Tag: United Kingdom

• Monday, November 30th 2020 - 08:52 UTC

  UK-Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council 2020 communiqué

  

  In a Saturday communiqué of the latest UK-Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council 2020, the UK government reiterated support for the OTs self-determination, its commitment to supporting the OTs in building successful and resilient economies, with “reasonable assistance needs of Territories where financial self-sufficiency is not possible”, and referring to UK's withdrawal from the EU, acknowledges it will impact on OTs, particularly in the areas of funding and trade.

• Friday, November 27th 2020 - 09:48 UTC

  UK reduces foreign aid spending; Baroness Sugg resigns over the decision, “it's fundamentally wrong”

  

  Britain reduced its foreign aid spending commitment on Wednesday to 0.5% of gross domestic product from 0.7%, causing junior minister Baroness Liz Sugg to resign and an immediate outcry from development organizations and the spiritual head of the Church of England.

• Friday, November 27th 2020 - 09:28 UTC

  Falklands approves “Spirit of Sydney” expedition transit call to fly passengers back to UK

  

  On Wednesday 25 November, the Falkland Islands ExCo approved a proposal by the Spirit of Sydney expedition cruise vessel operator to transmit a small number of people back to the UK via the Falklands in late January 2021.

• Friday, November 27th 2020 - 09:15 UTC

  Spain warns time running out to find a Brexit agreement over Gibraltar

  

  Time is running out to find a Brexit agreement between Spain and Britain over Gibraltar, Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said on Thursday. At stake in the talks is avoiding a hard European Union border in southern Spain after Britain completes its departure from the EU at the end of this year.

• Friday, November 27th 2020 - 08:19 UTC

  UK: AstraZeneca vaccine will have to be approved by independent medical regulators

  

  The British government said on Friday it has asked its independent medicines regulator to assess AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine as part of the formal approval process for the drug to be rolled out by the end of the year.

• Wednesday, November 25th 2020 - 09:15 UTC

  Biden does not want an Ireland/UK guarded border; insists on Good Friday peace deal

  

  U.S. President-elect Joe Biden said on Tuesday he did not want to see a guarded border between Ireland and the United Kingdom, adding that he had previously discussed the matter with the British and Irish prime ministers and other European leaders.

• Wednesday, November 25th 2020 - 08:43 UTC

  UK recovers full control of its fishing waters; automatic rights for EU vessels revoked

  

  The UK’s first major domestic fisheries legislation in nearly 40 years passed into law. The Fisheries Act 2020 gives the UK full control of its fishing waters for the first time since 1973. The Fisheries Act will enable UK to control who fishes in British waters through a new foreign vessel licensing regime and ends the current automatic rights for EU vessels to fish in UK waters.

• Monday, November 23rd 2020 - 09:20 UTC

  Britain and Canada announce a new trade deal, the new formal pact will be negotiated next year

  

  Canada and Britain have struck a new trade deal, beating the Dec. 31 Brexit deadline that would have triggered new tariffs on a range of Canadian exports. The interim deal will replace Canada’s current agreement with Britain under the European Union that currently covers trade between the two countries until a new formal pact can be negotiated in the coming year.

• Friday, November 20th 2020 - 08:00 UTC

  Johnson announces extra defense funding “to restore UK's position as Europe's foremost naval power”

  

  The Prime Minister has said billions of pounds of extra defense spending will “restore Britain’s position as the foremost naval power in Europe”. On Thursday, Boris Johnson set out a £16,5bn increase in funding to the Ministry of Defense (MOD) over the next four years.

• Friday, November 20th 2020 - 07:43 UTC

  Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip celebrate their 73rd wedding anniversary

  

  Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip celebrate their 73rd wedding anniversary on Friday, an occasion they will be unable to share with their family as England is currently under a coronavirus lockdown.