Stories for March 23rd 2018

Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 14:00 UTC
Heatwaves, hurricanes, floods: 2017 costliest year ever for extreme weather and climate events, says UN

Hurricanes, monsoon floods and continuing severe drought made 2017 the costliest year ever for severe weather and climate events, according to a new report by the United Nations weather agency launched on the eve of World Meteorological Day.
Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 09:20 UTC
EU recalls ambassador to Moscow: “highly likely” Russia was responsible for the nerve agent attack in UK

The European Union has recalled its ambassador to Moscow after leaders agreed it was “highly likely” Russia was responsible for a nerve agent attack in the UK. In a statement following an evening of talks in Brussels, the European Council of EU leaders agreed “there is no plausible alternative explanation”.
Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 09:13 UTC
China announces US$ 3bn target for retaliation in trade dispute with Washington

China announced a US$ 3 billion list of U.S. goods including pork, apples and steel pipe on Friday that it said may be hit with higher tariffs in a spiraling trade dispute with President Donald Trump that companies and investors worry could depress global commerce. The Commerce Ministry urged Washington to negotiate a prompt settlement to the conflict over Trump's tariff hike on steel and aluminum but set no deadline.
Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 09:06 UTC
Argentina expanded 2.9% last year; 2018 challenging given the persistent drought effect on crops

Argentina's economy expanded 2.9% in 2017 from the prior year and 3.9% in the fourth quarter versus the same period in 2016, the Indec statistics agency said this week. The year-over-year figure was slightly above the 2.8% annual growth rate given last month by Argentina's monthly economic activity indicator, seen as a proxy for gross domestic product.
Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 09:03 UTC
Falklands promotes sports challenge with “Road to Gold Coast 2018”

With the Commonwealth Games around the corner, what better way for the Falklands community to get involved than, “a sporting challenge of our own,” asks Infant/Junior School teacher Daniel Harrison.
Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 08:56 UTC
Global Britain will have 250 new diplomatic roles overseas in the next two years

At least 250 new diplomatic roles will be created overseas in the coming two years as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) invests in a major expansion of the UK’s diplomatic service, an uplift of almost 15% on the number of British diplomats overseas, the Foreign Secretary announced today.
Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 08:43 UTC
“Malouines to Malvinas” exhibition in Ushuaia Museum

Next Thursday the Ushuaia museum in Tierra del Fuego will open an exhibition titled “From Malouines to Malvinas”, depicting history since the French occupation of the Falklands in the XVIIIth century to the first Argentine governor of the Islands.
Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 07:46 UTC
Trump names hard line hawk as national security advisor

John Bolton, chosen by President Donald Trump late Thursday to replace H.R. McMaster as national security adviser, is a career lawyer and diplomat who has long been on the president's short list to join the administration. The lifelong conservative has taken hawkish public stances on such issues as North Korea's nuclear program.
Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 07:34 UTC
Vatican's communications chief resigns following manipulation of news

The head of the Vatican's communications department resigned this week over a scandal about a letter from the retired pope that he mischaracterized in public and then had digitally manipulated in a photograph sent to the media.
Friday, March 23rd 2018 - 07:07 UTC
Falklands second flight: Minister Faurie confirms the interest of seven airlines

Argentine foreign minister Jorge Faurie this week revealed to the Senate foreign affairs committee that seven airlines have stated their interest in servicing a second commercial flight between the Falkland Islands and the continent: two from Uruguay, two from Chile and three from Brazil.