MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Penguin News Update.

Headlines:
Ready for Bendigo; Smoking ban: health Councillors disagree; News in brief.: Fiery double act; Delayed mail on its way; Cruise ships arriving; MPs arrive today.

Ready for Bendigo.

THE Falklands team is ready to head off to the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo, Australia. Swimmers Dion Robertson (14), Hannah Arthur-Almond (14) and Edward Freer (15) fly out of the Falklands tomorrow and will join runner Roxane Morrison in Australia. Their team manager is Leisure Centre Manager, Steve Dent. During their penultimate training session this week the three swimmers said they were looking forward to the Games. Hannah confessed to feelings of "excitement and terror" adding, "...as it gets closer the terror is more noticeable." All three swimmers say they have no medal expectations but hope to beat their personal bests in a variety of races. Swim team coach Pam Freer said the three will have training sessions in Melbourne in the week before the Bendigo Games and, once they have finished competing, they will immediately start training in Australia for the 2005 Island Games in Shetland. Mrs Freer paid tribute to the trio's dedication. She commented, "They're all tired but it's worth it; they're proud to be representing their country and to be seen on the international stage." She said, "They may not be in the running for medals but they certainly won't shame themselves." All three are GCSE students and have also been involved with the Falklands Suite, a musical project heavily involving Community School students. Mrs. Freer said, "They've all been so busy with the Falklands Suiteand their music lessons; they've done really well to fit so much training in." She said she was grateful to the many Falklands companies who have provided the vital sponsorship which allows the team to attend the Games. Athlete Roxane Morrison is representing the Islands in the 400m track event. The seventeen year old is currently studying at Chichester College in the United Kingdom and will travel on her own to Australia to meet up with the rest of the team. She has been training for the Games since her arrival at college last year where she runs regularly with the college cross country team; more recently she has been training three or four times a week under the guidance of one of the school cross country coaches. Roxane said she is "really nervous" about the Games but added, "...I'm aiming to do my best". More pressingly, she has a charity parachute jump to make tomorrow, before she sets off for Australia on Tuesday.

Smoking ban: health councillors disagree.

COUNCILLOR Cheek would like to see a "total ban" on smoking in confined public areas but her colleague Councillor Birmingham disagrees. The British Government this week announced that smoking will be banned in the majority of enclosed public places in England within four years. Penguin Newscontacted the two Councillors with responsibility for Health and asked if the Falklands should follow suit. Councillor Cheek said, "Considerable thought has already been given to this subject because the numbers of people suffering from smoking related illnesses is a serious concern. "Many private businesses operate ?no smoking' policies and more are providing non smoking areas. Some plan to go non smoking in the near future. "I would like to see a total ban in any confined public areas because non smokers should not be subjected to other people's smoke." Also a member of the Health and Medical Services Committee, Councillor John Birmingham believes there is no need for a ban: "As a former smoker I have sympathy with people who are trying to give up smoking but I think there is a sector of the population who enjoy having a cigarette and they also have their rights. "I would prefer to leave it up to the individual publican and restaurant owner to make a decision as to whether to ban smoking on their premises at this time." In his Health of the Nation report, prepared in 2000, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Roger Diggle, indicated, "...smoking related diseases...are the major causes of ill health and premature death in the islands." Smoking in Government buildings was banned after Executive Council approved recommendations by the Health of the Nation smoking working group's report. Councillor Cheek referred to reports on the recently introduced ban in Ireland, "...which seemed to indicate that it was approved of by many smokers as well as the non smokers. "It also appears that the trade was not badly affected."

News in brief

Fiery double act.

MEMBERS of the Fire and Rescue Service were wide awake early yesterday morning when they were called out to deal with two separate fires. At approximately 3.30am they were called to Fitzroy Road where a car was on fire. The vehicle was completely burned out. The Chief Fire Officer, Mr Gardner Fiddes, said the fire was most likely caused by faulty wiring. As the firefighters were dealing with the car, a second call came in at around 4.00am, reporting a fire in Colin Smith's workshop at Lookout Industrial Estate. The blaze was brought under control, but substantial damage was sustained to both the exterior and interior of the building and the ceiling collapsed while the fire was being put out. Mr Fiddes said the cause of the fire was a jammed electrical wire.

Delayed mail on its way.

THE Postmaster is hopeful that airmail which has been delayed in the United Kingdom will arrive in the Falklands today. Mrs. Moira Eccles said the delay appears to have been caused by a "communications error" and, "...our mail was looping with the Royal Mail's system, going out of one depot to another then back to the original." She said she has raised the problem with the Royal Mail and, "...they've said it will be fixed." A significant backlog of airmail was received on Monday and Mrs Eccles says it is anticipated that a similar volume will arrive today. She said, "We shall endeavour to have mail available for collection from 9.30am on Saturday, November 20."

Cruise ships arriving.

THE cruise ship season is beginning to heat up. Kapitan Khlebnikov is in Port William tomorrow to collect approximately 112 passengers; she will be joined by Amsterdam(1380). On Sunday Polar Pioneer(53) will visit Sea Lion Island before travelling to Stanley on Monday. On Wednesday Polar Star (105) will call at New Island and West Point Island; she will arrive in Stanley on Thursday. Akademik Ioffe (approximately 120 passengers) will be at West Point Island and Carcass Island on Thursday.

MPs arrive today.

FOUR United Kingdom Members of Parliament arrive in the Islands today for a week long visit. More next week.