LONDON: European Union ambassadors agreed Friday that the bloc should grant Britain’s request for another extension to the Brexit deadline but they have not yet figured out how long that delay should be.
Speaking Friday in Brussels after EU ambassadors met with the EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said ambassadors from the EU’s 27 other nations accepted the terms of an extension and their “work will continue in the coming days.”
Two European diplomats said the ambassadors would meet again early next week. Andreeva hinted that the EU would not hold a special summit on Brexit to approve the extension, saying the decision will likely be made in a statement.
“We are not very far, and there is no doubt we will find a deal early next week,” one diplomat said. The person, who asked not be identified because talks are continuing, added that the ongoing debate in Britain over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s request for a general election could have an impact on the length of the delay.
Britain is scheduled to leave the 28-nation bloc on Oct. 31 but has asked for a three-month extension to that deadline as Johnson struggles to get lawmakers to pass his Brexit divorce deal. Economists say a no-deal departure would hurt both the UK and the EU economies.
France, among other EU nations, has been reluctant to approve a long Brexit extension, saying Britain must present “a clear scenario” for progress before another Brexit delay is granted.
“Our position is that simply giving more time, without political change, without ratification, without an election, would be useless,” Amelie de Montchalin, France’s European affairs minister, told RTL radio Thursday night.
Those comments followed Johnson’s decision Thursday to push for an early election to break the stalemate in Parliament that has blocked a Brexit deal. Johnson said he would ask lawmakers to vote Monday on calling a general election on Dec. 12.
To call an election, Johnson, who leads a minority government, must win support from two-thirds of the House of Commons. But opposition parties say they won’t vote for an early election until the government secures an extension of the Brexit deadline.
Britain’s biggest opposition party has gone a step further, saying it will block plans for an early election unless Johnson eliminates the possibility of leaving the EU without a deal.
Diane Abbott, of the Labour Party, told the BBC her party wants an “explicit commitment” that there won’t be a no-deal Brexit, “because we don’t trust Boris Johnson.”
“We want to know that by some mischance we won’t crash out of the EU without a deal, because we’ve said for some time that coming out of the EU without a deal would be absolutely disastrous,” she said.
Until recently, Johnson vowed that Britain would leave the EU on Oct. 31 no matter what, with or without a deal, saying this was the only way to put pressure on European officials to make concessions.
Johnson insisted on Friday that British lawmakers need to commit to the Dec. 12 date for the election “to have any credibility about delivering Brexit.”
“So that’s what we’re pushing for,” he said.
Johnson last week secured a new deal with EU leaders, but British lawmakers refused to approve it before an Oct. 19 deadline imposed by Parliament. That forced him to ask the EU to extend the Brexit deadline to the end of January.
Sajid Javid, Britain’s treasury chief, said he believes the EU will ultimately approve a three-month extension. He said the only way to break the country’s political logjam was to call a new election and get rid of what he called the current “zombie Parliament.”
“Three-and-a-half years ago this decision was made and there’s been delay after delay after delay,” he told the BBC. “And we have to end this, end this uncertainty.”
EU envoys agree that Brexit extension is needed, no date set
EU envoys agree that Brexit extension is needed, no date set
- European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said ambassadors from the EU’s 27 other nations accepted the terms of an extension
- Britain is scheduled to leave the 28-nation bloc on Oct. 31 but has asked for a three-month extension to that deadline as Johnson struggles to get lawmakers to pass his Brexit divorce deal
UK to end Afghan refugee schemes
- Move is part of plan to clear backlog of asylum seekers in temporary accommodation
- No timeline yet in place but defense secretary says schemes cannot be ‘endless’
LONDON: The UK is to close its resettlement schemes for people fleeing Afghanistan, The Times reported.
Defense Secretary John Healey said the UK’s two programs for Afghans could not be “an endless process” as he laid out plans to move refugees out of temporary accommodation. He added that over 1,000 Afghan families have arrived in the UK in the past 12 months.
Though no time frame has been announced, the government aims to limit the amount of time Afghans can stay in hotels and other temporary housing to nine months.
The two refugee programs — the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy — were introduced in 2021 after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban following the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces.
Thousands of people were evacuated to the UK during an airlift mission known as Operation Pitting.
UK authorities have struggled to find suitable permanent housing solutions for many Afghan refugees due to the large size of typical Afghan families — more than double that of the average British family.
