reopens

Nov. 4 (UPI) — Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will not be distributed until the federal government is funded and reopened, despite federal court orders to do so.

Two federal judges on Friday ordered the Trump administration to access contingency funds and distribute SNAP benefits despite the lack of funding for the federal government.

President Donald Trump on Saturday said his administration would do so, but he changed course and said SNAP benefits will not be distributed until the federal government is funded again.

“SNAP benefits, which increased by billions and billions of dollars during crooked Joe Biden‘s disastrous term in office, will be given only when radical-left Democrats open up the government and not before!” Trump said Tuesday in a Truth Social post.

U.S. District Court of Rhode Island Judge John McConnell Jr. on Saturday ordered the Trump administration to fund SNAP benefits no later than Wednesday, which the president initially agreed to do.

McConnell ordered the Trump administration to apprise him of efforts to fund SNAP, but White House officials on Monday said doing so would create an “unacceptable risk,” The Hill reported.

A contingency fund for SNAP benefits has about $4.65 billion, which is slightly more than half of the $9 billion spent monthly to provide SNAP benefits for about 42 million recipients.

Administration officials on Monday told McConnell that half of the cost of SNAP benefits would be covered for November, but the president on Tuesday changed course, according to CNBC.

Holding up the matter is an insistence by Congressional Democrats that a continuing resolution also include an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire at the end of the year, plus expanded Medicaid funding.

Congressional Republicans say they are willing to negotiate with Democrats on those matters, but only in the fiscal year 2026 budget.

The Senate on Tuesday again failed to gain the 60 votes needed to overcome the Senate’s filibuster rule and approve the funding resolution.

Instead, the measure was supported by a simple majority, 54-44, which was the 14th vote on the bill.

Senate Democrats John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, along with independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, for the 14th time, were the only members of the Senate Democratic Party Caucus to support passage of the funding measure.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only dissenting vote among Senate Republicans for the 14th time.

Congressional leaders did not immediately respond to questions from UPI as to whether House and Senate members are continuing to negotiate a Fiscal Year 2026 budget or if all efforts are focused only on trying to pass a continuing resolution.

The House-approved continuing resolution favored by most GOP members of Congress would fund the federal government through Nov. 21, which is a little more than two weeks from Tuesday.

A continuing resolution introduced by Senate Democrats would have funded the federal government through Oct. 31 and no longer would be in effect.

A STUNNING UK railway route has officially welcomed back passengers for their journeys – following a £1.4m revamp.

Although this route spans only 26 miles, the overall stretch takes approximately an hour to complete.

The Conwy Valley Line runs across Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog, showcasing breathtaking Welsh scenery including waterfalls and rolling hillsides.

On Monday, October 27, the popular railway line welcomed back its passengers.

Network Rail carried out four weeks worth of intensive engineering work.

This forms part of a £1.4million scheme, intended to strengthen the railway’s resilience during harsh weather conditions.

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Furthermore, crews have cleared 600,000m2 of vegetation and removed dangerous trees along a track spanning 54 miles.

It is hoped that this will stop fallen trees obstructing the line in the event of a future storm.

In addition to this, Network Rail also tested out an innovative new rail treatment for the Conwy Valley Line.

A gel solution was applied to the rails, which is hoped to break down leaf contamination.

Overall, this gel remains effective for up to seven days before then reactivating with rain.

Network Rail said in a statement: “The Conwy Valley line is one of the most picturesque in Wales, but also one of the most weather-exposed.

“In the past decade, storms have forced the line to close for more than 500 days – disrupting passengers and the transportation of freight goods.”

Describing the rail line, an enthusiastic passenger wrote on TripAdvisor: “It’s utterly spectacular and crams more into an hour than the ECML does into four.

“One of the nicest little tours you can do in the UK is a loop of Chester-Llandudno Jn-Blaenau-Porthmadog-Machynlleth-Shrewsbury-Chester, though you’ll probably need to use a bus rather than the FfR for the middle bit at present.”

