Brexit

Northern Ireland is still deeply divided between pro-UK mainly Protestant unionists and pro-Ireland largely Catholic nationalists.

The strongly pro-Brexit constituency has never voted Conservative since its creation in 1974.

On Thursday morning, around 100 French fishing vessels will sail to Jersey port to protest over the issuing of the licences.

Britain left the EU on January 30 2020, but its new life with Europe only really began after the transition period on December 31.

Local mayor Frederic Cuvillier offered his support to the fishermen, calling for the EU to "wake up" and protect the European fishing industry from Brexit's impact.

It comes as London looks to reposition itself post-Brexit, rebranding itself "Global Britain" and eyeing new opportunities beyond the European Union.

Agencies like Rainbow Au Pairs said they had warned the government before Brexit without success.

Sergejus Muravjovas, CEO of Transparency International Lithuania, said "the ambition to become a fintech centre comes with a responsibility to take money laundering prevention to a new level.

Financial services -- a key driver of the British economy -- were largely omitted from the last-minute Brexit trade deal agreed between London and Brussels in late December.

Truckers heading over the Channel to France now require a negative Covid test before making the crossing.

After the UK chose to leave the single market and customs union, it was unable to prevent reams of new red tape for British businesses trading with Europe.

In Rosslare -- the second busiest freight hub in Ireland -- there are signs logistics firms may be charting a new course to Europe: the one with least resistance.

Airlines have already incurred costs over the need for new operating licences to continue flying in Britain and the European Union in the wake of Brexit.

Export prices are reportedly sliding because of paperwork delays that have sparked severe holdups.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears eager to agree an acceptable alignment deal -- but does not want identical EU regulatory rules for political reasons.

The government, which has employed 1,000 new border officials, is phasing in the new customs checks, with full import control checks for all goods not to be implemented until July.

Britain is a financial and diplomatic big-hitter and a major NATO power with a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and in the G7 grouping of the world's richest economies.

Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords passed the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill on the same day.

The deal does not remove difficulties over "the flow of vital supplies into the UK", Mark Dayan of the Nuffield Trust, an independent healthcare think-tank, said in a statement.

EU member states gave their green light on Monday for the accord to take provisional effect before Thursday's deadline.

On December 24, Britain and the European Union agreed a post-Brexit deal that allayed the threat of disruption to business on January 1, when measures extending free trade are set to end.

Following the announcement of the political accord, von der Leyen's Commission will send the text to the remaining 27 European member states.

Failure to reach a deal would mean tariffs on cross-Channel trade in food and goods, exacerbating the economic shock of a return to a customs border after 47 years of integration.

Brexit supporters accused France of exploiting the crisis to try and force trade concessions.

Fears about the new Covid-19 strain blunted the boost from the deal hammered out by US legislators on a $900 billion relief package.

Any trade deal reached by Barnier and Frost will have to be approved by the EU and UK parliaments, and special sessions may have to be held in the final days of this year.

After a slow start, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai were all well up, while Sydney put on more than one percent and Mumbai also enjoyed strong gains.

The pound was holding up as British and European Union negotiators pressed ahead with talks on a trade deal with just over two weeks until the December 31 deadline.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had said after a crisis call that they would "go the extra mile" to find common ground.

In London, the government insists that Britain is ready to leave the union and handle its own affairs after 47 years of close economic integration.