Falkland Islands

• Saturday, August 15th 2020 - 09:45 UTC

  Falklands Day celebrated with a presentation at FIGO in London

  

  Falklands Day is the celebration of the first sighting of the Falkland Islands by John Davis in 1592 and is commemorated on 14 August. It was once seen as the National Day of the Falklands but has largely been replaced by Liberation Day which commemorates the end of the Falklands War.

• Friday, August 14th 2020 - 08:38 UTC

  Aberdeen scientists to address Falklands' peat lands research project

  

  Scientists from Aberdeen University will travel to the Falkland Islands as part of a £230,000 research project to help prevent peatland fires. The project will use various techniques to study how the frequency, extent and intensity of burning affects the ability of peat land environments to store carbon. The news was announced by north Scotland daily The Press and Journal.

• Friday, August 14th 2020 - 08:02 UTC

  Falklands Sports Council has new logo and announces scholarships scheme

  The newly formed Falkland Islands National Sports Council (NSC) has revealed its new logo, designed by Tony Ellis of Tonedog Graphic Design. The front ‘wings’ represent the freedom and movement of sport and are also symbolic of a winner’s ribbon that the penguin is passing through, head raised in proud accomplishment.

• Tuesday, August 11th 2020 - 08:27 UTC

  Ex Falklands' patrol HMS Clyde now flies the Kingdom of Bahrain flag

  

  The Kingdom of Bahrain has purchased the former UK Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Clyde (P257), the country’s defense ministry announced. HMS Clyde was the Falkland Islands patrol vessel until replaced by the recent arrival of HMS Forth.

• Monday, August 10th 2020 - 18:03 UTC

  Falklands elected government rejects point blank Argentina's threatening and bullying tactics

  

  The Falkland Islands elected Government on Monday publicly expressed its disappointment with the Argentine government regarding its determined intent to escalate their sovereignty claim over the Islands and continue harassing the people of the Falklands. In response to that attitude Gilbert House, seat of the government elected by the people of the Falklands, in democratic elections, has made the following release:

• Monday, August 10th 2020 - 07:56 UTC

  Falklands' Covid support paid out over a £1m; tourism expected to continue tied to the scheme

  

  The Falkland Islands government, FIG, up to July 6, had paid out £1,016,570 for Covid support measures from the total approved funding of £8.99m. The figure, from a paper presented to the Executive Council does not include the wool clip purchase scheme, which is expected to total around £2.9m.

• Monday, August 10th 2020 - 06:34 UTC

  Falklands' Maritime Authority to sit under emergency services

  

  The Falkland Islands Maritime Authority has been placed under Emergency Services by the Executive Council. Lawmaker MLA Mark Pollard said in a press release that the move aimed to “address the current possibility of there being a conflict of interest between the collecting of fees for fishing licenses and the responsibility to regulate all vessels including the fishing fleet.”

• Saturday, August 8th 2020 - 08:00 UTC

  Falklands targets a 3% yearly population growth and doubles permanent residence permits

  

  The Falkland Islands Executive Council has agreed to double the yearly quota of permanent residence permits (PRP) to 90. According to a paper published last week, the figure has been set to target a 3% yearly population growth.

• Saturday, August 8th 2020 - 07:27 UTC

  Falklands: prison sentences for the three Kiwi fishermen involved in violent disorder

  

  Three New Zealanders were this week handed custodial sentences at the Falklands' Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to violent disorder. Samuel Goldsworthy, Sonny Ball, and Chassy Duncan were each sentenced to prison terms lasting 14 months, 12 months, and eight months respectively.

• Friday, August 7th 2020 - 09:40 UTC

  Argentina prepares strong diplomatic offensive to recover Falklands' sovereignty

  

  Argentina is planning to intensify its policy to claim sovereignty over the Falklands and other South Atlantic Islands with a road map that contemplates three immediate objectives, reinstate in the Organization of American States the claim, resurface the legal threat against oil companies operating in South Atlantic (Falklands) waters and put pressure on the European Union so that a post-Brexit trade agreement with the UK does not include the Falklands in the list of Overseas Territories.