Johnson: UK to consider joining US-led military effort in Gulf - Aljazeera.com

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the United Kingdom will consider taking part in a US-led military effort to bolster Saudi Arabia's defences, as he accused Tehran of being behind this month's attacks on two major oil facilities in the kingdom.

The UK had previously held back from attributing blame for the September 14 attacks on the Saudi Aramco plants - responsibility for which was claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have been locked in a war with a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2015.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have dismissed the Houthis' claim and say Iran was responsible for the attacks, a charge Tehran denies.

The Pentagon announced on Friday it would send additional US troops and missile defence equipment to Saudi Arabia and the UAE as part of a "defensive" deployment. Officials said the number of troops was likely to be in the hundreds. 

"Clearly, if we are asked, either by the Saudis or by the Americans, to have a role then we will consider in what way we could be useful," Johnson told reporters on Sunday on the plane to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Last month, the UK joined a US-led maritime coalition in the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington said was needed to protect shipping routes in the strategic oil transport chokepoint.

He stressed the need for a diplomatic response to the heightened Gulf tensions but said "the UK is attributing responsibility with a very high degree of probability to Iran" for the attacks. 

His comments came hours after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned Western powers to "stay away", urging them to leave the security of the Gulf to regional nations led by Tehran.

Crumbling nuclear deal

Relations between the US and Iran have plummeted since US President Donald Trump in 2018 pulled Washington out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and reimposed crippling sanctions as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran.

Trump's unilateral move came despite fierce opposition by the European signatories to the landmark pact, including Britain, which still adhere to it.

At this week's high-level UN gathering, Johnson is due to hold talks with Trump and Rouhani, as well as the leaders of France and Germany, the other two European countries scrambling to save the crumbling nuclear deal. 

Johnson, who became prime minister in July, said he wanted the UK to be "a bridge between our European friends and the Americans when it comes to the crisis in the Gulf".

"We will be working with our American friends and our European friends to construct a response that tries to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf region."

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/johnson-uk-joining-led-military-effort-gulf-190923054344974.html

2019-09-23 07:48:00Z
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Boris Johnson 'must address conflict of interest claims' - BBC News

Labour has urged Boris Johnson to address claims he failed to declare a potential conflict of interest in how money was given to a US businesswoman while he was London mayor.

The Sunday Times said Jennifer Arcuri, an entrepreneur associated with Mr Johnson, joined trade missions he led and was given £126,000 in public money.

She told the paper this was part of her role as a legitimate businesswoman.

No 10 declined to comment. A government department says it is investigating.

Ms Acuri was quoted by the Sunday Times as saying: "Any grants received by my companies and any trade mission I joined were purely in respect of my role as a legitimate businesswoman."

The BBC has contacted her for comment.

Labour's London mayor Sadiq Khan has told the BBC that he has ordered City Hall officials to look into the allegations.

Mr Khan said: "All I know is what I have seen in the press. These are very serious allegations. At the moment they are just allegations.

"I have asked my chief of staff to ask City Hall officials to look into what process there was during this time, were those processes followed, but also whether there are also any lessons that need to be learned."

The newspaper says she moved back to the US in June 2018, but her latest company won a £100,000 grant intended for "English-based" businesses earlier this year.

The Sunday Times said it had found the registered address on the grant application form is a rented house in the UK and no longer connected to her.

The paper said the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport was investigating the award of the grant after the newspaper's inquiries.

The government has now confirmed to the BBC it is investigating. But it highlighted the funds were awarded to a UK-registered company.

A statement from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: "Funding for this scheme was awarded through open and fair competition.

"We regularly monitor grant initiatives and treat any allegations of impropriety with the utmost seriousness."

The Sunday Times claims one of Ms Arcuri's businesses also received £10,000 in sponsorship money from a mayoral organisation when Mr Johnson was in office, and she received a £15,000 government grant for foreign entrepreneurs to build businesses in Britain.

Call for disclosure

Jon Trickett, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said Mr Johnson should provide full disclosure on the allegations.

"Boris Johnson must now give a full account of his actions in response to these grave and most serious allegations of the misuse use of public money in his former role as mayor of London," Mr Trickett said in a statement.

"The public has a right to know how and why these funds were used for the benefit of a close personal friend without on the face of it legitimate reason.

"This cannot be swept under the carpet. It is a matter of the integrity of the man now leading our country, who appears to believe he can get away with anything."

