When the head of Argentina's military junta General Leopold Galtieri deployed military forces in the Falkland Islands, Britain assembled a task force to sail to the South Atlantic, to the astonishment of people in Britain, and the rest of the world.
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera said that the death of Margaret Thatcher “is a great loss for the world”, while relatives and followers of Augusto Pinochet recalled how close the two leaders were and the support extended to the military regime.
Margaret Thatcher changed Britain forever but also gave hope and real inspiration to people behind the Iron Curtain and all those living without political freedom, said Foreign Secretary William Hague on the death of Baroness Thatcher.
Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female prime minister, liberator of the Falklands and uncompromisingly conservative “Iron Lady” of the 1980s died on Monday following a stroke at the age of 87.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s office announced that Lady Thatcher who died on Monday will receive a Ceremonial funeral with military honours at St Paul’s Cathedral. No date has been given and further details will be released over the next few days. However on her family’s wishes it will not be a full state funeral.
The Falkland Islands government expressed great sadness at the news of the death of Baroness Thatcher on Monday. The brief message from Gilbert House was signed by MLA Mike Summers on behalf of the Legislative Assembly of the Falklands.
Russia’s Gazprom will buy a 20% stake in Total SA’s gas fields in Bolivia. Total will retain 60% ownership in the fields, while a unit of Argentina’s Techint Group holds 20”, announced Bolivia’s Energy minister Juan Jose Sosa.
The Spanish Government has declared that it will back legal action by the Spanish Football Federation to block Gibraltar’s membership of UEFA. “We will take the necessary measures in our power to avoid a situation which is contrary to the sporting strategy of the Spanish state.”
By Klaus Dodds (*) - The last couple of weeks have been busy ones when it comes to news about the Falkland Islands. Or Islas Malvinas as Argentine and other readers might insist upon. For others, the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) is the preferred naming option — highlighting as it does their continued contested status.
Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's has reaffirmed its triple-A rating for the UK, but warned of the continuing negative outlook for the economy. S&P said it may downgrade the UK from the highest rating in the future if economic conditions worsened.