Showing posts with label #Brexit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Brexit. Show all posts

Sunday, November 6, 2016

British Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to India - mango and visa on the agenda


British Prime Minister Theresa May is on a visit to India and a couple of sensitive points on her agenda would presumably be visa for Indians and the acceptance of Indian mangoes by Britain. She has been given indirect hints that unless Britain changes its stand on issue of visas to Indians, it could miss out on trade deals.
The clear message to her is - post-Brexit, you need Indians.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 6 November 2016.
Prime Minister May is on a mission to drum up new trade deals with India to cushion the impact of leaving the EU. However, the Indians want a reversal of tough immigration measures that she had imposed on Indians when she was Home Secretary.
Moreover, she will also have to face calls to take a harder line on neighboring Pakistan's alleged link to global terror and also to allow more Indian mangoes to enter Britain. She has chosen India for her first trade mission as Prime Minister because, in the opinion of officials, the historic business links between the two will help British businesses to ride out the turbulence caused by leaving the EU. She will have a team of 33 business representatives with her on the tour.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Sunday, August 7, 2016

Theresa May to pay upto £13,000 to families who stay on sources of shale gas


Theresa May has taken over as Prime Minister of Britain three weeks back and she has already taken several major decisions like scrapping the climate change department and, threatening to scupper the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant deal with China and France. She now plans to transform her predecessor David Cameron’s cautious fracking rewards scheme.
It seems she wants to offer five-figure cash payouts under a radical plan to boost the drive for controversial shale gas fracking. This Lottery-style ‘Frackpot’ windfall scheme is all about paying individual householders cash sums (this could be as high as £13,000) if they are living in areas where the gas can be extracted.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 7 August 2016.
This move by the new Prime Minister marks a major shift in policy from David Cameron’s blueprint for Britain’s energy needs. She is hopeful that her bold post-Brexit plan would open the doors to access the untapped energy reserve of Britain and give a boost to the economy.
However, it may not be plain sailing because environmental critics could argue that it is a sort of ‘bribe’ which could undermine local democracy. Councillors who are opposed to fracking could find themselves under pressure from voters who would be keen to get their share of the fracking lottery.
As per the existing proposals for fracking - sums of up to £10million in each affected area were to be taken from business rates paid by fracking firms and given to town halls and community groups. However, the new plan envisages diversion of all or some of that money to individuals to ensure that ordinary families ‘personally benefit from economic decisions’. The decision could be a game-changer in the politically explosive energy sector because it could override the green lobby’s fierce opposition to fracking.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

EU imposes ban on water hyacinth which is Britain's best-loved pond plant

US First Lady Michelle Obama wants Hillary Clinton to be the first woman president of the US

Prince Harry in Africa to save 500 elephants and relocate them


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Didi’s naughty boys tie her up in knots (satire)

Lord Shiva feels rains are the best option for cleaning (satire)


Mass stabbing in a Japanese care home in Sagamihara leaves at least 15 dead and 28 injured

ISIS carries out suicide bombing in Qamishli - death toll at least 44

Jihadist kills 85-year-old priest in a church Normandy - churches in Britain to tighten security


Next James Bond movie would not come before 2018

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Bollywood actress Dia Mirza turns director with film on tigers on World Tiger Day

Sunday, July 31, 2016

EU imposes ban on water hyacinth which is Britain's best-loved pond plant


The European Union has imposed ban on water hyacinth which is Britain’s best-loved pond plant because it is hated in Spain and Portugal. This plant has been added to the EU’s Invasive Alien Species Regulations which means it cannot be grown or sold anywhere within the EU.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 31 July 2016.
In Britain, the water hyacinth is a favorite of pond owners because it protects fish from predators like herons and kingfishers, it oxygenates water, and prevents algae from clogging ponds. Moreover, it does not seed. It cannot escape into waterways and dies off completely after the first winter frost.
However, in warm climates like that in Spain, Portugal and South Africa, it grows rapidly creating thick floating mats on lakes and affecting water sports, boating and irrigation. Spain and Portugal have already halted sales because lakes are being swamped. They have lobbied for the EU-wide ban because they claim that Britons who own holiday homes might smuggle it in their luggage or cars to plant in their ponds.
Britain has opted for Brexit and while the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs spokesman said it would police the ban, it added that Britain remains subject to EU legislation until it leaves the EU which is still some distance away.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Lord Shiva stumped by the sea of humanity on 21st (satire)

Moody embraces yoga, his medics could embrace poverty (satire)

Lone wolf attack in Munich mall kills 10 including the attacker

Youth attacks train commuters with an axe - leaves more than 20 injured, some seriously

ISIS carries out suicide attack in Kabul - 80 killed, death toll could rise


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Irrfan Khan meets Arvind Kejriwal before release of his film 'Madaari'

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