Babak Belurs

Sabtu, 01 Februari 2020

Brexit: UK leaves the European Union - BBC News

The UK has officially left the European Union after 47 years of membership - and more than three years after it voted to do so in a referendum.

The historic moment, which happened at 23:00 GMT, was marked by both celebrations and anti-Brexit protests.

Candlelit vigils were held in Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU, while Brexiteers partied in London's Parliament Square.

Boris Johnson has vowed to bring the country together and "take us forward".

In a message released on social media an hour before the UK's departure, the prime minister said: "For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come.

"And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss."

He said some had worried the political "wrangle" would not end but it was his job to take the country forward.

How did the UK mark the moment?

Brexit parties were held in pubs and social clubs across the UK as the country counted down to its official departure.

Hundreds gathered in Parliament Square to celebrate Brexit, singing patriotic songs and cheering speeches from leading Brexiteers, including Nigel Farage.

The Brexit Party leader said: "Let us celebrate tonight as we have never done before.

"This is the greatest moment in the modern history of our great nation."

Pro-EU demonstrators earlier staged a march in Whitehall to bid a "fond farewell" to the union - and anti-Brexit rallies and candlelit vigils were held in Scotland.

Police in Whitehall arrested four men and also charged one man with criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly, while in Glasgow one man was arrested.

Meanwhile, other symbolic moments on a day of mixed emotions included:

The Union flag being removed from the European Union institutions in Brussels
The Cabinet meeting in Sunderland, the first city to declare in favour of Brexit when the 2016 results were announced
A light show illuminating 10 Downing Street and Union flags lining The Mall
A 50p coin to mark the occasion entering circulation
The building of the UK government's delegation to the EU changed its name and sign

In Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit staged a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Irish Republic.

The Irish border - now the UK's land border with the EU - was a major sticking point in the Brexit divorce talks.

NI and the Irish Republic "will continue to remain neighbours", said NI First Minister Arlene Foster on RTÉ on Friday.

At 23:00 GMT, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted a picture of the EU flag, adding: "Scotland will return to the heart of Europe as an independent country - #LeaveALightOnForScotland".

Ms Sturgeon is calling for a new referendum on Scottish independence, arguing that Brexit is a "material change in circumstances".

Speaking in Cardiff, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales, which voted to leave the EU, remained a "European nation".

Labour MP Hilary Benn, who chairs the Brexit select committee and backed Remain, said he was "sad last night... but we have to accept it".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the UK was always a "reluctant" EU nation, adding: "We joined late and we left early."

What now? It's happened.

A dreary night didn't discourage those celebrating in Parliament Square. We wake this morning out of the European Union. But we follow their rules until the end of the year, without a say.

We are separate after more than 40 years, but remember much of the status quo will hold for now - the UK and the EU, the awkward couple, finally divorced - but still sharing a house and the bills.

But what the prime minister hails as a new era, a bright new dawn, starts months of hard bargaining with our neighbours across the Channel.

The UK's requests: a free trade agreement, cooperation on security, and new arrangements for fishing are just some of the vital arguments that lie ahead.

What happens now?

UK citizens will notice few immediate changes now that the country is no longer in the European Union.

Most EU laws will continue to be in force - including the free movement of people - until 31 December, when the transition period comes to an end.

The UK is aiming to sign a permanent free trade agreement with the EU, along the lines of the one the EU has with Canada.

But European leaders have warned that the UK faces a tough battle to get a deal by that deadline.

Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said agreeing a trade deal was "not a charitable exercise, this is an exercise of both sides recognising their own best interests".

"From today, we are their [the EU's] biggest export market," he told the Today programme.

What's the reaction in Europe?

In an open letter to the British people, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "deeply sad" but: "The channel has never managed to separate our destinies; Brexit will not do so, either."

He also defended the way France acted in the negotiations, saying neither the French nor anyone else in the EU was "driven by a desire for revenge or punishment".

Meanwhile, the European Parliament's Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt said he would "look after your star and work to ensure the EU is a project you'll want to be a part of again soon".

