
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.

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.

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).

By UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon - At long last, there is growing global recognition that violence against women and girls is a human rights violation, public health pandemic and serious obstacle to sustainable development. Yet there is still much more we can and must do to turn this awareness into meaningful prevention and response.

Fidel Castro, the fiery communist politician and Cuban revolutionary who led his country for almost half a century, has died. His health had been deteriorating since 2006, when he suffered from intestinal bleeding. He was 90 years old.

Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez is off to Europe for a two-week business and academic interests trip which begins on Friday in Spain and will continue in the Vatican, Austria and France. On Friday, Vazquez is scheduled to hold a private meeting with King Felipe IV of Spain, and on Monday with president Mariano Rajoy.

Britain dismissed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's unprecedented expression of support for Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage to be made British ambassador to Washington, saying pointedly that there is no vacancy for the job. Trump, who after his election victory met Farage before any EU leaders, said on Twitter that “many people” would like to see the former metals trader turned politician as Britain's ambassador.

Zhang Xiangchen, China's deputy international trade representative, said his country would defend its rights under World Trade Organization tariff rules should Trump uphold his campaign threats to levy punitive duties on China-made goods, which, according to an Auxtralian expert, is “very unlikely” to happen.

United States stocks extended their post-U.S. election rally Tuesday with moderate gains that pushed the Dow above 19,000 for the first time and the three major indexes to record closing levels for a second straight day. The S&P 500 ended above 2,200, led by gains in telecommunications, up 2.1%, and consumer discretionary up 1.2%. The small-cap Russell 2000 index also set another record-high close.

Argentina and the United Kingdom will sign this Wednesday an accord by which the two countries scientific societies will be working jointly in research projects and promoting an active exchange of scientists, as part of the recent joint statement signed last September, revealed Science and Technology minister José Lino Barañao currently in London.