
Extreme left wing organizations protested on Thursday outside Britain's embassy in Buenos Aires against UK military exercises which are being carried out in the disputed Falkland Islands. The groups also slammed the Argentine government's pursuit of closer ties with the United Kingdom.

The Argentine ministry of Defense has confirmed that the Navy was involved in military exercises in the high seas last February including firing an upgraded version of MM38 Exocet missiles and trials with a refurbished torpedo from a submarine, reports the Buenos Aires media.

Dressed in black, Argentine women took to the streets to protest the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl, the latest incident of gender violence to shock the country. Others walked off the job as a sign of protest, in what was described as women's first national strike. Similar demonstrations took place in solidarity in many Latin American cities from Montevideo to Mexico City.

Argentina's main state-run bank said it lowered its headline interest rates for loans to businesses on Monday amid expectations that inflation will begin to slow in Latin America's third-largest economy, a move that will help put credit back within firms' reach. Banco Nacion, the country's largest financial institution and which also acts as a development bank, set its annual nominal reference rate for business loans at 27%, down from 32%.

Argentine foreign minister Susana Malcorra said that the recent diplomatic row with the UK over military exercises in the Falkland Islands shows that the consequences of the war persist and reiterated her disappointment with London for not giving the Argentine government any previous warning.

Argentina extended on Monday its congratulations to Portuguese former prime minister and ex UN High commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres for his appointment by the UN General Assembly as the next UN Secretary General for the 2017/2021 period.

Argentine Tierra del Fuego governor Rosana Bertone joined the group of protestors condemning the military exercises, including launching of Rapier missiles, announced by British forces stationed in the Falkland Islands, and accused London of acting in bad faith just a few days after releasing a joint statement with Argentina to improve relations.

The Argentine government feels upset and deeply disappointed with the announced British military exercises in the Falklands/Malvinas, which includes the launching of missiles, but nevertheless the government will continue working to build the opportunity of a dialogue which eliminates the presumptions of conflict with the UK, said foreign minister Susana Malcorra on Saturday in the Vatican.

Argentina formally complained on Friday about military exercises with missiles that Britain is planning this month in the disputed Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. Argentina's foreign ministry said in a statement that it had sent a letter to the British ambassador Mark Kent demanding the country call off the illegitimate exercises, which are scheduled for Oct. 19-28 and include the launching of Rapier missiles.

“Is a monthly stopover in Argentina too high a price to pay for a direct weekly flight to Sao Paulo, the biggest flight hub in South America,” is the question we all have to ask ourselves, said lawmaker MLA Mike Summers this week as he set out the situation and options available to progress and develop the Falkland Islands’ economy.