International

• Saturday, December 3rd 2016 - 07:25 UTC

  Austria's Sunday presidential election with an eye on Brexit and Trump's victory

  

  Austrian voters could elect the European Union’s first far-right leader in the a presidential election on Sunday. Norbert Hofer of the far-right Freedom Party is running against Alexander Van der Bellen. Van der Bellen is an independent candidate who led The Greens party earlier. Recent public opinion studies have shown the two candidates with about equal support.

• Friday, December 2nd 2016 - 09:33 UTC

  Hollande will not run for re-election; conservative Fillon calls it a lucid reaction “to failure”

  

  French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday he would not seek a second term in next year's presidential election, a surprise move that clears the way for an alternative left-wing candidate, most probably his prime minister Manuel Valls.

• Friday, December 2nd 2016 - 09:09 UTC

  New Zealand sends patrol vessel to help combat illegal fishing in Ross Sea

  

  Patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington departs on Sunday for the Southern Ocean from Dunedin to monitor the annual fishing season in the Ross Sea region in an attempt to stamp out illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the area.

• Friday, December 2nd 2016 - 08:43 UTC

  Italy's referendum could knock out Rienzi and unleash a financial volcano

  

  The focus of the news from Italy this weekend will be political: there's a referendum on constitutional reform and the Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, has said he will resign if the proposals are rejected. This could be followed by new elections which could in turn benefit the Five Star Movement, an anti-Euro group led by the former comedian Beppe Grillo.

• Friday, December 2nd 2016 - 08:31 UTC

  Prince Cruise Lines fined US$ 40 million for dumping waste off England

  

  A US cruise liner is to pay a record fine of US$40m for dumping oil-contaminated waste, the US Department of Justice has said. The investigation into Princess Cruise Lines followed a tip-off that the company had illegally discharged oily waste off the coast of England in 2013.

• Thursday, December 1st 2016 - 18:26 UTC

  Temer admits Brazil “lacks solid institutions”, but foreigners are eager to invest in the country

  

  President Michel Temer said that “Brazil doesn’t have solid institutions” and that is why, “small factoids” menace the country’s institutional framework. Temer made such statements during an event Monday evening with private businessmen.

• Thursday, December 1st 2016 - 18:14 UTC

  Brazil anticipates blockbuster 2017 harvest and exports

  

  Brazil is getting ready for a blockbuster 2017 harvest and booming exports, amid favorable weather forecasts, according to recent estimates. With a plentiful harvest expected, Brazil’s National Grain Association predicts grain exports will rebound, with soybean exports of 60 MT in 2017, compared with some 51 MT for 2016. Corn exports will increase to 30 MT, compared with some 18.5 MT in 2016, the association reported.

• Thursday, December 1st 2016 - 18:12 UTC

  Petition to impeach President Temer mostly symbolic but erodes his political standing

  

  Brazilian opposition party filed a petition for the impeachment of President Michel Temer, underlining the growing difficulties facing the centre-right leader as he tries to introduce austerity reforms.

• Thursday, December 1st 2016 - 15:30 UTC

  Russia ready to do its part as OPEC countries agree on oil output cut

  

  As the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has reached a deal among all 14 members to cut oil production for the first time since 2008, Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said his country was ready to do its part by reducing 300,000 barrels per day in the first half of 2017, provided OPEC adheres to the level of 32.5 mln barrels daily adjusted for Indonesia and on condition of maximum reciprocity from other non-OPEC countries. Russia is not an OPEC member.

• Thursday, December 1st 2016 - 13:01 UTC

  UK Faster entry available to Chile with the Registered Traveller Service

  

  Regular visitors to the UK from Chile, as with other founding members of Mercosur, are now eligible to apply to join the UK’s Registered Traveller Service. The Service provides approved members, who have undergone advanced security checks an expedited clearance through the UK border.