BREAKING NEWS
FAA says company whose sightseeing chopper crashed, killing 6, is ceasing operations immediately
Read full article: FAA says company whose sightseeing chopper crashed, killing 6, is ceasing operations immediatelyThe Federal Aviation Administration says the helicopter tour company whose sightseeing chopper crashed in New York, killing six people, is shutting down operations immediately.
What we know about the New York City helicopter crash that killed 6 people
Read full article: What we know about the New York City helicopter crash that killed 6 peopleSix people were killed when a sightseeing helicopter broke apart and crashed into the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey.
Mayor: Family was to celebrate child’s birthday when NYC sightseeing helicopter crashed, killing 6
Read full article: Mayor: Family was to celebrate child’s birthday when NYC sightseeing helicopter crashed, killing 6Police and fire department divers are searching for the main and rear rotors of a sightseeing helicopter that broke apart in midair and crashed into the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey, killing six people.
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Pressure mounts on Hungary, Poland to unlock EU stimulus
Read full article: Pressure mounts on Hungary, Poland to unlock EU stimulusGerman European Affairs minister Michael Roth said the stimulus is crucial for many European countries whose economies have been devastated by the pandemic. Both Poland and Hungary, which have conservative, nationalist governments, have said they fear the EU mechanism will be used to punish their values. Many projects for Poland and Hungary — which are already being formally investigated by the EU for their potential violations of the rule of law — could be held up. Under the enhanced cooperation procedure, a group of EU nations can decide to move forward in situations where all 27 countries are not on the same page. If the standoff continues, such a move could at least help unlock the bloc's 750 billion-euro ($909 billion) economic recovery package.
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UK, EU leaders to meet Wednesday amid Brexit no-deal signals
Read full article: UK, EU leaders to meet Wednesday amid Brexit no-deal signalsJohnson’s office confirmed the two leaders would hold a dinner meeting ”to continue discussions on the future relationship between the U.K. and the EU." Reaching a trade deal by then would ensure there are no tariffs and quotas on trade in goods on Jan. 1, although there would still be new costs and red tape for businesses. Britain claimed its Internal Market Bill was needed as an “insurance policy” to protect the flow of goods within the U.K. in the event of a no-deal Brexit. EU officials suggested negotiations could continue past Jan. 1, even as the two sides tumbled into a no-deal trading relationship. The U.K. government sees Brexit as about sovereignty and “taking back control” of the country’s laws, borders and waters.
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Bulgaria blocks North Macedonia's EU accession talks
Read full article: Bulgaria blocks North Macedonia's EU accession talksBRUSSELS – Bulgaria blocked the start of already long-delayed European Union accession talks with North Macedonia on Tuesday because of disputes over history and language. “The use of the short version of the name of the Republic of North Macedonia, and secondly the reference to the Macedonian language." North Macedonia applied for EU membership in 2004 and received a positive opinion from the European Commission a year later. After Skopje and Athens settled a nearly three decade-long dispute over Macedonia’s name in a move that saw the small country renamed North Macedonia, the bloc's leaders agreed to formal accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia in March. The official launch of the accession talks were set to start in December.
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Germany, France call for UK concessions in EU-UK trade talks
Read full article: Germany, France call for UK concessions in EU-UK trade talksThis would be very bad news for everyone, for the EU and even more so for the United Kingdom." Speaking after a meeting of EU ministers that he chaired, Roth added that “it's now up to the U.K. to make the decisive steps." He said U.K. negotiator David Frost would brief the prime minister before EU leaders meet about whether recent intensive talks have made a deal possible. Johnson says the EU must shift its position if it wants a deal, and insists the U.K. is quite prepared to walk away without one. France warned, that could cost the U.K. the unfettered access it wants to the huge and wealthy continental market.
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EU to UK: stop playing 'games' with Brexit trade talks
Read full article: EU to UK: stop playing 'games' with Brexit trade talks(Aris Oikonomou, Pool via AP)BRUSSELS – The European Union is pleading with Britain to stop playing “games" as time is running out to clinch a free trade deal over the next month. A transition period now runs until Dec 31, during which time both sides are negotiating a trade agreement to replace the open and unfettered economic relations that are currently in place. The EU has repeatedly expressed its exasperation at what it sees as British stubbornness and refusal to compromise on some key points. The EU has not explicitly said what action it would take but EU Vice President Maros Sefcovic indicated it would stay within the rules of dispute settlement set out in the withdrawal agreement. “I would like to underscore that the EU believes in calm, constructive cooperation through the channels created by the withdrawal agreement," Sefcovic said.