Politics

• Friday, December 30th 2011 - 21:55 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez in Patagonia for New Year; Wednesday surgery

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández left on Friday for Santa Cruz province to her home in El Calafate to spend the New Year celebrations with her son Máximo, daughter Florencia and other family members. Next Wednesday she is scheduled to undergo thyroid cancer surgery.

• Friday, December 30th 2011 - 21:51 UTC

  How the Gibraltar naval dockyard was saved from the axe back in 1981

  

  British ministers feared the closure of Gibraltar’s naval dockyard would throw the local budget into “chronic deficit” and precipitate a “constitutional crisis” according to newly-released files, some of which were published by the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Friday, December 30th 2011 - 21:45 UTC

  Business as usual says North Korea regime; calls Seoul politicians ‘foolish puppets’

  

  North Korea sounded on Friday a bellicose note in its first communication with the outside world since the death of leader Kim Jong-il, saying its confrontational stance against South Korea would not change and labelling its opponents “foolish.”

• Friday, December 30th 2011 - 21:39 UTC

  New Spanish government announces draconian measures to balance the budget

  

  Spain's new government revealed on Friday that the public deficit for 2011 would come in at 8% of GDP, well above a target of 6%, and announced income and property tax hikes and a civil servant wage freeze in response.

• Friday, December 30th 2011 - 21:34 UTC

  Buenos Aires City becomes 100% smoke-free in public places

  

  The City of Buenos Aires put forth the steps to become 100% smoke-free, after amendments were made to the anti-tobacco laws, totally prohibiting the use of smoking areas in restaurants and bars in Argentina’s capital.

• Friday, December 30th 2011 - 06:36 UTC

  Uruguay suggests changing to the red ensign for Falklands’ vessels to operate in Montevideo

  

  No changes are needed in current legislation to bar vessels flying the Malvinas flag from entering Uruguayan ports, but Uruguay also speculates that if the vessels change to the English flag there will be no problems, according to a report from the Foreign Affairs ministry.

• Friday, December 30th 2011 - 06:28 UTC

  Argentine ambassador who ignores basic facts on the Falklands takes office in Washington

  

  Ambassador Jorge Argüello arrived Thursday to Washington and immediately began activities as head of the Argentine embassy before the US with a first round of talks with members of his staff, according to a release from the embassy.

• Friday, December 30th 2011 - 06:24 UTC

  Lan Argentina protests barring of its operations from Buenos Aires metropolitan air terminal

  

  Lan Chile airlines admitted on Thursday before the Chilean Securities and Exchange Commission that the decision by the Argentina’s Civil Aviation authority, ANAC, to revoke Lan Argentina flight authorizations to Brazil, Paraguay and Chile from Buenos Aires metropolitan airport Jorge Newbery “would not have a relevant financial impact for Lan Airlines at consolidated level

• Friday, December 30th 2011 - 06:17 UTC

  Organized labour relations with President Cristina Fernandez are ‘all suspended’

  

  “There are no contacts at all of any kind with the government, they have been all suspended” said on Thursday the Deputy Secretary of the Argentine powerful teamsters union Pablo Moyano when asked about current relations between organized labour and the administration of President Cristina Fernandez.

• Friday, December 30th 2011 - 06:07 UTC

  Riots and institutional crisis in Cristina Fernandez Santa Cruz province

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández had to postpone on Thursday plans to fly to Santa Cruz where she is planning to spend New Year’s Eve with her son and daughter, following an institutional crisis and street rioting that left at least 23 injured and the resignation of several top posts in the provincial administration.