A total of 30,412 Afghans were eventually taken to the UK under the two schemes. Under ARAP, 2,729 Afghans were placed in temporary Ministry of Defense accommodation and a further 288 in Home Office housing, amid a broader backlog of over 100,000 asylum seekers requiring assistance in the UK — 35,651 of whom were put up in hotels.
Safe Passage International told The Times it is “concerned” by suggestions that the two resettlement schemes are set to close, adding that they have been a “lifeline to safety” for vulnerable Afghans.
The charity said “new safe routes” would need to be opened for Afghan refugees when the two schemes are shuttered.
Its CEO Wanda Wyporska said: “We’re concerned that the government is thinking about closing the safe pathways for Afghans, given there are no other working safe routes that can bring those fleeing the Taliban to safety here.
“We urgently need more detail on this so Afghans are not left in danger. We know there are many Afghans living in terror and under the threat of increasingly repressive Taliban rules, such as those oppressing women and girls.
“Afghans are already the top nationality crossing the Channel, so we fear without this safe route we will only see more people turning to smugglers to reach protection here.”
Modi to visit Kuwait for the first trip by Indian PM in four decades
- Indian nationals make up the largest expatriate community in Kuwait
- Modi’s visit will likely focus on strengthening economic ties, experts say
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kuwait on Saturday, marking the first trip of an Indian premier to the Gulf state in more than four decades.
With more than 1 million Indian nationals living and working in Kuwait, they are the largest expatriate community in the country, making up around 21 percent of its 4.3 million population and 30 percent of its workforce.
Modi will be visiting Kuwait for two days at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
“This will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
“During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold discussions with the leadership of Kuwait. Prime Minister will also interact with the Indian community in Kuwait.”
India is among Kuwait’s top trade partners, with bilateral trade valued at around $10.4 billion in 2023-24.
Experts expect the visit to focus on strengthening economic ties between the two countries.
“Kuwait has a strong Indian expatriate community who have contributed to the economic development of the country,” Muddassir Quamar, associate professor at the Center for West Asian Studies in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, told Arab News.
“In my view, the focus would be on the economy. Politically, it underlines that Kuwait is an important regional country and remains an important partner of India.”
Quamar said that trade and economic ties will likely get a boost from the visit, as well as cooperation in energy, infrastructure, financial technology, education and culture.
Modi’s visit reflects how India’s engagement with Arab states has increasingly focused on the economy, said Kabir Taneja, a deputy director with the Strategic Studies program at the Observer Research Foundation.
“India’s engagement with Arab states is increasingly rooted in a ‘new’ Middle East, that is, it is economy-led,” he told Arab News.
“This visit is a good opportunity for India to expand beyond its good relations with UAE and Saudi Arabia and explore opportunities with the smaller Arab states which includes Kuwait.”
Modi to visit Kuwait for first trip by Indian PM in four decades
- Indian nationals make up the largest expatriate community in Kuwait
- Modi’s visit will likely focus on strengthening economic ties, say experts
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kuwait on Saturday, marking the first trip to the Gulf state by an Indian premier in more than four decades.
With more than 1 million Indian nationals living and working in Kuwait they are the largest expatriate community in the country, making up around 21 percent of its 4.3 million population and 30 percent of its workforce.
Modi’s two-day visit is at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
“This will be the first visit of an Indian prime minister to Kuwait in 43 years,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
“During the visit, the prime minister will hold discussions with the leadership of Kuwait. (The) prime minister will also interact with the Indian community in Kuwait.”
India is among Kuwait’s top trade partners, with bilateral trade valued at around $10.4 billion in 2023-24.
Experts expect the visit to focus on strengthening economic ties between the two countries.
“Kuwait has a strong Indian expatriate community who have contributed to the economic development of the country,” Muddassir Quamar, associate professor at the Center for West Asian Studies in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, told Arab News.
“In my view, the focus would be on the economy. Politically, it underlines that Kuwait is an important regional country and remains an important partner of India.”
Quamar said that trade and economic ties will likely get a boost from the visit, as well as cooperation in energy, infrastructure, financial technology, education and culture.
Modi’s visit reflects how India’s engagement with Arab states has increasingly focused on the economy, said Kabir Taneja, a deputy director with the Strategic Studies program at the Observer Research Foundation.
