Police now say that the knifeman is the only person thought to be in the building, that the hostages have been released.

At a job centre in Newcastle, in northeast England, a man&nbsp;held&nbsp;employees hostage at knife point, police said earlier today.

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We want to confirm that at this time there is no information or intelligence to suggest the incident in Byker is terror related.
&mdash; Northumbria Police (@northumbriapol) <a href="https://twitter.com/northumbriapol/status/873103894007521281">June 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Specialist negotiators are at the scene,&quot; said the&nbsp;Northumbria Police&nbsp;in a statement. They added that there were no reports of injuries.&nbsp;

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An ambulance has headed to Byker Job Centr, without sirens. There&#39;s ambulances parked up in Gala too
&mdash; Simon Meechan (@SimonMeechan_90) <a href="https://twitter.com/SimonMeechan_90/status/873097252473946112">June 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Witnesses claimed to&nbsp;see&nbsp;the man, who is believed to be known to job centre staff, strapped with something to his chest, The Mirror reports.

This comes&nbsp;on the same evening as the country&#39;s shocking results in the general&nbsp;election, in which Jeremy Corbyn&#39;s Labour party exceeded poll expectations and handed Theresa May&#39;s Conservative party a stunning rebuke that will result in a hung parliament.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Police say there is no reason to think it is terror-related

Police now say that the knifeman is the only person thought to be in the building, that the hostages have been released. At a job centre in Newcastle, in northeast England, a man held employees hostage at knife point, police said earlier today. We want to confirm that at this time there is no information or intelligence to suggest the incident in Byker is terror related. — Northumbria Police (@northumbriapol) June 9, 2017 × "Specialist negotiators are at the scene," said the Northumbria Police in a statement. They added that there were no reports of injuries. An ambulance has headed to Byker Job Centr, without sirens. There's ambulances parked up in Gala too — Simon Meechan (@SimonMeechan_90) June 9, 2017 × Witnesses claimed to see the man, who is believed to be known to job centre staff, strapped with something to his chest, The Mirror reports. This comes on the same evening as the country's shocking results in the general election, in which Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party exceeded poll expectations and handed Theresa May's Conservative party a stunning rebuke that will result in a hung parliament. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Hostages held by knifeman at job centre in northeast England have been released, says police

UK Elections 2017 has been a tight race between the Conservatives and Labour party candidates. While PM Theresa May was sure of making it to the finished line with a majority, Jeremy Corbyn has managed to pull a masterstroke.&nbsp;

Jeremy Bernard Corbyn, 68, the grand old man of British politics had a different game plan from the beginning. His policies and the Labour party&#39;s manifesto stood its ground on local and domestic issues that made a connect with the British citizens. Corbyn was able to shave off Theresa May&#39;s lead in the popularity polls in the last two weeks. His focus on education, security, income tax and importantly his stance on Brexit clearly touched a chord while May and her party did not have a solid post-Brexit roadmap for UK citizens.&nbsp;

Corbyn has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 12 September 2015. He was born in Chippenham and is the youngest of the four sons in the family.&nbsp;

Always a crusader, while still in&nbsp;school, he became active in The Wrekin constituency Young Socialists, his local Labour Party, and the League Against Cruel Sports.&nbsp; 
He joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in 1966 whilst at school and later became one of its three vice-chairs.

&nbsp;

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Whatever the final result, our positive campaign has changed politics for the better. <a href="https://t.co/EHLta2rnIW">pic.twitter.com/EHLta2rnIW</a>
&mdash; Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/872975310249230336">June 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Brexit:

Corbyn has consistently spoken for Britain to remain as an EU member but after the referendum result, Corbyn over the last two weeks of campaigning has maintained that the &ldquo;result must be respected&rdquo; and a &quot;close new relationship with the EU&quot; should be targeted. He said that one of his first acts as Britain&#39;s prime minister would be to call German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to chalk out a plan for Brexit. He also promised to guarantee the rights of EU citizens based in the UK while&nbsp;rejecting the idea of &#39;no deal&#39; in EU negotiations.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Education:

What also added&nbsp;to his popularity&nbsp;is his commitment to education and providing for the youth by announcing the scrapping of tuition fees for universities. He also announced&nbsp;the scrapping of upfront costs for colleges and further education courses while reintroducing maintenance grants for students. He also wooed&nbsp;new mothers by plugging the gap in childcare after maternity leave helping them to come back to work with the aid of National Education Service.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Terrorism:

In the wake of London Bridge terror attacks, both May and Corbyn differ on opinions. Corbyn chose to not support counter-terrorism legislation as a parliamentarian. He promised to reverse the cutting of around 20,000 police officers since 2010. He also vowed his support for Trident, that is&nbsp;UK&rsquo;s Vanguard fleet of submarines carrying nuclear missiles. Corbyn has however been a strong opponent of&nbsp;nuclear weapons.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Income Tax:

Motivated to ensure that the national debt is reduced, Corbyn in his party&rsquo;s manifesto looked&nbsp;to raise tax revenues from the top earners in the country. For those earning above &pound;80,000 ($103,544), income tax rate would increase 45 per cent for earnings above the amount and then to 50 pence in each pound for people with an income of more than &pound;123,000.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Trump:

Before Trump had withdrawn from the Paris climate accord and talks were still on, Corbyn spoke about calling US President Donald Trump and urging him to not withdraw from the accord. He continuously criticised May&rsquo;s approach in dealing with Trump calling it &quot;dereliction of duty&quot; when she failed to sign a joint statement with other EU leaders condemning the US administration.&nbsp;

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Iraq War:

Corbyn identifies himself as an anti-war activist. In October 2001, Corbyn was elected to the steering committee of the Stop the War Coalition, which was formed to oppose the Afghanistan War. He also opposed the Iraq War in 2003 and spoke at anti-war rallies in Britain and overseas. He helped organise the February anti-Iraq War protest which was claimed to be the largest such protest in British political history. In 2006, Corbyn was one of 12 Labour MPs to support Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party&#39;s call for a parliamentary inquiry into the Iraq War.&nbsp; 
 
(WION) 
&nbsp;

Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn almost singlehandedly chipped PM Theresa May's political capital

UK Elections 2017 has been a tight race between the Conservatives and Labour party candidates. While PM Theresa May was sure of making it to the finished line with a majority, Jeremy Corbyn has managed to pull a masterstroke. Jeremy Bernard Corbyn, 68, the grand old man of British politics had a different game plan from the beginning. His policies and the Labour party's manifesto stood its ground on local and domestic issues that made a connect with the British citizens. Corbyn was able to shave off Theresa May's lead in the popularity polls in the last two weeks. His focus on education, security, income tax and importantly his stance on Brexit clearly touched a chord while May and her party did not have a solid post-Brexit roadmap for UK citizens. Corbyn has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 12 September 2015. He was born in Chippenham and is the youngest of the four sons in the family. Always a crusader, while still in school, he became active in The Wrekin constituency Young Socialists, his local Labour Party, and the League Against Cruel Sports. He joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in 1966 whilst at school and later became one of its three vice-chairs. Whatever the final result, our positive campaign has changed politics for the better. pic.twitter.com/EHLta2rnIW — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) June 9, 2017 × Brexit: Corbyn has consistently spoken for Britain to remain as an EU member but after the referendum result, Corbyn over the last two weeks of campaigning has maintained that the “result must be respected” and a "close new relationship with the EU" should be targeted. He said that one of his first acts as Britain's prime minister would be to call German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to chalk out a plan for Brexit. He also promised to guarantee the rights of EU citizens based in the UK while rejecting the idea of 'no deal' in EU negotiations. Education: What also added to his popularity is his commitment to education and providing for the youth by announcing the scrapping of tuition fees for universities. He also announced the scrapping of upfront costs for colleges and further education courses while reintroducing maintenance grants for students. He also wooed new mothers by plugging the gap in childcare after maternity leave helping them to come back to work with the aid of National Education Service. Terrorism: In the wake of London Bridge terror attacks, both May and Corbyn differ on opinions. Corbyn chose to not support counter-terrorism legislation as a parliamentarian. He promised to reverse the cutting of around 20,000 police officers since 2010. He also vowed his support for Trident, that is UK’s Vanguard fleet of submarines carrying nuclear missiles. Corbyn has however been a strong opponent of nuclear weapons. Income Tax: Motivated to ensure that the national debt is reduced, Corbyn in his party’s manifesto looked to raise tax revenues from the top earners in the country. For those earning above £80,000 ($103,544), income tax rate would increase 45 per cent for earnings above the amount and then to 50 pence in each pound for people with an income of more than £123,000. Trump: Before Trump had withdrawn from the Paris climate accord and talks were still on, Corbyn spoke about calling US President Donald Trump and urging him to not withdraw from the accord. He continuously criticised May’s approach in dealing with Trump calling it "dereliction of duty" when she failed to sign a joint statement with other EU leaders condemning the US administration. Iraq War: Corbyn identifies himself as an anti-war activist. In October 2001, Corbyn was elected to the steering committee of the Stop the War Coalition, which was formed to oppose the Afghanistan War. He also opposed the Iraq War in 2003 and spoke at anti-war rallies in Britain and overseas. He helped organise the February anti-Iraq War protest which was claimed to be the largest such protest in British political history. In 2006, Corbyn was one of 12 Labour MPs to support Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party's call for a parliamentary inquiry into the Iraq War. (WION)

How ?Corbyn strategy? stumped PM May

Soldiers will be deployed to key sites in Britain to boost security as the country raised its terror threat to the highest level of &quot;critical&quot; following a suicide attack in Manchester that killed 22 people, including children.

Police on Tuesday said they believed British-born Salman Abedi, aged 22, carried out Britain&#39;s deadliest bombing in nearly 12 years and Prime Minister Theresa May said another attack could be imminent.

U.S. security sources, citing British intelligence officials, said Abedi was born in Manchester to parents of Libyan origin.

May said it was possible a wider group was linked to the bombing at a crowded concert hall, prompting the increase in security a little more than two weeks before a national election.

An independent body which sets the threat level recommended it be raised to &quot;critical&quot; from &quot;severe&quot; for the first time since June 2007.

&quot;This means that their assessment is not only that an attack remains highly likely but that a further attack may be imminent,&quot; May said in a televised statement from her Downing Street Office after a meeting of the government&#39;s crisis response committee.

&quot;Armed police officers responsible for duties such as guarding key sites will be replaced by members of the armed forces ... You might also see military personnel deployed at certain events, such as concerts and sports matches.&quot;

Britain&#39;s top anti-terrorism officer Mark Rowley said events would only go ahead when it was safe to do so and the decision to raise the threat level had been made on a &quot;precautionary basis&quot; due to gaps in police knowledge while the investigation continues.

He told reporters he hoped that, as has previously been the case, the level would not stay at critical for a long period.

The Times newspaper reported that Abedi had arrived back in Britain from Libya recently. He is believed to have travelled by train from London before the attack, U.S. officials said.

The attacker set off his improvised bomb as crowds streamed out of the Manchester Arena after a pop concert by Ariana Grande, a U.S. singer especially popular with teenage girls.

Islamic State, now being driven from territories in Syria and Iraq by Western-backed armed forces, claimed responsibility for what it called a revenge attack against &quot;Crusaders.&quot; But there appeared to be contradictions in its account of the operation.

FRANTIC SEARCHES

Witnesses related the horror of the blast, which unleashed a stampede just as the concert ended at Europe&#39;s largest indoor arena, full to its capacity of 21,000.

&quot;We ran and people were screaming around us and pushing on the stairs to go outside and people were falling down, girls were crying, and we saw these women being treated by paramedics having open wounds on their legs ... it was just chaos,&quot; said Sebastian Diaz, 19. &quot;It was literally just a minute after it ended, the lights came on and the bomb went off.&quot;

A video posted on Twitter showed fans, many of them young, screaming and running from the venue. Dozens of parents frantically searched for their children, posting photos and pleading for information on social media.

Singer Grande, 23, said on Twitter she was devastated: &quot;broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don&#39;t have words.&quot; She returned to the United States on Tuesday, Britain&#39;s Daily Mail newspaper reported, as questions lingered over whether she would continue her European tour.

The attack was the deadliest in the UK since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London&#39;s transport system in 2005. But it will have reverberations far beyond British shores.

Attacks in cities including Paris, Nice, Brussels, St Petersburg, Berlin and London have shocked Europeans already anxious over security challenges from mass immigration and pockets of domestic Islamist radicalism. Islamic State has repeatedly called for attacks as retaliation for Western involvement in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

While claiming responsibility on its Telegram account, the group appeared to contradict the police description of a suicide bomber. It suggested explosive devices were placed &quot;in the midst of the gatherings of the Crusaders&quot;.

&quot;What comes next will be more severe on the worshippers of the cross,&quot; the Telegram posting said.

It did not name the bomber, as it usually does in attacks it has ordered, and appeared also to contradict a posting on another Islamic State account, Amaq, which spoke of &quot;a group of attackers&quot;. That reference, however, was later removed.

&quot;DEPRAVED&quot;

May described the attack as an act of &quot;sickening cowardice&quot;. Campaigning for the June 8 election, which opinion polls suggest May&#39;s Conservative Party is on track to win, has been suspended as a mark of respect.

May spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and several other foreign leaders on Tuesday about the attack, her spokesman said. She also visited the police headquarters and a children&#39;s hospital in Manchester.

The White House said Trump had agreed with May during their telephone conversation that the attack was &quot;particularly wanton and depraved&quot;.

Macron and senior French ministers walked to the British embassy in Paris to sign the condolence book.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it &quot;will only strengthen our resolve to ... work with our British friends against those who plan and carry out such inhumane deeds&quot;.

The U.N. Security Council condemned &quot;the barbaric and cowardly terrorist attack&quot; and expressed solidarity with Britain in the fight against terrorism.

Queen Elizabeth held a minute&#39;s silence at a garden party at Buckingham Palace in London.

Manchester remained on high alert, with additional armed police drafted in. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said more police had been ordered onto the streets of the British capital.

Police raided a property in the Manchester district of Fallowfield where they carried out a controlled explosion.

On Tuesday evening thousands of people attended a vigil in central Manchester in sombre but defiant mood.

&quot;There&#39;s hard times again in these streets of our city, but we won&#39;t take defeat and we don&#39;t want your pity, because this is the place where we stand strong together with a smile on our face, Mancunians forever,&quot; local poet Tony Walsh said in a poem he read to the crowd that drew loud cheers and applause.

British police do not routinely carry firearms, but London police said extra armed officers would be deployed at this weekend&#39;s soccer cup final at Wembley and rugby at Twickenham. Security would be reviewed also for smaller events.

In March, a British-born convert to Islam ploughed a car into pedestrians on London&#39;s Westminster Bridge, killing four people before stabbing to death a police officer who was on the grounds of parliament. The man was shot dead at the scene.

In 2015, Pakistani student Abid Naseer was convicted in a U.S. court of conspiring with al Qaeda to blow up the Arndale shopping centre in the centre of Manchester in April 2009.

