Prince William arrives in Falklands on RAF mission Friday, 03 February 2012 04:18

LONDON: Prince William arrived in the Falkland Islands yesterday for a six-week deployment with the Royal Air Force (RAF), British officials said, a move Argentina has condemned as a “provocation”.

The 29-year-old, who is second in line to the British throne, has been deployed to the disputed South Atlantic archipelago as a routine part of his work as an RAF search and rescue pilot, the Ministry of Defence said.

However the timing of the deployment, just ahead of the 30th anniversary of the start of the war between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands which Buenos Aires claims as its own, has stoked tensions. “The Ministry of Defence can confirm Flight Lieutenant Wales, as part of a four-man search and rescue (SAR) crew, has arrived in the Falkland Islands on a routine operational deployment and will shortly take up SAR duties post a period of briefings and a familiarisation flight,” a ministry spokesman said.

When William’s deployment was announced in November, Argentina said it was a “provocative act”, and this week the foreign ministry in Buenos Aires said the prince would be arriving in a “conqueror’s uniform”.

Tensions have not been helped by Britain’s announcement this week that it is sending a state-of-the-art warship to the region, HMS Dauntless, although defence officials insisted the move was a purely routine deployment.

The Ministry of Defence said William “will be deploying purely in an RAF role and will not be completing any ceremonial roles as the Duke of Cambridge”.

“A six-week deployment to the Falklands is conventional for SAR pilots at this stage of their career,” it said.

Rousseff visits Haiti, promises more aid  

PORT-AU-PRINCE: Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff promised yesterday to boost economic aid and deliver some visas for Haitians seeking to migrate to her country, in a meeting with President Michel Martelly.

More than 4,000 Haitians have entered Brazil illegally in recent months, many arriving by crossing the border with Peru. On Monday Brazil said that these migrants would be granted permanent residency, and the government was allocating more than $500,000 to help them.

“The Brazilian president has promised that 1,200 visas will be allocated to Haitians,” said Martelly, speaking alongside Rousseff at Haiti’s still damaged National Palace.

“These visas, which will not be work permits, will allow Haitians to travel to Brazil without going through a network of smugglers,” Martelly said.

Rousseff in turn promised to strengthen cooperation between Brazil -- Latin America’s leading economy -- and Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas.

The Brazilian leader mentioned building homes for people displaced by the earthquake, and encouraging private Brazilian investment in Haiti.

Agencies

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