Falkland Islands

• 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.

• Friday, August 7th 2020 - 07:48 UTC

  Falkland Islands has coronavirus test processed some 65% of its population

  

  The Falkland Islands with 2,256 coronavirus tests processed, and no positive results for over 100 days, is leading among countries with small populations that have tested well over half of its population.

• Friday, August 7th 2020 - 07:41 UTC

  Falklands extends Covid-19 support schemes for two months until September 30

  

  The Falkland Islands Executive Council approved the extension of the employment/self-employment, job retention, unemployment subsidy and direct grant schemes which were introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and are currently being administered by the Treasury and FIDC.

• Thursday, August 6th 2020 - 09:50 UTC

  C24 calls on UK and Argentina to resume sovereignty talks on South Atlantic islands

  

  The United Nations Decolonization Committee, or C24, unanimously approved a resolution on Wednesday calling on the UK and Argentina to resume negotiations, so that in the shortest time possible a peaceful and definitive solution to the sovereignty controversy over the Falkllands, South Georgia, South Sandwich islands and adjoining maritime spaces.

• Thursday, August 6th 2020 - 09:02 UTC

  Falklands survey explores how Covid-19 and response has affected people's lives

  

  The Falkland Islands Government would like to remind the public to complete the ongoing survey to gather views from across the community to explore how Covid-19 and the response to a potential epidemic have affected people’s day to day lives.

• Thursday, August 6th 2020 - 08:30 UTC

  Falklands/Chile commercial air link suspended until at least November

  

  The Falkland Islands government, FIG, which continues to review connetivity, was informed by LATAM that the weekly air link with Chile, via the Punta Arenas-Santiago route will remain suspended until at least 7 November 2020, and the situation will be reviewed near that date.