(Reuters)

Prime Minister Theresa May said another attack could be imminent

Soldiers will be deployed to key sites in Britain to boost security as the country raised its terror threat to the highest level of "critical" following a suicide attack in Manchester that killed 22 people, including children. Police on Tuesday said they believed British-born Salman Abedi, aged 22, carried out Britain's deadliest bombing in nearly 12 years and Prime Minister Theresa May said another attack could be imminent. U.S. security sources, citing British intelligence officials, said Abedi was born in Manchester to parents of Libyan origin. May said it was possible a wider group was linked to the bombing at a crowded concert hall, prompting the increase in security a little more than two weeks before a national election. An independent body which sets the threat level recommended it be raised to "critical" from "severe" for the first time since June 2007. "This means that their assessment is not only that an attack remains highly likely but that a further attack may be imminent," May said in a televised statement from her Downing Street Office after a meeting of the government's crisis response committee. "Armed police officers responsible for duties such as guarding key sites will be replaced by members of the armed forces ... You might also see military personnel deployed at certain events, such as concerts and sports matches." Britain's top anti-terrorism officer Mark Rowley said events would only go ahead when it was safe to do so and the decision to raise the threat level had been made on a "precautionary basis" due to gaps in police knowledge while the investigation continues. He told reporters he hoped that, as has previously been the case, the level would not stay at critical for a long period. The Times newspaper reported that Abedi had arrived back in Britain from Libya recently. He is believed to have travelled by train from London before the attack, U.S. officials said. The attacker set off his improvised bomb as crowds streamed out of the Manchester Arena after a pop concert by Ariana Grande, a U.S. singer especially popular with teenage girls. Islamic State, now being driven from territories in Syria and Iraq by Western-backed armed forces, claimed responsibility for what it called a revenge attack against "Crusaders." But there appeared to be contradictions in its account of the operation. FRANTIC SEARCHES Witnesses related the horror of the blast, which unleashed a stampede just as the concert ended at Europe's largest indoor arena, full to its capacity of 21,000. "We ran and people were screaming around us and pushing on the stairs to go outside and people were falling down, girls were crying, and we saw these women being treated by paramedics having open wounds on their legs ... it was just chaos," said Sebastian Diaz, 19. "It was literally just a minute after it ended, the lights came on and the bomb went off." A video posted on Twitter showed fans, many of them young, screaming and running from the venue. Dozens of parents frantically searched for their children, posting photos and pleading for information on social media. Singer Grande, 23, said on Twitter she was devastated: "broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words." She returned to the United States on Tuesday, Britain's Daily Mail newspaper reported, as questions lingered over whether she would continue her European tour. The attack was the deadliest in the UK since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London's transport system in 2005. But it will have reverberations far beyond British shores. Attacks in cities including Paris, Nice, Brussels, St Petersburg, Berlin and London have shocked Europeans already anxious over security challenges from mass immigration and pockets of domestic Islamist radicalism. Islamic State has repeatedly called for attacks as retaliation for Western involvement in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. While claiming responsibility on its Telegram account, the group appeared to contradict the police description of a suicide bomber. It suggested explosive devices were placed "in the midst of the gatherings of the Crusaders". "What comes next will be more severe on the worshippers of the cross," the Telegram posting said. It did not name the bomber, as it usually does in attacks it has ordered, and appeared also to contradict a posting on another Islamic State account, Amaq, which spoke of "a group of attackers". That reference, however, was later removed. "DEPRAVED" May described the attack as an act of "sickening cowardice". Campaigning for the June 8 election, which opinion polls suggest May's Conservative Party is on track to win, has been suspended as a mark of respect. May spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and several other foreign leaders on Tuesday about the attack, her spokesman said. She also visited the police headquarters and a children's hospital in Manchester. The White House said Trump had agreed with May during their telephone conversation that the attack was "particularly wanton and depraved". Macron and senior French ministers walked to the British embassy in Paris to sign the condolence book. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it "will only strengthen our resolve to ... work with our British friends against those who plan and carry out such inhumane deeds". The U.N. Security Council condemned "the barbaric and cowardly terrorist attack" and expressed solidarity with Britain in the fight against terrorism. Queen Elizabeth held a minute's silence at a garden party at Buckingham Palace in London. Manchester remained on high alert, with additional armed police drafted in. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said more police had been ordered onto the streets of the British capital. Police raided a property in the Manchester district of Fallowfield where they carried out a controlled explosion. On Tuesday evening thousands of people attended a vigil in central Manchester in sombre but defiant mood. "There's hard times again in these streets of our city, but we won't take defeat and we don't want your pity, because this is the place where we stand strong together with a smile on our face, Mancunians forever," local poet Tony Walsh said in a poem he read to the crowd that drew loud cheers and applause. British police do not routinely carry firearms, but London police said extra armed officers would be deployed at this weekend's soccer cup final at Wembley and rugby at Twickenham. Security would be reviewed also for smaller events. In March, a British-born convert to Islam ploughed a car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge, killing four people before stabbing to death a police officer who was on the grounds of parliament. The man was shot dead at the scene. In 2015, Pakistani student Abid Naseer was convicted in a U.S. court of conspiring with al Qaeda to blow up the Arndale shopping centre in the centre of Manchester in April 2009. (Reuters)

UK raises threat level from severe to critical

British MPs overwhelmingly backed a bill on Wednesday empowering Prime Minister Theresa May to start negotiations on leaving the European Union, bringing Brexit a significant step closer. Members of the House of Commons voted by 494 votes to 122 for a law enabling May to trigger Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, which begins two years of talks on pulling out of the 28-nation bloc.

&quot;We&#39;ve seen a historic vote tonight -- a big majority for getting on with negotiating our exit from the EU and a strong, new partnership with its member states,&quot; said Brexit minister David Davis.

The unamended two-clause bill now moves to the House of Lords, where there may be more opposition from unelected peers -- and where May&#39;s Conservative party does not have a majority. But its passage through the Commons, where two-thirds of MPs had campaigned against Brexit ahead of the June referendum, puts May on course to begin the withdrawal process by the end of March, as she has vowed.

&nbsp;

Labour headaches

The referendum result sent shockwaves around Europe, spooking investors and raising fears for the future of the EU itself. In the early weeks, there was speculation that pro-European lawmakers might try to delay or even stop the Brexit process.

May initially sought to bypass parliament, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court that last month ruled she must obtain their approval to trigger Article 50. But during five days of debate on the resulting government bill, it became clear that most MPs would not stop the process -- even if some warned that leaving Europe&#39;s single market could be disastrous.

The opposition Labour party and the smaller Scottish National Party (SNP) tabled amendments demanding guarantees on market access, workers&#39; rights and those of EU citizens in Britain. Each was defeated, although during the process the government was forced to promise lawmakers a vote on the final Brexit deal before it is concluded.

Labour imposed a &quot;three-line whip&quot;, a tough disciplinary measure ordering its MPs not to oppose the legislation, ensuring it would pass. But some 52 Labour MPs rebelled in Wednesday&#39;s vote, including business spokesman Clive Lewis who resigned shortly beforehand, bringing a fresh headache for embattled leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn.

After two-thirds of Labour voters backed Brexit, many of them driven by concerns over mass immigration from the rest of the EU, Corbyn decided his party could not block the process.

&quot;Real fight starts now. Over next two years Labour will use every opportunity to ensure Brexit protects jobs, living standards &amp; the economy,&quot; Corbyn wrote on Twitter following the vote. But he was swiftly reprimanded in a reply by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon: &quot;How? You&#39;ve just handed the Tories a blank cheque. You didn&#39;t win a single concession but still voted for the bill. Pathetic.&quot;

&nbsp;

&#39;Ode to Joy&#39; 
SNP lawmakers voiced their frustration during Wednesday&#39;s vote by singing Beethoven&#39;s &quot;Ode to Joy&quot;, the EU&#39;s anthem, before being told off by Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle. But the outcome was celebrated by Brexiteers such as Nigel Farage, former leader of the UK Independence Party.

&quot;I never thought I&#39;d see the day where the House of Commons overwhelmingly voted for Britain to Leave the European Union,&quot; he wrote on Twitter. Liberal Democrat lawmaker Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister, said the vote would allow the government to pursue its aim of a hard Brexit, which will see Britain pull out of the single market.

&quot;There is no mandate for the hardest of hard Brexits the government favours, which risks leaving us poorer, weaker and more isolated,&quot; he said. May has promised to prioritise controlling migration in the Brexit negotiations, even if that comes at the expense of giving up membership of Europe&#39;s single market and its 500 million customers.

(AFP)

The overwhelming majority vote brings Britain a significant step closer to leaving Europe

British MPs overwhelmingly backed a bill on Wednesday empowering Prime Minister Theresa May to start negotiations on leaving the European Union, bringing Brexit a significant step closer. Members of the House of Commons voted by 494 votes to 122 for a law enabling May to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which begins two years of talks on pulling out of the 28-nation bloc. "We've seen a historic vote tonight -- a big majority for getting on with negotiating our exit from the EU and a strong, new partnership with its member states," said Brexit minister David Davis. The unamended two-clause bill now moves to the House of Lords, where there may be more opposition from unelected peers -- and where May's Conservative party does not have a majority. But its passage through the Commons, where two-thirds of MPs had campaigned against Brexit ahead of the June referendum, puts May on course to begin the withdrawal process by the end of March, as she has vowed. Labour headaches The referendum result sent shockwaves around Europe, spooking investors and raising fears for the future of the EU itself. In the early weeks, there was speculation that pro-European lawmakers might try to delay or even stop the Brexit process. May initially sought to bypass parliament, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court that last month ruled she must obtain their approval to trigger Article 50. But during five days of debate on the resulting government bill, it became clear that most MPs would not stop the process -- even if some warned that leaving Europe's single market could be disastrous. The opposition Labour party and the smaller Scottish National Party (SNP) tabled amendments demanding guarantees on market access, workers' rights and those of EU citizens in Britain. Each was defeated, although during the process the government was forced to promise lawmakers a vote on the final Brexit deal before it is concluded. Labour imposed a "three-line whip", a tough disciplinary measure ordering its MPs not to oppose the legislation, ensuring it would pass. But some 52 Labour MPs rebelled in Wednesday's vote, including business spokesman Clive Lewis who resigned shortly beforehand, bringing a fresh headache for embattled leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn. After two-thirds of Labour voters backed Brexit, many of them driven by concerns over mass immigration from the rest of the EU, Corbyn decided his party could not block the process. "Real fight starts now. Over next two years Labour will use every opportunity to ensure Brexit protects jobs, living standards & the economy," Corbyn wrote on Twitter following the vote. But he was swiftly reprimanded in a reply by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon: "How? You've just handed the Tories a blank cheque. You didn't win a single concession but still voted for the bill. Pathetic." 'Ode to Joy' SNP lawmakers voiced their frustration during Wednesday's vote by singing Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", the EU's anthem, before being told off by Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle. But the outcome was celebrated by Brexiteers such as Nigel Farage, former leader of the UK Independence Party. "I never thought I'd see the day where the House of Commons overwhelmingly voted for Britain to Leave the European Union," he wrote on Twitter. Liberal Democrat lawmaker Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister, said the vote would allow the government to pursue its aim of a hard Brexit, which will see Britain pull out of the single market. "There is no mandate for the hardest of hard Brexits the government favours, which risks leaving us poorer, weaker and more isolated," he said. May has promised to prioritise controlling migration in the Brexit negotiations, even if that comes at the expense of giving up membership of Europe's single market and its 500 million customers. (AFP)

Brexit: British MPs vote to start EU exit negotiations

Britain&#39;s ambassador to the European Union has criticised London&#39;s serious lack of negotiating experience ahead of Brexit talks, hours after announcing his resignation on Tuesday.

Ivan Rogers stepped down from his role less than three months before Britain is due to begin talks to leave the bloc, cutting short his term which was due to end in October.

A highly-regarded diplomat, Rogers was criticised last month for saying it would take 10 years for Britain to conclude a trade deal with the EU.

In a lengthy resignation email to staff at UKRep, the office which represents Britain in negotiations in the EU, he urged colleagues to speak up even when their views were not welcome.

&quot;I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power.&nbsp;

&quot;I hope that you will support each other in those difficult moments where you have to deliver messages that are disagreeable to those who need to hear them,&quot; Rogers said in the note, published by The Times newspaper&#39;.

Rogers, who has held the post since November 2013 and previously served as prime minister David Cameron&#39;s Europe adviser, also criticised the British government&#39;s lack of preparation for the divorce proceedings.&nbsp;

&quot;Serious multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in Whitehall, and that is not the case in the Commission or in the Council,&quot; said Rogers, pinpointing a gap in preparedness for Brexit talks between the British government and EU institutions.

Britain voted 52 per cent in favour of leaving the bloc in the country&#39;s June 23 referendum and anti-EU campaigners have since claimed Rogers has a pessimistic view of Brexit.

But supporters of the outgoing EU envoy have meanwhile praised him for being a realist, with credibility gained from his lengthy experience.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(AFP)

Ivan Rogers stepped down from his role less than three months before Britain is due to begin talks to leave the EU

Britain's ambassador to the European Union has criticised London's serious lack of negotiating experience ahead of Brexit talks, hours after announcing his resignation on Tuesday. Ivan Rogers stepped down from his role less than three months before Britain is due to begin talks to leave the bloc, cutting short his term which was due to end in October. A highly-regarded diplomat, Rogers was criticised last month for saying it would take 10 years for Britain to conclude a trade deal with the EU. In a lengthy resignation email to staff at UKRep, the office which represents Britain in negotiations in the EU, he urged colleagues to speak up even when their views were not welcome. "I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power. "I hope that you will support each other in those difficult moments where you have to deliver messages that are disagreeable to those who need to hear them," Rogers said in the note, published by The Times newspaper'. Rogers, who has held the post since November 2013 and previously served as prime minister David Cameron's Europe adviser, also criticised the British government's lack of preparation for the divorce proceedings. "Serious multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in Whitehall, and that is not the case in the Commission or in the Council," said Rogers, pinpointing a gap in preparedness for Brexit talks between the British government and EU institutions. Britain voted 52 per cent in favour of leaving the bloc in the country's June 23 referendum and anti-EU campaigners have since claimed Rogers has a pessimistic view of Brexit. But supporters of the outgoing EU envoy have meanwhile praised him for being a realist, with credibility gained from his lengthy experience. (AFP)

Britain's EU ambassador quits, criticises Brexit preparations

One of Europe&#39;s worst offenders on food waste, Britain is beginning to get its act together thanks to a surge in volunteer initiatives that help the poor as well as creating a bit of seasonal cheer.

&quot;That&#39;s what I come out for, to have a little chat... It&#39;s not only the food,&quot; said Bassia Hamech, 76, as she was served a bowl of hot soup in a kitchen in east London run by a charity called FoodCycle.

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The kitchen serves up weekly vegetarian lunches to up to 50 people in Hackney, many of whom have health problems or are at risk of social isolation.

One of the volunteers, artist Anne Engel, said the most generous donations come from Turkish greengrocers in the area while big supermarkets are less reliable and today gave only a bag of bread.

&quot;We get them to eat all sorts of wild and wonderful things,&quot; said Engel, who brought offerings including mangoes, mint and eggs to a kitchen overflowing with fruit and vegetables destined for scrap.

Teas are swiftly handed out to volunteers and a menu created -- soup, frittata and fruit salad -- and the kitchen team pick out a few furry raspberries and other items which are too old to be used.

&quot;It&#39;s about changing the attitudes to food. We get a lot of volunteers who are very frightened of food past its sell by date,&quot; Engel said.

2016 has been a landmark year for international campaigners tackling food waste, with both Italy and France passing laws to make it easier for surplus stock to be donated rather than binned.

But Britain has fallen behind its neighbours by failing to legislate on the issue, leaving community groups and new businesses to fill the gap.

Britain wastes around 10 million tonnes of food a year, according to 2016 figures from the charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

The EU as a whole has around 88 million tonnes of annual food waste, according to 2012 estimates.

This year&#39;s &quot;War on Waste&quot; BBC television show raised awareness among Britain&rsquo;s population, starting with a mountain of discarded parsnips exposed by its presenter, celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

&#39;A carpet of fruit&#39;

Regular customers at the new crop of recycled food cafes and shops opening up in Britain include environmental do-gooders, as well as the poor and those just looking for some company.

Even the counters of central London cafes filled with high-end coffee and calorific muffins are increasingly making way for products made from salvaged fruit.

A former FoodCycle volunteer, Ben Whitehead, said he has rescued nearly 15 tonnes of fruit since first requesting surplus on a trip to his local market.

&quot;I got offered 12 boxes of really amazing pineapples. I was on my bike! So they looked at me and laughed,&quot; he said of his initial encounter with the traders.

After experimenting with different fruits deemed not perfect enough to make it to consumers, Whitehead set up a company in 2015 called SpareFruit that air-dries sliced apples and pears to create crisps.

&quot;If you drive through the orchards you just see a carpet of fruit. Some of it we wouldn&#39;t eat, but I would say 90 percent of that fruit is perfectly edible,&quot; he said.

Snact, a similar fruit jerky maker, got off the ground after raising &pound;14,000 ($17,000, 17,000 euros) through crowdfunding in 2014.

Both companies are hoping to further their ambitions in the new year, with plans to make it into the luxury department store Selfridges.

The chance to launch in a high-end food hall shows how much British attitudes have changed, as Whitehead discovered when he asked consumers whether they would eat something that would otherwise be wasted.

