International

• Saturday, March 31st 2012 - 23:45 UTC

  Cristina Fernández picks a fight

  

  By Jimmy Burns - ‘La Presidenta’ relishes a battle – not least with the old enemy over the future of the Falklands. But is she losing her grip at home in Argentina?

• Saturday, March 31st 2012 - 06:43 UTC

  “Falklands have a right to self determination and to be British”, no blockade is going to change that

  

  Argentina’s ever more aggressive rhetoric challenging the Falkland Islands sovereignty underlines the significance of the right to self determination, said Sukey Cameron the Falklands’ elected government representative in London.

• Saturday, March 31st 2012 - 06:41 UTC

  Argentina rejects WTO members’ criticisms; confirms ‘sovereign trade policies’

  

  The Argentine government ratified its trade policies before the World Trade Organization, following the criticism of Argentine trade restrictions from twelve countries, including the US, EU and Japan, and assured it will continue to decide on its trade policies in a sovereign manner.

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 22:54 UTC

  Argentina reiterates ‘serious suspicions’ about UK nuclear weapons in Falklands’ region

  

  Defence Minister Arturo Puricelli reiterated Argentina’s “militarization” claims in the Falkland Islands and highlighted “serious suspicions” that Britain is using nuclear weapons in the South Atlantic region.

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 17:04 UTC

  PetroChina replaces Exxon-Mobil as world’s largest publicly traded oil producer

  

  Beijing oil company PetroChina has become the world’s largest publicly-traded oil producer, surpassing Exxon Mobil Corp. in production last year, reported several international news agencies.

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 16:58 UTC

  Spain announced toughest austerity budget since the return of democracy

  

  Spain is cutting 27bn Euros from its budget this year as part of one of the toughest austerity drives in its history. Changes will include freezing public sector workers' salaries and reducing departmental budgets by 16.9%.

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 16:49 UTC

  German V2 rocket from World War II found in east coast of England

  

  A German V2 rocket from World War II has been found nose down in the mud flats at Harwich Harbour in the east coast of England. Royal Navy divers said it was buried vertically with about 1.5m of its tail exposed at low tide.

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 07:51 UTC

  Rajoy challenged by general strike, recession and more loss of jobs

  

  As Spain heads for its second recession since 2010 and unemployment stands at 23%, workers angry at a labour reform the government calls an “unstoppable” necessity staged a general strike on Thursday, bringing factories and ports to a standstill and igniting flashes of violence on the streets.

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 07:25 UTC

  Close links with Latam and steadfast commitment to Falklands, announced Hague

  

  The UK is determined to strengthen relations with Latin America and equally committed to the Falkland Islands right to self-determination, said Foreign Secretary William Hague during a major foreign policy speech at banquet.

• Friday, March 30th 2012 - 06:31 UTC

  UK says there is no evidence at all, Argentina has the capacity/strength to invade the Falklands

  

  On the verge of the South Atlantic conflict 30th anniversary, the UK’s Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said that the Falkland Islands “do not face a current credible military threat from Argentina”, and brushed aside the rumours published by the British sensationalist media.