Argentina

• Wednesday, December 18th 2013 - 07:15 UTC

  Heat wave in Argentina collapses power grid: thousands with no energy or water

  

  People out in the streets banging pots and pans, or protesting burning tires and garbage containers in powerless neighborhoods, while an estimated 30.000 businesses in Buenos Aires City and metropolitan area are organizing demanding compensation for losses suffered because of the collapse of the power distribution system overwhelmed by an extraordinary heat wave with temperatures in the high thirties and low forties.

• Wednesday, December 18th 2013 - 06:51 UTC

  Argentine mobile phone companies have to adjust rates and charge by the second

  

  Mobile phone companies operating in Argentina will have 60 days to adjust all their rates and charge by the second, Federal Planning Minister Julio De Vido and Communications Secretary Norberto Berner confirmed in a news conference. Companies Personal, Movistar and Claro will only have 15 days to implement the change for new customers according to the resolution published in the Official Gazette.

• Wednesday, December 18th 2013 - 06:19 UTC

  Falklands oil industry: Buenos Aires rejects UK formal protest; 'Malvinas are Argentine'

  

  Argentina formally rejected on Tuesday the United Kingdom's 16 December protest against the latest Argentine hydrocarbons legislation which seeks to criminalize oil industry activities in Falklands/Malvinas Islands waters and which London argues is not applicable to the Islands.

• Tuesday, December 17th 2013 - 17:58 UTC

  Beijing thanks Argentina for protecting Chinese-owned stores during recent riots

  

  China expressed appreciation on Monday for Argentina's efforts to handle recent looting and damage to supermarkets owned by overseas Chinese. Beijing last week urged Buenos Aires to protect Chinese citizen's security and interests after one Chinese was killed in recent riots and looting.

• Monday, December 16th 2013 - 16:43 UTC

  Falklands: formal UK protest to Argentina over oil bill: Argentine law does not apply in the Islands

  

  The United Kingdom formally protested on Monday to Argentina about the passing of an amendment to the hydrocarbons bill which seeks to criminalize individuals or companies with involved in hydrocarbons activities in Falkland Islands waters, insisting that Argentine law does not apply to the Falklands and the Islanders right to develop their hydrocarbons sector.

• Monday, December 16th 2013 - 16:37 UTC

  Uruguayan former Defense minister honored by Argentina for his Malvinas claims support

  

  Uruguayan Senator from the ruling coalition Luis Rosadilla will be honored by the Argentine embassy in Montevideo for having volunteered in 1982 to join the Argentine war effort during the invasion of the Falkland Islands.

• Monday, December 16th 2013 - 16:31 UTC

  Falklands/Malvinas controversy: Argentine Senator rejects Oxford invitation and honors

  

  An Argentine national senator publicly rejected an invitation to attend a special business and academics conference in Oxford arguing he could not participate in an event coming from a country “which has troops occupying part of our motherland territory”.

• Saturday, December 14th 2013 - 06:11 UTC

  Argentine central bank issues hard currency bonds hoping to lure cereal exporters

  

  The Argentine Central Bank, starved of dollars and declining international reserves started to trade new short-term dollar-denominate bonds in order to encourage the farm sector to sell the crops they are still holding on to. It is estimated that over 3bn dollars in mainly soybeans remain in the hands of farmers and cereal exporters.

• Saturday, December 14th 2013 - 06:04 UTC

  Argentina: compensation to security forces that helped contain police protests and looting

  

  Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich confirmed on Friday that President Cristina Fernández will announce next week an “economic and financial recognition” to the members of national security forces following the deployment of 12,000 agents across the country to counter the impacts of the police protests and lootings that hit almost all Argentine provinces over the past days.

• Friday, December 13th 2013 - 12:57 UTC

  Argentina surprised by EU request to delay another month trade negotiations with Mercosur

  

  The European Union has asked for a one-month delay in the exchange of proposals to kick off free-trade negotiations with Mercosur, Argentine Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich confirmed on Thursday. The news was first reported by Sao Paulo newspapers on statements from Brazilian Foreign minister Luiz Fernando Figuereido.