&quot;Everyone&#39;s response was, &#39;As long as it&#39;s clean and healthy, and fine to eat, why wouldn&#39;t we?&#39;&quot;

(AFP)

The country is one of Europe's worst offenders when it comes to food waste

One of Europe's worst offenders on food waste, Britain is beginning to get its act together thanks to a surge in volunteer initiatives that help the poor as well as creating a bit of seasonal cheer. "That's what I come out for, to have a little chat... It's not only the food," said Bassia Hamech, 76, as she was served a bowl of hot soup in a kitchen in east London run by a charity called FoodCycle. One of the volunteers said the most generous donations come from Turkish greengrocers in the area while big supermarkets are less reliable and today gave only a bag of bread × The kitchen serves up weekly vegetarian lunches to up to 50 people in Hackney, many of whom have health problems or are at risk of social isolation. One of the volunteers, artist Anne Engel, said the most generous donations come from Turkish greengrocers in the area while big supermarkets are less reliable and today gave only a bag of bread. "We get them to eat all sorts of wild and wonderful things," said Engel, who brought offerings including mangoes, mint and eggs to a kitchen overflowing with fruit and vegetables destined for scrap. Teas are swiftly handed out to volunteers and a menu created -- soup, frittata and fruit salad -- and the kitchen team pick out a few furry raspberries and other items which are too old to be used. "It's about changing the attitudes to food. We get a lot of volunteers who are very frightened of food past its sell by date," Engel said. 2016 has been a landmark year for international campaigners tackling food waste, with both Italy and France passing laws to make it easier for surplus stock to be donated rather than binned. But Britain has fallen behind its neighbours by failing to legislate on the issue, leaving community groups and new businesses to fill the gap. Britain wastes around 10 million tonnes of food a year, according to 2016 figures from the charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). The EU as a whole has around 88 million tonnes of annual food waste, according to 2012 estimates. This year's "War on Waste" BBC television show raised awareness among Britain’s population, starting with a mountain of discarded parsnips exposed by its presenter, celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. 'A carpet of fruit' Regular customers at the new crop of recycled food cafes and shops opening up in Britain include environmental do-gooders, as well as the poor and those just looking for some company. Even the counters of central London cafes filled with high-end coffee and calorific muffins are increasingly making way for products made from salvaged fruit. A former FoodCycle volunteer, Ben Whitehead, said he has rescued nearly 15 tonnes of fruit since first requesting surplus on a trip to his local market. "I got offered 12 boxes of really amazing pineapples. I was on my bike! So they looked at me and laughed," he said of his initial encounter with the traders. After experimenting with different fruits deemed not perfect enough to make it to consumers, Whitehead set up a company in 2015 called SpareFruit that air-dries sliced apples and pears to create crisps. "If you drive through the orchards you just see a carpet of fruit. Some of it we wouldn't eat, but I would say 90 percent of that fruit is perfectly edible," he said. Snact, a similar fruit jerky maker, got off the ground after raising £14,000 ($17,000, 17,000 euros) through crowdfunding in 2014. Both companies are hoping to further their ambitions in the new year, with plans to make it into the luxury department store Selfridges. The chance to launch in a high-end food hall shows how much British attitudes have changed, as Whitehead discovered when he asked consumers whether they would eat something that would otherwise be wasted. "Everyone's response was, 'As long as it's clean and healthy, and fine to eat, why wouldn't we?'" (AFP)

Waste not, want not: Britain gets creative about fighting food waste

A British soldier who cited Shakespeare after killing an injured Taliban fighter could be home on bail in time for Christmas, three years after being found guilty of murder in a landmark conviction.

The case of Alexander Blackman, who was identified only as &quot;Marine A&quot; during his trial, has fascinated and divided public opinion in Britain.&nbsp;

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<h5>&#39;There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil ... It&#39;s nothing you wouldn&#39;t do to us,&#39; said Blackman, paraphrasing Shakespeare&#39;s &#39;Hamlet&#39; after shooting the fighter at close range with a 9mm pistol</h5>
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On September 15, 2011, the 42-year-old Royal Marine shot a Taliban fighter who had been seriously injured by fire from an Apache helicopter in Helmand province.

&quot;There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil ... It&#39;s nothing you wouldn&#39;t do to us,&quot; said Blackman, paraphrasing Shakespeare&#39;s &quot;Hamlet&quot; after shooting the fighter at close range with a 9mm pistol.

&quot;Obviously this doesn&#39;t go anywhere, fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention,&quot; he said to his fellow Royal Marines, in reference to international law governing the treatment of prisoners of war.&nbsp;

Footage of the incident was captured on a camera mounted onto the helmet of one of the soldiers, and two years later Blackman was convicted of murder by a court martial.

The case was the first time since the Second World War that a British soldier was convicted of a murder carried out on the battlefield.&nbsp;

&quot;You treated that Afghan man with contempt and murdered him in cold blood,&quot; judge Jeff Blackett told Blackman in December 2013 as the soldier was given a life sentence with a 10-year minimum.&nbsp;

&quot;By doing so you have betrayed your corps and all British service personnel who have served in Afghanistan, and you have tarnished their reputation,&quot; Blackett added.

The conviction was supported by Britain&#39;s then chief of defence staff, Nicholas Houghton, who said: &quot;Murder is murder, this is a heinous crime.&quot;

But now Blackman is making a bid for freedom, with a court hearing in London on Wednesday set to decide if he will be granted bail.

&#39;Icing on the cake&#39;&nbsp;

The soldier&#39;s legal team ultimately aims to overturn the conviction and have the crime lessened to manslaughter, following a Royal Navy review which suggests Blackman was suffering from post-traumatic stress at the time of the shooting.&nbsp;

Blackman has denied murder and claimed he shot the Taliban fighter once the insurgent was already dead.&nbsp;

His wife, Claire Blackman, told the BBC she hoped to have her husband home for Christmas.

&quot;Bail would be the icing on the cake,&quot; she said.

Dozens of veterans are due to gather on Wednesday outside the Royal Courts of Justice to call for &quot;Justice for Marine A, abandoned by the government,&quot; according to a poster.

Blackman&#39;s supporters include Richard Kemp, a former commander in Afghanistan, who said the soldier had been &quot;thrown to the wolves by cowards&quot;.

MP Richard Draw and author Frederick Forsyth have promised to pay the &pound;200,000 bail.

The Daily Mail newspaper has also campaigned against the murder conviction.

&quot;Did a man who for 13 years risked his life defending his country, often in the most appalling environment... really deserve to be tried for murder and thrown in jail like a common criminal?&quot; the right-wing newspaper wrote.

Beyond the &quot;Marine A&quot; case, British tabloids have campaigned against former soldiers facing trial for alleged crimes committed while on duty.

They received support from Prime Minister Theresa May, who in October promised to &quot;put an end to the industry of vexatious claims that has pursued those who served in previous conflicts&quot;.

(AFP)

He shot a Taliban fighter who had been seriously injured by fire from an Apache helicopter, then quoted Shakespeare

A British soldier who cited Shakespeare after killing an injured Taliban fighter could be home on bail in time for Christmas, three years after being found guilty of murder in a landmark conviction. The case of Alexander Blackman, who was identified only as "Marine A" during his trial, has fascinated and divided public opinion in Britain. 'There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil ... It's nothing you wouldn't do to us,' said Blackman, paraphrasing Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' after shooting the fighter at close range with a 9mm pistol × On September 15, 2011, the 42-year-old Royal Marine shot a Taliban fighter who had been seriously injured by fire from an Apache helicopter in Helmand province. "There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil ... It's nothing you wouldn't do to us," said Blackman, paraphrasing Shakespeare's "Hamlet" after shooting the fighter at close range with a 9mm pistol. "Obviously this doesn't go anywhere, fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention," he said to his fellow Royal Marines, in reference to international law governing the treatment of prisoners of war. Footage of the incident was captured on a camera mounted onto the helmet of one of the soldiers, and two years later Blackman was convicted of murder by a court martial. The case was the first time since the Second World War that a British soldier was convicted of a murder carried out on the battlefield. "You treated that Afghan man with contempt and murdered him in cold blood," judge Jeff Blackett told Blackman in December 2013 as the soldier was given a life sentence with a 10-year minimum. "By doing so you have betrayed your corps and all British service personnel who have served in Afghanistan, and you have tarnished their reputation," Blackett added. The conviction was supported by Britain's then chief of defence staff, Nicholas Houghton, who said: "Murder is murder, this is a heinous crime." But now Blackman is making a bid for freedom, with a court hearing in London on Wednesday set to decide if he will be granted bail. 'Icing on the cake' The soldier's legal team ultimately aims to overturn the conviction and have the crime lessened to manslaughter, following a Royal Navy review which suggests Blackman was suffering from post-traumatic stress at the time of the shooting. Blackman has denied murder and claimed he shot the Taliban fighter once the insurgent was already dead. His wife, Claire Blackman, told the BBC she hoped to have her husband home for Christmas. "Bail would be the icing on the cake," she said. Dozens of veterans are due to gather on Wednesday outside the Royal Courts of Justice to call for "Justice for Marine A, abandoned by the government," according to a poster. Blackman's supporters include Richard Kemp, a former commander in Afghanistan, who said the soldier had been "thrown to the wolves by cowards". MP Richard Draw and author Frederick Forsyth have promised to pay the £200,000 bail. The Daily Mail newspaper has also campaigned against the murder conviction. "Did a man who for 13 years risked his life defending his country, often in the most appalling environment... really deserve to be tried for murder and thrown in jail like a common criminal?" the right-wing newspaper wrote. Beyond the "Marine A" case, British tabloids have campaigned against former soldiers facing trial for alleged crimes committed while on duty. They received support from Prime Minister Theresa May, who in October promised to "put an end to the industry of vexatious claims that has pursued those who served in previous conflicts". (AFP)

British soldier who killed Taliban fighter divides UK

In a symbolic victory, British Prime Minister Theresa May today won a vote in Parliament backing her timetable for negotiating Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union (EU).

MPs voted in the House of Commons 461 to 89 in favour of May triggering Article 50 by the end of March 2017, which will begin the formal process of exit negotiations from the 28-member economic bloc.

The win followed a compromise between Opposition Labour and the ruling Conservatives, which saw May committing to revealing the official plan for Brexit before the actual process begins, without committing to any detailed account.

The vote also supported a Labour motion calling for Parliament to &quot;properly scrutinise&quot; the government in its proposals for leaving the EU by 448 votes to 75 - a margin of 373.

Labour&#39;s Brexit spokesman, Sir Keir Starmer, has said his party would continue to challenge the government if its plan was &quot;not detailed enough&quot;.

He said: &quot;I think it&#39;s got to be pretty detailed, they&#39;ve got to set out what those objectives are. I don&#39;t think it needs to be in a particular form, but if it&#39;s not detailed enough they can expect further challenge.&quot;

Brexit Secretary David Davis responded: &quot;The simple fact is that the mandate (in June&#39;s referendum) was to leave the European Union - full stop. We need to keep that in mind when we are going through that process.

&quot;This is a negotiation; it&#39;s not a policy statement. And, therefore, where you are aiming for may not be the exact place you end up.&quot;

The debate today came after a procedural battle between the parties over the wording of the motion to be put to MPs. Mrs May had been refusing to provide a &quot;running commentary&quot; on Brexit after the UK voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June.

As the Supreme Court in London continues to hear a case to establish the extent of British PM?s power in launching into a Brexit without parliamentary approval, Downing Street put forward an amendment agreeing to publish a plan before triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Starmer described it as &quot;a welcome and hugely significant climbdown&quot;, while the government believes receiving this parliamentary backing for the timetable would avoid delays to the Brexit process.

The government&#39;s amendment was opposed by 23 Labour MPs and one Conservative - former chancellor Ken Clarke. Five Liberal Democrat MPs, three Welsh Plaid Cymru MPs and 51 SNP MPs also voted against it.

&nbsp;

(PTI)

Lawmakers voted 461 to 89 in favour of May triggering article 50 by end of March 2017, beginning the formal process of exit negotiations

In a symbolic victory, British Prime Minister Theresa May today won a vote in Parliament backing her timetable for negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union (EU). MPs voted in the House of Commons 461 to 89 in favour of May triggering Article 50 by the end of March 2017, which will begin the formal process of exit negotiations from the 28-member economic bloc. The win followed a compromise between Opposition Labour and the ruling Conservatives, which saw May committing to revealing the official plan for Brexit before the actual process begins, without committing to any detailed account. The vote also supported a Labour motion calling for Parliament to "properly scrutinise" the government in its proposals for leaving the EU by 448 votes to 75 - a margin of 373. Labour's Brexit spokesman, Sir Keir Starmer, has said his party would continue to challenge the government if its plan was "not detailed enough". He said: "I think it's got to be pretty detailed, they've got to set out what those objectives are. I don't think it needs to be in a particular form, but if it's not detailed enough they can expect further challenge." Brexit Secretary David Davis responded: "The simple fact is that the mandate (in June's referendum) was to leave the European Union - full stop. We need to keep that in mind when we are going through that process. "This is a negotiation; it's not a policy statement. And, therefore, where you are aiming for may not be the exact place you end up." The debate today came after a procedural battle between the parties over the wording of the motion to be put to MPs. Mrs May had been refusing to provide a "running commentary" on Brexit after the UK voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June. As the Supreme Court in London continues to hear a case to establish the extent of British PM?s power in launching into a Brexit without parliamentary approval, Downing Street put forward an amendment agreeing to publish a plan before triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Starmer described it as "a welcome and hugely significant climbdown", while the government believes receiving this parliamentary backing for the timetable would avoid delays to the Brexit process. The government's amendment was opposed by 23 Labour MPs and one Conservative - former chancellor Ken Clarke. Five Liberal Democrat MPs, three Welsh Plaid Cymru MPs and 51 SNP MPs also voted against it. (PTI)

British PM Theresa May wins Brexit timetable vote in parliament

France demanded on Friday that Britain take in hundreds of minors from war-torn countries after the British interior minister suggested that Paris should do more for them following the closure of the &quot;Jungle&quot; migrant camp in the northern French port city of Calais.

Bulldozers are flattening the sprawl of ramshackle huts and tents which had been home to about 6,000 refugees and migrants from Asia, the Middle East and Africa hoping to cross the English Channel and start new lives in Britain.

Most have now been bussed to other centres across France pending examination of their cases. But the plight of hundreds of minors roaming the area, nearly 1,500 of whom have signed up for temporary lodging in container-boxes in Calais, has become a point of dispute.

British Home Secretary (Interior Minister) Amber Rudd told her French counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve on Friday that his government must guarantee the protection of youngsters left in limbo after the evacuation of the &quot;Jungle&quot;.

&quot;Any child either eligible or not in the secure area of the camp should be cared for and safeguarded by the French authorities. We understand that specialist facilities have been made available elsewhere in France to ensure this happens,&quot; Rudd&#39;s spokesman quoted her as saying.

Cazeneuve replied that Britain should &quot;quickly execute its responsibilities to take in these minors, who hope to come to the United Kingdom. This is the best way to give them the protection they are due,&quot; he said.

The head of France&#39;s Ofpra refugee agency, Pascal Brice, put it more bluntly. &quot;We&#39;ve done Britain&#39;s work in tending to the adults,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;The least they can do is take care of the isolated minors who are now at the CAP (temporary lodgings) and who have an interest in going to Britain.&quot;

French government officials in the region say that 1,451 minors are in the container-box lodgings. Britain has so far accepted 274 children from among this group, France says. European Union rules say Britain must take in unaccompanied children who have family ties there. An amendment to those rules adopted in Britain this year states that such minors whose best interests are served by doing so should also be admitted.

&nbsp;

DEBRIS

Aid groups say hundreds if not thousands more adults and minors may have fled into the hinterland around the &quot;Jungle&quot;, ready to return when the heavy police presence wanes. Smoke and dust floated over the heart of the site on Friday, as bulldozers cleared mounds of debris and rubbish, watched from afar by a group of youngsters who had slept outdoors in an area that once serve as a school for camp-dwellers. Charity workers gave them food on Friday.

Abdul Hadi, an Afghan youth who gave his age as 16, said he spent 10 months in the &ldquo;Jungle&rdquo; but failed to register with the French authorities for help when the evacuation on Monday. &quot;I hope I can get to the UK this week,&quot; he said.

Serge Szarzynski, head of social affairs in the Calais area, told Reuters a solution would be found for Hadi and the youths with him.

