BEIJING: The European Union has urged China to release all journalists and citizens held in connection with their reporting, following the detention of a Bloomberg News employee.
Haze Fan, a Chinese citizen, was taken from her home by plain-clothes security officials last Monday (Dec 7), Bloomberg said, and Beijing said she had been detained on suspicion of endangering national security.
“All those arrested and detained in connection with their reporting activity should be immediately released,” an EU spokesperson said in a statement Saturday.
The statement mentioned that “other Chinese journalists or citizens have disappeared this year, or been detained or harassed after engaging in reporting”.
“We expect the Chinese authorities to grant her (Fan) medical assistance if needed, prompt access to a lawyer of her choice, and contacts with her family,” it added.
The Chinese foreign ministry said earlier that Fan’s case was under investigation.
Bloomberg said it was “very concerned for her” and was continuing to seek more information.
READ: Bloomberg news Chinese staff member detained in Beijing
Chinese citizens are forbidden by the government from working as reporters for foreign news organisations in China, but are allowed to work as news assistants.
Fan, who joined Bloomberg in 2017, has been credited as a contributor on numerous business stories.
Her detention comes months after China held a high-profile Chinese-born Australian journalist, citing similar suspicions.
Cheng Lei, a TV anchor at Chinese state-owned outlet CGTN, has not been seen in public since being held.
Two other Australian reporters – Bill Birtles and Michael Smith – fled China shortly after being interrogated about Cheng.
Britain is bringing out the big gunships in case of a no-deal Brexit.
Four of the Royal Navy’s vessels are being deployed to protect UK waters from European Union fishing boats if the two sides can’t reach a nearly $1 trillion trade agreement by the Dec. 31 deadline, the Sun reported.
Two will be at sea by Jan. 1; the other two are on standby, ready to head out with only a few hours’ notice.
Fishing — especially France’s right to fish in British waters — has been a key sticking point during months of on-and-off negotiations. On Friday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the EU’s top official, Ursula von der Leyen, acknowledged the chances of striking an agreement are slim to none.
The gunships will patrol the English Channel and Irish Sea, and — if no pact is inked — will intercept any EU boats. The navy’s vessels, in the most serious cases, would seize and then escort an EU boat to the nearest British port.
“Nobody is going to be firing warning shots against French fishermen,” a navy insider told the Guardian. “Firearms are only used when there is danger to life.”
oris Johnson is said to be leaving “no stone unturned” in his quest to get a deal with the European Union.
The terms offered by the European Union on a trade deal continue to be “unacceptable” to the UK, according to a Government source – with time running out to strike an agreement.
Talks between chief negotiators Lord Frost and Michel Barnier are expected to last late into the night in Brussels as officials stressed there had been no breakthrough in the latest discussions that started just before midday on Saturday.
A Government source said: “Talks are continuing overnight, but as things stand the offer on the table from the EU remains unacceptable.
“The Prime Minister will leave no stone unturned in this process, but he is absolutely clear: any agreement must be fair and respect the fundamental position that the UK will be a sovereign nation in three weeks’ time.”
With the UK teetering on the brink of a no-deal exit, the Government has stepped up preparations for crashing out of the single market when transition arrangements end on December 31.
Reports have also suggested that ministers are considering beefing-up Navy powers in legislation to authorise them to board and arrest fishermen found to be contravening post-Brexit rules.
Tobias Ellwood, Conservative chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, called the threat “irresponsible” while former European commissioner Lord Patten said the Prime Minister’s no-deal rhetoric was based on the “runaway train of English exceptionalism”.
But Admiral Lord West, a former chief of naval staff, said it was “absolutely appropriate” for the Royal Navy to protect UK waters from foreign fishing vessels if asked to do so in a no-deal Brexit scenario.
“The Royal Navy should protect our waters if the position is that we are a sovereign state and our Government has said we don’t want other nations there,” Lord West told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
When asked about the UK’s decision to ready Royal Navy patrol ships, an Elysee Palace official in Paris reportedly replied using the British wartime slogan, telling journalists: “Keep calm and carry on.”
The trade talks continue to be deadlocked over the thorny issues of fishing rights and the so-called level playing field “ratchet” that would tie the UK to future EU standards.
Mr Johnson, in a speech at a climate change summit on Saturday, appeared to take a dig at French president Emmanuel Macron over the fishing row.
