Economy

The European Union and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement on how much fish they may catch in 2021 of the species controlled by both parties.

British International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss, says that the British government is looking at a possible trade deal with Gulf states starting with an investment tie-up with the UAE for an amount of £5 billion ($7.06bn). 

This year, faced by the challenges of the pandemic and its social and economic consequences, European leaders meeting at an informal summit in Porto, hosted by the current Portuguese Presidency of the EU, focused on social issues, including on how to ensure an inclusive recovery, with education and skills at the heart of the EU's political action.

The European Commission will stop efforts to approve the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) between China and the European Union (EU). European Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, said that approval for the CAI is complicated due to recent EU-China relations. 

According to the Portuguese minister of foreign affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, the 27-nation bloc wants to restart talks on three agreements: protection of geographical indication, reciprocal investments, and a pact to foster Indo-European trade. Portugal will host the summit on Saturday in Porto.

In a recent wide-ranging interview Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, appeared to be reinterpreting – if not exactly redefining – the relationship between state and religion in the Kingdom. This is highly dangerous and uncharted territory for a Saudi leader, but something that is absolutely necessary if the Kingdom is to reinvent itself as a modern progressive state, whilst respecting the religious foundations which are part of its legacy and legitimacy.