Ever since the Brexit vote, Ireland has had the rest of the European Union behind it in insisting there can be no hard border with Northern Ireland when Britain leaves.

But with a draft UK-EU deal that would guarantee an open border looking increasingly frail, and the growing risk that Britain could withdraw from the union with no agreement at all, cracks are starting to emerge.

Over months of talks, both Dublin and Brussels have been loath to spell out the implications of having to carry out EU customs and regulations checks on what would become the bloc's new frontier.

A comment from the European Commission's chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas earlier this week shattered the taboo.

"In a no-deal scenario in Ireland, I think it's pretty obvious, you will have a hard border," he said.

The remark caught Dublin off-guard and the government pointed to EU promises to keep the border open.

The Irish Independent branded Schinas's comments a "Brexit backstab", suggesting they were intended "to prepare Dublin for some difficult discussions in the weeks ahead".

Schinas softened his remark the following day, saying the EU would do "all it can" to avoid a hard border.

But Ireland, which considers itself an unwilling bystander to Britain's decision to leave the EU after 46 years, is feeling under pressure to compromise over its demands.

"Why is it the country being victimised that's always being asked to give?" Prime Minister Leo Varadkar asked in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Friday.

Cooling comments

Varadkar has come under some domestic criticism for failing to prepare for the possibility of a hard border.

But Federico Fabbrini, director of Dublin City University's Brexit Institute, said the government's position was "reasonable".

"It doesn't want to take action on the border for as long as reimposing a border is avoidable," he said.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier sought to de-dramatise the concerns, but only raised more questions.

"We will have to find an operational way of carrying out checks and controls without putting back in place a border," he said.

The EU-UK deal includes a "backstop" plan to keep the border open by keeping Britain tied to EU trade rules, but Brexit supporters in London hate it.

They seized on Barnier's comments, saying they proved the backstop was not needed to prevent a hard border.

The backstop is a major block in getting the Brexit deal agreed by the British parliament, and London is pressing the EU to modify the plan.

After months of seeming like the consistent and mature voice in Brexit negotiations, Ireland now risks appearing the stubborn obstacle to a smooth Brexit.

'A period of chaos'

Varadkar this week also warned that a no-deal would lead to a "period of chaos" and that ultimately the EU, Britain and Ireland would have to "agree on full alignment" between Northern Ireland and the Republic to avoid a hard border.

What that chaos might look like and how the EU-brokered accord would function on the 310-mile (500-kilometre) border traversed by more than 200 roads is hard to say.

Brexiteers in London say checks on the border could simply be replaced by trusted trader schemes and as-yet-untested technology.

Speaking in Davos on Friday, Varadkar said it could "involve people in uniform" -- as well as "cameras, physical infrastructure, possibly a police presence, or an army presence to back it up".

That would be a concerning development on a border where the last military checkpoints were dismantled 20 years ago after a peace accord ended three decades of conflict.

Given Ireland's refusal to prepare for a hard border, there could also be days or even weeks when the frontier is effectively ungoverned by international law.

"You could have hundreds of lorries parking up at the border awaiting some kind of clearance," said Seamus Leheny, policy manager of the Freight Transport Association in Northern Ireland.

"We could be left in a situation where some hauliers will have to take the decision to turn away any freight going across the border. The concern they have is they technically could be seen as smuggling."

Ever since the Brexit vote, Ireland has had the rest of the European Union behind it in insisting there can be no hard border with Northern Ireland when Britain leaves.

Ever since the Brexit vote, Ireland has had the rest of the European Union behind it in insisting there can be no hard border with Northern Ireland when Britain leaves. But with a draft UK-EU deal that would guarantee an open border looking increasingly frail, and the growing risk that Britain could withdraw from the union with no agreement at all, cracks are starting to emerge. Over months of talks, both Dublin and Brussels have been loath to spell out the implications of having to carry out EU customs and regulations checks on what would become the bloc's new frontier. A comment from the European Commission's chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas earlier this week shattered the taboo. "In a no-deal scenario in Ireland, I think it's pretty obvious, you will have a hard border," he said. The remark caught Dublin off-guard and the government pointed to EU promises to keep the border open. The Irish Independent branded Schinas's comments a "Brexit backstab", suggesting they were intended "to prepare Dublin for some difficult discussions in the weeks ahead". Schinas softened his remark the following day, saying the EU would do "all it can" to avoid a hard border. But Ireland, which considers itself an unwilling bystander to Britain's decision to leave the EU after 46 years, is feeling under pressure to compromise over its demands. "Why is it the country being victimised that's always being asked to give?" Prime Minister Leo Varadkar asked in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Friday. Cooling comments Varadkar has come under some domestic criticism for failing to prepare for the possibility of a hard border. But Federico Fabbrini, director of Dublin City University's Brexit Institute, said the government's position was "reasonable". "It doesn't want to take action on the border for as long as reimposing a border is avoidable," he said. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier sought to de-dramatise the concerns, but only raised more questions. "We will have to find an operational way of carrying out checks and controls without putting back in place a border," he said. The EU-UK deal includes a "backstop" plan to keep the border open by keeping Britain tied to EU trade rules, but Brexit supporters in London hate it. They seized on Barnier's comments, saying they proved the backstop was not needed to prevent a hard border. The backstop is a major block in getting the Brexit deal agreed by the British parliament, and London is pressing the EU to modify the plan. After months of seeming like the consistent and mature voice in Brexit negotiations, Ireland now risks appearing the stubborn obstacle to a smooth Brexit. 'A period of chaos' Varadkar this week also warned that a no-deal would lead to a "period of chaos" and that ultimately the EU, Britain and Ireland would have to "agree on full alignment" between Northern Ireland and the Republic to avoid a hard border. What that chaos might look like and how the EU-brokered accord would function on the 310-mile (500-kilometre) border traversed by more than 200 roads is hard to say. Brexiteers in London say checks on the border could simply be replaced by trusted trader schemes and as-yet-untested technology. Speaking in Davos on Friday, Varadkar said it could "involve people in uniform" -- as well as "cameras, physical infrastructure, possibly a police presence, or an army presence to back it up". That would be a concerning development on a border where the last military checkpoints were dismantled 20 years ago after a peace accord ended three decades of conflict. Given Ireland's refusal to prepare for a hard border, there could also be days or even weeks when the frontier is effectively ungoverned by international law. "You could have hundreds of lorries parking up at the border awaiting some kind of clearance," said Seamus Leheny, policy manager of the Freight Transport Association in Northern Ireland. "We could be left in a situation where some hauliers will have to take the decision to turn away any freight going across the border. The concern they have is they technically could be seen as smuggling."

With two months to Brexit, cracks form on Irish border

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-peace-envoy-visits-kabul-to-consult-afghanistan-president-ashraf-ghani-on-talks-with-taliban-193206">US peace envoy visits Kabul to consult Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on talks with Taliban</a>

US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Kabul on Sunday to try to secure cooperation from Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani after breakthroughs in peace negotiations with Taliban leaders in Qatar.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/communist-govt-kerala-disrespecting-all-aspects-of-keralas-culture-alleges-modi-193201">Communist</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/communist-govt-kerala-disrespecting-all-aspects-of-keralas-culture-alleges-modi-193201"> government in Kerala disrespecting Kerala </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/communist-govt-kerala-disrespecting-all-aspects-of-keralas-culture-alleges-modi-193201">culture,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/communist-govt-kerala-disrespecting-all-aspects-of-keralas-culture-alleges-modi-193201"> alleges Modi</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a fresh attack on&nbsp;Pinarayi Vijayan-led Communist government in Kerala accusing it of disrespecting all aspects of Kerala's culture.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ayodhya-case-deferred-again-will-not-heard-on-january-29-193190">Ayodhya case deferred again, will not be heard on January 29</a>

News agency ANI reported on Sunday that the case will not be heard on January 29 due to the non-availability of one of the judges from the five-judge constitution bench.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-govt-may-scrap-mps-holiday-to-pass-brexit-laws-193184">UK government may scrap MPs' holiday to pass Brexit laws</a>

British MPs could sit long hours and their February holiday may be scrapped as the government races to pass its Brexit legislation before Britain leaves the EU on March 29, Downing Street said Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/icici-bank-case-investigating-officer-transferred-for-his-role-in-leaking-information-related-to-searches-193153">ICICI Bank case: Probe officer transferred for 'leaking information related to searches'</a>

The Central Bureau of Investigation has justified the transfer&nbsp;of Sudhanshu Dhar Mishra, the investigating officer in the ICICI Bank case, citing his role in leaking information related to searches.

US peace envoy visits Kabul to consult Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on talks with Taliban US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Kabul on Sunday to try to secure cooperation from Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani after breakthroughs in peace negotiations with Taliban leaders in Qatar.

US peace envoy visits Kabul to consult Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on talks with Taliban US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Kabul on Sunday to try to secure cooperation from Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani after breakthroughs in peace negotiations with Taliban leaders in Qatar. Communist government in Kerala disrespecting Kerala culture, alleges Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a fresh attack on Pinarayi Vijayan-led Communist government in Kerala accusing it of disrespecting all aspects of Kerala's culture. Ayodhya case deferred again, will not be heard on January 29 News agency ANI reported on Sunday that the case will not be heard on January 29 due to the non-availability of one of the judges from the five-judge constitution bench. UK government may scrap MPs' holiday to pass Brexit laws British MPs could sit long hours and their February holiday may be scrapped as the government races to pass its Brexit legislation before Britain leaves the EU on March 29, Downing Street said Sunday. ICICI Bank case: Probe officer transferred for 'leaking information related to searches' The Central Bureau of Investigation has justified the transfer of Sudhanshu Dhar Mishra, the investigating officer in the ICICI Bank case, citing his role in leaking information related to searches.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The date Britain leaves the EU could be pushed back by a couple of weeks to give time for legislation to be approved by lawmakers, the leader of Britain's lower house of parliament said, the most senior figure to make such a suggestion.

Britain, the world's fifth largest economy, is due to leave the European Union on March 29 but <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/attempts-to-delay-brexit-do-not-solve-the-issue-says-uk-pm-theresa-may-19231">Prime Minister Theresa May</a>'s negotiated exit deal was rejected by lawmakers, leaving open the possibility of a disorderly <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/why-a-no-deal-brexit-would-be-less-costly-for-the-eu-than-the-uk-192654">Brexit</a>.

Parliament will now vote on a series of amendments on Tuesday with the United Kingdom facing its deepest political crisis in half a century as it grapples with how, or even whether, to exit the European project it joined in 1973.

"We can get the legislation through and I think we do, in spite of everything, have a very strong relationship with our EU friends and neighbours and I am absolutely certain that if we needed a couple of extra weeks or something then that would be feasible," Andrea Leadsom told the BBC.

Responding to the idea that this would mean extending the two-year Article 50 negotiation period, Leadsom, who is the organiser of government business in the lower house of parliament, told the BBC:

"It doesn't necessarily mean that. I think we would want to think carefully about it. But as things stand I do feel that we can get, with the support of both Houses - the House of Commons and the House of Lords - with goodwill and a determination we can still get the legislation through in good time."

A spokeswoman at May's No. 10 Downing Street office said the government's position had not changed.

"We are not considering an extension to article 50 and are committed to doing whatever it takes to have the statute books ready for when we leave the EU on March 29th this year."

The uncertainty has prompted several businesses to warn of the threat to jobs and investment if Britain were to crash out of the EU, potentially disrupting food and medicine supplies, manufacturers and transportation.

The date Britain leaves the EU could be pushed back by a couple of weeks to give time for legislation to be approved by lawmakers, the leader of Britain's lower house of parliament said, the most senior figure to make such a suggestion.

The date Britain leaves the EU could be pushed back by a couple of weeks to give time for legislation to be approved by lawmakers, the leader of Britain's lower house of parliament said, the most senior figure to make such a suggestion. Britain, the world's fifth largest economy, is due to leave the European Union on March 29 but Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiated exit deal was rejected by lawmakers, leaving open the possibility of a disorderly Brexit. Parliament will now vote on a series of amendments on Tuesday with the United Kingdom facing its deepest political crisis in half a century as it grapples with how, or even whether, to exit the European project it joined in 1973. "We can get the legislation through and I think we do, in spite of everything, have a very strong relationship with our EU friends and neighbours and I am absolutely certain that if we needed a couple of extra weeks or something then that would be feasible," Andrea Leadsom told the BBC. Responding to the idea that this would mean extending the two-year Article 50 negotiation period, Leadsom, who is the organiser of government business in the lower house of parliament, told the BBC: "It doesn't necessarily mean that. I think we would want to think carefully about it. But as things stand I do feel that we can get, with the support of both Houses - the House of Commons and the House of Lords - with goodwill and a determination we can still get the legislation through in good time." A spokeswoman at May's No. 10 Downing Street office said the government's position had not changed. "We are not considering an extension to article 50 and are committed to doing whatever it takes to have the statute books ready for when we leave the EU on March 29th this year." The uncertainty has prompted several businesses to warn of the threat to jobs and investment if Britain were to crash out of the EU, potentially disrupting food and medicine supplies, manufacturers and transportation.

Brexit date could be pushed back by a 'couple of extra weeks': Energy minister Leadsom

By Agelos Delis, &nbsp;Karen Jackson and Oleksandr Shepotylo 
 
The current impasse in the British parliament has increased the probability of ending up with one of two extreme outcomes: no Brexit or no deal. While significant attention has focused on understanding the potential impact of a hard Brexit on the income of people in the UK, much less is known about the impact on the rest of the EU.

We know that the UK has a large trade deficit with some big and influential EU economies such as Germany. Therefore, some have argued that this will result in these countries influencing the EU negotiating a position and eventually offering a relatively generous deal to the UK. But our calculations find the opposite to be true.

Building on recent research by two of us into different Brexit scenarios, we looked at how a no-deal Brexit might affect the rest of the EU. We also assessed what would happen if the EU broke up entirely and all countries were left to trade on WTO-only rules. The magnitude of this gives us a sense of how important it is for the EU to stand firm in negotiations against the UK.

