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Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Brexit deal ‘couldn't have gone better' say French fishermen
French fishermen said they 'couldn't have hoped for better' after Sir Keir Starmer surrendered a 12-year deal on fish to the EU. The Prime Minister gave up access to British waters as part of his reset deal with Brussels, which was unveiled alongside EU chiefs in London on Monday. He made the major concession in a 'fish for food' deal to secure a trade-boosting veterinary agreement with the EU, after being ambushed in late-night talks. 'We couldn't have hoped for better,' said Olivier Lepretre, president of the Hauts-de-France regional fisheries committee. 'We are very satisfied, and relieved,' he told the France3 television channel: 'This changes a lot of things. If we no longer had access to British waters, we would have suffered a significant loss of revenue.' He added: 'We had a completely blocked horizon , and this agreement gives us visibility.' The original post-Brexit fishing deal offered the EU five years of access to UK waters. It expires next year. But France, and others, made agreeing a replacement a condition for the Swiss-style veterinary deal and UK-EU defence pact in the reset agreement. As late as Sunday, the UK was insisting any fish deal would have to last four years but that trebled in last-minute negotiations to land the agreement under pressure from Emmanuel Macron. 'This is excellent news for our fishermen', said Agnes Pannier-Runacher, French minister for ecological transition, the sea and fisheries. Other European fishermen also reacted with joy and praised Paris and Brussels for their tough negotiations. Spain has 40 vessels fishing in British waters, which are also fished by Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. 'The best possible outcome' Ivan Lopez van der Veen, vice-chair of Spain's Cepesca fishing confederation said: 'This was the best deal we could get. 'We had no expectation of increasing our quotas. For the sector, I think it is the best possible outcome. It allows for stability and to reinvigorate the fleet.' He said: 'We would have liked it to be a permanent agreement but 12 years is a good basis for joint management of those waters, as we have always done.' Mr López van der Veen added: 'I cheer for all members that pushed for a deal. We have 27 states and they are all playing for the EU.' 'We are pleased that the highest level in the EU recognises that fishing is an important industry for all of Europe,' said Svend-Erik Andersen, chairman of the Danish fisheries association. Sir Keir claimed that the new deal was good for British fishermen because it offered them long-term stability and did not increase European catch quotas. Steve Reed, the Environment Secretary, also insisted that fishermen had lost 'absolutely nothing' in the new EU deal. Alistair Carmichael, a Liberal Democrat MP and chairman of the rural affairs committee, told Mr Reed that the fisheries often 'get traded off against something else'. In response, the Cabinet minister said: 'I do want to really emphasise this point, because you said fishing was traded out in this deal. It wasn't. 'They've lost absolutely nothing, and they've gained things, particularly access that we did not have before.' But Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish fishermen's federation, said: 'This deal is a horror show for Scottish fishermen, far worse than Boris Johnson's botched Brexit agreement.' The veterinary deal will remove post-Brexit border checks and red tape in exchange for the UK agreeing to align with EU laws on plant and animal health rules. That will benefit British exports, including fish. More than 70 per cent of the fish caught by British boats is sold to the EU. EU bans on exports of live British shellfish imposed after Brexit will also be lifted. Dimitri Rogoff, president of the regional committee for maritime fisheries and marine farming of Normandy, said: 'In Normandy, we're very sensitive to the issue of scallops, it's an extremely important fishery for us. 'We know that British products are fished on the French side, and that these products are sent to the French market at very low prices, which brings prices down a little. So in the end we're competing with our British friends on a product.'
Bloomberg
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Trump Says 'Of Course' He Asked Putin to Meet With Him
"I think something's going to happen and if it doesn't I'm just going to back away and they are going to have to keep on going,' President Donald Trump says about a possible Russia-Ukraine accord during a law enforcement event in the Oval Office. (Source: Bloomberg)
NBC News
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
A $19 strawberry has caused a stir online. And of course, it's sold at Erewhon.
It's juicy. It's fresh. And just one will cost you $18.99. The Elly Amai strawberry, imported from Kyoto, Japan, has become the latest absurdly priced item sold at the Los Angeles luxury grocery store chain Erewhon, and it has captivated the internet. This week, dozens of people on TikTok and Instagram have posted videos commenting on the strawberry, marveling at the cost while also questioning why anyone would pay so much for a lone fruit. Some who dished out money to get their hands on the berry have described it as delicious — albeit pricey. Others have called out the cost, suggesting it's yet another product for wealthy Angelenos who frequent the chain. In recent years, Erewhon, which has 10 stores in the L.A. area, has become a hotspot for locals and tourists alike thanks to the A-listers who shop there and the influencers who regularly post about it online. Their celebrity-branded smoothies — including Kendall Jenner's 'Peaches and Cream' smoothie and Hailey Bieber's 'Strawberry Glaze Soft Serve' smoothie — have helped propel the store's online fame, turning it into a cultural phenomenon. The market's social media popularity is something influencer Alyssa Antoci, 22, knows intimately. Her uncle and aunt, Tony and Josephine Antoci, own the popular chain. And it was Antoci who began the strawberry trend on TikTok earlier this week, sharing a video of herself unboxing the berry and biting into it while sitting outside an Erewhon store. 'Wow, this is the best strawberry,' she says after the taste-test. 'That's crazy.' The video has amassed 15.6 million views as of Wednesday and has prompted others on the platform to weigh in. While some have mocked Antoci's video, others have filmed themselves going to Erewhon to try the strawberry out. Antoci, who said she used to help run Erewhon's social media, said she knows that the prices can contribute to the general frenzy over the store's products. But she believes the overly priced items have also made the chain a destination for many who want a taste of the idyllic L.A. lifestyle. 'People kind of want to experience that and say it in posts,' she said of the viral craze around the store itself. The smoothies, for example, are 'beautiful' and serve as the ideal 'photo op' for visitors, she said. In Erewhon stores, the shelves in which the berries are put on display showcase them in individually packed clear containers. The bright, large berries sit atop white pads. The description posted next to the product, provided by Elly Amai, says their strawberries 'redefine sweetness and beauty.' Once removed from the container, consumers are instructed to rinse the berry, remove the stem and wait 30 minutes 'to bring out maximum sweetness and aroma' before eating. 'Each berry is cultivated to achieve perfect symmetry, brilliant color, and exceptional size,' according to the description on display. With the berry, Antoci didn't necessarily anticipate such buzz online. But now, it's become a hot commodity: according to Antoci, the berry has sold out at three L.A. locations as of Wednesday. A spokesperson for Erewhon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Elly Amai also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. 'I honestly think this is probably one of the biggest things that have taken off, besides the smoothies,' Antoci said. Still, some who went to check out the berry in person were not as enthusiastic as Antoci. 'I've seen a lot of weird things at Erewhon, but this is a new low,' said one creator in a video shared to their Instagram. Many social media users have also commented how they think a price tag so high for such a small item feels dystopian, given that people are struggling with high grocery costs as it is. But Antoci isn't deterred by any sort of backlash. "That's just how social media works," she said. "It's like, you know, you're gonna get people who hate on you, but it's like, it doesn't really matter at the end of the day, because they don't understand the opportunity it brings."
