Briefly

UNITED KINGDOM

Firms told to prepare as trade talks drag on

Britain's government on Sunday urged businesses to prepare for the end of the Brexit transition period, saying that they need to take action whether or not a trade deal with the European Union is clinched. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Britain will not extend the transition period, which ends on Dec 31, and that progress must be made to bridge significant gaps between the two sides in the coming days if a deal is to be struck. The business ministry argues that most of what businesses need to do is the same regardless of the outcome of the negotiations and has planned a series of sector-specific webinars this month. Johnson said there will be "no extension to the transition period, so there is no time to waste".

MIDDLE EAST

Deadly wildfires force thousands to flee

Wildfires around the Middle East triggered by a heat wave hitting the region have killed three people, forced thousands to leave their homes and detonated land mines along the Lebanon-Israel border, media and officials said on Saturday. The areas hit by the heat wave are Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories. The fires come amid an intense heat wave that is unusual for this time of the year. Wildfires spread across different areas of Israel and the West Bank for a second day on Saturday, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Israeli police said firefighters and police officers evacuated 5,000 residents from the city of Nof Hagalil in northern Israel.

KYRGYZSTAN

Parliament approves new prime minister

The Kyrgyz parliament on Saturday approved Sadyr Zhaparov as the country's new prime minister. The new government that he heads has also been approved. On Tuesday the parliament had nominated Zhaparov for prime minister. Zhaparov said the structure and composition of the government would not change for now. Parliamentary elections were held on Oct 4, with 16 political parties participating. But on Tuesday, Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission annulled the results of the elections after clashes between police and protesters. The commission said on Friday that it will set a date for new parliamentary elections by Nov 6. The capital Bishkek continued to see protests over the weekend.

Agencies - Xinhua