Brazil's government confirmed Monday that Indonesia had joined the BRICS bloc as a full member, making it the first country to do so this year, Agencia Brasil reported. The alliance now has the fourth largest population on the planet, with the new partner's 284 million inhabitants making it the 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, according to the World Bank.
Justin Trudeau announced Monday his resignation as Prime Minister of Canada after nine years in office. His stepping down would become effective once the Liberal Party finds a new leader through a competitive and rigorous process at the national level.
A Japanese woman considered to be the world's longest-lived person died on Dec. 29 at 116 years old at a nursing home in the city of Ashiya in the Hyogo Prefecture, it was reported Saturday. A Brazilian nun is now the oldest person alive.
An Israeli national who was vacationing in Brazil had to flee in a rush to Argentina to avoid being prosecuted there for alleged war crimes committed while deployed in Gaza as a member of the Kfir Brigade.
US President-elect Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni met at the former's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida after their encounter was arranged in the utmost secrecy. The gathering consisted of a private dinner, the screening of a documentary, and an exchange of views on bilateral matters.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font's trip to the South Pole was confirmed Thursday by the La Moneda Palace in Santiago after its feasibility had been questioned due to poor weather. The journey between Jan. 2 and 4, will include other officials as well as a scientific team to tour the Union Glacier Joint Scientific Polar Station and the Amundsen-Scott Base.
Brazil took over Wednesday the rotating presidency of the BRICS bloc which now features at least nine new members. It is the fourth time the South American country has held that position, Agência Brasil noted.
Chinese farmers and meat industry associations are complaining about the surge in foreign beef imports and the Ministry of Commerce has promised an investigation into the situation, according to Beijing government sources.
A journal recently acquired at auction by the Friends of the Falklands Museum and Archives (FIMA Friends) gives a remarkable personal account of the 1914 Battle of the Falklands. The unique manuscript, illustrated with contemporary newspaper cuttings, reveals that, despite the appalling carnage, a strong sentiment of mutual respect survived.
Argentine prosecutors Monday arraigned 5 people in connection with the Oct.16 death of former One Direction's British singer Liam Payne in Buenos Aires, which was ruled not a suicide.