EU Commission warns of a No Deal Brexit +++ Israel approves Jewish nation state law

19. August 2018, 02:00

EU Commission warns of a No Deal Brexit

The European Commission is warning countries across the EU to prepare for the possibility of a No Deal Brexit. The Commission says there could be serious consequences for governments, travellers, and businesses - if no agreement is reached. The Irish Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has said his government is making contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit. This includes hiring one thousand customs officials at ports and airports. "Given the instability in Britain, given the turmoil in Westminster, we can't make an assumption that the withdrawal agreement would get through Westminster. It's not evident or not obvious that the government in Britain has a majority for any form of Brexit, quite frankly."

Israel approves Jewish nation state law

The Israeli parliament has passed a controversial law that defines Israel as an exclusively Jewish state. The Nation State law strips Arabic of its designation as an official language, and says Jewish settlements are in the national interest. Israeli-Arab politicians have denounced the new law as racist, but the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said most Israelis supported it: "We will continue to guarantee civil rights in Israel's democracy - these rights will not be harmed. But the majority also has rights, and the majority decides. An absolute majority wants to ensure the Jewish character of our state, for generations to come."

Novichok suspects reportedly identified

According to a British news agency, police in the UK have identified several people they believe carried out the nerve agent attack on the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury earlier this year. The Russian suspects have reportedly been identified using CCTV images.

Turkey’s state of emergency comes to an end

Turkey has lifted the state of emergency imposed after a failed coup two years ago. The move had been promised by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, before he was re-elected last month. Under the emergency, 80,000 people were arrested, more than 150,000 civil servants dismissed, and 200 media outlets closed.

Syrian government set to recover Quneitra province

Syrian rebels are reported to have agreed to hand control of the south-west province of Quneitra to government forces. If confirmed, this would be a victory for President Bashar al-Assad, who has recovered large areas of southwestern Syria over the last month, in a Russian-backed offensive.

The weather

Mainly sunny, with a few showers in mountain areas, and lively winds in the east. Highs ranging between 24 and 32 degrees.

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