All articles tagged with #gibraltar
Spain and Gibraltar officially remove border checks, ending decades of tension and creating a passport-free crossing aligned with the Schengen area. The move, signed in Brussels and celebrated in La Línea, will ease movement for about 15,500 cross-border workers and 40,000 residents, with Pedro Sánchez calling it the fall of the 'last wall' in continental Europe and a new era of shared prosperity.
Brexit-era milestone: Gibraltar’s 118-year land border with Spain will be dismantled, with passenger checks shifting to the airport and Gibraltar aligning with EU rules while staying out of Schengen; the deal was signed in Brussels after a decade of talks. The live digest also tracks England’s World Cup semifinal drama, talk of a potential bank holiday, Prince William’s attendance plans, and Argentina’s Milei fanning Falklands tensions as the Sea Lion oil field could funnel hundreds of millions to the Falklands, reshaping regional energy fortunes.
A new EU-UK treaty signed in Brussels places Gibraltar in a Schengen-like regime: residents can cross into Spain using residence cards, Spaniards can enter Gibraltar with government IDs, and border checks at airports/ports will be shared by British and Spanish officials. The arrangement ends the daily hard border for around 15,000 cross-border workers, preserves British sovereignty, and aims to boost trade and mobility. It does not grant full EU membership to Gibraltar or extend these privileges to Britain's other overseas territories.
Spain will run the EU’s new electronic border checks at Gibraltar’s airport for UK-origin and other non‑EU travelers under a UK–EU treaty, effectively bringing Gibraltar into the Schengen framework. Passport, fingerprint and facial scans will be used, with Gibraltar residents exempt; border policing will be handled at a joint facility a.k.a. the “Schengen shack.” The change aims to avoid a hard land border but could cause queues during school holidays and reflects the post‑Brexit settlement that Gibraltar secured to protect its economy.
Researchers documented soil-eating (geophagy) in Barbary macaques around Gibraltar, noting more soil consumption in groups that eat more human snacks like chocolate and ice cream. The behavior may help buffer stomach upset and potentially microbiome disruption from junk food, could be socially learned, and varied by group with some having no access to human food. More research is needed to understand the gut-related benefits.
A Scientific Reports study finds Gibraltar's Barbary macaques eat soil (geophagy) more in areas with tourists, likely to soothe stomachs after consuming junk food and dairy from visitors; the behavior varies by troop and underscores how wildlife adapts to human presence, highlighting the need for strict feeding controls and further research on soil minerals and gut microbiomes.
The UK and EU have reached a post-Brexit agreement on Gibraltar's border, ensuring no checks on people and goods crossing with Spain, while maintaining UK sovereignty and supporting Gibraltar's economy, with plans to finalize a treaty soon.
The EU and UK have reached a historic political agreement to ensure free movement of people and goods between Spain and Gibraltar, removing physical border barriers while maintaining customs and security checks at Gibraltar's ports and airports. The deal aims to enhance stability, cooperation, and economic development, and is expected to be ratified after final legal negotiations.
David Lammy and UK officials are in talks with Gibraltar and EU representatives to finalize a post-Brexit agreement, focusing on border rules and sovereignty issues, with key sticking points including Schengen zone membership and border infrastructure. The negotiations aim to establish a stable relationship between Gibraltar, the EU, and Spain, amid ongoing disputes over sovereignty and border arrangements.
A 65,000-year-old Neanderthal tar distillation oven has been discovered in Gibraltar's Vanguard Cave, showcasing advanced manufacturing techniques. This find, led by the University of Murcia, reveals that Neanderthals used a specialized hearth to produce tar from resin-rich plants, predating similar human techniques by over 100,000 years. The study highlights Neanderthals' cognitive complexity and technological prowess, challenging outdated stereotypes of them as primitive. Experimental archaeology confirmed the hearth's purpose by successfully replicating tar production using ancient methods.
Archaeologists have discovered a 60,000-year-old structure in Vanguard Cave, Gibraltar, believed to be a Neanderthal oven used for making birch tar, a prehistoric glue. This finding challenges the stereotype of Neanderthals as unintelligent, suggesting they had advanced knowledge of combustion and chemistry. The structure's complexity and the successful recreation of birch tar in experiments indicate Neanderthals' sophisticated tool-making abilities and intelligence. The study is published in Quaternary Science Reviews.
Spain's football team chanted "Gibraltar is Spanish" during a celebration event in Madrid after winning the Euros against England, highlighting Spain's ongoing claim over the British overseas territory.
Spain's Euro 2024 winning team led chants of "Gibraltar is Spanish" during their victory parade in Madrid, prompting Gibraltar's Football Association to file a complaint with UEFA, calling the chants "provocative and insulting." Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory, has been a point of contention between Spain and the UK for centuries.
Russian Senator Alexei Pushkov mocked Sweden's war warnings, German train drivers plan nationwide strikes, France's Macron appoints new PM ahead of EU elections, Italy's Salvini rejects EU election bid, Gibraltar's Chief Minister optimistic about post-Brexit resolution, and migrant deaths trying to reach Spain nearly tripled in 2023.
Spain's Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, announced that Spain and Britain are "very close" to reaching a deal on the post-Brexit status of Gibraltar, following a meeting with his British counterpart, David Cameron, in Brussels. The details of the agreement were not disclosed, but discussions are underway regarding specific issues such as the use of the airport. The status of Gibraltar and the policing of its border with Spain have been contentious since the UK's decision to leave the EU in 2016. Spain had previously proposed a "balanced and generous agreement," and both sides are committed to reaching a UK-EU treaty on Gibraltar as soon as possible.