Our research uses a gravity model, which is widely used in the international trade literature. Many economists consider it to be the best tool for conducting applied trade policy. In essence, it is based on the idea that two countries trade in proportion to the size of their economies and trade less the further away they are to one another because this is more costly. As well as being firmly rooted in economic theory, it captures many features of the real world without being overcomplicated and predicts trade flows remarkably well.

Effect on the EU27

Our new results indicate that all EU27 countries will lose out from a disorderly Brexit, but that losses are not distributed evenly between the rest of the EU countries. Roughly speaking, there are three groups of countries.

The country that loses the most in terms of GDP, around 1 per cent, is Ireland. This is expected given its geographic proximity, common language and historical ties with the UK. The second largest decline in GDP from a no-deal Brexit is observed for Cyprus, at around 0.2 per cent of its GDP. This result is surprising to some extent given the distance of Cyprus from the UK. But it could be explained by common institutions (Cyprus was a colony of the UK until 1960) as well as the close historical and business ties between the two islands.

After Ireland and Cyprus, the vast majority of EU countries will face a decline of their GDP from 0.18 per cent (Spain) to just below 0.1 per cent (Croatia). And the last group of EU countries, from Central and Eastern Europe, will have among the lowest decline in GDP. Hungary with 0.08 per cent and Austria with 0.03 per cent of GDP.

It is interesting to note that the four biggest EU27 countries will face a small drop in their GDP in the case of a No Deal Brexit scenario. Germany faces a 0.16 per cent drop; France, 0.17 per cent; Italy, 0.14 per cent, and Spain, 0.18 per cent. Hence, the overall effect on the EU27 will be a fairly small decline in their combined GDP – a weighted average of 0.17 per cent. In comparison, we find that a no-deal Brexit will reduce the UK’s GDP by a staggering 5.8 per cent of GDP.

These results can easily be understood when we consider the fact that each individual EU country trades much more with the rest of the EU as a whole than just the UK. Consequently, each remaining EU country will have much more to lose in the event of the UK getting a deal that includes the benefits of EU membership without any of the costs, as this would undermine the future existence of the EU.

If the EU breaks down

To further understand the potential impact of a collapse of the EU project, we present evidence on what will be the effect for each individual EU country. Here, the assumption is that the EU breaks down and all EU countries begin trading under WTO rules.

In such a scenario, the GDP of the EU countries would fall by 4.7 per cent on average, with Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands experiencing the highest declines of 5.5 per cent, 5.4 per cent and 5.3 per cent of their GDP respectively. The rest of the countries face similar economic losses from 5.2 per cent of GDP for Austria to just below 4 per cent for Greece. The lowest loss in terms of GDP is for Cyprus with a 3.2 per cent decline. Note that in this scenario, the UK’s GDP will be reduced by 4.5 per cent.

From the above analysis, it is apparent that EU countries have much more to lose from the disintegration of the EU than Brexit. Following the gravity model, this is because countries tend to lose more in terms of international trade, and consequently their GDP, when their deep economic ties are cut with their bigger neighbours.

Hence, it is no surprise that the EU27 has shown a consistent and unified stance towards resisting the UK’s demands during the Brexit process. On this basis, there is little evidence to support the idea that EU negotiators will be forthcoming with a last minute, significantly more favourable Brexit package.

(Agelos Delis is Lecturer in Economics, Aston University; Karen Jackson Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Westminster; Oleksandr Shepotylo Lecturer in Economics, Aston University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-a-no-deal-brexit-would-be-less-costly-for-the-eu-than-the-uk-110407">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Agelos Delis, Karen Jackson and Oleksandr Shepotylo The current impasse in the British parliament has increased the probability of ending up with one of two extreme outcomes: no Brexit or no deal.

By Agelos Delis, Karen Jackson and Oleksandr Shepotylo The current impasse in the British parliament has increased the probability of ending up with one of two extreme outcomes: no Brexit or no deal. While significant attention has focused on understanding the potential impact of a hard Brexit on the income of people in the UK, much less is known about the impact on the rest of the EU. We know that the UK has a large trade deficit with some big and influential EU economies such as Germany. Therefore, some have argued that this will result in these countries influencing the EU negotiating a position and eventually offering a relatively generous deal to the UK. But our calculations find the opposite to be true. Building on recent research by two of us into different Brexit scenarios, we looked at how a no-deal Brexit might affect the rest of the EU. We also assessed what would happen if the EU broke up entirely and all countries were left to trade on WTO-only rules. The magnitude of this gives us a sense of how important it is for the EU to stand firm in negotiations against the UK. Our research uses a gravity model, which is widely used in the international trade literature. Many economists consider it to be the best tool for conducting applied trade policy. In essence, it is based on the idea that two countries trade in proportion to the size of their economies and trade less the further away they are to one another because this is more costly. As well as being firmly rooted in economic theory, it captures many features of the real world without being overcomplicated and predicts trade flows remarkably well. Effect on the EU27 Our new results indicate that all EU27 countries will lose out from a disorderly Brexit, but that losses are not distributed evenly between the rest of the EU countries. Roughly speaking, there are three groups of countries. The country that loses the most in terms of GDP, around 1 per cent, is Ireland. This is expected given its geographic proximity, common language and historical ties with the UK. The second largest decline in GDP from a no-deal Brexit is observed for Cyprus, at around 0.2 per cent of its GDP. This result is surprising to some extent given the distance of Cyprus from the UK. But it could be explained by common institutions (Cyprus was a colony of the UK until 1960) as well as the close historical and business ties between the two islands. After Ireland and Cyprus, the vast majority of EU countries will face a decline of their GDP from 0.18 per cent (Spain) to just below 0.1 per cent (Croatia). And the last group of EU countries, from Central and Eastern Europe, will have among the lowest decline in GDP. Hungary with 0.08 per cent and Austria with 0.03 per cent of GDP. It is interesting to note that the four biggest EU27 countries will face a small drop in their GDP in the case of a No Deal Brexit scenario. Germany faces a 0.16 per cent drop; France, 0.17 per cent; Italy, 0.14 per cent, and Spain, 0.18 per cent. Hence, the overall effect on the EU27 will be a fairly small decline in their combined GDP – a weighted average of 0.17 per cent. In comparison, we find that a no-deal Brexit will reduce the UK’s GDP by a staggering 5.8 per cent of GDP. These results can easily be understood when we consider the fact that each individual EU country trades much more with the rest of the EU as a whole than just the UK. Consequently, each remaining EU country will have much more to lose in the event of the UK getting a deal that includes the benefits of EU membership without any of the costs, as this would undermine the future existence of the EU. If the EU breaks down To further understand the potential impact of a collapse of the EU project, we present evidence on what will be the effect for each individual EU country. Here, the assumption is that the EU breaks down and all EU countries begin trading under WTO rules. In such a scenario, the GDP of the EU countries would fall by 4.7 per cent on average, with Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands experiencing the highest declines of 5.5 per cent, 5.4 per cent and 5.3 per cent of their GDP respectively. The rest of the countries face similar economic losses from 5.2 per cent of GDP for Austria to just below 4 per cent for Greece. The lowest loss in terms of GDP is for Cyprus with a 3.2 per cent decline. Note that in this scenario, the UK’s GDP will be reduced by 4.5 per cent. From the above analysis, it is apparent that EU countries have much more to lose from the disintegration of the EU than Brexit. Following the gravity model, this is because countries tend to lose more in terms of international trade, and consequently their GDP, when their deep economic ties are cut with their bigger neighbours. Hence, it is no surprise that the EU27 has shown a consistent and unified stance towards resisting the UK’s demands during the Brexit process. On this basis, there is little evidence to support the idea that EU negotiators will be forthcoming with a last minute, significantly more favourable Brexit package. (Agelos Delis is Lecturer in Economics, Aston University; Karen Jackson Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Westminster; Oleksandr Shepotylo Lecturer in Economics, Aston University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why a no-deal Brexit would be less costly for the EU than the UK

Brexit fallout; Companies leave UK amid fear of uncertainty

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced plans to halt production for a week at its UK plants in April due to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/why-a-no-deal-brexit-would-be-less-costly-for-the-eu-than-the-uk-192654">Brexit-related disruption</a>.

Britain's largest carmaker said the temporary production stand-down would take place between April 8 and 12 and affect all three of Jaguar Land Rover's UK car plants, as well as its engine plant.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/seek-out-common-ground-says-queen-elizabeth-in-veiled-reference-to-brexit-192731"> Seek out common ground, says Queen Elizabeth in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/seek-out-common-ground-says-queen-elizabeth-in-veiled-reference-to-brexit-192731">veiled</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/seek-out-common-ground-says-queen-elizabeth-in-veiled-reference-to-brexit-192731"> reference to Brexit</a>

"We have confirmed this year's holiday dates to employees across all UK sites. As part of this, we have also confirmed that there will be an additional week of production stand-down 8th-12th April due to potential Brexit disruption," a JLR spokesperson said.

Britain is set to leave the European Union (EU) by the deadline of March 29 this year but the process has been mired in controversy. The JLR has repeatedly warned against a hard exit from the 28-member economic bloc, which would adversely hit its supply chains and put jobs at risk.

The JLR employs just under 39,000 workers at its UK sites&nbsp;Castle Bromwich, Solihull and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, and Halewood on Merseyside. The plan to pause production follows an announcement earlier this month that the company is to cut 4,500 jobs in a bid to cut costs of up to 2.5 billion pounds.

The luxury car brand had closed its main plant in Solihull for two weeks in October last year to reflect "fluctuating demand" in key markets like China.

The company has told the government that, while its "heart and soul" are in the UK, a bad Brexit or a "no-deal" scenario would severely impact the company's plans.&nbsp;

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced plans to halt production for a week at its UK plants in April due to Brexit-related disruption. Britain's largest carmaker said the temporary production stand-down would take place between April 8 and 12 and affect all three of Jaguar Land Rover's UK car plants, as well as its engine plant.

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced plans to halt production for a week at its UK plants in April due to Brexit-related disruption. Britain's largest carmaker said the temporary production stand-down would take place between April 8 and 12 and affect all three of Jaguar Land Rover's UK car plants, as well as its engine plant. Also read: Seek out common ground, says Queen Elizabeth in veiled reference to Brexit "We have confirmed this year's holiday dates to employees across all UK sites. As part of this, we have also confirmed that there will be an additional week of production stand-down 8th-12th April due to potential Brexit disruption," a JLR spokesperson said. Britain is set to leave the European Union (EU) by the deadline of March 29 this year but the process has been mired in controversy. The JLR has repeatedly warned against a hard exit from the 28-member economic bloc, which would adversely hit its supply chains and put jobs at risk. The JLR employs just under 39,000 workers at its UK sites Castle Bromwich, Solihull and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, and Halewood on Merseyside. The plan to pause production follows an announcement earlier this month that the company is to cut 4,500 jobs in a bid to cut costs of up to 2.5 billion pounds. The luxury car brand had closed its main plant in Solihull for two weeks in October last year to reflect "fluctuating demand" in key markets like China. The company has told the government that, while its "heart and soul" are in the UK, a bad Brexit or a "no-deal" scenario would severely impact the company's plans.

Tata Motors' Jaguar Land Rover to halt production amid Brexit disruption

Queen Elizabeth II has emphasised the need for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/50-50-chance-of-second-brexit-referendum-ex-british-pm-tony-blair-192476">Britons to come together</a> to "seek out the common ground", in what has been viewed as an appeal to overcome divisions over Brexit.

Speaking to members of the Women's Institute (WI) <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/airbus-ceo-warns-of-harmful-decisions-for-uk-jobs-in-a-no-deal-brexit-192414">near her Sandringham estate in eastern</a> England, the 92-year-old queen said people should never lose sight of the bigger picture.

"Reflecting on a century of change, it is clear that the qualities of the Women's Institute&nbsp;endure," she said, noting the foundation of the institute in 1915, to encourage contributions to World War-I.

"The continued emphasis on patience, friendship, a strong community-focus, and considering the needs of others, are as important today as they were when the group was founded all those years ago.

"Of course, every generation faces fresh challenges and opportunities.

"As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture."

"To me, these approaches are timeless, and I commend them to everyone."

Her message, delivered in a meeting late on Thursday, comes amid intense argument in parliament about Britain's exit from the European Union, which is scheduled for March 29.

The royals tend to steer well clear of politics, and as head of state, the queen in particular is careful to stay neutral in public.

In her traditional Christmas broadcast to the nation last month, she offered a similar message of unity, warning against "tribalism".

"Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step towards greater understanding," she said.

Queen Elizabeth II has emphasised the need for Britons to come together to "seek out the common ground", in what has been viewed as an appeal to overcome divisions over Brexit.

Queen Elizabeth II has emphasised the need for Britons to come together to "seek out the common ground", in what has been viewed as an appeal to overcome divisions over Brexit. Speaking to members of the Women's Institute (WI) near her Sandringham estate in eastern England, the 92-year-old queen said people should never lose sight of the bigger picture. "Reflecting on a century of change, it is clear that the qualities of the Women's Institute endure," she said, noting the foundation of the institute in 1915, to encourage contributions to World War-I. "The continued emphasis on patience, friendship, a strong community-focus, and considering the needs of others, are as important today as they were when the group was founded all those years ago. "Of course, every generation faces fresh challenges and opportunities. "As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture." "To me, these approaches are timeless, and I commend them to everyone." Her message, delivered in a meeting late on Thursday, comes amid intense argument in parliament about Britain's exit from the European Union, which is scheduled for March 29. The royals tend to steer well clear of politics, and as head of state, the queen in particular is careful to stay neutral in public. In her traditional Christmas broadcast to the nation last month, she offered a similar message of unity, warning against "tribalism". "Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step towards greater understanding," she said.

Seek out common ground, says Queen Elizabeth in veiled reference to Brexit

Airbus warned on Thursday it could shift future wing-building out of Britain in the absence of a smooth exit from the European Union, predicting "potentially very harmful decisions" for its British operations in the event of a 'no-deal' Brexit.

