London Mayor Khan: Britain heading for ‘muddled Brexit’

London Mayor Sadiq Khan

LONDON: London Mayor Sadiq Khan will say on Thursday that urgent action is needed to prevent Britain slipping towards a “muddled Brexit”, arguing that the capital needs more control over its economic policy to cope with leaving the European Union.

Khan, a member of the opposition Labour Party, was elected to the influential position of mayor last May on a promise to stand up for the city’s businesses. He has called for the government to avoid the uncertainty of a messy divorce from the EU, saying it would damage confidence in the city.

“It’s deeply concerning that we still appear to have ‘muddled thinking’ at the heart of government so soon before the negotiations are set to start,” Khan will say in a speech later on Thursday according to a statement from his office.

His words echo those of Britain’s former ambassador to the EU, Ivan Rogers, who resigned last week saying that Prime Minister Theresa May government was “muddled” in its approach.

May refuted the suggestion, saying she would set out her strategy over the coming weeks.

“The only thing that would be as damaging as a hard Brexit is a muddled Brexit, and — unfortunately — it looks like that is where we are heading without urgent action,” Khan is due to say.

He will reiterate his view that London needs preferential access to the single market, access to skilled workers in Europe and a transitional agreement with the EU to smoothen the Brexit process.

Khan will also restate his case for London to have more control over its economy policy. He will promise to compile his own industrial strategy for London to feed into the government’s plan to reshape the British economy.

May has promised to draw up an industrial strategy that will revive areas of the country which have suffered from a decades-long decline in manufacturing, to try to rebalance the services-reliant economy and re-engage with disillusioned working-class voters.

“We need more control of the right levers to improve competitiveness, stimulate growth and invest in our long-term future,” Khan will say. “If we want an industrial strategy that works for London and therefore for Britain, we must have more control.”

US tanks and troops to begin arriving in Poland

Tanks and other equipment began arriving in Germany last
week and are being moved to Eastern Europe

They are part of President Barack Obama's response to reassure Nato allies concerned about a more aggressive Russia.
Their arrival comes just days before the inauguration of Donald Trump who has signalled he wants to improve relations with Moscow.
It is the largest US military reinforcement of Europe in decades.
More than 80 main battle tanks and hundreds of armoured vehicles

Britain braces for an Arctic blast

Refugees stand in line to receive free food outside a
derelict customs warehouse in Belgrade on Tuesday.

London: Temperatures are expected to plummet to —10C in parts of Britain this week as an icy blast sweeps across the country, bringing snow showers, strong winds and frost.

An Arctic maritime air mass from northern Canada will produce a sustained period of freezing weather, starting with a cold northerly wind, which will hit parts of the UK on Wednesday evening, including northern Scotland and the North Sea coast, as well as Northern Ireland, parts of Wales, Devon and Cornwall.

As the cold air moves south over the relatively warm sea, it will result in showers across northern, western and eastern coasts. Many inland areas are expected to avoid most of the snow, but it will feel cold, with strong north-westerly winds.

Daytime temperatures are likely to be between 2C and —5C, but could dip lower where there is snow. A frost will develop overnight in many places, with severe frost likely in the north.

The air mass will spread southwards on Wednesday, with the heaviest and most frequent snow showers likely across northern and western Scotland, Northern Ireland and around Irish Sea coasts.

There will be coastal gales as well as a risk of hail and thunder in some locations.

The Met Office issued a “yellow” severe weather warning for snow and wind from Wednesday evening to noon on Thursday.

It said the cold air would bring snow showers and strong winds to areas including Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Cheshire West and Chester, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Halton, Lancashire, Merseyside and Warrington.

Gusts of 90kilometres per hour are expected in exposed coastal areas and on hills, as well as blizzards.

Areas subject to warnings could experience 2-5cm of snow, with 10-20cm possible on higher ground. Lightning could accompany the heaviest showers, with potential disruption to power supplies as a consequence, the Met Office said.

Snow showers are expected to develop that, combined with strong winds, could affect travel conditions.

Jenny Rourke, the deputy chief operational meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “A cold spell of weather will affect the UK from Wednesday. With strong north-westerly winds, all areas will feel the cold and there will be snow showers, especially in northern and western areas.

“With wintry weather anticipated later this week, we’ve issued weather warnings for snow and wind, and we advise people to check the latest forecast and weather warnings before they travel.”

The Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: “We could see the coldest day of winter on Friday. A cold front moving in from the Atlantic will bring heavy frost and frequent snowstorms.

