No swift US trade deal for UK, Boris Johnson admits

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( September 21, 2021 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [Trade deal with UK is not a priority for Biden, Boris Johnson accepts]( Boris Johnson has accepted that the UK will not get a quick trade deal with the US, in an embarrassing admission as he prepares for his first White House meeting with president Joe Biden. Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s encounter, the prime minister made clear that he recognised a free trade agreement (FTA) with Britain was not a priority for Mr Biden, who he said had “a lot of fish to fry”. A swift transatlantic FTA was repeatedly trumpeted by Leave campaigners, including Mr Johnson, as the biggest prize from Brexit, and the prime minister made clear on his arrival in Downing Street in 2019 that he was hopeful of a quick deal on tariff-free commerce with the then president Donald Trump. 2 / [Britain risks blackouts for industry if harsh winter strikes Europe]( Depleted gas stores would be quickly drained if the UK and neighbours face extreme cold 3 / [La Palma volcano: burning lava destroys at least 100 houses after thousands evacuated]( ‘This is not going to be a short eruption,’ Canary Islands president says 4 / [Justin Trudeau wins Canada election but party may struggle for outright majority, projections say]( His Liberal Party seen as leading 139 of 338 seats in Canada’s House of Commons 5 / [US to lift travel ban for fully vaccinated visitors from the UK, EU and China]( Restrictions put in place by then-president Donald Trump and maintained by his successor set to come to an end in November The Big Question Why is Britain facing gas supply problems? Households are facing big rises in the cost of powering their homes thanks to an unprecedented spike in energy costs, while a number of energy firms are expected to go out of business this year. Amid warnings of the lights going out this winter, Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, has urged people not to worry, stating that the UK’s energy supplies are secure and the failure of some energy firms is “no cause for alarm”. But how credible is that claim? What is behind the huge price rises? Why are UK supplies so low and what does it mean for consumers? Global gas prices have risen 250 per cent since the start of the year, partly due to the rapid reopening of economies as vaccines have helped to control the Covid pandemic. Prices shot up 70 per cent in August alone. The amount of gas in storage in northwest Europe is at a record low, according to a research note from Goldman Sachs. Typically, supplies are built up during the summer when demand is low so that there is enough gas stored up for the winter when demand is high. It is feared that prices will rise further as demand continues to increase but supply does not. A harsh winter would deepen current problems. [Read the full story >]( Watch / [Motorist clashes with M25 climate protestors]( NUMBER OF THE DAY 5,000 The number of people who have been evacuated, homes have been destroyed by lava and flights have been cancelled after a volcano erupted on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma on Sunday. QUOTE OF THE DAY “I’m broken, I just want to kiss my babies. I just want to kiss them and hold them." – Jason Bennett, the father of two children who were found dead in a house in Derbyshire, has said his heart has “broken into a million pieces” Other stories you might like [‘My heart is broken’ says father after children and woman found dead at family home]( [Police search for answers over mystery woman ‘with perfect English found on rocks’ in Croatia]( [England men’s and women’s teams cancel tour of Pakistan]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.