In a direct appeal to Britain's divided parliament to avoid such an outcome, Chief Executive Tom Enders acknowledged there would be no immediate change in its industrial presence, but issued his sharpest warning yet that future jobs are at risk.

"The UK's aerospace sector now stands at the precipice," Enders said in a video released on Airbus' website.

"If there is a no-deal Brexit, we at Airbus will have to make potentially very harmful decisions for the UK."

The world's second-largest aerospace group employs 14,000 people in Britain, including 6,000 at its main wings factory at Broughton, Wales, and 3,000 in Filton, western England, where wings are designed and supported.

Critics of previous warnings by Airbus have cast doubt on whether the France-based group would move significant operations out of Britain, arguing Broughton is an efficient factory and that the case for staying is buoyed by a weak sterling.

German-born Enders insisted Airbus was not bluffing, adopting a more partisan tone than in previous statements.

"Please don’t listen to the Brexiteers’ madness which asserts that, because we have huge plants here, we will not move and we will always be here. They are wrong," he said.

"Of course, it is not possible to pick up and move our large UK factories to other parts of the world immediately. However, aerospace is a long-term business and we could be forced to re-direct future investments in the event of a no-deal Brexit. And make no mistake there are plenty of countries out there who would love to build the wings for Airbus aircraft."

Airbus warned on Thursday it could shift future wing-building out of Britain in the absence of a smooth exit from the European Union, predicting "potentially very harmful decisions" for its British operations in the event of a 'no-deal' Brexit.

Airbus warned on Thursday it could shift future wing-building out of Britain in the absence of a smooth exit from the European Union, predicting "potentially very harmful decisions" for its British operations in the event of a 'no-deal' Brexit. In a direct appeal to Britain's divided parliament to avoid such an outcome, Chief Executive Tom Enders acknowledged there would be no immediate change in its industrial presence, but issued his sharpest warning yet that future jobs are at risk. "The UK's aerospace sector now stands at the precipice," Enders said in a video released on Airbus' website. "If there is a no-deal Brexit, we at Airbus will have to make potentially very harmful decisions for the UK." The world's second-largest aerospace group employs 14,000 people in Britain, including 6,000 at its main wings factory at Broughton, Wales, and 3,000 in Filton, western England, where wings are designed and supported. Critics of previous warnings by Airbus have cast doubt on whether the France-based group would move significant operations out of Britain, arguing Broughton is an efficient factory and that the case for staying is buoyed by a weak sterling. German-born Enders insisted Airbus was not bluffing, adopting a more partisan tone than in previous statements. "Please don’t listen to the Brexiteers’ madness which asserts that, because we have huge plants here, we will not move and we will always be here. They are wrong," he said. "Of course, it is not possible to pick up and move our large UK factories to other parts of the world immediately. However, aerospace is a long-term business and we could be forced to re-direct future investments in the event of a no-deal Brexit. And make no mistake there are plenty of countries out there who would love to build the wings for Airbus aircraft."

Airbus CEO warns of 'harmful decisions' for UK jobs in a no-deal Brexit

British Prime Minister Theresa May on&nbsp;Wednesday said that attempts by some lawmakers to use parliamentary procedure to delay Brexit did not address the underlying decision about how Britain should leave the European Union, reported Reuters.

"What we have seen is amendments seeking to engineer a situation where Article 50 is extended. Now that does not solve the issue, there will always be a point of decision, and the decision remains the same: no deal, a deal or no Brexit," May told parliament.

Prime Minister&nbsp;clashed with opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn over the latter's refusal to sit down for cross-party Brexit talks with her.

"While the doors to her office may be opened, apparently the minds inside it are completely closed," Corbyn said.

With the March 29 deadline for Britain to leave the EU approaching, the House of Commons will vote next Tuesday on alternative Brexit plans having rejected the deal May negotiated with the EU.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday said that attempts by some lawmakers to use parliamentary procedure to delay Brexit did not address the underlying decision about how Britain should leave the European Union, reported Reuters.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday said that attempts by some lawmakers to use parliamentary procedure to delay Brexit did not address the underlying decision about how Britain should leave the European Union, reported Reuters. "What we have seen is amendments seeking to engineer a situation where Article 50 is extended. Now that does not solve the issue, there will always be a point of decision, and the decision remains the same: no deal, a deal or no Brexit," May told parliament. Prime Minister clashed with opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn over the latter's refusal to sit down for cross-party Brexit talks with her. "While the doors to her office may be opened, apparently the minds inside it are completely closed," Corbyn said. With the March 29 deadline for Britain to leave the EU approaching, the House of Commons will vote next Tuesday on alternative Brexit plans having rejected the deal May negotiated with the EU.

Attempts to delay Brexit do not solve the issue, says UK PM Theresa May

By Kenneth Armstrong

In her statement to the House of Commons, the UK prime minister has failed to offer any real clarity on where her government’s Brexit policy is heading. Rather than unveiling a Plan B, she set out Plan May with some procedural bells and whistles.

Number 10 followed her statement by saying there will not be another meaningful vote on Brexit until February.

Significantly, the prime minister has refused to take a no-deal Brexit off the agenda. Following parliament’s decisive vote not to approve the texts of the withdrawal agreement and political declaration negotiated between the UK and the EU back in November, a no-deal Brexit is now the default position unless something else changes.

Three things could change. First, with the March 29 deadline looming without a Brexit deal, parliament could decide to shift the goalposts by requiring the government to seek an extension of the Article 50 negotiation period. This procedural device was originally proposed in a private member’s bill promoted by Conservative MP Nick Boles, but it is likely to be superseded by an alternative proposal from Labour MP Yvette Cooper in which a refusal by parliament to approve the texts agreed between the UK and the EU would lead to a request to extend the negotiation period.

In terms of Article 50, the UK can make such a request, but it still needs the unanimous consent of the EU27. Assuming that consent was given, it would simply delay a no-deal Brexit. Something would have to happen during this extension to change the parliamentary arithmetic to produce a majority to back a deal. The most obvious way of doing that would be if a general election was held, forcing the political parties to lay out their visions of the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Former Conservative leader William Hague has been talking up the possibility of an early election. The risk, however, would be that a divided nation produced a hung parliament with no better consensus on what is in the national interest.

A different possibility would be to make revocation of the Article 50 withdrawal notification the new default. This wouldn’t just take a no-deal Brexit off the table. Any failure by parliament to approve a deal would mean that parliament instructed the government to bring the withdrawal process to an end. Following a ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union in December, this is a real alternative. The problem is that this goes further than changing the default on Brexit; it reverses Brexit itself. It is hard to see how this could occur without another referendum. And, as the prime minister made clear in her statement, she believes that no majority exists in the House of Commons for another referendum.

But even if a referendum were to take place following parliament’s failure to approve a deal, the referendum would be a straight choice between remaining in the EU and a no-deal Brexit. So even in this scenario, a no-deal Brexit could still occur.

The third option is to focus on substance. Here the prime minister identified the Irish backstop, the future relationship, and protecting social, environmental and citizens rights as areas where the action might need to be taken. Leaving aside the issues of rights where the UK is in a position to take unilateral action, any “Plan B” would need to address the Irish Protocol contained in the withdrawal agreement and the future relationship set out in the political declaration. Changes to the Irish backstop means opening up a legal text which the EU has said it will not do. Almost all the negotiation time in 2018 was spent trying to resolve this issue.

But even in terms of the hard numbers, flipping the votes of the DUP and Brexiteers who objected to the backstop is unlikely to give the prime minister the majority she would need. She would still need a wider coalition to either accept the deal or at least abstain rather than voting against it. That’s why attention still needs to be paid to the future relationship.

What the prime minister has offered, however, is simply to involve parliament and voices outside of parliament more closely in shaping the UK’s position on the future relationship with the EU, with the important caveat that it is “government’s responsibility to negotiate” with the EU. In short, while parliament and the devolved administrations may expect to be better engaged, the government does not intend to hand control of Brexit over to MPs. It still appears to be Plan May.

(Kenneth Armstrong is Professor, Centre for European Legal Studies, University of Cambridge)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-no-brexit-plan-b-this-is-still-plan-may-110140">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Kenneth Armstrong In her statement to the House of Commons, the UK prime minister has failed to offer any real clarity on where her government’s Brexit policy is heading.

By Kenneth Armstrong In her statement to the House of Commons, the UK prime minister has failed to offer any real clarity on where her government’s Brexit policy is heading. Rather than unveiling a Plan B, she set out Plan May with some procedural bells and whistles. Number 10 followed her statement by saying there will not be another meaningful vote on Brexit until February. Significantly, the prime minister has refused to take a no-deal Brexit off the agenda. Following parliament’s decisive vote not to approve the texts of the withdrawal agreement and political declaration negotiated between the UK and the EU back in November, a no-deal Brexit is now the default position unless something else changes. Three things could change. First, with the March 29 deadline looming without a Brexit deal, parliament could decide to shift the goalposts by requiring the government to seek an extension of the Article 50 negotiation period. This procedural device was originally proposed in a private member’s bill promoted by Conservative MP Nick Boles, but it is likely to be superseded by an alternative proposal from Labour MP Yvette Cooper in which a refusal by parliament to approve the texts agreed between the UK and the EU would lead to a request to extend the negotiation period. In terms of Article 50, the UK can make such a request, but it still needs the unanimous consent of the EU27. Assuming that consent was given, it would simply delay a no-deal Brexit. Something would have to happen during this extension to change the parliamentary arithmetic to produce a majority to back a deal. The most obvious way of doing that would be if a general election was held, forcing the political parties to lay out their visions of the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Former Conservative leader William Hague has been talking up the possibility of an early election. The risk, however, would be that a divided nation produced a hung parliament with no better consensus on what is in the national interest. A different possibility would be to make revocation of the Article 50 withdrawal notification the new default. This wouldn’t just take a no-deal Brexit off the table. Any failure by parliament to approve a deal would mean that parliament instructed the government to bring the withdrawal process to an end. Following a ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union in December, this is a real alternative. The problem is that this goes further than changing the default on Brexit; it reverses Brexit itself. It is hard to see how this could occur without another referendum. And, as the prime minister made clear in her statement, she believes that no majority exists in the House of Commons for another referendum. But even if a referendum were to take place following parliament’s failure to approve a deal, the referendum would be a straight choice between remaining in the EU and a no-deal Brexit. So even in this scenario, a no-deal Brexit could still occur. The third option is to focus on substance. Here the prime minister identified the Irish backstop, the future relationship, and protecting social, environmental and citizens rights as areas where the action might need to be taken. Leaving aside the issues of rights where the UK is in a position to take unilateral action, any “Plan B” would need to address the Irish Protocol contained in the withdrawal agreement and the future relationship set out in the political declaration. Changes to the Irish backstop means opening up a legal text which the EU has said it will not do. Almost all the negotiation time in 2018 was spent trying to resolve this issue. But even in terms of the hard numbers, flipping the votes of the DUP and Brexiteers who objected to the backstop is unlikely to give the prime minister the majority she would need. She would still need a wider coalition to either accept the deal or at least abstain rather than voting against it. That’s why attention still needs to be paid to the future relationship. What the prime minister has offered, however, is simply to involve parliament and voices outside of parliament more closely in shaping the UK’s position on the future relationship with the EU, with the important caveat that it is “government’s responsibility to negotiate” with the EU. In short, while parliament and the devolved administrations may expect to be better engaged, the government does not intend to hand control of Brexit over to MPs. It still appears to be Plan May. (Kenneth Armstrong is Professor, Centre for European Legal Studies, University of Cambridge) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There’s no Brexit Plan B – this is still Plan May

The International Monetary Fund trimmed its global growth forecasts on Monday and a survey showed increasing pessimism among business chiefs as trade tensions and uncertainty loomed over the world's biggest annual gathering of the rich and powerful.

The gloomy IMF forecasts, released on the eve of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, highlighted the challenges facing policymakers as they tackle an array of actual or potential crises, from the US-China trade war to Brexit.

"After two years of solid expansion, the world economy is growing more slowly than expected and risks are rising," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters.

"Does that mean a global recession is around the corner? No. But the risk of a sharper decline in global growth has certainly increased," she said, urging policymakers to brace for a "serious slowdown."

In its World Economic Outlook report released on Monday, the IMF predicted the global economy will grow at 3.5 per cent in 2019 and 3.6 per cent in 2020, down 0.2 and 0.1 percentage point respectively from last October's forecasts.

"There are so many variables and so much uncertainty globally, from the trade tension to geopolitical changes, so a lot of market activity and market sentiment are out of our control," Laura Cha, chair of the Hong Kong stock exchange, told Reuters Television.

The IMF downgrades mainly reflected signs of weakness in Europe, with its export powerhouse Germany hurt by new fuel emission standards for cars and with Italy under market pressure due to Rome's recent budget standoff with the European Union.

The global lender also cited a bigger-than-expected slowdown in China's economy and a possible "No Deal" Brexit as risks to its outlook, saying these could worsen market turbulence.

A survey by auditing and accounting giant <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/global-business-leaders-predict-fall-in-world-economic-growth-bet-heavy-on-artificial-intelligence-report-191914">PwC of nearly 1,400 chief executives</a> found that 29 per cent believe global economic growth will decline over the next 12 months, the highest percentage since 2012.

While the most pronounced shift was among business leaders in the United States, the share of CEOs who expected growth to slow increased significantly across every region, it showed.

"It's quite a reversal from last year and the gloomier mood cuts across just about everywhere in the world," said Bob Moritz, global chairman at PwC.

"With the rise of trade tension and protectionism, it stands to reason that confidence is waning."

Tim Ryan, US Chairman at PwC, told Reuters: “We were a little bit spoiled by the environment the past six to eight years after the financial crisis," describing an uncertain economy as the new normal.

"People are getting used to the volatility."