Mr Johnson was London mayor between 2008 and 2016.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49786650

2019-09-23 03:48:45Z
CBMiLWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay1wb2xpdGljcy00OTc4NjY1MNIBMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstcG9saXRpY3MtNDk3ODY2NTA

UK travel giant Thomas Cook faces collapse - msnNOW

It may be the end of a long road

Running out of alternatives to bankruptcy

Thomas Cook's main shareholder appears to have decided that enough is enough

3/3 SLIDES

Thomas Cook's 178-year existence was hanging by a thread on Sunday after the iconic British travel firm struggled to find further private investment and is now relying on an unlikely government bailout.

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The operator said Friday that it needed £200 million ($250 million) -- in addition to the £900-million rescue deal secured last month -- or else face administration, which could leave thousands of holidaymakers stranded and require Britain's largest repatriation since World War II.

A source close to the negotiations told AFP on Saturday that the company had failed to find the £200 million from private investors and would collapse unless the government intervened.

But ministers are unlikely to step in due to worries about the pioneering operator's longer-term viability, the Times reported on Saturday, leaving it on the brink of collapse and stranding up to 150,000 British holidaymakers abroad.

"We will know by tomorrow (Sunday) if agreement is reached," the source told AFP.

Conservative Party minister Brandon Lewis told Sky News on Sunday that it would be "inappropriate" for him to comment on the negotiations, but said that he hoped "they come to a positive conclusion".

The firm's shareholders and creditors were to meet from 9 am (0800 GMT) on Sunday, with a meeting of the board of directors due to be held in the afternoon.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents workers at the company, called on the government to rescue the firm.

"It is incumbent upon the government to act if required and save this iconic cornerstone of the British high street and the thousands of jobs that go with it," said TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes.

"The company must be rescued no matter what."

Two years ago, the collapse of Monarch Airlines prompted the British government to take emergency action to return 110,000 stranded passengers, costing taxpayers some £60 million on hiring planes.

The government at the time described it as Britain's "biggest-ever peacetime repatriation".

- Jobs threatened -

Thousands of workers could also lose their jobs, with the company employing about 22,000 staff worldwide, including 9,000 in Britain.

Chinese peer Fosun, which was already the biggest shareholder in Thomas Cook, agreed last month to inject £450 million into the business.

In return, the Hong Kong-listed conglomerate acquired a 75 percent stake in Thomas Cook's tour operating division and 25 percent of its airline unit.

Thomas Cook in May revealed that first-half losses widened on a major write-down, caused in part by Brexit uncertainty that delayed summer holiday bookings. The group, which has around 600 stores across the UK, has also come under pressure from fierce online competition.

Cabinet maker Thomas Cook created the travel firm in 1841 to carry temperance supporters by train between British cities.

It soon began arranging foreign trips, being the first operator to take British travellers on escorted visits to Europe in 1855, to the United States in 1866 and on a round-the-world trips in 1872.

The company was also a pioneer in introducing "circular note" -- products that would later become traveller's cheques.

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2019-09-22 10:00:00Z
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Brexit secretary: EU and UK share common purpose - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay has said the UK and EU share a "common purpose" in reaching a new withdrawal deal, after a meeting in Brussels with chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier.

He said they had had "serious detailed discussions" and things were "moving forward with momentum".

Mr Barnier said it had been a "cordial" meeting, but "lots of work has to be done in the next few days".

The deadline for the UK to exit the EU is 31 October.

On Thursday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said a new Brexit deal could still be reached by then.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said some "progress" was being made, although it was important not to "exaggerate" this.

But Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told the BBC on Friday that there was a "wide gap" between the UK and the EU, with Brussels "still waiting for serious proposals" from London.

And a leaked memo from the European Commission said the UK had confirmed its proposals for replacing the Irish backstop "do not amount to legally operational solutions and would have to be developed during the transitional period".

The memo also said the UK's proposals did not avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, or preserve the integrity of the single market.

However, a UK government source insisted their proposals were "serious and workable" and would avoid a hard border.

"As for the Commission, two months ago they said we couldn't reopen the withdrawal agreement and there was absolutely no alternative to the backstop - now we are having detailed discussions.

"Leaks from Brussels on Twitter are par for the course, you can set your watch by them.

"What we're focused on is actually getting a deal in the room - we trust they'll do the same."

The backstop - the policy aimed at preventing the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit - has proved the biggest point of contention in EU-UK talks so far,

It was a major sticking point in former Prime Minister Theresa May's attempts to get Parliament to back her withdrawal agreement, which was rejected three times by MPs.

