A British terrorist&nbsp;who fought to overturn Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi and joined the ranks of the Islamic State group in Syria was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday.

Mohammed Abdallah, 26, who has dual British and Libyan nationality, joined the &quot;Tripoli Brigade&quot; in 2011 along with his brother, Abdalraouf.

Abdallah&#39;s brother was shot and paralysed from the waist down in battle, the trial in London heard.

In 2014, Abdallah headed to Syria with help from his wheelchair-bound brother, who set up a &quot;hub&quot; for would be Islamic State fighters from his home in Manchester, northern England.

He was arrested when he returned to London&#39;s Heathrow airport in September 2014.

In 2016, Sky News published files from an Islamic State defector which listed Abdallah as a specialist sniper with expertise in using the &quot;Dushka&quot; - a Russian-made heavy machine gun.

Abdallah was found guilty on Thursday of possessing a Kalashnikov assault rifle, receiving &pound;2,000 (2,300 euros, $2,700) for terrorism and membership of Islamic State.

Abdallah in court denied pledging allegiance to Islamic State and said he was instead imprisoned by jihadists. He claimed he had only travelled to Syria to donate money to poor people.

But judge Maura McGowan said Abdallah had &quot;bragged&quot; about acquiring weapons and was &quot;totally committed&quot; to signing up to the Islamic State group.

&quot;Your commitment to violence abroad is clear and you have not shown any sign of changing your views or attitudes,&quot; she said.

Abdallah&#39;s trial was delayed after a terror attack at Manchester Arena in May this year by bomber Salman Abedi, in which 22 people were killed.

Abedi attended the same mosque as the Abdallah brothers and reportedly visited Abdalraouf in prison in the months leading up to the attack.

Mohammed Abdallah, 26, who has dual British and Libyan nationality, joined the 'Tripoli Brigade' in 2011 along with his brother, Abdalraouf

A British terrorist who fought to overturn Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi and joined the ranks of the Islamic State group in Syria was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday. Mohammed Abdallah, 26, who has dual British and Libyan nationality, joined the "Tripoli Brigade" in 2011 along with his brother, Abdalraouf. Abdallah's brother was shot and paralysed from the waist down in battle, the trial in London heard. In 2014, Abdallah headed to Syria with help from his wheelchair-bound brother, who set up a "hub" for would be Islamic State fighters from his home in Manchester, northern England. He was arrested when he returned to London's Heathrow airport in September 2014. In 2016, Sky News published files from an Islamic State defector which listed Abdallah as a specialist sniper with expertise in using the "Dushka" - a Russian-made heavy machine gun. Abdallah was found guilty on Thursday of possessing a Kalashnikov assault rifle, receiving £2,000 (2,300 euros, $2,700) for terrorism and membership of Islamic State. Abdallah in court denied pledging allegiance to Islamic State and said he was instead imprisoned by jihadists. He claimed he had only travelled to Syria to donate money to poor people. But judge Maura McGowan said Abdallah had "bragged" about acquiring weapons and was "totally committed" to signing up to the Islamic State group. "Your commitment to violence abroad is clear and you have not shown any sign of changing your views or attitudes," she said. Abdallah's trial was delayed after a terror attack at Manchester Arena in May this year by bomber Salman Abedi, in which 22 people were killed. Abedi attended the same mosque as the Abdallah brothers and reportedly visited Abdalraouf in prison in the months leading up to the attack.

British terrorist who fought in Syria gets 10-year jail

Britain downgraded its terrorism threat level to severe from critical on Sunday, after police made a second arrest in their investigations over the bombing of a London Underground train.

&quot;The Joint Terrorist Analysis Centre, which reviews the threat level that the UK is under, have decided to lower that level from critical to severe,&quot; Home Secretary Amber Rudd said in a televised statement.

Police said earlier Sunday that a 21-year-old man, who has not been identified, was detained late Saturday in Hounslow, on the western rim of the capital. 
 
A search was underway on Sunday in Stanwell, a few miles (kilometres) west of Hounslow, in connection with the arrest, police said. 
 
Officers had arrested earlier Saturday an 18-year-old man over Friday`s &quot;bucket bomb&quot; attack at the Parsons Green Underground station, which injured 30 people, and said they were hunting for more suspects. 
 
Rudd said the police were trying to find out how the man was &quot;radicalised&quot;. 
 
The bomb went off in a packed carriage and although the device is thought to have malfunctioned, it still caused a large explosion followed by what witnesses said was a fireball.&nbsp; 
 
It was Britain&#39;s fifth terror attack in six months, a series that has claimed 35 lives. 
 