CHINA GLOOM WIDENS

Fears of a global slowdown have jolted markets and forced the US Federal Reserve Bank to signal a pause in its interest rate hike cycle, as investors fret about increasing weak signs in China and the fallout from Sino-US trade frictions.

Data released on Monday showed China's economy cooled in the fourth quarter on faltering domestic demand and bruising US tariffs, dragging 2018 growth to the lowest in nearly three decades.

"Sometimes we spook ourselves, so it remains to be seen how slow is slow, how bad is bad, let's see how the first quarter looks," said Cha.

Analysts polled by Reuters also saw a higher chance Japan will slide into a recession, keeping the country's central bank under pressure to maintain its massive stimulus.

The IMF cut its growth projections for the eurozone and developing countries while maintaining its forecast for a 2.5 per cent expansion in the United States this year.

It also kept its China growth forecast at 6.2 per cent in both 2019 and 2020 but said economic activity could miss expectations if trade tensions persist, even with state efforts to spur growth by boosting fiscal spending and bank lending.

"As seen in 2015–16, concerns about the health of China's economy can trigger abrupt, wide-reaching sell-offs in financial and commodity markets that place its trading partners, commodity exporters, and other emerging markets under pressure," it said.

Britain is expected to achieve 1.5 per cent growth this year though there is uncertainty over the projection, which is based on the assumption of an orderly exit from the EU, it said.

The International Monetary Fund trimmed its global growth forecasts on Monday and a survey showed increasing pessimism among business chiefs as trade tensions and uncertainty loomed over the world's biggest annual gathering of the rich and powerful.

The International Monetary Fund trimmed its global growth forecasts on Monday and a survey showed increasing pessimism among business chiefs as trade tensions and uncertainty loomed over the world's biggest annual gathering of the rich and powerful. The gloomy IMF forecasts, released on the eve of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, highlighted the challenges facing policymakers as they tackle an array of actual or potential crises, from the US-China trade war to Brexit. "After two years of solid expansion, the world economy is growing more slowly than expected and risks are rising," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters. "Does that mean a global recession is around the corner? No. But the risk of a sharper decline in global growth has certainly increased," she said, urging policymakers to brace for a "serious slowdown." In its World Economic Outlook report released on Monday, the IMF predicted the global economy will grow at 3.5 per cent in 2019 and 3.6 per cent in 2020, down 0.2 and 0.1 percentage point respectively from last October's forecasts. "There are so many variables and so much uncertainty globally, from the trade tension to geopolitical changes, so a lot of market activity and market sentiment are out of our control," Laura Cha, chair of the Hong Kong stock exchange, told Reuters Television. The IMF downgrades mainly reflected signs of weakness in Europe, with its export powerhouse Germany hurt by new fuel emission standards for cars and with Italy under market pressure due to Rome's recent budget standoff with the European Union. The global lender also cited a bigger-than-expected slowdown in China's economy and a possible "No Deal" Brexit as risks to its outlook, saying these could worsen market turbulence. A survey by auditing and accounting giant PwC of nearly 1,400 chief executives found that 29 per cent believe global economic growth will decline over the next 12 months, the highest percentage since 2012. While the most pronounced shift was among business leaders in the United States, the share of CEOs who expected growth to slow increased significantly across every region, it showed. "It's quite a reversal from last year and the gloomier mood cuts across just about everywhere in the world," said Bob Moritz, global chairman at PwC. "With the rise of trade tension and protectionism, it stands to reason that confidence is waning." Tim Ryan, US Chairman at PwC, told Reuters: “We were a little bit spoiled by the environment the past six to eight years after the financial crisis," describing an uncertain economy as the new normal. "People are getting used to the volatility." CHINA GLOOM WIDENS Fears of a global slowdown have jolted markets and forced the US Federal Reserve Bank to signal a pause in its interest rate hike cycle, as investors fret about increasing weak signs in China and the fallout from Sino-US trade frictions. Data released on Monday showed China's economy cooled in the fourth quarter on faltering domestic demand and bruising US tariffs, dragging 2018 growth to the lowest in nearly three decades. "Sometimes we spook ourselves, so it remains to be seen how slow is slow, how bad is bad, let's see how the first quarter looks," said Cha. Analysts polled by Reuters also saw a higher chance Japan will slide into a recession, keeping the country's central bank under pressure to maintain its massive stimulus. The IMF cut its growth projections for the eurozone and developing countries while maintaining its forecast for a 2.5 per cent expansion in the United States this year. It also kept its China growth forecast at 6.2 per cent in both 2019 and 2020 but said economic activity could miss expectations if trade tensions persist, even with state efforts to spur growth by boosting fiscal spending and bank lending. "As seen in 2015–16, concerns about the health of China's economy can trigger abrupt, wide-reaching sell-offs in financial and commodity markets that place its trading partners, commodity exporters, and other emerging markets under pressure," it said. Britain is expected to achieve 1.5 per cent growth this year though there is uncertainty over the projection, which is based on the assumption of an orderly exit from the EU, it said.

IMF chief rules out imminent global recession, anticipates sharper decline in global growth

Britain's opposition Labour Party is seeking to force <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-theresa-may-presents-brexit-plan-b-seeks-to-engage-civil-society-trade-unions-191861">Prime Minister Theresa May</a> to rule out leaving the European Union without a deal and to give parliament a vote on the options to break a deadlock over the way forward.

May's deal was roundly rejected by parliament last week and on Monday she set out a proposal to overcome the impasse by seeking further concessions from the EU on a plan to prevent customs checks on the Irish border.

Lawmakers will debate and vote on the next steps on January 29, and ahead of that, they can put forward amendments to the government's plan, seeking to shape Britain's exit from the bloc.

Labour's amendment seeks to force the government to give parliament time to consider and vote on options to prevent Britain leaving on March 29 without an agreement. Among those options should be a permanent customs union with the EU and a second referendum on Brexit, the party said.

"The prime minister is both refusing to change her red lines or take the threat of a no deal exit off the table. MPs (members of parliament) must now act to break the deadlock," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement.

"Our amendment will allow MPs to vote on options to end this Brexit deadlock and prevent the chaos of a no deal."

Britain's opposition Labour Party is seeking to force Prime Minister Theresa May to rule out leaving the European Union without a deal and to give parliament a vote on the options to break a deadlock over the way forward.

Britain's opposition Labour Party is seeking to force Prime Minister Theresa May to rule out leaving the European Union without a deal and to give parliament a vote on the options to break a deadlock over the way forward. May's deal was roundly rejected by parliament last week and on Monday she set out a proposal to overcome the impasse by seeking further concessions from the EU on a plan to prevent customs checks on the Irish border. Lawmakers will debate and vote on the next steps on January 29, and ahead of that, they can put forward amendments to the government's plan, seeking to shape Britain's exit from the bloc. Labour's amendment seeks to force the government to give parliament time to consider and vote on options to prevent Britain leaving on March 29 without an agreement. Among those options should be a permanent customs union with the EU and a second referendum on Brexit, the party said. "The prime minister is both refusing to change her red lines or take the threat of a no deal exit off the table. MPs (members of parliament) must now act to break the deadlock," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement. "Our amendment will allow MPs to vote on options to end this Brexit deadlock and prevent the chaos of a no deal."

UK's Labour seeks to force Theresa May to rule out no-deal Brexit

After losing the Brexit vote in Parliament last week, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pms-office-says-reports-of-parliament-seizing-control-from-govt-over-brexit-extremely-concerning-191516">British PM Theresa May&nbsp;presented</a>&nbsp;"Plan B" on Brexit asserting that the government would be seeking inputs from outside the government.

The British prime minister said in the House of Commons that following last week's vote it was&nbsp;clear that the government's approach on Brexit had to change.

"So when people say 'Rule out no-deal', the consequences of what they are actually saying are that, if we in Parliament can't approve a deal, we should revoke Article 50. I believe this would go against the referendum result," May said.

"Our duty is to deliver on the Brexit referendum,"&nbsp;the British prime minister said.

May said there is no majority for a second referendum. "Second referendum could damage social cohesion," she added.

The British prime minister insisted that&nbsp;she would try to break the deadlock over her Brexit deal by seeking further concessions from the European Union on a backup plan to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

"There is widespread concern over no Brexit deal," she told Britain's lower house of Parliament.

"We will work with all negotiators to make this plan work," May said adding that the government will engage with civil society and trade unions on a new plan for Brexit.

Britain is chasing the&nbsp;March 29 deadline to step out of the EU, however, the government has&nbsp;failed to convince Parliament on the main tenets of the deal leading to a deadlock raising fears of a no-deal Brexit.&nbsp;

"I will then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU," May said. "My focus continues to be on what is needed to secure the support of this House in favour of a Brexit deal with the EU."

"With regard to the backstop, despite the changes we have previously agreed, there remain two core issues: the fear that we could be trapped in it permanently; and concerns over its potential impact on our Union if Northern Ireland is treated differently from the rest of the UK."

"So I will be talking further this week to colleagues - including in the DUP - to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House," she said.

After losing the Brexit vote in Parliament last week, British PM Theresa May presented "Plan B" on Brexit asserting that the government would be seeking inputs from outside the government.

After losing the Brexit vote in Parliament last week, British PM Theresa May presented "Plan B" on Brexit asserting that the government would be seeking inputs from outside the government. The British prime minister said in the House of Commons that following last week's vote it was clear that the government's approach on Brexit had to change. "So when people say 'Rule out no-deal', the consequences of what they are actually saying are that, if we in Parliament can't approve a deal, we should revoke Article 50. I believe this would go against the referendum result," May said. "Our duty is to deliver on the Brexit referendum," the British prime minister said. May said there is no majority for a second referendum. "Second referendum could damage social cohesion," she added. The British prime minister insisted that she would try to break the deadlock over her Brexit deal by seeking further concessions from the European Union on a backup plan to avoid a hard border in Ireland. "There is widespread concern over no Brexit deal," she told Britain's lower house of Parliament. "We will work with all negotiators to make this plan work," May said adding that the government will engage with civil society and trade unions on a new plan for Brexit. Britain is chasing the March 29 deadline to step out of the EU, however, the government has failed to convince Parliament on the main tenets of the deal leading to a deadlock raising fears of a no-deal Brexit. "I will then take the conclusions of those discussions back to the EU," May said. "My focus continues to be on what is needed to secure the support of this House in favour of a Brexit deal with the EU." "With regard to the backstop, despite the changes we have previously agreed, there remain two core issues: the fear that we could be trapped in it permanently; and concerns over its potential impact on our Union if Northern Ireland is treated differently from the rest of the UK." "So I will be talking further this week to colleagues - including in the DUP - to consider how we might meet our obligations to the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in a way that can command the greatest possible support in the House," she said.

British PM Theresa May presents Brexit 'Plan B', seeks to engage civil society, trade unions

These are extraordinary times in British politics. In a matter of hours, the same Conservative Party MPs and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) who had rejected British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan came to her rescue and saved her government from falling in a no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. May’s plan for an amicable divorce from the European Union (EU) was overwhelmingly rejected by the British Parliament, giving her government one of the worst defeats in British political history. This plan, which was aimed at bringing about an orderly departure from the EU on March 29, and setting up a 21-month transition period to negotiate a free trade deal was rejected by 432 to 202 votes. This was a plan which was almost two years in the making with May putting her career on the line. But it was clear that she failed in convincing Parliament that it was the best option for the nation.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn quickly came back with a no-confidence vote against May’s government, arguing that May’s “zombie” administration had lost the right to govern. But this time May got back her support base from the rebel Tories and the DUP, winning the vote by a margin of 19. May has responded by underscoring her commitment to “continue to work to deliver on the solemn promise to the people of this country to deliver on the result of the referendum and leave the European Union”.

But the road forward remains as complicated as ever for May and for Britain. After her victory in the no-confidence vote, May had called on MPs to “put self-interest aside” and “act in the national interest”, acknowledging that it “will not be an easy task”. Consensus certainly will not be easy to come by as the British polity remains at its most polarised today. May now has to present a new EU withdrawal plan to Parliament by January 21 ahead of a vote by MPs eight days later. And political confabulations have started in right earnest though without any real sense of direction.

Meanwhile, the rest of the EU is moving ahead with contingency planning. European Commission has underlined that it is “taking this very seriously now as the possibility of a no-deal Brexit is becoming more possible”. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has said a no-deal Brexit looks “less and less unlikely” while German Economy Minister Peter Altmeier has warned “everyone in Europe would lose” from the UK leaving without an agreement. Ireland, which has the closest links to the UK of all the EU States, is now solely focused on measures covering key sectors such as health, communications, education, finance, employment and justice.

British economy’s health will be one of the most significant casualties of the present crisis. The International Monetary Fund has made it clear that Brexit without a deal is the “most significant near-term risk to the UK economy”. And in a public letter, more than 170 leading business figures have called for Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn to back another referendum on withdrawal from the European Union “to stop us crashing out of the EU with no deal at all”.

The open political divide in the UK is causing a sense of bewilderment all around. On the one hand, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to negotiate with May unless a no-deal Brexit is ruled out, on the other Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis has ruled out discussion on staying in a customs union. Even within May’s Cabinet, there are contending voices and May’s ability to shape a consensus is gravely in doubt. While the Conservatives showed unity over the confidence vote, with all 314 members backing the Prime Minister, the divisions within the party over the way forward with Brexit remain as strong as ever. May has given no indication so far that she will be willing to budge on her “red lines”, thereby ruling out Labour’s demand for a customs union with the EU as there is a fear that such a compromise would lead to further departures from the Cabinet.

In more ways than one, Brexit has been a failed attempt by the Tories to put an end to the internecine warfare within the Party on the issue of the EU. May’s predecessor David Cameron thought that he could end this by winning a referendum on the EU. Instead, he lost and in the process pushed Britain into uncharted waters. For May, the tension between the Parliament as a whole and the Eurosceptics within her own party has been too much to enable her to navigate her way out of this crisis. There is a hardcore group within the Tories for whom a hard Brexit is more important than continuing in the government. And it is this group that will shape May’s future and in more ways than one, the future of Britain. An exercise which was supposed to be an absolute manifestation of a democratic mandate now has become hostage to a few Tory MPs who are hell bent on shaping the trajectory of British political relations with the rest of Europe.