(Reuters)

The French reacted to the British interior minister's suggestion that more could be done to shelter the at-risk minors

France demanded on Friday that Britain take in hundreds of minors from war-torn countries after the British interior minister suggested that Paris should do more for them following the closure of the "Jungle" migrant camp in the northern French port city of Calais. Bulldozers are flattening the sprawl of ramshackle huts and tents which had been home to about 6,000 refugees and migrants from Asia, the Middle East and Africa hoping to cross the English Channel and start new lives in Britain. Most have now been bussed to other centres across France pending examination of their cases. But the plight of hundreds of minors roaming the area, nearly 1,500 of whom have signed up for temporary lodging in container-boxes in Calais, has become a point of dispute. British Home Secretary (Interior Minister) Amber Rudd told her French counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve on Friday that his government must guarantee the protection of youngsters left in limbo after the evacuation of the "Jungle". "Any child either eligible or not in the secure area of the camp should be cared for and safeguarded by the French authorities. We understand that specialist facilities have been made available elsewhere in France to ensure this happens," Rudd's spokesman quoted her as saying. Cazeneuve replied that Britain should "quickly execute its responsibilities to take in these minors, who hope to come to the United Kingdom. This is the best way to give them the protection they are due," he said. The head of France's Ofpra refugee agency, Pascal Brice, put it more bluntly. "We've done Britain's work in tending to the adults," he told Reuters. "The least they can do is take care of the isolated minors who are now at the CAP (temporary lodgings) and who have an interest in going to Britain." French government officials in the region say that 1,451 minors are in the container-box lodgings. Britain has so far accepted 274 children from among this group, France says. European Union rules say Britain must take in unaccompanied children who have family ties there. An amendment to those rules adopted in Britain this year states that such minors whose best interests are served by doing so should also be admitted. DEBRIS Aid groups say hundreds if not thousands more adults and minors may have fled into the hinterland around the "Jungle", ready to return when the heavy police presence wanes. Smoke and dust floated over the heart of the site on Friday, as bulldozers cleared mounds of debris and rubbish, watched from afar by a group of youngsters who had slept outdoors in an area that once serve as a school for camp-dwellers. Charity workers gave them food on Friday. Abdul Hadi, an Afghan youth who gave his age as 16, said he spent 10 months in the “Jungle” but failed to register with the French authorities for help when the evacuation on Monday. "I hope I can get to the UK this week," he said. Serge Szarzynski, head of social affairs in the Calais area, told Reuters a solution would be found for Hadi and the youths with him. (Reuters)

France says Britain can keep at-risk kids from Calais 'Jungle' camp

&nbsp;

French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that Britain must be responsible towards unaccompanied children traveling from Calais &quot;Jungle&quot; camp in an article published in The Guardian today.&nbsp;

The minister also spoke about tearing down the camp, adding that neither London nor Paris wants &quot;to leave people with the right to refugee status in the cold and the mud -&ndash; women and children least of all.&quot;

&quot;The British government has pledged to help solve this crisis by taking in some unaccompanied minors, the vast majority of whom have expressed the wish to go to the UK,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

The minister&#39;s comments came a day after many teenagers were sent to the UK.&nbsp;Britain said the children sent were aged between 14 and 17 and were from countries including Syria and Sudan. More will follow in the coming days.&nbsp;

&quot;The UK government now needs to intensify this effort, so that every unaccompanied minor can benefit from fair, lasting protection. In the longer term, neither the UK nor France can abdicate our responsibilities regarding the migration crisis across our continent,&quot; AFP quoted Cazeneuve saying.&nbsp;

The &quot;Jungle&quot; camp saw the influx of migrants from across Europe, many of whom wished to seek asylum in Britain. This has caused tensions between both countries.&nbsp;

Cazeneuve also warned that the &quot;humanitarian operation must be supported by long-term measures aimed at making the border impenetrable at Calais and other Channel ports&quot;.&nbsp;

And that &quot;thanks to the cooperation between our police services, 33 illegal immigration networks smuggling people into the UK have already been dismantled in France since the beginning of this year,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

 
&nbsp;

French interior minister said neither UK nor France will want to leave people wanting asylum out cold, least of all women and children

French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that Britain must be responsible towards unaccompanied children traveling from Calais "Jungle" camp in an article published in The Guardian today. The minister also spoke about tearing down the camp, adding that neither London nor Paris wants "to leave people with the right to refugee status in the cold and the mud -– women and children least of all." "The British government has pledged to help solve this crisis by taking in some unaccompanied minors, the vast majority of whom have expressed the wish to go to the UK," he added. The minister's comments came a day after many teenagers were sent to the UK. Britain said the children sent were aged between 14 and 17 and were from countries including Syria and Sudan. More will follow in the coming days. "The UK government now needs to intensify this effort, so that every unaccompanied minor can benefit from fair, lasting protection. In the longer term, neither the UK nor France can abdicate our responsibilities regarding the migration crisis across our continent," AFP quoted Cazeneuve saying. The "Jungle" camp saw the influx of migrants from across Europe, many of whom wished to seek asylum in Britain. This has caused tensions between both countries. Cazeneuve also warned that the "humanitarian operation must be supported by long-term measures aimed at making the border impenetrable at Calais and other Channel ports". And that "thanks to the cooperation between our police services, 33 illegal immigration networks smuggling people into the UK have already been dismantled in France since the beginning of this year," he added. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Britain must fulfil duty to Calais migrant kids: France

Arrows flew and swords clanged as thousands re-enacted the Battle of Hastings on its 950th anniversary on Saturday at a sold-out event marking a bloody day that changed the course of English history.

&nbsp;

The victory in 1066 by Duke William of Normandy, known as William the Conqueror, over Anglo-Saxon King Harold was the start of the Norman conquest which transformed England&#39;s language, laws, customs and architecture.

&nbsp;

A re-enactment takes place annually at the site of the clash, in a small town called Battle near the port of Hastings, but interest in this anniversary year has been exceptionally high, according to English Heritage, which runs the site.

&nbsp;

&quot;Last year we had approximately 500 reenactors. This year we&#39;ve got 2,000 and we&#39;re at capacity sell-out and it really, really does bring history to life for everyone. The atmosphere on site today, it just evokes 950 years ago,&quot; said English Heritage&#39;s Jo Stewart.

&nbsp;

Celebrations included displays of falconry, medieval music and spectacular battle scenes re-enacted by thousands of enthusiasts in chain mail armed with clubs, swords, lances, battle-axes and bows and arrows.

&nbsp;

Some media had speculated beforehand that the atmosphere at this year&#39;s event could be even more passionate than usual following the shock vote to leave the European Union on June 23, which has polarised the nation.

&nbsp;

The Norman conquest tied England&#39;s political destiny to that of the continent for centuries, and in a seminal eurosceptic speech in 1988, then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher drew a parallel between its impact and that of modern European integration.

&nbsp;

The Battle of Hastings&#39; place in the national psyche was sealed by the hugely popular 1930s spoof history book &quot;1066 and All That&quot;, which said: &quot;The Norman conquest was a good thing, as from this time onwards England stopped being conquered and thus was able to become top nation.&quot;

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The victory in 1066 by Duke William of Normandy over Anglo-Saxon King Harold is re-enacted by people annually in the site of the battle

Arrows flew and swords clanged as thousands re-enacted the Battle of Hastings on its 950th anniversary on Saturday at a sold-out event marking a bloody day that changed the course of English history. The victory in 1066 by Duke William of Normandy, known as William the Conqueror, over Anglo-Saxon King Harold was the start of the Norman conquest which transformed England's language, laws, customs and architecture. A re-enactment takes place annually at the site of the clash, in a small town called Battle near the port of Hastings, but interest in this anniversary year has been exceptionally high, according to English Heritage, which runs the site. "Last year we had approximately 500 reenactors. This year we've got 2,000 and we're at capacity sell-out and it really, really does bring history to life for everyone. The atmosphere on site today, it just evokes 950 years ago," said English Heritage's Jo Stewart. Celebrations included displays of falconry, medieval music and spectacular battle scenes re-enacted by thousands of enthusiasts in chain mail armed with clubs, swords, lances, battle-axes and bows and arrows. Some media had speculated beforehand that the atmosphere at this year's event could be even more passionate than usual following the shock vote to leave the European Union on June 23, which has polarised the nation. The Norman conquest tied England's political destiny to that of the continent for centuries, and in a seminal eurosceptic speech in 1988, then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher drew a parallel between its impact and that of modern European integration. The Battle of Hastings' place in the national psyche was sealed by the hugely popular 1930s spoof history book "1066 and All That", which said: "The Norman conquest was a good thing, as from this time onwards England stopped being conquered and thus was able to become top nation." (Reuters)

After 950 years, Battle of Hastings plays out again

All European Union&nbsp;citizens currently living in Britain will be able to stay after Brexit, a newspaper reported on Saturday citing unnamed cabinet ministers, despite the government&#39;s refusal to publicly guarantee their status.

Official research suggests that more than 80 per cent of the 3.6 million EU citizens living in Britain would be eligible for residency by the time Britain is expected to leave the European Union in 2019, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Under plans being drawn up by the interior ministry, the remainder would be offered some kind of amnesty involving the right to permanently stay in Britain, it said.

Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May has said she &quot;fully expects&quot; to be able to guarantee the rights of EU citizens to stay in Britain, but said it was dependent on the rights accorded to Britons living elsewhere in the EU.

Earlier this week, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox repeated her position, and said that their fate was part of Britain&#39;s negotiating hand.

&quot;To give that away before we get into the negotiation would be to hand over one of our main cards in that negotiation and doesn&#39;t necessarily make sense at this point,&quot; he told a fringe meeting at the Conservative party conference.

After a referendum campaign fought on the issue of control over EU migration, the conference was dominated by tough talk on immigration, including proposals to make firms declare foreign workers, which were widely condemned.

May has said she intends to begin the two-year Brexit process by March 2017, putting Britain on course to end its membership of the EU by early 2019. 
&nbsp;

(AFP)

Official research suggests that more than 80% of the EU citizens would be eligible for residency by the time Britain leaves EU in 2019

All European Union citizens currently living in Britain will be able to stay after Brexit, a newspaper reported on Saturday citing unnamed cabinet ministers, despite the government's refusal to publicly guarantee their status. Official research suggests that more than 80 per cent of the 3.6 million EU citizens living in Britain would be eligible for residency by the time Britain is expected to leave the European Union in 2019, the Daily Telegraph reported. Under plans being drawn up by the interior ministry, the remainder would be offered some kind of amnesty involving the right to permanently stay in Britain, it said. Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May has said she "fully expects" to be able to guarantee the rights of EU citizens to stay in Britain, but said it was dependent on the rights accorded to Britons living elsewhere in the EU. Earlier this week, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox repeated her position, and said that their fate was part of Britain's negotiating hand. "To give that away before we get into the negotiation would be to hand over one of our main cards in that negotiation and doesn't necessarily make sense at this point," he told a fringe meeting at the Conservative party conference. After a referendum campaign fought on the issue of control over EU migration, the conference was dominated by tough talk on immigration, including proposals to make firms declare foreign workers, which were widely condemned. May has said she intends to begin the two-year Brexit process by March 2017, putting Britain on course to end its membership of the EU by early 2019. (AFP)

Britain 'will allow EU citizens to stay' after Brexit: Media report

Top UN court today rejected an epic case brought by the tiny Marshall Islands against India for allegedly failing to halt the nuclear arms race.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its ruling in the country&#39;s case against India, the first to be decided, said it had accepted Indian arguments that ICJ&nbsp;should not have jurisdiction in the case, international news agency Reuters reported.

&nbsp;

The 16-judge bench was quoted as saying by Reuters&nbsp;that while the Marshall Islands may not be satisfied with progress on nuclear disarmament, it had failed to show that it has any ongoing legal dispute with India fit for the court&nbsp;to adjudicate.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It later rejected the Marshall Islands&#39; suit against Pakistan on the same grounds. The third suit, against Britain, was still to be decided.

&nbsp;

The Pacific archipelago, whose territory was used for dozens of atomic-bomb tests by the United States after World War Two, had argued that nuclear powers weren&#39;t doing enough to adhere to the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In a majority verdict by nine votes to seven, &quot;the court upholds the objection to jurisdiction raised by India,&quot; presiding judge Ronny Abraham was quoted as saying by AFP, and therefore the tribunal &quot;cannot proceed to the merits of the case.&quot;

&nbsp;

The tribunal found it lacked the jurisdiction in the case as there had been no prior recorded dispute or negotiations over the nuclear issue between the Marshall Islands and India.

&nbsp;

Majuro in 2014 accused nine countries of failing to comply with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

However, ICJ failed to take up cases against other countries --China, France, Israel, North Korea, Russia and the United States -- as they have not recognised the court&#39;s jurisdiction.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It&#39;s also pertinent to mention that India and Pakistan have not signed the NPT, that &nbsp;commits all nuclear weapon states &quot;to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament.&quot;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)&nbsp;

The top UN court said it had accepted the Indian arguments that ICJ should not have jurisdiction in the case

Top UN court today rejected an epic case brought by the tiny Marshall Islands against India for allegedly failing to halt the nuclear arms race. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its ruling in the country's case against India, the first to be decided, said it had accepted Indian arguments that ICJ should not have jurisdiction in the case, international news agency Reuters reported. The 16-judge bench was quoted as saying by Reuters that while the Marshall Islands may not be satisfied with progress on nuclear disarmament, it had failed to show that it has any ongoing legal dispute with India fit for the court to adjudicate. It later rejected the Marshall Islands' suit against Pakistan on the same grounds. The third suit, against Britain, was still to be decided. The Pacific archipelago, whose territory was used for dozens of atomic-bomb tests by the United States after World War Two, had argued that nuclear powers weren't doing enough to adhere to the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In a majority verdict by nine votes to seven, "the court upholds the objection to jurisdiction raised by India," presiding judge Ronny Abraham was quoted as saying by AFP, and therefore the tribunal "cannot proceed to the merits of the case." The tribunal found it lacked the jurisdiction in the case as there had been no prior recorded dispute or negotiations over the nuclear issue between the Marshall Islands and India. Majuro in 2014 accused nine countries of failing to comply with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. However, ICJ failed to take up cases against other countries --China, France, Israel, North Korea, Russia and the United States -- as they have not recognised the court's jurisdiction. It's also pertinent to mention that India and Pakistan have not signed the NPT, that commits all nuclear weapon states "to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament." (WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)

International Court of Justice rejects Marshall Islands suit against India, Pakistan

The United Nation&#39;s highest court -- the International Court of Justice -- will decide today whether it will hear a case filed by the Marshall Islands against India, Pakistan and the UK for failing to stop the nuclear arms race.

Between 1946 and 1958, the islands were subjected to a string of nuclear tests conducted by the US. And so the country understands the devastating effects of nuclear weapons, AFP reported.&nbsp;

The tiny country -- it has a population of 55,000 -- accuses the India, Pakistan, and Britain&nbsp;of failing to abide by the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty.&nbsp;(India and Pakistan have not signed the treaty.)&nbsp;

The Marshall Islands had in 2014&nbsp;filed the cases against&nbsp;nine countries but 6 of them -- China, France, Israel, North Korea, Russia, and the US --&nbsp;do not accept the ICJ&#39;s jurisdiction.&nbsp;

That leaves the court to decide whether it will&nbsp;hear the case against the other three.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Pacific island nation aims to bring the issue of nuclear arms to the forefront so that talks on nuclear disarmament can be started again, AFP reported. &nbsp;

The country argues that as per the NPT, all nuclear powers need &quot;to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament&quot;.

