International

• Monday, November 28th 2016 - 09:36 UTC

  Doubts about OPEC's production cut agreement make crude oil prices dive

  

  Oil prices fell over 1 percent Monday in Asia following a decline of more than 3 percent Friday over disagreement between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC exporters like Russia. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were trading at $46.40 per barrel at 0035 GMT (7.35 a.m. ET), down 84 cents, or 1.8 percent, from their last close, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were down 74 cents, or 1.6 percent, at $45.32 a barrel.

• Monday, November 28th 2016 - 08:50 UTC

  New UK ambassador to Brazil; outgoing diplomat will head Existing EU Department

  

  Dr Vijay Rangarajan CMG has been appointed United Kingdom's Ambassador to Brazil in succession to Alexander Ellis. Dr Rangarajan will take up his appointment in Spring 2017. Outgoing ambassador Ellis has been appointed Director General at the Department for Exiting the European Union and will be taking his new role next January.

• Monday, November 28th 2016 - 08:42 UTC

  UK trade envoy in Brazil to promote business in oil, finance, infrastructure and mining sectors

  

  A United Kingdom member of parliament and Special Envoy for Trade and Investment, Mark Prisk is in Brazil for a round of business talks in the oil and gas, financial services, mining and infrastructure sectors. Mr. Prisk is visiting Brazil for the second time in six months and his agenda will take him to Rio do Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia.

• Monday, November 28th 2016 - 08:12 UTC

  UK minister underlines historic defense ties with Chile particularly at navies level

  

  During a visit to Chile, British Armed Forces Minister Mike Penning underlined the deep and historic defense ties between the UK and Chile, which he described as a key ally with a longstanding relationship, particularly through the Royal Navy and Chilean Navy.

• Monday, November 28th 2016 - 07:54 UTC

  Reactions to Fidel Castro's legacy: as controversial as in life

  

  World reactions to the death of the Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro who ruled the island for half a century have been as controversial as his life and influence in world affairs. “His revolutionary ideals left few indifferent”, Ban Ki-moon was quoted, and Pope Francis was more diplomatic and referred to the sad news and promised prayers to Cuba's patron Virgin.

• Monday, November 28th 2016 - 07:16 UTC

  Fillon elected conservative candidate for French presidential election in 2017

  

  Francois Fillon, a socially conservative free-market, won France’s center-right presidential primaries on Sunday, setting up a likely showdown next year with far-right leader Marine Le Pen that the pollsters expect him to win. Fillon, who went into Sunday’s second-round run-off as firm favorite, had won over 67% of the vote in a head-to-head battle with another ex-prime minister, Alain Juppe.

• Sunday, November 27th 2016 - 11:06 UTC

  US actor Steven Seagal granted Russian citizenship, receives his passport from Putin himself

  

  Russian President Vladimir Putin has given a Russian passport to US action film star Steven Seagal in a moved aimed at easing relations with the United States.

• Saturday, November 26th 2016 - 13:44 UTC

  Whole world -even Palestinians- helps Israel fight fires gone beyond control

  

  Palestinian firefighters and trucks and firefighting aircraft from Turkey, Greece, Croatia and Russia joined the operation to put down the flames. For four days, Israel has fought in its entire territory dozens of fires that spread thanks to a great drought and strong winds.

• Saturday, November 26th 2016 - 12:43 UTC

  BP buys into Egypt's super giant Zohr gas field, the largest in the Mediterranean

  

  BP announced on Friday that it has agreed to buy from Eni a 10% interest in the Shorouk concession offshore Egypt, which contains the super-giant Zohr gas field, for US$375 million. On closing, BP will also reimburse Eni for BP's share of past expenditure. As part of the agreement, BP also has an option before the end of 2017 to buy a further 5% interest in the concession under the same terms.

• Saturday, November 26th 2016 - 12:18 UTC

  Switzerland has returned US$ 2bn of illicit funds stashed in its banks by dictators

  

  With a new law to help seize and repatriate illicit wealth stashed in Swiss banks by foreign dictators and a positive – but slow - track record, Switzerland is a leader in the return of illicit dictator funds, a top Swiss official claims. Over the past 30 years Switzerland has returned almost US$ 2 billion misappropriated and deposited in Swiss banks by “politically exposed persons” (PEPs).