Whatever the outcome of this process, the Britain which will emerge out of this political churn will be one quite distinct in its political complexion than the one we are used to.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-brexit-a-messy-separation-2709878">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

These are extraordinary times in British politics. In a matter of hours, the same Conservative Party MPs and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) who had rejected British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan came to her rescue and saved her government from falling in a no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

These are extraordinary times in British politics. In a matter of hours, the same Conservative Party MPs and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) who had rejected British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan came to her rescue and saved her government from falling in a no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. May’s plan for an amicable divorce from the European Union (EU) was overwhelmingly rejected by the British Parliament, giving her government one of the worst defeats in British political history. This plan, which was aimed at bringing about an orderly departure from the EU on March 29, and setting up a 21-month transition period to negotiate a free trade deal was rejected by 432 to 202 votes. This was a plan which was almost two years in the making with May putting her career on the line. But it was clear that she failed in convincing Parliament that it was the best option for the nation. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn quickly came back with a no-confidence vote against May’s government, arguing that May’s “zombie” administration had lost the right to govern. But this time May got back her support base from the rebel Tories and the DUP, winning the vote by a margin of 19. May has responded by underscoring her commitment to “continue to work to deliver on the solemn promise to the people of this country to deliver on the result of the referendum and leave the European Union”. But the road forward remains as complicated as ever for May and for Britain. After her victory in the no-confidence vote, May had called on MPs to “put self-interest aside” and “act in the national interest”, acknowledging that it “will not be an easy task”. Consensus certainly will not be easy to come by as the British polity remains at its most polarised today. May now has to present a new EU withdrawal plan to Parliament by January 21 ahead of a vote by MPs eight days later. And political confabulations have started in right earnest though without any real sense of direction. Meanwhile, the rest of the EU is moving ahead with contingency planning. European Commission has underlined that it is “taking this very seriously now as the possibility of a no-deal Brexit is becoming more possible”. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has said a no-deal Brexit looks “less and less unlikely” while German Economy Minister Peter Altmeier has warned “everyone in Europe would lose” from the UK leaving without an agreement. Ireland, which has the closest links to the UK of all the EU States, is now solely focused on measures covering key sectors such as health, communications, education, finance, employment and justice. British economy’s health will be one of the most significant casualties of the present crisis. The International Monetary Fund has made it clear that Brexit without a deal is the “most significant near-term risk to the UK economy”. And in a public letter, more than 170 leading business figures have called for Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn to back another referendum on withdrawal from the European Union “to stop us crashing out of the EU with no deal at all”. The open political divide in the UK is causing a sense of bewilderment all around. On the one hand, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has refused to negotiate with May unless a no-deal Brexit is ruled out, on the other Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis has ruled out discussion on staying in a customs union. Even within May’s Cabinet, there are contending voices and May’s ability to shape a consensus is gravely in doubt. While the Conservatives showed unity over the confidence vote, with all 314 members backing the Prime Minister, the divisions within the party over the way forward with Brexit remain as strong as ever. May has given no indication so far that she will be willing to budge on her “red lines”, thereby ruling out Labour’s demand for a customs union with the EU as there is a fear that such a compromise would lead to further departures from the Cabinet. In more ways than one, Brexit has been a failed attempt by the Tories to put an end to the internecine warfare within the Party on the issue of the EU. May’s predecessor David Cameron thought that he could end this by winning a referendum on the EU. Instead, he lost and in the process pushed Britain into uncharted waters. For May, the tension between the Parliament as a whole and the Eurosceptics within her own party has been too much to enable her to navigate her way out of this crisis. There is a hardcore group within the Tories for whom a hard Brexit is more important than continuing in the government. And it is this group that will shape May’s future and in more ways than one, the future of Britain. An exercise which was supposed to be an absolute manifestation of a democratic mandate now has become hostage to a few Tory MPs who are hell bent on shaping the trajectory of British political relations with the rest of Europe. Whatever the outcome of this process, the Britain which will emerge out of this political churn will be one quite distinct in its political complexion than the one we are used to. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Brexit: A messy separation

WION Fineprint, 21st January, 2019

WION Your Story, 21st January, 2019

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/america-has-no-plan-as-it-pulls-out-of-syria-ex-us-envoy-191681">America has 'no plan' as it pulls out of Syria: Ex-US envoy</a>

The United States has no plan for Syria as it proceeds with President Donald Trump's order to pull American troops out of the country, a top official who quit in protest at the policy said on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-uk-pm-may-to-unveil-plan-b-today-191683">Brexit: UK PM May to unveil 'Plan B' today</a>

British Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her Brexit "Plan B" to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/china-economy-grew-at-slowest-pace-in-28-years-in-2018-191687">China economy grew at </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/china-economy-grew-at-slowest-pace-in-28-years-in-2018-191687">slowest</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/china-economy-grew-at-slowest-pace-in-28-years-in-2018-191687"> pace in 28 years in 2018</a>

China's economy grew at its slowest pace in almost three decades in 2018, losing more steam in the last quarter as it battles to quell massive debt and a US trade war, official data showed Monday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-26-richest-people-own-as-much-wealth-as-poorer-50-of-humanity-oxfam-191680">World's 26 richest people own as much wealth as poorer 50% of humanity: Oxfam</a>

The world's 26 richest people own the same wealth as the poorest half of humanity, Oxfam said Monday, urging governments to hike taxes on the wealthy to fight soaring inequality.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/israel-says-it-has-again-hit-iranian-targets-in-syria-191685">Israel says it has again hit Iranian targets in Syria</a>

Israel's military said it carried out strikes on Iranian targets in Syria early Monday after it intercepted a rocket fired from Syrian territory hours before. It said in a statement it was "currently striking" the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Syria and warned Syria's military against "attempting to harm Israeli territory or forces".

America has 'no plan' as it pulls out of Syria: Ex-US envoy The United States has no plan for Syria as it proceeds with President Donald Trump's order to pull American troops out of the country, a top official who quit in protest at the policy said on Sunday.

America has 'no plan' as it pulls out of Syria: Ex-US envoy The United States has no plan for Syria as it proceeds with President Donald Trump's order to pull American troops out of the country, a top official who quit in protest at the policy said on Sunday. Brexit: UK PM May to unveil 'Plan B' today British Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her Brexit "Plan B" to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day. China economy grew at slowest pace in 28 years in 2018 China's economy grew at its slowest pace in almost three decades in 2018, losing more steam in the last quarter as it battles to quell massive debt and a US trade war, official data showed Monday. World's 26 richest people own as much wealth as poorer 50% of humanity: Oxfam The world's 26 richest people own the same wealth as the poorest half of humanity, Oxfam said Monday, urging governments to hike taxes on the wealthy to fight soaring inequality. Israel says it has again hit Iranian targets in Syria Israel's military said it carried out strikes on Iranian targets in Syria early Monday after it intercepted a rocket fired from Syrian territory hours before. It said in a statement it was "currently striking" the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Syria and warned Syria's military against "attempting to harm Israeli territory or forces".

The International Monetary Fund said Monday it was "imperative" to resolve the uncertainty surrounding how Britain will leave the European Union, which it said was posing a threat to the British and global economy.

"We have already seen the negative effect of this uncertainty on British investment," IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath told reporters in Davos ahead of the opening of the World Economic Forum.

"It is imperative for leaders to resolve this uncertainty immediately."

The IMF had already calculated that if Britain crashed out of the EU without a deal the result would be "a decline in long-run ... GDP of five to eight per cent", she said.

"So that would be quite significant. It is absolutely essential that this uncertainty is resolved sooner than later," she said.

Gopinath's comments came after the IMF released an update to its global economic forecast, showing that a range of uncertainties, including Brexit, but also US-China trade confrontations, were threatening to drag down global growth even further.

The World Economic Outlook cut the global GDP forecast for this year to 3.5 per cent from the 3.7 per cent projected in October. And for 2020 the estimate was trimmed to 3.6 per cent.

While it cut forecasts for a number of national economies, it forecast 1.5 per cent 2019 growth for Britain, the same as in October.

But it warned the estimate is fraught with uncertainty since "as of mid-January, the shape that Brexit will ultimately take remains highly uncertain".

London and Brussels have spent the best part of two years working on a divorce deal, but members of Britain's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's proposed deal last week.

She will unveil a "Plan B" on Monday, but fears are growing that Britain will crash out of the EU on March 29 unless MPs can force a delay or come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with, before the deadline.

The International Monetary Fund said Monday it was "imperative" to resolve the uncertainty surrounding how Britain will leave the European Union, which it said was posing a threat to the British and global economy.

The International Monetary Fund said Monday it was "imperative" to resolve the uncertainty surrounding how Britain will leave the European Union, which it said was posing a threat to the British and global economy. "We have already seen the negative effect of this uncertainty on British investment," IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath told reporters in Davos ahead of the opening of the World Economic Forum. "It is imperative for leaders to resolve this uncertainty immediately." The IMF had already calculated that if Britain crashed out of the EU without a deal the result would be "a decline in long-run ... GDP of five to eight per cent", she said. "So that would be quite significant. It is absolutely essential that this uncertainty is resolved sooner than later," she said. Gopinath's comments came after the IMF released an update to its global economic forecast, showing that a range of uncertainties, including Brexit, but also US-China trade confrontations, were threatening to drag down global growth even further. The World Economic Outlook cut the global GDP forecast for this year to 3.5 per cent from the 3.7 per cent projected in October. And for 2020 the estimate was trimmed to 3.6 per cent. While it cut forecasts for a number of national economies, it forecast 1.5 per cent 2019 growth for Britain, the same as in October. But it warned the estimate is fraught with uncertainty since "as of mid-January, the shape that Brexit will ultimately take remains highly uncertain". London and Brussels have spent the best part of two years working on a divorce deal, but members of Britain's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's proposed deal last week. She will unveil a "Plan B" on Monday, but fears are growing that Britain will crash out of the EU on March 29 unless MPs can force a delay or come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with, before the deadline.

Imperative to resolve Brexit uncertainty immediately: IMF

British Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pms-office-says-reports-of-parliament-seizing-control-from-govt-over-brexit-extremely-concerning-191516">Brexit "Plan B"</a> to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day.

Britain will leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless MPs can force a delay or get their act together in time and come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/worlds-largest-economies-india-likely-to-surpass-uk-this-year-says-pwc-191559">The world's fifth-biggest economy</a> could lose preferential access to its largest export market overnight, affecting every sector, leading to rising costs and disruption at British ports.

London and Brussels have spent the best part of two years working on a divorce agreement but MPs in parliament's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected it on Tuesday.

May's government then survived a confidence vote on Wednesday and set about talks with figures from rival parties.

But the main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn stayed away, saying a "no-deal" departure must be ruled out first -- something May says is impossible.

May spoke to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday, and to EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk by telephone Friday to discuss where to go next on Brexit.

EU chiefs have so far ruled out renegotiating the agreement, but have signalled they could postpone the withdrawal if May changes her "red lines" on leaving the EU's customs union and blocking the free movement of citizens.

Amendments 
After May sets out her plans for the way ahead, lawmakers are set to table a series of amendments, to be voted upon on January 29.

At least two cross-party groups of MPs are planning to table amendments to enable backbenchers to delay or frustrate May's proposals.

One would suspend the withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February.

A second would enable backbenchers to choose to debate and vote on Brexit issues, one day a week -- breaking the convention that the government controls the parliamentary timetable.

May's Downing Street office has called them "extremely concerning".

"You've got a Leave population and a Remain parliament," said International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, one of the senior Brexiteers in May's cabinet.

"Parliament has not got the right to hijack the Brexit process... and in fact steal the result from the people," he told BBC television.

Britain voted by a 52-48 margin in favour of leaving the EU in a referendum in 2016 that exposed deep divisions in British society.

Irish backstop 
One of the most problematic areas of the divorce deal is the so-called backstop on the Irish border -- a legal guarantee that the frontier would remain free-flowing if Britain and the EU cannot agree a long-term free trade pact.&nbsp;

Britain could not unilaterally pull out of the backstop.

The Sunday Times newspaper claimed that May would propose a separate arrangement with Dublin.

"She wants to offer a bilateral treaty to Ireland that would remove the hated 'backstop' from the EU withdrawal treaty and prevent a hard border by other means," the weekly broadsheet said.

Aides believe that would help win over Conservative eurosceptics on her backbenches, and the party's Democratic Unionist Party allies -- counted upon for a majority. The DUP are Northern Ireland's biggest party.

Graham Brady, who chairs the Conservative backbenchers' group, said he thought May could get her Brexit deal past Conservative rebels if the Irish backstop "can be sorted out".

"So much of the vote against was from people who simply cannot support a potentially permanent backstop, if that can be sorted out then I think we might get that withdrawal agreement through," he told BBC radio.

He said it was in Ireland's interests to help Britain leave the EU with a deal, saying they would be far more hurt by a no-deal Brexit that Britain as most of their trade comes through the UK.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said Sunday that he and Prime Minister Leo Varadkar were in no mood to support alterations to the withdrawal agreement (WA) or the backstop.

"We remain united and focused on protecting Ireland," he said.

"That includes continued support for the EU/UK agreed WA in full, including the backstop as negotiated."

British Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her Brexit "Plan B" to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day.