Brexit: UK’s relationship with Europe – In pictures
Mr Macron is said to have threatened to veto a UK-EU deal after expressing dissatisfaction at the new quota terms being thrashed out for French fishermen.
In his closing remarks, the Prime Minister thanked summit co-host Mr Macron, adding that he knew the En Marche! leader “shares my keen interest in protecting the ecosystems of our seas”.
The latest impasse comes as farmers warned there will be “significant disruption” to the sector if the UK fails to reach a Brexit trade deal with the EU.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said it was “critically important” that a free trade agreement was reached between both sides, with a priority on securing a tariff and quota-free deal.
More than 60% of the UK’s agricultural food and drink production – worth £14.5 billion to economy – is exported to the EU, making it the largest trading partner for British farmers.
But without a deal at the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31, farmers could lose free access to the EU “overnight”, the NFU warned.
FARGO — Fargo Public Library children’s librarians are offering a free service, “What’s Next? Kids’ Personalized Reading Recommendations,” to help children decide what books to read and find resources for homework assignments.
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<p>The service is available for children, parents/caregivers, grandparents and teachers. Those wishing to get started are instructed to fill out the "What's Next?" online form at <a href="https://fargond.gov/city-government/departments/library/kids/what-s-next-kids-book-recommendations" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">fargolibrary.org/whatsnext</a>. Based on the preferences provided, librarians will suggest and pick out books and materials, and will either send a list or place the books on hold for pickup at any Fargo Public Library location.</p> <p>Those accessing the service will receive reading recommendations in about three to five days (one week for curriculum requests). The new reading recommendation service can also provide suggested collections of materials according to specific themes or lesson plan needs.</p> <p>For more information, contact the Children's Services Department at 701-241-1495 or email [email protected].</p>
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Three Nominations for new LUX European Audience Film Award
During the virtual European Film Awards ceremony in Berlin on Saturday, Another Round, Corpus Christi, and Collective were shortlisted for the LUX Audience Award.
“Congratulations to the teams behind the three films that were just nominated in Berlin for the LUX award! All the nominations are fantastic and all would be worthy winners. Each film is very different, yet each is of outstanding artistic quality and bears a clear social message that deserves to be heard throughout the EU and beyond”, said Sabine Verheyen (EPP, DE), chair of the EP Culture and Education committee, on Saturday evening.
She also invited all Europeans to watch the films and vote for them. “We want European citizens to be a part of the award, especially now that the sector has been so affected by the pandemic. For the European Parliament, LUX Award is an important contribution to promote European culture and common values, which define our identity and our way of life. Culture can touch the hearts and minds of people in ways that politics will never be able to”, she added.
Viewers can vote from 13 December 2020 to 11 April 2021
Another Round by Thomas Vinterberg, Corpus Christi by Jan Komasa, and Collective by Alexander Nanau are the films shortlisted to win the LUX Audience Award. EU viewers can now be part of the jury and help determine the winner by rating the films via the platform luxaward.eu, to be launched on 13 December. Voting ends on 11 April 2021.
The three nominated films will be subtitled in the 24 official EU languages. Screenings in EU cinemas will be promoted – insofar as present health conditions permit – and be supported to increase visibility in all member states and in the UK.
From 1 March 2021, MEPs will start to cast their votes via a dedicated internal platform. The winner will be announced in the European Parliament plenary sitting on 28 April 2021.
Discovering the films
Another Round – the Danish-Swedish-Dutch co-production directed by Thomas Vinterberg is the story of a group of high-school teachers who decide to follow the theory inspired by Norwegian psychologist Finn Skårderud who believes humans are born with a 0.05% alcohol deficit in their blood. The group of friends decide to experiment in order to explain this conundrum.
Corpus Christi – the Polish-French co-production directed by Jan Komasa is the story a 20-year-old man who experiences a spiritual calling while detained in a youth centre. Due to his criminal record, he cannot become a priest. However, he accidentally takes over a local parish and brings the local community a novel approach to life and religion.
Collective – Romanian-Luxembourg co-production directed by Alexander Nanau is the gripping story of the joint efforts of doctors, government officials, and particularly investigative journalists who face corruption while uncovering a vast health-care fraud in Bucharest after a fire at the Colectiv night club.
Background
The winner of the LUX Audience Award – jointly awarded by Parliament and the European Film Academy and in partnership with the European Commission and the Europa Cinemas network – will be selected by MEPs and the audience (each accounting for 50% of the final decision).
