
Students from the Falkland Islands Community School (FICS) have returned from a two week exchange visit to Punta Arenas in Chile, reports the latest edition from the Penguin News.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague praised Chile during a meeting in London with his peer Alfredo Moreno to discuss a range of issues on which the two countries can work together.

Defence Minister Arturo Puricelli once again claimed Argentine sovereignty over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands at the Unasur headquarters in Ecuador and warned that “the usurpation of the Islands affects all of the South American nations” plus insisting on the military/civilian ration in the Islands.

Asia leads the world’s growth in air travel and holds seven out of the ten busiest inter-city routes. In addition to the BRIC markets, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Chile showed an impressive growth, according to analysis by the market intelligence solution Amadeus Total Demand.

Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile and one of hubs for Antarctic cruises, will be hosting the next annual meeting of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, IAATO, in the first half of 2013.

Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota praised the “great political convergence” between Argentina and Brazil and assured that any existing problems related to the bilateral trade “do not tarnish this very strong reality.”

Banking giant HSBC Holdings PLC said on Thursday it is in talks on a possible sale of its operations in Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay

The twelve countries members of the Union of South American nations, Unasur have for the first time opened to their peers defence budgets and how much they spend on the military, helping confidence building, according to reports from the group’s Secretary General Office.

The increase in water temperature to the north of Peru kept away the schools of fish on which marine birds feed causing the massive death of pelicans recorded in that area, which could extend to other parts of Peru, if conditions persist.

India’s Jinda Steel & Power's ambitious Bolivian project to mine 20 billion tons of iron ore is at risk after the Bolivian government encashed yet another 18-million dollars bank guarantee from the Indian firm for not meeting contractual terms.