Horizontal fracking can go ahead, the British government has said, in a landmark ruling for the UK shale gas industry. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has approved plans for fracking at Cuadrilla's Preston New Road site at Little Plumpton in Lancashire.
The World Trade Organization confirmed on appeal on Thursday its ruling partially in favor of Argentina in its dispute with the European Union over duties the bloc imposes on imported biodiesel.
The president of Colombia was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for pursuing a deal to end 52 years of conflict with a Marxist rebel group, the longest-running war in the Americas, just five days after Colombians rejected the agreement in a shocking referendum result.
Antonio Guterres from Portugal, unanimously backed by the Security Council, will become the United Nations next secretary general, and is scheduled to assume the office, on the 38th floor of the U.N. building in New York City, on Jan. 1, 2017. His ascendance came at a time when expectations were high that the U.N. might elect either a woman or an Eastern European to the position, neither of which has happened before.
Foreign minister Susana Malcorra addressing Argentine Senators described the UK/Argentina statement as very positive since UK accepts to dialogue on all South Atlantic issues, without exclusions, with shared responsibility in eliminating obstacles to the region's development and in this new positive spirit eventually discuss Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty.
Le Floc’h, UEFA’s former marketing director until 2010, leaves Dubai-based Customised Solution FZ to take up the role of FIFA’s chief commercial officer on Oct. 11. The position was created as part of the restructuring of world football’s governing body in the wake of the corruption scandals that brought the federation to its knees.
Portugal’s former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres has unofficially been selected as the next U.N. Secretary-General. He is expected to be officially endorsed in the coming days. Following a decisive round of voting Wednesday in the U.N. Security Council, the veteran politician and diplomat prevailed with 13 votes in favor of his candidacy, none objecting to it and two votes of “no opinion”.
Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said that all the potential economic benefits from joint UK/Spain Gibraltar sovereignty could exist today if Spain respected the Gibraltarians' choice not to be Spanish. The statement was in response to Spain's formal invitation to the UK to commence joint sovereignty negotiations on Gibraltar.
United Kingdom's International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has said he is confident a Brexit deal could be struck that “will get a suitable and adequate response to the problems we face” both for Gibraltar as well as for the UK.
Foreign minister Susana Malcorra said that the Falklands/Malvinas issue has “an enormous emotional content”, but as her country's main diplomat her duty is to ensure a dialogue that can advance, in the best possible way, on all issues. The minister also described the Mercosur relation with Brazil as “inexorable”, which is beyond ideologies underlining the significance of Brazil's Michel Temer recent visit to Argentina.