Disgruntled Chinese football fans, blaming Argentine top star Lionel Messi, are now advocating that the Falklands are British, --certainly not Argentine--.Messi failed to play in an exhibition match in Hong Kong, for which the Chinese public paid a considerable sum, and furious frustrated fans are calling the captain of the Argentine World Cup winner a thief and contradicting Beijing's official stance that the Malvinas are a relic of British colonialism and that the Islands belong to Argentina.
Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, addressed the following message: Hello everybody! This has been an extraordinary year. From Stanley to Portsmouth, we honored those who fought to keep the Falklands free 40 years ago. We remembered those who lost their lives, we celebrated the moment when the Union Jack was raised at Government House once again, and we pledged our continued commitment to your self-determination.
A Falklands Memorial Plaque was unveiled at Portland Port by South Dorset MP Richard Drax, commemorating the work carried out by dockyard employees over a few dramatic weeks in the spring of 1982.
Borders & Southern Petroleum, a company with oil and gas exploration assets offshore the Falkland Islands, announced at the end of the year board changes. The London based independent oil & gas exploration company announced the retirement of Nigel Hurst-Brown from the Board of Directors. His departure will take effect on January 1, 2021.
The Falkland Islands remain confident of the British government's support and defense of their sovereignty and self-determination right, and is working closely with London to ensure the Falklands interests are contemplated in the Brexit negotiations.
Rockhopper Exploration, a partner in Premier Oil-operated Sea Lion offshore oil project in the Falkland Islands, is confident it will manage to farm-out a share in the project despite the low oil prices and COVID-10 uncertainty. The two companies in January signed non-binding heads of terms with US/Israel Navitas Petroleum, which should lead to Navitas obtaining a 30% interest in the Sea Lion offshore blocks.
The Falkland Islands Government announced on Tuesday the appointment of Andrew Gaule as the new of Director of Policy and Economic Development. Andrew is due to arrive in the Islands on 2 November 2019 to allow for a seamless handover from the current Director Diane Simsovic.
The governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom reached an understanding to establish a second commercial air link to the islands, the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) confirmed on Tuesday followed by an official statement of the embassy of Argentina in the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom ministers are unilaterally considering stopping EU access to the Galileo satellite earth station in the Falklands and Ascension, according to reports in the UK press. The move comes after Brussels chief Brexit negotiator, Michael Barnier, stated that UK companies would have to be excluded from the development of sensitive Galileo infrastructure following Brexit due to security concerns.
A Falklands war veteran has said that Everton’s player Ramiro Funes Mori is “entitled to his opinion“ after a controversial tweet went viral. The Argentine defender posted, Las Malvinas son argentinas which translates as “the Falkland Islands are Argentine” on the anniversary of Argentina’s invasion of the Falklands, April 2nd.