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Marina Bay Sands said to end lawsuit with $9.1 million payment to former patron – The Straits Times

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

SINGAPORE (BLOOMBERG) - Marina Bay Sands, the Singapore casino run by billionaire Sheldon Adelson's Las Vegas Sands Corp, has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by a former patron, meeting his demand for $9.1 million, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Marina Bay Sands also agreed to allow Mr Wang Xi back into the casino as long as he abides by its policies, said the person, who asked not be identified because the matter is confidential. A spokesman for Marina Bay Sands declined to comment. Mr Wang also declined to comment through his lawyer at Rajah & Tann Singapore.

Mr Wang sued the Singapore casino last year to recover $9.1 million that he said was transferred to other patrons in 2015 without his approval. The Singapore Police Force also investigated Mr Wang's complaint, Bloomberg News reported in May.

According to the suit, Marina Bay Sands told Mr Wang it received authorisation letters signed by him in Macao for the disputed transactions. Mr Wang said his signature had been copied and pasted on to the authorisation letters.

Marina Bay Sands told him the originals had been destroyed by the Singapore firm's Macao affiliate for "reasons of confidentiality", the lawsuit said. The casino operator "failed to verify whether the Disputed Authorization Letters were, in fact, signed by the plaintiff before effecting the disputed transactions",according to the lawsuit.

The out-of-court settlement in June ends a dispute that helped trigger probes of the Singapore casino by local authorities. There is a "non-admission" of liability from both sides as part of the settlement, the person said.

The United States Department of Justice is also scrutinising whether anti-money laundering procedures had been breached in the way the Singapore casino handles high rollers. The Justice Department in January issued a grand jury subpoena to a former compliance chief of Marina Bay Sands, seeking an interview or documents on "money laundering facilitation" and any abuse of internal financial controls, according to a copy of the subpoena seen by Bloomberg News.

Singapore is considering tighter regulations at its casinos to prevent money laundering and financing for terrorism, according to the Casino Regulatory Authority. The regulator and the Ministry of Home Affairs are reviewing the legislative thresholds in the Casino Control Act with a view to lowering them to the global standard of US$3,000 (S$4,200). In practice, the regulator said last month that it has already arranged with casino operators to drop the threshold for cash transactions that are subject to due diligence.

Marina Bay Sands is one of the most profitable casinos in the world, accounting for about a third of operating income at the Las Vegas-based parent. The Asian operations, which also include Macau, contributed about 85 per cent of the company's US$13.7 billion in revenue last year, and have helped make Mr Adelson one of the richest men in the US.

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Marina Bay Sands said to end lawsuit with $9.1 million payment to former patron - The Straits Times

Brexit shock: EU poised to stop trade with UK when the transition period ends – Express

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

The UK government announced its plans for a new 705m post-Brexit border infrastructure but the EU is poised to step in to stop trade after the transition period is over if they detect unfair competition, it has been revealed.Last week Cabinet Minister Michael Gove said the Government had been laying the groundwork for months to help Britains borders after the end of December.

But concerns have been raised about how the EU could stop trade between the UK if they think there is not a level playing field.

Speaking toExpress.co.ukNick Witney, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said: My suspicion is we will end up with a deal which provides minimal legal cover for shipping goods in either direction without quotas but with the British side not actually ready to implement any new system of vetting goods for regulatory requirements.

Mr Witney explained there are concerns Britons will start exporting goods to Europe which are subsidised providing unfair competition for European producers.

He said: More initially in the short term the EU is worried that the possibility of all sorts of people from around the world could sell stuff into Europe via the UK and undercut European producers.

Or send stuff into Europe that is not the right standards.

He added how Europeans will be poised to step in and stop things coming if they detect any reason to think that its unfair competition which would be a very messy situation to live with for months and years.

Mr Witney said the UK and EU will end up with a compromise by the end of the year rather than a breakdown.

He thinks this will happen because of two reasons, firstly the British side will not be ready at the end of December for trade between the EU.

READ MORE:EU blasted for absurd and contradictory Brexit demands

International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss, feared the new border arrangements with the EU will not be ready in time for January.

Her leaked letter addressed to Rishi Sunak and Mr Gove highlighted four key areas of concern about the Governments Brexit border plans.

Mr Witney said: I think we are way behind the curb and that will certainly increase the internal pressure on the Government to find a way not to have an absolute breakdown at the end of the year.

Ms Truss raised concerns that UK ports will not be prepared to carry out full import checks when they come into place in July next year.

DON'T MISSEU fishermen demand SAME access to UK waters in Brexit deal [UPDATE]Iain Duncan Smith SNAPS after Brexit Britain trade warning [INSIGHT]Brexit travel: Britons could face higher holiday costs[ANALYSIS]

She also warned that some ports could be exposed to smuggling from January.

Mr Witney also highlighted how the brand knew IT system to help check goods heading to the EU from the start of January has not been tested yet.

When Britain leaves the European Single Market in January, the Government has planned to put a new IT system in place to manage the additional border checks that are needed.

The system, known as Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS), requires those transporting goods to have a GVMS reference number before being able to leave for the EU.

The reference numbers will be checked by customs officials at locations which are unspecified at the moment.

HMRC is not planning to test the new system until November, a month before Britain will leave the EU Single Market.

Mr Witney said the most critical thing to ensure is that on the 1 January goods can continue to move in both directions without tariffs and quotas.

He added: I suspect that the EU will be prepared to cut some provided that theyre convinced were sincere in wanting to get our plans properly in place.

And provided that they will reserve to themselves the right to step in at any particular point and say no were not having any more of whatever it is because were not happy.

The UK is set to leave the transition period at the end of December.

However, if a trade deal is not agreed by the end of the year the UK will face the prospect of tariffs on exports to the EU.

Brexit LIVE: UK sends EU dire ultimatum – before rivals share ‘poignant moment’ in London – Daily Express

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

Britain warned the Brussels bloc it was not prepared to give up our rights on sovereignty, laws and fishing after Mr Frost and Mr Barnier shared a poignant moment. Mr Barnier tweeted that he and Mr Frost paused together in front of a war memorial following dinner on Monday in Westminster.

He said: "At the occasion of the working dinner with my counterpart David Frost at Carlton Gardens, a brief moment remembering our shared European history."

There continue to be a number of key sticking points in the way of agreeing a post-Brexit deal before the transition period ends in January.

The points of dispute - the "level playing field" of measures designed to ensure fair competition between the UK and EU, fisheries and the governance of any deal - will be on the agenda in Tuesday's sessions.

Ahead of the talks, Downing Street acknowledged significant differences remained between the two sides and reminded the EU it is "not asking for a special, bespoke or unique deal".

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: In terms of the discussions that we have been having throughout the intensified process, they have continued to be constructive but significant differences still remain on a number of important issues.

Our position on our sovereignty, laws and fisheries is clear - we will not give up our rights as an independent state.

"We will continue to engage constructively with the EU on these key issues and will work hard to reach the broad outline of an agreement.

"But as we have been clear all along, we are not asking for a special, bespoke or unique deal."

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READ MORE:EU blasted for absurd and contradictory Brexit demands

3.12pm update:Merkel accused of interfering in 2017 general election over Brexit

Angela Merkels Germany was accused of trying to influence the 2017 general election by undermining former Prime Minister Theresa May over Brexit talks, unearthed reports reveal.

According to a 2017 report by The Telegraph, senior officials in the German government and in Brussels openly mocked Theresa May in what was described as an attempt to undermine the former Prime Minister.

Ahead of the general election in June 2017, Mrs Merkel claimed Britain had illusions over what it could hope to achieve from Brexit.

Weakening Mrs Mays mandate with the electorate tilted the balance in favour of the EU negotiators, and Conservative sources suggested she was the victim of a coordinated plot.

Emily Ferguson is taking over live reporting fromRebecca Perring

2.25pm update: PM is confident Brexit was fair

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is confident the 2016 Brexit referendum result was fair, his spokesman said on Tuesday.

Asked in the light of a parliamentary report into Russian influence in Britain whether Johnson thought the outcome of the referendum was fair, the spokesman said: "Yes, absolutely."

1.56am update: Pompeo hails 'constructive' Brexit talks with Boris

Mike Pompeo said it was a constructive visit after he met Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

He said: "Our two countries' long-standing, strong bilateral relationship has laid the foundation for today's candid discussion on issues ranging from 5G telecommunication to our negotiations for a US-UK free trade agreement.

1.15pm update:Farage takes on EU again as Italexit campaign praises him for freeing UK from 'EU cage'

Nigel Farage is making his mark yet again in his battle against the EU after it emerged he has helped inspire the man behind Italys Italexit campaign.

Prominent Brexiteer and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has been hailed a true British patriot who sent away the technocrats from Brussels by anti-EU campaigner Gianluigi Paragone, a former senator for the anti-establishment 5Star Movement in Italy.

Mr Paragone revealed he had met with Mr Farage just before launching his Italexit campaign 'No Europe for Italy, which will take place on Thursday, July 23.

