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Glasgow Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Starmer hails ‘common sense' EU deal as Brexiteers condemn ‘surrender'
Under the deal struck with Brussels, more tourists will be able to use e-gates at airports in Europe, pet passports will be introduced for UK cats and dogs and businesses can sell burgers and sausages into the bloc again. But the Prime Minister faced accusations of betraying Brexit over the extension of fishing rights for European vessels for a further 12 years and closer ties to EU rules. Sir Keir met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa at a summit in Lancaster House, London, to seal the deal. The Prime Minister said: 'It's time to look forward. To move on from the stale old debates and political fights to find common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people. 'We're ready to work with partners if it means we can improve people's lives here at home. 'So that's what this deal is all about – facing out into the world once again, in the great tradition of this nation. 'Building the relationships we choose, with the partners we choose, and closing deals in the national interest. Because that is what independent, sovereign nations do.' Sir Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen led high-profile delegations at the summit (Kin Cheung/PA) Measures include: – A 12-year extension of fishing arrangements when the current deal ends, allowing European vessels to operate in UK waters under the same terms until 2038. – An open-ended new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to slash red tape on food and drink exports and imports between the UK and EU. – Some routine checks on plant and animal products will be removed completely and British burgers and sausages will once more be allowed into the EU. – Linking UK and EU emissions-trading schemes which will mean British firms will not be hit by Brussels' carbon tax next year. – A security and defence partnership will pave the way for UK arms firms to bid for work under the EU's proposed new £150 billion security action for Europe (Safe) fund. – The UK and EU have agreed to co-operate on a 'youth experience scheme', but British officials insisted numbers would be capped and stays would be time-limited. – British steel exports will be protected from new EU rules and restrictive tariffs, saving the beleaguered industry £25 million. In striking the deal, the Prime Minister has had to balance the Government's desperate search for measures to grow the economy with the backlash he will inevitably face from Brexit-supporting voters and political opponents. The UK-EU Summit was held at Lancaster House in central London (Kin Cheung/PA) The deal requires 'dynamic alignment' – the UK following rules set by Brussels – in areas covering the SPS deal, emissions trading and potential co-operation in the electricity market. That would mean the UK complying with rules over which, outside the EU, it would have a very limited influence. The acceptance of some form of youth mobility programme, allowing young EU citizens to live, work and study in the UK and vice versa, has been politically controversial because of the Government's drive to cut net migration. Officials insisted the scheme being proposed would not breach the Government's red line of not allowing the return of free movement, pointing to similar deals with Australia and New Zealand. The 'reset' deal also respects the Government's other red lines of not returning to the customs union or single market, officials said. But Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'We're becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again. 'And with no details on any cap or time limits on youth mobility, fears of free movement returning will only increase. This is very concerning.' Shadow farming minister Robbie Moore accused Sir Keir of 'surrendering access to our British waters to European fishermen'. 'Whose side is he on? When Labour negotiates, Britain loses,' he added. Reform UK's Nigel Farage said the 12-year deal on access for European boats 'will be the end of the fishing industry'. Mr Farage's deputy leader Richard Tice said: 'Labour surrenders. Brussels bureaucrats win again.'
