International

Monday, July 29th 2019 - 09:36 UTC
Two Iranian vessels are refueled by Petrobras and leave loaded with corn

Two Iranian ships stranded off the coast of Brazil for weeks set sail on Saturday, officials said, after a court ordered state oil giant Petrobras to fuel up the vessels. The bulk carriers had been stuck at Paranagua port in the southern state of Parana since early last month after Petrobras refused to provide fuel for fear of breaching US sanctions on Iran.
Monday, July 29th 2019 - 09:33 UTC
China/Brazil celebrate stable and mature relations on the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties

China-Brazil relations, which are already “stable and mature,” could be further strengthened in the future, experts said last Friday during a seminar marking the 45th anniversary of China-Brazil diplomatic ties.
Saturday, July 27th 2019 - 09:46 UTC
Caribbean tourists warned of the toxicity of Sargassum on the beaches

Tourists to the Caribbean may not realize that a brown drifting seaweed that's been piling up on beaches in recent years is dangerous, researchers say. Travelers and doctors alike should be aware that prolonged contact with the Sargassum weed, or inhaling the hydrogen sulfide gas it gives off as it decomposes on the beach, can cause heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, vertigo, headache and skin rashes, the authors write in the Journal of Travel Medicine.
Saturday, July 27th 2019 - 09:43 UTC
Brazil and Beijing get along smoothly: “we never had an issue with China”

Brazilian foreign minister Ernesto Araujo batted away concerns about Brazil's relations with China, its biggest trade partner, during the BRICS summit hosted by Brazil. Many had feared ties could rupture under newly-elected President Jair Bolsonaro, whose previous criticisms of Beijing and fervent admiration of US President Donald Trump are shared by Araujo.
Saturday, July 27th 2019 - 09:40 UTC
HMS Forth on a routine visit to Gibraltar

HMS Forth arrived on Friday morning to Gibraltar Naval Base for a routine scheduled visit. The Portsmouth based ship is the first of the Royal Navy's next-generation of Offshore Patrol ships.
Saturday, July 27th 2019 - 09:15 UTC
African swine fever spreading in Bulgaria

Bulgarian veterinary authorities said on Friday they will cull 30,000 pigs after detecting an outbreak of African swine fever at a breeding farm in northern Bulgaria, the third industrial farm hit by the fast-spreading deadly virus.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 11:00 UTC
Royal Navy begins escorting UK flagged ships sailing the Strait of Hormuz

Great Britain’s Ministry of Defense announced that British Royal Navy will protect UK-flagged ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions soar in the Persian Gulf over tanker detentions.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 10:11 UTC
Northern Europe literally frying in all time high temperatures; train travelers told to delay trips

Paris on Thursday baked in an all-time high temperature of 42.6 degrees Celsius as a ferocious heatwave smashed records across northern Europe, sparking concerns about public health and causing new misery for rail travellers.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 10:06 UTC
China/Brazil meeting: “pragmatism will prevail” anticipate Bolsonaro hard liners

Brazil's foreign minister has made clear that there is no love lost for Beijing on his part, but when he sits down with his Chinese opposite for the first time on Thursday analysts expect pragmatism to prevail.
Friday, July 26th 2019 - 09:56 UTC
Brazil's highest court orders Petrobras to refuel two Iranian grain vessels

Brazil’s top court on Thursday ordered state-run oil company Petrobras to refuel two Iranian grain vessels stranded on the Brazilian coast due to U.S. sanctions holding up sales of fuel needed for their return trips.