Critics however argue the hearing is only a ruse to divert the islander&#39;s fight with the US which&nbsp;carried out the tests, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&#39;Several islands in my country were vapourised&#39;

At a March hearing, the islanders described the after-effects of 67 nuclear tests carried out on Bikini and Enewetak atolls, AFP reported.&nbsp;

Former foreign minister, Tony deBrum said, &quot;Several islands in my country were vapourised and others are estimated to remain uninhabitable for thousands of years.&quot;

&quot;The entire sky turned blood-red,&quot; he told the court.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The tiny Pacific island nation of 55,000 accuses the three countries of failing to halt the nuclear arms race

The United Nation's highest court -- the International Court of Justice -- will decide today whether it will hear a case filed by the Marshall Islands against India, Pakistan and the UK for failing to stop the nuclear arms race. Between 1946 and 1958, the islands were subjected to a string of nuclear tests conducted by the US. And so the country understands the devastating effects of nuclear weapons, AFP reported. The tiny country -- it has a population of 55,000 -- accuses the India, Pakistan, and Britain of failing to abide by the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty. (India and Pakistan have not signed the treaty.) The Marshall Islands had in 2014 filed the cases against nine countries but 6 of them -- China, France, Israel, North Korea, Russia, and the US -- do not accept the ICJ's jurisdiction. That leaves the court to decide whether it will hear the case against the other three. The Pacific island nation aims to bring the issue of nuclear arms to the forefront so that talks on nuclear disarmament can be started again, AFP reported. The country argues that as per the NPT, all nuclear powers need "to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament". Critics however argue the hearing is only a ruse to divert the islander's fight with the US which carried out the tests, AFP reported. 'Several islands in my country were vapourised' At a March hearing, the islanders described the after-effects of 67 nuclear tests carried out on Bikini and Enewetak atolls, AFP reported. Former foreign minister, Tony deBrum said, "Several islands in my country were vapourised and others are estimated to remain uninhabitable for thousands of years." "The entire sky turned blood-red," he told the court. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Top UN court to decide if it will hear Marshall Islands nuclear case against India, Pak & Britain

&nbsp;

Britain today announced plans to allow its soldiers to opt out of European human rights law, in a move Prime Minister Theresa May said would end &quot;the industry of vexatious claims&quot; against troops.

Under the new proposal the British government said it would allow soldiers to sidestep the European Convention on Human Rights during times of conflict, depending on an assessment of the circumstances.

&quot;My government will ensure that our troops are recognised for the incredible job they do. Those who serve on the frontline will have our support when they come home.

&quot;We will repay them with gratitude and put an end to the industry of vexatious claims that has pursued those who served in previous conflicts,&quot; May said in a statement.

The plan, announced during the ruling Conservative Party&#39;s annual conference, is intended to prevent legal claims against members of the armed forces which defence minister Michael Fallon said amounted to &quot;false charges&quot;.

&quot;Our legal system has been abused to level false charges against our troops on an industrial scale.

&quot;It has caused significant distress to people who risked their lives to protect us, it has cost the taxpayer millions and there is a real risk it will stop our armed forces doing their job,&quot; he said.

In their announcement the government said despite the opt-out from European legislation, soldiers would continue to abide by the Geneva Conventions.

Britain set up the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) to investigate allegations by Iraqi civilians of abuse by British soldiers between the US-led invasion in 2003 and 2009 when British combat troops left.

As of March 31, 2016, the team was investigating 1,374 cases, with allegations related to ill treatment, missing persons and deaths.

The ministry of defence said in January that the IHAT had dropped 57 investigations, while the military&#39;s prosecuting authority stopped one additional case.

A total of 326 cases have been settled, with compensation payments totalling 20 million Pounds ($26 million, 23 million Euros).

More broadly, Britain has spent more than 100 million pounds on Iraq-related investigations, inquiries and compensation, the government said on Tuesday.

(AFP)

The government said soldiers would continue to abide by the Geneva Conventions

Britain today announced plans to allow its soldiers to opt out of European human rights law, in a move Prime Minister Theresa May said would end "the industry of vexatious claims" against troops. Under the new proposal the British government said it would allow soldiers to sidestep the European Convention on Human Rights during times of conflict, depending on an assessment of the circumstances. "My government will ensure that our troops are recognised for the incredible job they do. Those who serve on the frontline will have our support when they come home. "We will repay them with gratitude and put an end to the industry of vexatious claims that has pursued those who served in previous conflicts," May said in a statement. The plan, announced during the ruling Conservative Party's annual conference, is intended to prevent legal claims against members of the armed forces which defence minister Michael Fallon said amounted to "false charges". "Our legal system has been abused to level false charges against our troops on an industrial scale. "It has caused significant distress to people who risked their lives to protect us, it has cost the taxpayer millions and there is a real risk it will stop our armed forces doing their job," he said. In their announcement the government said despite the opt-out from European legislation, soldiers would continue to abide by the Geneva Conventions. Britain set up the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) to investigate allegations by Iraqi civilians of abuse by British soldiers between the US-led invasion in 2003 and 2009 when British combat troops left. As of March 31, 2016, the team was investigating 1,374 cases, with allegations related to ill treatment, missing persons and deaths. The ministry of defence said in January that the IHAT had dropped 57 investigations, while the military's prosecuting authority stopped one additional case. A total of 326 cases have been settled, with compensation payments totalling 20 million Pounds ($26 million, 23 million Euros). More broadly, Britain has spent more than 100 million pounds on Iraq-related investigations, inquiries and compensation, the government said on Tuesday. (AFP)

Britain may allow troops to opt out of European human rights law

Urging both the nuclear states to &quot;ease it off&quot; as war of words rages between India and Pakistan, &nbsp;Britain has raised serious concerns over increasing tensions the two neighbouring nations following September 18 attack on Indian Army base in Uri sector of Kashmir.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Britain wants easing of tension between Pakistan and India as it is concerned over the current situation (in the wake of Uri attack),&quot; British high commissioner in Pakistan Thomas Drew said on Saturday, according to Pakistan daily Dawn. 
 
The British high commissioner met with Pakistan&#39;s Punjab province chief minister, Shahbaz Sharif, on Saturday to &quot;discuss matters of mutual interest, bilateral relations and situation in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir,&quot; The Dawn reported. 
 
As Drew &quot;lauded&quot; Pakistan for its &quot;responsible attitude in the current situation&quot;, according to the daily, he added that Britain is against violation of human rights anywhere in the world. 
 
Both India and Pakistan have accused each other of indulging into human rights violations in Kashmir Valley and Balochistan, respectively, drawing the&nbsp;attention of world leaders in the recent weeks.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Shahbaz Sharif has asked Britain to help resolve the Kashmir issue in the wake of the UN resolution, Indian news agency, Press Trust of India, reported.&nbsp; 
 
India&#39;s external affairs minister to address UN over Kashmir issue 
 
India&#39;s external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, will be addressing the UN General Assembly on Monday and is expected to respond to Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif&#39;s &quot;diatribe&quot; on Kashmir, said official sources.&nbsp; 
 
The Pakistan Prime Minister said on Saturday that the Uri attack could have been a response to the human rights violations in Kashmir.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_fq3a0-20160925031607.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
India&#39;s external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj in her address to the UNGA on Monday, is expected to offer a stinging response to Pakistan PM&#39;s Kashmir speech.
</div>
 
First secretary in the permanent mission of India to the UN Eenam Gambhir, within hours of Sharif&#39;s speech hit back saying, &quot;the worst violation of human rights is terrorism&quot;. 
 
India sees in Pakistan as &quot; &#39;a terrorist state&#39; which uses billions of Dollars from international&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, &nbsp;&quot;terrorism&quot; will be the main focus of Swaraj&#39;s address, &quot;reform of the UN Security Council, sustainable development, climate change and peacekeeping&quot; are some issues which will be discussed in the UNGA, India&#39;s envoy to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, said.&nbsp; 
 
Swaraj will discuss India&#39;s &quot;vision document&quot;, whose contents have not been disclosed but according to Vikas Swaroop, spokersperson for the ministry of external affairs, said &quot;the whole world and the entire country is waiting to hear what the external affairs minister has to say but I think the broad themes that Akbaruddin has outlined are definitely going to be a part of our presentation at this most important forum in the international community&quot;. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

British high commissioner in Pakistan has asked both the nuclear states to 'ease it off' as war of words rages on in the wake of Uri attack

Urging both the nuclear states to "ease it off" as war of words rages between India and Pakistan, Britain has raised serious concerns over increasing tensions the two neighbouring nations following September 18 attack on Indian Army base in Uri sector of Kashmir. "Britain wants easing of tension between Pakistan and India as it is concerned over the current situation (in the wake of Uri attack)," British high commissioner in Pakistan Thomas Drew said on Saturday, according to Pakistan daily Dawn. The British high commissioner met with Pakistan's Punjab province chief minister, Shahbaz Sharif, on Saturday to "discuss matters of mutual interest, bilateral relations and situation in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir," The Dawn reported. As Drew "lauded" Pakistan for its "responsible attitude in the current situation", according to the daily, he added that Britain is against violation of human rights anywhere in the world. Both India and Pakistan have accused each other of indulging into human rights violations in Kashmir Valley and Balochistan, respectively, drawing the attention of world leaders in the recent weeks. Meanwhile, Shahbaz Sharif has asked Britain to help resolve the Kashmir issue in the wake of the UN resolution, Indian news agency, Press Trust of India, reported. India's external affairs minister to address UN over Kashmir issue India's external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, will be addressing the UN General Assembly on Monday and is expected to respond to Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's "diatribe" on Kashmir, said official sources. The Pakistan Prime Minister said on Saturday that the Uri attack could have been a response to the human rights violations in Kashmir. India's external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj in her address to the UNGA on Monday, is expected to offer a stinging response to Pakistan PM's Kashmir speech. First secretary in the permanent mission of India to the UN Eenam Gambhir, within hours of Sharif's speech hit back saying, "the worst violation of human rights is terrorism". India sees in Pakistan as " 'a terrorist state' which uses billions of Dollars from international Meanwhile, "terrorism" will be the main focus of Swaraj's address, "reform of the UN Security Council, sustainable development, climate change and peacekeeping" are some issues which will be discussed in the UNGA, India's envoy to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, said. Swaraj will discuss India's "vision document", whose contents have not been disclosed but according to Vikas Swaroop, spokersperson for the ministry of external affairs, said "the whole world and the entire country is waiting to hear what the external affairs minister has to say but I think the broad themes that Akbaruddin has outlined are definitely going to be a part of our presentation at this most important forum in the international community". (WION with inputs from agencies)

Britain 'worried' over Indo-Pak strain

Britain&#39;s former prime minister&nbsp;David&nbsp;Cameron&nbsp;has resigned his seat in the House of Commons, he told broadcaster ITV in an interview Monday.

Cameron&nbsp;stepped down as prime minister in June, hours after Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum in which he had campaigned to stay in the bloc.

&quot;In my view, with modern politics, with the circumstances of my resignation it isn&#39;t really possible to be a proper backbench MP as a former prime minister,&quot;&nbsp;Cameron&nbsp;told the broadcaster.

&quot;I think everything you do will become a big distraction and a big diversion from what the government needs to do for our country.&quot;

Cameron&#39;s resignation from parliament is unusually quick -- former prime ministers have typically retained their seats for a number of years after leaving the official Downing Street residence. 
 
(AFP)

Cameron had resigned as the prime minister days after Remain campaign lost the EU referendum in June

Britain's former prime minister David Cameron has resigned his seat in the House of Commons, he told broadcaster ITV in an interview Monday. Cameron stepped down as prime minister in June, hours after Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum in which he had campaigned to stay in the bloc. "In my view, with modern politics, with the circumstances of my resignation it isn't really possible to be a proper backbench MP as a former prime minister," Cameron told the broadcaster. "I think everything you do will become a big distraction and a big diversion from what the government needs to do for our country." Cameron's resignation from parliament is unusually quick -- former prime ministers have typically retained their seats for a number of years after leaving the official Downing Street residence. (AFP)

Former British PM David Cameron steps down from parliament

Britain will start building wall in the French port city of Calais to prevent refugees and migrants from entering the country, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.&nbsp; 
 
The barrier, which will be 4-metre high and one kilometre long, will be built on a port approach road starting this month. The project is likely to be completed by the end of the year, officials said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are going to start building this big new wall very soon. We&#39;ve done the fence, now we are doing a wall,&quot; junior minister Robert Goodwill told a parliamentary committee. 
 
He added that security was being stepped up in Calais, home to the &ldquo;Jungle&#39;&#39; camp, to keep thousands of migrants from the Middle East who are fleeing war and poverty. There were a lot of attempted channel crossings last year by migrants sneaking onto lorries boarding ferries and the Eurotunnel. 
 
France had dismantled the southern half of the Jungle camp in February and March.&nbsp; 
 
In March, Britain and France had agreed to a 17 million pound of security measures of which the wall is a part.&nbsp; 
 
The agreement has drawn severe criticism from across the political spectrum. &nbsp; 
 
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas called the wall &quot;monstrous&quot; and the campaign group, Citizens UK, asked Britain to use the money&nbsp;to transfer child migrants with families in Britain from Calais instead. 
 
Richard Burnett, chief executive of Britain&#39;s Road Haulage Association said that funding for the wall &quot;would be much better spent on increasing security along the approach roads&quot;. 
 
The jungle is a home to some 7,000 migrants, but the number might have mounted to 10,000 after the recent influx, the charities have said.&nbsp; 
 
There have been complaints of migrants attacking vehicles with metal bars to stop them. They sometimes use tree branches to block roads to slow trucks heading for Britain.
&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Officials said the four-meter high, one-kilometer long barrier will be built on a port approach road starting this month

Britain will start building wall in the French port city of Calais to prevent refugees and migrants from entering the country, the interior ministry said on Wednesday. The barrier, which will be 4-metre high and one kilometre long, will be built on a port approach road starting this month. The project is likely to be completed by the end of the year, officials said. "We are going to start building this big new wall very soon. We've done the fence, now we are doing a wall," junior minister Robert Goodwill told a parliamentary committee. He added that security was being stepped up in Calais, home to the “Jungle'' camp, to keep thousands of migrants from the Middle East who are fleeing war and poverty. There were a lot of attempted channel crossings last year by migrants sneaking onto lorries boarding ferries and the Eurotunnel. France had dismantled the southern half of the Jungle camp in February and March. In March, Britain and France had agreed to a 17 million pound of security measures of which the wall is a part. The agreement has drawn severe criticism from across the political spectrum. Green Party MP Caroline Lucas called the wall "monstrous" and the campaign group, Citizens UK, asked Britain to use the money to transfer child migrants with families in Britain from Calais instead. Richard Burnett, chief executive of Britain's Road Haulage Association said that funding for the wall "would be much better spent on increasing security along the approach roads". The jungle is a home to some 7,000 migrants, but the number might have mounted to 10,000 after the recent influx, the charities have said. There have been complaints of migrants attacking vehicles with metal bars to stop them. They sometimes use tree branches to block roads to slow trucks heading for Britain. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Britain to build wall in Calais to keep migrants at bay

Germany&#39;s EU Commissioner Guenther Oettinger today said it is possible Britain will not exit from the European Union after the June 23 vote. 
 
Oettinger told Germany&#39;s daily Bild that although EU leaders considered the Brexit vote as &quot;politically binding&quot;, &quot;but it is possible that public opinion will tip if the economic situation in the wake of the Brexit vote worsens.&quot; 
 
&quot;In any case, I wouldn&#39;t place any major bets on Brexit,&quot; Oettinger, who has been Digital Economy and Society commissioner in EU bloc since 2014,&nbsp;told Bild. 
 
Once Article 50 &nbsp;- the legal process of leaving the bloc &nbsp;- is triggered, it would start a two-year countdown to Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union. 
 
Oettinger said the longer the British government waited to trigger Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, &quot;the more insecure the situation will become &nbsp;- economically and politically&quot;. 
 
Prime Minister Theresa May has said that Britain would take time to exit the EU, the government needing time to clarify Britain&#39;s exit objectives first. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged more clarity on the timeline with regard to Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

It is possible that public opinion will change if the economic situation in the wake of the Brexit vote worsens, Oettinger told Bild

Germany's EU Commissioner Guenther Oettinger today said it is possible Britain will not exit from the European Union after the June 23 vote. Oettinger told Germany's daily Bild that although EU leaders considered the Brexit vote as "politically binding", "but it is possible that public opinion will tip if the economic situation in the wake of the Brexit vote worsens." "In any case, I wouldn't place any major bets on Brexit," Oettinger, who has been Digital Economy and Society commissioner in EU bloc since 2014, told Bild. Once Article 50 - the legal process of leaving the bloc - is triggered, it would start a two-year countdown to Britain's exit from the European Union. Oettinger said the longer the British government waited to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, "the more insecure the situation will become - economically and politically". Prime Minister Theresa May has said that Britain would take time to exit the EU, the government needing time to clarify Britain's exit objectives first. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged more clarity on the timeline with regard to Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Britain may not exit European Union: Germany's EU Commissioner

Britain beat defending champions the Netherlands on Friday to take home their first Olympic gold medal in women&#39;s hockey, winning 2-0 in a tense shootout following a hardfought 3-3 draw. 
 
After topping the podium in Beijing and London, the Netherlands were hot favourites going into the Rio Games. 
 