British Prime Minister Theresa May unveils her Brexit "Plan B" to parliament on Monday after MPs shredded her EU divorce deal, deepening the political gridlock 10 weeks from departure day. Britain will leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless MPs can force a delay or get their act together in time and come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with. The world's fifth-biggest economy could lose preferential access to its largest export market overnight, affecting every sector, leading to rising costs and disruption at British ports. London and Brussels have spent the best part of two years working on a divorce agreement but MPs in parliament's lower House of Commons comprehensively rejected it on Tuesday. May's government then survived a confidence vote on Wednesday and set about talks with figures from rival parties. But the main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn stayed away, saying a "no-deal" departure must be ruled out first -- something May says is impossible. May spoke to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday, and to EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk by telephone Friday to discuss where to go next on Brexit. EU chiefs have so far ruled out renegotiating the agreement, but have signalled they could postpone the withdrawal if May changes her "red lines" on leaving the EU's customs union and blocking the free movement of citizens. Amendments After May sets out her plans for the way ahead, lawmakers are set to table a series of amendments, to be voted upon on January 29. At least two cross-party groups of MPs are planning to table amendments to enable backbenchers to delay or frustrate May's proposals. One would suspend the withdrawal process if there is no new deal with Brussels by the end of February. A second would enable backbenchers to choose to debate and vote on Brexit issues, one day a week -- breaking the convention that the government controls the parliamentary timetable. May's Downing Street office has called them "extremely concerning". "You've got a Leave population and a Remain parliament," said International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, one of the senior Brexiteers in May's cabinet. "Parliament has not got the right to hijack the Brexit process... and in fact steal the result from the people," he told BBC television. Britain voted by a 52-48 margin in favour of leaving the EU in a referendum in 2016 that exposed deep divisions in British society. Irish backstop One of the most problematic areas of the divorce deal is the so-called backstop on the Irish border -- a legal guarantee that the frontier would remain free-flowing if Britain and the EU cannot agree a long-term free trade pact. Britain could not unilaterally pull out of the backstop. The Sunday Times newspaper claimed that May would propose a separate arrangement with Dublin. "She wants to offer a bilateral treaty to Ireland that would remove the hated 'backstop' from the EU withdrawal treaty and prevent a hard border by other means," the weekly broadsheet said. Aides believe that would help win over Conservative eurosceptics on her backbenches, and the party's Democratic Unionist Party allies -- counted upon for a majority. The DUP are Northern Ireland's biggest party. Graham Brady, who chairs the Conservative backbenchers' group, said he thought May could get her Brexit deal past Conservative rebels if the Irish backstop "can be sorted out". "So much of the vote against was from people who simply cannot support a potentially permanent backstop, if that can be sorted out then I think we might get that withdrawal agreement through," he told BBC radio. He said it was in Ireland's interests to help Britain leave the EU with a deal, saying they would be far more hurt by a no-deal Brexit that Britain as most of their trade comes through the UK. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said Sunday that he and Prime Minister Leo Varadkar were in no mood to support alterations to the withdrawal agreement (WA) or the backstop. "We remain united and focused on protecting Ireland," he said. "That includes continued support for the EU/UK agreed WA in full, including the backstop as negotiated."

Brexit: UK PM May to unveil 'Plan B' today

British Prime Minister Theresa May's Downing Street office said Sunday that reported <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britains-may-faces-defeat-in-parliament-over-brexit-plan-190530">plots about parliament seizing control from the government</a> over Brexit were "extremely concerning".

Downing Street blasted reported moves by lawmakers seeking to rewrite the rules of the House of Commons in an attempt to take control of the business of the lower chamber in order to frustrate May's Brexit plans.

Groups of MPs are planning to table such amendments this week, newspapers reported Sunday.

"The British public voted to leave the European Union and it is vital that elected politicians deliver upon that verdict," a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

"Any attempt to remove the government's power to meet the legal conditions of an orderly exit at this moment of historic significance is extremely concerning.

"This news should serve as a reminder to those MPs who want to deliver Brexit that they need to vote for it -- otherwise there is a danger that parliament could stop Brexit."

May is due to spell out to lawmakers on Monday what her plans are now for Brexit following MPs' overwhelming rejection of the divorce deal agreed between London and Brussels.

Lawmakers are set to table a series of various Brexit amendments this week to test their support in the Commons.

May was due to hold a conference call with senior ministers to update them on her talks with other political parties in the wake of last week's landslide vote.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox warned of a "political tsunami" if MPs fail to deliver on the 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU.

He also slammed people calling for May to rule out a no-deal Brexit -- a key demand of the Labour main opposition -- saying the "most stupid thing possible" in a negotiation is to "give away your strongest card".

"Failure to deliver Brexit would produce a yawning gap between parliament and the people, a schism in our political system with unknowable consequences," Fox, a senior pro-Brexit cabinet minister, wrote in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

"It is time for MPs to deliver on the promises they made. It is a matter of honour and a matter of duty."

British Prime Minister Theresa May's Downing Street office said Sunday that reported plots about parliament seizing control from the government over Brexit were "extremely concerning".

British Prime Minister Theresa May's Downing Street office said Sunday that reported plots about parliament seizing control from the government over Brexit were "extremely concerning". Downing Street blasted reported moves by lawmakers seeking to rewrite the rules of the House of Commons in an attempt to take control of the business of the lower chamber in order to frustrate May's Brexit plans. Groups of MPs are planning to table such amendments this week, newspapers reported Sunday. "The British public voted to leave the European Union and it is vital that elected politicians deliver upon that verdict," a Downing Street spokeswoman said. "Any attempt to remove the government's power to meet the legal conditions of an orderly exit at this moment of historic significance is extremely concerning. "This news should serve as a reminder to those MPs who want to deliver Brexit that they need to vote for it -- otherwise there is a danger that parliament could stop Brexit." May is due to spell out to lawmakers on Monday what her plans are now for Brexit following MPs' overwhelming rejection of the divorce deal agreed between London and Brussels. Lawmakers are set to table a series of various Brexit amendments this week to test their support in the Commons. May was due to hold a conference call with senior ministers to update them on her talks with other political parties in the wake of last week's landslide vote. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox warned of a "political tsunami" if MPs fail to deliver on the 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU. He also slammed people calling for May to rule out a no-deal Brexit -- a key demand of the Labour main opposition -- saying the "most stupid thing possible" in a negotiation is to "give away your strongest card". "Failure to deliver Brexit would produce a yawning gap between parliament and the people, a schism in our political system with unknowable consequences," Fox, a senior pro-Brexit cabinet minister, wrote in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper. "It is time for MPs to deliver on the promises they made. It is a matter of honour and a matter of duty."

Reports of parliament seizing control from govt over Brexit 'extremely concerning': UK PM's office

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-offers-temporary-protection-to-immigrants-in-return-for-his-wall-democrats-say-no-191509">Trump offers temporary protection to immigrants in return for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-offers-temporary-protection-to-immigrants-in-return-for-his-wall-democrats-say-no-191509">border</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-offers-temporary-protection-to-immigrants-in-return-for-his-wall-democrats-say-no-191509"> wall, Democrats say no</a>

US President Donald Trump on Saturday offered to temporarily shield a million immigrants from deportation if Congress authorizes funding for his Mexican border wall -- an idea Democrats rejected, making the US government shutdown likely to grind on.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pms-office-says-reports-of-parliament-seizing-control-from-govt-over-brexit-extremely-concerning-191516">UK PM's office says reports of parliament seizing control from govt over Brexit 'extremely concerning'</a>

British Prime Minister Theresa May's Downing Street office said Sunday that reported plots about parliament seizing control from the government over Brexit were "extremely concerning".

Downing Street blasted reported moves by lawmakers seeking to rewrite the rules of the House of Commons in an attempt to take control of the business of the lower chamber in order to frustrate May's Brexit plans.

Groups of MPs are planning to table such amendments this week, newspapers reported Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/those-stopped-from-looting-public-money-are-forming-mahagathbandhan-pm-modi-191517">Those stopped from looting public money are forming '</a><a class="gr-progress" href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/those-stopped-from-looting-public-money-are-forming-mahagathbandhan-pm-modi-191517">mahagathbandhan</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/those-stopped-from-looting-public-money-are-forming-mahagathbandhan-pm-modi-191517">': PM Modi</a>

On a day when many opposition parties came together on a common platform in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hit out at their proposed 'mahagathbandhan' or grand alliance, saying it is a combination of those who are angry at his stringent action against corruption as they have been stopped from looting public money.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-fuel-pipeline-blast-death-toll-rises-to-73-191521">Mexico fuel pipeline blast: Death toll rises to 73</a>

At least 73 people were killed after a pipeline ruptured by suspected fuel thieves exploded in central Mexico, authorities said on Saturday, as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador defended the army despite its failure to clear the site before the blast.

Forensic experts filled body bags with charred human remains in the field where the explosion occurred on Friday evening by the town of Tlahuelilpan in the state of Hidalgo, in one of the deadliest incidents to hit Mexico's troubled oil infrastructure in years.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britains-prince-philip-back-driving-after-car-crash-without-seatbelt-191512">Britain's Prince Philip back to driving after car crash — without </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britains-prince-philip-back-driving-after-car-crash-without-seatbelt-191512">seatbelt</a>

Britain's Prince Philip has been spoken to by the police for driving without a seatbelt — just two days after the 97-year-old survived a car crash.

Images published in newspapers on Sunday appeared to show Queen Elizabeth II's husband behind the wheel of his replacement sport utility vehicle.

The Duke of Edinburgh was pictured driving the new Land Rover Freelander on his wife's private Sandringham estate on Saturday.

Trump offers temporary protection to immigrants in return for border wall, Democrats say no US President Donald Trump on Saturday offered to temporarily shield a million immigrants from deportation if Congress authorizes funding for his Mexican border wall -- an idea Democrats rejected, making the US government shutdown likely to grind on.

Trump offers temporary protection to immigrants in return for border wall, Democrats say no US President Donald Trump on Saturday offered to temporarily shield a million immigrants from deportation if Congress authorizes funding for his Mexican border wall -- an idea Democrats rejected, making the US government shutdown likely to grind on. UK PM's office says reports of parliament seizing control from govt over Brexit 'extremely concerning' British Prime Minister Theresa May's Downing Street office said Sunday that reported plots about parliament seizing control from the government over Brexit were "extremely concerning". Downing Street blasted reported moves by lawmakers seeking to rewrite the rules of the House of Commons in an attempt to take control of the business of the lower chamber in order to frustrate May's Brexit plans. Groups of MPs are planning to table such amendments this week, newspapers reported Sunday. Those stopped from looting public money are forming 'mahagathbandhan': PM Modi On a day when many opposition parties came together on a common platform in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hit out at their proposed 'mahagathbandhan' or grand alliance, saying it is a combination of those who are angry at his stringent action against corruption as they have been stopped from looting public money. Mexico fuel pipeline blast: Death toll rises to 73 At least 73 people were killed after a pipeline ruptured by suspected fuel thieves exploded in central Mexico, authorities said on Saturday, as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador defended the army despite its failure to clear the site before the blast. Forensic experts filled body bags with charred human remains in the field where the explosion occurred on Friday evening by the town of Tlahuelilpan in the state of Hidalgo, in one of the deadliest incidents to hit Mexico's troubled oil infrastructure in years. Britain's Prince Philip back to driving after car crash — without seatbelt Britain's Prince Philip has been spoken to by the police for driving without a seatbelt — just two days after the 97-year-old survived a car crash. Images published in newspapers on Sunday appeared to show Queen Elizabeth II's husband behind the wheel of his replacement sport utility vehicle. The Duke of Edinburgh was pictured driving the new Land Rover Freelander on his wife's private Sandringham estate on Saturday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/attack-on-un-base-in-mali-kills-8-peacekeepers-un-source-191639">Attack</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/attack-on-un-base-in-mali-kills-8-peacekeepers-un-source-191639"> on UN base in Mali kills 8 peacekeepers: UN source</a>

Gunmen killed at least eight Chadian UN peacekeepers in an attack Sunday on one of their bases in northern Mali, said a source close to the MINUSMA force.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/parliament-cannot-hijack-brexit-says-british-minister-liam-fox-191634">Britain's parliament has no right to try to 'hijack the Brexit process', says British minister Liam Fox</a>

Britain's parliament has no right to try to "hijack the Brexit process", Trade Minister Liam Fox said on Sunday, after several lawmakers indicated they were launching attempts to take more control over the departure from the European Union.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/roger-federer-loses-to-stefanos-tsitsipas-knocked-out-of-australia-open-191635">Roger Federer loses to Stefanos Tsitsipas, knocked out of Australia Open</a>

Two-time defending champion Roger Federer on Sunday was knocked out of the Australian Open after he was beaten in four sets 6-7 7-6 7-5 7-6 by Stefanos Tsitsipas.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-seven-killed-in-attack-on-afghan-provincial-governor-191622">At least seven killed in&nbsp;attack</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-seven-killed-in-attack-on-afghan-provincial-governor-191622"> on Afghan provincial governor</a>

A Taliban suicide bomber killed at least seven security guards Sunday after targeting the convoy of an Afghan governor, officials said, in the latest violence to rock the war-torn country.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/zimbabwe-crackdown-a-sign-of-things-to-come-emmerson-mnangagwas-spokesman-191607">Zimbabwe crackdown a sign of things to come: Emmerson Mnangagwa's spokesman</a>

A crackdown last week on protests in Zimbabwe is a foretaste of how the government will respond to future unrest, the president's spokesman said, fuelling concerns that the country is reverting to authoritarian rule.

&nbsp;

Attack on UN base in Mali kills 8 peacekeepers: UN source Gunmen killed at least eight Chadian UN peacekeepers in an attack Sunday on one of their bases in northern Mali, said a source close to the MINUSMA force.

Attack on UN base in Mali kills 8 peacekeepers: UN source Gunmen killed at least eight Chadian UN peacekeepers in an attack Sunday on one of their bases in northern Mali, said a source close to the MINUSMA force. Britain's parliament has no right to try to 'hijack the Brexit process', says British minister Liam Fox Britain's parliament has no right to try to "hijack the Brexit process", Trade Minister Liam Fox said on Sunday, after several lawmakers indicated they were launching attempts to take more control over the departure from the European Union. Roger Federer loses to Stefanos Tsitsipas, knocked out of Australia Open Two-time defending champion Roger Federer on Sunday was knocked out of the Australian Open after he was beaten in four sets 6-7 7-6 7-5 7-6 by Stefanos Tsitsipas. At least seven killed in attack on Afghan provincial governor A Taliban suicide bomber killed at least seven security guards Sunday after targeting the convoy of an Afghan governor, officials said, in the latest violence to rock the war-torn country. Zimbabwe crackdown a sign of things to come: Emmerson Mnangagwa's spokesman A crackdown last week on protests in Zimbabwe is a foretaste of how the government will respond to future unrest, the president's spokesman said, fuelling concerns that the country is reverting to authoritarian rule.

