EU threatens Belarus with sanctions over alleged election fraud August 19, 2020 The EU has threatened to impose sanctions on Belarus, after its President Alexander Lukashenko was accused of election rigging. The European Council President Charles Michel said today that the bloc did not accept the election result, which saw Lukashenko get 80 per cent of the vote. His opponent Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was said to have won [...]
Liz Truss: NHS ‘off the table’ in Brexit talks with US October 29, 2020 International trade secretary Liz Truss has insisted the NHS remains “off the table” in post-Brexit trade talks with the US, as the government scrambles to shore up relations with presidential hopeful Joe Biden ahead of next week’s election. In a Chatham House address this afternoon, Truss said the UK will seek a “values-driven free trade [...]
Canary Islands removed from travel corridors list after surge in cases December 10, 2020 Travellers returning from the Canary Islands from Saturday will now have to quarantine after a surge in cases on the archipelago meant its travel corridor has been taken away. Passengers will have to isolate for 14 days if they arrive before Tuesday, but if they arrive after they can opt to buy a private test [...]
Today: Boris Johnson to meet EU chief in crunch trade deal meeting October 14, 2020 Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will hold last minute Brexit talks today as the two sides try to salvage a last minute trade deal. The two have agreed to meet ahead of an EU summit on 15 October, with Johnson saying last week that he needs to see a deal is [...]
Labour’s Anneliese Dodds says Brexit deal looks ‘thin as gruel’ November 23, 2020 Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has said any Brexit trade deal looks like it will be "thin as gruel" as negotiations start again online today.
Germany to take stake in coronavirus vaccine firm June 15, 2020 Germany will take a 23 per cent stake in unlisted biotech firm Curevac, which is working on a coronavirus vaccine, finance minister Peter Altmaier confirmed today. The state will pay €300m for the stake, which gives the firm a valuation of €1.3bn. The move, which Reuters first reported earlier today, came after attempts by the [...]
EU trade boss Phil Hogan apologises for attending ‘golfgate’ dinner August 24, 2020 EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan apologised for attending a golf dinner that has caused outrage in Ireland as he tried to ride out pressure to resign. Adding to the scrutiny on Hogan, it also emerged that he had been stopped and cautioned by Irish police for using his phone while driving to the dinner. The [...]
Brexit: Boris Johnson says ‘a bit of oomph’ is needed in trade talks June 15, 2020 Boris Johnson and the heads of the EU have agreed that “new momentum” is needed in trade negotiations for a deal to be struck by the 31 December deadline. In a joint statement issued after their Brexit summit today, leaders of the UK and EU said they needed to “intensify the talks in July and [...]
Britain ‘formally confirms’ it will not extend Brexit transition period June 12, 2020 Britain has “formally confirmed” to the EU that it will not extend the Brexit transition period beyond the end of this year. Making the announcement this morning, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said “the moment for extension has now passed,” following a video meeting of the EU Joint Committee. The announcement follows a call for [...]
Eurozone economic sentiment edges up but doubts remain May 28, 2020 Business sentiment in the Eurozone recovered slightly in May, although the rise undershot expectations as countries reopen their economies. The European Commission’s economic sentiment indicator edged up to 67.5 in May from its record low of 63.8 in April. For comparison, the gauge stood at 102.5 in January. Analysts had expected a rise to 70.3, [...]