By Chris Stafford

Of all the criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, of which there are many, one of the more prominent in recent times has been the party’s ambiguous stance on Brexit.

Corbyn would rather not spend all that much time talking about Brexit, preferring to stick to his strengths and discuss inequality, championing the needs of the many over those of the few. But the upcoming 2019 general election is set to focus heavily on the issue and all parties need a clear, credible policy platform if they want to attract voters.

Jeremy Corbyn was heavily criticised during and after the 2016 referendum for his lukewarm support for the Remain campaign, famously assessing his support for EU membership as a “Seven, seven-and-a-half out of ten”.

Historically, Corbyn has not been a supporter of EU membership, voting against continued membership in the 1975 referendum. But his reasons for this are very different to those offered by groups such as UKIP or the Conservatives.

While the Labour Party has been very pro-European in recent history, this was not always the case, and in the 1980s the party leadership was much more hostile towards Europe. During the New Labour years, MPs such as Corbyn were a relic of Labour’s past, ardent left-wingers who saw the EU as a capitalist club, opposed to the socialist roots of the Labour Party.

After pledging to respect the result of the 2016 referendum, the Labour Party adopted an ambiguous stance on Brexit for most of Theresa May’s time as prime minister. The strategy initially proved to be somewhat successful, with the party effectively sitting on the fence and letting the issue of Europe tear the Conservatives apart.

But it eventually became difficult to criticise the Conservatives’ handling of Brexit without actually offering a credible alternative. Voters started to want clear, decisive party positions on Brexit, as evidenced by the success of the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party at the 2019 European elections.

The new plan

In an attempt to appear more decisive on Brexit, and after significant internal debate, Labour is now presenting a Brexit policy. The plan is to go back to Europe and renegotiate the Brexit deal. This new agreement would then be put back to the British public in a referendum.

Labour’s Brexit deal would, if all goes to plan, see the UK maintain a close trading relationship with the EU, creating a customs union and staying in close alignment with the single market, allowing the UK to continue to trade with Europe without tariffs. But this would likely mean that the UK couldn’t negotiate its own trade deals with non-EU countries – something that the Conservatives’ current deal would allow by effectively cutting all trading links with Europe and leaving the single market entirely.

Labour claims that it would take about three months to negotiate this deal, with a referendum held within six months. Alongside the newly negotiated “credible leave option”, the referendum ballot would also include the option to remain as an EU member.

Although this is a much clearer position than the party has held for a while, the policy still amounts to sitting on the fence to a certain extent. It is an attempt to appeal to both Leave and Remain voters.

It is also unclear how successful it would be if implemented. Would the EU be willing to renegotiate the withdrawal deal again? Signs from the continent suggest that many of the EU27 just want the UK gone already, with Brexit taking up far too much of their time at the expense of other pressing issues. Brexit is, and always has been, just one of many problems for the continent to deal with.

Assuming the EU did agree to renegotiate the deal again, how much effort would they put into it if they thought the government would then actively campaign against it in a subsequent referendum? That is a possibility under Labour, which has not been particularly clear about what its official position would be in a fresh referendum. Again, the answer may depend on whether or not Europe wants the UK to stay.

(Chris Stafford is Doctoral Researcher, University of Nottingham) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/labours-brexit-policy-explained-127380">original article</a>) 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Chris Stafford Of all the criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, of which there are many, one of the more prominent in recent times has been the party’s ambiguous stance on Brexit.

By Chris Stafford Of all the criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, of which there are many, one of the more prominent in recent times has been the party’s ambiguous stance on Brexit. Corbyn would rather not spend all that much time talking about Brexit, preferring to stick to his strengths and discuss inequality, championing the needs of the many over those of the few. But the upcoming 2019 general election is set to focus heavily on the issue and all parties need a clear, credible policy platform if they want to attract voters. Jeremy Corbyn was heavily criticised during and after the 2016 referendum for his lukewarm support for the Remain campaign, famously assessing his support for EU membership as a “Seven, seven-and-a-half out of ten”. Historically, Corbyn has not been a supporter of EU membership, voting against continued membership in the 1975 referendum. But his reasons for this are very different to those offered by groups such as UKIP or the Conservatives. While the Labour Party has been very pro-European in recent history, this was not always the case, and in the 1980s the party leadership was much more hostile towards Europe. During the New Labour years, MPs such as Corbyn were a relic of Labour’s past, ardent left-wingers who saw the EU as a capitalist club, opposed to the socialist roots of the Labour Party. After pledging to respect the result of the 2016 referendum, the Labour Party adopted an ambiguous stance on Brexit for most of Theresa May’s time as prime minister. The strategy initially proved to be somewhat successful, with the party effectively sitting on the fence and letting the issue of Europe tear the Conservatives apart. But it eventually became difficult to criticise the Conservatives’ handling of Brexit without actually offering a credible alternative. Voters started to want clear, decisive party positions on Brexit, as evidenced by the success of the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party at the 2019 European elections. The new plan In an attempt to appear more decisive on Brexit, and after significant internal debate, Labour is now presenting a Brexit policy. The plan is to go back to Europe and renegotiate the Brexit deal. This new agreement would then be put back to the British public in a referendum. Labour’s Brexit deal would, if all goes to plan, see the UK maintain a close trading relationship with the EU, creating a customs union and staying in close alignment with the single market, allowing the UK to continue to trade with Europe without tariffs. But this would likely mean that the UK couldn’t negotiate its own trade deals with non-EU countries – something that the Conservatives’ current deal would allow by effectively cutting all trading links with Europe and leaving the single market entirely. Labour claims that it would take about three months to negotiate this deal, with a referendum held within six months. Alongside the newly negotiated “credible leave option”, the referendum ballot would also include the option to remain as an EU member. Although this is a much clearer position than the party has held for a while, the policy still amounts to sitting on the fence to a certain extent. It is an attempt to appeal to both Leave and Remain voters. It is also unclear how successful it would be if implemented. Would the EU be willing to renegotiate the withdrawal deal again? Signs from the continent suggest that many of the EU27 just want the UK gone already, with Brexit taking up far too much of their time at the expense of other pressing issues. Brexit is, and always has been, just one of many problems for the continent to deal with. Assuming the EU did agree to renegotiate the deal again, how much effort would they put into it if they thought the government would then actively campaign against it in a subsequent referendum? That is a possibility under Labour, which has not been particularly clear about what its official position would be in a fresh referendum. Again, the answer may depend on whether or not Europe wants the UK to stay. (Chris Stafford is Doctoral Researcher, University of Nottingham) (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)

Labour Party’s Brexit policy explained

The Davis Cup has a new format but <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/no-guarantees-for-andy-murray-at-davis-cup-smith-263084">Andy Murray's</a> love of a comeback remains intact after the Scot battled from behind to beat Tallon Griekspoor on Wednesday as Great Britain edged past Holland.

Murray came from a set down and then trailed 4-1 in the decider in Madrid before beating the spirited Griekspoor, ranked 179 in the world, 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).

"I've found a way to win matches many times in my career when I've not been playing well," Murray said. "You can draw on that a little bit."

A scrappy victory gave Great Britain the lead in their opening Group E tie and while Dan Evans lost the second singles rubber to Robin Haase, Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski finished the job in the doubles.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/davis-cup-rafael-nadal-sparks-spanish-comeback-levels-group-b-tie-263277">Rafael Nadal</a> won his 26th consecutive Davis Cup singles match later on Wednesday as Spain booked their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-0 victory over defending champions Croatia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atp-finals-novak-djokovics-hopes-crushed-as-roger-federer-serves-up-a-masterclass-262232">Novak Djokovic</a>, meanwhile, cruised past Yoshihito Nishioka to help Serbia beat Japan by the same scoreline.

Murray had given short shrift on Tuesday to those he believes have been too quick to criticise the revamped Davis Cup, which for the first time is featuring all 18 World Group countries competing for the trophy across a single week in one venue.&nbsp;

And in what will be music to the ears of the organisers, among them Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique, Murray was full of praise for the atmosphere inside the Caja Magica's cosy Stadium 3.&nbsp;

"The atmosphere was brilliant," Murray said afterwards. "That was the one concern I had about the event, about it being on neutral ground, but it was great."&nbsp;

British fans have been second only to Spanish in terms of tickets sold so far and the strong attendance for Murray's opener inside the tournament's smallest court, with a capacity of 2,500, has not been consistent across other morning matches.&nbsp;

Murray, along with Nadal and Djokovic, is one of the competition's biggest attractions this week and Britain's prospects of progressing to the quater-finals look good ahead of Thursday's tie against Kazakhstan.&nbsp;

It remains to be seen whether Murray plays or is rested against the Kazakhs but he was given a stiff workout by the 23-year-old Griekspoor, who was a surprise pick in the Dutch team ahead of Botic Van de Zandschlup.&nbsp;

"About an hour before the match it changed," said Murray. "I didn't know much about his game."&nbsp;

But Murray again dug deep, his experience and resilience proving the difference as Griekspoor lost his nerve and then the match.&nbsp;

Haase outlasted Evans 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 while Jamie Murray and Skupski held on for a 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) win over Wesley Koolhof and Jean-Julien Rojer.

Djokovic enjoyed a more comfortable start as he cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Nishioka in a straightforward win for Serbia against Japan.&nbsp;

Serbia will play France on Thursday to decide who goes through as winners of Group A.

"It's probably one of the biggest challenges we can have in this competition, playing against France, one of the most successful nations in Davis Cup, and definitely one of the strongest teams," Djokovic said.

Nadal saw off Croatia's Borna Gojo 6-4, 6-3 and then helped Spain win the doubles rubber alongside Marcel Granollers.

Argentina could have secured progress by beating Germany but lost all three matches as Philipp Kohlschreiber beat Guido Pella and Jan-Lennard Struff overcame Diego Schwartzman to establish an unassailable advantage. Germany will advance if they beat Chile on Thursday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/canada-finally-beat-us-to-reach-davis-cup-last-eight-263273">Canada are already through</a> and will meet Australia in the last eight on Thursday, after Leyton Hewitt's team beat Belgium 2-1.&nbsp;

The Davis Cup has a new format but Andy Murray's love of a comeback remains intact after the Scot battled from behind to beat Tallon Griekspoor on Wednesday as Great Britain edged past Holland.

The Davis Cup has a new format but Andy Murray's love of a comeback remains intact after the Scot battled from behind to beat Tallon Griekspoor on Wednesday as Great Britain edged past Holland. Murray came from a set down and then trailed 4-1 in the decider in Madrid before beating the spirited Griekspoor, ranked 179 in the world, 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5). "I've found a way to win matches many times in my career when I've not been playing well," Murray said. "You can draw on that a little bit." A scrappy victory gave Great Britain the lead in their opening Group E tie and while Dan Evans lost the second singles rubber to Robin Haase, Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski finished the job in the doubles. Rafael Nadal won his 26th consecutive Davis Cup singles match later on Wednesday as Spain booked their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-0 victory over defending champions Croatia. Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, cruised past Yoshihito Nishioka to help Serbia beat Japan by the same scoreline. Murray had given short shrift on Tuesday to those he believes have been too quick to criticise the revamped Davis Cup, which for the first time is featuring all 18 World Group countries competing for the trophy across a single week in one venue. And in what will be music to the ears of the organisers, among them Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique, Murray was full of praise for the atmosphere inside the Caja Magica's cosy Stadium 3. "The atmosphere was brilliant," Murray said afterwards. "That was the one concern I had about the event, about it being on neutral ground, but it was great." British fans have been second only to Spanish in terms of tickets sold so far and the strong attendance for Murray's opener inside the tournament's smallest court, with a capacity of 2,500, has not been consistent across other morning matches. Murray, along with Nadal and Djokovic, is one of the competition's biggest attractions this week and Britain's prospects of progressing to the quater-finals look good ahead of Thursday's tie against Kazakhstan. It remains to be seen whether Murray plays or is rested against the Kazakhs but he was given a stiff workout by the 23-year-old Griekspoor, who was a surprise pick in the Dutch team ahead of Botic Van de Zandschlup. "About an hour before the match it changed," said Murray. "I didn't know much about his game." But Murray again dug deep, his experience and resilience proving the difference as Griekspoor lost his nerve and then the match. Haase outlasted Evans 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 while Jamie Murray and Skupski held on for a 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) win over Wesley Koolhof and Jean-Julien Rojer. Djokovic enjoyed a more comfortable start as he cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Nishioka in a straightforward win for Serbia against Japan. Serbia will play France on Thursday to decide who goes through as winners of Group A. "It's probably one of the biggest challenges we can have in this competition, playing against France, one of the most successful nations in Davis Cup, and definitely one of the strongest teams," Djokovic said. Nadal saw off Croatia's Borna Gojo 6-4, 6-3 and then helped Spain win the doubles rubber alongside Marcel Granollers. Argentina could have secured progress by beating Germany but lost all three matches as Philipp Kohlschreiber beat Guido Pella and Jan-Lennard Struff overcame Diego Schwartzman to establish an unassailable advantage. Germany will advance if they beat Chile on Thursday. Canada are already through and will meet Australia in the last eight on Thursday, after Leyton Hewitt's team beat Belgium 2-1.

Andy Murray leads Britain to opening Davis Cup win, Spain reach last eight

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and&nbsp;his arch-rival, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn vied for votes during their first head-to-head TV debate, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/all-conservative-election-candidates-pledge-to-back-my-brexit-deal-uk-pm-boris-johnson-262644">as Brexit looms</a>.

The prime-time event was&nbsp;held in Manchester and broadcast on ITV.

Johnson, who took over as the leader of the ruling Conservatives in July, relentlessly tried to keep the focus on his plan to finally take the country out of the European Union, reiterating his campaign mantra to "get Brexit done".

"We certainly will come out on January the 31st as we have a deal that is oven-ready," he said, also vowing to complete a future trading relationship with the bloc by 2021.

In the hour-long debate,&nbsp;Corbyn&nbsp;said his rival's timetable was unrealistic and that Johnson was poised to sell out Britain's cherished National Health Service (NHS) in a future trade deal with the United States.&nbsp;

The veteran socialist accused Johnson of holding "a series of secret meetings with the United States in which they were proposing to open up our NHS markets... to American companies".

"You're going to sell our national health service out to the United States and big pharma,"&nbsp;Corbyn&nbsp;said, waving redacted documents he said were accessed under freedom of information laws that detail preliminary UK-US negotiations.