12.44pm update: Brexit will split financial markets - BoE

Brexit will make markets less efficient but it won't be disastrous for Britain's economy, an appointee to the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee (FPC) said on Monday.

Jonathan Hall told the Treasury Select Committee that Brexit represented a longer term risk of increased fragmentation and complexity in financial services.

He said: "This would increase friction costs for the economy, the supervisory burden."

11.49am update: 'Brexit was always gift to Putin'

Guy Verhofstadt, chief Brexit negotiator for the European Parliament, tweeted following the release of the Russia report: "Brexit was always a gift to Putin because it weakened the European Union & left Britain divided, isolated. The #RussiaReport shows just how many questions remain unanswered."

11.25am update: Italy could follow in UK's Brexit footsteps

Italy will officially launch a campaign to unshackle itself from the EU on Thursday as the Mediterranean country looks to follow in Britain's Brexit footsteps.

The EU has another crisis on its hands after Italian politician Gianluigi Paragone, a former senator for the anti-establishment 5Star Movement, said it was time for Italy to launch its Italexit campaign ' No Europe for Italy' on Thursday, July 23. He said Italy would no longer be "blackmailed" by the Brussels bloc.

10.32am update: Russia meddled in Scottish referendum but unclear on Brexit - report

Russiameddled in the 2014 Scottish referendum and the British government failed to ask for a deep assessment of possible Kremlin-directed interference in theBrexitvote, the British parliament's intelligence and security committee said.

The report said: "There has been credible open source commentary suggesting thatRussiaundertook influence campaigns in relation to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014"

It said there were open source indications thatRussiasought to influence theBrexitcampaign but that the British government had not sought deep evidence of meddling.

The report castRussiaas a hostile power which posed a significant threat to the United Kingdom and the West across a range of fronts, from espionage and cyber to election meddling and laundering dirty money.

It added: "It appears thatRussiaconsiders the UK one of its top Western intelligence targets."

9.46am update: Pound Sterling enjoys rise

The pound briefly rose above $1.27 for the first time in six weeks on Tuesday.

The currency had enjoyed its best day in three-weeks on Monday, lifted by the generally buoyant market mood which allowed investors to overlook poor British economic data and lack of concrete progress on Brexit trade talks.

9.35am update:Nigel Farage lashes out at Remainers over Russia report

Nigel Farage has demanded serious apologies after an investigation reportedly found that Russia did not attempt to meddle in the Brexit vote.

The Brexiteer hit out after a long-awaited probe into alleged Russian interference in British democracy, due to be published later today, found nothing to suggest Russia played any part in the 2016 EU referendum, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Mr Farage tweeted: So, no evidence of Russian interference in the referendum. Some serious apologies are due.

8.48am update: US Mike Pompeo to meet Boris

As Britain toughens its stance on China due to its handling of the coronavirus and a crackdown in Hong Kong, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit is an attempt to stiffen Boris Johnson's resolve and dangle the potential reward of a post-Brexitfree trade deal, diplomats say.

Mr Pompeo will discuss ways to tackle the growing might of China when he meets Mr Johnson on Tuesday, just a week after London ordered a purge of Huawei gear from the 5G network.

President Donald Trump lauded Mr Johnson's ban on Huawei, though he also claimed he had forced London's hand due to concern over China, which he considers to be the US' main geopolitical rival of the 21st century.

8.15am update: Policing minister says he doesn't know if Russia meddled in Brexit

Policing Minister Kit Malthouse said he does not know if Russia meddled in the Brexit vote or the Scottish independence referendum.

Asked on BBC Breakfast why it has taken so long for the report to be published, he said there has been a general election, adding: "And the fact that this report is the property of the committee itself and they make a decision about its publication.

"The fact that the committee took a little time to get going after the general election probably delayed it too.

"But it'll be here in, you know, a couple of hours, and we'll be able to read it and digest it."

Asked if he thinks Russia tried to influence the Scottish and EU referendums, he said: "I don't know. I haven't read the report. I'll have to wait and see what they have to say."

8.02am update:Taoiseach welcomes Brexit EU fund

Micheal Martinwelcomed a 5 billion reserve fund to support countries worst affected by the impact of Brexit.

It comes after the EU agreed on a 1.82 trillion budget and coronavirus recovery fund.

Micheal Martin said it is a strong deal which includes a substantial and significant package of measures.

The budget and recovery fund was finally agreed in the early hours of Tuesday after a marathon four-day summit in Brussels.

7.50am update: EU fishermen demand SAME access to UK waters in Brexit deal as system working well

Brexit trade talks with the EU will resume on Tuesday, but a breakthrough is not expected as the bloc is still adamant European fishermen must have the same access to UK waters - something British negotiators are keen to avoid.

Gerard van Balsfoort, Chairman of the European Fisheries Alliance, has told Michel Barnier to insist fishing rights remain the same after the conclusion of the Brexit transition period this year.

The EU's chief negotiator was told losing access to the waters could be disastrous for many EU states.

Mr van Balsfoort told the Telegraph: Loss of access to fishing grounds, to markets for fish or the return of overfishing will ultimately harm all of us.

"Michel Barnier knows this."

7.39am update: Brexit deal is possible but ambitious - Germany

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday: "The aim of reaching an agreement between Britain and the European Union on future ties between the two by October is ambitious but achievable.

An agreement on the basis of the Political Declaration is sporty but still possible."

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Brexit LIVE: UK sends EU dire ultimatum - before rivals share 'poignant moment' in London - Daily Express

Brexit LIVE: EU budget talks conclude with leaders to spend billions on COVID-19 relief – Daily Express

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

The EU Commission has agreed to undertake mass borrowing for the first time in a landmark recovery deal. The talks, lastingover 90 hours and stretching over five days, saw tensions flaring and emotions run high between the blocs leaders. Charles Michel, the European Council president announced that the deal had been reached on Twitter at 5:30am in Brussels. French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the news, and called the agreement a historic day for Europe. THIS BLOG IS NOW CLOSED. Click HERE for today's latest Brexit updates

The recovery deal is centred on a 390 billion programme of grants to financially weakened member states.

The COVID-19 recovery plan also contains 360 billion in loans, and is attatched to a1.074 trillion seven-year budget, bringing the totalfinancial package to anabsurdly high 1.82 trillion.

The talks saw EU leaders struggle through negotiations partially due to the "frugal" members, those beingAustria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden,resistingthe idea of permitting the bloc to borrow money and hand it out as budgetary expenditure for member states.

In response to those nations concerns over grants to financially weak members, they were offered rebates, withAustrias annual reduction being doubled to 565 million a year, and the Netherlands rebates set to rise to 1.92 billion from 1.57 billion.

The budget talks were just hours shy of breaking the record for the longest ever EU leaders meeting, which remains the 2000 Nice summit.

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7.37am update:THIS BLOG IS NOW CLOSE. ClickHEREfor today's latest Brexit updates

6:04am update: EU leaders reach unprecedented 1.82 trillion budget deal

After five days of bitter negotiations, EU leaders have agreed on their new seven-year budget.

The 1.82 trillion deal includes 750 billion for coronavirus relief measures, including 390 billion in grants and 360 billion in loans for financially weakened countries.

European Council President Charles Michel announced news of the agreement on Twitter, with a one-word post saying Deal!

4:42am update: EU emergency budget talks conclude with a deal

The EU has agreed to terms for a seven year budget, plus funds for coronavirus relief

4:40am update: Day 5 of EU budget talks near conclusion, green policy to be slashed

A final negotiating document on an emergency budget has been shared with EU delegates, according to POLITICO.

The budget sees a reduction in the Just Transition Fund, designed to help EU countries move to cleaner energy, by a huge 20 billion.

3:30am update: Report on Russian interference in UK releases today

The Russia report from the UK parliaments intelligence and security committee is set to be released today.

Its release comes nine months after Prime Minister Boris Johnson blocked its publication ahead of the 2019 general election.

Publication of the document comes after the committee rejected Mr Johnsons choice of former minister Chris Grayling as the new chairman.

Members voted by five to four to support the veteran Conservative Julian Lewis instead.

12:00am update:Belgian socialists warn of new election if no coalition formed

Paul Magnette, leader of Belgiums Socialist Party, has warned the country could face another election if a coalition government is not formed in the next 50 days.

After the King tasked him with looking for a possible coalition, Mr Magnette said: We have about 50 days to find a solution, failing which we will have to call a new election.

Currently the country is governed by Sophie Wilms, who was given emergency powers for six months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Wilms, leader of the Reformist Movement party, took over as caretaker Prime Minister due toBelgium'sinconclusive 2019election results.

Dylan Donnelly takes over from Richard Percival

9:30pm update:MPs defeat Tory backbench attempt to guarantee parliamentary approval of post-Brexittrade agreements

Ministers resisted a Tory backbench attempt to give Parliament a definitive say on post-Brexit trade deals as flagship legislation appeared in the Commons this evening.

Concerns were raised that politicians in Westminster would be unable to prevent the Government reneging on commitments to protect the NHS and maintain animal welfare and food standards under the current terms of the Trade Bill.

