
Argentina says it plans to withdraw from the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, ICSID, a World Bank body designed to arbitrate between states and foreign investors.

Argentina’s construction activity registered a 3.2% drop in 2012 compared to the volume reported the previous year, according to the Indec national statistics bureau. This would be the first time in three years that the industry experienced a broad slowdown.

Foreign minister Hector Timerman will be taking the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty claim to London where next week he is scheduled to meet outstanding figures from 18 European countries that have been calling for a resumption of negotiations, according to a release from the Argentine embassy in UK.

The International Monetary Fund’s board of directors was informally briefed on the economic situation in Argentina, which has refused to undergo an annual assessment since 2006.

Argentina’s organized labour CGT confederation led by Hugo Moyano came on stage on Tuesday to make clear that Monday’s income tax floor 20% rise announced by President Cristina Fernández “is not enough” and anticipated fierier wage talks with a clear 25% raise demand.

Argentine Football Association (AFA) chief Julio Grondona will step down in 2015 after 36 years in the job, he said on Tuesday. The 81-year-old senior FIFA vice-president, widely criticised for the way in which he has run the AFA, will not seek re-election for the first time since he came to power in 1979.

The World Trade Organization decided to implement two dispute resolution panels, one to probe accusations of unfair trade practices against Argentina by the US, the EU and Japan and another regarding Argentina’s claim that US-sanctioned measures affect their meat and lemons exports.

The Argentine government rejected Israel’s decision to summon the Argentine ambassador in Tel Aviv to discuss recent agreement between Argentina and Iran, saying it considered it an “improper” move that goes “against the traditional, friendly relationship” between both nations.

Argentina claimed at the CELAC summit in Chile that the UK has converted the Falkland Islands into one of the “most militarized territories in the world” with the sole purpose of exploiting the natural resources of the Islands and control access to Antarctica.

By John Fowler - Frequently controversial newspaper columnist, Matthew Parris, who was a member of the British Parliament during 1982, has not been noted in the past as a supporter of the Falkland Islands in their struggle to avoid annexation by Argentina. It was something of a surprise therefore to read an article by him in The Times of January 26 entitled Argentina’s hypocrites is steeped in blood.