
As advanced by Mercopress, Uruguay and Argentine presidents', Tabare Vazquez and Mauricio Macri open agenda surprise meeting was in effect to address the Venezuelan situation, particularly what has been described in Buenos Aires as the erratic accommodative stance to circumstances and environment, of the Vazquez administration.

Prime Minister Theresa May asked lawmakers on Tuesday to hold their nerve over Brexit and give her more time to negotiate a deal acceptable to both the European Union and the British parliament.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney has urged MPs to solve the Brexit impasse in a speech warning of growing threats to the global economy. He said a no-deal Brexit would create an economic shock at a time when China's economy is slowing and trade tensions are rising.

Exports of Scotch whisky hit a record high last year, according to new figures. Analysis of HMRC data by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) found exports grew 7.8% by value to £4.7bn. The number of bottles exported also reached record levels, growing by 3.6% to 1.28 billion.

The UK and Switzerland have signed a deal to continue trading after Brexit as they did before it. The continuity agreement - based on the EU's existing free trade deal with Switzerland - was agreed in December but ratified on Monday.

Prime Minister Theresa May will tell British lawmakers this Tuesday they must hold their nerve over Brexit to force the European Union to accept changes to the divorce deal that would pave the way for an orderly exit.

Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA is telling customers of its joint ventures to deposit oil sales proceeds in an account recently opened at Russia's Gazprombank AO, according to sources and an internal document, reported Reuters on Saturday.

Theresa May has responded to Jeremy Corbyn's letter setting out his five demands for a Brexit deal. The prime minister queried his call for the UK to stay in a customs union with the EU - but welcomed more talks with Labour on a Brexit agreement.

British Prime Minister Theresa May came away from a day in an increasingly impatient Brussels on Thursday with a pledge of renewed talks that held out some hope for a new Brexit deal, if no sign of compromise yet. Ms May is scheduled to fly to Dublin this Friday.

The Bank of England expects growth this year to be the slowest since 2009 when the economy was in recession. It is forecasting growth of 1.2% this year, down from its previous November forecast of 1.7%. The Bank said it had seen further evidence that businesses were being cautious in the run-up to Brexit, including evidence from its own survey of firms. As expected the Bank kept interest rates on hold at 0.75%.