The nominees will be screened across the EU during the LUX Film Days or LUX Audience Week until 11 April 2021. Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, cinema screenings have been postponed to the spring.
The award strives to promote creativity and diversity in European cinema, by supporting films produced in Europe and helping them to overcome language and distribution barriers.
EU offer remains ‘unacceptable’ as negotiators prepare for all-night talks
Brexit PM
The terms offered by the European Union on a trade deal continue to be “unacceptable” to the UK, according to a Government source – with time running out to strike an agreement.
Talks between chief negotiators Lord Frost and Michel Barnier are expected to last late into the night in Brussels as officials stressed there had been no breakthrough in the latest discussions that started just before midday on Saturday.
The Prime Minister will again speak with the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday, following a dinner meeting in Brussels during the week in which both agreed a firm decision on the future of negotiations was needed by the end of the weekend.
Boris Johnson is scheduled to give a press conference or issue a recorded statement to update the nation once he is off the phone with Europe’s top official.
A Government source said: “Talks are continuing overnight, but as things stand the offer on the table from the EU remains unacceptable.
“The Prime Minister will leave no stone unturned in this process, but he is absolutely clear: any agreement must be fair and respect the fundamental position that the UK will be a sovereign nation in three weeks’ time.”
Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen have both warned that a no-deal outcome looks more likely than an agreement in the trade negotiations.
With the UK teetering on the brink of a no-deal exit, the Government has stepped up preparations for crashing out of the single market when transition arrangements end on December 31.
UK chief Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost is expected to continue talking to his EU counterpart late into the night on Saturday (Aaron Chown/PA)
The confirmation from the Ministry of Defence that four Royal Navy gunboats have been placed on standby to guard British waters from EU trawlers if there is no agreement has been greeted with anger by some senior Tories.
Reports have also suggested that ministers are considering beefing-up Navy powers in legislation to authorise them to board and arrest fishermen found to be contravening post-Brexit rules.
Tobias Ellwood, Conservative chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, called the threat “irresponsible” while former European commissioner Lord Patten said the Prime Minister’s no-deal rhetoric was based on the “runaway train of English exceptionalism”.
But Admiral Lord West, a former chief of naval staff, said it was “absolutely appropriate” for the Royal Navy to protect UK waters from foreign fishing vessels if asked to do so in a no-deal Brexit scenario.
Admiral Lord West, a former chief of naval staff, said the Royal Navy should protect UK waters from foreign fishing vessels if asked to do so in a no-deal Brexit scenario (Jonathan Brady/PA)
“The Royal Navy should protect our waters if the position is that we are a sovereign state and our Government has said we don’t want other nations there,” Lord West told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
When asked about the UK’s decision to ready Royal Navy patrol ships, an Elysee Palace official in Paris reportedly replied using the British wartime slogan, telling journalists: “Keep calm and carry on.”
The trade talks continue to be deadlocked over the thorny issues of fishing rights and the so-called level playing field “ratchet” that would tie the UK to future EU standards.
Mr Johnson, in a speech at a climate change summit on Saturday, appeared to take a dig at French president Emmanuel Macron over the fishing row.
Mr Macron is said to have threatened to veto a UK-EU deal after expressing dissatisfaction at the new quota terms being thrashed out for French fishermen.
In his closing remarks, the Prime Minister thanked summit co-host Mr Macron, adding that he knew the En Marche! leader “shares my keen interest in protecting the ecosystems of our seas”.
The British government is deploying the Royal Navy to protect Britain’s fishing waters and preparing legislation which will empower them to board EU fishing vessels and arrest crew if they try to carry on plundering British waters illegally.
The move comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that a so-called ‘no deal’ break with the bloc looks “very, very likely”, with the European Union in general and Emmanuel Macron’s France in particular unwilling to countenance a trade deal which does not see Britain agree to continue surrendering most of its national fishing stocks to EU vessels, among other anti-sovereignty concessions.
Technically the United Kingdom left the bloc at the beginning of 2020, but for all practical purposes it has remained a full member — minus its voting rights — throughout this year’s so-called “transition” period, which was supposed to be used to agree a mutually beneficial free trade agreement.
With such an agreement not forthcoming with mere weeks to go until the end of the year, the British government is preparing to deploy four River-class offshore patrol boats to protect what should become Britain’s rightful and exclusive economic zone in January, according to The Times.
