U.S. stocks rose for a second day in holiday-shortened trading as investors monitored the latest developments on the Congressional aid package, while the British pound strengthened after a post-Brexit trade accord agreement was reached.
A day after Britain and the European Union announced a narrow trade deal, Swiss media remain sceptical about its impact. The accord will preserve Britain's zero-tariff and zero-quota access to the bloc's single market of 450 million consumers but will not prevent economic pain and disruption for the UK or for EU member states.
The European Union is making a “final push” to strike a Brexit trade deal with Britain, although there are still deep rifts over fishing rights, the bloc’s chief negotiator said on Tuesday.
Responding to calls from the leader of the Scottish Nationalists and the mayor of London, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he will not make moves to extend the deadline to reach a post-Brexit deal with the European Union.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday sought to sound a note of calm saying he was working as fast as possible to unblock trade across the Channel after France shut its borders to UK haulers in a bid to contain a new variant of the coronavirus.
The French Mayor Frederic Couvillier, of the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, has threatened the UK with a “Falklands War” pertaining the dispute over the fishing waters with the European Union. Furthermore, the mayor warned of the threat of an armed conflict in light of the looming Brexit deadline.
Britain's biggest business lobby group called on the European Union to delay introducing new customs checks after Brexit because firms haven't had enough time to prepare amid the coronavirus pandemic.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to India in January 2021 to strengthen a key strategic relationship which supports jobs and investment across the UK. This will be the Prime Minister’s first major bilateral visit since taking office, and the first since departure from the EU, and underlines his commitment to step up the UK’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific region.
London and Brussels agreed to “go the extra mile” in coming days to try to reach an elusive trade agreement despite missing their latest deadline to avert a turbulent ‘no deal’ exit for Britain from the European Union’s orbit at the end of the month.
The British Ministry of Defense said four Royal Navy patrol ships will be ready on Jan 1 to help protect Britain’s fishing waters in the event of a post Brexit no deal.