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Earlier this month, Brits planning to head home for Christmas were warned to brace for weeks of rail chaos.

Commuters and holidaymakers will face more than a fortnight of disruption from Christmas Day through to the New Year.

This will see major stations all caught in the crossfire of an engineering shutdown.

Network Rail says the work will boost the power supply to trains and strengthen the railway’s foundations, but passengers can expect plenty of pain before the gain.

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that a new £2.7million train station is coming to the UK – in a huge boost for a tiny mining town.

A revised plan to modernise train travel in the north of Newcastle-under-Lyme was completed and awaiting council approval.

Developed by East Midlands Railway and National Rail – the £2.7m project is backed by Kidsgrove Town Deal Board.

From the 18th century, Kidsgrove grew around coal mining, although the pits have now closed.

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The original proposals for the new railway were scrapped due to historical mining issues which would have cost up to £13 million to sort out.

A revised project to upgrade its railway station is only awaiting formal approval from Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council reported RailBusinessDaily.

The Conwy Valley Line weaves through the dramatic valleys of Blaenau Ffestiniog, skirts a wildlife-abundant estuary and traces the rolling hillsides and striking rock faces of this breathtaking corner of North West Wales

One of Britain’s most picturesque railway routes has welcomed passengers back after reopening to the public.

The Conwy Valley Line weaves through the dramatic valleys of Blaenau Ffestiniog, skirts a wildlife-abundant estuary and traces the rolling hillsides and striking rock faces of this breathtaking corner of North West Wales.

Despite covering just 26 miles between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog, the journey takes over an hour. This is mainly because of the line’s winding and steep character, which snakes through the spectacular mountains and wild beauty of Snowdonia National Park.

Whilst the route primarily serves local residents and daily commuters, it has become a magnet for railway enthusiasts. One visitor praised on Tripadvisor: “The line from Blaenau Ffestiniog up to Llandudno is incredibly scenic, and if you’re looking for a rail journey in Snowdonia this is right up there with the heritage narrow gauge lines.”

READ MORE: Last flight cancelled to Scotland’s most remote airport leaving hidden gem town strandedREAD MORE: Last flight cancelled to UK’s most remote airport leaving hidden gem town stranded

During a debate about Britain’s most beautiful railway routes, one rail enthusiast commented: “How has nobody mentioned the Conwy Valley? It’s utterly spectacular and crams more into an hour than the ECML does into four. One of the nicest little tours you can do in the UK is a loop of Chester-Llandudno Jn-Blaenau-Porthmadog-Machynlleth-Shrewsbury-Chester, though you’ll probably need to use a bus rather than the FfR for the middle bit at present.”, reports the Express.

The railway line welcomed passengers back on Monday, 27 October, after a month of round-the-clock engineering work by Network Rail, forming part of a £1.4 million investment to strengthen the railway against severe weather conditions.

Throughout the past four weeks, engineering crews have been operating across the picturesque valley – felling dangerous trees and clearing 600,000m2 of overgrown vegetation spanning 54 miles of railway track. The extensive clearance work aims to stop fallen trees from obstructing the line when storms strike in future.

An innovative, cutting-edge approach to tackling the traditional issue of leaves on the line is also being tested.

Network Rail has introduced a pioneering rail treatment to the Conwy Valley line for the first time in Wales. A specialist road-to-rail vehicle has been applying a gel formula to the tracks.

The treatment dissolves leaf debris and remains active for up to seven days before being reactivated by rainfall.

“The Conwy Valley line is one of the most picturesque in Wales, but also one of the most weather-exposed. In the past decade, storms have forced the line to close for more than 500 days – disrupting passengers and the transportation of freight goods,” Network Rail wrote in a statement.

