Politics

• Friday, February 8th 2019 - 08:22 UTC

  Bolsonaro recovering from intestinal surgery but has caught pneumonia

  

  Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has pneumonia after registering a fever during a hospital stay, but a tweet on the far-right leader’s Twitter profile on Thursday said he was “well.”Bolsonaro had an operation on Jan. 28 to remove a colostomy bag that was put in place after he was stabbed while campaigning ahead of Brazil’s election last year.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 16:57 UTC

  EU calls for free elections in Venezuela at International Contact Group meeting in Montevideo

  

  The High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini warned on Thursday at the meeting of the International Contact Group in Montevideo, on a beside the president of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez, that the group does not seek a “direct negotiation” but a free, transparent and credible Presidential election in Venezuela.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 11:14 UTC

  “Neutral-neutralized” Uruguay hosts international gathering on the Venezuelan situation

  

  Montevideo, the capital of “neutral/neutralized” Uruguay is hosting this Thursday an international gathering with countries of the Americas and the European Union to address, and attempt to solve or find a way out to the delicate and worsening situation in Venezuela.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 10:33 UTC

  As March countdown clicks, UN warns about global implications of the US/China trade dispute

  

  United Nations trade official has warned a US plan to raise tariffs on Chinese goods next month would have “massive” implications for the global economy. The US plans to increase tariffs on Chinese goods if the two sides fail to make progress on a trade deal by 1 March.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 10:29 UTC

  Brazil central bank leaves interest rates at record low 6.5%

  

  Brazil’s central bank left interest rates at a record low on Wednesday as expected, and signaled it is in no rush to change them even though inflationary pressures have cooled. The bank’s nine-member monetary policy committee, Copom, voted unanimously to keep the benchmark Selic rate at 6.5% for the seventh straight meeting.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 10:11 UTC

  Guaido insists with humanitarian aid for Venezuela, but the Army blocks access

  

  Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido stepped up efforts on Wednesday to win recognition from EU holdout states and insisted the armed forces allow desperately needed humanitarian aid to enter the country.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 09:57 UTC

  Argentine construction industry activity in the doldrums

  

  The construction industry in Argentina ended 2018 with a paltry 0.8% growth, and although taking off at the beginning of last year with a vigorous impulse but beginning May, when the financial situation forced the Peso to lose half of its purchasing power, activity started to freeze ending December with a 20.5% collapse.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 09:46 UTC

  Tusk's comments on Brexit and hell trigger massive exchange of surprising tweeting

  

  European Council President Donald Tusk has spoken of a “special place in hell” for “those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan of how to carry it out safely”. He was speaking after talks with Irish leader Leo Varadkar in Brussels.Brexit-backing MPs reacted with anger to the comments, accusing Mr Tusk of “arrogance”.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 09:31 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez back in court for questioning at the end of February

  

  Argentine ex-president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has – for the third time – been called for questioning under the framework of so-called “notebooks” graft case. Key business leaders and ex-public officials were also summoned, with prosecutors and judges probing alleged corruption and bribery centred on the ex-head of state's government.

• Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 09:23 UTC

  Theresa May on “alternative arrangements” mission to Brussels and Dublin

  

  The British Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Dublin on Friday evening for Brexit talks, Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said. Mr Varadkar was speaking after his meeting with Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels this afternoon.