Johnson responded that the accusations were "an absolute invention".&nbsp;

"The single biggest threat to our economy and our ability to fund the NHS is our failure <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-transition-period-will-not-be-extended-united-kingdom-pm-johnson-262314">to get Brexit done</a>," he said.&nbsp;

The debate was the first time voters had seen only the leaders of Britain's two main parties, which have held power since 1922, face off on TV.

Other smaller parties were excluded this time,&nbsp;a format that was unsuccessfully challenged in court.

Johnson has held a double-digit lead over Labour in opinion polls for weeks, making it his contest to lose.

Corbyn&nbsp;is seeking to repeat the success of the last election in 2017, when he came from a similar position to deny the Tories an outright win with promises to end austerity and deliver change "for the many, not the few".

The two leaders answered questions submitted by viewers in front of a live audience, with topics ranging from trust in politicians to the future of Scotland, as well as the British monarchy.

But the discussion repeatedly returned to Brexit,&nbsp;the defining issue that has paralysed British politics since the 2016 referendum.&nbsp;

Corbyn&nbsp;vowed to renegotiate Johnson's deal and hold another referendum, appealing to around half of Britons who still oppose the result of the 2016 Brexit vote.

Watch: Britain set for December 12 election

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/britain-set-for-dec-12-election-to-break-the-brexit-deadlock-258891/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

But the Labour leader has yet to say how he would campaign in that referendum,&nbsp;drawing ridicule from Johnson.

"Are you going to campaign for Leave or Remain?", the Conservative leader asked&nbsp;Corbyn, who refused to commit.

Corbyn's party is promising a swathe of nationalisations and huge investment in public services.

"I believe in investing massively in our public services," Corbyn&nbsp;vowed. "I think this election is a turning point in the way we're going to manage our economy."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/prime-minister-johnson-to-declare-britain-can-end-the-groundhoggery-of-brexit-261755">Johnson countered with warnings</a> that Labour would cripple the economy, although he has also promised more money for hospitals, schools and police, as well as infrastructure including broadband.

"What would be more ruinous for the NHS than a crackpot plan for a four-day week," he said, referring to Labour's plan to transition to remove one working day from the week within a decade.

The Tory and Labour leaders will take part in several more debates involving the smaller parties, before another final head-to-head encounter on the BBC on December 66,&nbsp;less than a week before election day.

(With inputs from AFP)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his arch-rival, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn vied for votes during their first head-to-head TV debate, as Brexit looms. The prime-time event was held in Manchester and broadcast on ITV.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his arch-rival, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn vied for votes during their first head-to-head TV debate, as Brexit looms. The prime-time event was held in Manchester and broadcast on ITV. Johnson, who took over as the leader of the ruling Conservatives in July, relentlessly tried to keep the focus on his plan to finally take the country out of the European Union, reiterating his campaign mantra to "get Brexit done". "We certainly will come out on January the 31st as we have a deal that is oven-ready," he said, also vowing to complete a future trading relationship with the bloc by 2021. In the hour-long debate, Corbyn said his rival's timetable was unrealistic and that Johnson was poised to sell out Britain's cherished National Health Service (NHS) in a future trade deal with the United States. The veteran socialist accused Johnson of holding "a series of secret meetings with the United States in which they were proposing to open up our NHS markets... to American companies". "You're going to sell our national health service out to the United States and big pharma," Corbyn said, waving redacted documents he said were accessed under freedom of information laws that detail preliminary UK-US negotiations. Johnson responded that the accusations were "an absolute invention". "The single biggest threat to our economy and our ability to fund the NHS is our failure to get Brexit done," he said. The debate was the first time voters had seen only the leaders of Britain's two main parties, which have held power since 1922, face off on TV. Other smaller parties were excluded this time, a format that was unsuccessfully challenged in court. Johnson has held a double-digit lead over Labour in opinion polls for weeks, making it his contest to lose. Corbyn is seeking to repeat the success of the last election in 2017, when he came from a similar position to deny the Tories an outright win with promises to end austerity and deliver change "for the many, not the few". The two leaders answered questions submitted by viewers in front of a live audience, with topics ranging from trust in politicians to the future of Scotland, as well as the British monarchy. But the discussion repeatedly returned to Brexit, the defining issue that has paralysed British politics since the 2016 referendum. Corbyn vowed to renegotiate Johnson's deal and hold another referendum, appealing to around half of Britons who still oppose the result of the 2016 Brexit vote. Watch: Britain set for December 12 election But the Labour leader has yet to say how he would campaign in that referendum, drawing ridicule from Johnson. "Are you going to campaign for Leave or Remain?", the Conservative leader asked Corbyn, who refused to commit. Corbyn's party is promising a swathe of nationalisations and huge investment in public services. "I believe in investing massively in our public services," Corbyn vowed. "I think this election is a turning point in the way we're going to manage our economy." Johnson countered with warnings that Labour would cripple the economy, although he has also promised more money for hospitals, schools and police, as well as infrastructure including broadband. "What would be more ruinous for the NHS than a crackpot plan for a four-day week," he said, referring to Labour's plan to transition to remove one working day from the week within a decade. The Tory and Labour leaders will take part in several more debates involving the smaller parties, before another final head-to-head encounter on the BBC on December 66, less than a week before election day. (With inputs from AFP)

British PM Johnson and Labour leader Corbyn battle it out on first televised debate

Dutch authorities found 25 migrants stowed away on a cargo ferry bound for Britain shortly after it left the Netherlands on Tuesday and the vessel quickly returned to the Dutch port of Vlaardingen, emergency services said.

Dutch authorities found 25 migrants stowed away on a UK bound ferry

A woman who accuses Jeffrey Epstein of sexually abusing her as a child on Monday said Britain’s Prince Andrew should tell U.S. authorities what he knows about the financier.

Another woman accuses Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse

The experiment was conducted discreetly. Between 2016 and 2018, two surveillance cameras were installed in the Kings Cross area of London to analyse and track passers-by using facial recognition technology.

The deployment of the cutting-edge technology at one of the British capital's busiest transport hubs, which was first revealed in the Financial Times, has fuelled controversy in Britain where its use does not yet have a legal framework.

The company in charge of the project argued it has acted "only to help the police... prevent and detect crimes in the area", and that it had no commercial use.

But data watchdog the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) seized on the case.

It opened an investigation and expressed concern about the increasing use of facial recognition, which allows for faces captured on camera to be compared with images stored to databases.

The Kings Cross case is not isolated, with shopping centres in Manchester and Sheffield, and a museum in Liverpool, also reportedly trialling the technology.

Privacy group Big Brother Watch has denounced the trend as an "epidemic", with other critics warning it risks undermining fundamental rights.

Police surveillance?

Ed Bridges, 36, has sued Welsh police for targeting him with this technology while he was Christmas shopping in 2017 and at a protest in 2018, with his case working its way through the High Court in Cardiff.

This is the first time that such action has been brought in British courts.

Although the police use was authorised and advertised, the Cardiff University employee told AFP it felt like "being robbed".

"This is not something I had consented to," Bridges said.&nbsp;

"People have a reasonable expectation of privacy and the state should be supporting the right... not undermining it."

Megan Goulding, his lawyer from the human rights organisation Liberty, said facial recognition creates concerns about "self-censorship and free expression".

"We think it's wrong that people are made to change how they live to try to protect themselves from unwarranted police surveillance," she added.

However, according to a survey commissioned by ICO earlier this year, facial recognition enjoys widespread public support, with more than 80 per cent of respondents apparently backing its use by the police.

'Slow down'

When using facial recognition police utilise a "watch list" of wanted suspects.&nbsp;

The surveillance cameras translate the facial features of passers-by into a digital version, which is compared to the data on the list.&nbsp;

If the "similarity score" is high enough, police perform a check.

In Bridges' case, the Cardiff court dismissed his complaint, finding the watchlist was "clearly targeted" on people "suspected of involvement in crimes".

He is appealing the decision and UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has warned it should not justify indiscriminate use of the technology.

She has called on the authorities to "slow down" its development pending the rollout of a clear framework for its use.

London is a potential hotspot for the deployment of facial recognition, with its 420,000 surveillance cameras, according to a 2017 study by the Brookings Institution think-tank.

That places the British capital just behind the 470,000 cameras found in China's capital, Beijing.

London's Metropolitan Police has carried out a number of trials of the technology.

"Anyone can refuse to be scanned," the force states in its guidance posted online.&nbsp;

"It's not an offence or considered 'obstruction' to actively avoid being scanned."&nbsp;

But Daragh Murray, a human rights specialist at the University of Essex, is sceptical.

"People who refused consent, who covered their face to (avoid) the camera's system, their behaviour was treated as suspicious and they were engaged by the police," he told AFP.&nbsp;

Murray called the technology "a fundamental shift in the balance of power between the state and the citizen".

Echoing ICO, he is pressing for a legal framework, including an oversight agency.

"We have seen the first generation of facial recognition technology when you're using it to identify people who already know," Murray said.

"The next generation, you'll be able to use it to identify people who you don't know."

The experiment was conducted discreetly. Between 2016 and 2018, two surveillance cameras were installed in the Kings Cross area of London to analyse and track passers-by using facial recognition technology.

The experiment was conducted discreetly. Between 2016 and 2018, two surveillance cameras were installed in the Kings Cross area of London to analyse and track passers-by using facial recognition technology. The deployment of the cutting-edge technology at one of the British capital's busiest transport hubs, which was first revealed in the Financial Times, has fuelled controversy in Britain where its use does not yet have a legal framework. The company in charge of the project argued it has acted "only to help the police... prevent and detect crimes in the area", and that it had no commercial use. But data watchdog the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) seized on the case. It opened an investigation and expressed concern about the increasing use of facial recognition, which allows for faces captured on camera to be compared with images stored to databases. The Kings Cross case is not isolated, with shopping centres in Manchester and Sheffield, and a museum in Liverpool, also reportedly trialling the technology. Privacy group Big Brother Watch has denounced the trend as an "epidemic", with other critics warning it risks undermining fundamental rights. Police surveillance? Ed Bridges, 36, has sued Welsh police for targeting him with this technology while he was Christmas shopping in 2017 and at a protest in 2018, with his case working its way through the High Court in Cardiff. This is the first time that such action has been brought in British courts. Although the police use was authorised and advertised, the Cardiff University employee told AFP it felt like "being robbed". "This is not something I had consented to," Bridges said. "People have a reasonable expectation of privacy and the state should be supporting the right... not undermining it." Megan Goulding, his lawyer from the human rights organisation Liberty, said facial recognition creates concerns about "self-censorship and free expression". "We think it's wrong that people are made to change how they live to try to protect themselves from unwarranted police surveillance," she added. However, according to a survey commissioned by ICO earlier this year, facial recognition enjoys widespread public support, with more than 80 per cent of respondents apparently backing its use by the police. 'Slow down' When using facial recognition police utilise a "watch list" of wanted suspects. The surveillance cameras translate the facial features of passers-by into a digital version, which is compared to the data on the list. If the "similarity score" is high enough, police perform a check. In Bridges' case, the Cardiff court dismissed his complaint, finding the watchlist was "clearly targeted" on people "suspected of involvement in crimes". He is appealing the decision and UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has warned it should not justify indiscriminate use of the technology. She has called on the authorities to "slow down" its development pending the rollout of a clear framework for its use. London is a potential hotspot for the deployment of facial recognition, with its 420,000 surveillance cameras, according to a 2017 study by the Brookings Institution think-tank. That places the British capital just behind the 470,000 cameras found in China's capital, Beijing. London's Metropolitan Police has carried out a number of trials of the technology. "Anyone can refuse to be scanned," the force states in its guidance posted online. "It's not an offence or considered 'obstruction' to actively avoid being scanned." But Daragh Murray, a human rights specialist at the University of Essex, is sceptical. "People who refused consent, who covered their face to (avoid) the camera's system, their behaviour was treated as suspicious and they were engaged by the police," he told AFP. Murray called the technology "a fundamental shift in the balance of power between the state and the citizen". Echoing ICO, he is pressing for a legal framework, including an oversight agency. "We have seen the first generation of facial recognition technology when you're using it to identify people who already know," Murray said. "The next generation, you'll be able to use it to identify people who you don't know."

Britain: Facial recognition makes subtle advance

Britain's Prince Andrew said he could not have had sex with a teenage girl at a socialite's London home because he returned to his house after a children's party on the night in question and has no recollection of ever meeting her.

Britain's Prince Andrew denies sex claims with a teenage girl at London home

British Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-goes-head-to-head-with-buckethead-and-binface-in-uk-vote-262460">Boris Johnson</a> has said that all Conservative Party candidates in the December&nbsp;12 election have pledged to back his Brexit deal, opening the door to getting the agreement passed through parliament if the party were to win a majority.

"All 635 Conservative candidates standing at this election,&nbsp;every single one of them,&nbsp;has pledged to me that if elected they will vote in Parliament to pass my Brexit deal so we can end the uncertainty and finally leave the EU," Johnson told the Telegraph newspaper in an interview published late on Saturday.

"I am offering a pact with the people: if you vote Conservative you can be 100 per cent&nbsp;sure a majority Conservative government will unblock Parliament and get Brexit done."

Johnson struck a last-minute Brexit deal with the European Union last month, as the bloc granted the third delay to the divorce that was originally supposed to take place on March 29. Voters in the 2016 referendum narrowly voted in favour of leaving the EU.

Commenting separately on his tax policy, the prime minister told the newspaper that tax cuts can boost the economy, but added that he is delaying plans to increase the 40 per cent&nbsp;tax rate threshold, stating that the aim is to first "lift the burden" for low-income groups.

"We do want to reduce the burden of taxation," Johnson said. "That's very much our ambition, but we won't do that until we have done more to lift the burden particularly on people on low incomes."

Opinion polls published on Saturday showed that Johnson's Conservatives have the highest level of support since 2017, with the party leading opposition Labour by 10-17 percentage points in four polls.

