
Stanley in the Falkland Islands, like thousands of other cities around the world, will be beaming live images to the rest of the globe on New Year's Eve.

BHP BILLITON and Falkland Oil and Gas (FOGL) representatives will visit the Falklands in January to establish contact with FIG and businesses that will be involved in exploration drilling.

A Tierra del Fuego sheep farmer has been banned by Chilean sanitary authorities from selling lambs and mutton to the European Union for having violated a self regulated sanitary and flock management program, reports Punta Arenas, La Prensa Austral.
Chile now ranks 27th worldwide with a life expectancy of 78.3 years, according to a U.N. report on average ages in 177 countries. The figure represents a four-year increase since 2000. Chile has also moved past the United States, which fell to number 29 with an average life expectancy of 77.9.
Britain has yet to decide whether it will claim Antarctic territory sea bed but the UK remains and will remain fully committed to environmental protection of Antarctica, following on the spirit of the Antarctic Treaty one of the great successes of international relations in the last fifty years, said British Ambassador in Argentina John Hughes.

The Colombian Marxist-oriented guerilla group FARC has demanded the resignation of the country's president, Alvaro Uribe, to secure the release of hostages, among them the French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt. The guerilla commander released the demand in a statement carried on the internet.

A draft Islands Plan 2008-12, setting out the Falkland Islands government's ambitions and promises for the next five years, has been issued for consultation with the community and stakeholders.

Falklands'Councillor Mike Summers has praised the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office for their unwavering message on sovereignty.

Contrary to what happened a week ago in the Argentine Congress, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Uruguay's leader Tabare Vazquez made no reference to the pulp mill conflict and exchanged praise and polite gestures during the 34th Mercosur presidential summit held Tuesday in Montevideo.

Israel signed Tuesday in Uruguay a free trade agreement with Mercosur, the first ever the South American trade group subscribes with a country outside Latinamerica. Israel's Deputy Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce Eliahu Yishai traveled to Montevideo for the event.