Trends - United Kingdom - Business Recorder

World

Britain, EU strike pessimistic tone in post-Brexit trade talks

Britain and the European Union struck a pessimistic tone in trade talks on Thursday, with a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying it was “very likely” there would be no agreement unless the bloc changed its position “substantially”.
Just over two weeks before Britain finally leaves the bloc’s orbit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was also downbeat, saying it would be “very challenging” to overcome the “big differences” that remained.

Published 18 Dec, 2020 11:21am

World

United States hopes for trade deal with UK, Trump's trade chief says

The United States is hopeful of sealing a mini-trade deal with the United Kingdom to reduce tariffs, President Donald Trump’s trade chief, Robert Lighthizer, told the BBC.
Lighthizer said he was hopeful for a deal that could see punitive tariffs on Scottish whisky lowered, the BBC said.

Published 17 Dec, 2020 04:31pm

World

UK's Patel says on Brexit: we're in 'tunnel' of negotiations

The United Kingdom will work flat out for a Brexit trade deal and the two sides are in “tunnel” negotiations but if a deal with the European Union is not possible then the country will be prepared, interior minister Priti Patel said on Thursday.
The “tunnel” is a term for an intense final stage of secretive, make-or-break negotiations.

Updated 17 Dec, 2020 03:40pm

World

UK's Patel says on Brexit: we're in 'tunnel' of negotiations

"First of all, the prime minister and the government, we've all been very clear we are not walking away, we will continue to negotiate to get this free-trade agreement," Patel told LBC radio.

Published 17 Dec, 2020 01:50pm

World

EU chief says UK trade pact closer but success not certain

Britain and the European Union moved closer to sealing a new trade deal but it was still not clear if they would succeed, the bloc’s chief executive said on Wednesday.
Britain and the EU are in the final stretch of talks to keep an estimated one trillion dollars of annual trade free of tariffs and quotas beyond Dec. 31, when the United Kingdom finally transitions out of the world’s largest trading bloc.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 05:38pm

World

Exclusive-Facebook to move UK users to California terms, avoiding EU privacy rules

Facebook Inc will shift all its users in the United Kingdom into user agreements with the corporate headquarters in California, moving them out of their current relationship with Facebook’s Irish unit and out of reach of Europe’s privacy laws.
Facebook is making the change partly because the EU privacy regime is among the world’s strictest, according to people familiar with the company. The EU rules give granular control to users over data about them.

Updated 16 Dec, 2020 02:53pm

World

India and UK to move forward on trade talks as Johnson plans visit

India and Britain will push negotiations on trade ties, their foreign ministers said after talks in New Delhi on Tuesday, as both countries seek to restart economies battered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Trade and investment will be high on the agenda of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will travel to New Delhi in January, his first bilateral visit since taking office.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 12:57pm

Technology

Facebook to move UK users to California terms, avoiding EU privacy rules

The change takes effect next year and follows a similar move announced in February by Google.
Like other companies, Facebook has had to make changes to respond to Brexit and will be transferring legal responsibilities and obligations for UK users.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 01:06am

World

UK PM Johnson to visit India in January to strengthen trade ties

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to India in January, his first bilateral visit since taking office, to try to strengthen trade and investment ties and work together on tackling climate change.
Since leaving the European Union in January, Johnson wants to promote what he calls “global Britain”.

Published 15 Dec, 2020 06:27pm

World

UK reports 20,263 new COVID cases, 7-day total up 22pc

Since the start of the pandemic, the United Kingdom has recorded 1.870 million cases of COVID-19 and 64,402 deaths from the virus.

Published 15 Dec, 2020 04:14pm

World

UK reports 20,263 new COVID cases, 7-day total up 22%

8 The country reported 232 new deaths from the disease, with the seven-day total rising to 2,984, almost unchanged from the previous seven days.

Published 15 Dec, 2020 12:19pm

World

EU-UK trade pact still possible as departure date nears

The European Union’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said on Monday that sealing a new pact with Britain was still possible as the date for the country’s departure from the bloc edged nearer.
Despite missing multiple deadlines, Britain and the EU agreed on Sunday to “go the extra mile” to try to break deadlocks on access to UK fishing waters for EU trawlers and corporate fair play rules.

Published 14 Dec, 2020 03:07pm

World

Britain's navy to protect fishing waters in case of no-deal Brexit

Four Royal Navy patrol ships will be ready on Jan. 1 to help protect Britain’s fishing waters in the event the Brexit transition period ends without a deal on future ties with the European Union.
There are concerns about possible skirmishes between British and foreign fishing vessels if no trade deal is reached.

Published 12 Dec, 2020 05:18pm

World

No deal on Brexit trade 'very very likely', Johnson says

Britain is likely to complete its journey out of the European Union in three weeks without a trade deal.
Britain quit the EU in January but remains an informal member until Dec. 31 - the end of a transition period during which it has remained in the EU single market and customs union.

Published 12 Dec, 2020 02:29pm

World

EU Commission chief sees more chance of no Brexit trade deal

Britain is more likely to leave the European Union’s orbit on Dec. 31 without a trade deal than with an agreement, an EU official quoted the head of the European Commission.
A no-trade deal Brexit would damage the economies of northern Europe, send shockwaves through financial markets, snarl borders and sow chaos through the delicate supply chains which stretch across Europe and beyond.

Published 11 Dec, 2020 05:30pm

World

UK PM Johnson warns EU over Brexit trade talks: back down or it's no-deal

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the European Union on Wednesday it must scrap demands which he says are unacceptable if there is to be a Brexit trade deal.
With fears growing of a chaotic no-deal finale to the five-year Brexit crisis, Johnson was heading to Brussels later on Wednesday for talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Updated 10 Dec, 2020 01:15am

World

Britain and EU announce deal to manage post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the scrapping of all "law breaking" clauses from the Brexit legislation, in an effort to revive relations between London and Brussels.
The United Kingdom and the European Union stated that they had agreed a deal on the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol.

Updated 08 Dec, 2020 07:44pm

World

Moment may come to end post-Brexit EU trade talks, UK PM Johnson says

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that Britain could call an end to post-Brexit trade talks without a deal being reached.
- This statement came only a day after the Prime Minister agreed to meet the European Commission head in a last-ditch attempt to break the stalemate.

Published 08 Dec, 2020 06:27pm

World

British grandma is first in world to get Pfizer vaccine outside trial

Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old grandmother from Northern Ireland, became the first person in the world on Tuesday to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shot outside of a trial.

Published 08 Dec, 2020 02:27pm

World

Almost 700,000 people flung into poverty due to pandemic crisis in the U.K: Study

According to a recent study, nearly 700,000 individuals in the United Kingdom, have been flung into poverty as a result of the pandemic.
The onset of the pandemic pushed the total number of poverty stricken individuals in the United Kingdom to more than 15 million, or 23 percent of the population.

Updated 08 Dec, 2020 01:59pm

World

UK hangs tough on sovereignty as Brexit trade talks near climax

European Union officials stated that a post-Brexit trade deal could finally be clinched this weekend.
London insisted that negotiations were still “very difficult” and it was determined to “take back control” from the bloc it left 10 months ago.

Published 04 Dec, 2020 08:14pm