Morning news brief: UK formally quits EU, Trump extends immigration ban, and more
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After years of debates and discussions, the UK has formally quit the European Union single market. While the Uk was busy looking at the Big Ben striking the main 'golden hour', the outgoing US President Donald Trump has extended the immigration ban despite constant protests from the US business groups. Meanwhile, a report has revealed that the US blocked $63 million in funds of designated terrorist groups, including Pakistan-based outfits, in 2019 as part of its crackdown on foreign terrorist organisations.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson described it as an "amazing moment" for the country and played up his upbeat narrative of a "Global Britain" unshackled from rules set in Brussels.
Kim usually gives a televised speech on January 1, but he is widely expected to skip the speech this year since he will address the country's first ruling party congress in five years sometime in early January.
The bans, which were issued in April and June, were set to expire on December 31 but will be extended until March 31, 2021, the latest in a series of last-gasp immigration moves by the outgoing Trump administration.
The report released by the US Department of Treasury on Thursday states the US blocked USD 342,000 in funds of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), USD 1,725 of the Jaish-e Mohammed (JeM) and USD 45,798 of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen-al-Islami.