Beyond its scenic beauty, the line offers numerous attractions at various stations along the route. Visitors can:

• Experience life as a Welsh slate miner at Llechwedd, where you can join a deep mine tour, go off-road in a quarry explorer, or have a go at slate splitting. From the mine, you can take a ride on Europe’s steepest cable railway as you’re brought back to the surface.
• Learn about local life at Llandudno Museum and Gallery, which is located in the heart of this seaside town. It is a great place to uncover the fascinating stories of local people and how the area has developed over hundreds of years.
• Discover hidden gems as you explore the Conwy Valley line on foot with Ramblers and Transport for Wales. Travel by train and explore on foot with a series of exciting walking routes with Go Jauntly and Transport for Wales.
• Request a stop at Roman Bridge. The station is an ideal starting point for walkers and cyclists looking to explore the area’s breathtaking scenery. Take in the views of the secluded cwm of Blaenau Dolwyddelan before walking to Dolwyddelan Castle, the 12th-century stronghold of Prince Llywelyn the Great.
• Stop off at Deganwy. The town overlooks Snowdonia, the Conwy Estuary, Puffin Island, and Anglesey. Just behind the town is the site of Castell Deganwy, once the seat of King Maelgwn Gwynedd. This much-visited attraction (rebuilt by Henry III in 1245) dates back to the 6th century and plays an important role in the history of Wales.
• Frolic in the spray of a waterfall. The Conwy Falls are located near Vetws-y-Coed and cascade down a gorge in the Fairuy Glen area.

Even in picturesque California, few landscapes are as stunning – or as fragile – as Big Sur. The constant storms and seismic activity that forged its dramatic cliffs and canyons also make its infrastructure a nightmare to maintain.

The primary road through the region, world-famous Highway 1, which clings to cliffs high above the Pacific Ocean in postcard worthy fashion, is almost constantly closed by landslides, isolating communities and stranding weary travelers.

Local hiking trails don’t fare much better.

The Pfeiffer Falls Trail intersects with the Valley View Trail, a lovely loop that provides gorgeous views of the state park clear out to the Pacific.

(Lisa Winner / Save the Redwoods League)

So, as if they had just taken a deep breath and crossed their fingers, California State Parks officials announced this week that one of the region’s most beloved hikes, the Pfeiffer Falls Trail, will finally reopen after a towering redwood collapsed in a 2023 storm taking out its signature pedestrian bridge.

The trail, a .75 mile stroll that cuts through Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and ends with a stunning view of a 60-foot waterfall, is one of the prime draws for a park that attracts roughly 750,000 people each year.

For such a short walk, the trail has a long history.

In 2008, the 162,818-acre Basin Complex Fire devastated much of the route and surrounding forest. It took $2 million and nearly 13 years to complete a renovation project — removing aged and damaged concrete, rerouting the trail and constructing the bridge — to finally reopen the hike in June 2021.

About 18-months later, that storm arrived and a towering redwood crashed the party.

The Pfeiffer Falls Bridge in 2023 after a giant redwood fell on part of the structure, closing the trail.

(California State Parks)

The tree splintered a 15-foot section of the bridge. Crews salvaged much of the original structure but replaced the damaged section with fiber-reinforced polymer in the hope of making the span stronger and more resilient to its unforgiving environment.

“It’s unfortunate that the trail had to close so soon after our original renovations,” said Matthew Gomez, senior parks program manager for Save the Redwoods League, a non-profit that helped with the repairs. “But our close partnership with California State Parks allowed us to rebuild the bridge better than ever.”

It is a truly spectacular hike. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Army says military doctors are treating survivors and engineers are repairing damaged infrastructure.

Pakistan has restored 70 percent of electricity service and reopened damaged roads in the north and northwest after flash floods killed more than 300 people, officials say.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday that engineers were working to fully restore the electricity system that was knocked out by flooding last week.

Monsoon rains triggered floods that have killed more than 700 people nationwide since June 26, the National Disaster Management Authority reported, while Tarar said more than 25,000 people have been evacuated.

The information minister said most roads have been cleared, facilitating the supply of food and other essentials to flood-affected areas.

