Teams from Britain and the European Union resumed face-to-face talks on a post-Brexit trade deal Saturday, with both sides sounding gloomy about striking an agreement in the little time that remains.
The coming days in the Brexit negotiations will be “decisive” as to whether Britain and the EU are able to agree on a free trade deal, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
After Pope Francis urged “solidarity”, German Chancellor Angela Merkel demands the distribution of controversial coronavirus vaccines among poorer nations. Her appeal comes as countries rush to start with coronavirus vaccinations before Christmas, despite fresh concerns they impact people’s behavior and DNA.
While still trying to reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, the United Kingdom has been able to agree to an interim trade deal with Canada, Fox News reports. The agreement offers a source of business security for Britain, which must reach an agreement with the EU by the end of the post-Brexit transition period on 31 December or move instead into World Trade Organization terms with the European trading bloc.
Churches in several parts of Britain have told a court that authorities misuse the coronavirus pandemic to restrict Christian worship.
Hungary and Poland blocked approval of the European Union’s 1.8 trillion-euro ($2.1 trillion) budget and coronavirus rescue package after accusing the bloc of interfering in their domestic affairs.
UK church leaders are launching a legal challenge against the British government for what they describe as an “unlawful” COVID-19 ban on worship services, the Christian Post reports. Britain has been placed back under a second lockdown until December 2, with over 1.3 million coronavirus cases and more than 51,000 COVID-19 related deaths.
The U.K.’s chief Brexit negotiator said Sunday before renewed talks that a trade deal with the European Union may not succeed, but he was still hopeful of a resolution.
Hungary’s controversial prime minister has introduced a nationwide curfew and other strict measures to halt the coronavirus pandemic citing a massive increase in deaths and hospitalizations across Europe.
Stalled post-Brexit trade deal talks have resumed once again as British and European Union negotiators convened in London Monday, the Washington Times reports. Recent talks in Brussels left the two sides still far apart on the way forward following the UK’s official departure from the EU trading bloc in January. The parties have until December 31 to agree a trade deal before the post-Brexit transition period comes to an end. Hundreds of thousands of jobs on both sides may be lost in the event of a “no-deal Brexit.”
As the UK veers towards the January 1 deadline for agreeing on a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, the EU’s chief negotiator said London was to blame for the two parties’ failure to reach even a basic agreement so far, the Washington Examiner reported Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of jobs may be lost on both sides if no deal is agreed within the year-long transition period triggered when Britain officially left the EU trading bloc in January.
The United Kingdom has raised its terror threat level to “severe” following recent attacks in Austria and France that authorities have linked to Islamic extremism.
Two of Europe’s biggest economies are reinstating some form of national lockdown. France and Germany’s measures are due to be followed in other nations as authorities warn of a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.
The Polish president is among European leaders infected with COVID-19 as the continent struggles to contain the coronavirus.
Japan and Britain signed a bilateral free trade deal Friday in the the first such major post-Brexit deal, reducing tariffs on Yorkshire lamb sold in Japan, as well as auto parts for Japan’s Nissan plant.
The chief Brexit negotiator for the European Union stressed Monday the bloc was prepared to “intensify” trade talks with Britain after holding a call with British dealmaker David Frost.
China and Russia were among 15 countries elected to the UN Human Rights Council on October 13, drawing sharp criticism from rights groups and the United States over their abysmal human rights records.
The European Union said Thursday it will take legal action against the British government for violating the terms of their Brexit agreement.
Leaked documents suggest that one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest friends used a prominent British bank to launder millions of dollars and evade Western sanctions. Separately the company of U.S. President Donald Trump allegedly benefited from laundered money, but officials denied those charges.
As the US believes Iran has continued to develop nuclear weapons, and as the United Nations arms embargo on Iran expires next month, the State Department announced Wednesday that it is pressing forward with “snap back” sanctions that are provided for under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Iran Nuclear deal, Fox News reports. Under the terms of the JCPoA, snapback sanctions can be re-imposed if Iran is perceived to be violating the terms of the agreement. However, as the Trump administration withdrew from the JCPoA in 2018, UNSC members Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia have unequivocally stated the US has no authority to unilaterally enforce snapback sanctions once the current embargo is lifted on October 18.