Ex-student leader is Chile's youngest Prez

Santiago: Left-leaning former student leader Gabriel Boric was sworn in as Chile’s new president on Friday, vowing to oversee a political and economic renovation of a nation shaken by repeated massive protests over inequality in recent years, despite a relatively vibrant economy. At 36, Boric is the youngest president in the history of the South American nation. He has vowed that his young, inclusive government will attack nagging poverty and inequality that he said are the unacceptable underbelly of a free market model. ap

Italy’s wine exports broke records in 2021

Rome: Italy’s wine exports hit a record 7.1 bn euros ($7.8 billion) last year, more than compensating for lower export totals in 2020 due to Covid, official data revealed. An analysis said wine exports grew by 12.4 per cent in 2021. Exports to North America grew by 16.7 per cent, while those to Asia surged by 22.5 per cent. The US remained the largest export market for Italian wines, followed by Germany and the UK. Ians

Queen to miss Commonwealth Service

London: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II will not be attending the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday, Buckingham Palace said on Saturday. The 95-year-old monarch was due to attend the grand ceremony on March 14 as her first major in-person engagement since she tested positive for COVID-19 last month. Her son and heir, Prince Charles, who was already attending the service will be representing the monarch instead.