Enough oomph for a breakthrough?

Amid the white noise of Brexit, there has only ever been one question that really matters: is there any sign that things might be about to change?

Meetings get excitedly talked up in advance (I plead guilty). Anodyne statements follow shortly afterwards.

In short, the EU says the UK has not yet provided enough detail on a plan to replace the so-called backstop, to keep the border on the island of Ireland open under all circumstances.

The UK says it is dreaming up all sorts of ideas.

So what happens next? New York. A shindig at the United Nations next week - and with it the chance for the prime minister to have one-on-one chats with the likes of President Macron of France and Chancellor Merkel of Germany.

Could they provide the oomph needed to knock together a deal?

It still looks less likely than likely, but who knows?

Mr Johnson, who has said he wants to leave the EU - preferably with a deal - by 31 October, has urged the EU to scrap the backstop.

But the EU has asked for detailed alternative proposals.

Following the latest meeting, which overran, Mr Barclay said: "There's a common purpose in Dublin, in London and here in Brussels to see a deal over the line."

He added that the two sides had been "getting into the detail" and that more "technical" discussions would happen next week.

Mr Johnson and European Council President Donald Tusk are also expected to hold talks when the United Nations General Assembly takes place in New York next week.

Mr Barclay said this "underscores the purpose there is on both sides to get a deal and that is what we are working very hard to secure".

Media playback is unsupported on your device

He added that "a clear message has been given both by President Juncker and the prime minister" and both sides were "working hard".

Also speaking after the meeting, Mr Barnier said he was not optimistic or pessimistic but "still determined".

"Brexit is a school of patience but we are still ready to reach an agreement," he said.

He said that any proposal from the UK to replace the backstop "must reach all the objectives of the backstop".

These were to "protect the peace in Ireland, to protect the all=Ireland economy, and also to protect the consumers and the businesses of the EU and the single market", Mr Barnier said.

The prime minister has said the UK needs to leave in a way that allows it to "do things differently" and "not remain under the control of the EU in terms of laws and trade policy".

But he also reiterated the need to ensure no hard border returned to Northern Ireland, and the Good Friday Agreement - which helped bring an end to the Troubles - was protected.

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Your guide to Brexit jargon

Use the list below or select a button

On Thursday, the UK government said confidential documents that "reflect the ideas the UK has put forward" on Brexit had been shared with the EU.

This happened after Finland's prime minister said Mr Johnson had 12 days to set out his Brexit plans to the EU - although a government source said the development was not in response to those remarks.

Thursday saw the final day of the legal battle over Mr Johnson's decision to prorogue - suspend - Parliament at the UK's Supreme Court.

Its president, Lady Hale, promised a decision early next week.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49764546

2019-09-21 09:15:47Z
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Brexit secretary: EU and UK share common purpose - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay has said the UK and EU share a "common purpose" in reaching a new withdrawal deal, after a meeting in Brussels with chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier.

He said they had had "serious detailed discussions" and things were "moving forward with momentum".

Mr Barnier said it had been a "cordial" meeting, but "lots of work has to be done in the next few days".

The deadline for the UK to exit the EU is 31 October.

On Thursday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said a new Brexit deal could still be reached by then.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said some "progress" was being made, although it was important not to "exaggerate" this.

But Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told the BBC on Friday that there was a "wide gap" between the UK and the EU, with Brussels "still waiting for serious proposals" from London.

And a leaked memo from the European Commission said the UK had confirmed its proposals for replacing the Irish backstop "do not amount to legally operational solutions and would have to be developed during the transitional period".

The memo also said the UK's proposals did not avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, or preserve the integrity of the single market.

However, a UK government source insisted their proposals were "serious and workable" and would avoid a hard border.

"As for the Commission, two months ago they said we couldn't reopen the withdrawal agreement and there was absolutely no alternative to the backstop - now we are having detailed discussions.

"Leaks from Brussels on Twitter are par for the course, you can set your watch by them.

"What we're focused on is actually getting a deal in the room - we trust they'll do the same."

The backstop - the policy aimed at preventing the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit - has proved the biggest point of contention in EU-UK talks so far,

It was a major sticking point in former Prime Minister Theresa May's attempts to get Parliament to back her withdrawal agreement, which was rejected three times by MPs.

Enough oomph for a breakthrough?

Amid the white noise of Brexit, there has only ever been one question that really matters: is there any sign that things might be about to change?

