The 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina caught PM Margaret Thatcher by surprise, newly released government papers have shown. The then-prime minister only saw it was likely after getting “raw intelligence” two days before the Argentines landed.
The Chair of the Falkland Islands Fishing Companies Association (FIFCA), Cheryl Roberts, used the occasion of the annual Christmas social evening at the Wirebird last week to reflect on FIFCA’s role in what is now its sixth year of existence.
Though plagued with flu and taking place largely in darkness, the recent visit to Norway by Members of the Legislative Assembly and senior government officials appears to have produced encouraging results and shone some light on possible developments in the Falkland Islands, according to MLA Dick Sawle.
The disruption of shipping and tourism in Argentina and the Falkland Islands reached the British Parliament and was addressed by Foreign Office officials who said the UK regrets the Argentine attitude but is also holding talks with international partners that share concerns about illegitimate interferences, and with the cruise industry.
British Prime Minister David Cameron delivers his Christmas message to the people of the Falkland Islands: 2012 has been a memorable year for all of us. It’s been a year of happy celebrations but a year of more sober commemorations too. In London and Stanley, we celebrated the Diamond Jubilee, marking the 60th year of Her Majesty the Queen’s reign. The genuine and deep affection for Her Majesty both here and in the Falklands reminded us of the ties that bind us together.
The Falkland Islands Government announced on Friday the appointment of Mr Colin Roberts CVO as the next Governor of the Falkland Islands.
The Falkland Islands Government Chief Executive, Keith Padgett, Commander British Forces, Brigadier Bill Aldridge and Paul Wilson from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation have signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of a new wind farm at Mare Harbour.
The third phase of explosive ordnance and landmine clearance in the Falkland Islands is scheduled to begin next January and extend until March 2013 and is programmed to concentrate in the surrounding of the capital Stanley.
P&O, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation Plc and one of the world’s leading cruise operators will be omitting Puerto Madryn, Ushuaia and Buenos Aires from its 2013 season because of the difficulties encountered by its red ensign vessels in Argentine ports during recent months. However the company confirms that the vessels will continue to call in the Falkland Islands.
The issue of the political status of the self-governed British overseas territory Falkland Islands has dominated (non-relations) and relations since the British and Argentine war in 1982 after the Argentine military government invaded the Islands, writes Alicia Dunkley-Willis from the Jamaica Observer who recently visited the Falklands.