Stories for December 2016

Friday, December 9th 2016 - 09:27 UTC
UK celebrates 25th anniversary of Antarctic Environmental protection treaty

On the twenty fifth anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty Protocol on Environmental Protection, British Minister for Polar Regions, Sir Alan Duncan underlined the hsitoric contribution and role played by the UK in Antarctica and in elaborating the protocol. Sir Duncan also pointed out that Antarctica has been the scene of considerable cooperation between the UK and Argentina, both within the Treaty system and in the field of science, “an area where I hope we may be able to do even more in the coming years”.
Friday, December 9th 2016 - 04:41 UTC
Falklands/Malvinas: Red Cross hosting talks on identifying Argentine soldiers buried in Darwin

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in an official release announced that on Friday, (9 December), in Geneva, it will be hosting talks with delegations from Argentina and the United Kingdom to discuss next steps relating to the identification of the unidentified Argentine soldiers buried in Darwin cemetery in the Falkland/Malvinas Islands.
Thursday, December 8th 2016 - 19:25 UTC
City if Buenos Aires criminalises street harassment

The Buenos Aires City Hall Wednesday passed a bill establishing fines of up to 1,000 pesos (around US$ 60) for those who commit sexual harassment in public places. Prevention campaigns have also been announced.
Thursday, December 8th 2016 - 19:01 UTC
Russia sells 19.5% of Rosneft - ‘biggest privatization deal of 2016,’ says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin labeled the sale of 19.5% of state-owned oil giant Rosneft's shares to the natural resource trader Glencore International and a Qatari sovereign wealth fund for over $11 billion was “the biggest sale and acquisition in the world’s oil and gas sector in 2016,” the official Kremlin website reported Wednesday.
Thursday, December 8th 2016 - 17:18 UTC
Falklands War carrier HMS Illustrious headed for scrapping in Turkey

Replacements are years away and still Britain’s last aircraft carrier, ‘HMS Illustrious,’ has set sail to be scrapped in Turkey. The vessel, known as 'Lusty,' came into service in 1982 and was rushed into service to catch the lattermost stages of the Falklands War. She also served in the Gulf Wars and Sierra Leone conflict. It was one of three Invincible-class ships commissioned in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Thursday, December 8th 2016 - 11:53 UTC
Temer submits pension reform bill: retirement age raised to 65

Brazil's President Michel Temer submitted a crucial bill to Congress that would raise the retirement age to 65. The draft bill, part of a pension reform plan, would apply to all men under 50 and women under 45, following 25 years of contributing to social security.
Thursday, December 8th 2016 - 11:44 UTC
Brazil Supreme Court defuses clash with Senate, but Calheiros no longer in presidential succession line

Brazil’s Supreme Court voted Wednesday to leave Senate President Renan Calheiros in his powerful leadership post, raising hopes economic overhauls making their way through Congress can be approved.
Thursday, December 8th 2016 - 10:15 UTC
Time magazine names Trump “Person of the Year”, president of the divided States of America

Time magazine on Wednesday named Donald Trump its Person of the Year, bestowing what the president-elect called an “honor” even as he derided the idea that he’ll lead “the Divided States of America.”
Thursday, December 8th 2016 - 08:40 UTC
Identification of soldiers buried in Falklands: talks on protocol procedure being in Geneva

The governments of Argentina and the Falkland Islands reported almost simultaneously this week that respective delegates had left for Geneva, Switzerland to hold talks on Thursday and Friday with the International Red Cross (CICR) on the process to follow for the identification of 'unknown' Argentine combatants buried at the Darwin cemetery in the Falklands.
Thursday, December 8th 2016 - 08:19 UTC
Falklands: Chilean students to specialize in English living and working in the Islands

Students from Chile are seeking work in both the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) and the private sector, including in Camp. Falklands' lawmaker MLA Barry Elsby said the students will have a good level of English when they arrive and will not need any formal English tuition.