But the Government stressed UK law offers such protections and any changes would have to come before Parliament.

They rejected new clause four by 263 votes to 326, majority 63.

8pm update: US gets involved in Brexit talks

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday to discuss China, 5G and a Brexitfree trade deal with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Pompeo, who did not speak to reporters on the plane, was due to be greeted by US Ambassador Woody Johnson shortly after landing.

The US State Department said ahead of his visit: "While in London, Secretary Pompeo will meet with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to discuss global priorities, including the COVID-19 economic recovery plans, issues related to the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong, and the US-UK Free Trade Agreement negotiations."

6.30pm update: Sterling reaches highest rate against Euro

The Pound recovered from an early-morning 20-day low against the stronger euro, but investors remained bearish as Britain's bleak economic outlook andBrexitrisks weighed on the currency.

Against the Euro, the pound was at 90.375 pence per Euro, similar levels to last Monday's close

With a new round ofBrexitnegotiations between Britain and the EU beginning on Tuesday, hopes for a trade deal in time for the year-end expiry of the transition period following Britain's departure from the bloc are fading fast.

Kaspar Hense, a portfolio manager at Bluebay Asset Management, said: "There will be a deal but it will be a hardBrexit, probably worse than a Canada deal."

5.30pm update: Scottish Secretary urges united approach on UK internal market after Brexit

Different regulations on goods between Scotland and the rest of the UK will cost consumers, the Scottish Secretary has warned.

Alister Jack has urged the Scottish Government to work with the UK Government on the establishment of the new internal market.

In the past week, a row has developed between Holyrood and Westminster over what the Scottish Government has called a "power grab" using the new Internal Market Bill.

Mr Jack said: "For me, it's fantastic these powers will no longer be exercised in Brussels.

"But it brings a risk that different standards, rules and regulations set in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland could emerge, creating barriers to trade and extra costs for business and consumers.

"That's in no-one's interests."

4.30pm update:Brexitwill split financial markets says Bank of England

Brexit will make markets less efficient but it won't be disastrous for the UK economy, an appointee to the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee has said.

Jonathan Hall, told a confirmation hearing in Parliament's Treasury Select Committee this afternoon: "It will cause fragmentation, it will cause inefficiency, there will be problems with regulation, but it's not going to be disastrous... for the economy."

3:30pm update: Concerns on Government commitment to a Green Brexit

Environmentalists have raised concerns that the Government is "watering down" its appetite for a greenBrexitand recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Environment Secretary George Eustice used a speech to environmental groups this afternoon to insist that the approach to green regulation after the UK quits the EU system will help boost nature.

During the speech, he also stressed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Government want to see a green recovery for the UK as it emerges from the COVID-19 crisis.

But RSPB chief executive Beccy Speight, who was also speaking at the online conference organised by think-tank Green Alliance, voiced the concerns of many in the sector over the gap between the Government's rhetoric and action on the environment.

She said: "We're seeing patterns that show a kind of watering down around the appetite for a greenBrexit, a watering down of the appetite of a green economic recovery."

Ms Speight stressed that we "would want to see more ambition, more heart and certainly more investment in nature" in order to deliver a real, green recovery, warning that what has been announced for nature so far "did not touch the sides" of what is needed.

1.37pm update: 'We will not give up our rights as an independent state' - Downing Street

Britain will continue to engage "constructively" with the EU on a post-Brexit trade deal, but is refusing to give up its rights as an independent state, a spokesman for Boris Johnson has warned.

The spokesman told reporters: "Our position on our sovereignty, laws and fisheries is clear, we will not give up our rights as an independent state.

"We will continue to engage constructively with the EU on these key issues and will work hard to reach the broad outline of an agreement, but as we have been clear all along we are not asking for a special, bespoke or unique deal."

Both sides will resume talks on Tuesday after the UK's chief negotiator David Frost hosts EU counterpart for dinner on Monday evening.

12.39pm update:EU told to do Brexit deal in bid to avoid global unemployment spike like Great Depression

Liam Fox has warned of a possible spike in global unemployment higher than anything since the Great Depression.

During an interview with Sky News, Dr Fox urged the UK and European Union to agree a good open trading relationship post-Brexit.

The former International Trade Secretary stated that a deal between Britain and the EU would give a boost of confidence to the global trading system when it is desperate need of a positive signal.

Mr Fox said: "We want to see Brexit done, I still hope we will see a good open trading relationship between Britain and the European Union.

"I think that now goes beyond the bilateral relationship.

"It is obviously good for Britain and our European partners to have open liberal trade between us.

"I think now the global trading system is slowing down because of COVID, we have the COVID emergency on top of that.

"We may well be seeing problems with global unemployment, a spike higher than we have seen since the Great Depression.

"It is very important that all countries understand that they need to do even more to keep trade moving.

"I think a good agreement between Britain and the EU would give a boost of confidence to the global trading system at a time when it very much needs one."

11.51am update: Liam Fox exposes key 'incentive' for EU to agree quick trade deal

Brexit negotiations could benefit from a new "incentive" the coronavirus pandemic has exposed, according to former International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox.

The UK and EU have been struggling to find common ground to secure a final trade agreement as both sides remain firm over their red lines.

But according to former International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox the coronavirus pandemic has exposed a new "incentive" that could push Brussels into a deal.

Speaking to Times Radio, he said: "I think there is an added incentive now for Britain and the EU to come to a good trade agreement.

"Weve got not only a slowing down of the system but weve got the emergence of COVID.

"Weve probably got an incipient global financial crisis on our hands, or certainly an economic crisis.

"The world lacks one thing at the moment and that is confidence. If we can manage to come to a good trade agreement with the European Union I think that will give a good boost to the international system."

10.55am update:Three quarters of UK hauliers could be shut out of EU if no trade deal agreed

Up to three quarters of British hauliers could be shut out of the EU if a post-Brexit trade deal is not agreed, triggering new fears over shortages of food and other goods.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) warned permits would be made available for only 2,088 businesses from January - significantly down from the 8,348 that were registered for journeys last year.

The trade group warned companies are already under financial pressure because of the coronavirus crisis, and need a resolution within weeks as it prepares for its "Christmas peak".

The FTA's European policy manager Sarah Laouadi said: If you learn whether you have the right to continue operating as a company on Dec 28 and the only fallback plan is the ECMT system, which requires applications and allocations for permits, it will be too late."

10.38am update: Brexit talks could COLLAPSE as stubborn EU digs in heels - UK told to cave over fishing

Brexit talks are in danger of completely collapsing and a no deal scenario becoming increasingly probable, with EU member states digging their heels in on fishing and the level playing field - the UK's red lines.

The UK and EU are resuming talks on a post-Brexit trade deal in London today as the two sides desperately try to thrash out an agreement and overcome a number of hurdles.

Negotiations began in March but following several rounds of talks, both sides have lamented the lack of progress and significant differences that still exist.

This means Britain's future relationship with the bloc remains undecided - more than four years after the UK voted to leave the EU in a historic referendum.

Now allies of Boris Johnson say he believes Brexit talks could completely collapse over the next few weeks as EU member states take an increasingly tough stance against British demands.

Those close to the Prime Minister have warned he is prepared for leaders of the EU27 pulling out next month because of what one source described to The Times as a chasm between the sides.

Russia meddled in Scottish vote, but unclear on Brexit: UK parliamentary report – The Japan Times

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

LONDON Russia sought to meddle in the 2014 Scottish referendum and intelligence agencies should produce an assessment of potential interference in the Brexit referendum, a report by the British parliaments intelligence and security committee said.

There has been credible open source commentary suggesting that Russia undertook influence campaigns in relation to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, the report, which was finished in March 2019, said.

The report was leaked ahead of its publication time by the Guido Fawkes website. Russia has repeatedly denied meddling in the West, casting the United States and Britain as gripped by anti-Russian hysteria.

When discussing the EU referendum, the U.K. parliamentary report is heavily redacted.

In response to our request for written evidence at the outset of the Inquiry, MI5 initially provided just six lines of text. It stated that ***, before referring to academic studies, the redacted version reads.

It is nonetheless the Committees view that the U.K. Intelligence Community should produce an analogous assessment of potential Russian interference in the EU referendum and that an unclassified summary of it be published, the report said.

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Russia meddled in Scottish vote, but unclear on Brexit: UK parliamentary report - The Japan Times

Brexit: Tory backbenchers defeated in attempt to put any future trade deals through parliament – The Independent

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

MPs have defeated an attempt by Tory backbenchers to ensure parliament has a vote on any post-Brexit trade deal.

An amendment to the Trade Bill currently going through the Commons would have given MPs and peers a say on any new agreement signed by the government.

Jonathan Djanogly, the Conservative MP who led the rebellion, had argued that the US congress approves similar deals.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

He accused the government of taking a position of less scrutiny than we did as a member of the EU, because EU trade deals are subject to a vote in the European Parliament.

Although his amendment was supported by Labour and the Liberal Democrats it failed to attract enough Tory rebels to pass.

The clause was rejected by 263 votes to 326, a majority of 63.