However, analysts have warned that Brexit, which has divided parties and their voters, could make the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-transition-period-will-not-be-extended-united-kingdom-pm-johnson-262314">result of the coming vote</a> highly unpredictable.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that all Conservative Party candidates in the December 12 election have pledged to back his Brexit deal, opening the door to getting the agreement passed through parliament if the party were to win a majority.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that all Conservative Party candidates in the December 12 election have pledged to back his Brexit deal, opening the door to getting the agreement passed through parliament if the party were to win a majority. "All 635 Conservative candidates standing at this election, every single one of them, has pledged to me that if elected they will vote in Parliament to pass my Brexit deal so we can end the uncertainty and finally leave the EU," Johnson told the Telegraph newspaper in an interview published late on Saturday. "I am offering a pact with the people: if you vote Conservative you can be 100 per cent sure a majority Conservative government will unblock Parliament and get Brexit done." Johnson struck a last-minute Brexit deal with the European Union last month, as the bloc granted the third delay to the divorce that was originally supposed to take place on March 29. Voters in the 2016 referendum narrowly voted in favour of leaving the EU. Commenting separately on his tax policy, the prime minister told the newspaper that tax cuts can boost the economy, but added that he is delaying plans to increase the 40 per cent tax rate threshold, stating that the aim is to first "lift the burden" for low-income groups. "We do want to reduce the burden of taxation," Johnson said. "That's very much our ambition, but we won't do that until we have done more to lift the burden particularly on people on low incomes." Opinion polls published on Saturday showed that Johnson's Conservatives have the highest level of support since 2017, with the party leading opposition Labour by 10-17 percentage points in four polls. However, analysts have warned that Brexit, which has divided parties and their voters, could make the result of the coming vote highly unpredictable.

All Conservative election candidates pledge to back my Brexit deal: UK PM Boris Johnson

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Wednesday declare that the UK can "end the groundhoggery of Brexit" if he wins next month's election, saying the rest of the world was wondering why so much time has been spent agonising over whether to leave the European Union.

Britons will <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">vote on December&nbsp;12</a> after parliament agreed to an early election, seeking to end three years of deep disagreement over Brexit that has sapped investors' faith in the stability of the world's fifth-largest economy and damaged Britain's international standing.

"The UK is admired and respected around the world but people are baffled by our debate on Brexit and they cannot understand how this great country can squander so much time and energy on this question and how we can be so hesitant about our future," Johnson will say at an electric vehicle manufacturer in the West Midlands, according to prepared remarks.

"If we can get a working majority we can get parliament working for you, we can get out of the rut. We can end the groundhoggery of Brexit," Johnson said in an apparent reference to the 1993 movie Groundhog Day in which a TV weatherman finds himself reliving the same day over and over again.

Johnson, 55, hopes to win a majority to push through the last-minute Brexit deal he struck with the European Union last month after the bloc granted the third delay to the divorce that was originally supposed to take place on March 29. Most voters who took part in a June 2016 referendum voted in favour of the UK leaving the EU.

The first December election in Britain since 1923 will be one of the hardest to forecast in years. Brexit has scrambled voters' traditional loyalties and is giving smaller rivals a chance to challenge the two biggest parties, Johnson's Conservative Party and the left-of-centre Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn.

Opinion polls show the Conservatives are well ahead of Labour, but analysts caution the overshadowing issue of Brexit, which has divided both major parties and their voters, could confound conventional calculations.

Johnson will urge voters to back the Conservatives and say that if Labour is elected, they face the prospect of two more referendums, one on Britain's membership of the EU, and another on Scottish independence, which risks ripping apart the United Kingdom.

"We face a historic choice. At this election, the country can either move forwards with policies that will deliver years of growth and prosperity, or it can disappear into an intellectual cul-de-sac of far-left Corbynism," Johnson will say.

"We can honour the wishes of the people, or else we can waste more time."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Wednesday declare that the UK can "end the groundhoggery of Brexit" if he wins next month's election, saying the rest of the world was wondering why so much time has been spent agonising over whether to leave the European Union.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Wednesday declare that the UK can "end the groundhoggery of Brexit" if he wins next month's election, saying the rest of the world was wondering why so much time has been spent agonising over whether to leave the European Union. Britons will vote on December 12 after parliament agreed to an early election, seeking to end three years of deep disagreement over Brexit that has sapped investors' faith in the stability of the world's fifth-largest economy and damaged Britain's international standing. "The UK is admired and respected around the world but people are baffled by our debate on Brexit and they cannot understand how this great country can squander so much time and energy on this question and how we can be so hesitant about our future," Johnson will say at an electric vehicle manufacturer in the West Midlands, according to prepared remarks. "If we can get a working majority we can get parliament working for you, we can get out of the rut. We can end the groundhoggery of Brexit," Johnson said in an apparent reference to the 1993 movie Groundhog Day in which a TV weatherman finds himself reliving the same day over and over again. Johnson, 55, hopes to win a majority to push through the last-minute Brexit deal he struck with the European Union last month after the bloc granted the third delay to the divorce that was originally supposed to take place on March 29. Most voters who took part in a June 2016 referendum voted in favour of the UK leaving the EU. The first December election in Britain since 1923 will be one of the hardest to forecast in years. Brexit has scrambled voters' traditional loyalties and is giving smaller rivals a chance to challenge the two biggest parties, Johnson's Conservative Party and the left-of-centre Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn. Opinion polls show the Conservatives are well ahead of Labour, but analysts caution the overshadowing issue of Brexit, which has divided both major parties and their voters, could confound conventional calculations. Johnson will urge voters to back the Conservatives and say that if Labour is elected, they face the prospect of two more referendums, one on Britain's membership of the EU, and another on Scottish independence, which risks ripping apart the United Kingdom. "We face a historic choice. At this election, the country can either move forwards with policies that will deliver years of growth and prosperity, or it can disappear into an intellectual cul-de-sac of far-left Corbynism," Johnson will say. "We can honour the wishes of the people, or else we can waste more time."

Boris Johnson to declare Britain can end 'the groundhoggery of Brexit'

Britain will lose influence in international affairs and become a "second-rate player" after it leaves the European Union, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday.

Backers of Britain's 2016 vote to exit the EU, the world's largest trading bloc, say that the country - the world's fifth-largest economy - will achieve a new global status unshackled from EU rules and closer to the United States.

Tusk said only a united Europe could confront an assertive China and play an effective global role.

"I have heard repeatedly from Brexiteers that they wanted to leave the European Union to make the United Kingdom global again, believing that only alone, it can truly be great...," Tusk said in a speech at the College of Europe in the Belgian city of Bruges.

"But the reality is exactly the opposite. Only as part of a united Europe can the UK play a global role, only together can we confront, without any complexes, the greatest powers of this world. And the world knows it," said Tusk, who has chaired EU summits for the past five years and been an influential voice in European politics.

"I have heard the same in India, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and South Africa - that after its departure, the UK will become an outsider, a second-rate player."

Tusk has repeatedly voiced a wish for Britain to change its mind and stay in the EU. The former Polish prime minister will step down from his post on December&nbsp;1, handing over to former Belgian prime minister Charles Michel

Britain is set to leave the bloc on January&nbsp;31, 2020, if British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wins a majority in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">next month's election</a> and thereby secures parliamentary ratification of his EU withdrawal deal.

London remains a powerful financial centre and Britain has long been the United States' closest military ally.

But Britain's status as an influential power in the EU has also given it clout to diverge from Washington when it disagrees - something it has frequently done since US&nbsp;President Donald Trump came to office.

Many Western diplomats believe Britain after Brexit must be careful not alienate itself from other friendly countries who have a more multilateral approach to world politics than Trump.

"'Why are they doing this?' – I was asked this regretful question everywhere I went,", Tusk said. "One of my English friends is probably right when he says with melancholy that Brexit is the real end of the British Empire."

Britain will lose influence in international affairs and become a "second-rate player" after it leaves the European Union, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday.

Britain will lose influence in international affairs and become a "second-rate player" after it leaves the European Union, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday. Backers of Britain's 2016 vote to exit the EU, the world's largest trading bloc, say that the country - the world's fifth-largest economy - will achieve a new global status unshackled from EU rules and closer to the United States. Tusk said only a united Europe could confront an assertive China and play an effective global role. "I have heard repeatedly from Brexiteers that they wanted to leave the European Union to make the United Kingdom global again, believing that only alone, it can truly be great...," Tusk said in a speech at the College of Europe in the Belgian city of Bruges. "But the reality is exactly the opposite. Only as part of a united Europe can the UK play a global role, only together can we confront, without any complexes, the greatest powers of this world. And the world knows it," said Tusk, who has chaired EU summits for the past five years and been an influential voice in European politics. "I have heard the same in India, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and South Africa - that after its departure, the UK will become an outsider, a second-rate player." Tusk has repeatedly voiced a wish for Britain to change its mind and stay in the EU. The former Polish prime minister will step down from his post on December 1, handing over to former Belgian prime minister Charles Michel Britain is set to leave the bloc on January 31, 2020, if British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wins a majority in next month's election and thereby secures parliamentary ratification of his EU withdrawal deal. London remains a powerful financial centre and Britain has long been the United States' closest military ally. But Britain's status as an influential power in the EU has also given it clout to diverge from Washington when it disagrees - something it has frequently done since US President Donald Trump came to office. Many Western diplomats believe Britain after Brexit must be careful not alienate itself from other friendly countries who have a more multilateral approach to world politics than Trump. "'Why are they doing this?' – I was asked this regretful question everywhere I went,", Tusk said. "One of my English friends is probably right when he says with melancholy that Brexit is the real end of the British Empire."

Britain to become 'second rate' in the world after Brexit: European Union President Donald Tusk

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that she expected Britain's parliament to approve British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's divorce deal with the European Union.

The United Kingdom voted by 52 per cent-48 per cent&nbsp;in 2016 to quit the EU, albeit without deciding how it would be done. Parliament, however, has been deadlocked since a 2017 snap election over how, when and even whether to leave.

Johnson, who had promised to deliver Brexit on October&nbsp;31 "do or die", demanded a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">December&nbsp;12 election</a> after parliament - where he has no majority - frustrated his attempts to ratify the last-minute divorce deal he struck with the EU in October.

"I give this treaty a very, very big chance of being agreed to in Britain too and that would be good for all of us," Merkel told a business event in Berlin.

Johnson on Monday won the most significant boost of the election campaign to date when Nigel Farage's Brexit Party pulled out of 317 Conservative-held seats in a bid to prevent opponents of Brexit controlling the next parliament.

The move dramatically increases the chances that Johnson will stay as prime minister before finally delivering on the 2016 referendum result to take Britain out of the European Union.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that she expected Britain's parliament to approve British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's divorce deal with the European Union.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that she expected Britain's parliament to approve British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's divorce deal with the European Union. The United Kingdom voted by 52 per cent-48 per cent in 2016 to quit the EU, albeit without deciding how it would be done. Parliament, however, has been deadlocked since a 2017 snap election over how, when and even whether to leave. Johnson, who had promised to deliver Brexit on October 31 "do or die", demanded a December 12 election after parliament - where he has no majority - frustrated his attempts to ratify the last-minute divorce deal he struck with the EU in October. "I give this treaty a very, very big chance of being agreed to in Britain too and that would be good for all of us," Merkel told a business event in Berlin. Johnson on Monday won the most significant boost of the election campaign to date when Nigel Farage's Brexit Party pulled out of 317 Conservative-held seats in a bid to prevent opponents of Brexit controlling the next parliament. The move dramatically increases the chances that Johnson will stay as prime minister before finally delivering on the 2016 referendum result to take Britain out of the European Union.

Think British parliament will approve Brexit deal: Germany's Merkel

Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz announced his retirement from the parliament on Sunday, weeks after Commons Standards Committee recommended he should be handed a six-month suspension over cocaine and prostitute scandal.

The 62-year-old was found to have "expressed a willingness" to purchase cocaine for others during an encounter with male prostitutes. Subsequently, he had faced calls to step down, including his own party.

A Labour MP for Leicester East from the past 32 years, Vaz announced his retirement, clearing he will not stand in the next month's General Elections, reported the Independent.

"I have decided to retire after completing 32 years as the Member of Parliament for Leicester East," Vaz said in a statement. "In that time I have won eight general elections. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve my constituency since I came to the city in 1985." "I want to thank the people of Leicester East for their absolute loyalty and support," he added.

Reacting to Vaz's announcement, Labour party leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-presses-election-rival-jeremy-corbyn-to-explain-brexit-stance-260104">Jeremy Corbyn</a> described him as "among the pioneering group of black and Asian Labour MPs elected in 1987."

"Keith has made a substantial and significant contribution to public life, both as a constituency MP for the people of Leicester and for the Asian community across the country. He has helped to pave the way for more BAME people to become involved in politics," Corbyn said.

Vaz's resignation comes after the standards committee found he "caused significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons".

Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz announced his retirement from the parliament on Sunday, weeks after Commons Standards Committee recommended he should be handed a six-month suspension over cocaine and prostitute scandal.

Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz announced his retirement from the parliament on Sunday, weeks after Commons Standards Committee recommended he should be handed a six-month suspension over cocaine and prostitute scandal. The 62-year-old was found to have "expressed a willingness" to purchase cocaine for others during an encounter with male prostitutes. Subsequently, he had faced calls to step down, including his own party. A Labour MP for Leicester East from the past 32 years, Vaz announced his retirement, clearing he will not stand in the next month's General Elections, reported the Independent. "I have decided to retire after completing 32 years as the Member of Parliament for Leicester East," Vaz said in a statement. "In that time I have won eight general elections. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve my constituency since I came to the city in 1985." "I want to thank the people of Leicester East for their absolute loyalty and support," he added. Reacting to Vaz's announcement, Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn described him as "among the pioneering group of black and Asian Labour MPs elected in 1987." "Keith has made a substantial and significant contribution to public life, both as a constituency MP for the people of Leicester and for the Asian community across the country. He has helped to pave the way for more BAME people to become involved in politics," Corbyn said. Vaz's resignation comes after the standards committee found he "caused significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons".

Longest-serving British Indian MP announces retirement

The UK Border Force intercepted a boat Sunday carrying 22 migrants as public attention refocused on people smuggling following the death of 39 Vietnamese nationals in a truck near London.

Britain's interior ministry said the operation brought to 44 the number of people picked up in the English Channel since Friday.

No information about their nationalities or ages and gender were revealed.

Hundreds of migrants try to enter Britain annually through the world's busiest waterway using unsafe boats.

The role human traffickers play in such operations came under new scrutiny after the Vietnamese tragedy.

The victims' bodies were discovered in a refrigerated truck near London. The British driver has been charged with manslaughter and other offences.

None of the 11 people detained in Vietnam's own investigation has been formally charged.

The UK Border Force intercepted a boat Sunday carrying 22 migrants as public attention refocused on people smuggling following the death of 39 Vietnamese nationals in a truck near London.

The UK Border Force intercepted a boat Sunday carrying 22 migrants as public attention refocused on people smuggling following the death of 39 Vietnamese nationals in a truck near London. Britain's interior ministry said the operation brought to 44 the number of people picked up in the English Channel since Friday. No information about their nationalities or ages and gender were revealed. Hundreds of migrants try to enter Britain annually through the world's busiest waterway using unsafe boats. The role human traffickers play in such operations came under new scrutiny after the Vietnamese tragedy. The victims' bodies were discovered in a refrigerated truck near London. The British driver has been charged with manslaughter and other offences. None of the 11 people detained in Vietnam's own investigation has been formally charged.

