
Former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner was charged in a corruption case Tuesday for illicit association and fraudulent administration with regards to the alleged granting of public construction contracts to specific companies. Fernandez' assets, estimated at more than 10 billion pesos (US$ 643 million) were frozen as a result of the judge's order.

Argentine President Mauricio Macri on Monday reshuffled his economic team removing finance minister Alfonso Prat-Gay amid a stubborn recession, soaring budget deficit, a discussion on gradualism to address inflation and public opinion deep disappointment with center-right reforms.

Argentine Catholic bishops visited president Mauricio Macri for the annual Christmas greeting but again expressed concern about poverty, the drugs trade and called on the political leadership of the country to create the conditions for the common good.

Tucuman's Teniente Benjamin Matienzo Airport, 1,250 km north of Buenos Aires, was evacuated Saturday after a bomb threat in the second such incident at the air terminal in one week. The previous case turned out to be a joke.

Jeremy Clarkson, the ex leading star of one of BBC's most successful programs, Top Gear is back again squabbling with his not so generous hosts in the extreme south of Argentina. A veteran provocateur which feeds into British nationalism, this time in his Christmas greetings he had a special reference to Tierra del Fuego from which he was chased away in late 2014.

The additional flights with South America from the Falkland Islands, in the framework of the recent Argentine/UK discussions, will be making a stopover at Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina, according to Senator Alfredo Luenzo who represents the province of Chubut in the federal congress.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, team of forensic experts, including two from Argentina, will be working in the identification of unknown Argentine soldiers buried in the Falkland Islands Darwin cemetery, between June and September 2017, according to a report revealed by Argentina's official news agency, Telam.
China is ready to to join forces with Argentina after the construction of two hydroelectric dams in the province of Santa Cruz was put on hold by the Supreme Court over environmental concerns, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

The United Kingdom is resolutely committed to the Islanders right to self determination assured the Prime Minister Theresa May in her Christmas message to the Falklands. Mrs. May also pointed out that a better relationship with Argentina is in everyone’s interests, and in time, this should reap the rewards through benefits to the Islands' economy, improving trade and tourism, and developing the hydrocarbons and fisheries industries.<br /><br />
The full message from Mrs. May published in this week's Penguin News, follows:

Sparking protest from California citrus leaders, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has ruled that fresh lemons from Argentina will be allowed to be imported into the U.S. The rule is the result of ten years of study on pest risks associated with Argentina lemons, according to the USDA. A proposal to allow Argentina lemon imports was published in May this year and received more than 400 comments.