MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Penguin News Update.
Headlines:
Flares spotted near South Georgia: source is a ?mystery'; MPs cancel visit; Cruise ships this week; Polar yachtsman passes Falklands; Ground collision halts flight; Antarctic rower is off again; London winner measures Stanley's marathon.
Flares spotted near South Georgia: source is a ?mystery'
THE Acting Governor says she has "no reason to believe" there was a submarine near South Georgia on the night that Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Dumbarton Castle reported seeing flares fired into the air. Harriet Hall reported that as Dumbarton Castlewas returning to the Falklands from its visit to South Georgia two weeks ago, it reported seeing three green flares being set off about thirty nautical miles north of the sub-Antarctic island. She said the vessel spent about ten hours searching the area and found, "nothing that could have set off the flares." Since the incident, a story has circulated that the flares may have been set off by an Argentine submarine on exercise in the area. When Penguin Newsput this to Miss Hall - who is also South Georgia's Director of Fisheries- she replied, "We have absolutely no reason to believe there was any submarine in the area at all and so it remains a mystery as to what these flares were." However, she added, "Of course, there is nothing to stop any vessel transiting these waters; it was within our maritime zone but not within territorial waters nor was it within the area over which bilateral reporting requirements between UK and Argentina apply." Penguin Newsalso questioned Miss Hall about a rumored increase in British naval strength in the Falkland Islands. She commented, "There are no plans that I am aware of to build up naval forces here. "There will continue to be the usual regular visits of the South Atlantic patrol ship and other naval assets as there have been in the past."
MPs cancel visit THE visit by three British Members of Parliament later this month has been cancelled due to an important terrorism vote in the House of Commons next Wednesday. The delegation was expected in the Islands on February 15, returning to the UK a week later. However UK parliamentary whips decided all MPs must be present in the House of Commons next Wednesday, February 15, for the approval of a Statutory Instrument relating to the renewal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, including the consideration of Lords Amendments to the Terrorism Bill brought from the House of Commons on November 10, 2005. The purpose of the Bill is to reform and extend previous counter-terrorist legislation to ensure that the UK law enforcement agencies have the necessary powers to counter the threat to the UK posed by terrorism.
Cruise ships this week SHOKALSKIY and Grigoriy Mikheev(with approximately 49 and 46 passengers respectively) will visit Stanley today.
On Sunday, it is the turn of Insignia with approximately 650 passengers while Seven Seas Mariner(769) will visit West Point Island. Seven Seas Mariner will head to Stanley on Monday, along with Millennium (1950) and Albatros (1000); Marco Polo (800) will visit West Point Island while Andrea(112) will visit New Island and Carcass Island.
On Tuesday, Marco Polo and Andrea will visit Stanley while Bremen(188) will call at West Point Island and Carcass Island. Bremen will visit Stanley on Wednesday and it is the turn of Costa Romantica (1697) and Regal Princess (1596) on Thursday. Clipper Adventurer (120) will spend Thursday at Carcass Island and New Island. Polar yachtsman passes Falklands YACHTSMAN Adrian Flanagan sailed past the Falklands this week on his 300-day solo circumnavigation of the globe, via the polar regions.
His route is south over the Atlantic towards the Falklands then westwards around Cape Horn. He will then head north over the Pacific towards the Bering Strait. A westward passage through the Arctic will lead to the final stage, south-westerly across the North Sea and back into the English Channel. The voyage will take approximately 300 days and cover 35,000 miles. Penguin News contacted Adrian as he passed the Islands. He said although he had lost his wind generator and needed to be "careful with batteries" he was "feeling fine".
He said he had seen two whales near the Islands - "one stayed with me all day" - and he was beginning to feel "apprehensive" about rounding Cape Horn. He described the feat as "a personal Everest".
Adrian's venture is in support of two charities, Oxford Children's Hospital and Save the Children Fund. He said he would love to visit the Islands and plans to do so, "...once this voyage is complete!" Ground collision halts flight THE Air Atlanta flight to Britain which was due to leave the Islands on Tuesday morning has been delayed by four days after a "ground handling incident."
The Boeing 747 sustained damage to one of its engine covers after a vehicle being driven by a member of the ground staff collided with the aircraft.
A second aircraft is expected to arrive in the Islands today (Friday) in line with the usual airbridge schedule. The British Forces are hopeful that outbound passengers from both flight-loads will be able to make the journey tomorrow. Antarctic rower is off again COLIN YEATES, the man who plans to row single-handedly non-stop around Antarctica is expected to leave the Islands on his second attempt this weekend.
This time, Mr Yeates plans to head off from Mare Harbour; his first attempt, which ended after less than two days, began in Stanley Harbour in December. London winner measures Stanley's marathon DRIVERS on Stanley's By-Pass on Tuesday may have wondered what a small team of people were doing, crouching on their hands and knees on the road.
They were, in fact, beginning the task of measuring out the Standard Chartered Bank Stanley Marathon course.
Winner of the London Marathon in 1982, Hugh Jones supervised the measuring task, armed with a tape measure and a calibrated bike. More on page 5 Subscribe to Penguin News online and save!For more information and to subscribe to this full colour version of Penguin Newsgo to www.penguin-news.com(Terms and conditions apply)
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