Britain detains 22 migrants in English Channel

Britain's top military adviser accused Russia on Sunday of "reckless" behaviour that violated international norms and risked sparking a war.

Chief of Defence Staff General Nick Carter said Moscow was operating in a "grey zone" that weaponised information and used unattributable proxies in conflicts.

He pointed to covert operations by the Wagner Group,&nbsp;a private army the Kremlin denies funding,&nbsp;in Syria and Africa as well as disinformation campaigns as two types of new threats

"Russia is much more assertive than it was 10 years ago. It's got some self-confidence now as it reasserts itself as a global power," Carter told BBC television.

"Cyber is part of that, what happens in space is part of that, disinformation, subversion, manipulation, assassinations, and of course the use of mercenaries, which are very easily undeclared and non-attributable," he said.

"Reckless behaviour and the lack of respect for international law relating to these new types of 'weapons' risks escalation that could easily lead to inadvertent miscalculation," Carter separately wrote in The Sunday Telegraph.

Russian President Vladimir Putin flatly denies the Kremlin's involvement in cyber and ground operations that Western intelligence agencies and analysts pin on Moscow.

But Carter said this "deniability" is a tactic now being perfected by Britain's main foes.

His media appearances are timed to remind Britons of the challenges they still face on Remembrance Sunday,&nbsp;the day the country honours those who fought and died in World War I and subsequent conflicts.

It also comes with US President Donald Trump wavering on Washington's commitment to the NATO military alliance and French President Emmanuel Macron promoting the idea of a European army.

Britain wants to preserve NATO as it prepares to leave the European Union after nearly 50 years.

"I have seen absolutely no evidence of any military planning to suggest that we are going to have a European army, and no declaration to that end has been made," Carter told the BBC.

Britain's top military adviser accused Russia on Sunday of "reckless" behaviour that violated international norms and risked sparking a war. Chief of Defence Staff General Nick Carter said Moscow was operating in a "grey zone" that weaponised information and used unattributable proxies in conflicts.

Britain's top military adviser accused Russia on Sunday of "reckless" behaviour that violated international norms and risked sparking a war. Chief of Defence Staff General Nick Carter said Moscow was operating in a "grey zone" that weaponised information and used unattributable proxies in conflicts. He pointed to covert operations by the Wagner Group, a private army the Kremlin denies funding, in Syria and Africa as well as disinformation campaigns as two types of new threats "Russia is much more assertive than it was 10 years ago. It's got some self-confidence now as it reasserts itself as a global power," Carter told BBC television. "Cyber is part of that, what happens in space is part of that, disinformation, subversion, manipulation, assassinations, and of course the use of mercenaries, which are very easily undeclared and non-attributable," he said. "Reckless behaviour and the lack of respect for international law relating to these new types of 'weapons' risks escalation that could easily lead to inadvertent miscalculation," Carter separately wrote in The Sunday Telegraph. Russian President Vladimir Putin flatly denies the Kremlin's involvement in cyber and ground operations that Western intelligence agencies and analysts pin on Moscow. But Carter said this "deniability" is a tactic now being perfected by Britain's main foes. His media appearances are timed to remind Britons of the challenges they still face on Remembrance Sunday, the day the country honours those who fought and died in World War I and subsequent conflicts. It also comes with US President Donald Trump wavering on Washington's commitment to the NATO military alliance and French President Emmanuel Macron promoting the idea of a European army. Britain wants to preserve NATO as it prepares to leave the European Union after nearly 50 years. "I have seen absolutely no evidence of any military planning to suggest that we are going to have a European army, and no declaration to that end has been made," Carter told the BBC.

Britain's top general warns calls Russian behaviour 'reckless', violation of international norms

W Series champion Jamie Chadwick has taken a step closer to Formula One this year but her dream of one day competing at the pinnacle of motor racing feels further away than ever.

The Briton, who collected $500,000 for winning the inaugural all-female single-seater title, celebrated her 21st birthday in May with a new role as a development driver for the Williams F1 team.

She is also one of four finalists for the BRDC Young Driver of the Year award, which is co-sponsored by Red Bull's title partners Aston Martin and whose main prize is a Formula One test.

The experience of being on the inside of the Grand Prix paddock has made her realise just how much more she has to do, however.

Asked whether she felt closer to becoming the first female Formula One driver since 1976, she replied: "To be completely honest, further away.

"Not in a bad way, in a really refreshing way, I feel I know what I need to now learn in the next few years. I’m not going to rush that. I’m not going to try and cheat it," Chadwick added.

Those who enquire on social media whether she might replace departing Williams driver Robert Kubica were living in a fantasy world, not only because Chadwick lacks a super licence but also because she is nowhere near ready.

Her world is very different to that of Mercedes' six times world champion Lewis Hamilton, an admired compatriot she has yet to meet.

"I need the time to develop and if I get to Formula One I want to be the best possible driver to make the mark I need to make," said Chadwick.

While the Williams role has been mostly simulator-based, her work has a direct correlation to what happens at the track.

Williams previously had Susie Wolff, now retired and a team principal in the all-electric Formula E series, in a similar role and gave the Scot track time in some Friday practice sessions.

Chadwick indicated she would be pushing for such an opportunity.

"In terms of getting in the car, that’s an ongoing discussion. We’re sort of pushing as hard as we can but we’ll see," she said.

"If we can continue the relationship into next year, and if I can continue to do the best possible job in the sim, then that hopefully gives me a justifiable reason to potentially test the car at a future date."

Chadwick will be back to defend her W Series title next year, hoping to then join the men climbing the motorsport ladder.

"At the moment although the first year and the exposure has been absolutely incredible, I haven’t quite managed to secure the (financial) support to go to, say, FIA F3," she said.

"Hopefully off the back of a strong second year’s campaign... that’s going to give me that opportunity."

W Series champion Jamie Chadwick has taken a step closer to Formula One this year but her dream of one day competing at the pinnacle of motor racing feels further away than ever.

W Series champion Jamie Chadwick has taken a step closer to Formula One this year but her dream of one day competing at the pinnacle of motor racing feels further away than ever. The Briton, who collected $500,000 for winning the inaugural all-female single-seater title, celebrated her 21st birthday in May with a new role as a development driver for the Williams F1 team. She is also one of four finalists for the BRDC Young Driver of the Year award, which is co-sponsored by Red Bull's title partners Aston Martin and whose main prize is a Formula One test. The experience of being on the inside of the Grand Prix paddock has made her realise just how much more she has to do, however. Asked whether she felt closer to becoming the first female Formula One driver since 1976, she replied: "To be completely honest, further away. "Not in a bad way, in a really refreshing way, I feel I know what I need to now learn in the next few years. I’m not going to rush that. I’m not going to try and cheat it," Chadwick added. Those who enquire on social media whether she might replace departing Williams driver Robert Kubica were living in a fantasy world, not only because Chadwick lacks a super licence but also because she is nowhere near ready. Her world is very different to that of Mercedes' six times world champion Lewis Hamilton, an admired compatriot she has yet to meet. "I need the time to develop and if I get to Formula One I want to be the best possible driver to make the mark I need to make," said Chadwick. While the Williams role has been mostly simulator-based, her work has a direct correlation to what happens at the track. Williams previously had Susie Wolff, now retired and a team principal in the all-electric Formula E series, in a similar role and gave the Scot track time in some Friday practice sessions. Chadwick indicated she would be pushing for such an opportunity. "In terms of getting in the car, that’s an ongoing discussion. We’re sort of pushing as hard as we can but we’ll see," she said. "If we can continue the relationship into next year, and if I can continue to do the best possible job in the sim, then that hopefully gives me a justifiable reason to potentially test the car at a future date." Chadwick will be back to defend her W Series title next year, hoping to then join the men climbing the motorsport ladder. "At the moment although the first year and the exposure has been absolutely incredible, I haven’t quite managed to secure the (financial) support to go to, say, FIA F3," she said. "Hopefully off the back of a strong second year’s campaign... that’s going to give me that opportunity."

Chadwick feels Formula One is further away the closer she gets

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrian-talks-to-reconvene-in-geneva-on-november-25-un-envoy-260850">Syria summit</a> will be held in early December between the leaders of Turkey, France, Germany and Britain in London, the Turkish presidency said Friday.

"It was decided to organise this four-way summit on the sidelines of the NATO summit scheduled in London on December 3 and 4," Anadolu state news agency quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's advisor Ibrahim Kalin as saying.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tayyip-erdogan-says-united-states-not-fulfilling-syria-deal-ahead-of-doanld-trump-talks-260531">Erdogan</a> is expected to sit down with Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Boris Johnson at a time of high tensions in the NATO alliance over Turkey's offensive last month against Kurdish militants, who had been a key ally for the West against the Islamic State group.&nbsp;

Erdogan has accused Western governments of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/examining-security-implications-of-turkish-invasion-of-syria-260554">"siding with terrorists"</a> over their NATO ally.

Turkey sees the Syrian Kurdish militants as an off-shoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 and is considered a terrorist organisation by the European Union and United States.&nbsp;

The Turkish offensive was halted by two ceasefires organised with Moscow and Washington, but Ankara has threatened to resume hostilities if Kurdish forces do not fully withdraw from an agreed 30-kilometre-deep zone along the Turkish border.&nbsp;

A Syria summit will be held in early December between the leaders of Turkey, France, Germany and Britain in London, the Turkish presidency said Friday. "It was decided to organise this four-way summit on the sidelines of the NATO summit scheduled in London on December 3 and 4," Anadolu state news agency quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's advisor Ibrahim Kalin as saying.

A Syria summit will be held in early December between the leaders of Turkey, France, Germany and Britain in London, the Turkish presidency said Friday. "It was decided to organise this four-way summit on the sidelines of the NATO summit scheduled in London on December 3 and 4," Anadolu state news agency quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's advisor Ibrahim Kalin as saying. Erdogan is expected to sit down with Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Boris Johnson at a time of high tensions in the NATO alliance over Turkey's offensive last month against Kurdish militants, who had been a key ally for the West against the Islamic State group. Erdogan has accused Western governments of "siding with terrorists" over their NATO ally. Turkey sees the Syrian Kurdish militants as an off-shoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 and is considered a terrorist organisation by the European Union and United States. The Turkish offensive was halted by two ceasefires organised with Moscow and Washington, but Ankara has threatened to resume hostilities if Kurdish forces do not fully withdraw from an agreed 30-kilometre-deep zone along the Turkish border.

Turkey, Britain, France, Germany to hold Syria summit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to fire up supporters with a Brexit rallying cry on Wednesday after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-prime-minister-boris-johnson-vows-to-get-brexit-done-compares-opposition-rival-jeremy-corbyn-to-stalin-260346">first day of his election campaign</a> was marred by a ministerial resignation, a gaffe about a deadly tower blaze and a doctored video advert.

Johnson called a snap Dec. 12 election in a bid to break the Brexit deadlock that he says has paralysed Britain for more than three years and had started to undermine confidence in the world's fifth largest economy.

But just an hour after meeting Queen Elizabeth to formally begin the campaign, Johnson's minister for Wales, Alun Cairns, resigned after being accused of lying about his knowledge about an aide who allegedly sabotaged a rape trial..

At the start of the campaign, Johnson's Conservatives enjoy a lead over the opposition Labour Party of between 7 and 17 percentage points, though pollsters warn that their models are wilting beside the Brexit furnace.

Johnson held a rally in Birmingham, casting the election as the most important in a generation and setting out the campaign message he will take across the country.

"Let's get Brexit done, my friends, and get on with our project of sensible, moderate, but tax-cutting one-nation Conservatism," he said to loud cheers from party supporters waving banners promoting health, education and policing reforms.

Johnson said Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn hated wealth and was thus like Soviet leader Josef Stalin - who sent millions to their deaths in labour camps. Corbyn said such remarks were "nonsense" that the super-rich came up with to avoid paying more tax.

Earlier, Conservative Party Chairman James Cleverly spent the morning defending distributing a doctored video clip of a rival Labour politician instead of touting Johnson's election campaign launch.

Another prominent Conservative, Jacob Rees-Mogg, apologised on Tuesday after he suggested that victims of the 2017 blaze at London's Grenfell Tower should have used common sense to ignore firefighters' instructions to stay in the burning building.

Election gamble

Johnson, 55, hopes he will win a big enough majority in parliament to get the Brexit deal he agreed with Brussels last month ratified and lead Britain out of the European Union in January.

He said the alternative was an unstable coalition led by Corbyn that would bring a "horror show" year in 2020 of fresh referendums on EU membership and Scottish independence.

Johnson painted Labour's Corbyn as a socialist wrecker determined to usher in yet more political crisis.

"They pretend that their hatred is directed only at certain billionaires – and they point their fingers at individuals with a relish and a vindictiveness not seen since Stalin persecuted the kulaks," Johnson wrote in an article for the Daily Telegraph newspaper. "They would destroy the very basis of this country's prosperity."

Millions of people were executed under Stalin and many more perished from abuse and disease in a vast network of prison camps, known as the Gulags. Relatively affluent farmers, known as kulaks, were among the groups targeted.

Corbyn, speaking at a campaign event in the English town of Telford, said Labour would deliver real change and share power and wealth with people who "don't have friends in high places".

He also cautioned against believing the consensus view that Johnson was assured victory, citing the 2017 election when Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, bet on calling a snap election when also far ahead in the polls but lost her majority.

