Politics

• Wednesday, December 2nd 2015 - 11:00 UTC

  Brazilian executive order to further cut budget spending

  

  Brazilian government said in an executive order published Monday in the Official Daily that it was cutting spending by an additional 11 billion reais ($2.82 billion) this year. The move is part of an effort by the government to a budget deficit target of 1 percent of the gross domestic product, a goal agreed to during the last budget review.

• Wednesday, December 2nd 2015 - 10:45 UTC

  Brazilian economy contracts a record 4.5% in the last twelve months

  

  Brazil's economy, in recession since mid-year, contracted 1.7% in the third quarter, compared to the April-June period, and decreased 4.5% relative to the same period in 2014, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, or IBGE, said on Tuesday.

• Wednesday, December 2nd 2015 - 09:52 UTC

  Facebook's Zuckerberg will give away 99% of shares to good causes

  

  Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan say they will give away 99% of their shares in the company to good causes as they announce the birth of their daughter Max. Zuckerberg made the announcement in a letter to Max on his Facebook page.

• Wednesday, December 2nd 2015 - 09:28 UTC

  China and Brazil agree on further cooperation and on climate change

  

  Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazil's Dilma Rousseff met in Paris on the sidelines of the ongoing climate talks, and agreed to strengthen cooperation in a number of areas including a common position regarding global warming.

• Tuesday, December 1st 2015 - 08:19 UTC

  Spanish minister anticipates 'spectacular' relationship with Macri government

  

  Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo became on Sunday the first foreign official to be received by president-elect Mauricio Macri after he won the November 22 runoff election, and announced a new 'spectacular' era is beginning in Madrid’s relations with Argentina.

• Tuesday, December 1st 2015 - 08:15 UTC

  “Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters” Francis tells Africans ravaged by sectarian conflict

  

  Pope Francis on Monday said Christians and Muslims were “brothers” and urged them to reject hatred and violence as he visited a mosque in the Central African Republic's capital which has been ravaged by sectarian conflict.

• Tuesday, December 1st 2015 - 08:11 UTC

  India outpaces China in economic growth boosted by domestic demand and manufacturing

  

  India's economic growth picked up in July-September, outpacing China on improving domestic demand and manufacturing activity, and the acceleration could persuade the country's central bank to keep interest rates unchanged at its Tuesday meeting.

• Tuesday, December 1st 2015 - 08:01 UTC

  Venezuelan Defense minister denies any coup, 'self-coup' or civilian-military junta

  

  The Venezuelan government sought Monday to downplay security fears around the country's upcoming legislative elections, rejecting the possibility of violence or a coup. With polls showing President Nicolas Maduro's populist movement on track for a landmark defeat by the opposition in Sunday's vote, speculation and rumors have swirled about possible violence or moves by the ruling party to cling to power.

• Tuesday, December 1st 2015 - 07:53 UTC

  Yuan joins the exclusive club of IMF's basket of reserve currencies

  

  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that China's currency, the Yuan, will join the fund's basket of reserve currencies. Currently just the US dollar, the euro, the yen and the pound are in the group.

• Tuesday, December 1st 2015 - 07:40 UTC

  Macri's victory was narrower than expected, according to the final vote count

  

  Argentina’s conservative, business-friendly president-elect Mauricio Macri won the presidential election earlier this month with 51.34% of the vote, according to final results released Monday. His rival, incumbent Daniel Scioli, finished with 48.66% percent, said the head of the national electoral authority, Alejandro Tullio.