Army spokesman Ahmed Sharif said military doctors are treating survivors and engineers are repairing damaged infrastructure. Soldiers using helicopters have also delivered food and supplies to remote villages cut off by floods and landslides.

Monsoon rains continued to lash the country on Tuesday, including the southern port city of Karachi, flooding streets and disrupting everyday activities, officials said. Despite the government’s claims of preparedness, people could be seen wading through chest-high water along many roads.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered authorities to accelerate recovery efforts in Buner, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and a cloudburst on Friday killed at least 280 people, Tarar said. It was among the worst flooding since the rains began,

Twenty bodies were found on Tuesday there, the local district commissioner said.

Rescue teams are still searching for about 150 missing people, rescue official Mohammad Suhail said.

Angry villagers said there was no warning broadcast from mosque loudspeakers, as is often the case, and government relief has been slow. The government said the deluge struck before residents could be informed.

Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on Monday to review relief efforts in flood-hit areas.

Every year, many cities in Pakistan struggle to cope with the annual monsoon deluge, drawing criticism about poor planning. The monsoon season runs from July through September.

Authorities have warned of a possible repeat of Pakistan’s catastrophic 2022 floods, which killed more than 1,700 people and were blamed on climate change.

The airport, which has not been operational since the group seized Mosul in 2014, will have a main terminal and VIP lounge.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has inaugurated the northern city of Mosul’s newly restored airport, more than a decade after it was destroyed in a series of battles to dislodge the now vanquished ISIL (ISIS) group.

“The airport will serve as an additional link between Mosul and other Iraqi cities and regional destinations,” the prime minister’s media office said in a statement on Wednesday.

Al-Sudani’s flight landed at the airport, which is expected to become fully operational for domestic and international flights in two months. Wednesday’s ceremony was held nearly three years after then-Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi laid the foundation stone for the airport’s reconstruction.

Airport director Amar al-Bayati told the AFP news agency that the “airport is now ready for domestic and international flights.” He added that the airport previously offered international flights, mostly to Turkiye and Jordan.

In June 2014, ISIL seized Mosul, declaring its “caliphate” from Iraq’s second biggest city after capturing large swaths of Iraq and neighbouring Syria, imposing hardline rule over millions of people, displacing hundreds of thousands and slaughtering thousands more.

Nouri al-Maliki, who was the Iraqi prime minister at the time, declared a state of emergency and said the government would arm civilians who volunteered “to defend the homeland and defeat terrorism”.

At its peak, the group ruled over an area half the size of the United Kingdom and was notorious for its brutality. It beheaded civilians, massacred 1,700 captured Iraqi soldiers in a short period, and enslaved and raped thousands of women from the Yazidi community, one of Iraq’s oldest religious minorities.

A coalition of more than 80 countries led by the United States was formed to fight the group in September 2014. The alliance continues to carry out raids against the group’s hideouts in Syria and Iraq.

The war against the group officially ended in March 2019 when US-backed, Kurdish-led fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) captured the eastern Syrian town of Baghouz, which was the last sliver of land ISIL controlled.

The group was also defeated in Iraq in July 2017 when Iraqi forces recaptured Mosul. ISIL then declared its defeat across the country at the end of that year. Three months later, the group suffered a major blow when the SDF took back the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, its de facto capital.

The airport, which was heavily damaged in the battle, has not been operational since the initial fall of Mosul.

It now includes a main terminal, a VIP lounge and an advanced radar surveillance system, al-Sudani’s office said, adding that it is expected to handle 630,000 passengers annually.

A 3,800-year-old citadel of the Caral civilisation – one of the world’s oldest – has reopened for visitors in Peru after eight years of comprehensive restoration and research.

Researchers have identified the Penico archaeological site as a vital trading centre that connected early Pacific coastal communities with those in the Andes and Amazon regions.

Located in the Supe Valley, about 180km (110 miles) north of Lima and only 19km (12 miles) from the Pacific Ocean, Penico was an unremarkable hilly landscape until excavations commenced in 2017.