"In the 2017 election, there were queues of experts ... lining up at the beginning of the campaign to write off the Labour Party, and what happened then?" Corbyn said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to fire up supporters with a Brexit rallying cry on Wednesday after the first day of his election campaign was marred by a ministerial resignation, a gaffe about a deadly tower blaze and a doctored video advert.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to fire up supporters with a Brexit rallying cry on Wednesday after the first day of his election campaign was marred by a ministerial resignation, a gaffe about a deadly tower blaze and a doctored video advert. Johnson called a snap Dec. 12 election in a bid to break the Brexit deadlock that he says has paralysed Britain for more than three years and had started to undermine confidence in the world's fifth largest economy. But just an hour after meeting Queen Elizabeth to formally begin the campaign, Johnson's minister for Wales, Alun Cairns, resigned after being accused of lying about his knowledge about an aide who allegedly sabotaged a rape trial.. At the start of the campaign, Johnson's Conservatives enjoy a lead over the opposition Labour Party of between 7 and 17 percentage points, though pollsters warn that their models are wilting beside the Brexit furnace. Johnson held a rally in Birmingham, casting the election as the most important in a generation and setting out the campaign message he will take across the country. "Let's get Brexit done, my friends, and get on with our project of sensible, moderate, but tax-cutting one-nation Conservatism," he said to loud cheers from party supporters waving banners promoting health, education and policing reforms. Johnson said Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn hated wealth and was thus like Soviet leader Josef Stalin - who sent millions to their deaths in labour camps. Corbyn said such remarks were "nonsense" that the super-rich came up with to avoid paying more tax. Earlier, Conservative Party Chairman James Cleverly spent the morning defending distributing a doctored video clip of a rival Labour politician instead of touting Johnson's election campaign launch. Another prominent Conservative, Jacob Rees-Mogg, apologised on Tuesday after he suggested that victims of the 2017 blaze at London's Grenfell Tower should have used common sense to ignore firefighters' instructions to stay in the burning building. Election gamble Johnson, 55, hopes he will win a big enough majority in parliament to get the Brexit deal he agreed with Brussels last month ratified and lead Britain out of the European Union in January. He said the alternative was an unstable coalition led by Corbyn that would bring a "horror show" year in 2020 of fresh referendums on EU membership and Scottish independence. Johnson painted Labour's Corbyn as a socialist wrecker determined to usher in yet more political crisis. "They pretend that their hatred is directed only at certain billionaires – and they point their fingers at individuals with a relish and a vindictiveness not seen since Stalin persecuted the kulaks," Johnson wrote in an article for the Daily Telegraph newspaper. "They would destroy the very basis of this country's prosperity." Millions of people were executed under Stalin and many more perished from abuse and disease in a vast network of prison camps, known as the Gulags. Relatively affluent farmers, known as kulaks, were among the groups targeted. Corbyn, speaking at a campaign event in the English town of Telford, said Labour would deliver real change and share power and wealth with people who "don't have friends in high places". He also cautioned against believing the consensus view that Johnson was assured victory, citing the 2017 election when Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, bet on calling a snap election when also far ahead in the polls but lost her majority. "In the 2017 election, there were queues of experts ... lining up at the beginning of the campaign to write off the Labour Party, and what happened then?" Corbyn said.

Boris Johnson's election campaign launch marred by gaffe, resignation, doctored video

Formula E racer Sam Bird is hardly leaping into the unknown this season after five years in the all-electric series, but the Briton could be jumping into the River Thames come July.

The 32-year-old told reporters on Tuesday, as he looked forward to season six that starts in Saudi Arabia on November&nbsp;22-23, that he was prepared to take the plunge if he won his home London round.

If his Virgin Racing team have to throw him a lifeline, it would not be the first time.

Bird was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-painting-masterpiece-with-sixth-drivers-title-259841">Lewis Hamilton's</a> Mercedes Formula One teammate in 2013,&nbsp;living the dream as a test and reserve driver while also finishing runner-up in the GP2 support series.

And then it ended. Cut loose, he found himself in a single bedroom apartment with the electricity supply cut off and no money to pay the bills.

The Briton remembers calling his parents in tears, telling them he would have to give up and become a personal trainer, before Virgin called to offer a seat in the first all-electric series.

"I owe Formula E everything. It resurrected my career," he said.

Fast forward, and Bird is his country's top electric driver while Hamilton probes ever deeper into the realms of greatness with his sixth Formula One championship.

The contrast between their career paths is not lost on Bird, who is in no risk of being mobbed when he steps out into central London, but he has no doubt his compatriot deserves all the recognition.

"He has to be considered as the greatest ever now, surely?," he said.

"I’ve worked with him and seen what he can do, data-wise. I’ve never said it about any other driver, but he did things where you just think ‘I cannot do that. My skill level will just not allow me to do what he does’.

"I worked with two other incredible drivers at Mercedes but you always felt like you could do it. Given enough time in the car, I felt I could do what they did. But with him sometimes there’s things that you just think, well that’s not achievable."

Hamilton had arrived from McLaren to replace seven times champion Michael Schumacher alongside Nico Rosberg for the start of 2013 and would go on to win five of the next six championships.

As one Briton took off, the other fell to earth with a bump.

"I parted ways with Mercedes and all of a sudden I literally had nothing. I had no money and no income. I didn’t have any money that I’d saved up or anything like that," said Bird.

"My electricity got cut off. I couldn’t afford my council tax bill."

In Formula E, he has found a new life - a race winner in every season so far with a total of eight victories, Bird is third in the winners' list,&nbsp;and third overall in 2017-18.

This season he will be up against a works Mercedes team for the first time, with the German carmaker joining Porsche as debutants.

"I tend not to try and race with emotion. To me it’s just another team that I need to beat in order to be the best," said the Briton.

"It’s great to have them on the grid. But it would be nice to keep them behind me."

Formula E racer Sam Bird is hardly leaping into the unknown this season after five years in the all-electric series, but the Briton could be jumping into the River Thames come July.

Formula E racer Sam Bird is hardly leaping into the unknown this season after five years in the all-electric series, but the Briton could be jumping into the River Thames come July. The 32-year-old told reporters on Tuesday, as he looked forward to season six that starts in Saudi Arabia on November 22-23, that he was prepared to take the plunge if he won his home London round. If his Virgin Racing team have to throw him a lifeline, it would not be the first time. Bird was Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes Formula One teammate in 2013, living the dream as a test and reserve driver while also finishing runner-up in the GP2 support series. And then it ended. Cut loose, he found himself in a single bedroom apartment with the electricity supply cut off and no money to pay the bills. The Briton remembers calling his parents in tears, telling them he would have to give up and become a personal trainer, before Virgin called to offer a seat in the first all-electric series. "I owe Formula E everything. It resurrected my career," he said. Fast forward, and Bird is his country's top electric driver while Hamilton probes ever deeper into the realms of greatness with his sixth Formula One championship. The contrast between their career paths is not lost on Bird, who is in no risk of being mobbed when he steps out into central London, but he has no doubt his compatriot deserves all the recognition. "He has to be considered as the greatest ever now, surely?," he said. "I’ve worked with him and seen what he can do, data-wise. I’ve never said it about any other driver, but he did things where you just think ‘I cannot do that. My skill level will just not allow me to do what he does’. "I worked with two other incredible drivers at Mercedes but you always felt like you could do it. Given enough time in the car, I felt I could do what they did. But with him sometimes there’s things that you just think, well that’s not achievable." Hamilton had arrived from McLaren to replace seven times champion Michael Schumacher alongside Nico Rosberg for the start of 2013 and would go on to win five of the next six championships. As one Briton took off, the other fell to earth with a bump. "I parted ways with Mercedes and all of a sudden I literally had nothing. I had no money and no income. I didn’t have any money that I’d saved up or anything like that," said Bird. "My electricity got cut off. I couldn’t afford my council tax bill." In Formula E, he has found a new life - a race winner in every season so far with a total of eight victories, Bird is third in the winners' list, and third overall in 2017-18. This season he will be up against a works Mercedes team for the first time, with the German carmaker joining Porsche as debutants. "I tend not to try and race with emotion. To me it’s just another team that I need to beat in order to be the best," said the Briton. "It’s great to have them on the grid. But it would be nice to keep them behind me."

Sam Bird ready to take the plunge as Formula E turns six

British MPs on Monday selected veteran Labour lawmaker Lindsay Hoyle to be parliament's new speaker, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-mps-vote-on-new-speaker-after-bercows-departure-259774">replacing John Bercow</a> in a role once little-noticed but now reshaped by the fractious turmoil over Brexit.

Hoyle, a Labour MP for 22 years and Bercow's deputy since 2010, beat out six other contenders in a protracted day of voting in the House of Commons, winning the support of 325 of 540 members of parliament in a fourth and final round of votes.

Bercow, whose shouts of "Order! Order!" have rung out across the famous chamber since June 2009, stood down on Thursday, having enraged the ruling Conservatives with a series of decisions they saw as trying to stymie Brexit.

The 56-year-old vehemently denied ever taking sides in the parliamentary tumult over Britain's stalled withdrawal from the European Union but earned praise from pro-Europeans and a global following with his rulings and outsized personality.

Hoyle, the favourite to fill his shoes ahead of Monday's vote, won the first three rounds of voting,&nbsp;knocking out political heavyweight Harriet Harman, the longest-serving female MP,&nbsp;but each time fell short of the required absolute majority.

But in the last round of voting which pitted him against fellow Labour MP Chris Bryant, he finally garnered 60 per cent of lawmakers' votes.

"It's about the challenges ahead for me and this chamber," Hoyle told MPs after being dragged to the speaker's elevated green chair, in keeping with parliamentary tradition.

"We've got to make sure that tarnish is polished away," he added, in reference to recent rancour in the House of Commons largely over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-boris-johnson-rejects-calls-for-no-deal-brexit-in-election-pitch-259559">Brexit</a>.

Welcoming him to the role, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Over the years I have observed that you have many good qualities."

Johnson added Hoyle would bring his "signature kindness and reasonableness to our proceedings."

However, Hoyle will not have too long to get comfortable as parliament will be dissolved late Tuesday for the December 12 election, after which he will return to sit in the speaker's green chair.

The new speaker will now give up his party affiliation while rival parties are traditionally not expected to field a candidate to contest his seat in elections.

Chosing a new speaker has been an unremarkable event in the past, but Bercow became a key player in the chaotic process of Britain's exit from the European Union.

With the Commons divided over how, when and even if Brexit should happen, Bercow oversaw more than three years of crucial debates that defined the course of Brexit.

His supporters say he has empowered ordinary MPs by granting time for emergency debates and amendments, which had the effect of pressuring or even tying ministers' hands.

But critics accused him of subverting centuries of parliamentary tradition with the aim of frustrating Brexit.

Bercow, who was a Conservative MP before he took on the politically neutral role of speaker, has also been accused of failing to tackle a culture of bullying.

Last week, Johnson paid guarded tribute, likening Bercow's glare to a "trademark Tony Montana scowl", after Al Pacino's character in the 1983 film "Scarface".

Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn praised Bercow's modernising reforms, which included increasing staff diversity, boosting public access to parliament and switching from traditional robes to suits.

But it was his colourful personality and eccentric performances in parliament that gave him an international profile.

A social media mash-up by German television of footage of Bercow calming rowdy MPs has been seen more than a million times. A Belgian newspaper called him "irreplaceable".

If Johnson succeeds in his goal of winning a majority in the December election,&nbsp;as opinion polls suggest,&nbsp;the next speaker's job could be fairly straightforward as chair of debates.

But if he fails and there is another minority government, the new arrival will have to arbitrate between yet another group of divided MPs.

As a veteran Labour MP and as Bercow's deputy Hoyle has often sat in the speaker's chair in his place, when his distinctive Lancashire accent would grace the Commons.

The 62-year-old is as unimpressed as his predecessor by the shouting and braying from MPs, once chastising Scottish Nationalists for humming the EU anthem "Ode to Joy" in the chamber.

Hoyle pledged in an interview published in the Sunday Times,&nbsp;in which he introduced his parrot "Boris",&nbsp;to repair what he claims has become a "toxic parliament".

"I don't want the abuse of each other and I think we have got to close that down quickly and make sure it is a calmer place to be," he said.

Bryant, an openly gay former Church of England vicar, was a surprise finalist in the contest, winning 213 of the 540 votes in the last round.

British MPs on Monday selected veteran Labour lawmaker Lindsay Hoyle to be parliament's new speaker, replacing John Bercow in a role once little-noticed but now reshaped by the fractious turmoil over Brexit.

British MPs on Monday selected veteran Labour lawmaker Lindsay Hoyle to be parliament's new speaker, replacing John Bercow in a role once little-noticed but now reshaped by the fractious turmoil over Brexit. Hoyle, a Labour MP for 22 years and Bercow's deputy since 2010, beat out six other contenders in a protracted day of voting in the House of Commons, winning the support of 325 of 540 members of parliament in a fourth and final round of votes. Bercow, whose shouts of "Order! Order!" have rung out across the famous chamber since June 2009, stood down on Thursday, having enraged the ruling Conservatives with a series of decisions they saw as trying to stymie Brexit. The 56-year-old vehemently denied ever taking sides in the parliamentary tumult over Britain's stalled withdrawal from the European Union but earned praise from pro-Europeans and a global following with his rulings and outsized personality. Hoyle, the favourite to fill his shoes ahead of Monday's vote, won the first three rounds of voting, knocking out political heavyweight Harriet Harman, the longest-serving female MP, but each time fell short of the required absolute majority. But in the last round of voting which pitted him against fellow Labour MP Chris Bryant, he finally garnered 60 per cent of lawmakers' votes. "It's about the challenges ahead for me and this chamber," Hoyle told MPs after being dragged to the speaker's elevated green chair, in keeping with parliamentary tradition. "We've got to make sure that tarnish is polished away," he added, in reference to recent rancour in the House of Commons largely over Brexit. Welcoming him to the role, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Over the years I have observed that you have many good qualities." Johnson added Hoyle would bring his "signature kindness and reasonableness to our proceedings." However, Hoyle will not have too long to get comfortable as parliament will be dissolved late Tuesday for the December 12 election, after which he will return to sit in the speaker's green chair. The new speaker will now give up his party affiliation while rival parties are traditionally not expected to field a candidate to contest his seat in elections. Chosing a new speaker has been an unremarkable event in the past, but Bercow became a key player in the chaotic process of Britain's exit from the European Union. With the Commons divided over how, when and even if Brexit should happen, Bercow oversaw more than three years of crucial debates that defined the course of Brexit. His supporters say he has empowered ordinary MPs by granting time for emergency debates and amendments, which had the effect of pressuring or even tying ministers' hands. But critics accused him of subverting centuries of parliamentary tradition with the aim of frustrating Brexit. Bercow, who was a Conservative MP before he took on the politically neutral role of speaker, has also been accused of failing to tackle a culture of bullying. Last week, Johnson paid guarded tribute, likening Bercow's glare to a "trademark Tony Montana scowl", after Al Pacino's character in the 1983 film "Scarface". Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn praised Bercow's modernising reforms, which included increasing staff diversity, boosting public access to parliament and switching from traditional robes to suits. But it was his colourful personality and eccentric performances in parliament that gave him an international profile. A social media mash-up by German television of footage of Bercow calming rowdy MPs has been seen more than a million times. A Belgian newspaper called him "irreplaceable". If Johnson succeeds in his goal of winning a majority in the December election, as opinion polls suggest, the next speaker's job could be fairly straightforward as chair of debates. But if he fails and there is another minority government, the new arrival will have to arbitrate between yet another group of divided MPs. As a veteran Labour MP and as Bercow's deputy Hoyle has often sat in the speaker's chair in his place, when his distinctive Lancashire accent would grace the Commons. The 62-year-old is as unimpressed as his predecessor by the shouting and braying from MPs, once chastising Scottish Nationalists for humming the EU anthem "Ode to Joy" in the chamber. Hoyle pledged in an interview published in the Sunday Times, in which he introduced his parrot "Boris", to repair what he claims has become a "toxic parliament". "I don't want the abuse of each other and I think we have got to close that down quickly and make sure it is a calmer place to be," he said. Bryant, an openly gay former Church of England vicar, was a surprise finalist in the contest, winning 213 of the 540 votes in the last round.