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said Britain and Brussels will fight for their interests in trade talks.

She paid tribute to UK citizens who had "contributed to the European Union and made it stronger" and said the UK's final day in the EU was "emotional".

Whilst never the most enthusiastic member, the UK was part of the European project for almost half a century.

On a personal level, EU leaders tell me they'll miss having the British sense of humour and no-nonsense attitude at their table.

If they were to be brutally honest they'd have admitted they'll mourn the loss of our not-insignificant contribution to the EU budget too.

But now we've left the "European family" (as Brussels insiders sometimes like to call the EU) and as trade talks begin, how long will it take for warm words to turn into gritted teeth?

What about the US?

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said he was "pleased" the UK and EU had agreed a Brexit deal and the US would continue to build its "strong, productive, and prosperous relationship with the UK".

Washington's ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson, said Brexit had been "long supported" by President Donald Trump.

How did we get here?

Britain joined what was then European Economic Community on 1 January, 1973, at the third attempt. Two years later the country voted by an overwhelming majority to remain in the bloc in the first nationwide referendum.

Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron held another referendum in June 2016, amid growing pressure from his own MPs and Nigel Farage's UK Independence Party.

Mr Cameron led the campaign to stay in the EU but lost by the narrow margin of 52% to 48% to the Leave campaign, fronted by fellow Conservative Boris Johnson.

Mr Cameron's successor as prime minister, Theresa May, repeatedly failed to get her version of an EU withdrawal agreement passed by Parliament and was replaced by Mr Johnson, who also failed to get his plans through.

Mr Johnson managed to secure an early general election in December last year, which he won with an 80-seat majority on a promise to "get Brexit done".

The PM's EU withdrawal deal was approved by MPs just before Christmas, and the bill became law earlier this year.

Are you taking part in any farewell events? Share your pictures and video by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

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2020-02-01 08:49:11Z
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Jumat, 31 Januari 2020

U.K. and Russia Report Their First Coronavirus Cases - The Wall Street Journal

Challenges for travel and leisure stocks, slower economic growth and a weaker Chinese yuan are among the new market implications investors are dealing with as the new coronavirus spreads rapidly. Photo: Bloomberg/Qilai Shen

Erin Mendell

Updated Jan. 31, 2020 12:05 pm ET

HONG KONG—The U.K. and Russia each reported their first cases of the dangerous coronavirus, while other countries—and Delta Air Lines Inc. and American Airlines Group Inc. —moved to limit air traffic with China as the number of people infected there approached 10,000.

Pakistan, a strategic ally of China, said it would ban all commercial air travel to and from mainland China on Friday, a day after Italy suspended flights to Taiwan and China, including the territory of Hong Kong, until April 28. Russia, too, said it would suspend certain flights to China, excluding the regular flights by its flagship carrier, Aeroflot.

The Latest on the Virus

Delta and American are halting flights to China.
The number of people infected surpassed SARS.
More countries banned or limited flights to mainland China.
Russia and the U.K. reported their first cases.
Facebook is banning posts about fake cures.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s Health Ministry said it would expand its coronavirus-related entry restrictions to include any visitors who had traveled to mainland China in the previous 14 days and deny visas to all Chinese passport holders, beginning late Saturday. Previously, Singapore had refused entry to those who had traveled to Hubei, the central Chinese province where the virus first originated, or had their passport issued there.

Atlanta-based Delta and American, based in Fort Worth, Texas, said they would halt flights from the U.S. to China.

The moves came hours after the World Health Organization and the U.S. elevated their coronavirus alerts, as the death toll from the pneumonia-causing virus rose to 213 late Thursday, up from 170 a day earlier, and the number of illnesses surpassed 9,500.