In pictures: The week that was

Britain's parliament has no right to try to "hijack the Brexit process", Trade Minister Liam Fox said on Sunday, after several lawmakers indicated they were launching attempts to take more control over the departure from the European Union.

"Parliament has not got the right to hijack the Brexit process because parliament said to the people of this country: 'we make a contract with you, you will make the decision and we will honour it',"&nbsp;Fox told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

"What we are now getting are some of those who were always absolutely opposed to the result of the referendum trying to hijack Brexit and in effect steal the result from the people."

Local newspapers on Sunday reported that some lawmakers are&nbsp;seeking to rewrite the rules of the House of Commons in an attempt to take control of the business of the lower chamber in order to frustrate May's Brexit plans.

Groups of MPs are planning to table such amendments this week, reports said.

Reacting on this, British Prime Minister Theresa May's Downing Street office said that such reports are&nbsp;"extremely concerning".

"Any attempt to remove the government's power to meet the legal conditions of an orderly exit at this moment of historic significance is extremely concerning.

"This news should serve as a reminder to those MPs who want to deliver Brexit that they need to vote for it -- otherwise there is a danger that parliament could stop Brexit."

May is due to spell out to lawmakers on Monday what her plans are now for Brexit following MPs' overwhelming rejection of the divorce deal agreed between London and Brussels.

Lawmakers are set to table a series of various Brexit amendments this week to test their support in the Commons.

(With inputs from agencies)

Britain's parliament has no right to try to "hijack the Brexit process", Trade Minister Liam Fox said on Sunday, after several lawmakers indicated they were launching attempts to take more control over the departure from the European Union.

Britain's parliament has no right to try to "hijack the Brexit process", Trade Minister Liam Fox said on Sunday, after several lawmakers indicated they were launching attempts to take more control over the departure from the European Union. "Parliament has not got the right to hijack the Brexit process because parliament said to the people of this country: 'we make a contract with you, you will make the decision and we will honour it'," Fox told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. "What we are now getting are some of those who were always absolutely opposed to the result of the referendum trying to hijack Brexit and in effect steal the result from the people." Local newspapers on Sunday reported that some lawmakers are seeking to rewrite the rules of the House of Commons in an attempt to take control of the business of the lower chamber in order to frustrate May's Brexit plans. Groups of MPs are planning to table such amendments this week, reports said. Reacting on this, British Prime Minister Theresa May's Downing Street office said that such reports are "extremely concerning". "Any attempt to remove the government's power to meet the legal conditions of an orderly exit at this moment of historic significance is extremely concerning. "This news should serve as a reminder to those MPs who want to deliver Brexit that they need to vote for it -- otherwise there is a danger that parliament could stop Brexit." May is due to spell out to lawmakers on Monday what her plans are now for Brexit following MPs' overwhelming rejection of the divorce deal agreed between London and Brussels. Lawmakers are set to table a series of various Brexit amendments this week to test their support in the Commons. (With inputs from agencies)

Britain's parliament has no right to try to 'hijack the Brexit process', says British minister Liam Fox

Mark Zuckerberg-led social networking giant, Facebook, has been accused of allowing 'anti-Brexit' fake news on its platform ahead of this week's crucial vote on British Prime Minister Theresa May's deal.&nbsp;

According to British media, the social networking website hosted advertisements that stated Britain's exit from the European Union could hurt the environment,&nbsp;endangered orangutans and sea turtles in particular.&nbsp;

The posts suggested the UK could scrap plans to ban plastic straws after its exit.&nbsp;

It is being reported that a couple of Britain's leading campaign groups, People’s Vote UK and Best for Britain, paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to Facebook to gather support for a second referendum.

May's deal for Britain to leave the EU was defeated earlier this week by 230 votes. She has appealed to lawmakers to come together to try to break the impasse.&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Theresa May made no change to her demands in talks with European Union leaders despite her Brexit plan being defeated by British lawmakers earlier this week, news agency Reuters reported citing Telegraph newspaper.

May's demands continued to focus around either a legally binding time-limit for the Irish 'backstop'; a right for Britain to unilaterally withdraw, or a commitment to a trade deal finalisation before 2021 to prevent the backstop from coming into force, the report said, citing unnamed senior EU diplomatic sources.

The backstop is an insurance policy designed to prevent the return of border checks on the frontier between EU-member Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, US regulators have met to discuss imposing a fine against Facebook for violating a legally binding agreement with the government to protect the privacy of personal data, Reuters reported citing the Washington Post.

The Federal Trade Commission has been probing Facebook since last year. It has not finalised its findings in the Facebook investigation or the total amount of the penalty.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Mark Zuckerberg-led social networking giant, Facebook, has been accused of allowing 'anti-Brexit' fake news on its platform ahead of this week's crucial vote on British Prime Minister Theresa May's deal.

Mark Zuckerberg-led social networking giant, Facebook, has been accused of allowing 'anti-Brexit' fake news on its platform ahead of this week's crucial vote on British Prime Minister Theresa May's deal. According to British media, the social networking website hosted advertisements that stated Britain's exit from the European Union could hurt the environment, endangered orangutans and sea turtles in particular. The posts suggested the UK could scrap plans to ban plastic straws after its exit. It is being reported that a couple of Britain's leading campaign groups, People’s Vote UK and Best for Britain, paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to Facebook to gather support for a second referendum. May's deal for Britain to leave the EU was defeated earlier this week by 230 votes. She has appealed to lawmakers to come together to try to break the impasse. British Prime Minister Theresa May made no change to her demands in talks with European Union leaders despite her Brexit plan being defeated by British lawmakers earlier this week, news agency Reuters reported citing Telegraph newspaper. May's demands continued to focus around either a legally binding time-limit for the Irish 'backstop'; a right for Britain to unilaterally withdraw, or a commitment to a trade deal finalisation before 2021 to prevent the backstop from coming into force, the report said, citing unnamed senior EU diplomatic sources. The backstop is an insurance policy designed to prevent the return of border checks on the frontier between EU-member Ireland and Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, US regulators have met to discuss imposing a fine against Facebook for violating a legally binding agreement with the government to protect the privacy of personal data, Reuters reported citing the Washington Post. The Federal Trade Commission has been probing Facebook since last year. It has not finalised its findings in the Facebook investigation or the total amount of the penalty. (With inputs from Reuters)

Facebook accused of allowing anti-Brexit fake news on its platform

British Prime Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/theresa-may-wins-trust-vote-after-brexit-defeat-190850">Theresa May </a>made no change to her demands in talks with European Union leaders despite her Brexit plan being defeated by British lawmakers earlier this week, the Telegraph newspaper reported on Friday.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/this-is-the-best-deal-possible-and-is-worthy-of-their-support-may-on-brexit-deal-190260">May</a>'s demands continued to focus around either a legally binding time-limit for the Irish `backstop`; a right for Britain to unilaterally withdraw, or a commitment to a trade deal finalisation before 2021 to prevent the backstop from coming into force, the report said, citing unnamed senior EU diplomatic sources.

The backstop is an insurance policy designed to prevent the return of border checks on the frontier between EU-member Ireland and Northern Ireland.

May repeated her demands in talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Irish leader Leo Varadkar, the paper reported.

On Friday night, May was also going to meet Arlene Foster, leader of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, which has 10 seats in parliament and supports May`s government but not her Brexit deal, a Telegraph reporter said on Twitter. The meeting would also be attended by Nigel Dodds, deputy leader of the DUP.

May's deal for Britain to leave the EU was defeated earlier this week by 230 votes. She has appealed to lawmakers to come together to try to break the impasse.

British Prime Minister Theresa May made no change to her demands in talks with European Union leaders despite her Brexit plan being defeated by British lawmakers earlier this week, the Telegraph newspaper reported on Friday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May made no change to her demands in talks with European Union leaders despite her Brexit plan being defeated by British lawmakers earlier this week, the Telegraph newspaper reported on Friday. May's demands continued to focus around either a legally binding time-limit for the Irish `backstop`; a right for Britain to unilaterally withdraw, or a commitment to a trade deal finalisation before 2021 to prevent the backstop from coming into force, the report said, citing unnamed senior EU diplomatic sources. The backstop is an insurance policy designed to prevent the return of border checks on the frontier between EU-member Ireland and Northern Ireland. May repeated her demands in talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Irish leader Leo Varadkar, the paper reported. On Friday night, May was also going to meet Arlene Foster, leader of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, which has 10 seats in parliament and supports May`s government but not her Brexit deal, a Telegraph reporter said on Twitter. The meeting would also be attended by Nigel Dodds, deputy leader of the DUP. May's deal for Britain to leave the EU was defeated earlier this week by 230 votes. She has appealed to lawmakers to come together to try to break the impasse.

UK PM May makes no change to demands in talks with EU leaders: Report

Former British prime minister John Major <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-must-all-work-together-for-brexit-theresa-may-after-winning-confidence-vote-190827">urged Theresa May</a> on Saturday to drop her "red lines" on Brexit or allow parliament to find a way forward to avoid a damaging no-<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-accused-of-allowing-anti-brexit-fake-news-on-its-platform-191338">deal departure from the European Union</a> in March.

Major said he compromised on key decisions on the Northern Irish peace process and the first Gulf War while prime minister between 1990 and 1997, and May should do the same after her Brexit plan was rejected by a huge majority in parliament.

"Her deal is dead and I don’t think honestly that tinkering with it is going to make very much difference if any difference at all," Major, who campaigned to stay in the EU ahead of the 2016 referendum, told BBC Radio.

May is due to tell parliament on Monday how she intends to proceed on Brexit. Lawmakers may then propose alternatives to see if any could command majority support.

"If we leave in chaos and without a deal, that seems to me to be the worst of all outcomes," Major said.

May should, therefore "go around" lawmakers in her party who say they are ready to accept a no-deal Brexit and drop her opposition to key issues in the negotiations, Major - who also faced a revolt inside the Conservative Party over Europe - said.

May has ruled out staying in the EU's single market, an option that is considered less economically damaging because Britain would not be able to control immigration from the bloc. She has also rejected staying in a customs union with the EU.

If May cannot compromise, she should allow parliament to find a way to overcome its splits, Major said. "I think there are signs parliament might be able to reach consensus," he said.

Failing that, Britain should have a fresh referendum on its membership of the EU.

In the meantime, delaying Brexit was wise, Major said.

Major's comments were rejected as "Remainer elite views" by a Conservative lawmaker who said May would break her promises to voters if she considered staying in the EU's single market or a customs union or holding a second referendum.

"Brexit would become meaningless. We wouldn't be leaving the European Union, we would be staying in the European Union," Suella Braverman told the BBC.

Theresa May is due to tell parliament on Monday how she intends to proceed on Brexit.

Former British prime minister John Major urged Theresa May on Saturday to drop her "red lines" on Brexit or allow parliament to find a way forward to avoid a damaging no-deal departure from the European Union in March. Major said he compromised on key decisions on the Northern Irish peace process and the first Gulf War while prime minister between 1990 and 1997, and May should do the same after her Brexit plan was rejected by a huge majority in parliament. "Her deal is dead and I don’t think honestly that tinkering with it is going to make very much difference if any difference at all," Major, who campaigned to stay in the EU ahead of the 2016 referendum, told BBC Radio. May is due to tell parliament on Monday how she intends to proceed on Brexit. Lawmakers may then propose alternatives to see if any could command majority support. "If we leave in chaos and without a deal, that seems to me to be the worst of all outcomes," Major said. May should, therefore "go around" lawmakers in her party who say they are ready to accept a no-deal Brexit and drop her opposition to key issues in the negotiations, Major - who also faced a revolt inside the Conservative Party over Europe - said. May has ruled out staying in the EU's single market, an option that is considered less economically damaging because Britain would not be able to control immigration from the bloc. She has also rejected staying in a customs union with the EU. If May cannot compromise, she should allow parliament to find a way to overcome its splits, Major said. "I think there are signs parliament might be able to reach consensus," he said. Failing that, Britain should have a fresh referendum on its membership of the EU. In the meantime, delaying Brexit was wise, Major said. Major's comments were rejected as "Remainer elite views" by a Conservative lawmaker who said May would break her promises to voters if she considered staying in the EU's single market or a customs union or holding a second referendum. "Brexit would become meaningless. We wouldn't be leaving the European Union, we would be staying in the European Union," Suella Braverman told the BBC.

Former British PM John Major urges May to drop Brexit red lines

Spain said Friday it had reached a deal with Britain allowing citizens living in both countries to keep voting in local elections as the prospect of no-deal Brexit looms.

"This agreement will prevent these rights from disappearing for British people who live in our country and for Spanish people living in the United Kingdom," Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa told reporters.

"There will be municipal elections in Spain and in the United Kingdom in May," she added.

The local polls in Britain and Spain, on May 2 and May 26 respectively, will be held after Britain's planned exit from the European Union on March 29.

The British parliament's massive rejection of Prime Minister Theresa May's EU divorce deal with Brussels earlier this week has raised the prospect of Britain crashing out of the bloc without any deal in place.

The bilateral agreement announced on Friday comes as part of a series of other measures touted by the Spanish government to try and guarantee the rights of Britons living in Spain and vice-versa in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Spain is the number one destination for British nationals living outside Britain, ahead of France and Ireland.

Officially, just under 241,000 Britons are registered as residing in Spain, but many have not formally signed up and it is estimated up to 800,000 live in the country.

