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Main article: Brits could face EU Covid travel ban on Jan 1
Good morning and welcome to this Thursday briefing with me, Alison Rourke.
The “lively and frank” discussions between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen over a scallop and turbot dinner last night in Brussels have yielded this weekend as the last chance to reach an agreement on whether Britain withdraws from Europe with or without an agreement. There are said to be “very large gaps” left between the two sides, according to a 10th source. Von der Leyen, chairman of the EU commission, said the positions of the two sides “remain very separate” and that their teams they will meet again to try to solve the problems: “We will reach a decision at the end of the weekend,” he said. While an EU source said a deal was still possible, Johnson told the bloc’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, that he could not accept the terms of a treaty that would bind Britain to EU rules. The EU is expected to publish its no-deal contingency plans “very soon,” a source told The Guardian. Meanwhile, British tourists will be banned from entering Europe from January 1 because the UK only has one exception to Covid restrictions during the Brexit transition period, underscoring a potential impact of the no-deal. . EU member states agreed in October to adopt a European council proposal to allow non-essential travel from a small group of countries with lower levels of Covid cases, including Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. A spokesman for the EU commission said last week that there were no plans to extend that to the UK. “This is a decision for the council to make,” he said.
Mars, here we come! SpaceX’s glowing bullet-shaped Starship SN8 rocket exploded in a fireball upon landing after a six-and-a-half-minute test flight in a remote corner of Texas overnight. The prototype had been firing at an altitude of up to eight miles (12.5 km), almost 100 times more than previous tests. After about five minutes, it turned sideways, as planned, and descended with its Raptor engines running to brake. But upon landing, it was engulfed in flames and broke. It was the highest and most elaborate flight yet for the rocket that, according to Elon Musk, could take people to Mars in just six years. And despite the catastrophic ending, Musk was excited and tweeted: “We have all the data we need!”
Increase in air pollution Air pollution in many UK towns and cities now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, exacerbating the risk of Covid-19 and putting the health of millions of people at risk. A study released today says that although air quality improved dramatically in the first half of the year when the country closed, pollution now exceeds pre-Covid levels in 80% of the 49 large cities and towns that were analyzed. Andrew Carter, executive director of the City Center think tank, which carried out the study, said discouraging car use will be unpopular in the short term, but that “if combined with the necessary improvements to public transportation, the benefits in the long term for the public health and the economy will be huge and our cities will become better places to live ”.
Hunter biden – The son of the US president-elect has said that the US attorney’s office in Delaware opened an investigation into his “tax affairs.” Hunter Biden, who has long been a target of Donald Trump and his allies, said he learned of the federal investigation Tuesday from his attorney, who was briefed on the matter by the U.S. attorney’s office that same day. . In a statement issued by his father’s transition office, Hunter said: “I take this matter very seriously, but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will show that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of tax advisers ”.
Bernardine Evaristo – The Booker Award-winning author has praised her former university for making an “important statement” by installing her as the first black woman to be the president of a major theater school in the UK. Evaristo will take on the ceremonial role at Rose Bruford College, which the author attended four decades ago, and hopes to be an inspiration to young students of color who want to break into the cultural sector. “I think it’s really nice to have a black woman as a director, even if she’s the head of a drama school, because she makes a very powerful statement,” she said.
Roman discovery – A 5th-century mosaic discovered at the Roman villa of Chedworth in the Cotswolds suggests that there was a more gradual decline in living standards after Rome’s departure from Britain than previously thought. Life at the beginning of the Middle Ages is generally considered quite uncomfortable, with economic difficulties and cultural stagnation. However, according to National Trust archaeologist Martin Papworth: “The discovery of a new room and the placement of a new floor suggests wealth and a mosaic industry that continues 50 years later than expected.” It also suggests that the area may not have been so affected by the hostile incursions that were taking place in the north and east.
Podcast Today in Focus: The Mystery of the Gatwick Drone
In December 2018, a series of drone sightings forced Gatwick Airport to close, causing chaos for holiday travelers. Two years later and with the mystery still unsolved, Samira Shackle investigates what really happened.