Despite winning every game to finish top of their group, however, the top-ranked Dutch team only scraped into the final after beating ninth-ranked Germany 4-3 in a shootout following a 1-1 draw. 
 
Britain also finished the group stages with a perfect record and were gunning for gold in their first Olympic final having won bronze four years ago in London. Germany beat New Zealand 2-1 to take the bronze medal. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve done it,&quot; British midfielder Nicola White told reporters, brandishing her medal with a grin plastered across her face. &quot;We&#39;ve trained our arses off for so long, this is what we&#39;ve dreamed of and now we&#39;ve got it. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve now gone unbeaten through an Olympic tournament, which is unreal,&quot; she added. &quot;We are just over the moon.&quot; 
 
That the near sell-out crowd at the Olympic Hockey Centre, a venue which has struggled to fill seats during the Rio Games, were in for a show was clear from the pushback. 
 
A boisterous British tackle and ensuing penalty flick gave Dutch captain Maartje Paumen an early chance to score, but her shot was batted aside by British keeper Maddie Hinch. 
 
&#39;SHAME IT&#39;S SILVER&#39; 
 
Britain&#39;s Lily Owsley claimed the first score of the night, emerging victorious from a mad scramble in front of the Dutch goal to put her side 1-0 ahead. 
 
A Dutch equaliser came courtesy of forward Kitty van Male who broke away for a one-on-one with the British keeper, skilfully drawing her aside and putting the ball into the top of the net with an audacious reverse stick sweep. 
 
The Netherlands&#39; second goal promptly followed with Paumen scoring off the last of three penalty corners in the space of four minutes. Seconds later, Britain&#39;s Crista Cullen picked up a cross in the opposition circle to level the scores at 2-2 going into the break. 
 
The goals kept coming in the second half. Both teams netted one each after a series of penalty corners, leaving the score deadlocked at 3-3 on the final whistle and forcing a shootout to decide the match. 
 
Of the 10 goals available, only two were scored. Britain&#39;s Helen Richardson-Walsh and Hollie Webb found the back of net to secure victory and their team&#39;s first Olympic gold medals. 
 
&quot;We played very well during the game. I think we played way better than them,&quot; said the Netherlands&#39; Eva de Goede. &quot;But shootouts are fifty-fifty. They won, we lost, it&#39;s tough.&quot; 
 
&quot;Shame it&#39;s silver,&quot; she added, gesturing to the medal which will join the two gold ones she already has at home. &quot;We were really going for a third gold. But it didn&#39;t work out.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

After topping the podium in Beijing and London, the Netherlands were favourites going into the Rio Games

Britain beat defending champions the Netherlands on Friday to take home their first Olympic gold medal in women's hockey, winning 2-0 in a tense shootout following a hardfought 3-3 draw. After topping the podium in Beijing and London, the Netherlands were hot favourites going into the Rio Games. Despite winning every game to finish top of their group, however, the top-ranked Dutch team only scraped into the final after beating ninth-ranked Germany 4-3 in a shootout following a 1-1 draw. Britain also finished the group stages with a perfect record and were gunning for gold in their first Olympic final having won bronze four years ago in London. Germany beat New Zealand 2-1 to take the bronze medal. "We've done it," British midfielder Nicola White told reporters, brandishing her medal with a grin plastered across her face. "We've trained our arses off for so long, this is what we've dreamed of and now we've got it. "We've now gone unbeaten through an Olympic tournament, which is unreal," she added. "We are just over the moon." That the near sell-out crowd at the Olympic Hockey Centre, a venue which has struggled to fill seats during the Rio Games, were in for a show was clear from the pushback. A boisterous British tackle and ensuing penalty flick gave Dutch captain Maartje Paumen an early chance to score, but her shot was batted aside by British keeper Maddie Hinch. 'SHAME IT'S SILVER' Britain's Lily Owsley claimed the first score of the night, emerging victorious from a mad scramble in front of the Dutch goal to put her side 1-0 ahead. A Dutch equaliser came courtesy of forward Kitty van Male who broke away for a one-on-one with the British keeper, skilfully drawing her aside and putting the ball into the top of the net with an audacious reverse stick sweep. The Netherlands' second goal promptly followed with Paumen scoring off the last of three penalty corners in the space of four minutes. Seconds later, Britain's Crista Cullen picked up a cross in the opposition circle to level the scores at 2-2 going into the break. The goals kept coming in the second half. Both teams netted one each after a series of penalty corners, leaving the score deadlocked at 3-3 on the final whistle and forcing a shootout to decide the match. Of the 10 goals available, only two were scored. Britain's Helen Richardson-Walsh and Hollie Webb found the back of net to secure victory and their team's first Olympic gold medals. "We played very well during the game. I think we played way better than them," said the Netherlands' Eva de Goede. "But shootouts are fifty-fifty. They won, we lost, it's tough." "Shame it's silver," she added, gesturing to the medal which will join the two gold ones she already has at home. "We were really going for a third gold. But it didn't work out." (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Britain wins first gold in women's hockey

Britain&#39;s departure from the EU could be delayed until late 2019 as civil servants struggle with the task and French and German elections may hold up the start of exit negotiations, a report said on Sunday. 
 
Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s government has indicated that it is planning to trigger Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, which would start a two-year countdown to leaving the bloc, early in 2017. 
 
But the Sunday Times newspaper said ministers had privately warned senior figures in the City of London financial sector that this may not now happen until later in the year, delaying Brexit until late 2019. 
 
&quot;Ministers are now thinking the trigger could be delayed to autumn 2017,&quot; said one City source who had spoken to two senior ministers on the issue. 
 
&quot;They don&#39;t have the infrastructure for the people they need to hire. They say they don&#39;t even know the right questions to ask when they finally begin bargaining with Europe.&quot; 
 
An unnamed cabinet minister told the paper there were &quot;some challenges&quot; in the German and French electoral timetables. 
 
France has presidential elections in April and May next year, and Germany has elections in the autumn. 
 
May created a new ministry to oversee Brexit talks following the June 23 referendum vote to leave the EU, but the minister in charge, 
David Davis, has reportedly only hired about half of the staff that he needs. 
 
Another new department, the ministry for international trade under Liam Fox, also has an uphill task to recruit experts after decades of leaving the job to Brussels left Britain with only a handful of experienced negotiators. 
 
(AFP)

Theresa May's government plans to initiate exit process not before 2017, said a source who has spoken to two senior ministers on the issue

Britain's departure from the EU could be delayed until late 2019 as civil servants struggle with the task and French and German elections may hold up the start of exit negotiations, a report said on Sunday. Prime Minister Theresa May's government has indicated that it is planning to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which would start a two-year countdown to leaving the bloc, early in 2017. But the Sunday Times newspaper said ministers had privately warned senior figures in the City of London financial sector that this may not now happen until later in the year, delaying Brexit until late 2019. "Ministers are now thinking the trigger could be delayed to autumn 2017," said one City source who had spoken to two senior ministers on the issue. "They don't have the infrastructure for the people they need to hire. They say they don't even know the right questions to ask when they finally begin bargaining with Europe." An unnamed cabinet minister told the paper there were "some challenges" in the German and French electoral timetables. France has presidential elections in April and May next year, and Germany has elections in the autumn. May created a new ministry to oversee Brexit talks following the June 23 referendum vote to leave the EU, but the minister in charge, David Davis, has reportedly only hired about half of the staff that he needs. Another new department, the ministry for international trade under Liam Fox, also has an uphill task to recruit experts after decades of leaving the job to Brussels left Britain with only a handful of experienced negotiators. (AFP)

Brexit could be delayed till 2019 due to 'lack of infrastructure'

Britain&#39;s serious fraud office said on Sunday it had opened a criminal probe into Airbus Group, investigating allegations of fraud, bribery, and corruption.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;These allegations relate to irregularities concerning third party consultants,&quot; the SFO said in a statement.&nbsp;The authority said it opened the investigation in July and asked anyone with relevant information to come forward. 
 
A spokesperson for the SFO said additional details of the probe would not be made public until charges were brought or the investigation is dropped.&nbsp;European planemaker Airbus said it was aware of the probe and the aviation firm was working with investigators. 
 
&quot;Airbus Group has been informed by the SFO that it has opened a criminal investigation into allegations of fraud, bribery, and corruption in the civil aviation business of Airbus Group relating to irregularities concerning third party consultants,&quot; the company said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Airbus Group continues to cooperate with the SFO,&quot; the statement concluded.&nbsp;The company was informed on Friday that the authority had launched an investigation, an Airbus spokesman told AFP. 
 
&quot;We ourselves detected this issue and self-disclosed it to the authorities.&nbsp;This is as an effort of our enhanced anti-corruption (policy). Management has taken robust action and is determined to resolve this issue in cooperation with the authorities,&quot; spokesman Jeremy Greaves said. 
 
 
Probe could take years 
 
Airbus informed authorities of the irregularities in April. The same month the UK Export Finance decided to suspend export credits to the firm, a move followed by France and Germany. 
 
The aviation firm said at the time it hoped to resolve the financing problem as soon as possible.&nbsp;The current SFO investigation is expected to take years.&nbsp;The probe was described by the Financial Times newspaper as a &quot;severe blow to the European aircraft maker&quot; which would be exploited by its US rival Boeing. 
 
Airbus is the largest commercial aerospace company in Britain and last month said its net profit rose 15 per cent in the first half of the year.&nbsp;Profits were up 1.76 billion Euros ($1.94 billion), but the gain was due to exceptional items that masked a slide in operating earnings. 
 
The company was hit by charges of just over 1 billion Euros related to its troubled A400M military cargo transporter programme, while adverse currency movements and charges on its widebody A350 aircraft totaled nearly 900 million.&nbsp;However these were compensated for by the sale of shares in Dassault Aviation and the creation of a rocket launcher joint venture with Safran that generated a net gain of nearly 1.9 billion Euros. 
 
Ahead of British voters&#39; decision in June to leave the EU, Airbus said it would reconsider future investment in the country if the referendum took the UK out of Europe.&nbsp;&quot;Airbus Group&#39;s success in the UK is predicated on a highly competitive, integrated European business model,&quot; executives said in a letter sent to employees in April. 
 
(AFP)

Britain's largest commercial aerospace company is being investigated for bribery, fraud and corruption in a probe that could take years

Britain's serious fraud office said on Sunday it had opened a criminal probe into Airbus Group, investigating allegations of fraud, bribery, and corruption. "These allegations relate to irregularities concerning third party consultants," the SFO said in a statement. The authority said it opened the investigation in July and asked anyone with relevant information to come forward. A spokesperson for the SFO said additional details of the probe would not be made public until charges were brought or the investigation is dropped. European planemaker Airbus said it was aware of the probe and the aviation firm was working with investigators. "Airbus Group has been informed by the SFO that it has opened a criminal investigation into allegations of fraud, bribery, and corruption in the civil aviation business of Airbus Group relating to irregularities concerning third party consultants," the company said in a statement. "Airbus Group continues to cooperate with the SFO," the statement concluded. The company was informed on Friday that the authority had launched an investigation, an Airbus spokesman told AFP. "We ourselves detected this issue and self-disclosed it to the authorities. This is as an effort of our enhanced anti-corruption (policy). Management has taken robust action and is determined to resolve this issue in cooperation with the authorities," spokesman Jeremy Greaves said. Probe could take years Airbus informed authorities of the irregularities in April. The same month the UK Export Finance decided to suspend export credits to the firm, a move followed by France and Germany. The aviation firm said at the time it hoped to resolve the financing problem as soon as possible. The current SFO investigation is expected to take years. The probe was described by the Financial Times newspaper as a "severe blow to the European aircraft maker" which would be exploited by its US rival Boeing. Airbus is the largest commercial aerospace company in Britain and last month said its net profit rose 15 per cent in the first half of the year. Profits were up 1.76 billion Euros ($1.94 billion), but the gain was due to exceptional items that masked a slide in operating earnings. The company was hit by charges of just over 1 billion Euros related to its troubled A400M military cargo transporter programme, while adverse currency movements and charges on its widebody A350 aircraft totaled nearly 900 million. However these were compensated for by the sale of shares in Dassault Aviation and the creation of a rocket launcher joint venture with Safran that generated a net gain of nearly 1.9 billion Euros. Ahead of British voters' decision in June to leave the EU, Airbus said it would reconsider future investment in the country if the referendum took the UK out of Europe. "Airbus Group's success in the UK is predicated on a highly competitive, integrated European business model," executives said in a letter sent to employees in April. (AFP)

Airbus group goes under scrutiny for bribe in UK

British pharmaceutical giant&nbsp;GlaxoSmithKline and Google parent Alphabet&#39;s life sciences unit are creating a new company focused on fighting diseases by targeting electrical signals in the body, jump-starting a new field of medicine known as bioelectronics. 
 
Verily Life Sciences - known as Google&#39;s life sciences unit until last year - and Britain&#39;s biggest drugmaker will together contribute 540 million Pounds ($715.12 million) over seven years to Galvani Bioelectronics, they said on Monday. 
 
The new company will be based at GSK&#39;s Stevenage research centre north of London, with a second research hub in South San Francisco. 
 
GSK first unveiled its ambitions in bioelectronics in a paper in the journal Nature three years ago and believes it is ahead of Big Pharma rivals in developing medicines that use electrical impulses rather than traditional chemicals or proteins. 
 
For Verily, the tie-up is the latest sign that Google&#39;s desire to move beyond search engines into biology and other scientific areas is gaining traction. 
 
Verily already has several other medical projects in the works, including the development of a smart contact lens in partnership with the Swiss drugmaker Novartis that has an embedded glucose sensor to help monitor diabetes. 
 
&#39;Diabetes, arthritis and asthma could be cured by these tiny devices&#39; 
&nbsp; 
Galvani, owned 55 per cent by GSK and 45 per cent by Verily, will develop miniaturised, implantable devices that can modify electrical nerve signals. The aim is to modulate irregular or altered impulses that occur in many illnesses. 
 
GSK believes certain chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and asthma could potentially be treated using these tiny devices. 
 
The idea of treating serious disease with electrical impulses is not completely new. 
 
Large-scale electrical devices have been used for years as heart pacemakers and, more recently, deep brain stimulation has been applied to treat Parkinson&#39;s disease, severe depression and certain neurological movement disorders. 
 
In future, however, the aim is to apply electrical interventions at the micro level, using tiny implants to coax insulin from cells to treat diabetes, for example, or correct muscle imbalances in lung diseases. 
 
Galvani will initially employ around 30 scientists, engineers and clinicians. 
 
(Reuters)

Company will develop miniaturised, implantable devices that can modify irregular electrical nerve signals which occur in many illnesses

British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and Google parent Alphabet's life sciences unit are creating a new company focused on fighting diseases by targeting electrical signals in the body, jump-starting a new field of medicine known as bioelectronics. Verily Life Sciences - known as Google's life sciences unit until last year - and Britain's biggest drugmaker will together contribute 540 million Pounds ($715.12 million) over seven years to Galvani Bioelectronics, they said on Monday. The new company will be based at GSK's Stevenage research centre north of London, with a second research hub in South San Francisco. GSK first unveiled its ambitions in bioelectronics in a paper in the journal Nature three years ago and believes it is ahead of Big Pharma rivals in developing medicines that use electrical impulses rather than traditional chemicals or proteins. For Verily, the tie-up is the latest sign that Google's desire to move beyond search engines into biology and other scientific areas is gaining traction. Verily already has several other medical projects in the works, including the development of a smart contact lens in partnership with the Swiss drugmaker Novartis that has an embedded glucose sensor to help monitor diabetes. 'Diabetes, arthritis and asthma could be cured by these tiny devices' Galvani, owned 55 per cent by GSK and 45 per cent by Verily, will develop miniaturised, implantable devices that can modify electrical nerve signals. The aim is to modulate irregular or altered impulses that occur in many illnesses. GSK believes certain chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and asthma could potentially be treated using these tiny devices. The idea of treating serious disease with electrical impulses is not completely new. Large-scale electrical devices have been used for years as heart pacemakers and, more recently, deep brain stimulation has been applied to treat Parkinson's disease, severe depression and certain neurological movement disorders. In future, however, the aim is to apply electrical interventions at the micro level, using tiny implants to coax insulin from cells to treat diabetes, for example, or correct muscle imbalances in lung diseases. Galvani will initially employ around 30 scientists, engineers and clinicians. (Reuters)

GSK, Alphabet to start new firm that will fight disease by targeting electrical signals in the body

The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan has called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called &quot;honour&quot; killings. 
 
