International

• Friday, August 10th 2012 - 19:52 UTC

  Olympics Excitement in the Falkland Islands

  

  The visit of one of the 8000 London 2012 Olympic torches to the Falklands has added to the excitement felt in the Islands for the London Olympics.

• Friday, August 10th 2012 - 08:27 UTC

  Toyota opens third plant in Brazil and announces engine plant

  

  Toyota from Japan has inaugurated its third plant in Brazil that aims to produce 70,000 cars a year. The facility, located 90 kilometres west of Sao Paulo in Sorocaba, will begin producing Etios compact cars next month, with engines imported from Japan.

• Friday, August 10th 2012 - 07:35 UTC

  FAO warns countries against a repeat of the 2007/08 food prices crisis

  

  The world could face a food crisis of the kind seen in 2007/08 if countries restrict exports on concerns about a drought-fuelled grain price rally, the UN food agency FAO warned, after reporting a surge in global food prices in July.

• Friday, August 10th 2012 - 07:16 UTC

  Volcanic pumice mass, size of Belgium floating off the coast of New Zealand

  

  A mass of small volcanic rocks nearly the size of Belgium has been discovered floating off the coast of New Zealand, reports the Auckland media. The stretch of golf-ball-size pumice rocks was first spotted this week by a New Zealand air force plane about 1,000 kilometres northwest of Auckland.

• Thursday, August 9th 2012 - 06:08 UTC

  New Zealand launches program for high quality marbled beef off grass

  

  The New Zealand government announced last week it will be supporting a program to produce high-quality marbled beef off grass, by combining specific high-marbling genetics with the country’s strengths in pastoral agriculture, according to Joe Burke from the Meat Division of Bord Bia-Irish Food Board.

• Thursday, August 9th 2012 - 01:34 UTC

  Falklands’ oil explorer says deal with US company is “not politically motivated”

  

  The Chief Executive of Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd, FOGL, has said that its farm out agreement with Texas based US firm Noble Energy is not “politically motivated”, according to a report by the Daily Telegraph.

• Thursday, August 9th 2012 - 01:02 UTC

  Argentina warns US and EU markets on oil exploration activities in the Falklands

  

  Argentina’s National Securities Commission, CNV, officially communicated leading international stock exchanges in the US and Europe that hydrocarbons companies operating in the Argentine continental shelf in the area of the disputed Falklands/Malvinas Islands are involved in “illicit and clandestine” activities.

• Wednesday, August 8th 2012 - 21:38 UTC

  Can the Olympics re-brand Britain?

  

  By Andrew Hammond (*) With London 2012 proving a once-in-a-generation global showcase for Britain, a key uncertainty nonetheless remains over whether a substantial, meaningful legacy can be secured in future years from hosting the games. Given that the official public cost of the Olympics is some 9.3 billion pounds (a figure Parliament believes is nearer 11 billion pounds, and Sky News estimates to be a staggering 24 billion pounds) this is a key question, especially as Britain languishes in a double dip recession.

• Wednesday, August 8th 2012 - 19:41 UTC

  In carefully worded statement British bank rejects money laundering claims by US regulator

  

  As British bank denies accusations it hid 250 billion dollars in transactions with Iranian banks, its share price falls sharply. Standard Chartered has rejected a US regulator's claim that it hid 250 billion dollars in transactions with Iranian banks in violation of US sanctions.

• Wednesday, August 8th 2012 - 18:46 UTC

  Organized pickets in Andalusia raid supermarkets for food to distribute among the needy

  

  Pickets of unemployed and union members in the south of Spain took over supermarkets and took food produce which they then delivered to social organizations and needy families to protest and warn of the consequences of the tough measures implemented by the government.