The entire text of the fantastically informative Dictionary of Falklands Biography has been placed on a new website www.falklandsbiographies.org. In addition to the original 476 biographies, six new names have been added and more are to follow. Among the newcomers are Constance Allardyce, the wife of Governor Sir William, who was a respected palaeontologist and expert on Falklands fossils (written by Dr Phil Stone).
United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Austin, Texas, and then to Mexico City, Mexico; Bariloche and Buenos Aires, Argentina; Lima, Perú; Bogotá, Colombia; and Kingston, Jamaica on February 1-7. According to a release from the State Department, Secretary Tillerson will engage with regional partners to promote a safe, prosperous, energy secure, and democratic hemisphere.
Argentine president Mauricio Macri ended on Friday his European tour in Paris, where he addressed the business community and potential investors, and later held a private meeting with president Emmanuel Macron. According to Argentine sources there is strong French investors' interest, but apparently Macron held his ground when regarding the EU/Mercosur overall trade agreement.
A Falkland Islands Summary Court acting Justice of Peace Andrew Brownlee and Leeann Harris handed out a conditional discharge for eighteen months to Spanish fishing captain, Oscar Gomez, while fining his company, Pesquerias Marinenses SA, a total of £5,000, plus court costs of £150. Mr Gomez was also ordered to pay £150 costs.
British Defense Minister Guto Bebb formally announced on Thursday the acceptance of HMS Forth, the Royal Navy’s new Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), from manufacturer BAE Systems at the company’s Scotstoun shipyard.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing is willing to negotiate step by step, a free trade agreements with Uruguay and other countries in South America, particularly members of Mercosur.
Venezuela has expelled the Spanish ambassador to Caracas, Jesús Silva Fernández, accusing him of interfering in its internal affairs. Spain has rejected the allegations and said it would reciprocate.
Argentina has left behind its populist experiment, and there is no other country with greater potential, Argentine president Mauricio Macri told the World Economic Forum in Davos during a speech to the forum of world political and business leaders.
The Falkland Islands Holiday Credit Scheme that lasted some ten years until 2008, and by which the government credited a daily contribution to each Islander in support of the cost of overseas travel, may be about to make a comeback, according to the latest edition of the Penguin News.
Brazilian ex-head of state Lula da Silva agreed on Thursday to represent the opposition Workers’ Party (PT) in this year’s presidential election, although a corruption conviction makes it unclear whether he will be able to run.