Falkland Islands demining and ground clearance operations which this season took off in September are advancing rapidly and controlled explosions of ordnance has been announced for later this week. Thousands of antipersonnel and anti tank mines in marked perimeters remain the Falklands, a legacy of the retreating Argentine forces which invaded the Islands 33 years ago in 1982.
The Falkland Islands celebrated on Saturday 10 October cultural diversity day with a series of events starting in the morning and going on until the early hours of the next day. This was the second event organized on the back of an initiative by MLA Barry Elsby who has responsibility for culture within his portfolio to demonstrate how diverse Falklands culture is.
The Malvinas Forum, chapter Uruguay, which supports Argentina's sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands, held a meeting to commemorate the UN General Assembly resolution of 1965, name new authorities and prepare the agenda of activities for next year.
More than 74 years of continuous Royal Air Force UK search and rescue (SAR) air operations drew to a close this month, as the Service handed over SAR duties to the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and Bristow Helicopters Ltd. SAR operated mostly in the UK, Falkland Islands and Cyprus.
Bristow has added a new hangar and modular offices at Stanley Airport in the Falkland Islands to help improve operational efficiencies for oil and gas commercial services and search and rescue (SAR) support.
The loss of the Argentine yacht La Sanmartiniana which was abandoned and left adrift in the South Atlantic, but is currently moored in the Falklands as part of a salvage effort, led to a minor air incident according to Clarin when an RAF Typhoon from MPA warned a private search plane it was approaching Falkland Islands jurisdiction.
Exploring group Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd. said on Friday the Humpback 53/02-01 exploration well to the southeast of the Falkland Islands has found oil and gas shows, while wire-line logging indicates there are hydrocarbons bearing sandstones within the main target area.
Rules of salvage will apply to the Falklands’ Patrol Vessel’s recovery of the abandoned Argentine yacht La Sanmartiniana, Falkland Islands Government (FIG) Attorney General Peter Judge confirmed to Penguin News on Thursday.
The 'capture' (salvage) by a Falkland Islands Fisheries Patrol vessel of the Argentine flagged yacht La Sanmartiniana adrift in the South Atlantic had a great impact in the Buenos Aires media and immediate political controversy, basically accusing opposition newspapers of publishing dishonest 'pro-British' reports with the intent of jeopardizing the current presidential election.
A recent formation of the Friends of the British Overseas Territories, FOTBOT, had an interesting participation at the British parties conferences this season with fringe meetings open to the public and panel discussions on political issues pertaining to the British Overseas Territories, including whether BOT's should have representation in Westminster.