Politics

• Wednesday, August 16th 2017 - 09:22 UTC

  UK rejects any border posts between Ireland and Ulster, according to Brexit paper

  

  The United Kingdom government has said it does not want any border posts between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in its new position paper on Brexit. The paper is part of its negotiations with the European Union and the broad ideas in the document appear familiar.

• Wednesday, August 16th 2017 - 09:10 UTC

  FARC hands over weapons, prepares for the political phase of peace accord

  

  U.N. observers on Tuesday removed the last of more than 8,000 guns once carried by the guerrillas of Colombia’s largest rebel army and collected at 26 demobilization sites around the South American nation under a historic peace deal. The next phase of the peace deal is for the ex guerrillas to organize politically and run for seats in congressional elections.

• Wednesday, August 16th 2017 - 08:02 UTC

  The iconic Big Ben will undergo conservation and remain silent until 2021

  

  Since it first rang out in 1859, Big Ben has become one of London’s most iconic landmarks, faithfully marking every hour and quarter hour with resounding bongs and tinkling chimes. But a four-year conservation project will soon cause the historic clock tower to fall silent, as Tara John reports for Time.

• Tuesday, August 15th 2017 - 23:49 UTC

  Argentine stocks and the Peso strengthen following Sunday primary results

  

  Argentine stocks rose, the peso strengthened more than 3% and credit default swaps fell on Monday after the mid-term legislative primary election was seen as favoring business-friendly President Mauricio Macri's reform effort.

• Tuesday, August 15th 2017 - 15:44 UTC

  Trump orders review of China's practices regarding intellectual property; Beijing warns it “will not sit idle”

  

  President Donald Trump has asked his country's top trade official to review China's practices regarding intellectual property. The move was incremental, but could eventually lead to the US imposing trade sanctions.

• Tuesday, August 15th 2017 - 14:52 UTC

  UK wants to secure a post-Brexit “ambitious new customs arrangement” with the EU

  

  The UK has set out the “ambitious new customs arrangement” it wants to secure with the EU after Brexit. Ministers said the plans would mean the “freest and most frictionless possible trade” with the rest of Europe and could include a “temporary customs union” after Brexit to prevent border problems as the UK leaves the EU.

• Tuesday, August 15th 2017 - 10:56 UTC

  Canada adopts resolute stance ahead of NAFTA renegotiation scheduled for Wednesday

  

  Canada signaled Monday that it would not give much, if any, ground on the benefits it provides to domestic industries when it joins the U.S. and Mexico to begin renegotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement this week. A key issue for the U.S. is getting Canada to stop policies that boost its dairy, poultry, and timber industries.

• Tuesday, August 15th 2017 - 10:45 UTC

  Brazil opens first corn ethanol plant; the country leads in sugarcane ethanol

  

  Brazilian company FS Bioenergia inaugurated a corn ethanol plant, the first in the country, to produce 210 million liters year. The plant was built by a joint venture between the local agro-company Fiagril and US-based Summit Agricultural Group with investments of BRL 450 million (US$ 141.1m), said the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Farming.

• Tuesday, August 15th 2017 - 09:34 UTC

  Temer and Meirelles discussing with congress leaders budget deficit and cabinet positions

  

  Brazil's government delayed the announcement of looser budget targets for 2017 and 2018, previously expected for Monday, as authorities struggled to estimate revenues given strong opposition in Congress to tax hikes.

• Tuesday, August 15th 2017 - 09:24 UTC

  Theresa May back from holidays; Brexit papers on the table in anticipation of new round of negotiations

  

  Theresa May is expected to be back in Downing Street this week as ministers prepare to flesh out their negotiating position on Brexit. The return of the Prime Minister, who has spent three weeks on holiday in Italy with her husband Philip, coincides with the publication this week of a series of new position papers on Brexit – including one on the fraught issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.