Politics

• Thursday, October 5th 2017 - 10:55 UTC

  Brazil' finance minister eyeing to run for president in 2018

  

  Brazil’s Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles has hired social media experts to boost his image ahead of the 2018 election, the Sao Paulo, Brasilia and Rio do Janeiro media have anticipated, the sign yet that the former banker is seriously eyeing a run for president.

• Thursday, October 5th 2017 - 10:07 UTC

  Bank of England's countdown for a Brexit transition deal: Christmas

  

  United Kingdom and Europe must agree on a Brexit transition deal by Christmas or risk banks triggering their contingency plans, the Bank of England has warned. Deputy governor Sam Woods said that while the UK is committed to a implementation period, the EU's position “is not yet clear”.

• Thursday, October 5th 2017 - 09:31 UTC

  Brexit will hit Britain’s overseas territories hard – why is no one talking about it?

  

  When the Brexit referendum result was announced last June, I was working on the Turks and Caicos Islands, one of the UK’s overseas territories in the Caribbean. A collection of about 40 tropical islands, of which eight are inhabited, people there were shocked at the result. They were annoyed they hadn’t had a chance to vote, and concerned about their future.

• Thursday, October 5th 2017 - 08:49 UTC

  British Embassy Buenos Aires holds reception to honor five World War II veterans.

  

  Battle of Britain Sunday commemorates the great victory won by the Royal Air Force (RAF), which saved Britain from invasion in 1940. On Sunday 15 September came what Sir Winston Churchill called “one of the decisive battles of the war” and with it, the Luftwaffe’s greatest defeat.

• Thursday, October 5th 2017 - 08:25 UTC

  Tories rally round Theresa May in Manchester, but doubts about her future linger

  

  Tory MPs have rallied round Theresa May after her conference speech on Wednesday was marred by mishaps. James Cleverly said he was “proud” of the PM for contending with a persistent cough and a prankster and John Redwood said MPs backed her “strong message”.

• Thursday, October 5th 2017 - 08:18 UTC

  Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay launch bid to host the 2030 World Cup

  

  Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay formally launched South America’s three-nation bid to host the 2030 World Cup on Wednesday and said Argentina would likely host the majority of the tournament’s stadiums. The presidents of the three nations, who announced in August that they were teaming up to bid for the tournament, kicked off the campaign at the Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires’ government palace.

• Thursday, October 5th 2017 - 08:11 UTC

  European Commission supports Madrid: “Catalonia has chosen to ignore the law”

  

  Three full days after Catalonia’s controversial independence referendum, a top European Commission official finally spoke out about the issue tearing Spain apart. The Spanish government’s “proportionate use of force” was necessary to uphold the rule of law, Vice President Frans Timmermans said.

• Wednesday, October 4th 2017 - 13:20 UTC

  Chancellor Hammond acknowledges private sector needs more clarity on Brexit

  

  Businesses need more clarity on Brexit, the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has acknowledged. Speaking at the BBC's Today program he said the sooner the government gave businesses more certainty about the process, the sooner the economy would pick up.

• Wednesday, October 4th 2017 - 09:59 UTC

  Bolivian army veterans refuse to attend 50th anniversary of “Che” Guevara's death

  

  A row has broken out in Bolivia between the government and army veterans over the 50th anniversary of the death of the Cuban revolutionary, Ernesto “Che” Guevara. The Bolivian government is planning a series of commemorations next week in the presence of foreign guests.

• Wednesday, October 4th 2017 - 08:22 UTC

  Petrobras controversy: Brazil denies any current plans to privatize the company

  

  A senior official in Brazil said there are no current plans to privatize the national oil company to deal with its massive debt, according to a new report by Reuters. Fernando Coelho Filho, the minister of mines and energy, had suggested that Petrobras could face such a sale in the future, but did not provide a concrete timeline.