MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Penguin News Update.

Headlines:
Baton relay: by road, sea and horse; Off to college; Stanley burials for seamen; Police tackle ?worrying' underage drinking trend; Summer time begins.

Baton relay: by road, sea and horse

THE Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay has reached the Falkland Islands. Yesterday the baton journeyed from Stanley to Port Howard by Islander aircraft before being transported by various modes - including by foot, motorbike, Land Rover and on horseback - to Fox Bay. West Falklands residents were then invited to a reception at the Southern Cross Social Club at Fox Bay where they had the opportunity to examine the impressive baton close up. The baton - which traditionally carries the Queen's message to the athletes - uses technology to allow people from all over the world to keep track of its progress on its way to the Opening Ceremony of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. Technology housed inside the baton enables everyone to pinpoint the baton's location via the internet - where supported by satellite coverage - and a camera mounted in the baton can transmit video footage of key moments to the official Commonwealth Games website, www.melbourne2006com.auFrom Fox Bay, the baton was moved to HMS Dumbarton Castlefor its return journey to East Falkland - including a quick helicopter flight to the highest peak in the Islands, Mt Usborne, for a photo opportunity. The baton team then spent last night at Darwin Lodge and hosted a reception in the Goose Green community hall in the evening. Today, the baton will be carried by a series of relay runners from Mount Pleasant, with Group Captain Gordon Moulds starting the relay at 9.00am. The baton is expected to be delivered to His Excellency the Governor at his residence at around 3.30pm. More than 110 people are predicted to carry the baton during today's relay. According to the Games' official website, the Melbourne 2006 Queen's Baton Relay is the world's longest and most inclusive relay ? travelling to all 71 nations of the Commonwealth in a year and a day. "The design and technological features of the baton that will travel this epic journey reflect the relay's efforts to showcase the diversity of the Commonwealth and unite its communities in celebration of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games." Seventy-one lights on the front of the baton indicate the 71 nations of the Commonwealth that the Queen's Baton will visit on its journey to the Games. These progressively light up as the baton arrives in each Commonwealth country, symbolising "the gathering of the nations at the four-yearly festival of sport and culture." The baton will be flown out of the Islands on Saturday. Next week: pictorial coverage of the baton's progress throughout the Falklands. Photo: Nigel Knight of Coast Ridge Farm on Chris Lloyd's mare Realm, carries the baton on the road to Fox Bay. He was accompanied by his son Keith on Red Adair, another of Chris' horses.

Off to college

THIRTEEN Falklands students are heading to college this month after they gained GCSE passes last week. Seven students will go to Peter Symonds College in Winchester, four will go to Chichester College, one will study at Bootham College, York and another will head to Atlantic College in South Wales. Two others achieved sufficiently high grades to attend college but have deferred entry until next year. Director of Education, Sylvia Cole, congratulated the Year 11 students who reached or exceeded their predicted grades. She said the results were as expected and produced "few surprises". However she added, "Some students will feel that, with more attention to their studies and some harder work, they could have done better." With a very broad intake of students, Mrs. Cole said, results in external exams will always give a wide range. "Mixed ability classes reflect pupils who have talents in many areas; these could well be utilised in jobs in the Islands, rather than studies in the UK." Mrs. Cole singled out Emily Hancox and Liam Stevens who performed particularly well in their GCSEs and who, "...are to be congratulated on their grades through which they achieved a high number of points." Close behind them, she said, were Ashley Jaffray and Gillian Cotter. According to Mrs Cole, some students are already enquiring about re-sits and, she said, "I am confident that higher grades can be achieved with some hard work and revision."

Stanley burials for seamen

TWO fishermen who lost their lives in separate incidents at sea last month have been buried in Stanley's cemetery. An inquest into the death of Basuki, an Indonesian man who died on August 10, was opened and adjourned, however his body was released for burial. His funeral was held on August 22. Vietnamese seaman Nguyen Van Thanh died on August 19 and an inquest into his death is expected to be opened next week. He was buried in Stanley on Wednesday afternoon.

Police tackle ?worrying' underage drinking trend

A DRAMATIC increase in underage drinking over the past year is "evident and worrying" according to police. A paper on the subject is to be discussed by the Police Committee at its meeting next week and advises finding an approach to stopping the trend "at the earliest opportunity." According to the document, the youths concerned are drinking a concoction of alcohol that is being obtained from various methods and ranges, "...from getting adults to buy it for them to stealing it from family and friends." Police say the prominent night where offending takes place is either Friday or Saturday, particularly between 8pm and 10pm. The social reasons why this age group offends is complex and lengthy, police say. They recommend the Drug Awareness and Resistance Education programme is targeted at the Community school, "...because this is now the age group that alcohol is affecting." As a possible solution, the paper suggests empowering parents who have problems with their children and putting the responsibility on the child and the parent. "For those parents that are unwilling to take the responsibility then the court could deal with it in conjunction with the child. "This form of punishment on the child will be much more beneficial and keeps within the aims of keeping families together." This issue and more are to be discussed by the Police Committee which meets at Government House on Monday, September 5, at 10am.

Summer time begins

Government clocks will be advanced one hour to Summer Time at 2am on Sunday, September 4.

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