Global Briefing, Jan. 20, 2012: Falklands, France and a Failed Coup

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Margaret Thatcher Day has been celebrated by Falkland Islanders on January 10 since 1992, commemorating the British Prime Minister's visit in 1983 following the Falklands War

Falklands Fury – Britain’s ever-so-even-handed press, ahem, is rife with the war of words brewing between London and Buenos Aires over the Falklands Islands. As the thirtieth anniversary of the conflict approaches in April, Prime Minister David Cameron accused Argentina of “colonialism” over the South Atlantic archipelago. The insulted country’s Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo didn’t pass up the opportunity to note the obvious irony, replying the comments were “totally offensive, especially coming from Great Britain.” Murdoch’s sensationalist tabloid The Sun merrily jumped on board with a profile of Argentine PresidentCristina Fernández de Kirchner under the headline: “She’s sexier than Evita, as tough as Maggie… with her eyes on the Falklands.”

French Fury in Afghanistan – French patience with Afghanistan is wearing thin after an Afghan soldier opened fire on NATO troops on Friday, killing four French troops. Sarkozy has already imposed a suspension on French forces, who have been helping to train Afghan troops, and may even pull them out of the country all together.

A History of Violence — As Bangladesh’s military announced it had thwarted a failed coup — one of many mutinies and clashes in recent history — TIME’s Ishaan Tharoor takes a walk through the country’s fraught tango with rebellion.

Turning a New Leaf — From “banana republic” to an emerging development paradigm, Jayati Ghosh argues in the Guardian that Ecuador could teach the world a thing or two about stable economies.

Haitian Justice – Eight police officers were found guilty in Haiti for a prison massacre in 2010 — where dozens of inmates were killed or wounded — in a rare crackdown on authority. Many of those in power, whether they be police officers or government officials, are often accused of corruption in the beleaguered nation. “Wow, this is a real landmark moment for Haitian justice,” William O’Neill, a human rights lawyer, told the New York Times. “To get some senior law enforcement officials held accountable with fairly serious sentences — it’s really historic.”

Revolution Redux — 2011 was indeed the year of the protester, however it seems that for countries like Romania, 2012 could also be defined by people power.