A group of Argentine writers, historians, constitutional law experts, politicians and journalists will be making a formal presentation in support of the Falkland Islanders right to self-determination. They have also criticized the constant harassment to which Islanders are exposed from the administration of President Cristina Fernandez.
On a June morning 30 years ago, Pte Craig Jones was killed by a shell as British troops made their final push in the Falklands War. He was the last soldier to die in the conflict as a ceasefire was declared the following day.
UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said on Monday that the British military presence in the Falklands has not increased recently since there was no recorded change to Argentine force levels, and there was no current or credible threat.
Argentine members of the opposition have warned that they will not attend a Friday special session of the Senate and Lower House Foreign Affairs committees to be held in Tierra del Fuego and dedicated to the Malvinas issue unless the overall position of the diplomatic conflict is openly debated.
Falkland Islands lawmaker Mike Summers accused Argentina of acting as a “schoolyard bully” trying to take sweets from others and described as intolerable that a country of that size should be trying to bully a country of 3.000 people into submission. “It’s a country you’d not want to be associated with”.
The Argentine newspaper Ambito Financiero reported on Friday, without revealing sources, that oil exploration rig Leiv Eiriksson, contracted by two oil companies to drill to the south of the Falkland Islands “was found, on Thursday, exploring in Argentine waters”, according to ‘irrefutable’ satellite images.
A US member of the House of Representatives is scheduled to visit the Falkland Islands next week beginning Monday. Republican Congressman F. Jim Sensenbrenner has represented, uninterruptedly, the 5th district of the state of Wisconsin since first elected in 1978 which includes most of the state capital Madison.
A leading UK market and investment analyst, Edison Investment Research looks at the prospects of the Falkland Islands oil industry and suggests the industry could be worth 180 billion dollars in royalties and taxes.
Newly commissioned Royal Navy Ice patrol vessel HMS Protector met up with her sister ship, the RRS Ernest Shackleton, in Antarctica recently. Her role as Ice Patrol Ship is to: conduct hydrographical surveys; assist the British Antarctic Survey; conduct base inspections to support the Antarctic Treaty and patrol for unlicensed fishing and visitors
Science and Universities Minister David Willetts has become the latest UK politician to visit the Falklands. A spokesman for Mr Willetts said he would make on Thursday a transiting visit en route to an engagement in Antarctica.