U.K. and Russia Report Their First Coronavirus Cases - The Wall Street Journal

Erin Mendell

Updated Jan. 31, 2020 11:05 am ET

HONG KONG—The U.K. and Russia each reported their first cases of the dangerous coronavirus, and other countries moved to limit air traffic with China as the number of people infected there approached 10,000.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s Health Ministry said it would expand its coronavirus-related entry restrictions to include anyone who had traveled to mainland China in the previous 14 days and deny visas to all Chinese passport holders, beginning late Saturday. Previously, Singapore had refused entry to those who had traveled to Hubei, the central Chinese province where the virus first originated, or had their passport issued there.

Prince Harry loses complaint against UK tabloid newspaper - CNN

The story, published by the Mail on Sunday in April, claimed that a series of photos taken by the Duke of Sussex and posted online to mark Earth Day were misleading, because they didn't make clear that the animals had been tranquilized.

What Harry and Meghan could teach Canada

Harry complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation about the accuracy of the story, but the watchdog threw the case out Thursday, saying the newspaper did not breach the organization's code of practice.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the decision.

According to a statement issued by the watchdog, Harry argued the full unedited photos were published on the royal family website in 2016 and have been available for anyone to see. He also said that he posted the photographs on Instagram to raise awareness -- not to show off his wildlife photography skills.

Harry argued the caption made clear that the animals were being relocated as part of conservation efforts, adding that it was not necessary to explicitly state that the animals had been sedated or tethered as this would be understood by readers.

The story in the Mail on Sunday was headlined "Drugged and tethered... what Harry didn't tell you about those awe-inspiring wildlife photos."

Queen agrees on 'period of transition' for Harry and Meghan

The article said that the elephant in the photo had been tethered and that the duke's Instagram followers would have been unable to see a rope around the elephant's legs because of the way the photo was cropped. It added that a spokesperson for Harry had declined to discuss the photos.

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have had a rough relationship with sections of British press ever since their relationship became public.

They spoke out against what they say is the relentless and aggressive coverage of Meghan specifically, some of which Prince Harry has described as containing "racial undertones."

The couple has launched several lawsuits against British newspapers. Last October, Meghan sued the Mail on Sunday for publishing private letters to her father, which the couple said were selectively edited. Days later Prince Harry sued the owners of The Sun and the Daily Mirror for allegedly hacking his voicemails.

Britain's top tabloids were already going after Meghan. Now they're twisting the knife

In a lengthy statement at the time, Prince Harry alleged the British tabloid press was waging a campaign against Meghan that mirrored the treatment meted out to his mother, Princess Diana, who was hounded by the paparazzi until her death in 1997.

"I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person," Harry said in October. "I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces."

CNN's Hadas Gold contributed to this article.

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2020-01-31 13:26:00Z
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U.K. and Russia Report Their First Coronavirus Cases - The Wall Street Journal

Erin Mendell

Updated Jan. 31, 2020 9:51 am ET

Pakistan, a strategic ally of China, said Friday it would ban all commercial air travel to and from mainland China, a day after Italy suspended flights to China, including the territory of Hong Kong. Russia, too, said it would suspend flights to China from Russia, except for the regular flights by its flagship carrier, Aeroflot, to the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.

Brexit Day latest: U.K. marks its final hours in the E.U. - The Washington Post

Andy Rain EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Union flags line Parliament Square in London on Friday.

Brexit Day has arrived. At 11 p.m. in London, Britain formally leaves the European Union. Here’s what to know:

● Prime Minister Boris Johnson kicks things off with a Cabinet meeting in Sunderland, the first city to back Brexit in 2016.

● Johnson will carefully calibrate his celebration tonight, focusing on unity and moving forward in a televised speech; hardcore Brexiteers have planned a more raucous party in Parliament Square.

● The biggest change? British members of the European Parliament lose their jobs. Otherwise, everything will look pretty much the same until at least the end of 2020.

LONDON — Well, that wasn’t easy. But after 1,317 days, three prime ministers, two blown exit dates, dozens of votes in Parliament and years of negotiation, Britain will finally leave the European Union on Friday.

Brexit Day — or Brexit Night? — is finally here. At 11 p.m. London time, or midnight in Brussels, Britain is officially out, after almost five decades with the closest of ties to Europe.