South Wales Argus
19-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Starmer hails ‘common sense' EU deal as Brexiteers condemn ‘surrender'
Under the deal struck with Brussels, more tourists will be able to use e-gates at airports in Europe, pet passports will be introduced for UK cats and dogs and businesses can sell burgers and sausages into the bloc again. But the Prime Minister faced accusations of betraying Brexit over the extension of fishing rights for European vessels for a further 12 years and closer ties to EU rules. Sir Keir met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa at a summit in Lancaster House, London, to seal the deal. The Prime Minister said: 'It's time to look forward. To move on from the stale old debates and political fights to find common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people. 'We're ready to work with partners if it means we can improve people's lives here at home. 'So that's what this deal is all about – facing out into the world once again, in the great tradition of this nation. 'Building the relationships we choose, with the partners we choose, and closing deals in the national interest. Because that is what independent, sovereign nations do.' Sir Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen led high-profile delegations at the summit (Kin Cheung/PA) Measures include: – A 12-year extension of fishing arrangements when the current deal ends, allowing European vessels to operate in UK waters under the same terms until 2038. – An open-ended new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to slash red tape on food and drink exports and imports between the UK and EU. – Some routine checks on plant and animal products will be removed completely and British burgers and sausages will once more be allowed into the EU. – Linking UK and EU emissions-trading schemes which will mean British firms will not be hit by Brussels' carbon tax next year. – A security and defence partnership will pave the way for UK arms firms to bid for work under the EU's proposed new £150 billion security action for Europe (Safe) fund. – The UK and EU have agreed to co-operate on a 'youth experience scheme', but British officials insisted numbers would be capped and stays would be time-limited. – British steel exports will be protected from new EU rules and restrictive tariffs, saving the beleaguered industry £25 million. In striking the deal, the Prime Minister has had to balance the Government's desperate search for measures to grow the economy with the backlash he will inevitably face from Brexit-supporting voters and political opponents. The UK-EU Summit was held at Lancaster House in central London (Kin Cheung/PA) The deal requires 'dynamic alignment' – the UK following rules set by Brussels – in areas covering the SPS deal, emissions trading and potential co-operation in the electricity market. That would mean the UK complying with rules over which, outside the EU, it would have a very limited influence. The acceptance of some form of youth mobility programme, allowing young EU citizens to live, work and study in the UK and vice versa, has been politically controversial because of the Government's drive to cut net migration. Officials insisted the scheme being proposed would not breach the Government's red line of not allowing the return of free movement, pointing to similar deals with Australia and New Zealand. The 'reset' deal also respects the Government's other red lines of not returning to the customs union or single market, officials said. But Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'We're becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again. 'And with no details on any cap or time limits on youth mobility, fears of free movement returning will only increase. This is very concerning.' Shadow farming minister Robbie Moore accused Sir Keir of 'surrendering access to our British waters to European fishermen'. 'Whose side is he on? When Labour negotiates, Britain loses,' he added. Reform UK's Nigel Farage said the 12-year deal on access for European boats 'will be the end of the fishing industry'. Mr Farage's deputy leader Richard Tice said: 'Labour surrenders. Brussels bureaucrats win again.'
Toronto Sun
17-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Microsoft says it provided AI to Israeli military for war but denies use to harm people in Gaza
Published May 16, 2025 • 5 minute read The Microsoft logo is displayed at an event at the Chatham House think tank in London, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. Photo by Kin Cheung / AP Photo WASHINGTON — Microsoft acknowledged Thursday that it sold advanced artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to the Israeli military during the war in Gaza and aided in efforts to locate and rescue Israeli hostages. But the company also said it has found no evidence to date that its Azure platform and AI technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The unsigned blog post on Microsoft's corporate website appears to be the company's first public acknowledgement of its deep involvement in the war, which started after Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel and has led to the deaths of tens of thousands in Gaza. It comes nearly three months after an investigation by The Associated Press revealed previously unreported details about the American tech giant's close partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defence, with military use of commercial AI products skyrocketing by nearly 200 times after the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The AP reported that the Israeli military uses Azure to transcribe, translate and process intelligence gathered through mass surveillance, which can then be cross-checked with Israel's in-house AI-enabled targeting systems and vice versa. