Politics

• Saturday, December 29th 2018 - 07:36 UTC

  HMS Montrose en route to Bahrain calls at Easter Island

  

  The crew of HMS Montrose have spent the end of Christmas week on the remote Pacific Easter Island – famous for its huge stone statues. It’s thought to be the first time this century a British warship has visited the Chilean territory, which is about the size of Sheffield – but home to fewer than 8,000 people.

• Saturday, December 29th 2018 - 07:22 UTC

  Argentina's energy secretary steps down following leaks on the increase of power rates

  

  Argentina's energy secretary resigned on Friday, the government said in a statement, less than 24 hours after news leaked that the administration of President Mauricio Macri plans to increase electricity prices by an average 35% next year.

• Friday, December 28th 2018 - 09:17 UTC

  Jerusalem controversy: Arab ministerial delegation plans to visit Bolsonaro in January

  

  An Arab ministerial delegation plans to travel to Brazil in January to convince the incoming Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, not to relocate his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, an official Palestinian source said on Thursday. Bolsonaro announced in November that he intends to relocate the Brazilian Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

• Friday, December 28th 2018 - 09:12 UTC

  Netanyahu will visit president elect Bolsonaro this Friday in Rio

  

  Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has left on a historic six-day trip to Brazil, the first ever visit the largest Latin American country made by a sitting premier of the Jewish state. Besides boosting diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries, Netanyahu is scheduled to hold a one-to-one meeting with president-elect Jair Bolsonaro this Friday in Rio de Janeiro.

• Friday, December 28th 2018 - 09:05 UTC

  Buenos Aires public transport rates up 40% in three months, beginning January

  

  The Argentine government announced on Thursday new increases in public transport rates, some 40% on average that will apply from next January to travel by bus, train and metro.

• Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:52 UTC

  MPs urging a “more meaningful role” in ratifying deals, beginning with Brexit

  

  Parliament must be given a veto over any trade deals the UK signs after Brexit, a committee of MPs has urged. Ministers hope to begin negotiating deals with key partners once the UK leaves the EU in March and start implementing them from 2021 onwards.

• Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:44 UTC

  Pakistan to resume negotiations with Mercosur for a free trade agreement

  

  Pakistan has officially requested to resume negotiations with Mercosur for a free trade agreement, with discussions expected to begin in early 2019. Islamabad believes it is an opportunity to bridge the trade deficit with countries of the South American bloc.

• Friday, December 28th 2018 - 08:40 UTC

  Chile, “darling” of foreign investors has seen number of slums double since 2011

  

  The number of slums in Chile, one of Latin America’s most prosperous and stable economies, has nearly doubled since 2011, the government said, as an influx of migrants increasingly faces a lack of low-income housing and rising rents.

• Friday, December 28th 2018 - 07:43 UTC

  Buenos Aires passes law allowing athletes to compete under perceived gender

  

  The Argentine Province of Buenos Aires has signed into law a bill whereby athletes shall be allowed to compete both professionally and as amateurs in accordance with their perceived gender.

• Thursday, December 27th 2018 - 21:59 UTC

  Peru's GDP forecast to go up in 2019 thanks to private investment, domestic consumption

  

  Peru's gross domestic product (GDP) is set to expand 3.7% this year and the next, boosted by the good performance of private investment and consumption, according to The Economist.