King Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed after a request by President Emmanuel Macron, Downing Street has said. The president said we would not be sensible and would lack common sense to go ahead after unions called a day of pension protests during the visit.
Brazil informed Beijing that president Lula da Silva'a official visit to China had to be postponed because the Brazilian leader had contracted influenza and pneumonia. This however has not prevented a major business and investment summit between the two countries to continue in Beijing with the participation of a Brazilian delegation of some 240 members.
The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell said during an interview in Santo Domingo where he is attending the XXVIII Ibero-American Summit that Latin America is underestimated when it has the potential of becoming the new Persian Gulf.
Former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has been elected Friday to head the New Development Bank (NDB), also known as the BRICS Bank to replace Marcos Troyjo, who had held the post since July 2020. Rousseff will remain at the helm of the Shanghai-based financial institution until the end of Brazil's mandate in July 2025. Each BRICS country (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) chairs the bank for rotating five-year terms. She will take office later next week during President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva's visit.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva postponed his departure for China after being diagnosed with a mild case of pneumonia, Agencia Brasil reported.
The Customs & Immigration Service would like to inform the public that a strike is planned by staff of the UK Passport Office for five weeks between 3 April to 5 May in England, Scotland and Wales – in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions. A quarter of the Passport Office’s 4000 employees are expected to take part in the strike.
Gene-edited food can now be developed commercially in England following a change in the law, reports BBC. Supporters of the technology say it will speed up the development of hardier crops that will be needed because of climate change.
The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization approved the guidelines and rules of procedure for its 2023 Pacific Regional Seminar, which will be held in Bali, Indonesia, from 24 to 26 May.
Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told the website Metrópoles that his country would like to have Argentina join the BRICS group, but insisted that for such a move to happen it would depend on the consensus from the other bloc members (Russia, India, China, and South Africa).
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson faced over three hours of grilling before a parliamentary committee that is investigating whether or not he knowingly misled Parliament regarding breaches of Covid 19 protocol and rules inside 10 Downing Street when he was head of government.