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The partnership reflects a growing drive by tech companies to sell their artificial intelligence products to militaries for a wide range of uses, including in Israel, Ukraine and the United States. However, human rights groups have raised concerns that AI systems, which can be flawed and prone to errors, are being used to help make decisions about who or what to target, resulting in the deaths of innocent people. Microsoft said Thursday that employee concerns and media reports had prompted the company to launch an internal review and hire an external firm to undertake 'additional fact-finding.' The statement did not identify the outside firm or provide a copy of its report. The statement also did not directly address several questions about precisely how the Israeli military is using its technologies, and the company declined Friday to comment further. Microsoft declined to answer written questions from The AP about how its AI models helped translate, sort and analyze intelligence used by the military to select targets for airstrikes. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The company's statement said it had provided the Israeli military with software, professional services, Azure cloud storage and Azure AI services, including language translation, and had worked with the Israeli government to protect its national cyberspace against external threats. Microsoft said it had also provided 'special access to our technologies beyond the terms of our commercial agreements' and 'limited emergency support' to Israel as part of the effort to help rescue the more than 250 hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7. 'We provided this help with significant oversight and on a limited basis, including approval of some requests and denial of others,' Microsoft said. 'We believe the company followed its principles on a considered and careful basis, to help save the lives of hostages while also honouring the privacy and other rights of civilians in Gaza.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The company did not answer whether it or the outside firm it hired communicated or consulted with the Israeli military as part of its internal probe. It also did not respond to requests for additional details about the special assistance it provided to the Israeli military to recover hostages or the specific steps to safeguard the rights and privacy of Palestinians. In its statement, the company also conceded that it 'does not have visibility into how customers use our software on their own servers or other devices.' The company added that it could not know how its products might be used through other commercial cloud providers. In addition to Microsoft, the Israeli military has extensive contracts for cloud or AI services with Google, Amazon, Palantir and several other major American tech firms. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Microsoft said the Israeli military, like any other customer, was bound to follow the company's Acceptable Use Policy and AI Code of Conduct, which prohibit the use of products to inflict harm in any way prohibited by law. In its statement, the company said it had found 'no evidence' the Israeli military had violated those terms. Emelia Probasco, a senior fellow for the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University, said the statement is noteworthy because few commercial technology companies have so clearly laid out standards for working globally with international governments. 'We are in a remarkable moment where a company, not a government, is dictating terms of use to a government that is actively engaged in a conflict,' she said. 'It's like a tank manufacturer telling a country you can only use our tanks for these specific reasons. That is a new world.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Israel has used its vast trove of intelligence to both target Islamic militants and conduct raids into Gaza seeking to rescue hostages, with civilians often caught in the crossfire. For example, a February 2024 operation that freed two Israeli hostages in Rafah resulted in the deaths of 60 Palestinians. A June 2024 raid in the Nuseirat refugee camp freed four Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity but resulted in the deaths of at least 274 Palestinians. Overall, Israel's invasions and extensive bombing campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 people, many of them women and children. No Azure for Apartheid, a group of current and former Microsoft employees, called on Friday for the company to publicly release a full copy of the investigative report. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's very clear that their intention with this statement is not to actually address their worker concerns, but rather to make a PR stunt to whitewash their image that has been tarnished by their relationship with the Israeli military,' said Hossam Nasr, a former Microsoft worker fired in October after he helped organize an unauthorized vigil at the company's headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza. Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, applauded Microsoft Friday for taking a step toward transparency. But she said the statement raised many unanswered questions, including details about how Microsoft's services and AI models were being used by the Israeli military on its own government servers. 'I'm glad there's a little bit of transparency here,' said Cohn, who has long called on U.S. tech giants to be more open about their military contracts. 'But it is hard to square that with what's actually happening on the ground.' — Burke reported from San Francisco and Mednick from Jerusalem. Columnists Celebrity Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists Ontario
