International

• Friday, July 14th 2017 - 07:54 UTC

  Weak pound helps to boost tourists visiting UK by 21.1%, in first quarter

  

  The weakness of sterling was behind a surge in the number of tourists visiting the UK in the first three months of 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The number of holidaymakers coming to the UK rose by 21.1%, although the number of business visitors declined.

• Friday, July 14th 2017 - 07:34 UTC

  Trump in Paris for Bastille Day parade hints to changes on climate accord

  

  French President Emmanuel Macron said he “respected” Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord but that France would remain committed. The US president visiting France then hinted that his administration could shift its opinion.

• Friday, July 14th 2017 - 07:21 UTC

  Venezuelan bishops call for an end to the “inhuman repression” and appeal to the Armed forces

  

  Venezuelan bishops called for an end to the “inhuman repression”, urged the government of Nicolas Maduro to hold elections and to dismantle and censure pro-regime civilian armed groups and also addressed the armed forces recalling they must serve the people, not a regime.

• Friday, July 14th 2017 - 06:47 UTC

  Queen admits close allies UK and Spain “did not always see eye to eye” (Gibraltar)

  

  The Queen appears to have acknowledged the thorny issue of Gibraltar in a speech at the King of Spain’s state banquet. In what is likely to be interpreted as a reference to the dispute between Britain and Spain over Gibraltar’s sovereignty, the Queen said the two countries did not always see “eye to eye”.

• Friday, July 14th 2017 - 06:35 UTC

  Minister for exiting EU holds talks with Overseas Territories representatives

  

  UK Minister for Exiting the EU Robin Walker and Foreign Office minister Lord Ahmad met on Wednesday with Overseas Territory leaders and representatives (including the Falkland Islands) to discuss Brexit issues.

• Friday, July 14th 2017 - 05:55 UTC

  Falklands' post-Brexit concerns on tariffs and politics, outlined to House of Lords

  

  Concerns about tariffs on Falklands exports post Brexit, and political consequences were outlined by a Falklands' representative giving evidence to a House of Lords committee (the European Union Select Committee) last Tuesday.

• Friday, July 14th 2017 - 05:37 UTC

  Theresa May and King of Spain discuss Brexit; Gibraltar “didn't come up”

  

  UK Prime Minister Theresa May did not raise the issue of Gibraltar’s sovereignty during her meeting with the king of Spain despite the two countries not seeing “eye to eye” on the issue, Downing Street said on Thursday. A Number 10 spokeswoman said the Gibraltar “didn’t come up” and insisted Spain is “well aware” of Britain’s position that the Rock’s future is not up for discussion.

• Thursday, July 13th 2017 - 18:46 UTC

  Father of bride struck by lightning during ceremony; in 2015 “lucky man” was rescued from Falklands' waters

  

  No one likes a dull wedding, but one father-of-the-bride's speech was a little too electrifying at his daughter's ceremony last weekend. JP Nadeau was reportedly struck by lightning mid-sentence in his apple orchard in New Brunswick, Canada. But this was not the first time Nadeau faces the challenge of death, in 2015 he was air rescued from a crippled French cruise vessel in Falklands' waters.

• Thursday, July 13th 2017 - 18:30 UTC

  Global food commodity prices rose in June, led by wheat and meat prices.

  

  The FAO monthly Food Price Index averaged 175.2 points in June, up 1.4% from May and 7.0% from a year earlier. The FAO Cereal Price Index rose by 4.2% in the month, amid surging prices of high-protein wheat due to deteriorating crop conditions in the United States of America. Maize prices, by contrast, declined amid record harvests in South America.

• Thursday, July 13th 2017 - 09:26 UTC

  British companies will visit Uruguay in a trade mission in September

  

  The UK embassy in Montevideo is organizing a business visit to introduce Uruguay as an export market to British companies. The mission is primarily focused on agro-tech, taking advantage of Uruguay's main agriculture show in Montevideo during the month of September.