International

• Monday, August 26th 2019 - 17:48 UTC

  Pope Francis calls for the protection of “the lung of forests vital for our planet”

  

  Pope Francis on Sunday called for a global commitment to put out the fires in the Amazon, saying the area was essential for the health of the planet. “We are all worried about the vast fires that have developed in the Amazon. Let us pray so that, with the commitment of all, they can be put out soon.”

• Saturday, August 24th 2019 - 09:55 UTC

  G7 summit adds 'Amazon wildfires' to an already thorny agenda, which is scrapping a joint declaration

  

  G7 leaders gathering in France this weekend plan to hammer out “concrete measures” in response to the wildfires raging in the Amazon rainforest, putting them on a collision course with Brazil's rightwing leader.

• Saturday, August 24th 2019 - 09:54 UTC

  IMF mission arrives to Argentina this Saturday: US$ 5.3bn disbursement to be considered

  

  Delegates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) land in Buenos Aires Saturday as concerns about Argentina’s economy cast doubt upon the future of its record US$56 billion bailouts. The date of the trip was agreed with the Argentine central bank chairman, Guido Sandleris.

• Saturday, August 24th 2019 - 09:53 UTC

  Ireland will not sign EU/Mercosur deal unless Brazil takes action to protect the Amazon rainforest

  

  As wildfires rage through the Brazilian Amazon, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has said Dublin will vote against a trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur unless Brazil takes action to protect the rainforest.

• Saturday, August 24th 2019 - 09:26 UTC

  Mercosur and EFTA countries reach a free trade agreement

  

  South American trade block Mercosur reached a free trade agreement with four European countries, Argentine officials and Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said after talks in Buenos Aires.

• Saturday, August 24th 2019 - 09:16 UTC

  US/China trade war further escalates: where does it end before reaching a point of no return?

  

  President Donald Trump declared on Friday he would further raise American tariffs on all Chinese imports hours after China announced tariffs on American goods, the second escalation within the day of a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies that has shown no sign of ending soon.

• Saturday, August 24th 2019 - 09:08 UTC

  Climate activists protest outside Brazil embassy in London; PM Johnson described fires as “an international crisis”

  

  Climate change activists chanting slogans and waving banners demonstrated outside Brazil's embassy in London on Friday, urging President Jair Bolsonaro to do more to halt the fires in the Amazon rainforest.

• Friday, August 23rd 2019 - 09:54 UTC

  France and UN lead battle for the protection of fire plagued Amazon rainforest

  

  France and the United Nations called on Thursday for the protection of the fire-plagued Amazon rainforest as Brazil's right-wing president blamed NGOs for promoting an “environmental psychosis” to damage the country's interests.

• Friday, August 23rd 2019 - 09:50 UTC

  Premier Oil trying to sell part of its Falklands' Sea Lion project

  

  Premier Oil is selling its stake in a “world-class” project off the coast of Mexico and wants to reduce its holding in a long-awaited scheme north of the Falkland Islands as it tries to lighten its US$ 2bn debt burden, reports the Financial Times.

• Friday, August 23rd 2019 - 09:40 UTC

  Norway's Equinor and YPF team up to explore Argentina offshore block

  

  Norway Equinor’s executive vice president for Exploration, Tim Dodson, and YPF's CEO Daniel Gonzalez have signed an agreement to jointly explore the CAN 100 offshore block, located in the North Argentine Basin.