Meetings get excitedly talked up in advance (I plead guilty). Anodyne statements follow shortly afterwards.

In short, the EU says the UK has not yet provided enough detail on a plan to replace the so-called backstop, to keep the border on the island of Ireland open under all circumstances.

The UK says it is dreaming up all sorts of ideas.

So what happens next? New York. A shindig at the United Nations next week - and with it the chance for the prime minister to have one-on-one chats with the likes of President Macron of France and Chancellor Merkel of Germany.

Could they provide the oomph needed to knock together a deal?

It still looks less likely than likely, but who knows?

Mr Johnson, who has said he wants to leave the EU - preferably with a deal - by 31 October, has urged the EU to scrap the backstop.

But the EU has asked for detailed alternative proposals.

Following the latest meeting, which overran, Mr Barclay said: "There's a common purpose in Dublin, in London and here in Brussels to see a deal over the line."

He added that the two sides had been "getting into the detail" and that more "technical" discussions would happen next week.

Mr Johnson and European Council President Donald Tusk are also expected to hold talks when the United Nations General Assembly takes place in New York next week.

Mr Barclay said this "underscores the purpose there is on both sides to get a deal and that is what we are working very hard to secure".

Media playback is unsupported on your device

He added that "a clear message has been given both by President Juncker and the prime minister" and both sides were "working hard".

Also speaking after the meeting, Mr Barnier said he was not optimistic or pessimistic but "still determined".

"Brexit is a school of patience but we are still ready to reach an agreement," he said.

He said that any proposal from the UK to replace the backstop "must reach all the objectives of the backstop".

These were to "protect the peace in Ireland, to protect the all=Ireland economy, and also to protect the consumers and the businesses of the EU and the single market", Mr Barnier said.

The prime minister has said the UK needs to leave in a way that allows it to "do things differently" and "not remain under the control of the EU in terms of laws and trade policy".

But he also reiterated the need to ensure no hard border returned to Northern Ireland, and the Good Friday Agreement - which helped bring an end to the Troubles - was protected.

Please upgrade your browser

Your guide to Brexit jargon

Use the list below or select a button

On Thursday, the UK government said confidential documents that "reflect the ideas the UK has put forward" on Brexit had been shared with the EU.

This happened after Finland's prime minister said Mr Johnson had 12 days to set out his Brexit plans to the EU - although a government source said the development was not in response to those remarks.

Thursday saw the final day of the legal battle over Mr Johnson's decision to prorogue - suspend - Parliament at the UK's Supreme Court.

Its president, Lady Hale, promised a decision early next week.

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2019-09-21 07:38:46Z
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The Scottish people are on the brink of backing independence from the UK - Business Insider

Getty

• Support for Scottish independence appears to have reached a tipping point due to Brexit.
• Analysis of six recent opinion polls puts average support for independence in Scotland at 49% - once undecided voters are excluded.
• One recent poll found a majority of 52% of decided voters now back leaving the UK.
• The shift towards independence has been entirely driven by voters opposed to Brexit, according to new analysis by the UK's leading pollster.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Scottish public is now on the brink of backing independence from the United Kingdom due to Brexit.

That's the unavoidable conclusion to be drawn from the most recent opinion polls.

Analysis this week of six recent surveys by the UK's leading pollster John Curtice found that support for independence among decided voters is now at 49% - just shy of a majority.

What Scotland Thinks

Indeed that majority may have already arrived, according to one recent poll.

According to a survey by the pollster Lord Ashcroft back in August, support for independence was at 52% after undecided voters were excluded.

The claim that Scottish voters do not want another vote is also hard to sustain from this data, with Curtice's analysis showing a clear shift among both pro and anti-independence voters, towards wanting another referendum.

Brexit is driving the UK apart

Getty

The shift towards independence among Scots — an average increase in four points from the start of the year — has been driven entirely by voters who are unhappy about the prospect of Brexit.

"All of this increase in support for Yes registered by the polls has occurred among those who voted Remain," Curtice writes.

"The claim that Brexit does not pose any risk to Scotland's future membership of the Union now looks significantly more difficult to sustain."

Indeed, with one recent poll also finding a majority for independence in Northern Ireland, it appears that the warnings that Brexit risked tearing the United Kingdom apart are starting to be realised.

Our Brexit Insider Facebook group is the best place for up-to-date news and analysis about Britain’s departure from the EU, direct from Business Insider’s political reporters. Join here.

