British Foreign Secretary William Hague in an update to Parliament on the Spain/Gibraltar situation (border delays and illegal incursions into BGTW) said that the UK government continues to collect evidence of the Spanish disproportionate unlawful border measures, to share with the European Commission before their monitoring mission arrives and is also keeping under review the option of taking direct legal action against the Spanish Government.
The British Embassy Montevideo and Uruguay’s National Research and Innovation Agency signed an agreement to triple the number of scholarships.
The dispute over Gibraltar figures low on the list of priorities for the average Spaniard, despite widespread media coverage and the fact that it taps into common feelings of national pride and identity, according to a survey conducted by the leading Spanish think tank Real Instituto Elcano both in Spain and the UK, and released on Sunday
Britain will always stand up for Gibraltar and the interests of its people, David Cameron said on Thursday. The prime minister said it was something that mattered to us “very deeply”, as he held a meeting to discuss the border dispute with Spain.
British MPs have rejected possible UK military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government to deter the use of chemical weapons. A government motion was defeated by 285 to 272, a majority of 13 votes.
China's foreign minister urged restraint in the growing tensions over Syria, saying any military intervention in the crisis would only worsen turmoil in the Middle East. China all along has tried to maintain a neutral position on the issue, not accompanying the West’s intentions of imposing sanctions to Syria but calling on Damascus to begin talking with the rebels.
Initial estimates on foreign tourist purchases in London during this summer season are estimated to be worth £4 billion. Official statistics have not yet been disclosed. The contribution of Arab citizens to this figure is estimated to be worth £1.3 billion, says the British Commercial Association.
Spain will only discuss about fisheries with the UK after the blocks dumped into the Gibraltar bay have been removed, said foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo in a Sunday interview with the right wing newspaper La Razon.
During an anti-nuclear weapon conference held in Buenos Aires, Argentine President Cristina Fernández criticised the right to veto used by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council which she described as an “out of time” instrument and again attacked the UK for ‘sending nuclear submarines’ to the Falkland Islands and called for a region of peace in the South Atlantic.
During a debate on the “Malvinas Question”, Argentine ambassador to the United Kingdom Alicia Castro launched a strong attack on Prime Minister David Cameron describing him as “a fool, dumb, and completely useless” politician, because of his comments when the election of Pope Francis.