Politics

• Thursday, February 16th 2012 - 04:47 UTC

  US disregards Argentine claim of UK’s Falklands’ and South Atlantic ‘militarization’

  

  It took a couple of days but finally on Wednesday US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said the US “has no concerns” about the alleged ‘militarization’ of the South Atlantic which was denounced by Argentina last week before the United Nations at three different levels.

• Thursday, February 16th 2012 - 04:39 UTC

  Ban Ki-moon praises Latinamerica on 45th anniversary of nuclear weapon-free zone pact

  

  On the 45th anniversary of the treaty that created a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Latin America and the Caribbean, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed the pact as an example of how regional initiatives can advance global norms on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful use of atomic energy.

• Thursday, February 16th 2012 - 04:32 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez to visit Piñera in Chile March 15 and 16

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández will make an official visit to Chile next month, amidst a power struggle as both Argentina and the UK struggle to gather support from the international community in the Falklands/Malvinas Islands controversy.

• Thursday, February 16th 2012 - 04:28 UTC

  French president Sarkozy confirms re-election bid; trails Socialist candidate by 15 points

  

  President Nicolas Sarkozy formally declared his candidacy for a second term on Wednesday seeking to overturn a wide poll lag with promises to get the unemployed back to work and use referendums to consult the French people on reforms.

• Thursday, February 16th 2012 - 03:54 UTC

  Islanders’ flash-rally to express unhappiness with world media coverage of Falklands’ dispute

  

  On a beautiful Wednesday evening, 130 vehicles and as many as 300 people from the Falklands Islands joined a flash-rally to express their feelings about the current political tensions with Argentina that have escalated over the last few months.

• Wednesday, February 15th 2012 - 05:50 UTC

  Brazil and Germany committed to achieve the EU/Mercosur trade agreement

  

  Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota and his visiting German counterpart Guido Westerwelle on Monday called for signing a free trade agreement between the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur.

• Wednesday, February 15th 2012 - 05:46 UTC

  UK Defence Select Committee plans to visit the Falklands next month

  

  British lawmakers will visit the Falkland Islands next month in a move that is likely to heighten tensions between Britain and Argentina over the Islands, The Times reported on Wednesday.

• Wednesday, February 15th 2012 - 05:42 UTC

  Cameron rings Chilean president to discuss Falklands and self determination

  

  Chilean president Sebastián Piñera received a surprise phone call at his summer residence on Tuesday afternoon from PM David Cameron who referred to the current Falklands dispute.

• Wednesday, February 15th 2012 - 05:37 UTC

  Red Ensign vessel unloads LNG in Argentina

  

  In the midst of the diplomatic escalation between Argentina and the UK over the Malvinas dispute and the coming 30th anniversary of the Falklands conflict, a red ensign Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier (LNGC) docked in Argentina.

• Wednesday, February 15th 2012 - 05:28 UTC

  Argentine labour accuses CFK of “escalating repression” and endangering human rights policy

  

  Argentina’s organized labour hit back at President Cristina Fernandez and expressed concern over what it described the “escalation” of government repression and hoped the country keeps to state policies of persuasion and unrestricted respect for human rights.