Friday 11 December
News Briefing Video Roundup
- EU Travel Ban for British Tourists from 1st of Jan 2021.
- Boris Johnson facing legal challenge over decision not to fire Priti Patel.
- Brexit: ‘Strong possibility’ of no trade deal with EU – PM.
- New Year’s Peeve? France to impose nighttime curfew on December 31
- Israel and Morocco agree to normalise ties in latest US-brokered deal.
- World court to sentence Hezbollah man in killing of former Lebanon PM Rafic Hariri.
- EU to impose additional sanctions on Turkey over Mediterranean dispute.
- COVID-19: Pfizer vaccine recommended for approval by US government advisory panel.
- Sectors that will be hit by a no-deal Brexit.
- Summer Holiday prices up 14% in 2021, says TUI.
- Arsenal top group with 100% record after 4-2 win.
- Dame Barbara Windsor dies aged 83.
Sectors that will be hit by a no-deal Brexit – FT
Disney ramps up Star Wars and Marvel franchises – BBC Business
Asian shares boosted by vaccines hopes, Brexit deadline casts shadow – Reuters
Summer Holiday prices up 14% in 2021, says TUI – Independent
EU Travel Ban for British Tourists from 1st of Jan 2021
WTX News says British Tourists have been served with a ban on EU travel from the 1st of Jan 2021 with Brussels saying its travel exemption will be taken away after Brexit transition period.
Borders are still open to UK citizens currently as the country is still in the EU’s single market and customs union until 31 December.
Also, EU citizens living in the UK will maintain current travel rights to the continent after the Brexit transition period ends.
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Boris Johnson facing legal challenge over decision not to fire Priti Patel
City AM says the FDA Union is suing Boris Johnson after he largely dismissed allegations of bullying by Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The pre-action notice letter says the PM’s decision would set a “damaging precedent which gives carte blanche to the kind of unacceptable conduct which the home secretary was found to have committed”.
The action represents more than 500 senior officials and could lead to the Prime Minister’s decision being overruled and the investigation into Patel’s behaviour being made public, according to The Times.
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Brexit: ‘Strong possibility’ of no trade deal with EU – PM
BBC News says Boris Johnson says there is a “strong possibility” the UK will fail to get a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.
Speaking for the first time since a crunch meeting in Brussels, the PM said “now is the time” for firms and people to prepare for a no-deal outcome.
Talks continue between the two sides but the PM said they were “not yet there at all” in securing a deal.
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New Year’s Peeve? France to impose nighttime curfew on December 31
Euronews says Covid-19 restrictions across France are to be lifted slower than anticipated because the number of cases remains too high.
France will lift its lockdown on December 15, meaning people no longer have to fill out a form to leave their homes.
But the lockdown will be replaced by a nighttime curfew across France from 20:00 to 06:00 — an hour earlier than initially planned.
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Israel and Morocco agree to normalise ties in latest US-brokered deal
France24 says Israel and Morocco agreed to normalise relations in a deal brokered with US help, making Morocco the fourth Arab country to set aside hostilities with Israel in the past four months.
As part of the agreement, Donald Trump changed longstanding US policy and recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara.
“Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations – a massive breakthrough for peace in the Middle East!” Trump tweeted.
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World court to sentence Hezbollah man in killing of former Lebanon PM Rafic Hariri
Arab News says a UN-backed tribunal will sentence a Hezbollah member convicted of the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafic Hariri, with prosecutors demanding a life term.
Salim Ayyash, 57, was found guilty in absentia of murder by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon over the suicide bombing that killed the Sunni billionaire politician and 21 other people.
Ayyash remains on the run, with Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Shiite Hezbollah movement, refusing to hand him over, alongside three other defendants who were eventually acquitted.
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EU to impose additional sanctions on Turkey over Mediterranean dispute
TRT World says an EU declaration claims that Turkey engaged in unilateral actions and provocations, and escalated its rhetoric against the EU.
The European Union has decided to impose additional sanctions on Turkish individuals and companies in light of Turkey’s activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
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COVID-19: Pfizer vaccine recommended for approval by US government advisory panel
Sky News says the US government advisory panel has recommended the Pfizer COVID-19 be approved for use.
The FDA’s vote to recommend the vaccine’s approval represents one of the last hurdles before the rollout of the biggest vaccination campaign in US history.
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In Review: Climate change and rich people
The world’s wealthiest 1% account for more than twice the combined carbon emissions of the poorest 50%, according to the UN.
The report finds that the richest will need to rapidly cut their CO2 footprints to avoid dangerous warming this century.
The study finds that the global Covid-19 shutdown will have little long term impact on the climate.
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What’s the media saying?
Richest 1% in UK produce 11 times the carbon emissions of poorest 50%, says study –Independent
STEPHEN GLOVER: How rich it is for privileged green politicos like Selwyn Gummer to make the poor pay for their eco-zealotry – Daily Mail
Covid drives record drop in global carbon emissions, research shows – Evening Standard
I’m a millionaire and agree Britain’s richest should pay a wealth tax – Independent
Jeff Bezos Announces Nearly $800 Million In Donations To Climate Change Organizations – Forbes
Trump Persists in Bid to Upend Biden Victory
Donald Trump pushed ahead Thursday with his long-shot effort to upend his reelection loss to Joe Biden, meeting at the White House with Republican state attorneys general who are supporting a lawsuit brought by the state of Texas at the Supreme Court to attempt to invalidate millions of votes in states won by Biden. – VOA
‘A lack of public trust’: France mulls reform of country’s police watchdog
Outrage over high-profile cases of police brutality has revived talk of a culture of impunity in French law enforcement and heightened scrutiny of the country’s police watchdog, the IGPN, which critics say is hamstrung by a lack of independence. –France24
Uganda elections: Army, police chiefs face US sanctions over protestor killings
The United States has warned Uganda to ensure free and fair elections. Uganda is due to hold a general election in January of 2021. Opposition presidential candidates have accused security forces of brutally breaking up their rallies and beating their supporters. – Africanews
US set to sanction Turkey over Russian defense system
The US is poised to impose sanctions on Turkey over its acquisition last year of Russian S-400 air defense systems, five sources including two US officials told Reuters on Thursday, a move likely to worsen already problematic ties between the two NATO allies. – Arab News