During the debate, shadow international trade minister Bill Esterson said the lack of scrutiny threatened to leave the health service "wide open to pharmaceutical giants" and to "undermine" farmers and consumers.

International trade minister Greg Hands insisted the government was "committed to transparency" when it came to the scrutiny of international agreements. During the debate on the Trade Bill, an MP was forced to apologise after he said food in shops had to be affordable for the "housewife to buy".

The DUP's Paul Girvan, the MP for South Antrim, was arguing in favour of retaining the UKs high food standards.

But he added that the UK should aim to ensure that we have a product which is still viable and still economically possible for the housewife to buy.

He added: "I've used the wrong term, I apologise, but those that are buying in their basket, their basket of food in the supermarket, they will definitely be able to get the best value for it."

Originally posted here:

Brexit: Tory backbenchers defeated in attempt to put any future trade deals through parliament - The Independent

UK government failed to find out whether Russia meddled in Brexit vote: report – Reuters

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

LONDON (Reuters) - Britains government failed to find out whether Russia meddled in the 2016 referendum on membership in the EU, a parliamentary report released on Tuesday said, saying the intelligence services should investigate and make their findings public.

Anti-Brexit demonstrator Steve Bray holds a placard as he protests outside Downing Street in London, Britain, July 21, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

The long-anticipated report by parliaments intelligence and security committee found that Russia had tried to influence a separate referendum in 2014 when voters in Scotland rejected independence.

But it said the committee was unable to determine whether Russia had attempted to influence the EU referendum, which led to Britains exit from the bloc this year.

When asked for evidence on suspected Russian meddling in the vote, Britains main domestic intelligence agency MI5 produced just six lines of text, the committee said.

It is nonetheless the Committees view that the UK Intelligence Community should produce an analogous assessment of potential Russian interference in the EU referendum and that an unclassified summary of it be published, it said in the report, which was produced more than a year ago and shelved until now.

The government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who came to power as one of the leading figures in the victorious campaign to leave the EU, rejected the call for a further review. A spokesman for Johnson said the prime minister was confident the referendum result to leave the EU was fair.

The report cast Russia as a hostile power which posed a significant threat to Britain and the West across a range of fronts, from espionage and cyber to election meddling and laundering dirty money.

It appears that Russia considers the UK one of its top Western intelligence targets, the report said.

It said there were open source indications that Russia had sought to influence the Brexit campaign. But hard evidence had not been produced.

The key point is ... they had not sought even to ask that question and that is at the heart of this report, Stewart Hosie, a Scottish National Party member of committee, told reporters.

We saw no evidence because there was no evidence and no one in government sought to look or ask the questions that needed to be asked, said opposition Labour lawmaker Kevan Jones.

Russia has repeatedly denied meddling in the West, casting the United States and Britain as gripped by anti-Russian hysteria.

Russia has never interfered in the electoral processes of any country in the world - not the United States, not Britain, nor any other countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cast the report as Russophobia in a fake frame.

Relations between London and Moscow plunged to post-Cold War lows after Britain blamed Russia for poisoning former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury.

Last week, the British government said it believed Russian actors had tried to meddle in last years general election, which was held after the report published on Tuesday was finished.

When discussing the EU referendum, the report is heavily redacted and there was a classified annex that was not published.

The committee also cast Russia as a source of corrupt money that had been welcomed in London, the worlds premier international financial capital.

The UK welcomed Russian money, and few questions if any were asked about the provenance of this considerable wealth, the report said. The UK has been viewed as a particularly favourable destination for Russian oligarchs and their money.

It offered ideal mechanisms by which illicit finance could be recycled through what has been referred to as the London laundromat, the report said.

Additional reporting by Alexander Marrow in Moscow; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Sarah Young, Paul Sandle and Peter Graff

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UK government failed to find out whether Russia meddled in Brexit vote: report - Reuters

Micheal Martins fury with UK for showing bad faith in Brexit demands – Express

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

The UK stood its ground and told the EU it was not willing to give up our rights on sovereignty, law and fishing in the latest Brexit development. Neither side can find a solution to the main points of contention access to UK fishing waters, governance of a future deal and a so-called level-playing field. There are smaller issues too which have caused grievances for both parties, such as the installation of an EU base in Northern Ireland.

This was suggested by Brussels back in May, as Northern Ireland will be in a unique position in the UK.

The Northern Ireland Protocol states it will remain in the customs union and single market but will not be part of the EU or able to contribute to its rules, according to the agreement reached by former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Boris Johnson last year.

Yet, cabinet minister Michael Gove rejected the idea of a permanent EU base in Belfast in May, claiming there was no need for a mini embassy in that part of the UK.

He conceded that there would be ad hoc visits by Brussels officials but no permanent area was needed.

His comments stirred up discontent in the Irish Dil, when the Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin now the rotating Taoiseach until 2022 accused the Government of showing bad faith.

According to The Irish Times in May, he said that the decision not to allow an office in Belfast is both of concern and in my view potentially highly divisive.

READ MORE:How surprise nation has moved to back Ireland after UK departure

Mr Martin continued: The extraordinary position of London that no European Union office would be agreed for Belfast appears like a demonstration of bad faith concerning the operationalising of what has been agreed relating to Northern Ireland.

It may be some form of negotiating tactic, the logic of which remains hidden.

He added that there was nothing positive about London citing a concern with community divisions in Northern Ireland, which has not existed before.

DON'T MISSHow Northern Ireland turned on Boris Johnsons pilot project' in UK[INSIGHT]How EU pushed to install permanent UK base post-Brexit[EXPLAINED]Why Ireland depends on bare-boned Brexit deal to boost euro[REVEALED]

He concluded: No one in Northern Ireland appears to object to the idea that there'll be any European Union office in Belfast.

Mr Martins words followed complaints from the leaders of pro-Remain parties within Northern Ireland, who also accused Wesminster of bad faith.

Deputy First Minister and Vice President of Sinn Fein Michelle ONeill, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long and Green Party leader Clare Bailey wrote a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier this year.

According to The Irish News report in April, it read: You are aware that under the terms negotiated by your Government, EU representatives have a right under law to be present during any activities relating to the protocol implementation.

It is also for the EU to determine the extent to which it wishes to exercise these rights, including the opening of an office in Belfast staffed by EU representatives who can carry out their functions without interruption by the Westminster Government.

The letter added that it was necessary for liaising with Downing Street, and to oppose the opening of it represents an act of bad faith by your Government and a breach of trust.

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Micheal Martins fury with UK for showing bad faith in Brexit demands - Express

Government rejects ISC’s call for inquiry into Russian interference in Brexit referendum – live news – The Guardian

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

Misinformation and disinformation cause real harm to peoples lives, health, finances, and to our democracy.

Our dangerously out of date election laws have left our elections wide open to disinformation and abuse.

Other free countries have been preparing carefully to protect their elections from foreign and other interference and disinformation campaigns.

For example, the steps Canada has taken as part of its Protecting Democracy programme include: publishing the critical election incident public protocol explaining to citizens how a panel of named public servants will be responsible for warning the public of election interference attempts ...

The UK needs to follow Canadas example and create a process for sharing warnings of election and referendum interference with the voters that is independent of the politicians who are campaigning for our votes.

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Government rejects ISC's call for inquiry into Russian interference in Brexit referendum - live news - The Guardian

Brexit, PM Johnson, the Russia Report evidence of Britain in decline – TheArticle

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

Well, I think we can see why Boris Johnson was worried about the Intelligence and Security Committee report. Even with redactions, it is utterly damning, not just of him and this government, but of the actions and inactions the two Prime Ministers he helped remove, David Cameron and Theresa May.

National security is right up there in the list of responsibilities of a Prime Minister. They have played fast and loose with it, putting their own and their partys interests before the national interest. They didnt want to look for Russian interference in our democracy because they knew they would find it. And for Johnson in particular, who got to the top on the back of a Brexit long seen by the Russians as an important strategic goal, that was a stone best left unturned. Far better to spend his time raising money for the Tory Party by playing tennis with oligarchs and their wives than look into how the millions from the Putin kleptocracy might be undermining our democratic processes.

The report was shocking, but also unsurprising, for it is all of a piece with his character and his record. In the interest of his own ambitions, he has allowed our politics, for all its faults admired and respected around the world, to be corrupted.

Some of you will be aware of the so-called Nolan Principles, drawn up by Lord Nolan at John Majors request after the so-called cash for questions affair in 1994.Honesty. Openness. Integrity. Transparency. Accountability. Selflessness. Leadership by example.

Johnson and Co break one or all of those every day of the week. It used to be a resigning offence to lie at the despatch box. Johnson cant get through a PMQs without transgressing on that one. The Patel bullying. The unexplained Johnson holidays. The Jenrick/Desmond affair. The hounding out of senior civil servants to be replaced by cronies. The awarding of multi million contracts to friends and family without a proper tendering process. If this was an emerging market in Africa, we would be dusting off the banana republic clichs of Johnsons journalist past.And plenty of the Nolan seven have been breached by the governments handling of the Russia Report, which had to be dragged kicking and screaming into daylight.