Mukhtar Kazam presented at an emotional press conference a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid`s death, seen by AFP, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled. 
 
Kazam has branded her death an &quot;honour killing&quot;, a near daily occurrence in Pakistan in which a relative is murdered by another for bringing the family &quot;dishonour&quot;. 
 
The practice was dragged into the international spotlight earlier this month with the killing of Qandeel Baloch, a polarising Pakistani social media star.&nbsp; 
 
Brother confesses to murder, calls sister&#39;s behaviour &#39;intolerable&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Shahid&#39;s brother has confessed to the murder, saying his sister`s behaviour had been &quot;intolerable&quot;. Kazam sought to keep international attention on &quot;honour&quot; killings when he spoke to media assembled in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad, Thursday. 
 
&quot;I request the British and Pakistani governments to conduct a fair trial,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
Kazam and Samia, who was a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP, adding that it was Shahid&#39;s second marriage. 
? 
Kazam is Pakistani, an officer told AFP. Police had initially said that he also was British-Pakistani. 
 
Kazam said his wife converted to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding, which had irked her parents.&nbsp; 
 
In a complaint to police, he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20. 
&nbsp; 
Shahid`s father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes.&nbsp; 
 
Police told AFP that Shahid`s first husband, Mohammad Shakeel, is being investigated in the murder but received pre-arrest bail on Thursday.&nbsp; 
 
Her parents and a cousin are also being investigated, said Jhelum district police chief Mujahid Akbar.&nbsp; 
 
Special committee formed to investigate into murder&nbsp; 
 
The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, brother to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has formed a special committee that is also tasked with investigating the murder, a senior government official told AFP. 
 
The victims of &quot;honour&quot; killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year.&nbsp; 
 
They have long polarised Pakistan, with progressives calling for tough legislation against them and conservatives resisting.&nbsp; 
But the murder of Qandeel Baloch appears to have spurred politicians to take action.&nbsp; 
 
Last week, the law minister announced that bills aimed at tackling loopholes that facilitate &quot;honour&quot; killings would soon be voted on by parliament. 
 
Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Mukhtar Kazam, Samia's husband, said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck suggesting she had been strangled

The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan has called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called "honour" killings. Mukhtar Kazam presented at an emotional press conference a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid`s death, seen by AFP, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled. Kazam has branded her death an "honour killing", a near daily occurrence in Pakistan in which a relative is murdered by another for bringing the family "dishonour". The practice was dragged into the international spotlight earlier this month with the killing of Qandeel Baloch, a polarising Pakistani social media star. Brother confesses to murder, calls sister's behaviour 'intolerable' Shahid's brother has confessed to the murder, saying his sister`s behaviour had been "intolerable". Kazam sought to keep international attention on "honour" killings when he spoke to media assembled in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad, Thursday. "I request the British and Pakistani governments to conduct a fair trial," he said. Kazam and Samia, who was a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP, adding that it was Shahid's second marriage. ? Kazam is Pakistani, an officer told AFP. Police had initially said that he also was British-Pakistani. Kazam said his wife converted to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding, which had irked her parents. In a complaint to police, he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20. Shahid`s father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes. Police told AFP that Shahid`s first husband, Mohammad Shakeel, is being investigated in the murder but received pre-arrest bail on Thursday. Her parents and a cousin are also being investigated, said Jhelum district police chief Mujahid Akbar. Special committee formed to investigate into murder The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, brother to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has formed a special committee that is also tasked with investigating the murder, a senior government official told AFP. The victims of "honour" killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year. They have long polarised Pakistan, with progressives calling for tough legislation against them and conservatives resisting. But the murder of Qandeel Baloch appears to have spurred politicians to take action. Last week, the law minister announced that bills aimed at tackling loopholes that facilitate "honour" killings would soon be voted on by parliament. Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan. (AFP)

Husband of UK woman killed for 'honour' in Pakistan calls for justice

French energy giant EDF yesterday approved a contested plan to build Britain&#39;s first nuclear power station in decades but the British government said it would wait before taking a final decision. 
 
Britain&#39;s business and energy minister Greg Clark said the government would review the nuclear project, shortly after EDF&#39;s board backed a project which critics fear could bankrupt the French utility. 
 
&quot;The UK needs a reliable and secure energy supply and the government believes that nuclear energy is an important part of the mix,&quot; Clark said.&nbsp;&quot;The government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn.&quot; 
 
Before the deal can go ahead it must be approved by Prime Minister Theresa May. 
 
EDF&#39;s directors had been deeply divided over the planned construction of two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in southwest England for $23.8 billion. 
 
&quot;At its meeting on 28 July 2016, EDF&#39;s board of directors made the final investment decision,&quot; the company said in a statement. 
 
Ten members of the board voted in favour of the deal, while seven voted against, a source told AFP. 
 
Upping the tension, one board member resigned just before the crunch meeting, saying he disagreed with the plan, reducing the board of directors to 17. 
 
Unions seek delay 
 
The Sizewell B nuclear power plant was the last to go online in Britain, starting generation in 1995. 
 
The plan to build the latest generation EPR reactors, signed in 2013, is to be carried out by EDF with Chinese partner CGN, but has hit several snags since.&nbsp;The reactors are due to go online from 2025. 
 
Weighing on its viability is the decision of French nuclear company Areva to drop out because of financial difficulties and the subsequent takeover of Areva&#39;s obligations by EDF at the behest of the French government, which owns 85 per cent of EDF. 
 
This pushed EDF, which was already struggling under a debt mountain of $41.4 billion at the end of last year, to go further into the red, leading some to question the group&#39;s ability to juggle all its liabilities, including the renovation of France&#39;s nuclear operations and the takeover of Areva&#39;s reactors amid falling energy prices. 
 
Unions fear for EDF&#39;s financial survival and have asked for a delay of at least three years of any decision on the British nuclear plans, even waging a court battle to stop the momentum. 
 
EDF chief financial officer Thomas Piquemal resigned in March over the threat the project represents to the company&#39;s finances, and CEO Jean-Bernard Levy has acknowledged that the company&#39;s &quot;financial trajectory is taut&quot;. 
 
EPR reactors, developed mostly by France&#39;s Areva, are the latest generation of nuclear reactors and among the most powerful in the world, and according to Areva, the safest.&nbsp;There are only two other ongoing EPR reactor projects in Europe, one in Normandy in France and the other in Finland, and both have been plagued by delays and cost overruns. 
 
&#39;Too big to fail&#39; 
 
The French government has been doggedly determined to get Hinkley Point approved as it sees the project as crucial for the long-term viability of France&#39;s nuclear industry, which employs 220,000 people. 
 
Previous British governments have also been in favour because the reactors will cover up to seven per cent of Britain&#39;s electricity needs while helping the government meet its CO2 emissions targets because of relatively low carbon emissions from nuclear energy.&nbsp;But British support is not unanimous, and criticism focuses on the growing difference between an electricity price guarantee for EDF, subsidised by the British taxpayer, and current falling energy prices. 
 
EDF would be guaranteed &pound;92.50 per megawatt hour produced by Hinkley Point over 35 years, giving it an estimated nine percent of return on its capital.&nbsp;But Britain&#39;s National Audit Office has warned that the potential cost of this subsidy had risen to &pound;29.7 billion from a 2013 estimate of &pound;6.1 billion because of the drop in energy prices. 
 
There have also been environmental concerns.&nbsp;Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said the power station was &quot;terrible value for money&quot;. 
 
The EDF decision &quot;just shows the Hinkley deal became too big to fail in the eyes of British and French politicians,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP)

Britain's business and energy minister Greg Clark said the government would review the nuclear project and make its decision in early autumn

French energy giant EDF yesterday approved a contested plan to build Britain's first nuclear power station in decades but the British government said it would wait before taking a final decision. Britain's business and energy minister Greg Clark said the government would review the nuclear project, shortly after EDF's board backed a project which critics fear could bankrupt the French utility. "The UK needs a reliable and secure energy supply and the government believes that nuclear energy is an important part of the mix," Clark said. "The government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn." Before the deal can go ahead it must be approved by Prime Minister Theresa May. EDF's directors had been deeply divided over the planned construction of two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in southwest England for $23.8 billion. "At its meeting on 28 July 2016, EDF's board of directors made the final investment decision," the company said in a statement. Ten members of the board voted in favour of the deal, while seven voted against, a source told AFP. Upping the tension, one board member resigned just before the crunch meeting, saying he disagreed with the plan, reducing the board of directors to 17. Unions seek delay The Sizewell B nuclear power plant was the last to go online in Britain, starting generation in 1995. The plan to build the latest generation EPR reactors, signed in 2013, is to be carried out by EDF with Chinese partner CGN, but has hit several snags since. The reactors are due to go online from 2025. Weighing on its viability is the decision of French nuclear company Areva to drop out because of financial difficulties and the subsequent takeover of Areva's obligations by EDF at the behest of the French government, which owns 85 per cent of EDF. This pushed EDF, which was already struggling under a debt mountain of $41.4 billion at the end of last year, to go further into the red, leading some to question the group's ability to juggle all its liabilities, including the renovation of France's nuclear operations and the takeover of Areva's reactors amid falling energy prices. Unions fear for EDF's financial survival and have asked for a delay of at least three years of any decision on the British nuclear plans, even waging a court battle to stop the momentum. EDF chief financial officer Thomas Piquemal resigned in March over the threat the project represents to the company's finances, and CEO Jean-Bernard Levy has acknowledged that the company's "financial trajectory is taut". EPR reactors, developed mostly by France's Areva, are the latest generation of nuclear reactors and among the most powerful in the world, and according to Areva, the safest. There are only two other ongoing EPR reactor projects in Europe, one in Normandy in France and the other in Finland, and both have been plagued by delays and cost overruns. 'Too big to fail' The French government has been doggedly determined to get Hinkley Point approved as it sees the project as crucial for the long-term viability of France's nuclear industry, which employs 220,000 people. Previous British governments have also been in favour because the reactors will cover up to seven per cent of Britain's electricity needs while helping the government meet its CO2 emissions targets because of relatively low carbon emissions from nuclear energy. But British support is not unanimous, and criticism focuses on the growing difference between an electricity price guarantee for EDF, subsidised by the British taxpayer, and current falling energy prices. EDF would be guaranteed £92.50 per megawatt hour produced by Hinkley Point over 35 years, giving it an estimated nine percent of return on its capital. But Britain's National Audit Office has warned that the potential cost of this subsidy had risen to £29.7 billion from a 2013 estimate of £6.1 billion because of the drop in energy prices. There have also been environmental concerns. Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said the power station was "terrible value for money". The EDF decision "just shows the Hinkley deal became too big to fail in the eyes of British and French politicians," he said. (AFP)

France's EDF gives green signal for nuclear plan, UK defers

Estonia will take over the rotating EU presidency from Britain in late 2017 after London pulled out to focus on negotiations to leave the bloc, the 28 members of the union said yesterday. 
 
In the first major step towards Brexit after last month&#39;s shock referendum result, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that Britain would no longer take up its scheduled six-month stint next July. 
 
Ambassadors of the 28 member states had reached a &quot;broad agreement&quot; on July 20 to bring forward Estonia&#39;s presidency by six months to take Britain&#39;s place, a spokesman for European Council president Donald Tusk said last week. 
 
A statement on yesterday said that decision was formalised. 
 
Croatia, which in 2013 became the latest state to join the EU, will take over the presidency in the first semester of 2020, the members&#39; statement added. 
 
Slovakia currently holds the presidency and will be followed by Malta in the first half of 2017. 
 
(AFP)

Britain will not take up its scheduled six-month term next July. Estonia will take control over the rotating presidency in late 2017

Estonia will take over the rotating EU presidency from Britain in late 2017 after London pulled out to focus on negotiations to leave the bloc, the 28 members of the union said yesterday. In the first major step towards Brexit after last month's shock referendum result, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that Britain would no longer take up its scheduled six-month stint next July. Ambassadors of the 28 member states had reached a "broad agreement" on July 20 to bring forward Estonia's presidency by six months to take Britain's place, a spokesman for European Council president Donald Tusk said last week. A statement on yesterday said that decision was formalised. Croatia, which in 2013 became the latest state to join the EU, will take over the presidency in the first semester of 2020, the members' statement added. Slovakia currently holds the presidency and will be followed by Malta in the first half of 2017. (AFP)

Estonia to take over EU presidency from UK

Britain will need months of preparation before Brexit talks can start, European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today, chiding the government in London for not preparing better for the possibility of a &#39;Leave&#39; vote. 
 
Juncker, who also confirmed Britain would lose unrestricted access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers, said his preference would have been for Brexit talks to start as soon as possible. 
 
&quot;(But) this is not the case. The British government needs several months to fine-tune its position,&quot; Juncker told France 2 television. 
 
New British Prime Minister Theresa May told Juncker in mid-July that Britain hoped to hold positive talks with the EU following the result of the June 23 referendum, but needed time to prepare for the negotiations. 
 
Juncker said there was no deadline, since article 50 of the EU treaty, which specifies the exit procedures, could only be activated by Britain. 
 
&quot;I would have preferred the UK presents us its letter of resignation, so to speak, as soon as possible, as I had thought that the British, especially those who wanted to leave the EU, would have prepared for this possibility,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
He said the EU would not grant tariff-free access to the internal market for UK goods and services if Britain did not accept free movement of workers from within the EU. 
 
&quot;There will be no access to the internal market for those who do not accept the rules, without exception or nuance, that make up the very nature of the internal market system,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
French President Francois Hollande has warned that Britain would lose free EU market access and that the City of London would no longer be able to act as a clearing house in euros, if the UK stopped free movement of workers from Europe. 
 
Asked about Boris Johnson&#39;s comparison of the EU&#39;s aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler, made before Johnson&#39;s appointment as foreign minister while he was campaigning for the &#39;Leave&#39; camp, Juncker said he was looking forward to meeting him. 
 
&quot;He may notice then that the difference between Hitler and me is more than a matter of nuance,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
(Reuters)

Juncker confirmed Britain would lose tariff-free access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers

Britain will need months of preparation before Brexit talks can start, European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today, chiding the government in London for not preparing better for the possibility of a 'Leave' vote. Juncker, who also confirmed Britain would lose unrestricted access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers, said his preference would have been for Brexit talks to start as soon as possible. "(But) this is not the case. The British government needs several months to fine-tune its position," Juncker told France 2 television. New British Prime Minister Theresa May told Juncker in mid-July that Britain hoped to hold positive talks with the EU following the result of the June 23 referendum, but needed time to prepare for the negotiations. Juncker said there was no deadline, since article 50 of the EU treaty, which specifies the exit procedures, could only be activated by Britain. "I would have preferred the UK presents us its letter of resignation, so to speak, as soon as possible, as I had thought that the British, especially those who wanted to leave the EU, would have prepared for this possibility," Juncker said. He said the EU would not grant tariff-free access to the internal market for UK goods and services if Britain did not accept free movement of workers from within the EU. "There will be no access to the internal market for those who do not accept the rules, without exception or nuance, that make up the very nature of the internal market system," Juncker said. French President Francois Hollande has warned that Britain would lose free EU market access and that the City of London would no longer be able to act as a clearing house in euros, if the UK stopped free movement of workers from Europe. Asked about Boris Johnson's comparison of the EU's aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler, made before Johnson's appointment as foreign minister while he was campaigning for the 'Leave' camp, Juncker said he was looking forward to meeting him. "He may notice then that the difference between Hitler and me is more than a matter of nuance," Juncker said. (Reuters)

EU president Juncker: No deadline for start of Brexit talks

Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta captured her first WTA title in style on Sunday, beating former world number one Venus Williams 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 at the WTA hardcourt tournament in Stanford, California. 
 
Konta, ranked 18th in the world and seeded third, appeared on her way to an emphatic victory in her first career final after racing to a 4-1 lead with two breaks of serve in the second set. 
 
But Williams, seeking her 50th career title, won six of the next seven games to knot the match at a set apiece. 
 
The 25-year-old Konta, who fired 12 aces to three from Williams, didn&#39;t let the seven-time Grand Slam champion&#39;s resurgence rattle her. 
 
&quot;Quite honestly you&#39;d expect nothing less of a champion that she is,&quot; Konta said. &quot;That&#39;s what great champions do. They raise their level. They definitely don&#39;t give away a match.&quot; 
 
Refreshed after a brief bathroom break, she broke Williams in the third game of the final set, and took a 3-1 lead with her 10th ace of the match. 
 