Archaeologists believe the site could provide crucial information about the enigmatic collapse of the Caral civilisation, which flourished between 3,000 and 1,800 BC.

The opening ceremony featured regional artists playing pututus – traditional shell trumpets – as part of an ancient ritual honouring Pachamama, Mother Earth, with ceremonial offerings of agricultural products, coca leaves, and local beverages.

“Penico was an organised urban centre devoted to agriculture and trade between the coast, the mountains and the forest,” archaeologist Ruth Shady, who leads research at the site, told the AFP news agency. She said the settlement dates to between 1,800 and 1,500 BC.

The site demonstrates sophisticated planning, strategically built on a geological terrace 600 metres (2,000ft) above sea level and parallel to a river to avoid flooding.

Research by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture has uncovered 18 distinct structures, including public buildings and residential complexes. Scholars believe Penico was built during the same period as the earliest civilisations in the Middle East and Asia.

According to Shady, researchers hope the site will shed light on the crisis they believe hastened the Caral civilisation’s decline. This crisis, she explained, was linked to climate change that caused droughts and disrupted agricultural activities throughout the region.

“We want to understand how the Caral civilisation formed and developed over time, and how it came to be in crisis as a result of climate change,” she said.

The iconic River Seine has reopened to swimmers in Paris, allowing people to take a dip in the French capital’s waterway for the first time in at least a century after a more than billion-euro cleanup project that made it suitable for Olympic competitions last year.

A few dozen people arrived ahead of the 8am (06:00 GMT) opening on Saturday at the Bras Marie zone in the city’s historic centre, diving into the water for the long-awaited moment under the watchful eyes of lifeguards wearing fluorescent yellow T-shirts and carrying whistles.

It was also a welcome respite from the scorching heat enveloping the city this week. Parisians and tourists alike, looking to cool off this summer, can dive in – weather permitting – at three bathing sites: one close to Paris’s Notre-Dame cathedral, another near the Eiffel Tower and a third in eastern Paris.

The swimming zones are equipped with changing rooms, showers and beach-style furniture, offering space for 150 to 300 swimmers.

The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is seen as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics, when open-water swimmers and triathletes competed in its waters, which were specially cleaned for the event.

“It’s a childhood dream to have people swimming in the Seine,” said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who visited the bras Marie site on Saturday morning.

But officials reminded swimmers of potential dangers, including strong currents, boat traffic and an average depth of 3.5 metres (11 feet).

“The Seine remains a dangerous environment,” said local official Elise Lavielle earlier this week.

To mitigate that risk, lifeguards will assess visitors’ swimming abilities before allowing independent access, while a decree issued in late June introduced fines for anyone swimming outside designated areas.

The promise to lift the swimming ban dates back to 1988, when then-mayor of Paris and future President Jacques Chirac first advocated for its reversal, about 65 years after the practice was banned in 1923.

“One of my predecessors (Chirac), then mayor of Paris, dreamed of a Seine where everyone could swim,” President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, describing the move as the result of a “collective effort” and a moment of “pride” for France.

L’un de mes prédécesseurs, alors Maire de Paris, a rêvé d’une Seine où chacun pourrait nager. Demain sa promesse sera tenue.

C’est un héritage des Jeux olympiques et paralympiques de Paris après 100 ans d’interdiction, un travail collectif, une fierté pour le pays.

Merci… pic.twitter.com/KhymFPgIy1

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 4, 2025

Ahead of the Olympic Games, authorities invested approximately 1.4 billion euros ($1.6bn) to improve the Seine’s water quality.

Since then, work carried out upstream, including 2,000 new connections to the sewage system, promises even better water quality – with an unappetising catch.

On rainy days, the mid-19th-century Parisian sewage system often overflows, causing rain and wastewater to pour into the river.

Flags will inform bathers about pollution levels in the water every day, and if it rains, the sites will likely close the day after, said Paris city official Pierre Rabadan.

