honduras president

  

  The Trump administration on Friday recognized the results of Honduras’ disputed presidential election, despite problems found by poll observers and calls from the U.S. Congress for a new vote. In a statement, the U.S. State Department congratulated President Juan Orlando Hernandez on his re-election, but also urged the country’s electoral commission to examine all disputes to the result.

• Friday, December 22nd 2017 - 10:51 UTC

  Theresa May loses one of her closest allies in the cabinet to pornography allegations

  

  Damian Green, one of British Prime Minister Theresa May's closest allies, has been sacked from the cabinet after an inquiry found he had breached the ministerial code. He was “asked to quit” after he was found to have made “inaccurate and misleading” statements over what he knew about claims pornography was found on his office computer in 2008.

• Friday, December 22nd 2017 - 10:46 UTC

  Mercosur divided on Jerusalem vote: Argentina and Paraguay abstained; Brazil and Uruguay supported

  

  A resolution backed overwhelmingly by the United Nations has effectively called on the US to withdraw its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The vote in support of the resolution was 128, nine against and 35 abstentions. The South American Mercosur block, currently holding a summit in Brasilia, voted divided, while Brazil and Uruguay supported the resolution, Argentina and Paraguay abstained.

• Friday, December 22nd 2017 - 10:16 UTC

  Catalonia is back at starting point: separatists win a slim majority

  

  Catalonia's separatists look set to regain power in the wealthy Spanish region after local elections on Thursday, deepening the nation's political crisis in a sharp rebuke to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and European Union leaders who backed him. With nearly all votes counted, separatist parties won a slim majority in Catalan parliament, a result that promises to prolong political tensions which have damaged Spain's economy and prompted a business exodus from the region.

• Friday, December 22nd 2017 - 06:45 UTC

  Theresa May pledges no compromise on Falklands' right to self determination

  

  In a personal Christmas message to Falkland Islanders, Prime Minister Theresa May emphasized that she would not allow anyone to compromise Islanders’ right to self determination. Her full message follows: