Tag: United Kingdom

• Tuesday, January 14th 2014 - 00:00 UTC

  Foreign Office stretched “almost to the limit”, warns Parliament: “a more realistic approach needed”

  

  The Foreign Office is being stretched “almost to the limit” as it attempts to cut spending at a time of international turbulence while having to cope with additional demands such as the London Olympics, MPs have said.

• Monday, January 13th 2014 - 07:01 UTC

  UK EU 2017 membership referendum clears first hurdle but triggers further controversy

  

  The Tory plan for a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union cleared its first hurdle in the House of Lords last week. The Bill was given an unopposed second reading after a lengthy seven-hour debate in the Lords, in which more than 60 peers spoke.

• Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 07:54 UTC

  UK launches scheme to protect Scotch whisky industry from fake products

  

  A new scheme has been launched to protect the Scotch whisky industry from fake or sub-standard products. The Spirit Drinks Verification Scheme has been set up by the UK government to help consumers identify genuine UK-made products.

• Thursday, January 9th 2014 - 19:00 UTC

  End of the golden age of antibiotics, which has become a 'truly global issue'

  

  The growing threat of antibiotic resistant organisms is once again in the spotlight. Prof Jeremy Farrar, the new head of Britain's biggest medical research charity the Wellcome Trust said it was a “truly global issue”. Prof. Farrar told BBC Radio 4's Today program that the golden age of antibiotics could come to an end unless action is taken.

• Tuesday, January 7th 2014 - 23:58 UTC

  Record 496 Spanish incursions into Gibraltar waters, says the Foreign Office

  

  The Sunday Telegraph reported a record number of Spanish incursions into Gibraltar waters last year, but its calculations in fact fell short of the final total, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Monday, January 6th 2014 - 19:17 UTC

  King of Spain admitted in 1983 advances in Gibraltar would reactivate Moroccan Ceuta claims

  

  As negotiations over Spain’s entry to the European Union grew tense in 1983, King Juan Carlos twice told British officials it was not to Spain’s advantage to recover Gibraltar, according to newly declassified documents released to the UK National Archives.

• Monday, January 6th 2014 - 06:36 UTC

  Falkland Islands: Tory MPs furious with Cameron over aid programs to Argentina

  

  Even when there has been no official reply from London to Argentina's message to mark the 181th anniversary (January 3) of what it considers “the usurpation of our Malvinas Islands”, there was a strong reaction from Tory MPs when it was revealed that UK contributes several million pounds in aid programs to Argentina.

• Sunday, January 5th 2014 - 14:48 UTC

  Malvinas Secretariat officially inaugurated on Monday with Filmus as head

  

  Argentine former senator Daniel Filmus on Monday afternoon will be inaugurated as head of the newly created Secretariat of Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and adjoining maritime spaces in the South Atlantic Affairs, which will press forward with Argentine claims over those territories.

• Friday, January 3rd 2014 - 23:41 UTC

  Malvinas: Argentina calls UK a lion that 'no longer frightens' and insists on dialogue

  

  In a long statement recalling the 181st anniversary of the 'usurpation of our Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and the adjoining maritime spaces' (almost three million square kilometers) the Argentine Foreign ministry contrasts Buenos Aires peaceful, dialogue attitude with the verbal aggressiveness from British officials when referring to the Malvinas issue.

• Friday, January 3rd 2014 - 23:25 UTC

  UK prepared to veto Spain's entry to the EC over Gibraltar restrictions in 1984/85

  

  British officials thought Spain could “not be trusted” to keep its promises to lift restrictions on Gibraltar prior to joining the European Community, according to declassified documents released to The National Archives.