Stories for January 27th 2012

Friday, January 27th 2012 - 11:44 UTC
US was aware of Argentine military “systematic plan to steal babies born in captivity”

The administration of US President Ronald Reagan was aware of the “planned” stealing of babies born in captivity from jailed political prisoners, during the Argentine military dictatorship (1976/1983), since there was a “clear decision” to hand them to families considered faithful and reliable to the regime, said a former top US official.
Friday, January 27th 2012 - 11:39 UTC
Rousseff signals clear difference with Lula da Silva in coming visit to Cuba

Brazil issued a tourist visa to a dissident Cuban blogger a few days before President Dilma Rousseff is scheduled to travel to the Castro family island in a visit being dominated by human rights concerns.
Friday, January 27th 2012 - 11:25 UTC
Petrobras admits oil leak off the coast of southern Brazil

Transpetro, a subsidiary of Brazil's state-run energy giant Petrobras, said Thursday it had detected an oil leak off the coast of Rio Grande do Sul state but did not know how much had spilled.
Friday, January 27th 2012 - 11:18 UTC
Foreign Office has not discussed Gibraltar with new Spanish government

Foreign Office Ministers have not discussed Gibraltar with the new Spanish Government, a Foreign Office spokesman said on Wednesday.
Friday, January 27th 2012 - 11:12 UTC
Scottish independence debate rattles across Europe fearing breakaway movements

British diplomats are working behind the scenes to dampen down concern in Europe that Scotland's independence debate could trigger breakaway movements across the continent, reports the Herald Scotland.
Friday, January 27th 2012 - 11:05 UTC
Moody’s raises Uruguay’s credit rating to Ba1, one level below investment grade

Uruguay’s credit-rating outlook was raised on Thursday to positive by Moody’s Investors Service, which cited the government’s commitment to keeping its budget deficit in check.
Friday, January 27th 2012 - 11:01 UTC
Argentina promises soft credits for farmers to help address drought consequences

The Argentine government agreed with the main farmers’ organizations to grant credits equivalent to 530 million dollars to help combat the drought that affects a large portion of the country and is extensive to neighbouring countries of the Southern Cone.
Friday, January 27th 2012 - 10:55 UTC
Proposing financial transaction tax now is “simply madness”, says PM Cameron

United Kingdom’s Prime Minister David Cameron urged the European Union to take a “bold and decisive action” to curb the economic crisis hovering over the Euro Zone and also described the plan for a financial transaction tax as “simply madness”.
Friday, January 27th 2012 - 10:50 UTC
Greenpeace claims CFK is ‘ill-advised’ regarding Malvinas environmental claims

The Argentine chapter of Greenpeace suggested President Cristina Fernandez, CFK, is ‘ill-advised’ when she claimed on Wednesday no environmental group has criticized what is “going on in Malvinas” in direct reference to oil exploration and fisheries in the Falklands.
Friday, January 27th 2012 - 02:51 UTC
Argentine Senate and House of Commons absorbed by Falklands’ debate

A new round of exchanges on the Falklands/Malvinas dispute took place on Thursday when an Argentine Senate Committee unanimously voted in favour of debating a declaration bill “strongly repudiating” British Prime Minister David Cameron’s “colonialist” statements, while a British minister accused Argentina of “sabre-rattling.”