“It is likely that 5-10cm of snow will come in from the north and fall as far as the south of the country on Friday, and there could be even thicker snow in the hills.

“Daytime temperatures on Wednesday will be about 4-6C, but harsh winds will make it feel as if temperatures are well below freezing. Temperatures will become increasingly colder throughout the week and by Friday, it is likely that night-time temperatures will be as low as -2C.

A deep freeze across Europe

Villages cut off

Albania: Frigid weather has caused at least four deaths in the last three days In Albania. Snow has stopped falling, but freezing temperatures continue to engulf the whole country. At least four people have died while scores of villages mainly in the north and northeast have been isolated and power and water cuts have been introduced, including the capital.The health and education ministry decided to keep classes suspended for students.

Yellow alert

Bulgaria: The situation in northeastern Bulgaria remains critical with heavy snow drifts on the roads, freezing temperatures and power outages that have affected some 2,000 households. Emergency teams trying to clear the roads to remote villages were hindered by strong winds. Authorities issued a Yellow Code alert for low temperatures across Bulgaria beginning Monday. Schools across the country remained closed.

Sea freezes

Croatia: Freezing temperatures and strong winds have created havoc along Croatia’s Adriatic coast, which isn’t used to such cold winters. Even the sea froze in shallow bays, trapping fishermen’s boats to the amazement of locals who haven’t seen anything like this in decades. The temperatures in Croatia’s tourist centres of Dubrovnik and Split dropped to —7C and strong winds blew off ancient pine and olive trees on the coast.

Deaths from exposure

Czech Republic: According to Czech public radio, six people are believed to have died of exposure during the latest cold snap, including in the capital, Prague. Meteorologists forecast freezing temperatures to continue in the coming days. Temperatures have hit —15C during the nights, with the mercury barely making to to —5C, with the cold snap to last until at least the end of the week

Schools shut in Italy

Italy: Schools were closed in a handful of southern Italy cities not accustomed to such heavy snowfall. Individual schools also closed in Rome and Bologna because heaters weren’t working, news reports said. The sub-freezing temperatures have been blamed for the deaths of at least eight people and have disrupted road, rail, air and ferry travel.

Power out in Kosovo

Kosovo: Snow continued to blanket the whole country and left many areas without power. Police blamed the weather for the death on Monday of an ethnic Albanian man whose body was found on a forest road. Though all national roads were open, police advised careful driving and low speeds. Rural roads are either blocked or hard to drive. Power has been cut in many areas around the country.

65 dead since November

Poland: The government says 10 people died in the cold as Poland has been gripped by low temperatures. The deaths bring to 65 the number of weather-related fatalities since November 1, when temperatures started falling to freezing, especially at night. The latest victims were nine men between the ages of 32 and 69, and a 52-year-old woman.

Prisoners clear snow

Romania: Bucharest Mayor Gabriela Firea said inmates from two prisons would be put to work clearing snow alongside anti-riot police in the Romanian capital. The inmates working on snow removal are doing so voluntarily, Firea said.

She said the initiative would help clean up the capital’s ice-clogged streets, which are only partially cleared. The country’s power grid is stretched to its limit.

—31C in Moscow

Russia: In Moscow, two people have died and 190 people with hypothermia have sought medical help in the Russian capital between New Year’s Eve and January 8, the last day of the holiday period in Russia. The Russian Meteorological Service said the Orthodox Christmas Eve on January 6 was the coldest in Moscow since 1987 when temperatures plunged below —31C. Moscow schools, however, were opened on Monday after the holiday recess.

State of emergency

Serbia: Authorities have declared emergency measures in 11 municipalities in central and southern parts of the country as fresh snow and extremely low temperatures have blocked roads and cut off villages. Residents in remote villages on the rough Golija mountain have refused offers from authorities to evacuate their homes during the —28C freeze because they won’t abandon their animals.

Alpine tragedy

Switzerland: Police in Valais say a Russian couple were killed and their two children aged 11 and 15 were gravely injured over the weekend after the vehicle they were travelling in tumbled about 225 metres along a snow-covered Alpine road. Officials said the driver had been trying to park on the roadside, and snowy conditions appeared to have led to the deadly plunge into a pile of rocks.

Istanbul Airport chaos

Turkey: Turkish Airlines cancelled 277 domestic and international flights to and from Istanbul’s two airports due to heavy snow. Schools around Istanbul also were closed. Istanbul ferries on the Bosporus Strait that provide transportation for many commuters in the city straddling the narrow gap between Asia and Europe were also stopped and motorists were struggling to keep control on slippery roads.