International

• Sunday, August 11th 2013 - 21:51 UTC

  Beyond pigs in the pipeline: getting ahead of the leaks

  

  The 2010 Kalamazoo spill and the 2013 Exxon leak in Arkansas are the most glaring incidents, but these are just the big leaks that are found right away and reported. Most leaks are found eventually—but there is money to be saved and damage to be avoided by catching them at the smallest rupture. Right now, we rely on pigs in the pipeline to do this.

• Sunday, August 11th 2013 - 04:32 UTC

  Chinese economy could be stabilizing shows latest set of economic figures

  

  China's economy could be stabilising, the latest set of economic figures from the country has suggested. Factory output in July rose 9.7% compared with a year ago, ahead of expectations and up from the previous month's figure of 8.9%. Consumer prices held steady in July, rising 2.7% from a year earlier, matching the rate seen in June.

• Saturday, August 10th 2013 - 16:30 UTC

  Rajoy calls for ‘four-flag’ dialogue on Gibraltar and does not discard ‘unilateral measures’

  

  Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he hopes for dialogue with Britain soon regarding Gibraltar, but added that until talks take place his government would continue to consider unilateral measures to defend Spanish interests. He said the country will take “all legal measures” to protect its interests in Gibraltar.

• Saturday, August 10th 2013 - 16:26 UTC

  UK/Gibraltar dossier on queues at the Spanish border to make a complaint at the EC

  

  The Foreign office and the Gibraltar government confirmed they are collecting a dossier on politically motivated queues at the Spain/Gibraltar border with a view to making a formal complaint to the European Commission.

• Saturday, August 10th 2013 - 02:22 UTC

  Gibraltar and Campo labour unions urge for good neighbourly relations

  

  Leading Gibraltar and Spain’s Campo unions - Unite the Union, Comissiones Obreras (CCOO), and Union General de Trabajadores (UGT) - have jointly released a statement and manifesto urging good neighbourly relations. The states that any diplomatic scuffle and/or show of strength by one or all of parties involved has immediate and negative consequences for the people who live on either side of the border.

• Saturday, August 10th 2013 - 02:17 UTC

  OAS calls for respect and self determination for Indigenous Peoples

  

  Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General José Miguel Insulza commemorated on Friday the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples with a call for the protection of the all native peoples of the Americas and urged the full implementation of treaties and other agreements that states have adopted internationally and especially in the Inter-American context.

• Saturday, August 10th 2013 - 01:58 UTC

  UK opens second largest offshore wind farm in the world

  

  Greater Gabbard wind farm, which is reportedly the second largest offshore wind farm in the world, costing £1.3 billion and generating enough clean electricity to power over half a million homes, was officially opened off the British coast of Suffolk by the Energy and Business Minister Michael Fallon.

• Friday, August 9th 2013 - 07:49 UTC

  British Army Officer School counter insurgency operations course in Chile

  

  Academics from the British Army Officer School, Sandhurst, presented a course in Counter Insurgency Operations in Santiago to members of the Chilean military, special forces and intelligence, reports the Foreign Office.

• Friday, August 9th 2013 - 04:45 UTC

  UN prepares to celebrate this Friday World Indigenous People Day

  

  The International Day of the World's Indigenous People, 9 August was first proclaimed by the General Assembly in December 1994, to be celebrated every year during the first International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995 – 2004).

• Friday, August 9th 2013 - 04:17 UTC

  Gibraltar praises UK and Spain for quick action in de-escalating situation

  

  Gibraltar Government House issued a statement following Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and PM David Cameron exchange and later intervention of foreign ministers Garcia-Margallo and William Hague to find a way to de-escalate the situation by reducing measures at the Gib/Spain border.