
Venezuela’s government said on Wednesday it was sending troops to the western region of Tachira, rocked by violence during anti-government protests, as the United Nations Security Council prepared to discuss the crisis.

Journalists in the U.S. and Mexico are reeling from the death of Mexican reporter Javier Valdez Cardenas, who was shot dead on Monday in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, where he lived and worked. Valdez Cárdenas was an internationally recognized journalist who specialized in reporting on drug-trafficking and organized crime in Mexico.

The British government has confirmed its remaining shares in Lloyds Banking Group have been sold, eight years after pumping in £20bn to save it. Lloyds Bank said the government will see a return of £21.2bn on its investment.

Argentina is a great producer of food commodities and is capable of feeding 400 million people, president Mauricio Macri said addressing in Beijing the One Belt One Road, OBOR, international cooperation summit, the Chinese initiative to promote peace and trade, which convened 29 world leaders from all continents.

Award-winning Mexican journalist Javier Valdez has been shot dead in the north-western state of Sinaloa. He was killed when unidentified attackers opened fire on his car in the city of Culiacan where Valdez was working, the RioDoce website reports.

The Government of Gibraltar has warmly congratulated Michael Llamas QC upon his appointment as Europe's representative in the highly prestigious and important Ethics Committee of FIFA. Llamas joins other highly distinguished lawyers and judges who will form part of the Ethics Committee. These include a former President of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Brazil's economy will post growth of between 0.7% and 0.8% in the first quarter, turning the corner on a two-year recession, Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles said this week. In an interview with GloboNews cable channel, Meirelles said Brazilian companies will have to start to restock inventories and draw up investment plans.

Container shipping company Maersk Line will pay EUR 3.7 billion for its acquisition of smaller German rival Hamburg Sud, including all subsidiaries and associated shipping companies. The boards of Maersk Line and the Oetker Group, owner of Hamburg Sud, approved the proposed deal, which has been given the green light by the European Commission and the US Department of Justice.

The Cuban government's traditional May Day parade Monday is the last to be overseen by President Raul Castro, and the first without his late brother and revolutionary predecessor Fidel.

Following through on its threat, Venezuela's government announced on Wednesday it is quitting the Organization of American States, accusing the regional body of meddling in its internal affairs over weeks of political unrest. The step was taken just hours after violent clashes in Caracas between security forces and protesters during yet another march against the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro.