Politics

• Friday, January 17th 2020 - 12:03 UTC

  Amazon indigenous leaders summit to form alliance against Bolsonaro's environmental policy

  

  Dozens of Amazon indigenous leaders have gathered in the heart of the threatened rainforest to form an alliance against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's environmental policy and his threats to throw their homelands open to mining concerns.

• Friday, January 17th 2020 - 10:33 UTC

  Vatican rejects nominee as Argentine ambassador; Fernandez meets the Pope at the end of the month

  

  The Argentine government has been forced to review the appointment of Luis Bellando as ambassador before the Vatican since his placet was not accepted by the Holy See. “The mechanics of the foreign ministry is to send first the names of diplomatic candidates since the host country must agree with the names proposed, so in this case, we will review the issue and reviews if a new consensus is needed to send another candidate as ambassador or representative to the Vatican”, cabinet chief Santiago Cafiero said.

• Friday, January 17th 2020 - 10:33 UTC

  Historic impeachment trial of Trump opens; Decisive US Senate controlled by Republicans

  

  The historic impeachment trial of Donald Trump opened on Thursday in the US Senate, as lawmakers took a solemn oath to be “impartial” in deciding whether to force the 45th US president from office.

• Friday, January 17th 2020 - 10:32 UTC

  Brazil steps out from Celac, because of its failure “to protect democracy”

  

  Brazil has decided to suspend its participation in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, a leftist regional body established by Venezuela, due to its failure to protect democracy, Brazil's foreign minister said on Thursday.

• Friday, January 17th 2020 - 10:31 UTC

  Morales backtracks on intention of creating armed civilian militias as in Venezuela if he returns to Bolivia

  

  Exiled former Bolivian president Evo Morales backtracked on Thursday from a vow to create armed civilian militias similar to notorious 'colectivos' in Venezuela, were he to be allowed back to his homeland.

• Friday, January 17th 2020 - 10:30 UTC

  Another victory for Trump: US Senate passes overwhelmingly the North American trade pact

  

  The US Senate on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to approve a new North American trade pact, handing President Donald Trump a second back-to-back trade win just as his impeachment trial was beginning in Washington. After a brief debate, lawmakers voted 89-10 in favor of a bill allowing the US-Mexico-Canada agreement to take effect, overhauling trade relations among the three countries.

• Friday, January 17th 2020 - 10:29 UTC

  Wall Street stocks at fresh records after approval of North American trade pact

  

  Wall Street stocks surged to fresh records on Thursday after the US Senate approved a new North American trade pact, adding to the momentum from the US-China trade deal. All three major indices finished at all-time highs, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 267.42 points (0.92%) at 29,297.64.

• Friday, January 17th 2020 - 10:23 UTC

  Tourists accused of damaging Machu Picchu deported to Bolivia and barred from Peru for 15 years

  

  Five tourists accused of damaging Peru's iconic Machu Picchu site were deported to Bolivia on Thursday and barred from returning to the country for 15 years, police and immigration officials said.

• Thursday, January 16th 2020 - 19:15 UTC

  Brazilian Antarctica base reopened from its ashes after eight years

  

  Brazil Wednesday reopened its scientific Comandante Ferraz base in Antarctica, which had been destroyed in a fire in 2012. In the incident two soldiers died and more than two thirds of the facilities were destroyed.

• Thursday, January 16th 2020 - 08:59 UTC

  Ex cabinet minister proposes Gibraltar and Falklands should have elected MPs to Parliament after Brexit

  

  A former Cabinet Office minister said British overseas territories such as Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands should be able to elect MPs to Parliament after Brexit. John Penrose wants the 14 overseas territories, which include the renowned tax-havens the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, to be able to negotiate devolution arrangements similar to that enjoyed by all four countries within the UK, and also elect MPs to Westminster.