As the committee members were addressing the press conference, Russia and China will have been laughing at a country in decline. America, due to its current Adminstration, where America First means just that, and where Donald Trump has drunk the Putin Kool-Aid, is indifferent. Europe, the third real global power, is bemused. All of them, however, are united in seeing the UK as a country that has chosen its own decline. Johnson as Prime Minister, and Brexit as his governments main priority, are two very large symbols of that.

At the weekend the BBC played some of the best moments of the London 2012 Olympic Games. I found I couldnt watch. It was just too sad, too depressing to recall the mood of the country then, and to look at Britain today. Whatever the opposite of the Olympic spirit may be, that is what we have now.

Those were two of our best weeks in living memory and then came another two with the best attended and most lauded Paralympic Games of all time. It truly was a wonderful time to be alive, and to be British. The nation felt as united as I can recall it, as happy too. The image projected to the world was one of a country that was competent, confident, at ease with itself.All that has gone.

The Games were a success for British organisation and also for British politics. They were secured and developed under one government, that of Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown, and delivered under another, led by David Cameron and George Osborne. Unlike Prime Minister Johnson, who casts any and all critics and opponents to one side, Prime Minister Cameron made sure that Tessa Jowell, Labours Olympics minister, remained centrally involved and the whole operation became an all party success. Johnson, then Mayor of London, added to the gaiety of the nation, and the strength of his own profile, with a series of photo stunts, most memorably on a zip wire.

Now he is Prime Minister, we have gone from internationalist to nationalist. From outward looking to inward looking. From open and welcoming to closed. A source of respect and fascination back then, increasingly today seen as rather eccentric and frankly a bit disturbed. And all pointing to a dramatic decline in relevance, and therefore power.

Boris Johnson is a thread running through the whole sorry story. London Mayor at the time of London 2012. The chief beneficiary of David Camerons catastrophic decision to call a referendum which Johnson exploited to win the fight for a Brexit he never really believed in, but which successfully ensured Camerons demise and Johnsons elevation to Foreign Secretary under Theresa May. Diplomats describe him as the least informed and least wanting to be informed Foreign Secretary of all time. He was more interested in undermining Mrs May who, eventually, made way for him. He secured the position he had always coveted. Then he landed the general election he wanted fighting for Brexit and against Corbyn and he was home and dry.

But after a year in office, what has he achieved? Got Brexit done? Up to a point, in that we are out, but the future remains uncertain and the form of Brexit about to be foisted upon us bears no relation whatever to the many shades of Brexit that were promised, either at the Take Back Control referendum or the Get Brexit Done election.

The most ardent Brexiteers will have looked on at the recent EU Summit, seeing the wrangles and the disagreements over the economic revival plans, and enjoyed a feeling of schadenfreude. But they reached a deal among 27 countries, something the UK has so far failed properly to do over Brexit, despite Johnsons election claims to have an oven-ready deal. Also, step back a bit from the nationalism and the jingoism, study the waves lapping round the geopolitical waters, and the sense of splendid isolation so beloved by ideological Brexiteers is not one that should give us any comfort at all.

At a time of genuine concern for the future of the world, we have lost strength, and though it might not seem like that from a still all too UK-centric media, that is how the rest of the world sees it. We have lost allies and we have lost clout. At a time of grave economic uncertainty, we are leaving the biggest and most successful single market in the world, and ministers rejoice in securing trade deals with countries at the other end of the world that will not even begin to fill the gap.

Coronavirus will be used by the government to try to explain away any and all problems ahead: economic, political, social and cultural. But the path was set by Brexit before any of us knew our Covid from our Cummings. The course was of British isolation and exceptionalism. It is the bed we made with the Brexit vote and with the failure to secure a second referendum on the outcome of the negotiations. Now we have to lie in that bed.Every government on the planet believes it means decline for the UK.

Meanwhile, the Johnson/Gove/Cummings axis has near unbridled power and appears determined to use it to drive through changes that were never specifically offered, or fought for at the ballot box. Any and all institutions are up for grabs, from the civil service to the BBC, the military and the security services, the independent judiciary, schools that Gove and Cummings damaged badly enough when the former was in charge of our schools. Now Cummings wants to do more.

Johnson has the majority and many of the MPs on his side feel they owe their place in large part to him. So he does as he pleases. It can only endure however if it works for the country. Eventually he will need to show he can govern as well as campaign. Thus far the signs are not good. He has failed on his big ideological challenge, Brexit, which now more than ever is exposed as a fraud. He has failed on his big crisis challenge Covid. And now we know he has failed on one of the main responsibilities as Prime Minister national security. He wont last. The only question is how much irreparable damage he does to the UK while he is there.

Original post:

Brexit, PM Johnson, the Russia Report evidence of Britain in decline - TheArticle

The Wrong Kind of Pallets Threatens Border Trouble After Brexit – BNN

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

(Bloomberg) --

They have played an unglamorous but essential role in business for almost a century. Now a shortage of wooden pallets is threatening to derail Britains cross-border trade with the European Union after Brexit.

From January, wooden pallets moving goods between the U.K. and EU will need to comply with ISPM-15 -- an international rule that requires them to be baked to 56 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes to prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

In a letter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs last month, the head of the U.K.s Timber Packaging and Pallet Confederation warned that Britain wont have enough that comply with the rule -- and the coronavirus has hampered efforts to plug the shortfall.

It is even more unlikely the 1st January, 2021 compliance date will be met, John Dye, the lobby groups president, wrote in the June 7 letter. There has been a lot of progress made by our pragmatic industry, but there is still a lot more to come along.

The shortage adds to a growing list of obstacles that businesses engaged in cross-border trade will face after Britains final parting with the EU at the year-end. Firms are already grappling with how to produce customs declarations for the first time in three decades, while they also face the prospect of their truck movements being policed by an as yet untested government IT system.

According to Dye, as many as 100 million pallets move between the U.K. and EU each year. So far, they havent needed to comply with ISPM-15 because movements between EU member states are exempt -- something that will come to an end when the post-Brexit transition period ends on Dec. 31.

Pallet makers in both the U.K. and EU have been trying to ramp up production, but their efforts have been hit by the pandemic, Dye said. Installations of new kilns to heat-treat pallets were badly delayed by the virus, he said.

It has slowed things up, Dye said by telephone. We were very disappointed the government didnt ask for an extension to cover the six months we lost, he said, referring to the U.K.s decision not to extend the transition period.

Asked whether the U.K. government believes it will have an adequate supply of ISPM-15 compliant pallets ready for Jan. 1, DEFRA didnt give a direct answer.

Strict Enforcement?

Treatment capacity for wooden pallets has increased, the department said in a statement. We are working closely with industry to help ensure a sufficient stock of compliant pallets in time for January.

The ISPM-15 requirement will apply to goods moving in both directions. In a 206-page document outlining its plans for the border after Brexit released last week, the British government said imports may be subject to checks for compliance with the standard.

Dye, who is also the technical & industry affairs director at Scott Pallets, said he hopes the EU wont enforce the rule strictly because the bloc, too, has a shortage of compliant pallets. But he still tells customers that they cant be certain the EU will go easy on the U.K.

They might be stopped, he said of the pallets. Its quite frustrating when politicians are playing with peoples businesses.

2020 Bloomberg L.P.

The Wrong Kind of Pallets Threatens Border Trouble After Brexit - BNN

UK government failed to determine whether Russia meddled in Brexit vote: report – WTVB News

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

Tuesday, July 21, 2020 5:41 a.m. EDT by Thomson Reuters

By Elizabeth Piper and William James

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's government failed to find out whether Russia meddled in the 2016 referendum on membership in the EU, a parliamentary report released on Tuesday said, saying the intelligence services should investigate and make their findings public.

The long-anticipated report by parliament's intelligence and security committee found that Russia had tried to influence a separate referendum in 2014 when voters in Scotland rejected independence.

But it said the committee was unable to determine whether Russia had attempted to influence the EU referendum, which led to Britain's exit from the bloc this year.

When asked for evidence on suspected Russian meddling in the vote, Britain's main domestic intelligence agency MI5 produced just six lines of text, the committee said.

"It is nonetheless the Committees view that the UK Intelligence Community should produce an analogous assessment of potential Russian interference in the EU referendum and that an unclassified summary of it be published," it said in the report, which was produced more than a year ago and shelved until now.

The report cast Russia as a hostile power which posed a significant threat to Britain and the West across a range of fronts, from espionage and cyber to election meddling and laundering dirty money.

"It appears that Russia considers the UK one of its top Western intelligence targets," the report said.

It said there were open source indications that Russia had sought to influence the Brexit campaign. But hard evidence had not been produced.

"The key point is ... they had not sought even to ask that question and that is at the heart of this report," Stewart Hosie, a Scottish National Party member of committee, told reporters.

"We saw no evidence because there was no evidence and no one in government sought to look or ask the questions that needed to be asked," said opposition Labour lawmaker Kevan Jones.

