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A30     world news
                Diamars 24 November 2020

                               UK signs trade deal with Canada to prepare for Brexit


             (AP)  —  The  U.K.  signed                                                                                         with  the  European  Union
             an interim trade deal with                                                                                         on post-Brexit trading rules.
             Canada  on  Saturday,  giv-                                                                                        Both sides have warned there
             ing it more time to nego-                                                                                          could be a no-deal end to the
             tiate  future  trading  rules                                                                                      transition period next month
             as the British government                                                                                          unless the two sides can soon
             prepares  the  country  for                                                                                        bridge  their  remaining  dif-
             business  life  outside  the                                                                                       ferences on fishing, state aid
             European Union.                                                                                                    for  industry  and  the  resolu-
                                                                                                                                tion of future disputes. With-
             The  stopgap  agreement  al-                                                                                       out  an  agreement  on  future
             lows  trade  between  the  two                                                                                     relations between Britain and
             countries  to  continue  under                                                                                     the  EU,  trade  between  the
             the  same  terms  as  Canada's                                                                                     two entities would be carried
             existing  treaty  with  the  EU                                                                                    out under World Trade Orga-
             while negotiators begin work                                                                                       nization terms.
             on  a  new  bilateral  deal  be-
             tween the U.K. and Canada,                                                                                         Johnson's  government  says
             Prime  Minister  Boris  John-                                                                                      this  type  of  relationship
             son said in a statement. Can-                                                                                      wouldn't  hamper  trade,  but
             ada is the U.K.'s eighth-big-                                                                                      opponents  warn  that  tariffs
             gest non-EU trading partner.  Canada that will go even fur-  products such as salmon and  of trade Britain recorded last  would  increase  prices  for
             While Britain formally with-  ther in meeting the needs of  maple syrup from the Com-  year.                       British  consumers  and  bor-
             drew from the EU in Janu-   our economy,” Johnson said.  monwealth country that also                               der  checks  would  lead  to
             ary, it continues to trade with  Johnson's  government  says  recognizes  Queen  Elizabeth  Britain has yet to strike a deal  shortages of some goods.
             other  countries  under  the  the ability to strike free trade  II as head of state.
             bloc’s umbrella during a tran-  agreements  with  countries  The deal with Canada locks
             sition  period  scheduled  to  around  the  world  is  one  of  in existing trading rules that
             end Dec. 31. Without a series  the  main  benefits  of  leaving  cover 20 billion pounds ($27
             of  new  bilateral  agreements,  the EU. It is banking on in-  billion) of trade between the
             trade  with  countries  around  creased  trade  with  countries  two countries, or about 1.5%
             the world may be hampered  such  as  the  United  States  of  the  U.K.'s  total  trade  in
             by barriers such as tariffs and  and India to offset any nega-  goods and services last year.
             increased paperwork.        tive impact from severing ties  The  U.K.  has  now  secured
                                         with the EU, which account-  post-Brexit  trade  deals  with
             "Our  negotiators  have  been  ed for 47% of Britain's overall  53  countries  accounting  for
             working  flat-out  to  secure  trade last year.          164 billion pounds ($218 bil-
             trade deals for the U.K., and                            lion)  of  bilateral  trade,  the
             from  as  early  next  year  we  Britain  ships  goods  ranging  government said. That's less
             have agreed to start work on a  from electric cars to sparkling  than  12%  of  the  1.4  trillion
             new, bespoke trade deal with  wine to Canada, and imports  pounds  (about  $1.9  trillion)

