Stories for October 10th 2012

Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 20:53 UTC
Cristina, get serious

By Jorge Araya - The Argentine president’s misguided perspective threatens her country.
(The following piece was published in the Harvard Crimson from Harvard University. It is considered the US oldest continuously published daily college newspaper, was founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1967).
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 19:33 UTC
BAS merger plan triggers debate; fears of ‘diminished’ British presence in Southern Ocean

UK government plans to merge the British Antarctic Survey with the National Oceanography Centre have triggered global debate among scientists and politicians with former US Vice-president Al Gore wading into the discussion and fears in the Falkland Islands of a diminished “British presence” in the region.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 18:50 UTC
Argentine creditors want 20m dollars to release ARA Libertad retained in Ghana

Argentina is refusing to pay the 20 million dollars in ransom that New York hedge fund dealer Paul Singer is demanding in exchange for releasing the country’s Naval training vessel currently retained in the port of Tempa, Ghana, West Africa, reports the New York Post.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 18:41 UTC
South America solid behind Argentina’s Falklands’ claim at UN decolonization meeting

The opening session of the UN Fourth Committee on decolonisation was dominated by a joint verbal assault on Britain by South American countries over the issue of the Falkland Islands. One after another, representatives of governments in the region called on the UK to enter into dialogue with Argentina over the sovereignty of the Islands, which are claimed by the government in Buenos Aires.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 09:47 UTC
Paraguay ratifies it rejects point blank Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur

President Federico Franco ratified on Monday before the Diplomatic Corps that Paraguay rejects point blank the incorporation of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur and also considers the country was unfairly treated by the block.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 09:39 UTC
One in eight people worldwide suffer from chronic hunger, says FAO

One in eight people worldwide still suffers from chronic hunger, the UN's food agency said on Tuesday, describing the figure as “unacceptable” and warning that the fight against hunger was slowing down.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 09:29 UTC
With hunger, the only acceptable number is ”zero”

By Jose Graziano da Silva, Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization - Achieving the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving the prevalence of hunger in the world by 2015 is still within reach, but a strong, sustained acceleration of efforts is needed. Progress made in the fight against hunger since the middle of the last decade has lost steam, and it is time to regain momentum.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 09:25 UTC
Spanish parliament blocks Catalonia referendum on independence

Spain's parliament voted to block the northern region of Catalonia from holding a referendum on independence, the latest step in a growing political battle between Barcelona and Madrid in the midst of a deepening economic downturn.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 09:07 UTC
IMF estimates Argentina 2012 growth below government target but above private forecasts

Argentina will grow 2.6% in 2012 according to the IMF latest World Economic Outlook, which is below the 3.4% estimated by President Cristina Fernandez administration for this year’s budget.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 08:57 UTC
Brazil ratifies full support to President Santos and the Colombian peace process

Brazil extended full support ‘in whatever is necessary’ to Colombia’s peace process which is scheduled to begin next 17 October in Norway and will continue in Cuba, announced the Executive Planalto Palace.