Politics

• Sunday, December 24th 2017 - 17:21 UTC

  EU bureaucracy ready to sign deal with Mercosur, but France and Ireland object

  

  The European Union now hopes to conclude a trade deal with the Mercosur bloc by February next year. EU agriculture chief Phil Hogan admitted that there were still 15 “open issues”, following a “difficult” meeting with the Mercosur countries in Buenos Aires last week.

• Sunday, December 24th 2017 - 17:18 UTC

  Pope coming visit to Chile and Peru; no reference to the sea outlet conflict with Bolivia

  

  During his visit to Chile and Peru, Pope Francis will honor the country’s religious roots and underline the plight of indigenous men and women. The Vatican said the pope will be in Chile Jan. 15-18, visiting the cities of Santiago, Temuco and Iquique. He then will fly to Peru and, from Jan. 18-21, he will visit Lima, Puerto Maldonado and Trujillo.

• Sunday, December 24th 2017 - 11:46 UTC

  Merry Xmas and Happy New Year !!!

  

  MercoPress wishes.a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Everybody !

• Sunday, December 24th 2017 - 11:42 UTC

  Venezuela expels Brazilian and Canadian top diplomats

  

  Officials in Venezuela took the first step on Saturday toward expelling top diplomats from Brazil and Canada who have been accused of meddling in the country’s politics. National constituent assembly president Delcy Rodriguez declared both Brazil’s ambassador and Canada’s charge d’affaires as persona non grata, a move which does away with their diplomatic credentials.

• Sunday, December 24th 2017 - 09:39 UTC

  Venezuela: some political prisoners in freedom

  

  The National Constituent Assembly (ANC in Spanish) recommended to the Public Prosecutor and the Judicial Branch to release more than 80 political prisoners. At the moment, 13 of them have been released with precautionary measures.

• Saturday, December 23rd 2017 - 12:38 UTC

  Dublin does not accept direct rule from London in North Ireland

  

  The Irish government would expect to have a “real and meaningful involvement” in Northern Ireland if efforts to restore Stormont fail, the Irish prime minister has said. Leo Varadkar said he would not support a return to direct rule from London if time is called on talks to restore a power-sharing government in Belfast, and anticipated he would make a fresh bid for a deal in January.

• Saturday, December 23rd 2017 - 12:34 UTC

  Indictment and preventive imprisonment of Cristina Fernandez confirmed by federal court

  

  An Argentine Federal Court in Buenos Aires City confirmed the indictment and preventive imprisonment of ex president Cristina Fernandez, one of several defendants under investigation for the alleged cover up of the attack against a Jewish organization, by signing a memorandum of understanding with Teheran considered the culprit of the 1994 carnage which cost 85 lives and hundreds injured.

• Saturday, December 23rd 2017 - 12:01 UTC

  Venezuelan minister praises China and lashes out at the US, in Beijing

  

  Venezuela’s foreign minister blamed the United States for his country’s spiraling debt crisis, saying Washington’s “permanent attack” had left the economy crippled. Jorge Arreaza lashed out at Donald Trump, US and European sanctions, and American interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs at the Venezuelan embassy in Beijing during a three-day official visit.

• Saturday, December 23rd 2017 - 10:30 UTC

  Theresa May says she is more than “Madame Brexit”, and is “in for the long term”

  

  British Prime Minister Theresa May has insisted she is more than “Madame Brexit,” having been given the title by Poland's prime minister. She said there were “other things” she wanted to achieve apart from delivering a successful exit from the EU - such as improvements to education and training, and insisted she was “in it for the long-term”, shrugging off suggestions she had had a bad year.

• Saturday, December 23rd 2017 - 10:23 UTC

  Rajoy rules out talks with exiled Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont

  

  Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday said he would not hold talks with exiled Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont in the wake of the results of Catalan regional elections held Thursday.