French fishermen have already proven willing to physically attack British fishermen attempting to access what little share of the EU’s marine resources Brussels has assigned to them, and whether they will actually accept losing their right to exploit Britain’s waters in the event of a no-deal is questionable.
“I’m not asking to have my cake and eat it, no,” Emmanuel Macron had insisted on the subject of British fisheries at a recent meeting.
“All I want is a cake that’s worth its weight because I won’t give up my share either,” he said, suggesting that the French government feels it has some sort of entitlement to the marine resources of Britain’s territorial waters, in or out of the EU, after long years in which the bloc has doled out the lion’s share of Britain’s fish to foreigners.
The European Economic Community, as the EU then was, changed its rules to make national fisheries a so-called “common resource” right before Britain, with the richest stocks in Western Europe, joined in the 1970s.
Tens of thousands of fishing industry jobs and over half the vessels in the British fishing fleet have been lost over the years as Brussels has assigned quotas for British fish to fishermen from other EU countries.
Scottish Fishermen: EU Acting ‘Like Bully Who Steals Your Lunch and Expects You to Be Grateful for a Few Crumbs Back’ https://t.co/WeR31CSZv8
The European Union on Saturday condemned in the “strongest terms” Iran’s execution of Ruhollah Zam, a former opposition figure convicted of involvement in 2017 protests.
“The European Union condemns this act in the strongest terms and recalls once again its irrevocable opposition to the use of capital punishment under any circumstances,” said a statement from the EU’s External Action Service.
“It is also imperative for the Iranian authorities to uphold the due process rights of accused individuals and to cease the practice of using televised confessions to establish and promote their guilt.”
Zam was charged with “corruption on earth” — one of the most serious offences under Iranian law — and sentenced to death in June.
State TV aired an “interview” with him in July, in which he is seen saying he believed in reformism until he was detained in 2009 during protests against the disputed re-election of ultra-conservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
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Over the past month, the EU’s budget plans have been held up by Poland and Hungary, who have protested against the bloc’s attempt to make access to funds contingent on the observance of democratic values and respect for the rule of law.
Warsaw and Budapest are believed to be the targets of this so-called rule of law mechanism, although a compromise was found in Brussels on Thursday evening, allowing the Polish and Hungarian governments to take the matter to the European Court of Justice further down the line, in exchange for their approval of the budget.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and German Chancellor Angela Merkel hold a news conference at the end of a EU leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/Pool
Along with the budget agreement, the European Union’s member states also came to a deal on ambitious new emissions targets as part of the bloc’s attempts to reach “climate neutrality” by 2050.
“After several hours of very intense discussions, we have taken a big step forward for the European Union in various areas,” European Council President Charles Michel said at a press conference on Friday.
For EU leaders, getting a consensus on the 1.074 trillion euro seven-year budget and 750 billion euro NextGenerationEU COVID-19 recovery fund was of paramount importance at the two-day summit. Polish and Hungarian leaders had refused to make concessions prior to Thursday’s meeting, meaning that a new tactic was required.
A solution appears to have been found by allowing Poland and Hungary to refer the bloc’s rule of law mechanism to the European Court of Justice, a process that is likely to take several years. In return, Hungary and Poland finally gave their consent to the budget and recovery fund proposals, which are set to come into force in 2021.
European Union heads of state stand for a moment to remember late French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing during a round table meeting at a face-to-face EU summit amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown in Brussels, Belgium December 10, 2020.
“We have had the capacity to reach an agreement, to get together in order to implement the multiannual financial framework and recovery fund that we talked about in July. I would like to pay tribute to Chancellor Angela Merkel on this topic, in particular, because she really rolled up her sleeves, she got down to work with a great deal of commitment to do this for Europe“, Michel said at a press conference.
According to the European Council president, the European Union will now be able to fund many of its ambitious plans to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
EU Increases Emissions Cut Targets
Climate change once again took centre stage in Brussels, and the heads of the 27 EU member states agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent of 1990 levels by 2030. The previous target envisioned a reduction of 40 percent by 2030.
“To meet the objective of a climate-neutral EU by 2050 in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the EU needs to increase its ambition for the coming decade and update its climate and energy policy framework. To that end, the European Council endorses a binding EU target of a net domestic reduction of at least 55% in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990”, a European Council document published after the summit read.
Since becoming president of the European Commission one year ago, Ursula von der Leyen has pushed European Union member states to back her so-called Green Deal, although Jean-Louis Butre, from the French Federation for a Sustainable Environment, told Sputnik that meeting the ambitious emissions goals is likely to be difficult.
