Latest news with #Falklands
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Outrage as British Airways uses Argentinian name for Falkland Islands capital in 'disgraceful' move
British Airways has caused outrage after using the Argentinian name for the capital of the Falkland Islands on its in-flight entertainment systems. Veterans of the Falklands war have branded the decision 'disgraceful' after BA's screens displayed the name 'Puerto Argentino', despite the islands being in British hands since 1833. The UK's flagship carrier, which is owned by Spanish firm International Airlines Group, put the name in English in brackets underneath - something the airline is now urgently investigating. Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands and famously invaded them in 1982 in a bid to end British rule. On the instruction of then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, British troops were deployed to the other side of the world to defend the islands, which are still classed as a British Overseas Territory today. Falklands veterans said the fact the British name was not displayed was 'ludicrous' and 'disrespectful'. Former head of the Royal Navy Admiral Lord West, who won the Distinguished Service Cross during the conflict, told the Sun: 'It's disgraceful. The Falklands are a British overseas territory and 99.9 per cent of islanders want to stay British. 'We have said very clearly there will be no discussions about sovereignty. 'For the flag carrier airline to give Port Stanley another name is unforgivable.' And Lord West, whose HMS Ardent was sunk during the conflict, added: 'They should change it back as soon as possible. This is insulting to the population of Port Stanley.' Argentina has long disputed the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, which have been in British hands for almost 200 years. On April 2, 1982 a surprise raid on the capital, Port Stanley, saw Argentinian forces invade the territories and capture the city. It was the beginning of a 74-day war that would see 255 British personnel lose their lives defending the islands. The UK came out on top in the conflict, but Argentina still protests its ownership of the islands. In the light of continued calls from the south American nation, a referendum was held in March 2013 in which 99.8 percent of islanders voted to remain a British territory. In 2017, the county's senate voted to rename Stanley Port to Puerto Argentino and pledged to celebrate 'Sovereignty Day' there should they ever retake them. The British military has maintained a presence on the islands since the end of the war, with a 2,000-strong garrison of troops and transport aircraft based at Mount Pleasant. Last year, Argentina's President Javier Milei, an ally of Mr Trump, has said he will not relinquish the claim to sovereignty over the Falklands, but will not seek conflict with the UK. Claims from the country's government have increased once again since the UK agreed to give up the Chagos Islands. The Argentinian Foreign Minister Diana Mondino said in October: 'With concrete actions and not empty rhetoric, we will recover full sovereignty over our Malvinas Islands. 'The Malvinas [Falklands] were, are and will always be Argentine.' The UN has also called on the UK and Argentina to resume talks about the future of the islands, led by the Special Committee on Decolonization. A British Airways spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We're grateful this has been brought to our attention, and we are reviewing it with the third party supplier that provides the in-flight map service.'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
HMS Bristol to be scrapped and atheist employment row
Here's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media. HMS Bristol, a Royal Navy destroyer which took part in the Falklands War, is set to leave its home in Portsmouth and head to Turkey where she will be scrapped, the Portsmouth News reports. A Falklands veteran that served on the ship told the website he plans to be there "for the start of her last journey". The story of an accountant working for the Clifton Catholic diocese who successfully sued the body for discrimination due to the fact she is an atheist features in the Daily Mail and a number of other outlets. Janet Parker was sacked following a dispute arising for a request for carer's leave for her newly adopted daughter. The Bridgwater branch of Natwest is set to close this year, according to the Bridgwater Mercury. Bridgwater's MP, Sir Ashley Fox has voiced his disappointment and is urging the bank to consider alternative forms of face-to-face services. A disabled woman heckled Bristol North West MP and chief secretary to the treasury Darren Jones over planned cuts to Personal Independent Payments (PIP) at a surgery event, the Canary reports. The 27-year-old woman held a banner reading: "PIP: Lifeline not pocket money". Pink Floyd star's garden event ends in 'chaos' Doctor suspended for sexual relationship with teen School cannot take sacked teacher to Supreme Court Avon and Somerset Police have got a lot of heat on X after posting that they barred a student PC who took paid work as a referee and a barman. The force is being attacked for failing to pay proper wages, and for letting more senior officers get away with much more serious misconduct. Tewkesbury Abbey says one of its young falcons has flown the nest. Hundreds of people have been following the chicks' development online. Cheltenham's 2,000 Trees Festival has had an overwhelmingly positive response to a post in support of the LGBTQ+ community on its Facebook page. The event said it was "committed to supporting trans people and their right to be respected". Follow BBC West social channels in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
The Sun
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Fury as BA calls Falkland Islands capital by its ARGENTINIAN name in ‘ludicrous and insulting' blunder
