Politics

• Thursday, October 12th 2017 - 11:50 UTC

  PM May: UK will spend whatever necessary to prepare for Brexit, including a no-deal scenario

  

  The British government will spend whatever is necessary to make sure the UK is ready for Brexit, Downing Street has said. A No 10 spokesman said £250m of new money had been allocated this year to prepare for leaving the EU, “including the possibility of a no-deal scenario.”

• Thursday, October 12th 2017 - 11:46 UTC

  Royals in transition: Prince Charles will take the Queen's place at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday

  

  The Queen will not lay a wreath at the Cenotaph this year as part of the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony. She will watch the event on 12 November in Whitehall from the balcony of the Foreign Office with Prince Philip.

• Thursday, October 12th 2017 - 11:39 UTC

  Five days countdown for Catalonia as Spain readies an impressive national unity day celebration

  

  Spain is preparing to celebrate its National Day, 12th October, amid a continuing political crisis sparked by Catalonia's disputed independence referendum. The public display of unity comes a day after PM Mariano Rajoy told parliament the country was facing the most serious threat to its 40-year-old democracy.

• Wednesday, October 11th 2017 - 15:56 UTC

  Brazilian Congress seems prepared to again save Temer from Justice charges

  

  A Brazilian congressional report recommended on Tuesday that President Michel Temer should not face trial for obstruction of justice and membership in a criminal organization, arguing that the charges against him were unfounded.

• Wednesday, October 11th 2017 - 15:17 UTC

  UK reaffirms commitment to Falklands sovereignty; Argentina insists self-determination not applicable to Malvinas

  

  The United Kingdom had no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Islands, South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas, and there could be no dialogue on sovereignty over them unless its people so wished, the UK representative Stephen Hickey said at the United Nations Fourth Committee meetings this week.

• Wednesday, October 11th 2017 - 15:09 UTC

  British parliamentarians visit Peru to promote trade, cooperation and security

  

  A group of British Parliamentarians visited Peru during September. The group, comprised of six members of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons, travelled to Latin America to look specifically at parliamentary and bilateral relations between the UK and Peru. The groups´ members were drawn from a range of political parties in Parliament.

• Wednesday, October 11th 2017 - 14:21 UTC

  If no deal is reached with EU, “the result would be chaos”; UK government pursuing a “fantasy”

  

  Scotland’s Brexit Secretary has said there is no prospect of the UK becoming a “glorious trading nation” after leaving the European Union. But Michael Russell also said if no deal is reached with the EU, the result would be “chaos” and accused the Government of pursuing a “fantasy”.

• Wednesday, October 11th 2017 - 14:15 UTC

  Catalonia president speech on independence triggers elation...and disillusion

  

  Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said on Tuesday he has a mandate to declare independence for the north-eastern Spanish region but is prepared to wait “a few weeks” in order to facilitate a dialogue. Puigdemont told the Catalan parliament a landslide victory in the disputed October 1 referendum on independence gives his government grounds to implement its long-held desire to break century-old ties with Spain but he is suggesting holding off.

• Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 07:20 UTC

  Macri celebrates victory of staunch ally in Corrientes province

  

  Argentina's ruling coalition of president Mauricio Macri celebrated on Sunday victory in the Corrientes province governor race, a significant boost a couple of weeks before the crucial midterm elections. Candidate Gustavo Valdés supported by “Let's Change” grouping won the Corrientes gubernational dispute with 54.06% of the votes.

• Tuesday, October 10th 2017 - 07:08 UTC

  Support for Catalonia president independence declaration rapidly weakening

  

  Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is facing growing pressure to drop plans to break from Spain ahead of a key address to the regional parliament. There has been speculation that he could announce a unilateral declaration of independence following a disputed referendum. France and Germany have both expressed support for a united Spain.