Britain, EU Sign Christmas Trade Deal
Britian and the European Union avoided a messy divorce on Christmas Eve as they agreed on a trade deal worth nearly $1 trillion.
EU
Migrants Face Bleak Christmas After Bosnia Camp Fire
Hundreds of migrants fleeing hardship faced a bleak Christmas without shelter amid harsh winter conditions after a refugee camp was closed and set on fire in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Israel: Biotech students develop way to prevent spoiling of fruit juice
Biotechnology students in Israel have found a way to prevent fruit juice from spoiling: they harnessed and applied a strain of bacteria that is found in the natural environment, Israel 365 News reported Wednesday. The finding was made by a team of students from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, and earned them first prize in a competition held by the European food consortium EIT Food.
EU and Britain Near Trade Deal, EU Sources Say
European Union and British negotiators are nearing a trade deal as Britain’s New Year’s Day exit from the 27-nation bloc approaches, EU officials said Wednesday.
France: Proposed law would ban anyone not vaccinated for COVID-19 from public transport
While France’s President Emanuel Macron has said vaccination against COVID-19 will not be mandatory, French Prime Minister Jean Castex got cabinet approval Monday for a bill that would require proof of vaccination in order to access public transport among locations and activities, France24 reports. The bill now passes to the French parliament.
Syria: Trump administration imposes new sanctions on Assad and regime affiliates
The Trump administration slapped new sanctions on Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime Tuesday, in a further effort to end the civil war that has raged in Syria since 2011, the Sara Carter show (SCS) reported. Following sanctions imposed in 2019, the newest measures affect Syria’s central bank and a number of entities and individuals connected to Assad.
Russia and China working together to counter US sanctions
Russia and China are continuing to work together to reduce their dependence on the US dollar, as both countries seek to mitigate the impact of United States sanctions against them, CNS News reports. Trading between Russia and China reached a record $110 billion in 2019, and the two countries have committed to increasing their trade turnover to $200 billion by 2024.
Trump Demands Different Coronavirus Package
Washington was in turmoil late Tuesday after U.S. President Donald J. Trump threatened not to sign a coronavirus stimulus package saying struggling Americans deserve much better.
President Pardons Convicted Supporters
U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday pardoned 15 people, but he did not extend amnesty to death row people.
In Response To Kremlin, U.S. Reiterates Proposed Extension Of New START Treaty
The United States has responded to Russia’s call to continue negotiations on the New START arms-control treaty by reiterating a U.S. proposal and saying the Russians have “rejected” attempts to restart the talks.
Hungary’s Opposition Unites Against Autocratic Prime Minister
Six Hungarian opposition parties say they unite to oust the increasingly autocratic Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has suffered in the polls amid ongoing corruption scandals.
Study finds 84% fewer hospitalizations for patients treated with controversial drug hydroxychloroquine
A peer-reviewed study measuring the effectiveness of a controversial drug cocktail that includes hydroxychloroquine concluded that the treatment lowered hospitalizations and mortality rates of coronavirus patients.
EU-UK post-Brexit trade talks remain at standstill
Post-Brexit trade talks between Britain and the European Union remained grid-locked Sunday evening, even as there remain just days to go before the official transition period comes to an end on December 31, the Associated Press reports. In the event no agreement is reached by the end of the year, the two parties will default to trading on World Trade Organization terms, with all the tariffs and barriers that this will entail.
Europe Countries Ban British Flights Over New Corona Strain
Authorities in several European countries banned flights from Britain on Sunday amid mounting fears over an infectious new strain of COVID-19.
Russia Returns Icon To Bosnia Amid Tensions, Elections
Russia says it will return an Orthodox Church icon, presented to the Russian foreign minister in Bosnia-Herzegovina where local elections were held in a strategic city on Sunday. The announcement came after the gift triggered a protest from Ukraine.
Bethlehem To Celebrate Christmas Despite Coronavirus Crisis
Church leaders and local authorities say they are preparing Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, the Biblical birthplace of Jesus, despite a reported increase in coronavirus cases. “Bethlehem is going to celebrate Christmas. And Christmas will not be canceled,” pledged Mayor Anton Salman.
EU, British Leaders Concede Big Gaps Remain in Post-Brexit Talks
Britain and the European Union provided sober updates Thursday on the state of post-Brexit trade discussions, with only two weeks to go before a potentially chaotic split.
Putin: Arms race with US ‘has already begun’
An arms race between Washington and Moscow “has already begun,” according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
China infiltrates Western embassies, defense contractors and drug makers with communist operators
A leaked database of nearly 2 million Communist Party members has revealed the lengths to which China’s leaders have gone to place operatives in strategic positions in government and business around the world.
France: ‘14 Terrorists Get Long Prison Terms’
A Paris court has found 14 people guilty of involvement in a series of deadly Islamist terror attacks that shook the nation and much of Europe.