The United Kingdom will now go it alone — and either roar ahead with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s vision for a can-do “Global Britain,” or the country will find itself diminished, economically, and as a solo player on the world stage.

The British prime minister and Brexit cheerleader has been searching for the right tone to mark such a profound moment in Britain’s history, at a time when the country remains deeply divided on the issue.

He doesn’t want to gloat — as pollsters find that more than half the country oppose Brexit. But he does want to mark the moment.

[How to mark Brexit Day? Boris Johnson is searching for the right tone.]

Johnson on Friday will hold a meeting with his top leadership team Sunderland in the north of England, a symbolic gesture given that the city was the first to declare in favor of Brexit during the 2016 E.U. referendum.

Later in the evening, an hour before the official departure, Johnson will broadcast a prerecorded speech to the nation from his office in 10 Downing Street, where he will attempt to strike an upbeat note and also promise to heal a divided country.

There won’t be any bongs from Big Ben — it’s under renovation. But there will be a light show that will focus on the union — England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — and a new 50-pence coin will enter into circulation.

Britain’s leaving will profoundly change its relationship with Europe and the rest of the world. But that will barely be felt by the average citizen, as Britain enters an 11-month transition period, where it will continue to obey the rules of the E.U., even though it’s no longer helping to make them.

[What changes after Brexit Day on Jan. 31?]

Through the end of 2020, negotiators in Brussels and London will seek to hammer out a new trade deal and come to terms with pacts for data-sharing, security, fisheries, aviation, banking and much, much more. Or at least that is the plan.

Kenzo Tribouillard

AFP via Getty Images

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President David Sassoli and European Council President Charles Michel arrive for a meeting near the European Parliament building in Brussels on Friday.

A joint letter published on Friday by E.U. leaders — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council leader Charles Michel, and European Parliament President David Sassoli — signaled that they will fight for their interests in upcoming talks.

“Without the free movement of people, there can be no free movement of capital, goods and services,” they wrote. “Without a level playing field on environment, labour, taxation and state aid, there cannot be the highest quality access to the single market. Without being a member, you cannot retain the benefits of membership.”

E.U. citizens in Britain, and Brits living elsewhere in Europe, will benefit from freedom of movement until the end of the year, but they will need to apply for residency rights if they plan to continue living outside their home country. The estimated 3.6 million E.U. citizens who call the U.K. home will have to apply for “settled status” by next June, otherwise they will be living in the country unlawfully.

[One of the biggest impacts of Brexit? An end to freedom of movement.]

The fact that the U.K. is still deeply split over the issue of Brexit is reflected not just in the polls, but also in Friday’s celebrations.

Steve Baker, a leading Brexiteer, told Parliament: “I will celebrate. I will allow myself a smile, I’ll allow myself that glass of champagne, I will enjoy myself. But I will celebrate discreetly, and I will celebrate in a way which is respectful of the genuine sorrow that others are feeling at the same time.”

Nigel Farage, leader of the Brexit Party, is hosting a party in Parliament Square. He tweeted on Friday, “At last the day comes when we break free. A massive victory for the people against the establishment.”

Alastair Grant

Free apples with the Union Jack are handed out to promote British produce in Parliament Square.

There are also a number of pro-E.U. events around the country. In Dundee, supporters are gathering to ask the E.U. to “Leave a light on for Scotland.” In Bournemouth, people are meeting in the town square to “Shine A Light For Our Rights.” Pro-E.U. supporters in Oxford are gathering outside of the town hall, where they will hand out croissants and hold a candlelit vigil.

In Northern Ireland, there’s a protest planned in Armagh, which is close to the border with the Republic of Ireland.

In the 2016 Brexit referendum, England and Wales voted to leave, and Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain.

In Brussels — the home to Brits who have devoted their careers to the European Union, and to the Europeans who have lived and worked alongside them for decades — there were few celebrations planned Friday, with all but a handful of Brexit Party lawmakers mourning the departure.