“India’s engagement with Arab states is increasingly rooted in a ‘new’ Middle East, that is, it is economy-led,” he told Arab News.
“This visit is a good opportunity for India to expand beyond its good relations with UAE and Saudi Arabia and explore opportunities with the smaller Arab states, which includes Kuwait.”
Putin says fall of Assad not a ‘defeat’ for Russia
- Bashar Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month after a shock militant advance ended half a century of rule by the Assad family
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the fall of ex-Syrian leader Bashar Assad was not a “defeat” for Russia, claiming Moscow had achieved its goals in the country.
Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month after a shock militant advance ended half a century of rule by the Assad family, marked by repression and allegations of vast human rights abuses and civil war.
His departure came more than 13 years after his crackdown on democracy protests precipitated a civil war.
Russia was Assad’s key backer and had swept to his aid in 2015, turning the tide of the conflict.
“You want to present what is happening in Syria as a defeat for Russia,” Putin said at his annual end-of-year press conference.
“I assure you it is not,” he said, responding to a question from an American journalist.
“We came to Syria 10 years ago so that a terrorist enclave would not be created there like in Afghanistan. On the whole, we have achieved our goal,” Putin said.
The Kremlin leader said he had yet to meet with Assad in Moscow, but planned to do so soon.
“I haven’t yet seen president Assad since his arrival in Moscow but I plan to, I will definitely speak with him,” he said.
Putin was addressing the situation in Syria publicly for the first time since Assad’s fall.
Moscow is keen to secure the fate of two military bases in the country.
The Tartus naval base and Hmeimim air base are Russia’s only military outposts outside the former Soviet Union and have been key to the Kremlin’s activities in Africa and the Middle East.
Putin said there was support for Russia keeping hold of the bases.
“We maintain contacts with all those who control the situation there, with all the countries of the region. An overwhelming majority of them say they are interested in our military bases staying there,” Putin said.
He also said Russia had evacuated 4,000 Iranian soldiers from the country at the request from Tehran.
Saudi tourist swims for 5 hours to help his wife stranded in Pattaya waters
- Saudi tourists stranded in the dark for hours before rescuers reached them
- About 188,000 Saudi tourists visited Thailand between January and October this year
BANGKOK: A Saudi tourist swam for more than five hours to reach shore and find help for his wife after their jet ski capsized in Pattaya Bay, Thailand, local authorities said on Thursday.
On Saturday, Abdulrahman Mahdi M. Al-Amri and his wife, Atheer Saeed A. Al-Amri, were reported missing at 6:30 p.m., prompting an immediate search and rescue operation by Pattaya City authorities.
“We received a call at 6:30 p.m. from a jet ski operator that one of their jet skis and the clients were missing. So, we set out on a search operation,” Pattaya City Sea Rescue’s Nattanon Chamnankul, who led the search and rescue mission, told Arab News.
The rescue team had been searching for more than five hours and was navigating the dark seas, strong winds and drizzle to no avail. But as their boat returned to Pattaya’s Jomtien beach, authorities found Abdulrahman swimming toward the shore.
“The husband had swum for five hours to reach the shore and was worried about his wife. He used the lights on the beach as a guide,” Chamnankul said, adding that the 26-year-old man was in a state of extreme fatigue when he was rescued.
The rescue boat then took him on board and continued the search for his wife.
“We found his wife at 2 a.m., six hours after the search began,” Chamnankul said. “At first the sea was dark, but we heard a small voice in the sea and it was her.”
Their jet ski had capsized in the middle of the ocean and its engine was damaged by seawater, according to Nipon, an officer at the Pattaya Tourist Police.
After the jet ski ran out of fuel, Abdulrahman decided to swim to shore to get help.
Although Atheer had a minor injury to her left leg, Nipon said the couple had no serious medical issues and had since returned to their home country after settling a damage cost with the jet ski operator for 50,000 Thai baht ($1,400).
Thailand has become an increasingly popular destination for Saudi travelers since the normalization of ties between the Southeast Asian country and Saudi Arabia in 2022.
The Gulf state is considered a high-potential market by Thai tourism experts, with about 178,000 Saudi tourists visiting in 2023, and another 188,000 between January and October this year, the highest number among visitors from that region.
The latest data shows that the number of Saudi tourists has almost doubled compared with 2022, when the number was about 96,000.
