
Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly expects to vote on making a US$71 million bond interest payment when it meets next week, a lawmaker and a member of state-run oil company PDVSA's ad-hoc board of directors said.

Argentine experts have expressed the belief that the upcoming Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation can yield more concrete steps for collaboration between China and Latin America. Members of the Asian Affairs Committee at Argentina's Council on International Relations (CARI), a leading think tank, spoke to China's government news agency Xinhua in the lead-up to the forum.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will host nearly 40 heads of state next week at the second Belt and Road forum, which is expected to produce more deals for companies and banks that want in on the latter-day Silk Road mega-project. The strong showing is a testament to the project's standing despite its multiple criticisms, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday.

Peru's late former president Alan Garcia left a suicide note denying the corruption charges against him before taking his own life, one of his children revealed on Friday. Garcia, who was 69, died on Wednesday after shooting himself in the head when police came to his home to arrest him over allegations of money laundering during his time in office.

Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó called on Friday for the biggest demonstration in history to put pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to step down. The National Assembly head launched a challenge to Maduro's authority in January, declaring himself acting president.

Argentina will be receiving in a few weeks time five refurbished Dassault-Breguet Super Etendard (SEM) fighter bombers decommissioned from the French navy. The 13 million Euro purchase also includes a flight simulator, engines and spares and are currently sailing across the Atlantic en route to Bahía Blanca.

Sir Simon McDonald, Permanent Under-Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service at the Foreign Office (FCO) this week assured that the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) and the FCO are “working on a common agenda, which is to secure the future of the Falkland Islands.”

Brazil will hold an offshore oil deposit auction in October featuring blocks that were the object of a long-running dispute with state energy giant Petrobras. Reuters reports, citing Economy Minister Paulo Guedes, that participants in the auction will need to cough up a signing bonus of a total US$26.9 billion for the four blocks.

The owner of US tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer has agreed to sell the title to magazine distributor James Cohen. American Media Inc (AMI) said it would sell the title and two of its sister publications to Mr Cohen.

The elected government of the Falkland Islands is inviting two members from the community to accompany the official delegation to the UN Special Committee on Decolonization or C24, next June, as representatives of the Islands.