Chilean Minister of Defence Jaime Ravinet signed Wednesday in London the agreement for the purchase of three former Royal Navy Type 23 frigates, HMS Marlborough, HMS Norfolk and HMS Grafton. The British government was represented by Lord Drayson, Minister for Defence Procurement.
A Korean flagged trawler was fined Monday £ 65,000 by the Falkland Islands government on three charges, two on false misreporting and one on catching unauthorized species. Kim Myeong, Master of the Esperanza was also fined £ 2,500 plus legal costs of £ 500.
Falkland Islands Councillors will be involved in several important meetings overseas during this month and October. One of them regarding Rules of Origin in Brussels is particularly significant for the Islands fisheries industry.
Admiral Sir Alan West, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, attended the Merchant Navy Day Memorial Service at Tower Hill on 4 September when he unveiled the new Merchant Navy Falklands 1982 Memorial.
Headlines:
Baton relay: by road, sea and horse; Off to college; Stanley burials for seamen; Police tackle ?worrying' underage drinking trend; Summer time begins.
Following a conviction for illegal fishing and failure by the vessel owners to pay their fine, the longliner Elqui was awarded by the Falkland Islands court to the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI).
A hundred and fifty Falklands veterans returned last Wednesday (Aug 24) to Gosport. This is the town on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, from where many Task Force ships sailed in 1982 to liberate the Falklands.
Headlines:
Year 11 receive their GCSE results; Ring tones for Christmas; Fuel spillage due to failure in base of tank; Medi-vac to Monte; New vet takes up post.
The Queen's Baton to mark the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia next year, leaves Bermuda for the Falkland Islands on Saturday.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair took a break from his vacations in Barbados to attend a memorial for veterans World War II.