Politics

• Saturday, August 8th 2020 - 08:00 UTC

  Falklands targets a 3% yearly population growth and doubles permanent residence permits

  

  The Falkland Islands Executive Council has agreed to double the yearly quota of permanent residence permits (PRP) to 90. According to a paper published last week, the figure has been set to target a 3% yearly population growth.

• Saturday, August 8th 2020 - 07:55 UTC

  Brazilian billionaire will fund the building to produce the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in Sao Paulo

  

  Brazilian billionaire Jorge Lemann's foundation and other business interests will fund the building of the factory to produce the Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

• Friday, August 7th 2020 - 09:40 UTC

  Argentina prepares strong diplomatic offensive to recover Falklands' sovereignty

  

  Argentina is planning to intensify its policy to claim sovereignty over the Falklands and other South Atlantic Islands with a road map that contemplates three immediate objectives, reinstate in the Organization of American States the claim, resurface the legal threat against oil companies operating in South Atlantic (Falklands) waters and put pressure on the European Union so that a post-Brexit trade agreement with the UK does not include the Falklands in the list of Overseas Territories.

• Friday, August 7th 2020 - 09:25 UTC

  Argentina planning for a new program agreement with the IMF by end of March

  

  Argentina aims to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund over a new financing program before the end of March, a time frame that Fund veterans say is realistic if both sides show commitment. The news was reported by the economic media from Buenos Aires.

• Friday, August 7th 2020 - 08:31 UTC

  Argentina and China renew US$ 18 billion swap; Beijing will pay for agriculture imports in Yuan

  

  The central bank of Argentina announced it will renew a currency cooperation agreement with the People's Bank of China to swap US$ 18.2 billion worth of each other's currencies next week, El Economista reported on Friday.

• Friday, August 7th 2020 - 08:27 UTC

  Macron pledges aid to Lebanon conditioned to anti-corruption reforms

  

  French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday promised aid to Lebanon but reassured angry citizens reeling from a lethal blast that killed at least 145 people that no blank checks will be given to its leaders unless they enact reforms and end rife corruption.

• Friday, August 7th 2020 - 08:24 UTC

  UK Dames diplomacy in New York and Washington

  

  United Kingdom has named Dame Barbara Woodward as its permanent representative to the United Nations, its most senior diplomat to the New York-based body. Dame Barbara, currently British ambassador to China, is a previous international director of UK Border Force.

• Friday, August 7th 2020 - 07:41 UTC

  Falklands extends Covid-19 support schemes for two months until September 30

  

  The Falkland Islands Executive Council approved the extension of the employment/self-employment, job retention, unemployment subsidy and direct grant schemes which were introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and are currently being administered by the Treasury and FIDC.

• Thursday, August 6th 2020 - 09:50 UTC

  C24 calls on UK and Argentina to resume sovereignty talks on South Atlantic islands

  

  The United Nations Decolonization Committee, or C24, unanimously approved a resolution on Wednesday calling on the UK and Argentina to resume negotiations, so that in the shortest time possible a peaceful and definitive solution to the sovereignty controversy over the Falkllands, South Georgia, South Sandwich islands and adjoining maritime spaces.

• Thursday, August 6th 2020 - 09:21 UTC

  Destruction of Beirut port silos leaves Lebanon with only a month of wheat

  

  Lebanon’s main grain silo at Beirut port was destroyed in a blast, leaving the nation with less than a month’s reserves of the grain but enough flour to avoid a crisis, the economy minister said on Wednesday.