[On Brexit Day, Britain’s ‘remainers’ to host sad dinner parties, while ‘leavers’ celebrate in Parliament Square]

The U.K. flag was still flying outside the E.U. headquarters on Friday, with plans to lower it, quietly and unceremoniously, sometime between Friday night and Monday morning. Janitors have been instructed to take away the British seat at E.U. meeting tables over the weekend, now that only 27 chairs will be needed. E.U. security staff are scrubbing their databases on Friday, so that British diplomats can no longer access internal E.U. documents or use their ID cards to enter E.U. buildings. Already on Thursday, an email was sent to E.U. staffers reminding them that they should no longer share documents with British officials.

Some commemorations started early. On Thursday, the city of Brussels lit the 18th-century Grand Place in the red, blue and white of the Union Jack, wheeled out a bright-red British telephone booth where visitors could take photos, and threw a concert with British hits.

Geert Vanden Wijngaert

Bloomberg

Brussels’ Grand Place is lit with the red, white and blue of the Union Jack on Thursday.

The Brussels public transportation system made a video with a wistful soundtrack that highlighted all the tram stops in the city that are named after British people and places — Liverpool, Churchill, Montgomery — many of which commemorate Britain’s role in liberating Belgium from Nazi occupation.

“Mind the gap when leaving,” the video ended, a play on the frequent warning on the London tube.

The one cheerful group was the Brexit Party delegation of European lawmakers, many of whom marched out of the European Parliament for the final time Friday morning waving British flags and accompanied by a raucous bagpiper. (Never mind that bagpipes are most-commonly identified with Scotland, which may yet decide to break free of the United Kingdom in a bid to rejoin the E.U..)

“Yay, Brexit!” they chanted.

Others in Brussels were less “yah” than “bummer.”

In Place Luxembourg, the bar-ringed square outside the European Parliament building in Brussels, a British member of the European Parliament, Magid Magid, gathered supporters for a “Brexit’s S***, but Let’s Party Anyway” event on Thursday evening.

[Adieu, E.U.: British reps pack their bags as European Parliament approves Brexit]

Braving a Brussels drizzle, Magid pretended to officiate weddings between British citizens and E.U. nationals to help the Brits keep E.U. citizenship. Two Mini Coopers festooned with European flags and the phrase “Bollocks to Brexit” were parked near the bars.

“There is now a nasty political culture, and I really think things will get worse in the coming years,” said Calum Thomson, 24, who was sipping beers on Place Luxembourg on Thursday night as he wore the blue, gold-starred E.U. flag as a cape around his neck.

He said he was going to French and Dutch classes four nights a week — after work as an intern at a Brussels think tank — because he didn’t want to return to Britain. He said he was Scottish and in favor of breaking free and rejoining the E.U.

Birnbaum reported from Brussels. Quentin Ariès in Brussels also contributed to this report.

Adieu, E.U.: British reps pack their bags as European Parliament approves Brexit

What changes after Brexit Day on Jan. 31?

One of the biggest impacts of Brexit? An end to freedom of movement.

How to mark Brexit Day? Boris Johnson is searching for the right tone.

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

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2020-01-31 13:05:00Z
52780580075194

Prince Harry loses complaint against UK tabloid newspaper - CNN

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the decision.

The story in the Mail on Sunday was headlined "Drugged and tethered... what Harry didn't tell you about those awe-inspiring wildlife photos."

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have had a rough relationship with sections of British press ever since their relationship became public.

They spoke out against what they say is the relentless and aggressive coverage of Meghan specifically, some of which Prince Harry has described as containing "racial undertones."

CNN's Hadas Gold contributed to this article.

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Babak Belurs

Sabtu, 01 Februari 2020

Brexit: UK leaves the European Union - BBC News

How did the UK mark the moment?

What happens now?

What's the reaction in Europe?

What about the US?

How did we get here?

Jumat, 31 Januari 2020

U.K. and Russia Report Their First Coronavirus Cases - The Wall Street Journal

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Brexit Day latest: U.K. marks its final hours in the E.U. - The Washington Post

Prince Harry loses complaint against UK tabloid newspaper - CNN