BRITISH Airways has been branded disgraceful for using the Argentinian name for the capital of the Falklands Islands on in-flight entertainment screens. The UK's flag carrier airline refers to Port Stanley as Puerto Argentino. 3 3 The British title is relegated to a set of brackets underneath. Ed West, of The Spectator magazine, spotted the blunder and said: 'Curious wording for a British Airways in-flight map.' Last night, BA promised to investigate as the error was described as 'ludicrous' and 'insulting' by Falklands war veterans. Argentina still claims sovereignty but its invading forces lost the 74-day conflict in 1982. British forces scrambled halfway around the world to put down General Leopoldo Galtieri's troops after they took Port Stanley in a surprise raid. This Saturday is the 43rd anniversary of Britain's victory. Former head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Lord West, who won the Distinguished Service Cross during the war, said the name error was 'disrespectful' to islanders. He told The Sun: 'It's disgraceful. 'The Falklands are a British overseas territory and 99.9 per cent of islanders want to stay British. 'We have said very clearly there will be no discussions about sovereignty. The New British Airways First Class Seat 'For the flag carrier airline to give Port Stanley another name is unforgivable.' Lord West, whose HMS Ardent was sunk by Argentine forces, added: 'I don't know why they would do it. 'Everyone on the Falkland Islands calls it Port Stanley. 'They should change it back as soon as possible. 'This is insulting to the population of Port Stanley.' In all, 255 British personnel lost their lives defending the islands. In 2017 Argentina's senate voted to rename Port Stanley as Puerto Argentino and celebrate Sovereignty Day there if it is ever recaptured. The in-flight map shows only the names of world capitals and not countries' names. It means BA does not reference the Falklands by its Argentinian name Islas Malvinas. British Airways' parent company, International Airlines Group, is based in Spain. A BA spokeswoman said: 'We are grateful this has been brought to our attention. 'We'll be reviewing it with the third party supplier that provides the in-flight map service.'
BBC News
19-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sale of Barnsley military properties 'dishonours' war hero
A former army veteran has spoken out over the decision by an armed forces charity to sell off military cottages built in honour of his brother in bungalows, known as the McKay VC Memorial Cottages, in Hoyland, were built in 1988 and dedicated to Sgt Ian John McKay, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria being built to house disabled military veterans the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) sold the properties in 2024 to Mountview Estates. While veterans still living on the site have been told they can stay for the rest of their lives, Mr McKay's brother-in-law John Vickers, 58, said he did not want his relative's memory "tainted". Sgt McKay, from Wortley, served in the Falklands and died aged 29 during the Battle of Mount Longdon in 1982 while trying to save his fellow soldiers from enemy was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (VC), the UK's top military Vickers said: "He was obviously a fair bit older than me but he was a magnificent calm individual, warm and loving""He was the reason I joined the army" he served with the Queens regiment on tours in Gibraltar and Northern Ireland before leaving the force in 1991 after suffering an injury in Cyprus. Veterans currently living in the bungalows on Pine Close in Hoyland told the BBC last year how unsettling the sale had been for September SSAFA said they had a "binding stipulation" that all current residents could live in their properties for as long as they wished but that the sale "would free up more financial resources to help more people through the charity's core work".Mr Vickers described the approach by the military charity as "commercial short-termism dishonouring my brother-in-law's name"He added: "If you dedicate a series of buildings to the care of veterans in the name of someone who was a veteran it is behoven on the organisations involved to maintain that legacy "I'm exceptionally disappointed that this has not happened."SSAFA had an obligation to maintain them as memorial cottages, not just for one generation or just the existing residents but for a legacy of at least 125 years." In a statement a spokesperson for SSAFA said:"We understand the strength of Mr Vickers' feelings, and would like to make clear that the lifetime protected tenancies the residents of the McKay VC Memorial Cottages signed nine months ago are just that: protected and for life."They continued, "Further, the sale of the Pine Close properties is leaving a legacy of help and support to many in the military family past, present, and future, not only the residents of those properties."A spokesperson for Mountview PLC said they did not wish to comment. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Bloomberg
09-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
How One Little Barge Explains the History of Globalization
Donald Trump's return to the White House has sent shockwaves through the world economy, and his tariffs — the highest in a century — have sent economists, executives and investors scrambling to explain what's happening. After decades of hyper-globalized commerce, some see a world turning more protectionist, with supply lines shifting closer to home and capital flows increasingly guided by geopolitical rivalries. How did we get here? There are many comprehensive histories of the recent era of globalization, but a new book takes a novel approach, tracing the ebbs and flow of global commerce through the prism of an unlikely subject. Empty Vessel: The Story of the Global Economy in One Barge (Knopf, May 2025) by Harvard academic Ian Kumekawa tracks the history of a barge that, since its construction in a dockyard outside Stockholm in the 1970s, has experienced a shipping crash, an energy boom and the Falklands War.
