
Australian mining billionaire Clive Palmer plans to build a 21st-century replica of the Titanic and sail it from England to New York accompanied by the Chinese navy by the end of 2016.

The Falkland Islands oil industry has contributed with an unexpected addition of £9.2M to the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) budget in the first nine months of the financial year 2011/12, reported the Islands government Standing Finance Committee.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez in a massive political rally on Friday defended her policy to seize YPF from Spain’s Repsol, thanked the opposition for their legislative support and called on the new generations to defend the “historic legacy”.

Brazilian leading mining company Vale SA is facing one of the toughest periods in our history as far as reserves are concerned, a company executive said Thursday.

Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman said the recent criticism from the European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht regarding the YPF expropriation is “unacceptable,” and assured that it “surprised him due to his tone and approach”.

European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said Argentina is in for long term consequences after sending “shockwaves” internationally with the announced plans to expropriate 51% of YPF shares owned by Spain-based Repsol oil and gas company.

Committees of Argentina’s Lower House of Congress began a plenary session on Thursday in order to clear the YPF expropriation bill for debate, which was approved early morning by the Senate.

Oil explorer Borders & Southern boosted its available funds to help it analyse a gas discovery in the Falkland Islands, by raising £ 46 million through a share placing.

The processes of concentration, foreign ownership and land degradation came to be a central concern of supranational bodies and NGOs that warn, like the United Nations Organizations for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), of the “negative effects of these phenomena on food security, agricultural employment and the development of family farming.”

Argentina once again warned oil companies considered by the Government to be “illegally operating” in the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, and reiterated it will press charges against them unless they justify their actions before next Wednesday, May 2.