In December, the European Commission also announced it had taken measures in sectors most exposed to a so-called hard Brexit.

The aim is to avoid chaos on March 29 that would cause problems for citizens and companies in Britain and the EU, particularly in financial services, air transport and customs.

Spain said Friday it had reached a deal with Britain allowing citizens living in both countries to keep voting in local elections as the prospect of no-deal Brexit looms.

Spain said Friday it had reached a deal with Britain allowing citizens living in both countries to keep voting in local elections as the prospect of no-deal Brexit looms. "This agreement will prevent these rights from disappearing for British people who live in our country and for Spanish people living in the United Kingdom," Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa told reporters. "There will be municipal elections in Spain and in the United Kingdom in May," she added. The local polls in Britain and Spain, on May 2 and May 26 respectively, will be held after Britain's planned exit from the European Union on March 29. The British parliament's massive rejection of Prime Minister Theresa May's EU divorce deal with Brussels earlier this week has raised the prospect of Britain crashing out of the bloc without any deal in place. The bilateral agreement announced on Friday comes as part of a series of other measures touted by the Spanish government to try and guarantee the rights of Britons living in Spain and vice-versa in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Spain is the number one destination for British nationals living outside Britain, ahead of France and Ireland. Officially, just under 241,000 Britons are registered as residing in Spain, but many have not formally signed up and it is estimated up to 800,000 live in the country. In December, the European Commission also announced it had taken measures in sectors most exposed to a so-called hard Brexit. The aim is to avoid chaos on March 29 that would cause problems for citizens and companies in Britain and the EU, particularly in financial services, air transport and customs.

Spain, UK agree to let citizens vote in post-Brexit local elections

British Prime Minister Theresa May will miss next week's annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos to focus on Brexit negotiations, sending ministers in her place, Downing Street said on Thursday.

"She will not be going to Davos. She will be focused on matters here," May's spokeswoman said, adding that "there will be government ministers attending".

Downing Street noted May's absence at the yearly gathering of world and industry leaders in the Swiss Alps resort was not unprecedented for a British premier.

Former prime minister David Cameron also missed the 2013 and 2015 events, the spokeswoman said.

The prime minister is scrambling to put together a new Brexit strategy after lawmakers on Tuesday sparked political turmoil by rejecting her draft withdrawal agreement with the EU.

Britain is scheduled to leave the bloc after 46 years on March 29.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will miss next week's annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos to focus on Brexit negotiations, sending ministers in her place, Downing Street said on Thursday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will miss next week's annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos to focus on Brexit negotiations, sending ministers in her place, Downing Street said on Thursday. "She will not be going to Davos. She will be focused on matters here," May's spokeswoman said, adding that "there will be government ministers attending". Downing Street noted May's absence at the yearly gathering of world and industry leaders in the Swiss Alps resort was not unprecedented for a British premier. Former prime minister David Cameron also missed the 2013 and 2015 events, the spokeswoman said. The prime minister is scrambling to put together a new Brexit strategy after lawmakers on Tuesday sparked political turmoil by rejecting her draft withdrawal agreement with the EU. Britain is scheduled to leave the bloc after 46 years on March 29.

Britain's May to miss Davos to focus on Brexit: Downing Street

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-must-all-work-together-for-brexit-theresa-may-after-winning-confidence-vote-190827">We must all work together for Brexit, says PM Theresa May after winning </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-must-all-work-together-for-brexit-theresa-may-after-winning-confidence-vote-190827">confidence</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-must-all-work-together-for-brexit-theresa-may-after-winning-confidence-vote-190827"> vote</a>

British Prime Minister Theresa May reached out to her opponents on Wednesday after narrowly surviving a confidence vote sparked by the crushing defeat in the parliament of her Brexit deal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/meghalaya-navy-recovers-one-body-of-trapped-miner-operation-continues-190846">Meghalaya: Navy recovers one body of </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/meghalaya-navy-recovers-one-body-of-trapped-miner-operation-continues-190846">trapped</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/meghalaya-navy-recovers-one-body-of-trapped-miner-operation-continues-190846"> miner; operation continues</a>

The Indian navy in Meghalaya recovered a body of a trapped miner from a rat-hole illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district after 34 days of the incident, ANI reported on Thursday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/911-american-survivor-killed-in-kenya-hotel-attack-190845">9/11 American survivor killed in Kenya hotel attack</a>

The American man who was among the 21 people killed in an attack on a luxury hotel complex in the Kenyan capital Nairobi was a consultant who survived the 9/11 attacks, and specialised in emerging economies.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-will-always-stand-for-open-indo-pacific-we-have-put-china-on-notice-pence-190830">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-will-always-stand-for-open-indo-pacific-we-have-put-china-on-notice-pence-190830"> will always stand for open Indo-Pacific, we have put China on notice: Pence</a>

US vice-president Mike Pence has said China is using "debt diplomacy" and "unfair" trade practices to expand its influence, and has been "put on notice". 
The vice president was speaking at a global summit of American envoys on Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-senate-rejects-sanctions-on-russias-aluminium-firm-rusal-tycoon-deripaska-190836">US Senate rejects sanctions on Russia's aluminium firm Rusal, tycoon Deripaska</a>

&nbsp;In a victory for President Donald Trump, the US Senate on Wednesday rejected legislation to keep sanctions on companies linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, including aluminum firm Rusal.

&nbsp;

We must all work together for Brexit, says PM Theresa May after winning confidence vote British Prime Minister Theresa May reached out to her opponents on Wednesday after narrowly surviving a confidence vote sparked by the crushing defeat in the parliament of her Brexit deal.

We must all work together for Brexit, says PM Theresa May after winning confidence vote British Prime Minister Theresa May reached out to her opponents on Wednesday after narrowly surviving a confidence vote sparked by the crushing defeat in the parliament of her Brexit deal. Meghalaya: Navy recovers one body of trapped miner; operation continues The Indian navy in Meghalaya recovered a body of a trapped miner from a rat-hole illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district after 34 days of the incident, ANI reported on Thursday. 9/11 American survivor killed in Kenya hotel attack The American man who was among the 21 people killed in an attack on a luxury hotel complex in the Kenyan capital Nairobi was a consultant who survived the 9/11 attacks, and specialised in emerging economies. US will always stand for open Indo-Pacific, we have put China on notice: Pence US vice-president Mike Pence has said China is using "debt diplomacy" and "unfair" trade practices to expand its influence, and has been "put on notice". The vice president was speaking at a global summit of American envoys on Wednesday. US Senate rejects sanctions on Russia's aluminium firm Rusal, tycoon Deripaska In a victory for President Donald Trump, the US Senate on Wednesday rejected legislation to keep sanctions on companies linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, including aluminum firm Rusal.

British Prime Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-may-pledges-to-find-compromise-that-will-avoid-no-deal-brexit-2nd-referendum-190821">Theresa May </a>reached out to her opponents on Wednesday after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-theresa-may-survives-no-confidence-vote-against-her-government-190826">narrowly surviving a confidence vote</a> sparked by the crushing defeat in the parliament of her Brexit deal.

After a tumultuous 24 hours which she admitted voters might find "unsettling", she conceded the divorce terms she struck with the EU had been roundly rejected but vowed to work to find an alternative.

"Now MPs have made clear what they don't want, we must all work constructively together to set out what parliament does want," May said in a televised evening address to the nation.

On Tuesday,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-parliament-votes-down-pm-mays-eu-brexit-deal-by-230-votes-190586"> MPs dealt the prime minister the heaviest drubbing</a> in modern British political history by rejecting the divorce agreement by a stunning 432 votes to 202.

But May emerged victorious on Wednesday night in a confidence vote triggered by the opposition Labour party, the first for 26 years, winning 325 votes to 306.

She set out a schedule of cross-party talks that began immediately with meetings with the Scottish nationalist, Welsh nationalist and the pro-EU Liberal Democrat leaders.

"We must find solutions that are negotiable and command sufficient support in this House," she had told earlier told parliament.

However, opposition leaders set out a list of demands for cooperating, including discussing delaying Brexit beyond March 29, and ruling out the possibility that Britain crashes out without any deal at all.

Late night talks

May is working on the tightest-possible deadline as Britain prepares to leave the bloc that for half a century defined its economic and political relations with the rest of the world.

Her defeat <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/still-time-to-negotiate-germanys-merkel-says-after-may-loses-brexit-vote-190761">sparked warnings from European leaders</a> that the prospect of "no deal" had increased, with the potential for huge economic disruption on both sides of the Channel.

May must return to parliament on Monday with a Plan B that she and her team intend to negotiate with various MPs through the weekend.

But main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would only meet May if she could "remove clearly, once and for all the prospect of the catastrophe of a no-deal Brexit".

May said she was "disappointed" by Corbyn's decision and stressed that "our door remains open".

Ian Blackford of the Scottish National Party (SNP) said after meeting May late Wednesday that his 35-seat party would only hold "genuine" talks.

If she were prepared to consider delaying Brexit, ruling out "no deal" and the option of holding a second referendum, they would participate, he said in a letter afterwards.&nbsp;

May has flatly rejected a second vote.

Divorce delay?

May survived Wednesday thanks to the support of members of her Conservative Party and its Northern Irish allies in the Democratic Union Party.

But more than a third of the Conservatives and all 10 DUP members of parliament voted against her Brexit arrangements on Tuesday -- each for their own reason.

May will thus tread carefully as she tries to win over opposition lawmakers -- many of whom want to remain in the EU -- while also attempting to appease more hardened Brexit-backing coalition partners.

She stuck to two key principles on Wednesday: limiting EU migration and pursuing an independent trade policy.

Both points rule out Labour hopes of membership of an EU customs union or its single market.

Yet she also hinted at the possibility of delaying Brexit.

May said the EU would allow this "if it was clear that there was a plan that was moving toward an agreed deal".

EU officials have said extending the negotiating period could be possible until the newly-elected European Parliament meets in July.

Blurred lines 
 
European leaders have repeatedly said they will not reopen the draft withdrawal agreement sealed at a special Brussels summit in December.

French President Emmanuel Macron suggested the EU might be willing to tweak a few minor points -- but only if they did not alter the bloc's existing position on trade and borders.

"We won't, just to solve Britain's domestic political issues, stop defending European interests," he said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was time for talks as long as London could present a clear and united position.

"We're now waiting on what the prime minister proposes," she said.

And Irish Prime Leo Varadkar added, "that if the United Kingdom were to evolve from its red lines on the customs union and on the single market, that the European Union could evolve also."

British Prime Minister Theresa May reached out to her opponents on Wednesday after narrowly surviving a confidence vote sparked by the crushing defeat in the parliament of her Brexit deal.

British Prime Minister Theresa May reached out to her opponents on Wednesday after narrowly surviving a confidence vote sparked by the crushing defeat in the parliament of her Brexit deal. After a tumultuous 24 hours which she admitted voters might find "unsettling", she conceded the divorce terms she struck with the EU had been roundly rejected but vowed to work to find an alternative. "Now MPs have made clear what they don't want, we must all work constructively together to set out what parliament does want," May said in a televised evening address to the nation. On Tuesday, MPs dealt the prime minister the heaviest drubbing in modern British political history by rejecting the divorce agreement by a stunning 432 votes to 202. But May emerged victorious on Wednesday night in a confidence vote triggered by the opposition Labour party, the first for 26 years, winning 325 votes to 306. She set out a schedule of cross-party talks that began immediately with meetings with the Scottish nationalist, Welsh nationalist and the pro-EU Liberal Democrat leaders. "We must find solutions that are negotiable and command sufficient support in this House," she had told earlier told parliament. However, opposition leaders set out a list of demands for cooperating, including discussing delaying Brexit beyond March 29, and ruling out the possibility that Britain crashes out without any deal at all. Late night talks May is working on the tightest-possible deadline as Britain prepares to leave the bloc that for half a century defined its economic and political relations with the rest of the world. Her defeat sparked warnings from European leaders that the prospect of "no deal" had increased, with the potential for huge economic disruption on both sides of the Channel. May must return to parliament on Monday with a Plan B that she and her team intend to negotiate with various MPs through the weekend. But main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would only meet May if she could "remove clearly, once and for all the prospect of the catastrophe of a no-deal Brexit". May said she was "disappointed" by Corbyn's decision and stressed that "our door remains open". Ian Blackford of the Scottish National Party (SNP) said after meeting May late Wednesday that his 35-seat party would only hold "genuine" talks. If she were prepared to consider delaying Brexit, ruling out "no deal" and the option of holding a second referendum, they would participate, he said in a letter afterwards. May has flatly rejected a second vote. Divorce delay? May survived Wednesday thanks to the support of members of her Conservative Party and its Northern Irish allies in the Democratic Union Party. But more than a third of the Conservatives and all 10 DUP members of parliament voted against her Brexit arrangements on Tuesday -- each for their own reason. May will thus tread carefully as she tries to win over opposition lawmakers -- many of whom want to remain in the EU -- while also attempting to appease more hardened Brexit-backing coalition partners. She stuck to two key principles on Wednesday: limiting EU migration and pursuing an independent trade policy. Both points rule out Labour hopes of membership of an EU customs union or its single market. Yet she also hinted at the possibility of delaying Brexit. May said the EU would allow this "if it was clear that there was a plan that was moving toward an agreed deal". EU officials have said extending the negotiating period could be possible until the newly-elected European Parliament meets in July. Blurred lines European leaders have repeatedly said they will not reopen the draft withdrawal agreement sealed at a special Brussels summit in December. French President Emmanuel Macron suggested the EU might be willing to tweak a few minor points -- but only if they did not alter the bloc's existing position on trade and borders. "We won't, just to solve Britain's domestic political issues, stop defending European interests," he said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was time for talks as long as London could present a clear and united position. "We're now waiting on what the prime minister proposes," she said. And Irish Prime Leo Varadkar added, "that if the United Kingdom were to evolve from its red lines on the customs union and on the single market, that the European Union could evolve also."

We must all work together for Brexit, says PM Theresa May after winning confidence vote

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