International

• Tuesday, March 13th 2012 - 00:56 UTC

  Italy in recession; Greece receives bail out; Spain the new challenge

  

  Italy is in recession, final data confirmed Monday. Italy's economy shrank 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2011, following a 0.2% decline in GDP in the third quarter.

• Monday, March 12th 2012 - 22:10 UTC

  One year after Fukushima, time for a more mature debate on nuclear

  

  Since Fukushima, important developments have taken place. Germany has decided to shut down its fission plants. Moreover, in a referendum, 95% of the Italian public opposed plans to restart a nuclear programme in the country.

• Monday, March 12th 2012 - 20:05 UTC

  UK minister in Chile accuses Argentina of economic blockade to the Falklands

  

  United Kingdom’s Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne on a two-day visit to Chile criticized what he called the “economic blockade” to the Falklands Islands by saying it “wasn’t right” and again reaffirmed the right of self determination for the Islanders.

• Monday, March 12th 2012 - 17:29 UTC

  “Connecting cultures”, the theme for this year’s Commonwealth Day celebration

  

  “Connecting Cultures” is the theme chosen for this year’s Commonwealth Day. The Commonwealth unites 54 countries with diverse cultures around shared values and vision. A global community of over two billion people of differing beliefs and traditions, with cultural expression, a vibrant means of identity and exchange.

• Monday, March 12th 2012 - 08:14 UTC

  Mercosur/EU meet for a new round of negotiations in Brussels

  

  A new round of talks between the European Union and Mercosur is scheduled to begin Monday in Brussels for a week, according to a press release from the Argentine Foreign Affairs.

• Monday, March 12th 2012 - 07:51 UTC

  Malvinas ‘Ushuaia declaration’ will be approved this week by the Argentine congress

  

  The chairman of the Argentine Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee, Guillermo Carmona said that the recent ‘Ushuaia Declaration’ claiming sovereignty over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands will be posted to all Parliaments world-wide to ratify and further advance Argentina’s position in the dispute.

• Monday, March 12th 2012 - 07:36 UTC

  Inter-American Development Bank meets in Montevideo; over 3.000 attendants

  

  Leading figures from the public, private, and academic sectors will participate in the annual meeting of the Inter American Development Bank, (IDB), In Uruguay, March 15-19, to examine issues that include the European crisis, youth employment, citizen security, culture and sports for youth development, climate change, and cooperation between Asia and Latin America.

• Monday, March 12th 2012 - 07:29 UTC

  End of a long stormy relation: IMF to close office in Buenos Aires

  

  In a surprise move the IMF has decided to close its office in Buenos Aires and Argentine issues will be managed and formally addressed from Peru, according to a report from La Nacion, quoting IMF sources.

• Saturday, March 10th 2012 - 16:24 UTC

  Rio do Janeiro celebrates Prince Harry’s visit to promote the UK

  

  Samba dancers swathed in orange ostrich feathers welcomed Britain’s Prince Harry to a party on Rio de Janeiro’s Sugarloaf Mountain on Friday. And apparently the fancy footwork was contagious.

• Saturday, March 10th 2012 - 07:18 UTC

  Uruguay and US will attend Americas’ summit: Cuba and Ecuador absent

  

  Uruguay’s minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Almagro described on Friday as ‘inadmissible” the exclusion of Cuba from the VI Summit of the Americas scheduled for next April 14/15 in Cartagena, Colombia.