FINN(COM) DAILY RECORD: 05 JANUARY 2004
(With Relevant stories from FIBS)
Compiled by J. Brock (FINN)
"A" Press: 05 January 2004
Clarin carried a full-page interview yesterday (Sunday 4th Jan) with Sir Robin Christopher, British Ambassador in Buenos Aires. He successfully answers, or diplomatically avoids, questions about Argentina’s current campaign against the Falklands. But in answer to questions about direct Argentine flights to the Falklands, he seems to be hinting that these might be possible if the circumstances are right.
He makes it clear that these circumstances depend on confidence. Clarin zeroes in on this and has as its title "Malvinas: ‘This year could begin a new phase of air links’", as if Sir Robin actually said this. But these exact words aren’t in the text, so I think Clarin (as Argentine publications often do) has put its summary or interpretation of what he has said into inverted commas.
Nevertheless, Sir Robin’s comments do undoubtedly suggest that direct flights might come about, and sometime this year too. Clarin asks what it must do to create confidence, and Sir Robin replies quite reasonably that it "must build confidence". To any intelligent person this must mean that Argentina should be reasonable with the Islanders, but as we all know that is the last thing they are doing at the moment.
The Clarin interviewer Maria Luisa Mc Kay (who is believed to be close to the Argentine Foreign Ministry) goes on to demonstrate just how unreasonable Argentina behaviour is at the moment by again mentioning the nasty Argentine smear that Islanders are treating Argentines like "lepers", for not wanting direct links, which the Argentine government is using at the moment to try to bully Islanders into capitulation. She also complains that Islanders don’t even buy peas from Argentina. In short, Clarin’s questions illustrate the current Argentine campaign against the Islanders quite well.
A day earlier, on Saturday, Clarin reported the Argentine government’s now time honoured call for sovereignty negotiations on the anniversary of when the Britain re-asserted British sovereignty on January 3rd 1833. But this year the call was really aggressive, and Clarin goes through the list of its most recent complaints and actions, etc: that Britain brought nuclear weapons to the South Atlantic in 1982, that Argentina has issued licences for its boats to fish on the high seas outside the 200 mile limit to compete against Falklands fishing licences and that it has forbidden charter flights to the Islands, etc.
Finally a piece of minor news. The Argentine yacht "Mistico" left Buenos Aires just after Christmas and should be in the Falklands soon. There was a report about it on the TV programme Telenoche on Christmas Day, and it doesn’t look as if it is going to be a problem. But the report did say that the voyage would "re-unite the Fatherland".
(100X Translation Service)
FIBS NEWS DIRECT: 05 JANUARY 2004
SOCIAL WORK SUCCESS:
Social Workers are heralding the success of their drink-drive campaign success after no one was arrested b y Police for drink driving over the festive period. Social Work Team Leader, Sarah Jane Rich (SJR), explained more when she came into the studio on Friday.
SJR: We initially started several months ago when we got some got some posters down from the UK. And the purple one that looks like the Globe was a very popular one that said that Drink Driving cost him a 12 months ban, his job, etc. We wanted to make it very local and asked the children to do their own posters and we launched a poster competition and then we did a mass printout of both the winner of the under 11s and the over 11s and put them out all over Stanley. And, then just between Christmas and New Year, we then put them out in all the pubs. And we also had sound-bytes on FIBS that children recorded. But also, the information I have as on the 02 January, is that the Police did not arrest anybody for drink driving over the Christmas period. That doesn’t mean that nobody did drink and drive. They perhaps were very lucky and got away with it but it seems to me that the bus and taxis are saying there is a huge amount of business on the roads. I think perhaps the message is getting through.
THREE MASTER YACHT:
The Three-master yacht, Shenandoah, left Stanley Harbour after spending the Christmas and new Year period here. She’s been waiting for her Italian Passengers who are due in on Saturday’s LanChile Flight. Businessman Franchesco Mckalie was due to come down for the trip to South Georgia but he broke his shoulder so his son Andre is coming instead. The 158 foot yacht was built in 1902 in New York and served most of the last century in Europe. But her hull was holed in 1989 when she was in a Japanese shipyard. In 1995. A German bought her and decided she’d needed a major re-build. The restoration was finished around 1997 and Captain John Barden says she looks much as she did in her early days. His crew of 11 plan to take the yacht to South Georgia and back to the Islands where they hope to have a cruise in the Falklands before heading off to their next destination, the West Indies on the 28th of January. Onboard, she has a grand piano, wide-screen TV and a well stocked library as well as eight passenger berths and a sea of polished wood and brass.
LUCKY PROGRAMME NUMBERS:
Stanley Sports Association has announced the lucky programme numbers for the 2003 Sports. Whoever is holding No. 229 is the lucky winner, contact Steve Dent with your claim. And, Steve has also asked us to pass on thanks to all those who made the New Years Day Raft Race such a success, including John Clifford and the Hillside Chefs for the BBQ, FIDF for their safety cover, Fred Clarke for donating the new Annual Shield, Kelper Stores for donating prizes and, of course, all the raft racers for their effort.
AWG SIGNS WAR MEMORIAL CONTRACT:
AWG has signed the contract to bring the Argentine War Memorial to the Falklands. The company is due to construct the Memorial at Darwin’s Argentine Cemetery from parts that have been built in Buenos Aires. Reports in the Argentine press say that the parts are to be shipped on January 15th. But AWG Regional Manager for the Falklands, Mr, Ken McKenzie, told News Direct this morning he’s not yet been given a date for work to start. He says the contract’s been signed by AWG in the UK and he’s still waiting to find out what the terms will be.
CONNIE TALKS ABOUT HER MBE:
Connie May (CM) was honoured in the New Years’ Honours List with an MBE. News Direct caught up with her this morning to find out how she was feeling after hearing the news.
CM: I didn’t hear it, of course, because I was cleaning out the Charity Shop for Anya and everyone was ringing me and saying congratulations. When I asked what for, they said I had been honoured. I don’t know how I feel. I suppose happy and very pleased and very honoured. I would like to thank the people who did it for me.
LH: Have you heard when you are going to go and pick it up?
CM: No. H. E. the Governor said he would write and tell me when. My Granddaughter, Roxanne says she wants me to go. I really am honoured and want to thank the people who voted for me.
FISHING AND HARBOUR NEWS:
There are currently 6 ships fishing in Falklands waters. Fishery Operations report that four of these are fishing for Ray and two for Toothfish. There are two Korean Vessels, one Ray Trawler and a Jogger in the harbour picking up licences. And the tanker, Sentores is in Berkley Sound.
MEDIVAC:
There was a medivac from MPA this afternoon after a single Military vehicle was involved in an accident on the MPA Road around 5 miles out from MPA. One of the two people involved was complaining of back pain and so was airlifted to KEMH at around 1420 hrs. for extra medical checks as a precautionary measure. The other was not seriously hurt.
DECEMBER WEATHER:
It may come as no surprise that December’s weather was colder, wetter, and less sunny than normal. However, the met office at MPA report that there was less wind fewer gales. We reported a couple of weeks ago that the maximum temperature of 6.5C was recorded on one day, which was the lowest since records began. But the highest recorded maximum for the month was 20.5, which was taken on Christmas day. With just 167.7 hours of sunshine, it turned out to be the second least sunny December ever, only beaten by the same month in 1997 where 161.3 hours were recorded. The average should be around 233.1.
(100X Transcription Service)