British MPs choose Lindsay Hoyle as parliament speaker to replace Bercow

Singer Ellie Goulding, actor Imelda Staunton, and model Daisy Lowe were among celebrities demanding that the governments act on climate change in a video campaign launched by Extinction Rebellion on Sunday ahead of Britain's December&nbsp;12 general election.

Extinction Rebellion launched in London a year ago, inspiring waves of colourful, disruptive actions around the world to call for rapid cuts in carbon emissions and the repair of collapsing ecosystems. Thousands of people have been arrested during protests.

The group's emphasis on the role that culture can play in shaping attitudes towards the twin climate and ecological crises has drawn support from a range of leading names from the worlds of music, fashion, art, and film.

The new video&nbsp;was created in a collaboration between film-maker Richard Curtis and Rankin, a creative agency headed by the British photographer of the same name. It features people aged 8 to 80 demanding a halt to the destruction of forests and oceans and the loss of plant, insect and animal species.

"Time has run out. It's act now or face almost unimaginable consequences for life on Earth," said British television presenter and naturalist Chris Packham.

"So if the drivers of change are asleep at the wheel, it's time to shake and wake them with one hand and to empower ourselves to make our own differences with the other," Packham said.

Among the best-known actors to feature in the film is Jim Carter. He played Mr. Carson the butler in 'Downton Abbey', a film and television series that won numerous awards for its portrayal of British aristocratic life in the early 20th century.

Other celebrities include Camilla Thurlow, who appeared in British hit reality series 'Love Island', film and television director Stephen Frears, and actor Jaime Winstone.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Smm_dWDSWMU" width="560"></iframe>

"This film must reach governments and ring the alarm bell to act now on the climate crisis we are all living in," Winstone said. "We must all ask of them #WhereIsYourPlan."

Singer Ellie Goulding, actor Imelda Staunton, and model Daisy Lowe were among celebrities demanding that the governments act on climate change in a video campaign launched by Extinction Rebellion on Sunday ahead of Britain's December 12 general election.

Singer Ellie Goulding, actor Imelda Staunton, and model Daisy Lowe were among celebrities demanding that the governments act on climate change in a video campaign launched by Extinction Rebellion on Sunday ahead of Britain's December 12 general election. Extinction Rebellion launched in London a year ago, inspiring waves of colourful, disruptive actions around the world to call for rapid cuts in carbon emissions and the repair of collapsing ecosystems. Thousands of people have been arrested during protests. The group's emphasis on the role that culture can play in shaping attitudes towards the twin climate and ecological crises has drawn support from a range of leading names from the worlds of music, fashion, art, and film. The new video was created in a collaboration between film-maker Richard Curtis and Rankin, a creative agency headed by the British photographer of the same name. It features people aged 8 to 80 demanding a halt to the destruction of forests and oceans and the loss of plant, insect and animal species. "Time has run out. It's act now or face almost unimaginable consequences for life on Earth," said British television presenter and naturalist Chris Packham. "So if the drivers of change are asleep at the wheel, it's time to shake and wake them with one hand and to empower ourselves to make our own differences with the other," Packham said. Among the best-known actors to feature in the film is Jim Carter. He played Mr. Carson the butler in 'Downton Abbey', a film and television series that won numerous awards for its portrayal of British aristocratic life in the early 20th century. Other celebrities include Camilla Thurlow, who appeared in British hit reality series 'Love Island', film and television director Stephen Frears, and actor Jaime Winstone. "This film must reach governments and ring the alarm bell to act now on the climate crisis we are all living in," Winstone said. "We must all ask of them #WhereIsYourPlan."

Celebrities back call for climate action in Extinction Rebellion video

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his failure to deliver <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-boris-johnson-rejects-calls-for-no-deal-brexit-in-election-pitch-259559">Brexit</a> last week as he had promised was a "matter of deep regret", but his deal remained to only way to get Britain out of the bloc.

"The only way out of the EU now, the only way to get Brexit done, is to go with the deal that we've got," he told Sky News in an interview at the start of his campaign for next month's election.

On the day Britain was supposed to have left the European Union, voters instead faced the start of an election campaign, with opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pledging to overthrow a "rigged system" he said was run by billionaires and tax dodgers.

After failing to deliver&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;by the October&nbsp;31 deadline, Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the December&nbsp;12 election to break what he cast as a political paralysis that had thwarted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdom-defends-brexit-deal-after-trumps-trade-warning-259275">Britain's departure</a> and undermined confidence in the economy.

Opinion polls suggest the election is Johnson's to lose. His Conservative Party is leading Labour by 15 to 17 percentage points, according to Ipsos Mori and YouGov. Yet the overshadowing issue of&nbsp;Brexit, which has divided both major parties and their voters, could confound conventional calculations.

While&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;frames the election, with Labour pledging to hold a second referendum on it, it is being fought by two of the most unconventional British politicians of recent years who offer starkly different visions for the world's fifth-largest economy.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his failure to deliver Brexit last week as he had promised was a "matter of deep regret", but his deal remained to only way to get Britain out of the bloc.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his failure to deliver Brexit last week as he had promised was a "matter of deep regret", but his deal remained to only way to get Britain out of the bloc. "The only way out of the EU now, the only way to get Brexit done, is to go with the deal that we've got," he told Sky News in an interview at the start of his campaign for next month's election. On the day Britain was supposed to have left the European Union, voters instead faced the start of an election campaign, with opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pledging to overthrow a "rigged system" he said was run by billionaires and tax dodgers. After failing to deliver Brexit by the October 31 deadline, Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the December 12 election to break what he cast as a political paralysis that had thwarted Britain's departure and undermined confidence in the economy. Opinion polls suggest the election is Johnson's to lose. His Conservative Party is leading Labour by 15 to 17 percentage points, according to Ipsos Mori and YouGov. Yet the overshadowing issue of Brexit, which has divided both major parties and their voters, could confound conventional calculations. While Brexit frames the election, with Labour pledging to hold a second referendum on it, it is being fought by two of the most unconventional British politicians of recent years who offer starkly different visions for the world's fifth-largest economy.

United Kingdom PM Johnson says his deal is only way to get Brexit done

John Bercow stepped down on Thursday after 10 years as speaker of Britain's House of Commons,&nbsp;a role that rocketed him into the heart of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-spins-towards-christmas-election-in-bid-to-break-brexit-deadlock-258700">Brexit battle</a>, and won him European fans.

The man in the middle of more than three years of fiery parliamentary debates has proved a controversial figure, loathed by pro-Brexit supporters and hailed by its foes.

Animated, verbose and with an idiosyncratic style, the 56-year-old Bercow has yelled "Order! Order!" more than 14,000 times during his tenure as the 157th speaker.

His detractors call him pompous -- one MP even branded him a "sanctimonious dwarf",&nbsp;but his backers say he has bolstered the rights of backbenchers to hold the government to account.

A social media mash-up by German television of Bercow trying to calm down rowdy MPs has been seen thousands of times. A Belgian newspaper called him "irreplaceable". &nbsp;

Dutch daily De Volksrant wrote: "The only order in British politics comes from John Bercow's mouth in these turbulent days."

Both Britain's main party leaders paid tribute to Bercow Wednesday as he chaired the weekly prime minister's questions session for the final time. 
&nbsp;

'Unreturnable volleys and smashes'

"Although we may disagree about some of the legislative innovations you have favoured, there is no doubt in my mind that you have been a great servant of this parliament and of this House of Commons," said Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Johnson, in his own inimitable style, said the tennis fan had been "peppering every part of the chamber with (his) own thoughts and opinions, like some uncontrollable tennis ball machine, delivering a series of literally unplayable, unreturnable volleys and smashes".

He also likened Bercow's glare to a "trademark Tony Montana scowl", after Al Pacino's character in the 1983 film "Scarface".

Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn added: "You've done so much to reform this House of Commons and our democracy is the stronger for the way you have done it."

Bercow will not stand in the December 12 general election.

His replacement as speaker will be chosen on Monday. Nine candidates are standing, including his three deputies and former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman.

Bercow's number two, Lindsay Hoyle, is the bookmakers' odds-on favourite to win.

By convention, the main parties give the speaker a clear run in a general election, standing down their candidates.

 
'Egotistical preening popinjay'

Born in 1963 into a modest family, Bercow grew up in London and was a child tennis champion, leading to his lifelong love of the sport, notably Swiss great Roger Federer.

He was always a Conservative, but in his youth held hard-right views that he now rejects.

He became an MP in 1997 and 12 years later was elected as speaker, becoming the youngest person to hold the role for 100 years.

While the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">Brexit clashes</a> came to dominate his tenure, Bercow also caused a stir by saying he would not allow US President Donald Trump to address parliament during a planned visit.

Bercow married Sally Illman in 2002 and they have three children.

She became a household name after posing for a photoshoot in Bercow's official residence in the Houses of Parliament draped only a sheet, and appearing on the "Celebrity Big Brother" reality television programme.

Critics say Bercow is filled with self-importance.

The Daily Mail newspaper called him an "egotistical preening popinjay" who had "shamelessly put his anti-Brexit bias before the national interest -- and is a disgrace to his office".

But Bercow's supporters say he has sought to modernise parliament, abandoning the speaker's traditional robes for a simple gown over a suit, and seeking to make it easier for female MPs with new babies.

John Bercow stepped down on Thursday after 10 years as speaker of Britain's House of Commons, a role that rocketed him into the heart of the Brexit battle, and won him European fans.

John Bercow stepped down on Thursday after 10 years as speaker of Britain's House of Commons, a role that rocketed him into the heart of the Brexit battle, and won him European fans. The man in the middle of more than three years of fiery parliamentary debates has proved a controversial figure, loathed by pro-Brexit supporters and hailed by its foes. Animated, verbose and with an idiosyncratic style, the 56-year-old Bercow has yelled "Order! Order!" more than 14,000 times during his tenure as the 157th speaker. His detractors call him pompous -- one MP even branded him a "sanctimonious dwarf", but his backers say he has bolstered the rights of backbenchers to hold the government to account. A social media mash-up by German television of Bercow trying to calm down rowdy MPs has been seen thousands of times. A Belgian newspaper called him "irreplaceable". Dutch daily De Volksrant wrote: "The only order in British politics comes from John Bercow's mouth in these turbulent days." Both Britain's main party leaders paid tribute to Bercow Wednesday as he chaired the weekly prime minister's questions session for the final time. 'Unreturnable volleys and smashes' "Although we may disagree about some of the legislative innovations you have favoured, there is no doubt in my mind that you have been a great servant of this parliament and of this House of Commons," said Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Johnson, in his own inimitable style, said the tennis fan had been "peppering every part of the chamber with (his) own thoughts and opinions, like some uncontrollable tennis ball machine, delivering a series of literally unplayable, unreturnable volleys and smashes". He also likened Bercow's glare to a "trademark Tony Montana scowl", after Al Pacino's character in the 1983 film "Scarface". Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn added: "You've done so much to reform this House of Commons and our democracy is the stronger for the way you have done it." Bercow will not stand in the December 12 general election. His replacement as speaker will be chosen on Monday. Nine candidates are standing, including his three deputies and former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman. Bercow's number two, Lindsay Hoyle, is the bookmakers' odds-on favourite to win. By convention, the main parties give the speaker a clear run in a general election, standing down their candidates. 'Egotistical preening popinjay' Born in 1963 into a modest family, Bercow grew up in London and was a child tennis champion, leading to his lifelong love of the sport, notably Swiss great Roger Federer. He was always a Conservative, but in his youth held hard-right views that he now rejects. He became an MP in 1997 and 12 years later was elected as speaker, becoming the youngest person to hold the role for 100 years. While the Brexit clashes came to dominate his tenure, Bercow also caused a stir by saying he would not allow US President Donald Trump to address parliament during a planned visit. Bercow married Sally Illman in 2002 and they have three children. She became a household name after posing for a photoshoot in Bercow's official residence in the Houses of Parliament draped only a sheet, and appearing on the "Celebrity Big Brother" reality television programme. Critics say Bercow is filled with self-importance. The Daily Mail newspaper called him an "egotistical preening popinjay" who had "shamelessly put his anti-Brexit bias before the national interest -- and is a disgrace to his office". But Bercow's supporters say he has sought to modernise parliament, abandoning the speaker's traditional robes for a simple gown over a suit, and seeking to make it easier for female MPs with new babies.

Britain's speaker John Bercow quits Brexit hotseat

Britain will hold its first December election in almost a century after Prime Minister Boris Johnson won approval from parliament on Tuesday (October 28) for an early ballot aimed at breaking the Brexit deadlock.

Britain set for Dec. 12 election to break the Brexit deadlock

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/39-bodies-found-near-london-in-truck-container-uk-police-257701">39 people found dead</a> in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country.

The bodies were discovered on Wednesday after emergency services were alerted to people in a truck container on an industrial site in Grays, about 32 km&nbsp;east of central London.

British police said on Saturday that they had charged one man, 25-year-old Maurice Robinson of Craigavon in Northern Ireland, with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences including conspiracy to traffic people.

Police initially believed the dead were Chinese, but Beijing said the nationalities had not been confirmed and on Saturday a senior British police officer in charge of identification asked for help from Britain's Vietnamese community.

Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, the two countries' embassies have said. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered government officials to help establish the identities of the victims and look into cases of Vietnamese citizens sent abroad illegally.

Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam, a Catholic priest in the remote town of Yen Thanh in northern-central Vietnam's Nghe An province, 300 km&nbsp;south of Hanoi, said he believed most of the dead were likely from Vietnam. He told Reuters he was liaising with family members.

"The whole district is covered in sorrow," Nam said, as prayers for the dead rang out over loudspeakers throughout the misty, rain-soaked town on Saturday. "This is a catastrophe for our community."

On Saturday evening, Nam led around 500 worshippers in prayers for the dead as they held lit candles in the modest, white-walled church in Yen Thanh.

