Stories for 2012
Wales Falklands Memorial re-dedicated on the 30th anniversary of the conflict
Wales' Falklands Memorial has been re-dedicated to mark the 30th anniversary of the conflict which saw 32 Welsh Guards among the fallen. The ceremony was part of the Armed Forces Day events in Cardiff and was attended by Falklands’ lawmaker Dick Sawle.
Astori describes Mercosur latest decisions as “aggression and major institutional blows”
“It’s a major institutional blow, maybe the most serious in the 21 years of Mercosur” said Uruguayan Vice president Danilo Astori in direct reference to the group’s decision to incorporate Venezuela with the approval of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay and the absence of Paraguay.
Argentina and Brazil deny Uruguay and insist the decision on Venezuela was unanimous
Argentina underlined late Monday that the decision on the incorporation of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur was “unanimously” supported by the presidents from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay during the group’s summit last Friday hosted by President Cristina Fernandez.
Uruguay says it accepted Venezuela in Mercosur as part of a major negotiation
The Uruguayan government said that it accepted the incorporation of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur as part of a “negotiation” in which it demanded no economic sanctions on Paraguay and that is why “the last word has not been said” on the issue.
The Vatican bank opens up to show it is not involved in ‘sinful’ activities
Vatican bank, one of the more secretive institutions of the secrecy-obsessed Vatican, opened itself up to a little external scrutiny in a bid to show it is serious about fighting money-laundering and being more financially transparent.
Brazilian opposition blasts Rousseff for the management of Paraguayan situation
The leading member from Brazil’s main opposition political party described Uruguay’s claim that consensus was absent in the Mercosur decision to suspend Paraguay and to incorporate Venezuela as “extremely serious” and complained Mercosur has become a merely “ideological” grouping.
Casa Rosada turns into a “dolls’ house” with “Cristinita” the witch leading
Argentine president Cristina Fernández presented on Monday evening a doll made to her image, “Cristinita” which is on sale at a museum next to Government House, Casa Rosada, in downtown Buenos Aires.
EU markets’ watchdog investigating three major credit rating agencies
The European markets watchdog is investigating whether the big three credit ratings agencies' methods of evaluating banks are rigorous and transparent enough, its chairman Steven Maijoor told the Financial Times on Monday.
Brazil considering more export-boost measures to counter declining trade surplus
Brazil's government is studying measures to boost the country's exports in the face of a still-difficult global trade environment, Deputy Trade Minister Allessandro Teixeira said on Monday.
Mandela’s eldest daughter South Africa’s ambassador to Buenos Aires
Argentina has handed Nelson Mandela’s eldest daughter, Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, credentials as South Africa’s ambassador to Buenos Aires, the foreign ministry said on Monday.