The presence of the faecal bacteria Escherichia coli (E coli) and enterococci in the Seine will be assessed daily using live sensors and samples.

A refuge from the hot weather

Varying weather conditions will be a critical factor. Swimmers may be in luck this year, though, with temperatures predicted to be drier than the record rainfall during the games, which had led to the cancellation of six of the 11 competitions held on the river.

With record-breaking heat hitting Europe, including France’s second warmest June since records began in 1900, authorities said they expect Parisians to embrace the relief of a refreshing swim.

Some scepticism about the water quality remains, however.

Dan Angelescu, founder and CEO of Fluidion, a Paris and Los Angeles-based water monitoring tech company, has routinely and independently tested bacterial levels in the Seine for several years. Despite being in line with current regulations, the official water-testing methodology has limitations and undercounts the bacteria, he said.

“What we see is that the water quality in the Seine is highly variable,” Angelescu said. “There are only a few days in a swimming season where I would say water quality is acceptable for swimming.”

Some Parisians are also hesitant about the idea of swimming in the Seine. The feeling is often reinforced by the water’s murky colour, floating litter and multiple tourist boats in some places.

Hidalgo, who took an inaugural swim last year, said that cleaning up the Seine for the Olympics was not the final goal but part of a broader effort to adapt the city to climate change and enhance quality of life.

The swimming spots will be open for free until August 31 at scheduled times to anyone with a minimum age of 10 or 14 years, depending on the location.

Having won the Premier League in his first season in charge, it would appear Arne Slot is keen to get his main business wrapped up early as Liverpool get ready to defend their title.

After signing Frimpong, the Reds have agreed a £116m deal to bring his Leverkusen team-mate and attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, 22, to Anfield.

The statement signing will be a club record fee for Liverpool and he is likely to be joined at Anfield by Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez in the coming days.

Fresh from appointing Brentford boss Thomas Tuchel, Tottenham are interested in signing Bees striker Bryan Mbeumo. Earlier in June, Mbeumo was the subject of a bid from Manchester United of £45m and £10m in add-ons.

United and Arsenal have both been linked with Sporting’s Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, who has enjoyed a remarkable couple of seasons in Portugal.

The former Coventry City player, who left Brighton without playing a Premier League game, has scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting.

Arsenal, who have also agreed a £51m deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, have been linked with RB Leipzig’s Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko.

“Gyokeres has played in England before, but not for a team that’s trying to win a Premier League title,” former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha told BBC Sport.

“So, I’m not 100% sold on thinking he would be a guarantee or that he is closer to being a finished article than Sesko right now. If the manager has a liking for Sesko, I’d back him 100% and give him what he wants if the club can afford it.”

There has also been lots of talk about Alexander Isak’s future, but does the Sweden goalscorer really want to leave the Magpies now after helping them secure a place in next season’s Champions League? It appears unlikely.

Will Crystal Palace keep their best players after winning the FA Cup?

BBC Sport’s senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel said Tottenham are interested in Marc Guehi, although the Palace captain and England defender has options elsewhere.

Eberechi Eze is another who has attracted plenty of interest.

The England forward has a £68m release clause and reports have linked him with a move to Bayern Munich,, external who signed Michael Olise from Palace last summer for about £50m.

May 29 (UPI) — The United States ambassador’s residence in Damascus, Syria, re-opened Thursday after being closed for 13 years, presaging a warming of relations between the two countries.

Tom Barrack, the current U.S. ambassador to Turkey, has also been appointed special envoy to Syria, and raised a U.S. flag outside the residence to inaugurate it, according to the Syrian run news agency SANA.

“Tom understands there is great potential in working with Syria to stop Radicalism, improve Relations, and secure Peace in the Middle East,” a statement from the State Department on X said. “Together, we will make America and the world, SAFE AGAIN!”

Barrack met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to witness the signing of an agreement with Middle Eastern countries aimed at developing a $7 billion, 5,000 megawatt energy project that would revitalize Syria’s aging and worn electricity grid and use it as the backbone of the new power project.