"We are here to pray for justice and peace, and for the victims of society. We pray for the 39 people who lost their lives on the way to the UK. They are people coming from central Vietnam, our land," Nam said.

Nam said families had told him they knew relatives were travelling to Britain at the time the container truck was travelling, and had been unable to contact their loved ones.

The British police officer in charge of identifying the victims, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore, said very few were carrying official identification and that he hoped to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photos from friends and relatives.

Police have found more than 500 items within the truck including bags, clothing and mobile phones that need to be assessed. Once a preliminary identification has been made, liaison officers will be deployed to support families.

Apart from the man charged, who will appear in court on Monday for an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-chinas-embassy-urges-uk-police-to-find-out-the-truth-about-39-bodies-discovered-in-truck-258039">initial hearing</a>, three other people are under arrest in Britain on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking. A fourth person is under arrest in Dublin.

Watch - Essex: 39 bodies found in a lorry, police interrogate 25-year-old driver

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/essex39-bodies-found-in-a-tanker-police-interrogate-25-year-old-driver-257991/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
'Beautiful day'

&nbsp;

In Yen Thanh, Nghe An province, dozens of worried relatives of 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung gathered in the family's small courtyard home where her distraught mother has been unable to rise from her bed.

"She said she was in France and on the way to the UK, where she has friends and relatives," said Nhung's cousin, Hoang Thi Linh.

"We are waiting and hoping it's not her among the victims, but it's very likely. We pray for her every day. There were two people from my village travelling in that group".

In comments under a photo uploaded to Nhung's Facebook account on Monday, two days before the doomed truck was discovered, one friend asked how her journey was going.

"Not good," Nhung replied. "Almost spring," she said, using a term in Vietnamese meaning she had almost reached her destination.

Other photos on her account show her sightseeing in Brussels on October 18.

"Such a beautiful day," Nhung posted.

Another person who may have died is Nguyen Dinh Tu, who had been working illegally in Romania, and Germany, where he lost his job.

A few months ago, he asked his wife Hoang Thi Thuong to help him raise 11,000 pounds to cover the cost of an illicit trip from Germany to the United Kingdom.

"I lost contact with him on October 21," Thuong told Reuters. "I have a big debt to pay, no hope, and no energy to do anything".

Tu's father said relatives in the United Kingdom had told him that Tu was inside the truck, and had been planning to pick him up.

"They were supposed to pick him up at the drop-off point but they called and said Tu was in that truck," Tu's father, Nguyen Dinh Sat, told Reuters.

"I haven't heard anything from my son". 
 
Parents 'can't breathe'

How the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/majority-of-39-uk-truck-victims-likely-from-vietnam-priest-258278">victims came to be in the truck</a> is not yet known.

Some 70 per cent&nbsp;of Vietnamese trafficking cases in the United Kingdom between 2009-2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail bars, according to a British government report last year.

"Women and girls from rural areas are also considered more susceptible to trafficking," the report said.

British police sought to reassure anyone living in Britain illegally that they would not be investigated if they came forward to help with the identification.

"If you come to us, we will do all we can to put our arm around you and take you through this process, and establish as quickly as possible whether or not we have your loved involved in this tragic incident, and try and reunite you," Pasmore said.

Nghe An is one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, and home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a U.S.-based anti-trafficking organisation.

Other victims are believed to come from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, Father Nam said. In the first eight months of this year, 41,790 people left Ha Tinh looking for work elsewhere, including overseas, according to state media.

The province was ravaged by one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating local fishing and tourism industries.

Another suspected victim from Ha Tinh, 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain.

"That girl who said in her message that she couldn't breathe in the truck? Her parents can't breathe here at home," Nam said.

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country.

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country. The bodies were discovered on Wednesday after emergency services were alerted to people in a truck container on an industrial site in Grays, about 32 km east of central London. British police said on Saturday that they had charged one man, 25-year-old Maurice Robinson of Craigavon in Northern Ireland, with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences including conspiracy to traffic people. Police initially believed the dead were Chinese, but Beijing said the nationalities had not been confirmed and on Saturday a senior British police officer in charge of identification asked for help from Britain's Vietnamese community. Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, the two countries' embassies have said. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered government officials to help establish the identities of the victims and look into cases of Vietnamese citizens sent abroad illegally. Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam, a Catholic priest in the remote town of Yen Thanh in northern-central Vietnam's Nghe An province, 300 km south of Hanoi, said he believed most of the dead were likely from Vietnam. He told Reuters he was liaising with family members. "The whole district is covered in sorrow," Nam said, as prayers for the dead rang out over loudspeakers throughout the misty, rain-soaked town on Saturday. "This is a catastrophe for our community." On Saturday evening, Nam led around 500 worshippers in prayers for the dead as they held lit candles in the modest, white-walled church in Yen Thanh. "We are here to pray for justice and peace, and for the victims of society. We pray for the 39 people who lost their lives on the way to the UK. They are people coming from central Vietnam, our land," Nam said. Nam said families had told him they knew relatives were travelling to Britain at the time the container truck was travelling, and had been unable to contact their loved ones. The British police officer in charge of identifying the victims, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore, said very few were carrying official identification and that he hoped to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photos from friends and relatives. Police have found more than 500 items within the truck including bags, clothing and mobile phones that need to be assessed. Once a preliminary identification has been made, liaison officers will be deployed to support families. Apart from the man charged, who will appear in court on Monday for an initial hearing, three other people are under arrest in Britain on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking. A fourth person is under arrest in Dublin. Watch - Essex: 39 bodies found in a lorry, police interrogate 25-year-old driver 'Beautiful day' In Yen Thanh, Nghe An province, dozens of worried relatives of 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung gathered in the family's small courtyard home where her distraught mother has been unable to rise from her bed. "She said she was in France and on the way to the UK, where she has friends and relatives," said Nhung's cousin, Hoang Thi Linh. "We are waiting and hoping it's not her among the victims, but it's very likely. We pray for her every day. There were two people from my village travelling in that group". In comments under a photo uploaded to Nhung's Facebook account on Monday, two days before the doomed truck was discovered, one friend asked how her journey was going. "Not good," Nhung replied. "Almost spring," she said, using a term in Vietnamese meaning she had almost reached her destination. Other photos on her account show her sightseeing in Brussels on October 18. "Such a beautiful day," Nhung posted. Another person who may have died is Nguyen Dinh Tu, who had been working illegally in Romania, and Germany, where he lost his job. A few months ago, he asked his wife Hoang Thi Thuong to help him raise 11,000 pounds to cover the cost of an illicit trip from Germany to the United Kingdom. "I lost contact with him on October 21," Thuong told Reuters. "I have a big debt to pay, no hope, and no energy to do anything". Tu's father said relatives in the United Kingdom had told him that Tu was inside the truck, and had been planning to pick him up. "They were supposed to pick him up at the drop-off point but they called and said Tu was in that truck," Tu's father, Nguyen Dinh Sat, told Reuters. "I haven't heard anything from my son". Parents 'can't breathe' How the victims came to be in the truck is not yet known. Some 70 per cent of Vietnamese trafficking cases in the United Kingdom between 2009-2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail bars, according to a British government report last year. "Women and girls from rural areas are also considered more susceptible to trafficking," the report said. British police sought to reassure anyone living in Britain illegally that they would not be investigated if they came forward to help with the identification. "If you come to us, we will do all we can to put our arm around you and take you through this process, and establish as quickly as possible whether or not we have your loved involved in this tragic incident, and try and reunite you," Pasmore said. Nghe An is one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, and home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a U.S.-based anti-trafficking organisation. Other victims are believed to come from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, Father Nam said. In the first eight months of this year, 41,790 people left Ha Tinh looking for work elsewhere, including overseas, according to state media. The province was ravaged by one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating local fishing and tourism industries. Another suspected victim from Ha Tinh, 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain. "That girl who said in her message that she couldn't breathe in the truck? Her parents can't breathe here at home," Nam said.

Rural Vietnamese mourn loved ones feared dead in back of British truck

The leaders of two British opposition parties unveiled a plan Saturday to give Prime Minister Boris Johnson the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdom-prime-minister-boris-johnson-says-he-wants-early-election-on-december-12-258016">snap election</a> he wants, but only if EU leaders delay Brexit until January.

Johnson has tried twice to call an early election to break the deadlock in the House of Commons over Britain's departure from the European Union and will try again in a vote on Monday.

But he needs the support of opposition MPs and they have refused to back a poll until the risk of a disorderly "no-deal" Brexit on October 31 is completely removed.

Johnson was forced by law to ask EU leaders last weekend to delay Brexit after MPs refused to back the divorce terms he struck with Brussels.

EU leaders are expected to decide on Monday or early Tuesday whether to grant the three-month delay requested or to set another date.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Liberal Democrats, who between them have 54 MPs in the 650-seat Commons, said that a three-month delay to end-January would see them put forward plans for an early election on Tuesday.

"If that meaningful extension is secured we will then work together to bring forward an election this year," said SNP leader Ian Blackford.

He and Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson have laid out their offer in a letter to European Council president Donald Tusk.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-prime-minister-boris-johnson-prepares-fresh-brexit-push-257303">Johnson has proposed</a> an election on December 12, but only if parliament ratifies his Brexit deal before then.

The SNP and Lib Dems,&nbsp;who both strongly oppose Brexit,&nbsp;want an election on December 9.

Johnson late Saturday accused MPs of holding Britain "hostage" by refusing to back an election or a Brexit deal.

"Millions of businesses and people cannot plan their futures, this paralysis is causing real damage and the country must move on in 2020," he said in a statement.

The leaders of two British opposition parties unveiled a plan Saturday to give Prime Minister Boris Johnson the snap election he wants, but only if EU leaders delay Brexit until January.

The leaders of two British opposition parties unveiled a plan Saturday to give Prime Minister Boris Johnson the snap election he wants, but only if EU leaders delay Brexit until January. Johnson has tried twice to call an early election to break the deadlock in the House of Commons over Britain's departure from the European Union and will try again in a vote on Monday. But he needs the support of opposition MPs and they have refused to back a poll until the risk of a disorderly "no-deal" Brexit on October 31 is completely removed. Johnson was forced by law to ask EU leaders last weekend to delay Brexit after MPs refused to back the divorce terms he struck with Brussels. EU leaders are expected to decide on Monday or early Tuesday whether to grant the three-month delay requested or to set another date. The Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Liberal Democrats, who between them have 54 MPs in the 650-seat Commons, said that a three-month delay to end-January would see them put forward plans for an early election on Tuesday. "If that meaningful extension is secured we will then work together to bring forward an election this year," said SNP leader Ian Blackford. He and Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson have laid out their offer in a letter to European Council president Donald Tusk. Johnson has proposed an election on December 12, but only if parliament ratifies his Brexit deal before then. The SNP and Lib Dems, who both strongly oppose Brexit, want an election on December 9. Johnson late Saturday accused MPs of holding Britain "hostage" by refusing to back an election or a Brexit deal. "Millions of businesses and people cannot plan their futures, this paralysis is causing real damage and the country must move on in 2020," he said in a statement.

United Kingdom opposition parties outline election plan

The European Union agreed to London's request for a Brexit deadline extension on Friday (October 25), a spokeswoman for the EU executive said, but set no new departure date, giving time for Britain's bitterly divided parliament to decide on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call for a snap election.

European Union agrees in principle to extend Brexit

Britain and other European countries must accept some responsibility for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-chinas-embassy-urges-uk-police-to-find-out-the-truth-about-39-bodies-discovered-in-truck-258039">deaths of 39 people</a>, believed to be Chinese nationals, found dead in a refrigerated truck near London, the state-backed Global Times said on Friday.

Paramedics and police found the bodies of 31 men and eight women on Wednesday on an industrial estate at Grays in Essex, about 20 miles (30 km) east of the British capital.

For years, illegal immigrants have stowed away in trucks while attempting to reach Britain, often from the European mainland. In 2000, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck at the port of Dover.

At the moment it was impossible to say how much responsibility the dead should bear for the tragedy, the widely-read Chinese newspaper said in an editorial.

"But such a serious humanitarian disaster has occurred under the eyes of the British and Europeans," it said. "It is clear that Britain and relevant European countries have not fulfilled their responsibility to protect these people from such a death."

Even if found to have been smuggled into the country, the victims' death was not their fault, added the paper, which is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily.

"We hope that Britain and European countries will put into effect their various commitments to human rights and make due efforts for Chinese people to be free from abuse and sudden death."

Britain appears not to have learned its lesson from the Dover incident two decades ago, it added.

"Imagine how thoroughly European countries would take measures if dozens of Europeans were collectively tragically killed in some way," the paper said.

"Could the British and European people ask themselves why they have not been able to avoid a similar tragedy...Did they take all the serious remedial action that they could have?"

China has not formally confirmed the victims are citizens.

On Friday, the Chinese embassy in London said it had sent a team to Essex that met police.

"The British police said they are verifying the identity of the deceased, and at present are unable to be certain that they are Chinese nationals," the embassy said.

&nbsp;

Britain and other European countries must accept some responsibility for the deaths of 39 people, believed to be Chinese nationals, found dead in a refrigerated truck near London, the state-backed Global Times said on Friday.

Britain and other European countries must accept some responsibility for the deaths of 39 people, believed to be Chinese nationals, found dead in a refrigerated truck near London, the state-backed Global Times said on Friday. Paramedics and police found the bodies of 31 men and eight women on Wednesday on an industrial estate at Grays in Essex, about 20 miles (30 km) east of the British capital. For years, illegal immigrants have stowed away in trucks while attempting to reach Britain, often from the European mainland. In 2000, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck at the port of Dover. At the moment it was impossible to say how much responsibility the dead should bear for the tragedy, the widely-read Chinese newspaper said in an editorial. "But such a serious humanitarian disaster has occurred under the eyes of the British and Europeans," it said. "It is clear that Britain and relevant European countries have not fulfilled their responsibility to protect these people from such a death." Even if found to have been smuggled into the country, the victims' death was not their fault, added the paper, which is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily. "We hope that Britain and European countries will put into effect their various commitments to human rights and make due efforts for Chinese people to be free from abuse and sudden death." Britain appears not to have learned its lesson from the Dover incident two decades ago, it added. "Imagine how thoroughly European countries would take measures if dozens of Europeans were collectively tragically killed in some way," the paper said. "Could the British and European people ask themselves why they have not been able to avoid a similar tragedy...Did they take all the serious remedial action that they could have?" China has not formally confirmed the victims are citizens. On Friday, the Chinese embassy in London said it had sent a team to Essex that met police. "The British police said they are verifying the identity of the deceased, and at present are unable to be certain that they are Chinese nationals," the embassy said.

