Politics

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 05:35 UTC

  Falklands’ rights and sovereignty

  

  By Sir Peter Westmacott (*) - Where in the world can you celebrate Margaret Thatcher Day with five kinds of wild penguins? Nowhere but in the Falkland Islands, a windswept archipelago in the South Atlantic that’s about the same area as Connecticut but has a population of only 3.100. This weekend, these small islands with a big personality face a momentous choice: a referendum to decide their political future.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 05:30 UTC

  Iran’s Ahmadinejad received a standing ovation at Chavez emotional funeral

  

  Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Cuba's Raul Castro joined on Friday about thirty other heads of state at Hugo Chávez's funeral in an emotional farewell to the charismatic Venezuelan leader who during his fourteen years in office had a major impact on South American politics.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 05:20 UTC

  Mujica tells Venezuelans that big contradictions in society are ‘not squashed but conducted’

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica called for unity and responsibility in Venezuela, ‘to fight for freedom and peace’ and cautioned that big contradictions in a society are not squashed but conducted. He also called on Brazil to lead the region but warned: “not creating a new regional empire”.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 05:10 UTC

  A woman is commander of RAF Search and Rescue Force over UK and Falklands

  

  In recognition of International Women's Day on 8 March the British Armed Forces profiled Group Captain Sara Mackmin who is the new commander of the RAF Search and Rescue Force with responsibility over the UK and the Falkland Islands.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 05:03 UTC

  Falklands’ referendum: the view from the Islands, “as many as 98% of voters will say Yes”

  

  “We hope, by voting overwhelmingly in favour of remaining British, the rest of the world will understand and support our right to self-determination”. The message is clear in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, in all of Argentina that is calling for sovereignty negotiations with the United Kingdom.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 04:55 UTC

  Falklands’ referendum: Argentina admits impotence and claims UK acting with ‘ill-faith’

  

  Argentina blasted the UK over the coming Falkland Islands referendum claiming it is acting with ‘ill faith’ trying to introduce elements of distortion by changing the definition of the dispute under international law, despite all the pronouncements of the world community.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 04:40 UTC

  US jobs market picks up in February but budget dispute with Congress looms

  

  Hiring in the US has gathered momentum after government figures showed that the economy created 236.000 jobs in February. The figure was much higher than analysts had expected, and more than the 157,000 jobs created in January.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 04:32 UTC

  Cardinals begin conclave Tuesday for new Pope; demands for more transparency

  

  Catholic cardinals gathered in Rome voted Friday to begin the conclave, to elect a new pope next Tuesday afternoon, the Vatican said. The 115 cardinal-electors taking part in the conclave will enter the closed-door process after a morning Mass and only cardinals younger than 80 are eligible to vote.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 04:16 UTC

  ECB calls on governments to promote growth and combat the tragedy of unemployment

  

  European Central Bank President Mario Draghi urged indebted governments to move beyond spending cuts and tax hikes and introduce reforms that would boost growth and reduce the “tragedy” of unemployment.

• Friday, March 8th 2013 - 22:14 UTC

  Demand for US to recognize the Falklands and support the referendum

  

  By Harold Briley, London
  A demand that President Obama should stop siding with Argentina in the Falkland Islands dispute and instead fully back Britain and the Islanders has been made by a team of eminent US academics. In a sustained attack, they condemn United States policies as hypocritical and dangerous by claiming a posture of neutrality while supporting Argentina, which is conducting a campaign of “bullying intimidation, aggression, coercion and confrontation”.