Britain ‘actively avoided’ looking into Russia meddling; EU reaches stimulus deal; New US sanctions on Chinese companies
Anti-Brexit demonstrator Steve Bray holds a placard as he protests outside Downing Street in London, Britain, July 21, 2020.
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Britain’s government failed to determine and “actively avoided” looking into whether Russia meddled in the country’s 2016 referendum on EU membership and the Scottish independence referendum, according to a long-anticipated report by Parliament.
The report, which was produced more than a year ago and shelved until now, raised serious questions about who is protecting the country’s democratic system amidst Russia’s long running effort to meddle in British politics. The answer given by the report’s authors was that “no one” is watching.
“The government here has let us down. The outrage isn’t if there is interference, the outrage is no one wanted to know if there was interference,” said Kevan Jones, a UK member of Parliament who served on the intelligence committee that released the report.
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European Union leaders reached a $857 billion deal today on a massive stimulus plan to help counter the economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The deal comes almost five days of blistering debate and hot tempers. Environment advocates say the deal also includes substantial green investments.
And, yesterday the US announced sanctions against a new group of 11 Chinese companies, accusing them of alleged involvement in human rights violations against Uighurs in China’s northwest Xinjiang region.
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