She broke Williams again to serve for the match at 5-2, and despite a couple of nervy missteps in the final game sealed the victory on her third match point. 
 
&quot;It was quite an incredibly humbling experience,&quot; said Konta, the first Briton to win the tournament since Sue Barker in 1977. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a great validation of the hard work you do put in, and it&#39;s a great motivator on the things you want to keep getting better at, the length you want to go to become that much more better at your discipline. &quot; 
 
Konta had launched her career-best season with a win over Williams in the first round of the Australian Open, where she went on to reach the semi-finals. 
 
Britain&#39;s top player has since gone from strength to strength, making the second week of both Indian Wells and Miami, and reaching the semi-finals at Eastbourne. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s daily work,&quot; Konta said of her rise. &quot;It&#39;s daily desire to keep getting better.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Johanna Konta, who ranked 18th in the world is the first Briton to win the tournament since Sue Barker in 1977

Britain's Johanna Konta captured her first WTA title in style on Sunday, beating former world number one Venus Williams 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 at the WTA hardcourt tournament in Stanford, California. Konta, ranked 18th in the world and seeded third, appeared on her way to an emphatic victory in her first career final after racing to a 4-1 lead with two breaks of serve in the second set. But Williams, seeking her 50th career title, won six of the next seven games to knot the match at a set apiece. The 25-year-old Konta, who fired 12 aces to three from Williams, didn't let the seven-time Grand Slam champion's resurgence rattle her. "Quite honestly you'd expect nothing less of a champion that she is," Konta said. "That's what great champions do. They raise their level. They definitely don't give away a match." Refreshed after a brief bathroom break, she broke Williams in the third game of the final set, and took a 3-1 lead with her 10th ace of the match. She broke Williams again to serve for the match at 5-2, and despite a couple of nervy missteps in the final game sealed the victory on her third match point. "It was quite an incredibly humbling experience," said Konta, the first Briton to win the tournament since Sue Barker in 1977. "It's a great validation of the hard work you do put in, and it's a great motivator on the things you want to keep getting better at, the length you want to go to become that much more better at your discipline. " Konta had launched her career-best season with a win over Williams in the first round of the Australian Open, where she went on to reach the semi-finals. Britain's top player has since gone from strength to strength, making the second week of both Indian Wells and Miami, and reaching the semi-finals at Eastbourne. "It's daily work," Konta said of her rise. "It's daily desire to keep getting better." (AFP)

Konta topples Venus for first WTA title

Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said today she would start preparatory work on splitting Scotland from the rest of Britain in order to keep the option of independence available following the June 23 vote to leave the European Union (EU). 
 
Although Britain voted to end its EU membership at the referendum, Scottish voters overwhelmingly backed remaining inside the bloc, reigniting the debate over Scotland&#39;s future as a constituent nation of the United Kingdom. 
 
&nbsp;&#39;Uncertainty, upheaval and unpredictability&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Sturgeon renewed her position that a fresh independence bid, only two years after the country voted against it, should remain an option, depending on the shape of Britain&#39;s future ties with the bloc and how well they worked for Scotland. 
 
&quot;If we find that our interests can&#39;t be protected in a UK context, independence must be one of those options that Scotland must have the right to consider,&quot; Sturgeon said in a speech. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s why we&#39;ll take the preparatory steps to ensure that it&#39;s an option open to the Scottish parliament if the Scottish parliament considers it necessary.&quot; 
 
Sturgeon did not say what form the preparatory work would take, but stressed that the unprecedented nature of Britain&#39;s exit meant all options for future ties with the EU and the rest of the United Kingdom should be considered. 
 
&quot;The UK that we voted to stay part of in 2014, a UK within the EU, is fundamentally changing. The outlook for the UK is uncertainty, upheaval and unpredictability,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;In these circumstances it may well be that the option that offers us the greatest certainty, stability, and maximum control over our own destiny is that of independence.&quot; 
 
Brexit could be unfavourable for Scotland: Sturgeon&nbsp; 
 
An opinion poll late last month showed that Scots do not think there should be a second independence referendum, with 44.7 per cent against a fresh vote and 41.9 per cent in favour. 
 
New British Prime Minister Theresa May has previously stressed the need for the exit from the EU to work for all regions of the country, and a desire to engage with Scotland on the Brexit process. 
 
However, responding to Sturgeon&#39;s comments, a spokeswoman for May said the decision to leave the EU must be respected. 
 
Sturgeon also said she did not think a prolonged period of negotiations with the EU over how to leave the bloc would be in anyone&#39;s interests, and she feared the terms of Britain&#39;s exit could be unfavourable for Scotland. 
 
&quot;If we can read anything from the early signs, whether from government appointments, or from initial pronouncements - I hope I&#39;m wrong about this - (it&#39;s) that the UK is heading towards a hard rather than a soft Brexit,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;A future outside the single market with only limited access and significant restrictions on free movement.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

Although Britain voted to end its EU membership at the referendum, Scottish voters overwhelmingly backed remaining inside the bloc

Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said today she would start preparatory work on splitting Scotland from the rest of Britain in order to keep the option of independence available following the June 23 vote to leave the European Union (EU). Although Britain voted to end its EU membership at the referendum, Scottish voters overwhelmingly backed remaining inside the bloc, reigniting the debate over Scotland's future as a constituent nation of the United Kingdom. 'Uncertainty, upheaval and unpredictability' Sturgeon renewed her position that a fresh independence bid, only two years after the country voted against it, should remain an option, depending on the shape of Britain's future ties with the bloc and how well they worked for Scotland. "If we find that our interests can't be protected in a UK context, independence must be one of those options that Scotland must have the right to consider," Sturgeon said in a speech. "That's why we'll take the preparatory steps to ensure that it's an option open to the Scottish parliament if the Scottish parliament considers it necessary." Sturgeon did not say what form the preparatory work would take, but stressed that the unprecedented nature of Britain's exit meant all options for future ties with the EU and the rest of the United Kingdom should be considered. "The UK that we voted to stay part of in 2014, a UK within the EU, is fundamentally changing. The outlook for the UK is uncertainty, upheaval and unpredictability," she said. "In these circumstances it may well be that the option that offers us the greatest certainty, stability, and maximum control over our own destiny is that of independence." Brexit could be unfavourable for Scotland: Sturgeon An opinion poll late last month showed that Scots do not think there should be a second independence referendum, with 44.7 per cent against a fresh vote and 41.9 per cent in favour. New British Prime Minister Theresa May has previously stressed the need for the exit from the EU to work for all regions of the country, and a desire to engage with Scotland on the Brexit process. However, responding to Sturgeon's comments, a spokeswoman for May said the decision to leave the EU must be respected. Sturgeon also said she did not think a prolonged period of negotiations with the EU over how to leave the bloc would be in anyone's interests, and she feared the terms of Britain's exit could be unfavourable for Scotland. "If we can read anything from the early signs, whether from government appointments, or from initial pronouncements - I hope I'm wrong about this - (it's) that the UK is heading towards a hard rather than a soft Brexit," she said. "A future outside the single market with only limited access and significant restrictions on free movement." (Reuters)

Scotland must have right to consider independence: Sturgeon

More than 6,000 hate crimes have been reported to police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland after Britain voted to leave the European Union (EU) last month, latest figures released this week show.&nbsp; 
 
In the four weeks since June 16, as many as 6,193 offences had been reported across the UK, with the most common crimes being harassment, assault, verbal abuse and spitting, the UK&#39;s National Police Chief&#39;s Council said. 
 
&quot;Following increase in hate crime seen after the EU referendum, police forces have been taking a robust approach to these crimes and we are pleased to see the numbers of incidents have begun to fall,&quot; said assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton, the National Police Chiefs&#39; Council lead for hate crime. 
 
&quot;Clearly any hate crime is unacceptable and these numbers are still far too high. We remain committed to helping people feel safe and secure about being themselves as they go about their lives so police officers will continue to be out around the country engaging with communities and picking up and dealing with tensions and problems,&quot; he said. 
 
There was a slight fall in reports in the first half of July compared with an initial spike in the days before and after the 23 June Brexit vote, police chiefs said. 
 
But the overall level of racist and hate related incidents was up 20 per cent on the same period in July 2015. 
 
Following the vote to leave the European Union, there has been a spike in the number of attacks on migrants and ethnic minorities. 
 
Muslim people and Eastern Europeans reported they had been particularly targeted with the result. 
 
Immigration was one of the most prevalent and divisive issues discussed during the campaign, with the prospect of controlling migration one of the key topics that is believed to have swung the vote in favour of Brexit.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

A spike in the number of attacks on migrants and ethnic minorities has been reported

More than 6,000 hate crimes have been reported to police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland after Britain voted to leave the European Union (EU) last month, latest figures released this week show. In the four weeks since June 16, as many as 6,193 offences had been reported across the UK, with the most common crimes being harassment, assault, verbal abuse and spitting, the UK's National Police Chief's Council said. "Following increase in hate crime seen after the EU referendum, police forces have been taking a robust approach to these crimes and we are pleased to see the numbers of incidents have begun to fall," said assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for hate crime. "Clearly any hate crime is unacceptable and these numbers are still far too high. We remain committed to helping people feel safe and secure about being themselves as they go about their lives so police officers will continue to be out around the country engaging with communities and picking up and dealing with tensions and problems," he said. There was a slight fall in reports in the first half of July compared with an initial spike in the days before and after the 23 June Brexit vote, police chiefs said. But the overall level of racist and hate related incidents was up 20 per cent on the same period in July 2015. Following the vote to leave the European Union, there has been a spike in the number of attacks on migrants and ethnic minorities. Muslim people and Eastern Europeans reported they had been particularly targeted with the result. Immigration was one of the most prevalent and divisive issues discussed during the campaign, with the prospect of controlling migration one of the key topics that is believed to have swung the vote in favour of Brexit. (PTI)

UK records 6,193 post-Brexit hate crimes

While British politicians have spent the month since the EU referendum in a whirl of resignations, recriminations and political backstabbings, civil servants have been quietly beginning the mammoth task of implementing Brexit. 
 
Unpicking 43 years of EU laws and regulations and forging new alliances outside the 28-nation bloc arguably represents the biggest challenge for Whitehall -- as the civil service is collectively known -- since World War II. 
 
 
What is the strategy&nbsp; 
 
Prime Minister Theresa May has promised to implement the June 23 referendum vote to leave the EU -- but what this means in practice is not yet clear. 
 
In talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande this week, she said she would not launch the formal two-year exit process before the end of this year, to give the government time to formulate its position. 
 
It will be up to the civil service to draw up options in terms of Britain&#39;s withdrawal from the EU, its future relationship with European allies and new trade deals. 
 
Issues at stake range from the status of EU citizens in Britain and Britons living on the continent, to whether Britain will want continued access to the EU single market. 
 
There are also questions over what happens to British recipients of key EU programmes such as agricultural subsidies and scientific research funding. 
 
Which ministers are in charge? 
 
Three ministers will help shape Britain&#39;s new future outside the EU -- Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Minister for Exiting the European Union David Davis and Minister for International Trade Liam Fox. 
 
They all campaigned to leave the bloc in the referendum, but as individuals they have clashed in the past. 
 
May, who campaigned to stay in the EU, will maintain control by personally chairing a Brexit cabinet group. 
 
But leaving the EU will impact on almost everything in government, and May has told all her cabinet ministers that they have a responsibility to &quot;make Brexit work&quot;. 
 
Who is leading Brexit talks? 
 
The new Department for Exiting the European Union will oversee preparations on leaving the bloc and support the prime minister in negotiations for the divorce. 
 
It will also lead work on establishing new ties with EU nations and consulting with those involved, from the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to business and trade union leaders. 
 
Oliver Robbins, a career civil servant with experience at the interior and finance ministries, was appointed to run the department in one of former prime minister David Cameron&#39;s final acts of office. 
 
The department is currently based in the Cabinet Office at number nine Downing Street, next door to May&#39;s office, and has just 40 staff. 
 
It intends to expand to about 200, taking some staff from the Foreign Office and Britain&#39;s current team in Brussels. 
 
What about trade? 
 
The new Department for International Trade, led by Fox, is charged with formulating a new trade policy outside the EU. 
 
Informal talks have already begun with Canada and Australia, although Britain cannot sign any new deals until it formally relinquishes its EU membership. 
 
Officials have said they are aiming for a withdrawal in early 2019. 
 
A major problem is Britain&#39;s lack of trade negotiators. 
 
Since 1972, it has relied on the EU to conduct all deals and has only 12 to 20 serving officials with any experience of trade negotiations, according to one former civil servant. 
 
If it decides to leave the EU single market, Britain must negotiate a free trade agreement with the bloc as well as with non-EU nations. 
 
The government aims to have up to 300 specialist trade staff by the end of the year. 
 
What is the cost? 
 
All in all, Dominic Cook, associate fellow of the Said Business School in Oxford, estimates that up to 10,000 staff could be required to implement Brexit. 
 
There are currently more than 1,000 British nationals working for the European Commission, and efforts will likely be made to try to lure some of them back. 
 
But government will also likely need to turn to the private sector, with management consultancy firm McKinsey already working with the Brexit ministry. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s going to cost billions,&quot; Cook told The Times. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Unpicking 43 years of EU regulations, forging new alliances outside 28-nation bloc arguably represents the biggest challenge for Whitehall

While British politicians have spent the month since the EU referendum in a whirl of resignations, recriminations and political backstabbings, civil servants have been quietly beginning the mammoth task of implementing Brexit. Unpicking 43 years of EU laws and regulations and forging new alliances outside the 28-nation bloc arguably represents the biggest challenge for Whitehall -- as the civil service is collectively known -- since World War II. What is the strategy Prime Minister Theresa May has promised to implement the June 23 referendum vote to leave the EU -- but what this means in practice is not yet clear. In talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande this week, she said she would not launch the formal two-year exit process before the end of this year, to give the government time to formulate its position. It will be up to the civil service to draw up options in terms of Britain's withdrawal from the EU, its future relationship with European allies and new trade deals. Issues at stake range from the status of EU citizens in Britain and Britons living on the continent, to whether Britain will want continued access to the EU single market. There are also questions over what happens to British recipients of key EU programmes such as agricultural subsidies and scientific research funding. Which ministers are in charge? Three ministers will help shape Britain's new future outside the EU -- Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Minister for Exiting the European Union David Davis and Minister for International Trade Liam Fox. They all campaigned to leave the bloc in the referendum, but as individuals they have clashed in the past. May, who campaigned to stay in the EU, will maintain control by personally chairing a Brexit cabinet group. But leaving the EU will impact on almost everything in government, and May has told all her cabinet ministers that they have a responsibility to "make Brexit work". Who is leading Brexit talks? The new Department for Exiting the European Union will oversee preparations on leaving the bloc and support the prime minister in negotiations for the divorce. It will also lead work on establishing new ties with EU nations and consulting with those involved, from the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to business and trade union leaders. Oliver Robbins, a career civil servant with experience at the interior and finance ministries, was appointed to run the department in one of former prime minister David Cameron's final acts of office. The department is currently based in the Cabinet Office at number nine Downing Street, next door to May's office, and has just 40 staff. It intends to expand to about 200, taking some staff from the Foreign Office and Britain's current team in Brussels. What about trade? The new Department for International Trade, led by Fox, is charged with formulating a new trade policy outside the EU. Informal talks have already begun with Canada and Australia, although Britain cannot sign any new deals until it formally relinquishes its EU membership. Officials have said they are aiming for a withdrawal in early 2019. A major problem is Britain's lack of trade negotiators. Since 1972, it has relied on the EU to conduct all deals and has only 12 to 20 serving officials with any experience of trade negotiations, according to one former civil servant. If it decides to leave the EU single market, Britain must negotiate a free trade agreement with the bloc as well as with non-EU nations. The government aims to have up to 300 specialist trade staff by the end of the year. What is the cost? All in all, Dominic Cook, associate fellow of the Said Business School in Oxford, estimates that up to 10,000 staff could be required to implement Brexit. There are currently more than 1,000 British nationals working for the European Commission, and efforts will likely be made to try to lure some of them back. But government will also likely need to turn to the private sector, with management consultancy firm McKinsey already working with the Brexit ministry. "It's going to cost billions," Cook told The Times. (AFP)

Preparing for EU divorce:  UK faces monumental task

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