
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.

Panama City. (Special for MercoPress). As part of an on-going tour of Central America, Falkland Islands lawmaker Dr Barry Elsby and young Islander Krysteen Ormond spent four days in Panama building links and sharing the results of the Islands’ historic March 10/1 referendum.

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.

Most visits to Argentina are trouble-free, but you should keep a close eye on your personal belongings in public places and there have been occasional Falklands-related protests against British interests in Argentina.

A Falkland Islands delegation concluded this week a very successful visit to Colombia where they not only met with local authorities and lawmakers but also addressed the Lower House of Congress and were able to express loud and clear the Islanders’ message born out of the recent referendum in which they overwhelmingly voted to remain a British Overseas Territory.

The prime ministers of Spain and Britain will meet in Madrid during the second week of April, according to a weekend report in ABC. The article said the meeting between Mariano Rajoy and David Cameron would centre primarily on the Euro-zone crisis.

Argentine ambassador in London Alicia Castro revealed she has been meeting with Welsh MPs for the potential organization of the 150th anniversary of Welsh settlers in Patagonia in 2015. However Welsh sources said initial discussions broke down because the Argentine representatives were seeking people supportive of their views in the Falkland Islands dispute.

Argentina's Foreign minister Hector Timerman together with Latam representatives called on UN chief Ban Ki Moon and demanded talks with the UK on the Falklands/Malvinas Islands sovereignty, but Britain again refused, pointing to the Islanders' overwhelming vote this month to remain British.

The UK and Argentina joined Foreign Ministers from six other countries to call for a universal Arms Trade Treaty. Countries of the world gathered at the UN in July 2012 to negotiate an Arms Trade Treaty but the conference could not reach an agreement.