Russia has repeatedly denied meddling in the West, casting the United States and Britain as gripped by anti-Russian hysteria.

"Russia has never interfered in the electoral processes of any country in the world - not the United States, not Britain, nor any other countries," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cast the report as "Russophobia in a fake frame".

RUSSIAN MEDDLING AND MONEY

Last week, the British government said it believed Russian actors had tried to meddle in last year's general election, which was held after the report published on Tuesday was finished.

When discussing the EU referendum, the report is heavily redacted and there was a classified annex that was not published.

The committee also cast Russia as a source of corrupt money that had been welcomed in London, the world's premier international financial capital.

"The UK welcomed Russian money, and few questions if any were asked about the provenance of this considerable wealth," the report said. "The UK has been viewed as a particularly favourable destination for Russian oligarchs and their money."

"It offered ideal mechanisms by which illicit finance could be recycled through what has been referred to as the London 'laundromat'," the report said.

(Additional reporting by Alexander Marrow in Moscow; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Sarah Young, Paul Sandle and Peter Graff)

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UK government failed to determine whether Russia meddled in Brexit vote: report - WTVB News

‘UK govt should probe any Russian interference in 2016 Brexit poll’ – The New Indian Express

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

By AFP

LONDON:The British government should properly investigate any Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum after failing to look into it despite past evidence of Kremlin meddling, a parliamentary report said Tuesday.

It said oligarchs with links to Russian President Vladimir Putin used their wealth for 'extending patronage and building influence across a wide sphere of the British establishment'.

"There should have been an assessment of Russian interference in the referendum. And there must now be one, and the public must be told the results of that assessment," intelligence and security committee member Kevan Jones said.

The report said it could not point to specific evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 vote on Britain's EU membership and a 2014 poll on Scotland's independence from the United Kingdom, which the "no" camp won by 55 per cent to 45 per cent.

But Jones said this happened because the UK government "actively avoided asking the question".

"No one wanted to touch it with a 10-foot pole," Jones said.

"In brief, Russian influence in the UK is the new normal, and there are a lot of Russians with very close links to Putin who are well integrated into the UK business and social scene, and accepted because of their wealth," the report said.

"This level of integration - in 'Londongrad' in particular - means that any measures now being taken by the Government are not preventative but rather constitute damage limitation."

"Londongrad" is widely viewed as a central part of London that is a haven for Russian oligarchs, who invest in luxury properties in prestigious areas such as Chelsea.

The report's release has been delayed for months, leading to accusations for the opposition that Prime Minister Boris Johnson wanted to suppress it.

He came to head the government a year ago, after replacing his Conservative party predecessor Theresa May, who became prime minister immediately after the Brexit vote.

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'UK govt should probe any Russian interference in 2016 Brexit poll' - The New Indian Express

Brexit fury: Former Brexit Party MEP lashes out at Boris Johnson over ‘impossible’ promise – Daily Express

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

Former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib claimed the withdrawal agreement the UK and EU had already signed would cause future issues for Britain. During an interview with Express.co.uk, Mr Habib said there were many problems with the withdrawal agreement regarding Northern Ireland. Mr Habib argued these crucial issues would prevent Boris Johnson from fulfilling his Brexit promises on borders, money and sovereignty.

Mr Habib said: "We can't be certain of getting the best deal possible in these Brexit trade negotiations.

"In many respects, we have already failed the United Kingdom.

"When we signed the withdrawal agreement last year, we signed up to the Northern Irish protocol."

Mr Habib went into greater detail of why he felt the Tory Government and Mr Johnson had failed to do what is best for the UK.

DON'T MISS:Brexiteer reveals transition that will see post-Brexit UK DOMINATE

He continued: "The Northern Irish protocol is a binding international treaty.

"That aspect of the withdrawal agreement commits Northern Ireland, therefore any company that has offshoots from Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, to EU state laws.

"It commits Northern Ireland to EU tax laws as far as excise duties and VAT are concerned.

"It commits Northern Ireland to phytosanitary and sanitary measures, as determined by the European Union.

"And finally commits Northern Ireland to have a border down the Irish sea, between Great Britain and itself."

Mr Habib argued these measures meant Boris Johnson and the Government would not be sticking to the promises they were elected on.

The Brexit Party member said: "All these things make it impossible for the Prime Minister to deliver his manifesto pledges of taking back control of our cash, laws and borders."

He closed by admitting his concerns of any deal the UK and EU agree in the Brexit trade talks.

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Mr Habib said: "Whatever deal comes out between David Frost and Michel Barnier, they so far have not even begun to tackle the Northern Irish protocol.

"There is an elephant in the room that neither party has yet tackled.

"That will become a bigger and more looming elephant as we reach December 2020."

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Brexit fury: Former Brexit Party MEP lashes out at Boris Johnson over 'impossible' promise - Daily Express

UK failed to assess if Russia interfered in Brexit referendum – The Irish Times

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

The British government and British intelligence failed to prepare or conduct any proper assessment of Kremlin attempts to interfere with the 2016 Brexit referendum, according toa long-delayed parliamentary report.

The damning conclusion is contained within the 50-page document from the UK parliaments intelligence and security committee, which said ministers had not seen or sought evidence of successful interference in UK democratic processes.

The committee, which scrutinises the work of Britains spy agencies, said: We have not been provided with any post-referendum assessment of Russian attempts at interference and contrasted the response with that of the US.

This situation is in stark contrast to the US handling of allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, where an intelligence community assessment was produced within two months of the vote, with an unclassified summary being made public.

Committee members said they could not definitively conclude whether the Kremlin had or had not successfully interfered in the Brexit vote because no effort had been made to find out.

Even if the conclusion of any such assessment were that there was minimal interference, this would nonetheless represent a helpful reassurance to the public that the UKs democratic processes had remained relatively safe, the report added.

The cross-party committee noted that publicly available studies have pointed to the preponderance of pro-Brexit or anti-EU stories on the Russia Today and Sputnik TV channels at the time of the vote and the use of bots and trolls on Twitter, as evidence of Russian attempt to influence the process.

Committee members complained that when they asked for written evidence from MI5 at the start of their inquiry, the domestic spy agency initially provided just six lines of text prompting criticism from the committee.

It accused MI5 of operating with extreme caution and said its attitude is illogical because the issue at hand was the protection of the process and mechanism from hostile state interference, which should fall to our intelligence and security agencies.

There was credible open source commentary that Russia undertook influence campaigns relating to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, but despite this no effort was made to look at the Kremlin threat to British democracy until after the Brexit vote.

It was only after Russia hacked a Democratic Party emails in July 2016 that any assessment appears to have been made and the document suggests that some sort of exercise was conducted after the 2017 general election.

Had the relevant parts of the Intelligence Community conducted a similar threat assessment prior to the referendum, it is inconceivable that they would not have reached the same conclusion as to Russian intent, which might then have led them to take action to protect the process, the Russia report adds.

Stewart Hosie, a Scottish National Party MP who was one of only two members of the current committee who drew up the report was scathing about Boris Johnsons and Theresa Mays refusal to look at Kremlin interference in Brexit vote: No one wanted to test this issue with a ten-foot barge pole, he said, saying it was an outrage the report wasnt published before last Decembers election.

Downing Street took its eye off the ball over Russian threat, underestimated the response required, and was still trying to play catch up, he said.

No single organisation within government was prepared to take on the hot potato of defending the UKs democratic processes, the committee concluded. Britains spy agencies saw their job as providing secret intelligence as context for ministers.

Instead the job of maintaining the integrity of British democracy nominally fell to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is largely confined to the broad [government] policy regarding the use of disinformation.

Faced with Russian attempts to try to disrupt and influence British elections, the committee concluded that It has been surprisingly difficult to establish who has responsibility for what.

The keenly anticipated document was completed last October, but was sat on by Boris Johnson before the general election and only declassified and cleared for release by the prime minister in December.

It could not be released until No 10 had nominated Conservative members to the committee, although its nominee for chair Chris Grayling was ambushed by opposition members who voted instead for Julian Lewis.

Downing Street is expected to publish its own response shortly. Guardian

View original post here:

UK failed to assess if Russia interfered in Brexit referendum - The Irish Times

From Brexit To Scottish Referendum, Russia Aggressively Interfering In UK Domestic Politics – EurAsian Times

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

Russia considers the UK one of its top Western intelligence targets, according to a long-awaited report into Russian interference in UK politics published by Britains parliament on Tuesday, also criticizing the government for failing to investigate charges that Russia influenced the 2016 Brexit referendum.

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The report, compiled by parliaments powerful Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), questioned: whether Government took its eye off the ball on Russia, finds that they underestimated the response required to the Russian threat and are still playing catch up.

In a press release summarizing the report, the ISC said: Russian influence in the UK is the new normal. Successive Governments have welcomed the oligarchs and their money with open arms, providing them with a means of recycling illicit finance through the London laundromat, and connections at the highest levels with access to UK companies and political figures.

This, in turn, led to an industry of enablers, including lawyers, accountants, and estate agents who were wittingly or unwittingly de facto agents of the Russian state.

