List of All Articles with Tag 'news'

The UK and Spain are close to agreeing a deal on the post-Brexit status of Gibraltar, the Spanish foreign minister has indicated. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said Lord Cameron had underlined the UK’s desire to get “a UK-EU treaty on Gibraltar as soon as possible” during his discussion with counterpart Jose Manuel Albares. Mr Albares first revealed he had been in crunch talks with Rishi Sunak’s new foreign secretary David Cameron on resolving the long-running row over trade and immigration arrangements. He told Spanish media that he had spoken with Lord Cameron over the phone on Monday, and they had also agreed to meet in person during a Brussels summit on Tuesday. The Spanish minister suggested the outline of a deal was now in place for a “zone of shared prosperity” in the Spanish area next to the British territory to avoid a hard border on the flow of people and goods. “I would sign a deal with Britain over Gibraltar tomorrow,” Mr Albares told the television channel Telecinco – saying both sides “agree that we have to move forward as soon as possible”. A UK-EU deal on arrangements for Gibraltar’s border – primarily on trade and free movement – was not struck in time for the Brexit deal worked out by Boris Johnson’s government. Conservative ministers have been nervous about signing any bilateral deal that could be viewed as reducing British influence over the territory. The Spanish foreign ministry has said the deal would allow Spain to use the Schengen agreement – which allows for the free movement of EU citizens around the bloc – to ease controls on the movement of people. Spain, the UK and the EU have previously agreed to the principle that Gibraltar should remain part of EU agreements on free movement. Mr Albares suggested the UK was also now keen on a frictionless border when it comes to the movement of goods – something akin to the thorny arrangements for Northern Ireland His ministry said a “zone of shared prosperity” deal would see limited checks “without increasing the risks for the EU internal market” – meaning the UK would have to agree to alignment on Brussels regulations. The Spanish foreign minister told reporters in Brussels: “I think this deal … is better for everyone than the application of European legislation after British citizens democratically decided to leave the European Union.” “There’s already been political will on the part of the Spanish government for many months,” Mr Albares said on the “generous and balanced deal on the table”. He added: “What’s needed now is that political will on the part of the United Kingdom to move forward decisively, which is what I’ve seen so far. But we won’t know until the end. Nothing will be agreed until it’s all agreed.” Despite optimism that a deal is now close, there was no word from Lord Cameron’s team on the prospects of an agreement being signed within days. Britain’s decision to leave the EU was very unpopular in the British overseas territory, where thousands of people cross the border with Spain every day for work. Just over 95 per cent of the territory’s population voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum. The territory’s business leaders have been keen for a deal to be struck. Brian Reyes, editor of the Gibraltar Chronicle wrote: “Seven years on [from the Brexit referendum], the Brexit levanter still hangs over our heads.” Meanwhile, Lord Cameron is expected to try to meet EU Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic during his Brussels summit visit – his first trip to the EU capital since his fateful Brexit referendum. The foreign secretary is reportedly ready to raise the issue of post-Brexit tariffs set to be imposed on the automobile industry into force in January if he meets Mr Sefcovic this week. Mr Sunak’s government is pushing the EU Commission to agree to delay the costly new “rules of origin” set to damage the electric vehicle (EV) market due to come in at the start of 2024 as part of Mr Johnson’s trade deal. The Independent has contacted Lord Cameron’s team and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for comment. Read More ‘History and justice’ on side of Greek claim to Elgin Marbles, says minister Brexit red tape risks extending inflation crisis, retailers warn ‘Terrible legacy’ left by death of Bloody Sunday Parachute Regiment commander Hamas to release more hostages as thousands set for Gaza ceasefire march Lord Cameron says UK needs to engage with China Israeli safety depends on long-term Palestinian ‘security’, warns Cameron

The magazine added that the LGBTQ+ activist’s 'Days of Girlhood' TikTok series 'drew more than 1 billion views'

President Joe Biden will try to turn Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado into the embodiment of Republican opposition to his agenda as he visits her congressional district

Melania Trump broke away from the usual black attire and chose to don a gray coat dress for Rosalynn Carter's funeral service, earning praise for it

Sweden’s economy shrank in the third quarter of 2023 to mark the second time of contraction and signal that a recession may have hit the country

Senator Ted Cruz labeled Disney's filing as indicative of losses due to prioritizing woke politics over profits

Cops claimed the fan approached Nardo Wick around 1.15 am after his show on Sunday, November 26, at the Club Skye in Tampa, Florida

Pope Francis has presided at his weekly audience with the public at the Vatican

Joe Rogan discussed the stunning four-year transformation journey of Sam Sulek in the recent episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience'

MrBeast said, 'We have weekly uploads coming the next couple Saturdays and I don't want you to miss any'

Jake Paul debuted as a boxer against Nate Robinson in 2020. Jake went into the ring as an underdog but emerged victorious

UFC veteran Matt Brown shared his insights on the upcoming MMA rematch between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz during an episode of ‘The Fighter and The Writer’