“Everybody knows that it is so much easier at the beginning of a specific effort to get results; it is called ‘picking the low-hanging fruit’. Governments, industries can adopt new rules, close evident loopholes, take easy measures that enabled, in our case, Europe to reduce its emissions or at least the expected growth of emissions by 20 percent in comparison with the level of emissions of 1990. But to do the extra 80 percent is a daunting task, and the decisions that are taken are often not bearing any result,” Butre commented.
A photo taken on August 20, 2014 shows a nuclear power plant, in Tihange, Belgium.
According to the French expert, many of the bloc’s attempts at moving to sustainable sources of energy, such as wind or solar power, have in fact led to an increase in emissions.
“Deciding to invest massively and above all in intermittent ‘renewable’ sources of electricity like Germany or Denmark have done, increasing their solar and wind ‘farms’ has imposed the construction, in parallel, of the same capacity in coal and gas power plants to compensate for the absence or excess of wind and sun. The result is evident: Merkel’s Germany has increased its emissions of CO2 in place of reducing them. Not only does the German policy lead to negative growth of the economy and stagnation, but it does not reduce emissions of CO2”, Butre stated.
Turkey Sanctions Potentially Forthcoming
Turkey has been at the centre of many high-level European Union discussions this passing year. Greece and Cyprus have raised multiple complaints about the presence of Turkish seismic exploration vessels in waters both Athens and Nicosia claim to be part of their countries’ respective exclusive economic zones.
At this week’s European Council summit, the bloc stopped short of implementing sanctions on Ankara, although the leaders of the 27 member states noted Turkey’s “unilateral” actions in the eastern Mediterranean region.
“Regrettably, Turkey has engaged in unilateral actions and provocations and escalated its rhetoric against the EU, EU Member States and European leaders. Turkish unilateral and provocative activities in the Eastern Mediterranean are still taking place, including in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone”, the conclusions of the European Council summit read.
FILE PHOTO: Turkish seismic research vessel Oruc Reis sails in the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, October 3, 2018. Picture taken October 3, 2018
Despite the pressure from Athens and Nicosia, the European Union will first consult with the United States, most notably the incoming Biden administration, before taking action against Turkey.
“The EU will seek to coordinate on matters relating to Turkey and the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean with the United States”, the conclusions read.
Sunday Deadline for Brexit Deal
While the leaders of the European Union’s member states met for the European Council summit, UK and EU negotiators continued their talks in the hope of concluding a free trade deal before a self-imposed Sunday deadline.
“We will decide on Sunday whether we have the conditions for an agreement or not”, von der Leyen said at Friday’s joint press conference alongside Michel and Merkel.
The European Commission president had dinner with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday, although the meeting failed to resolve the long-standing issues on fisheries, governance, and the level playing field.
EU Commission President von der Leyen meets British PM Johnson in Brussels
“We understand that the UK aspires to control its waters. The UK must, on the other hand, understand the legitimate expectations of EU fishing fleets built on decades and sometimes centuries of access”, the European Commission president remarked.
On Thursday, the European Commission published a range of contingency measures in preparation for a “no-deal” scenario.
The measures would ensure uninterrupted road and air connectivity between the United Kingdom and the European Union for a period of six months starting on 1 January, upon the conclusion of the Brexit transition period.
Euro Summit Notes EU’s “Strong” Response to COVID-19
The eurozone heads of state also held a meeting on Friday to discuss the bloc’s response to the coronavirus disease pandemic. In a statement, the leaders praised the EU’s “strong” response to the pandemic.
“The strong, swift and coordinated economic policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented but integral in mitigating its socio-economic impact. The crisis will require ongoing support to ensure a robust and well-balanced economic recovery while safeguarding sound public finances”, the statement read.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron speaks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a round table meeting at a face-to-face EU summit amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown in Brussels, Belgium December 10, 2020.
At the same time, the EU must create the “financial architecture” necessary to support sustainable growth and job creation, as well as to finance the bloc’s green and digital transformations, according to the statement.
After a year of internal and external disputes, the approval of the seven-year budget, COVID-19 recovery fund, and climate change goals means that the European Union can now look to the future as von der Leyen and Michel seek to implement their ambitious plans.
Further clarity may be achieved on Sunday, should the UK and EU finally decide if a trade deal can be reached or not.
