International

• Monday, February 13th 2012 - 20:06 UTC

  “We may be poor but not stupid”, China is not interested in EU government bonds

  

  The head of China’s 410 billion dollars sovereign wealth fund CIC brushed aside a call by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to buy European government debt, saying such investments were “difficult” for long-term investors.

• Monday, February 13th 2012 - 19:53 UTC

  EU/Mercosur hope to resume talks following French presidential election

  

  European and Latin American personalities underlined the peril of falling prey to short term results and forget the long term relation between the two regions which is expected to be re-launched following the French presidential election next April.

• Monday, February 13th 2012 - 07:11 UTC

  The Euro edges up as Greece votes austerity plan: Germany not convinced

  

  The Euro edged up on Monday after Greece's parliament approved an austerity bill that put the country a step closer to securing much-needed funds, though market players worried about more hurdles before lenders seal a bailout deal.

• Monday, February 13th 2012 - 05:39 UTC

  Chile denies ‘media rumours’ of Argentine sea and air blockade to the Falklands

  

  Chilean Foreign Affairs minister Alfredo Moreno denied rumours that Argentina had requested Chile to join a blockade of the Falklands Islands and also reassured that the government of President Cristina Fernandez has not questioned the commercial air link between Santiago and the Islands.

• Monday, February 13th 2012 - 05:33 UTC

  Argentine Church calls on government and opposition not to take advantage of Malvinas dispute

  

  The Argentine Catholic Church supports the country’s claim over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands but also called on the Executive and the rest of the Argentine leadership not to use the Malvinas issue with a political purpose.

• Saturday, February 11th 2012 - 07:39 UTC

  Putin boosts presidential campaign with a tot of Antarctic ice prehistoric water

  

  Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was given a water sample Friday taken from a pristine lake hidden under Antarctic ice for over a million years, after Russian scientists drilled down to its surface.

• Saturday, February 11th 2012 - 01:34 UTC

  UK is open to bilateral talks with Argentina on any issue except Falklands’ sovereignty

  

  UN British ambassador warned Argentina on Friday that Britain would “robustly” defend the Falkland Islands if necessary, but added that his country remained open to bilateral talks with Buenos Aires on any issue except the Islands' sovereignty.

• Saturday, February 11th 2012 - 01:26 UTC

  Ban Ki-moon calls on Argentina and UK to scale down Falklands’ dispute

  

  United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced hope that Argentina and the United Kingdom can avoid escalating their dispute over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and resolve their differences through dialogue.

• Friday, February 10th 2012 - 04:20 UTC

  Prince Harry named best co-pilot gunner of the Apache helicopter training course

  

  Prince Harry, or Captain Wales as he is known in the Army, has been named best co-pilot gunner in his Apache training course. Captain Wales and his fellow trainees have now completed the Conversion to Role (CTR) course which involves 18 months of rigorous training on the Apache attack helicopter.

• Friday, February 10th 2012 - 04:19 UTC

  Royal Navy patrol issues record fine to Dutch fishing vessel

  

  A Royal Navy patrol ship has issued a record on-the-spot fine to fishermen using undersized nets after sailors boarded a Dutch fishing vessel in the North Sea. HMS Mersey, one of the Royal Navy's three fishery protection vessels, was on routine duties when she spotted the FV Elizabeth sailing 40 nautical miles off the Norfolk coast.