Gatwick Drone Mystery
Lunchtime Reading: Inside the Big Business of Packaged Ice
Like central heating and hot water, ice is one of those little luxuries that we hardly notice. And yet The Ice Co in West Yorkshire has turned frozen water into a 38 million pound mark.. That’s five billion ice cubes a year, filling everything from cocktail glasses to ice baths. But now he faces his toughest challenge, writes George Reynolds, because what is ice without a holiday season?
Sport
Rugby union authorities are likely to be forced to take immediate security measures to reduce the risk of lawsuits from current and future players, said a prominent brain injury lawyer. England head coach Eddie Jones has said that he believes the modern rugby union is safe for his players, although he acknowledges that players were not sufficiently protected in the past. Paolo Rossi, the star of the Italian team that won the 1982 World Cup, died at the age of 64. Players and officials came together to take a stand against racism at Parc des Princes on Wednesday, as the postponed Champions League match between Paris Saint Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir was resoundingly resolved in favor of the French side. Takumi Minamino was denied the winning goal by a controversial VAR decision after Midtjylland’s strong performance in the second half saw them put Group D-winner Liverpool back at 1-1. Sergio Agüero returned to help Manchester City beat Marseille with a 3-0 home win that kept them unbeaten atop Group C. Kubrat Pulev is confident of causing a surprise when facing Anthony Joshua as he aims for become the first Bulgarian to be a heavyweight champion. . And numbers 70-41 have been revealed on The Guardian’s list of the best female footballers of 2020, with Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert and PSG’s Nadia Nadim among those included. And cricket advertising is aimed at areas never before reached, with referees from Australia’s Big Bash League to announce a new sponsor in their armpits.
Deal
The British economy will recover next year from the Covid pandemic, but a fifth year of weak business investment will delay a full recovery until the end of 2022, according to CBI forecasts. A combination of Brexit uncertainty, which is expected to continue next year with or without a deal, and the blow to business confidence during the first and second lockdowns will delay the rebound in private sector investment. Business investment has been stable since the 2016 Brexit vote as companies struggled to assess the impact of potential changes under a deal or a no-deal. As talks in Brussels appear to be heading into their final stages this weekend, business groups have warned that fears about uncertainty could deter investment in the new year.
The pound is buying € 1,105 and $ 1,337.
The papers
The impasse in Brussels leads almost all the newspapers today. the guardianThe final issue bears with “Prime Minister and EU agree on Sunday deadline to avoid agreement.” the MailThe headline is “Deadlock at dinner,” and the newspaper describes a “dramatic night with fish dinner.” the Telegraphit is splash says: “Four days to save the trade deal after the Brussels talks went awry.” Johnson reportedly didn’t want to leave “any route to a possible deal untested,” but was depressed about the chances of a deal after his three-hour dinner with von der Leyen. the QuickThe first edition took a hard line unsurprisingly, with “Boris: take it or leave it”, saying that the prime minister is “standing firm” against attempts by the EU to “punish” the UK for leaving the bloc. Its second edition went further with the headline: “Boris moves away from the EU.” the Times he also supports Johnson, saying the prime minister “refused to back down from the Brexit stalemate.” the I goes for a play on the food on the leaders’ high-stakes dinner, with the headline: “Fudge for the last supper in the EU negotiations.” the Mirror splatters on “Tesco’s food reserve not to negotiate,” saying the supermarket giant is stockpiling food supplies for the new year amid fears that talks in Brussels will fail. the Sun dedicates only a small space on the cover in the upper corner of its first issue for Brexit, with the headline “Prime Minister’s Meal or No Deal Offer”, saying that Johnson tried to break the deadlock in Brussels. However, its second edition has the headline: “BoJo’s Vote After 3-Hour Fish Dinner: Let’s Finish With The Mullet,” and the newspaper notes that talks will resume on Sunday. the FOOT It dedicates its coverage of Brexit to “Brits who were banned from entering the EU on January 1 as virus closures drop.” You can read our story on that here and our full summary of the articles here.
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