
HMS Dauntless impressed the members of other navies during a multinational exercise in the Atlantic last week to practise improving security at sea. Exercise Saharan Express, which took place off the coast of Senegal, saw military personnel from 11 nations, including France, Gambia, Senegal and Morocco, training to deal with people-trafficking, piracy, drug-smuggling and illegal fishing.

Bolivian President Evo Morales Government’s decision to nationalize the main power transport company that was in hands of Red Eléctrica Española (REE) generated claims from Spain, while United States and the European Union showed their “concern.”

President Cristina Fernández defended Argentine Ambassador to the UK Alicia Castro, who tackled British Foreign Minister William Hague over Falklands/Malvinas Islands dialogue and stressed the fact that “the right to talk cannot be invalidated.”

As was somehow anticipated by Ambassador in UK Alicia Castro’s attitude, Argentina is determined to take advantage of the London Olympic Games global exposure to press for its claims over the Falklands Islands, as part of a plan allegedly called “Sowing for the Malvinas claim”.

Norway’s Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream, one of the world's most recognizable works of art, sold for 120 million dollars at Sotheby’s on Wednesday, setting a new record as the most expensive piece of art ever sold at auction.

Britain welcomed Guatemala and Belize's agreement to hold simultaneous referenda on referring their territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice. The territorial dispute of the Central American neighbors is centered on Guatemala claims since 1940 of most of Belize.

Cert ID Europe, the leading certification business has joined forces with the Hijaz Group to form the Halal Authority Board (HAB) www.haboard.com, which will offer a new worldwide benchmark for Halal certification for the food industry.

The United Kingdom ratified on its refusal to start any negotiation over the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands, and considered “disappointing” the episode occurred on Monday between Argentine ambassador to London Alicia Castro and British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

By W. Alex Sanchez, Research Fellow at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs - Thirty years after a bloody war between the United Kingdom and Argentina, the longstanding territorial conflict over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands continues to simmer.

Five days before French voters pick their new president, the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen announced she would cast a blank ballot in the second round poll of the election. Faced with a choice between conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Party challenger François Hollande, the National Front (FN) leader said the two candidates were the same.