[The] UK is clearly a target for Russian disinformation. While the mechanics of our paper-based voting system are largely sound, we cannot be complacent about a hostile state taking deliberate action with the aim of influencing our democratic processes, the press release warned.

Yet the defence of those democratic processes has appeared something of a hot potato, with no one organisation considering itself to be in the lead, or apparently willing to conduct an assessment of such interference. This must change, it added.

The committee called on social media to take action and remove hostile state material, as well as calling for greater international cooperation, perhaps looking to its US allies: We need other countries to step up with the UK and attach a cost to Putins actions.

The report was blunt about the threat Russia poses to the UK.

The UK is one of Russias top Western intelligence targets: particularly given the UKs firm stance against recent Russian aggression and the UK-led international response to the 2018 Salisbury attack, it said, referring to the poison attack on SergeiSkripal, a former Russian double agent living in the UK, and his daughter.

Russias intelligence services are disproportionately large and powerful and, given the lack of rule of law, are able to act without constraint. The fusion between state, business, and serious and organised crime provides further weight and leverage: Russia is able to pose an all-encompassing security threat which is fuelled by paranoia about the West and a desire to be seen as a resurgent great power, it said.

Russia is a highly capable cyber actor, employing organised crime groups to supplement its cyber skills. Russia carries out malicious cyber activity in order to assert itself aggressively for example, attempting to interfere in other countries elections.

In the face of detailed accusations by Western spy agencies, Russia has denied interfering in other countries elections.

It has been clear for some time that Russia under Putin has moved from potential partner to established threat, fundamentally unwilling to adhere to international law, the report said.

The [London] murder of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 and the annexation of Crimea in 2014 were stark indicators of this. We, therefore, question whether the Government took its eye off the ball because of its focus on counter-terrorism: it was the opinion of the Committee that until recently the Government had badly underestimated the response required to the Russian threat and is still playing catch up.

Russia poses a tough intelligence challenge and our intelligence agencies must have the tools they need to tackle it.

The report confirmed that there was credible evidence that Russia attempted to influence the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, and that this should have served as a wake-up call.

On the hot topic of Brexit, the report said: There have been widespread allegations that Russia sought to influence voters in the 2016 referendum on the UKs membership of the EU: studies have pointed to the preponderance of pro-Brexit or anti-EU stories on [Russian news outlets] RT and Sputnik, and the use of bots and trolls, as evidence.

The actual impact of such attempts on the result itself would be difficult if not impossible to prove.

The report went on to say that the Government was slow to recognise the existence of the threat.

It was only after Russias hacking of the Democratic National Party in the 2016 US presidential election that the UK understood the threat it faced, when it should have been seen as early as 2014.

As a result, the Government did not take action to protect the UKs process in 2016, the report said. In our view, there must be an analogous assessment of Russian interference in the EU referendum.

The report criticized the illogical intelligence services for their unwillingness to examine Russian interference in the Brexit referendum, in stark contrast with US intelligence and congressional investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

Stewart Hosie, a member of the committee, said the government did not know if Russia influenced the Brexit referendum because they did not want to know and actively avoided any effort to look into the issue.

There has been no assessment of Russian interference in the EU referendum and this goes back to nobody wanting to touch the issue with a 10-foot pole, he told a news conference.

There should have been an assessment of Russian interference in the EU referendum and there must now be one, and the public must be told the results of that assessment.

Tobias Ellwood, the chair of parliaments Defence Select Committee, told Sky News: Were actually now seeing the new modern battlefield in play. This is what happens subversion, disinformation, interference in elections.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been widely criticized for delaying publication of the report, despite it being ready for publication since before the last election.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy said: It is extraordinary that the prime minister, Boris Johnson, took the political decision last October ahead of the general election to block the publication of this important report that systematically goes through the threat Russia poses to the UKs national security.

The report is very clear that the government has underestimated the response required to Russia and it is imperative we learn the lessons from the mistakes that have been made.

By Karim El-Bar

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From Brexit To Scottish Referendum, Russia Aggressively Interfering In UK Domestic Politics - EurAsian Times

GBP/USD battles five-week top below 1.2700, focus on Brexit, US-UK trade talks – FXStreet

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

GBP/USD eases from the intraday high of 1.2685 to 1.2675, up 0.10% on a day, while heading into the London open on Tuesday. The pair seesaws in a choppy range following the run-up to multi-day high as key trade talks are set to begin from Tuesday. Even so, bulls remain hopeful as the US dollar refreshes 19-week low amid broad risk-on sentiment.

Global markets cheer the European policymakers agreement over 750 billion Euros of the aid package. The regional leaders manage to offer 350 billion Euros of loans and the rest as grants after five days of tough talks. On the other hand, the US Senators are also up for discussing another tranche of the stimulus. While the ruling Republican party is about to propose $1.0 trillion of an aid package, the opposition Democratic party prepares for over $3.00 trillion to term themselves as a better ruler.

Other than the hopes of further stimulus, coupled with the recently announced actual one, updates that the joint efforts of Oxford University and AstraZeneca are witnessing welcome results of a vaccine trial also favor the markets risk-tone sentiment. Furthermore, the BOEs Chief Economist Andy Haldanes comments that the UK economy hit the floor in April suggested further recoveries. Though, his outlook for negative rates guarded the gains afterward.

Amid all these plays, the US 10-year Treasury yields drop 1.1 basis points to 0.609% while S&P 500 Futures and stocks in Asia pacific cheer the European Union (EU) Summits welcome results.

Moving on, the sixth round of the EU-UK Brexit talks will resume today after the previous disappointments. While the bloc leaders allege Britain for tough demands, updates from the UK Express suggest that the EU fisherman is pushing the regional leader to have the same access to UK waters after Brexit as they have. The same could give rise to a tough start to the already lingering talks, which in turn may weigh on the Pound.

On the contrary, talks between the British and American diplomats in London are likely to go smoothly due to their leaders bonding. However, comments over China and 5G will offer intermediate moves to the markets. Talking about the calendar, the US Chicago Fed National Activity Index for June, prior 2.61, could also entertain the pair traders.

Not only June 16 top near 1.2690 but 200-day SMA close to 1.2705 will also challenge the Cable bulls ahead of opening gates for June month top surrounding 1.2815. Meanwhile, bears will fear of entering unless the quote drops below an ascending trend line from March 20, at 1.2433 now.

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GBP/USD battles five-week top below 1.2700, focus on Brexit, US-UK trade talks - FXStreet

Sen O’Donoghue: Brexit and COVID threatening future of commercial fishing in Ireland – SeafoodSource

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

Sen ODonoghue is the chief executive officer of the Killybegs Fishermens Organisation, the largest producers body of its type in Ireland.

ODonoghue previously worked at the Irish agriculture and fisheries ministries, as well as the national seafood agency, Bord Iascaigh Mhra (BIM). He served on the board of the European Association of Producer Organisations for a decade and is a noted expert in the workings of the European Unions Common Fisheries Policy.

ODonoghue talked to SeafoodSource about falling prices due to a COVID-related collapse in demand, the fishing impacts of Brexit, and explained his opinion as to why there shouldnt be a cut to fuel subsidies at the ongoing World Trade Organization talks on ending harmful subsidies in the global fisheries sector. He also discussed the dispute between fishermen and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) over the method of weighing stocks landed by Irish trawlers.

SeafoodSource: Did the weighing issue you had with the SFPA get sorted out, or are the legal proceedings going ahead?

ODonoghue: We are hoping to get a solution with the SFPA in terms of accurate weighing at the pier side. We are not against weighing on the pier. What we cant accept is weighing of water as fish. We have been working with them [SFPA] very closely in terms of putting in the same flowscale system that exists in the factories which is very accurate putting that on the pier. We are in a very advanced stage of doing that. And if the SFPA signs off on it, then we have solved it there wont be an issue between us.

In terms of the legal proceedings, I am not prepared to comment, but we want that solution as quickly as possible. They are only requesting us in terms of the legal monitoring requirements on them as a control authority of an E.U. member. That is 5 percent of landed and 7.5 percent of a species has to be weighed.

SeafoodSource: You said in May that prices your members were getting for their catch had dropped on average between 50 and 70 percent as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Has the situation improved?

ODonoghue: We were very impacted in April, May, and part of June. Now, prices are down 25 to 35 percent on where they were pre-COVID. This is very worrying. Its not just us; I am in close contact with our European colleagues, but because we are export-oriented, the impact is greater. In our markets like Spain and Italy and the U.K. and China, they were all in lockdown and European markets have not come back to where they were.

SeafoodSource: Have you been able to divert any of your products into other markets, like Asia?

ODonoghue: Our Asian market mainly relates to shellfish and some pelagics. Our mackerel and blue whiting seasons were almost complete when COVID hit. But we are very worried about what happens in the autumn. Our African market is very impacted by lower oil prices, which might be welcome for fishing [fuel] but not for demand in our key markets, like Nigeria.

SeafoodSource: Are you more optimistic or worried about a Brexit fisheries solution?