The new energy project could supply Syria with 50% of its electricity needs, according to a statement from Qatari-based UCC Holding, which is among the partners in the project.

In a further sign of warming relations between the United States and the Middle East, President Donald Trump met earlier this month with al-Sharaa in Riyadh, a move that prompted the United States to begin walking back sanctions imposed on Syria during the repressive regime of Bahsar al-Assad.

During the reopening of the ambassador’s residence Thursday, Barrack called lifting the sanctions a “bold move,” and said it comes with “no conditions, no requirements.”

Barrack credited Trump for “your bold vision, empowering a historically rich region, long oppressed, to reclaim its destiny through self-determination.”

London, United Kingdom — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has proudly described a new deal with the European Union spanning defence, security, and trade as a “win-win” pact that puts the nation “back on the world stage”.

But nine years after Britain narrowly voted in favour of leaving the EU, the deal announced on May 19 has prompted a sigh of relief for some and stinging criticism from others, underscoring just how divisive the legacy of Brexit remains in the country.

While many sections of British society have welcomed the agreement, Richard Tice, an MP for the anti-immigration party Reform UK, responded to the deal with a single-word post on social media: “Betrayal.”

The deal offers concessions on European visas for British citizens, shorter queues at European airports, and possibly cheaper food in the UK. But on the flip side, the UK has agreed to allow European fishing fleets access to British waters for an extra 12 years.

‘Best news in nine years’

Phil Rusted, who runs a firm called Practical Plants in Suffolk that imports plants from Europe, is among those who are delighted.

“My instinct is it is the best news we have got in nine years,” he said. “It almost gets us back to where were before Brexit. It helps me to take on more staff, to develop my business. The last few years have been very unpredictable; I will be more assured about what my costs are going to be.”

The business sector, more broadly, has also largely responded positively to the agreement.

“In a world where higher US tariffs are threatening to throw globalisation into reverse, trade deals, even if relatively minor, are generally good news,” said Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec Bank. “The obvious gainer is the food sector, which will benefit from a reduction in checks at the EU border, which could make a material difference to exporters’ and importers’ costs.”

The Federation of Small Businesses, a group that represents small- and medium-sized firms in the UK, described the EU deal as “genuine progress”, crediting it for “untangling the rules for small exporters of plant and animal products”.

“For too long, small businesses have shouldered the burden of unpredictable customs rules and red tape that sap confidence and ambition,” it said.

And popular opinion in the UK appears to be behind the agreement. Polling by YouGov shows that 66 percent want to have a closer relationship with the EU, compared with just 14 percent who do not.

To be sure, experts say the UK has to compromise too. “The devil in a trade deal is of course always in the detail,” said Paul Dales, chief economist at Capital Economics. In addition to accepting EU access to British waters for fishing, the UK has also agreed to pay an unspecified “appropriate financial contribution” to join the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, Dales pointed out.

‘Nothing of value in return’

But the deal has also faced strong pushback.

The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, in a statement on May 19, said the agreement “surrenders the best prospect that the fishing industry and coastal communities had for growth over the coming decade”.

Three days later, it issued a more biting statement, saying the deal “drags UK fishing back into a past we thought had been left behind”.

Shaw conceded that if the food industry had benefitted from the deal, the fishing sector stood “at the other end of the scale”.

And it is not just fishers. The deal has also revived a broader debate over whether the UK, in seeking to realign itself with elements of the EU’s rules and regulations, is violating the mandate of Brexit.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, under whom Britain formally withdrew from the EU in 2020, described the deal as an “appalling sell out” in a post on X.

Tony Gabana, a web developer from London who was too young to vote in 2016, holds that view.

“Whether it’s a good deal or not, it does seem an attempt to reverse what a lot of people voted for,” Gabana said. “It doesn’t sit right with me. It feels like a step to further concessions, which, again, no one voted for.

“Are we a democracy or not?”