Toronto Sun
12-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Ringleader in Russian spy ring gets more than 10 years in U.K. prison
Published May 12, 2025 • 1 minute read A sign stands in front of the New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, in London, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Photo by Kin Cheung / AP LONDON — A Bulgarian man who was the ringleader of a Russian spy ring in the U.K. was sentenced Monday to more than 10 years in prison. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Orlin Roussev, 47, headed up a group of five fellow Bulgarians who prosecutors said put lives in danger as they carried out operations in the U.K., Germany Austria, Spain and Montenegro between 2020 and 2023 on behalf of Russian intelligence. The group targeted reporters, diplomats and Ukrainian troops and discussed kidnapping or killing Kremlin opponents. Cmdr. Dominic Murphy, counterterrorism chief at London's Metropolitan Police, said the group conducted 'industrial-scale espionage on behalf of Russia.' Roussev was the first of the five to be sentenced in the Central Criminal Court. The other sentencings were to follow Monday afternoon. Roussev, along with his lieutenant Biser Dzhambazov, 44, pleaded guilty to espionage charges and having false identity documents. Ivan Stoyanov, 33, a mixed martial arts fighter, admitted to spying for Russia. Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39, were convicted by a jury in March of conspiring to spy for an enemy state. Toronto Maple Leafs Editorial Cartoons World Ontario Sunshine Girls
Sunday Post
11-05-2025
- Business
- Sunday Post
Louise Gilmour: Miliband, Martin and Swinney… business would be booming if it could be powered by brass necks alone
Get a weekly round-up of stories from The Sunday Post: Thank you for signing up to our Sunday Post newsletter. Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up We have suffered many dark days during what ministers still like to call our 'just transition' but, even by those standards, Wednesday was a doozy. Britain's biggest oil and gas firm, Harbour Energy, shed 250 jobs in Aberdeen just as Danish energy giant Orsted announced it would not, after all, be building Hornsea 4, meant to be one of the world's biggest wind farms, off the Yorkshire coast. This development was, of course, integral to UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's big plan for Britain to be completely powered by green energy by 2030 (while creating 650,000 new jobs in the process). Presumably, he remained under his duvet on Wednesday but he had been out and about the day before, enthusiastically suggesting our car parks could be covered in solar panels to help deliver Net Zero. There will certainly be space in the car parks of Harbour Energy. © Kin Cheung/PA Wire It was another black day for all of us, awful for the workers at risk, as we continue to stagger backwards into the future, jettisoning good jobs in oil and gas today while blethering about tomorrow. In Scotland, we had Gillian Martin, Acting Net Zero Secretary, announcing the Scottish Government's Just Transition Fund is open again after a three-year hiatus that no one noticed. To a fanfare of trumpets, Martin insisted: 'Scotland's innovation, expertise and vast renewable energy resources will not only benefit the planet but deliver new economic opportunities and new jobs.' If only the same old platitudes, warm words and empty promises could deliver the opportunities and jobs instead. The STUC Congress last month heard thousands of jobs were lost offshore last year while oil and gas supply chains suffered similar calamitous contraction. In Aberdeen, the litany of companies losing jobs or falling into administration is now the drumbeat of an industry that remains – and should, with proper support and reassurance, remain for decades – crucial to our country's economy and energy security. © Andrew Milligan/PA Wire Then, as if one speech from a minister promising a brighter, greener tomorrow was not enough, John Swinney unleashed his Plan For Government. Courageously, he spoke about Grangemouth, which some Scots might think is an industrial disaster, a shameful, slow-motion calamity that unfolded over years as Holyrood talked of other things. Anyway, our First Minister apparently believes the shuttering of our country's only oil refinery is not a national disgrace but a gleaming opportunity. With his ministers providing support, the moribund complex where thousands once worked will, he promised, become 'an exemplar of where this support coalesces to drive a prosperous future for Scottish industry'. If only Scotland could be powered by brass necks, we'd be back in business. David Whitehouse, chief executive of trade body Offshore Energies UK, speaking in Falkirk a few weeks ago, wasn't talking about this week's plans but easily could have been. He welcomed ministers' ambition but lamented their enthusiasm for talking about targets but not delivery, adding 'plans don't necessarily create jobs because no one really believes in them'. Meanwhile, as the first minister fixedly scans the horizon for all the ships carrying Scotland's jobs, he will have barely glanced at an opinion poll last week suggesting 56% of us would like to see nuclear energy in the mix. Even when the facts change – and on nuclear they have – Swinney's ideological opposition will not. © Jane Barlow/PA Wire So, there is no review of new nuclear, no clear-eyed assessment of the potential benefits for household bills, energy security, and the economy. Instead, we stumble on, from one speech to the next, one round of redundancies to the next, waiting and watching for the great transition. Waiting forever and watching in vain.