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2019-09-21 07:36:35Z
CAIiEIc0Vp9rxIuTe_3WU9yYjzAqLggEKiUIACIbd3d3LmJ1c2luZXNzaW5zaWRlci5jb20vc2FpKgQICjAMMJzw5wE

Brexit secretary: EU and UK share common purpose - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay has said the UK and EU share a "common purpose" in reaching a new withdrawal deal, after a meeting in Brussels with chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier.

He said they had had "serious detailed discussions" and things were "moving forward with momentum".

Mr Barnier said it had been a "cordial" meeting, but "lots of work has to be done in the next few days".

The deadline for the UK to exit the EU is 31 October.

On Thursday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said a new Brexit deal could still be reached by then.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said some "progress" was being made, although it was important not to "exaggerate" this.

But Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told the BBC on Friday that there was a "wide gap" between the UK and the EU, with Brussels "still waiting for serious proposals" from London.

And a leaked memo from the European Commission said the UK had confirmed its proposals for replacing the Irish backstop "do not amount to legally operational solutions and would have to be developed during the transitional period".

The memo also said the UK's proposals did not avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, or preserve the integrity of the single market.

However, a UK government source insisted their proposals were "serious and workable" and would avoid a hard border.

"As for the Commission, two months ago they said we couldn't reopen the withdrawal agreement and there was absolutely no alternative to the backstop - now we are having detailed discussions.

"Leaks from Brussels on Twitter are par for the course, you can set your watch by them.

"What we're focused on is actually getting a deal in the room - we trust they'll do the same."

The backstop - the policy aimed at preventing the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit - has proved the biggest point of contention in EU-UK talks so far,

It was a major sticking point in former Prime Minister Theresa May's attempts to get Parliament to back her withdrawal agreement, which was rejected three times by MPs.

Enough oomph for a breakthrough?

Amid the white noise of Brexit, there has only ever been one question that really matters: is there any sign that things might be about to change?

Meetings get excitedly talked up in advance (I plead guilty). Anodyne statements follow shortly afterwards.

In short, the EU says the UK has not yet provided enough detail on a plan to replace the so-called backstop, to keep the border on the island of Ireland open under all circumstances.

The UK says it is dreaming up all sorts of ideas.

So what happens next? New York. A shindig at the United Nations next week - and with it the chance for the prime minister to have one-on-one chats with the likes of President Macron of France and Chancellor Merkel of Germany.

Could they provide the oomph needed to knock together a deal?

It still looks less likely than likely, but who knows?

Mr Johnson, who has said he wants to leave the EU - preferably with a deal - by 31 October, has urged the EU to scrap the backstop.

But the EU has asked for detailed alternative proposals.

Following the latest meeting, which overran, Mr Barclay said: "There's a common purpose in Dublin, in London and here in Brussels to see a deal over the line."

He added that the two sides had been "getting into the detail" and that more "technical" discussions would happen next week.

Mr Johnson and European Council President Donald Tusk are also expected to hold talks when the United Nations General Assembly takes place in New York next week.

Mr Barclay said this "underscores the purpose there is on both sides to get a deal and that is what we are working very hard to secure".

Media playback is unsupported on your device

He added that "a clear message has been given both by President Juncker and the prime minister" and both sides were "working hard".

Also speaking after the meeting, Mr Barnier said he was not optimistic or pessimistic but "still determined".

"Brexit is a school of patience but we are still ready to reach an agreement," he said.

He said that any proposal from the UK to replace the backstop "must reach all the objectives of the backstop".

These were to "protect the peace in Ireland, to protect the all=Ireland economy, and also to protect the consumers and the businesses of the EU and the single market", Mr Barnier said.

The prime minister has said the UK needs to leave in a way that allows it to "do things differently" and "not remain under the control of the EU in terms of laws and trade policy".

But he also reiterated the need to ensure no hard border returned to Northern Ireland, and the Good Friday Agreement - which helped bring an end to the Troubles - was protected.

Please upgrade your browser

Your guide to Brexit jargon

Use the list below or select a button

On Thursday, the UK government said confidential documents that "reflect the ideas the UK has put forward" on Brexit had been shared with the EU.

This happened after Finland's prime minister said Mr Johnson had 12 days to set out his Brexit plans to the EU - although a government source said the development was not in response to those remarks.

Thursday saw the final day of the legal battle over Mr Johnson's decision to prorogue - suspend - Parliament at the UK's Supreme Court.

Its president, Lady Hale, promised a decision early next week.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49764546

2019-09-21 07:13:35Z
52780386775606