ODonoghue: We are at a difficult stage. We know now for definite there will be no extension [to the transition period], so its do or die come 31 December. We are concerned that if the whole trade negotiations collapse and theres no deal, [it will be] an unmitigated disaster for the Irish fishing industry and will also impact on the U.K. fishing industry even worse. There will be six meetings [between British and E.U. negotiators] in July and August, with the last one on 17 August. Its absolutely critical for us that the mandate which the E.U. gave [chief Brexit negotiator] Michel Barnier was that fisheries has to be linked to the wider trade negotiations. Barnier has made clear that if there is no fisheries agreement, there will be no trade agreement. Linking these is so important because in 11 of the 12 key areas for discussion, the E.U. has the upper hand. If you have the upper hand on 11 of the 12, then surely you can negotiate on fisheries. [But] assuming theres no give on the E.U. side, the key thing we want is the existing sharing arrangement is maintained. [Ireland] shares a huge number of stocks with the U.K. We cant have negotiations every year on access and quotas.

SeafoodSource: Similar to that kind of negotiations that takes place at the E.U. level every year?

ODonoghue: What we discuss every year is scientific advice but the share of the stocks was decided in 1983. Each nations percentage share doesnt change every year. The U.K. wants a Norway-style deal with the E.U., but we dont discuss every year a sharing arrangement with Norway. This was decided in 1996.

SeafoodSource: There is a new agriculture and fisheries minister in Ireland. How would you like to see him approach his job?

ODonoghue: We have given him our three priorities for discussion: Brexit, a post-COVID reboot for Irish fisheries, and the program for government. There is a whole marine section in the program for government and we want to go through that with him. We do support the program, as there are key things in there about Brexit and COVID, but the important thing will be to implement them.

SeafoodSource: Ireland and Spain were both the target of much criticism this year for allegedly pushing for quota levels beyond scientifically advised levels. Is this criticism fair?

ODonoghue: Neither fair nor accurate. There are totally ignoring that TAC [total allowable catch] and quota system of the E.U. In the E.U. part of the Northeast Atlantic [where Ireland fishes] 99 percent of stocks will be fished at sustainable levels in 2020. They say because we [Ireland] have 21 percent of the mackerel stock, we are 21 percent of the problem. Because Iceland and Russia are fishing beyond sustainable yields, we are presented as being 21 percent of the problem.

SeafoodSource: So there is no sustainability problem in E.U. waters?

ODonoghue: We are not talking about the Mediteranean or the Black Sea, they are a different kettle of fish. But 99 percent of stocks in the Northeast Atlantic are sustainable.

SeafoodSource: Do you think there are overcapacity issues in the European fleet?

ODonoghue: There is a definitional problem. At the moment, the capacity figures related to gross tonnage and power. But its not about capacity or power rather, its about if you have sufficient access to quota to be viable. We need to look at each fleet and the size and the target of that fleet. Do they have access to sufficient quota to be viable? If not, then we have to start introducing decommissioning.

SeafoodSource: How do you view the ongoing talks at the WTO on ending what's termed as harmful subsidies to fisheries?

ODonoghue: I am totally opposed to subsidies that increase capacity, provided were defining capacity properly. But as for fuel, we dont support the removal of the fuel subsidy, as this would make our fleets unviable. If you remove the fuel subsidy and increased carbon tax to EUR 100 [USD 114] per ton [as proposed by Irish government], then overnight, you go to a situation where fuel is six times what you pay now. European fleets cant survive in that scenario and wed become even more dependent on imports.

SeafoodSource:How do you end overfishing?

ODonoghue: You focus on IUU [illegal, unreported, and unregulated] fishing. Most of the international waters have bodies controlling them. The E.U. has been at the forefront on IUU, [and] the industry has really been behind the E.U. on this, because it affects our markets big-time.

SeafoodSource: Many of those international bodies under-resourced and ineffective in policing IUU fishing. What do you do about that?

ODonoghue: Yes. But thats where the E.U. has to come in and has been coming in to strengthen those bodies. [By] bringing [them] in under the law of the sea.

Photo courtesy ofSen ODonoghue

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Sen O'Donoghue: Brexit and COVID threatening future of commercial fishing in Ireland - SeafoodSource

Brexit latest: Ex-cricketer Ian Botham to be made peer as 80 per cent of deal agreed LIVE updates – The Sun

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

BORIS Johnson is set to reward Brexit supporters including Sir Ian Botham with life peerages, it has been reported.

It comes as British and EU negotiators have agreed 80 per cent of a Brexit deal.

A report from MakeUK and BDO revealed regions that had previously been Labour constituencies were now at most risk from a no-deal Brexit.

Areas such as Wales, north-east of England, and Yorkshire and Humber face losing out as nearly two-thirds of their exports go to the EU.

Experts warn that along with the coronavirus pandemic, it could be 'fatal' for some companies.

This latest report comes days after a furious exchanges in the House of Commons regarding the future of Brexit - with the Scottish National Party accused by the government of "stirring up division" as they debated an extension to the transition period beyond 2020.

Scottish Government analysis has found ending the transition period in 2020 could remove 3 billion from the Scottish economy in two years on top of the impact of coronavirus.

Meanwhile Home Secretary Priti Patel announced on Thursday the criteria for the points-based immigration system.

She revealed that foreign nationals coming to the UK for work purposes must have 70 points to successfully apply.

Follow our live blog below for all the latest news and updates.

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Brexit latest: Ex-cricketer Ian Botham to be made peer as 80 per cent of deal agreed LIVE updates - The Sun

These MPs just voted against protecting the NHS from a post-Brexit trade deal – The New European

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Danzig

PUBLISHED: 08:23 21 July 2020 | UPDATED: 09:25 21 July 2020

Results of a vote is announced in the House of Commons. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/House of Commons.

HOC/JESSICA TAYLOR

An amendment to the governments Trade Bill intended to protect the NHS and publicly funded health and care services from any form of control from outside the UK has been defeated.

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The government insisted UK law offers such protections and any changes would have to come before parliament.

But for Labour, shadow international trade minister Bill Esterson said the lack of scrutiny threatens to leave the health service wide open to pharmaceutical giants.

MPs voted by 340 votes to 251 against supporting the amendment.

We Own It campaigns officer Ellen Lees said: Its frankly sickening that at a time when were more reliant on our NHS than ever before, the government has steaollered through parliament a Trade Bill that offers absolutely no protection for our treasured NHS. Were now at risk of higher drug prices, private companies being able to sue the government if it tries to limit their ability to profit from our healthcare, and Donald Trump getting his hands on our NHS.

Worse still, parliament wont even get to have a say in any future trade deals - meaning our NHS could be offered up on a silver platter to the highest bidder, and we wouldnt know a thing about it before a trade deal is signed and sealed.

This government promised to take back control but theyre doing the opposite. They promised to keep the NHS off the table. Theyre doing the opposite. Now its time for the House of Lords to step up to the plate and fight back against this totally undemocratic power grab from the government.

These MPs voted against the proposal:

Ada, Nigel

Afriyie, Adam

Ahmad Khan, Ian

Aiken, Nickie

Aldous, Peter

Allan, Lucy

Amess, Sir David

Anderson, Lee

Anderson, Stuart

Ansell, Caroline

Argar, Edward

Atherton, Sarah

Atkins, Victoria

Bacon, Gareth

Bacon, Richard

Badenoch, Kemi

Bailey, Shaun

Baillie, Siobhan

Baker, Duncan

Baker, Steve

Baldwin, Harriett

Baron, John

Baynes, Simon

Bell, Aaron

Benton, Scott

Beresford, Sir Paul

Berry, Jake

Bhatti, Saqib

Blackman, Bob

Blunt, Crispin

Bone, Peter

Bowie, Andrew

Bradley, Ben

Bradley, Karen

Braverman, Suella

Brereton, Jack

Bridgen, Andrew

Brine, Steve

Bristow, Paul

Britcliffe, Sara

Brokenshire, James

Browne, Anthony

Bruce, Fiona

Buchan, Felicity

Buckland, Robert

Burghart, Alex

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Burns, Conor

Butler, Rob

Cairns, Alun

Carter, Andy

Cartlidge, James

Cash, Sir William

Cates, Miriam

Caulfield, Maria

Chalk, Alex

Chishti, Rehman

Churchill, Jo

Clark, Greg

Clarke, Simon

Clarke, Theo

Clarke-Smith, Brendan

Clarkson, Chris

Cleverly, James

Clifton-Brown, Sir Geoffrey

Coffey, Dr Thrse

Colburn, Elliot

Collins, Damian

Costa, Alberto

Courts, Robert

Coutinho, Claire

Cox, Geoffrey

Crabb, Stephen

Crosbie, Virginia

Crouch, Tracey

Daly, James

Davies, David T. C.

Davies, Gareth

Davies, Dr James

Davies, Mi

Davis, David

Davison, Dehenna

Dinenage, Caroline

Dines, Miss Sarah

Djanogly, Jonathan

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These MPs just voted against protecting the NHS from a post-Brexit trade deal - The New European

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