Falklands 40: Headlines from The News on May 12, 1982

A little more time, Falklands talks optimism

There were new hopes of a diplomatic solution to the Falklands dispute today after Britain’s UN delegate, Sir Anthony Parsons, reported ‘some progress’ on new proposals.

Speaking to reporters after conferring for the second time last night with Secretary-General, Javier Perez de Cuellar, he said: ‘I got some interesting proposals from the Secretary-General. I think we are making progress again.’

Sir Anthony, who declined to go into details, added: ‘Whereas yesterday we made no progress, today I believe that we have. We need a little more time, a few more days.’

Asked whether he was now more hopeful, he replied ‘Yes.’

MPs are to debate the Falklands crisis again tomorrow - the fifth Commons debate on the matter since the affair began.

The Government has agreed to an Opposition request for the debate.

Foreign Secretary Mr Francis Pym will open up for the government, and Defence Secretary Mr John Nott will wind up.

Mrs Thatcher today chaired a meeting of the War Cabinet at Downing Street lasting nearly two hours.

Ministers considered a report from Sir Anthony Parsons on the latest peace proposals.

There is no doubt that the talks at the U.N., on which the government up to now has not pinned much hope, have taken on a new impetus, but it is still too early to assess the likelihood of their success.

Important questions will still have to be resolved, although Whitehall was giving away no details of the new proposals.

Soldiers of the Queen

The Queen Elizabeth 2 - bound for the Falkland Islands began embarking 3,000 troops early today.

The troops arrived at their Southampton destination in a convoy of coaches, but one man who would not be accompanying them was 24-year-old Welsh Guardsman Nigel Warburton.

Guardsman Warburton, whose home is at Anglesey, fell into a pothole while training in the Brecon Beacons two weeks ago and tore ligaments and broke a bone in his left foot.

‘If I had not had this injury I would have been on there with them,’ he said. ‘I just can’t express just how disappointed I am.’

Argentine ships warned: surrender or we shoot

The Argentine ship attacked off the Falklands yesterday - sending a fireball into the sky as it blew up - was probably a tanker, according to task force commanders.

And a member of the staff of Admiral Sandy Woodward warned the Argentinians that, if they were challenged at sea, they should ‘surrender or face the consequences’.

The size of the fireball which rose into the air and split the low cloud base suggested the ship was a tanker.

The frigate was on patrol in the southern approaches of the Falkland Sound - the stretch of water dividing the two main islands - when it saw the enemy vessel.