Politics

• Tuesday, March 14th 2017 - 11:42 UTC

  Brexit bill expected to become law on Tuesday; process to begin end of March

  

  The British Parliament passed on Monday the Brexit bill, paving the way for the government to trigger Article 50 so the UK can leave the European Union. Peers backed down over the issues of EU residency rights and a meaningful vote on the final Brexit deal after their objections were overturned by MPs. The bill is expected to receive Royal Assent and become law on Tuesday.

• Tuesday, March 14th 2017 - 06:49 UTC

  Argentina protests with Brasilia over Falklands RAF flights calling in Brazil

  

  The Argentine government reiterated on Monday its disappointment with the UK military flights linking with the Falkland Islands and calling in Brazil. “We made a complaint to Brazil regarding flights and we have also instructed our embassy in the UK”, said Malcorra speaking to the media.

• Tuesday, March 14th 2017 - 06:36 UTC

  Scottish government plans second independence referendum in 2018/19

  

  Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed she will ask for permission to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence, and the vote would be held between the autumn of 2018 and the spring of the following year. That would coincide with the expected conclusion of the UK's Brexit negotiations.

• Tuesday, March 14th 2017 - 06:26 UTC

  Falklands denies any commitment to reduce oil royalty has been entered

  

  The Falkland Islands government announced on Monday that it is currently in discussion with Premier Oil on a wide range of issues with the objective of progressing the Sea Lion development towards a successful project sanction.

• Monday, March 13th 2017 - 18:41 UTC

  Four states challenge Trump's second travel ban

  

  Attorneys general in four states from the United States announced that they will try to block the Trump administration's revised executive order on travel in court, pushing for the temporary restraining order that halted the first order to remain intact.

• Monday, March 13th 2017 - 12:11 UTC

  A third of Argentina's population live in poverty, according to the Catholic Church

  

  Argentina urban poverty rate rose to 32.9% in the third quarter of 2016, which means 13 million people due to a precarious labor market and lack of long-term development policies, according to a report presented last week by the Social Debt Observatory from the Argentine Catholic University (UCA).

• Monday, March 13th 2017 - 08:46 UTC

  Brazil ready to launch satellite to protect transfer of national security information

  

  Brazil will launch its first own satellite to protect the transfer of privileged national security information while boosting the broadband capacity of the country later this month. The Geostationary Satellite Defense and Strategic Communications Satellite (SGDC) will be launched on March 21 from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana. The event is taking place nearly a year after the original launch plan of April 2016.

• Monday, March 13th 2017 - 08:39 UTC

  UK's £50bn Brexit “divorce bill”: follow the example of PM Thatcher, says Boris

  

  Boris Johnson has told the BBC that Britain should reject any EU demands for a £50bn “exit bill” and follow the example of former PM Margaret Thatcher. It has been reported that EU negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must continue to pay into the EU until 2020.

• Monday, March 13th 2017 - 08:30 UTC

  EU should be “open and generous” to UK citizens, says European Parliament leader

  

  British citizens should be able to choose to keep various benefits of EU membership including the freedom of movement after Brexit, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator has said. Guy Verhofstadt said he hoped to convince European leaders to allow Britons to keep certain rights if they apply for them on an individual basis.

• Monday, March 13th 2017 - 08:21 UTC

  Commons vote on Brexit bill; MPs are asked “not to tie the prime minister's hands”

  

  UK secretary David Davis has urged MPs to back the Brexit bill and insisted the UK would be prepared, if it has to leave the EU with no deal in place. The Brexit secretary urged MPs not to “tie the prime minister's hands” over MPs getting a final vote on the deal and on EU citizens' rights in the UK.