Britain must accept responsibility for truck deaths: Chinese media

The Scotland Yard on Wednesday banned protesters from assembling outside the Indian High Commission here on October 27 amid reports of the planned protest by pro-Pakistani groups on the said date.

The restrictions have been imposed under Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 and forbid the protesters from taking the procession to the area outside Indian High Commission, reported Geo News.

The development comes after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday insisted in the parliament that "violence and intimidation are wholly unacceptable", in response to a question by an MP over reports of the planned protest. Johnson had added that Home Secretary Priti Patel would be speaking to the police to address the matter.

"This is a police matter, but I was speaking to my Home Secretary and she will be raising it to the police. But we must all be clear in this house that violence and intimidation anywhere are wholly unacceptable," he said.

The October 27 Diwali protest is the third in line outside the Indian High Commission in London after the Indian government's move to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The protest on August 15 had seen pro-Pakistani protesters throwing water bottles, tomatoes, eggs, amongst other things, at the Indians who had gathered outside the diplomatic mission to celebrate Independence Day.&nbsp;

The Scotland Yard on Wednesday banned protesters from assembling outside the Indian High Commission here on October 27 amid reports of the planned protest by pro-Pakistani groups on the said date.

The Scotland Yard on Wednesday banned protesters from assembling outside the Indian High Commission here on October 27 amid reports of the planned protest by pro-Pakistani groups on the said date. The restrictions have been imposed under Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 and forbid the protesters from taking the procession to the area outside Indian High Commission, reported Geo News. The development comes after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday insisted in the parliament that "violence and intimidation are wholly unacceptable", in response to a question by an MP over reports of the planned protest. Johnson had added that Home Secretary Priti Patel would be speaking to the police to address the matter. "This is a police matter, but I was speaking to my Home Secretary and she will be raising it to the police. But we must all be clear in this house that violence and intimidation anywhere are wholly unacceptable," he said. The October 27 Diwali protest is the third in line outside the Indian High Commission in London after the Indian government's move to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The protest on August 15 had seen pro-Pakistani protesters throwing water bottles, tomatoes, eggs, amongst other things, at the Indians who had gathered outside the diplomatic mission to celebrate Independence Day.

Protesters banned from assembling outside Indian High Commission in London on October 27

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted Tuesday the EU had done "all in our power" to ensure an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-parliament-speaker-john-bercow-blocks-holding-of-new-vote-on-brexit-deal-257365">orderly Brexit</a>, but said the bloc would await British parliamentary approval for a new divorce deal before ratifying it. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Expressing regret that Britain planned to leave the EU on October 31, Juncker said: "At least we can look ourselves in the eyes and say that we have done all in our power to make sure that this departure is orderly."&nbsp;

"We need now to watch events in Westminster very closely. It's not possible, not imaginable that this parliament will ratify the agreement before Westminster will have ratified the agreement," he told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is desperately trying to secure a break from Brussels that severs many of the island nation's economic and political ties with Europe after 46 years of EU membership.

Lawmakers in Britain, meeting on a Saturday for the first time in 37 years, voted to demand that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-prime-minister-boris-johnson-prepares-fresh-brexit-push-257303">Johnson delay Brexit</a> while they further consider his newly-agreed EU divorce agreement.

The government's new strategy is to get parliament Tuesday to approve an accompanying package of legislation that needs ratifying for Brexit to take effect.

Britain has been struggling to agree on how to leave the EU ever since narrowly backing Brexit in a 2016 referendum.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted Tuesday the EU had done "all in our power" to ensure an orderly Brexit, but said the bloc would await British parliamentary approval for a new divorce deal before ratifying it.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted Tuesday the EU had done "all in our power" to ensure an orderly Brexit, but said the bloc would await British parliamentary approval for a new divorce deal before ratifying it. Expressing regret that Britain planned to leave the EU on October 31, Juncker said: "At least we can look ourselves in the eyes and say that we have done all in our power to make sure that this departure is orderly." "We need now to watch events in Westminster very closely. It's not possible, not imaginable that this parliament will ratify the agreement before Westminster will have ratified the agreement," he told the European Parliament in Strasbourg. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is desperately trying to secure a break from Brussels that severs many of the island nation's economic and political ties with Europe after 46 years of EU membership. Lawmakers in Britain, meeting on a Saturday for the first time in 37 years, voted to demand that Johnson delay Brexit while they further consider his newly-agreed EU divorce agreement. The government's new strategy is to get parliament Tuesday to approve an accompanying package of legislation that needs ratifying for Brexit to take effect. Britain has been struggling to agree on how to leave the EU ever since narrowly backing Brexit in a 2016 referendum.

European Union 'have done all in our power' for orderly Brexit: Juncker

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle recently revealed that her friends had warned her about dating Prince Harry. 
 
Markle said her friends had intimidated her about British press and the intense scrutiny she would be under if she went ahead with the relationship. 
 
The 38-year-old former `Suits` star opened up about her struggles as a new royal and mother in a candid interview with ITV News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby for the documentary `Harry &amp; Meghan: An African Journey,` which aired in the UK on Sunday, October 20. 
"It`s hard," she conceded. "I don`t think anybody could understand that."

Prince Harry<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lost-my-mother-now-my-wife-is-falling-victim-to-same-powerful-force-prince-harry-takes-legal-action-against-british-press-for-bullying-meghan-markle-253172"> issued a statement earlier this month </a>slamming the tabloids for "bullying" his wife of 18 months. 
 
"In all fairness, I had no idea, which probably sounds difficult to understand and hear," Meghan said of when she began dating Harry in 2016. "But when I first met my now-husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy but my British friends said to me, `I`m sure he`s great but you shouldn`t do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life.`" 
 
"And I very naively -- I`m American. We don`t have that there -- (I said)&nbsp;`What are you talking about? That doesn`t make any sense. I`m not in any tabloids," she told her friends. "I didn`t get it. So it`s been, yeah, it`s been complicated."&nbsp;

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle recently revealed that her friends had warned her about dating Prince Harry. Markle said her friends had intimidated her about British press and the intense scrutiny she would be under if she went ahead with the relationship.

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle recently revealed that her friends had warned her about dating Prince Harry. Markle said her friends had intimidated her about British press and the intense scrutiny she would be under if she went ahead with the relationship. The 38-year-old former `Suits` star opened up about her struggles as a new royal and mother in a candid interview with ITV News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby for the documentary `Harry & Meghan: An African Journey,` which aired in the UK on Sunday, October 20. "It`s hard," she conceded. "I don`t think anybody could understand that." Prince Harry issued a statement earlier this month slamming the tabloids for "bullying" his wife of 18 months. "In all fairness, I had no idea, which probably sounds difficult to understand and hear," Meghan said of when she began dating Harry in 2016. "But when I first met my now-husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy but my British friends said to me, `I`m sure he`s great but you shouldn`t do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life.`" "And I very naively -- I`m American. We don`t have that there -- (I said) `What are you talking about? That doesn`t make any sense. I`m not in any tabloids," she told her friends. "I didn`t get it. So it`s been, yeah, it`s been complicated."

Meghan Markle admits being warned by friends against marrying Prince Harry

A&nbsp;defiant British government has doubled down, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-moves-to-ratify-brexit-accord-despite-delay-request-257074">insisting it will leave the European Union in 11 days</a> despite parliament's forcing a reluctant prime minister to request another delay.

On a day of high drama on Saturday, MPs in the House of Commons passed up the chance to decide on the revised withdrawal agreement that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had negotiated with the European Union.

That defeat leaves Johnson under mounting pressure to find a way out of paralysing impasse on when and how Britain would leave the EU after the country narrowly voted to exit in a 2016 referendum.

Johnson has reluctantly sent European Council President Donald Tusk a letter legally imposed on him by parliament requesting an extension, but refused to sign it.

The Conservative leader sent a second, signed letter insisting he was not seeking an extension to the Brexit deadline, which has already been postponed twice, warning that "a further extension would damage the interests of the UK and our EU partners".

Having failed to back a divorce deal, which Johnson had secured on Thursday, MPs triggered a law requiring him to write to EU leaders asking to delay Brexit to avoid the risk that Britain crashes out in less than a fortnight.

Senior cabinet minister Michael Gove, the government's Brexit planning chief, was nonetheless adamant that Britain would leave the EU on schedule.

"Yes. We are going to leave on October 31. We have the means and the ability to do so," he told Sky News.

Although Sterling fell on Monday, losses were limited by hopes the country can eventually avoid crashing out of the EU without a divorce agreement in place.

"We can say it (the pound) is holding firm, which shows hopes (for avoiding no-deal Brexit) have not been dashed," Shinichiro Kadota, exchange strategist at Barclays Securities in Japan, told AFP.

EU 'fed up': Raab

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-sends-unsigned-letter-seeking-brexit-delay-256989">The government will bring forward this week the domestic legislation</a> needed to implement the divorce deal, with a first vote as soon as Tuesday.

Separately, it is seeking a new yes-or-no vote on approving the deal on Monday, although this may fall foul of parliamentary procedure.

Commons Speaker John Bercow will rule on whether Johnson can hold a "meaningful vote" on the deal.

"If we get the legislation through then there is no extension. October 31 is within sight," said Gove.

He said it was dangerous to assume that the 27 other EU leaders would grant an extension.

More than three years on from the June 2016 vote to leave the EU, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that from his conversations with other EU capitals, "they are fed up with this now, and we are fed up with it".

The Labour main opposition has lambasted Johnson's deal as a "sellout" and voted for the delay.

However, senior figures hinted Sunday that they could let it go through, subject to amendments including a second referendum pitting a divorce deal against remaining in the bloc after all.

"What we are trying to achieve is that this deal in particular, but any deal, is put up against Remain in a referendum," the party's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer told the BBC.

"And we will have to see tactically how we get there."

Europe mulls response

Brussels officials pressed on with plans to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-mulls-johnsons-reluctant-brexit-delay-request-257025">ratify the divorce deal as European leaders</a> considered Johnson's delay request.

Ambassadors and senior officials from the other 27 member states met Sunday.

"The EU is keeping all options open and has therefore initiated the ratification process so that it can be handed over to the European Parliament on Monday," an EU diplomat told AFP.

"The EU will probably pursue this strategy until there is clarity on the British side," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Tusk will spend a "few days" canvassing member state leaders, and diplomats said this would mean the British parliament will have to vote on Brexit again before hearing their decision on the October 31 departure.

MPs voted by 322 votes to 306 on Saturday to support former Conservative MP Oliver Letwin's amendment to buy extra time.

Letwin said he would now switch and vote for the deal. Former interior minister Amber Rudd said the same, meaning Johnson is just a few votes short.

"We appear to have now the numbers to get this through," said Raab.

The Brexit date has already been pushed back twice from March 29, to the fury of those who wanted to abandon Britain's European project after nearly 50 years.

A defiant British government has doubled down, insisting it will leave the European Union in 11 days despite parliament's forcing a reluctant prime minister to request another delay.

A defiant British government has doubled down, insisting it will leave the European Union in 11 days despite parliament's forcing a reluctant prime minister to request another delay. On a day of high drama on Saturday, MPs in the House of Commons passed up the chance to decide on the revised withdrawal agreement that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had negotiated with the European Union. That defeat leaves Johnson under mounting pressure to find a way out of paralysing impasse on when and how Britain would leave the EU after the country narrowly voted to exit in a 2016 referendum. Johnson has reluctantly sent European Council President Donald Tusk a letter legally imposed on him by parliament requesting an extension, but refused to sign it. The Conservative leader sent a second, signed letter insisting he was not seeking an extension to the Brexit deadline, which has already been postponed twice, warning that "a further extension would damage the interests of the UK and our EU partners". Having failed to back a divorce deal, which Johnson had secured on Thursday, MPs triggered a law requiring him to write to EU leaders asking to delay Brexit to avoid the risk that Britain crashes out in less than a fortnight. Senior cabinet minister Michael Gove, the government's Brexit planning chief, was nonetheless adamant that Britain would leave the EU on schedule. "Yes. We are going to leave on October 31. We have the means and the ability to do so," he told Sky News. Although Sterling fell on Monday, losses were limited by hopes the country can eventually avoid crashing out of the EU without a divorce agreement in place. "We can say it (the pound) is holding firm, which shows hopes (for avoiding no-deal Brexit) have not been dashed," Shinichiro Kadota, exchange strategist at Barclays Securities in Japan, told AFP. EU 'fed up': Raab The government will bring forward this week the domestic legislation needed to implement the divorce deal, with a first vote as soon as Tuesday. Separately, it is seeking a new yes-or-no vote on approving the deal on Monday, although this may fall foul of parliamentary procedure. Commons Speaker John Bercow will rule on whether Johnson can hold a "meaningful vote" on the deal. "If we get the legislation through then there is no extension. October 31 is within sight," said Gove. He said it was dangerous to assume that the 27 other EU leaders would grant an extension. More than three years on from the June 2016 vote to leave the EU, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that from his conversations with other EU capitals, "they are fed up with this now, and we are fed up with it". The Labour main opposition has lambasted Johnson's deal as a "sellout" and voted for the delay. However, senior figures hinted Sunday that they could let it go through, subject to amendments including a second referendum pitting a divorce deal against remaining in the bloc after all. "What we are trying to achieve is that this deal in particular, but any deal, is put up against Remain in a referendum," the party's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer told the BBC. "And we will have to see tactically how we get there." Europe mulls response Brussels officials pressed on with plans to ratify the divorce deal as European leaders considered Johnson's delay request. Ambassadors and senior officials from the other 27 member states met Sunday. "The EU is keeping all options open and has therefore initiated the ratification process so that it can be handed over to the European Parliament on Monday," an EU diplomat told AFP. "The EU will probably pursue this strategy until there is clarity on the British side," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Tusk will spend a "few days" canvassing member state leaders, and diplomats said this would mean the British parliament will have to vote on Brexit again before hearing their decision on the October 31 departure. MPs voted by 322 votes to 306 on Saturday to support former Conservative MP Oliver Letwin's amendment to buy extra time. Letwin said he would now switch and vote for the deal. Former interior minister Amber Rudd said the same, meaning Johnson is just a few votes short. "We appear to have now the numbers to get this through," said Raab. The Brexit date has already been pushed back twice from March 29, to the fury of those who wanted to abandon Britain's European project after nearly 50 years.

Johnson adamant on Brexit deadline, despite delay request

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