
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla and his Australian counterpart, Julie Bishop, Friday signed a memorandum of understanding whereby both countries will strenthen their economic ties.

The number of students brought into custody by Venezuela's régime during opposition protests in the past three months amounted to 62 by Friday, according to Daniel Ascanio of the Simón Bolívar University students grouping.

Brazil went through Friday's general strike, the second of its kind called for by labour unions against the economic reforms President Michel Temer intends to bring about, with business nearly unaffected in major cities, Brasilia excluded. Temer's personal involvement in alleged cases of corruption seemed to have had little or no impact on the workers' decision.

Mr Nigel Phillips CBE has been appointed Governor of the in succession to Mr Colin Roberts CVO who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Phillips will take up his appointment in September 2017.

A Court of Arbitration in The Hague Thursday ruled in favour of Slovenia in its legal dispute with Croatia and ordered that the maritime border between the two countries be modified in the coming months. The decision has not been accepted by Zagreb.

Brazil's union federations will hold a second strike on Friday with demonstrations against the government's economic reforms and to demand the resignation of President Michel Temer, who has vowed to approve labour flexibility in the coming weeks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday welcomed former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who is visiting Russia to attend the Primakov Readings, an international conference of top-rated political experts. The meeting took place at the Kremlin.

Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan spoke of the strength of the UK-Chile relationship, our historical ties and common values. Chile Day's objective include strengthening ties between the City of London and representatives from Chilean capital markets

The diversity flag was hoisted Wednesday on Mount La Cruz in Punta Arenas, Chile's southernmost city, as part of the celebration of the International Gay Pride Day (LGBTI) by the Iguales Foundation. Similar ceremonies were held all over the world, including the Magallanes Region Government House, over 2,000 kilometers south of Santiago.

It is still unclear whether Oscar Perez is either a revolutionary officer standing up against Nicolás Maduro's régime or part of a government-sponsored montage as he drops grenades onto the Supreme Court building from his hijacked helicopter and makes video announcements that he and his fellow “nationalist” men will defend their country.