Rosana Bertone, governor of Argentina's extreme south province, officially Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands, which obviously includes the Falklands, included in her New Year greetings a message to the Islanders calling for peace and understanding leaving aside fear and mistrust.
Argentina has invited the United Kingdom to advance with the dialogue initiated last year to resume negotiations to enable in the shortest time possible, to find a peaceful and definitive solution to the sovereignty dispute over the Malvinas Islands, abiding the iterative calls from the international community, according to a release from the Argentine foreign ministry.
All issues linked to fisheries and hydrocarbons in the Falklands/Malvinas must be discussed and approved by Congress, warned Argentina's chair of the foreign affairs committee adding that if necessary the officials involved, who ignore the legislative will be summoned and sacked with a no confidence vote and political trial.
A private charter airline planning to operate as a low cost option, based in Neuquén and San Fernando, Buenos Aires has requested the Argentine government for domestic and regional routes including one to the Falkland Islands.
Argentine foreign minister Susana Malcorra will not be going this Wednesday to the Lower House where she was first summoned, and later invited for the formal constitution and opening of the Malvinas Observatory. Lawmaker Elisa Carrió, a close ally of president Mauricio Macri, and chair of the Lower House Foreign Affairs committee originally summoned the minister.
The Penguin News with background information from the Jane Cameron National Archives has published an interesting article about the Falkland Islands, economy and trade, a century ago in the midst of the First Great War. Wool from a flock of almost 700.000, and whale oil were the Islands main exports in 1916, while coal with soaring prices the main import. A century ago there were 61 births and 17 marriages.
The Falkland Islands Government have secured the services of Tees Valley based building control firm Aedis. The contract will see Aedis delivering a raft of professional consultancy services based upon their building control expertise. This includes providing a remote plan checking service to help the Falkland Islands Environmental Planning Department ensure all new building work complies with the necessary building regulations.
Jeremy Clarkson, the ex leading star of one of BBC's most successful programs, Top Gear is back again squabbling with his not so generous hosts in the extreme south of Argentina. A veteran provocateur which feeds into British nationalism, this time in his Christmas greetings he had a special reference to Tierra del Fuego from which he was chased away in late 2014.
Preliminary data from the Falkland Islands 2016 census indicates that the usually resident population is 3,248 (2,844 excluding Mount Pleasant Complex), while the total population for Stanley is 2,480 and for Camp is 364, with 184 living on the East, 141 on the West and 39 individuals living on the smaller islands.
The additional flights with South America from the Falkland Islands, in the framework of the recent Argentine/UK discussions, will be making a stopover at Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina, according to Senator Alfredo Luenzo who represents the province of Chubut in the federal congress.