                              Iran closes businesses, curtails travel amid virus surge


                                         past  five  days.  The  Iranian  came  as  a  spat  among  top  ing areas.             restrictions  would  apply  in
                                         Health Ministry said on Sat-  Iranian health officials led to  Manoochehr  Nassiri,  who  other  cities,  including  the
                                         urday  that  the  total  number  the resignation of at least two  runs a lighting shop in Teh-  holy city of Mashhad.
                                         of confirmed cases has risen  officials.  Iranian  newspapers  ran's  Grand  Bazaar,  com-  Any  travel  between  the  af-
                                         to above 840,000.            said Saturday that the deputy  plained about the closures.  fected cities by private car is
                                         The  new  lockdown  mea-     health  minister  in  charge  of                          also suspended. Public trans-
                                         sures, which include shutter-  research,  Reza  Malekzadeh,  “We shop owners don’t know  portation  will  be  available
                                         ing  most  businesses,  shops,  resigned from his post in re-  what  to  do,  considering  the  but the use of private cars is
                                         malls,  and  restaurants,  in-  action  to  recent  remarks  by  economic  situation  of  the  banned between 9 p.m. to 4
                                         clude  Iran's  largest  cities  of  the Minister of Health Saeed  country,"  he  said  standing  a.m.
                                         Mashhad,  Isfahan,  and  Shi-  Namaki,  who  said  govern-  outside  his  shuttered  store.  People who have tested posi-
                                         raz.  Iranian  authorities  have  ment-led  research  projects  The  closures  are  set  to  last  tive for the virus are required
                                         designated  the  nearly  160  were  not  successfully  ad-  two  weeks  but  can  be  auto-  to stay at home and can face
                                         towns  and  cities  affected  as  dressing the current needs of  matically  extended.  Begin-  a roughly $8 cash fine if they
                                         hot spots because these urban  the ministry.              ning  on  Saturday,  govern-  appear in public.
                                         centers have the highest daily                            ment  offices  that  provide
            (AP) —  Iran on Saturday  per  capita  positive  coronavi-  In  reply,  Malekzadeh  in  his  essential  public  services  —  Media  organizations,  con-
            shuttered  businesses  and  rus test results.             resignation  letter  criticized  including banks, post offices,  struction  jobs,  agriculture,
            curtailed  travel  between                                government's   mismanage-    communications and utilities  heavy  industry,  and  services
            its major cities, including  On  Saturday,  Iranian  Presi-  ment  of  the  virus  outbreak  services —will continue their  for  the  elderly  and  assisted
            the  capital  of  Tehran,  as  dent  Hassan  Rouhani  in  a  as leading to a “large number  work with half of the regular  living  are  largely  exempt
            it grapples with the worst  televised  speech  urged  peo-  of  human  deaths.”  Iranian  number of staff.          from the closures.
            outbreak of the coronavi-    ple to follow the measures to  news  websites  also  said  that
            rus in the Mideast region.   help  “lessen  the  death  toll.”  Ali  Nobakht,  an  advisor  to  All  other  government  of-  Iran has avoided the full lock-
                                         He  added  that  the  govern-  the health minister, resigned  fices  will  continue  working  downs  seen  in  other  coun-
            Top  Iranian  officials  initially  ment  plans  to  supply  cash  over similar reasons, without  with one third of their staff.  tries  as  it  struggles  to  keep
            downplayed  the  risks  posed  subsidies  to  Iran's  30  mil-  providing further details.  All schools in the capital will  its  faltering  economy  alive
            by the virus outbreak, before  lion  poorest  people  for  four                        also be closed and required to  in the face of crushing U.S.
            recently urging the public to  months  to  help  them  to  In  Tehran,  the  head  of  the  switch  to  virtual  instruction  sanctions.  President  Donald
            follow measures like wearing  manage the economic fallout  city's chamber of commerce,  by  Internet.  Authorities  will  Trump re-imposed sweeping
            masks and avoiding unessen-  from the new outbreak.       Qassem Nodeh, said that the  also  close  shrines  in  Tehran  sanctions on the country af-
            tial travel.                                              restrictions  will  lead  to  the  and  cancel  mass  prayers  in  ter  withdrawing  from  Iran's
            Iran has recorded daily death  The  latest  round  of  restric-  closure of 70% of business in  mosques,  though  it  was  not  nuclear deal with world pow-
            tolls  of  above  430  over  the  tions  to  stem  the  outbreak  the capital and its surround-  immediately clear if the same  ers in 2018.
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