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Friday&#39;s explosion. 
 
The first arrest on Saturday took place at the Dover ferry terminal, a main link to Europe. A &quot;number of items&quot; were recovered during the operation and the man is now in custody in London, officers said. 
 
Police also raided a home in Sunbury, a town west of London on Saturday. Local residents quoted in British media said the owners of the house were elderly foster parents.Britain&#39;s terror threat, which was raised to critical on Friday evening, was brought back down to severe on Sunday. 
 
&quot;Severe still means that an attack is highly likely so I would urge everybody to continue to be vigilant but not alarmed,&quot; Rudd said. 
 
Soldiers who had been deployed to guard key sites across the country in order to free up police officers on the streets &quot;will return to their original positions&quot; during the next few days, Rudd said. 
 
The critical warning had last been used after the deadly suicide bombing at a pop concert in the northwestern city of Manchester in May, for which IS also claimed responsibility. 
 
But Rudd voiced doubt over the IS claim that it was behind Friday&#39;s bombing. 
 
&quot;It is inevitable that so-called Islamic State or Daesh will try to claim responsibility but we have no evidence to suggest that yet,&quot; she told the BBC. 
 
Rudd had earlier dismissed as &quot;pure speculation&quot; US President Donald Trump&#39;s claim, made Friday on Twitter, that a &quot;loser terrorist&quot; behind the attack was known to Scotland Yard. 
 
The tweet had already drawn a terse rebuke from Prime Minister Theresa May, who said: &quot;I never think it`s helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation.&quot; 
 
In another security scare on Sunday, a London-bound British Airways flight was evacuated at Paris`s Charles de Gaulle airport after a false bomb alert. 
 
The improvised device at Parsons Green, a quiet and well-off residential district, failed to detonate fully. 
 
But the blast inflicted flash burns on passengers, and prompted dozens of others to flee in panic.Twitter user @Rrigs posted pictures of a white bucket smouldering on the train and described how a &quot;fireball flew down carriage and we just jumped out open door&quot;. 
 
The bucket, which was inside a frozen food bag, looked like the type used by builders, and there appeared to be cables coming from it. 
 
Louis Hather, 21, had been travelling to work and was three carriages down from where the explosion took place. 
 
&quot;I could smell the burning. Like when you burn plastic,&quot; he told AFP. 
 
He was trampled on as panicking passengers stampeded out of the station, leaving him with a badly cut and bruised leg. 
 
The bomb`s remnants were examined by forensic scientists but no further details were released. 
 
Several victims were taken to hospital, though health authorities said none were in a life-threatening condition.

Britain downgraded its terrorism threat level to severe from critical on Sunday, after police made a second arrest in their investigations over the bombing of a London Underground train

Britain downgraded its terrorism threat level to severe from critical on Sunday, after police made a second arrest in their investigations over the bombing of a London Underground train. "The Joint Terrorist Analysis Centre, which reviews the threat level that the UK is under, have decided to lower that level from critical to severe," Home Secretary Amber Rudd said in a televised statement. Police said earlier Sunday that a 21-year-old man, who has not been identified, was detained late Saturday in Hounslow, on the western rim of the capital. A search was underway on Sunday in Stanwell, a few miles (kilometres) west of Hounslow, in connection with the arrest, police said. Officers had arrested earlier Saturday an 18-year-old man over Friday`s "bucket bomb" attack at the Parsons Green Underground station, which injured 30 people, and said they were hunting for more suspects. Rudd said the police were trying to find out how the man was "radicalised". The bomb went off in a packed carriage and although the device is thought to have malfunctioned, it still caused a large explosion followed by what witnesses said was a fireball. It was Britain's fifth terror attack in six months, a series that has claimed 35 lives. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Friday's explosion. The first arrest on Saturday took place at the Dover ferry terminal, a main link to Europe. A "number of items" were recovered during the operation and the man is now in custody in London, officers said. Police also raided a home in Sunbury, a town west of London on Saturday. Local residents quoted in British media said the owners of the house were elderly foster parents.Britain's terror threat, which was raised to critical on Friday evening, was brought back down to severe on Sunday. "Severe still means that an attack is highly likely so I would urge everybody to continue to be vigilant but not alarmed," Rudd said. Soldiers who had been deployed to guard key sites across the country in order to free up police officers on the streets "will return to their original positions" during the next few days, Rudd said. The critical warning had last been used after the deadly suicide bombing at a pop concert in the northwestern city of Manchester in May, for which IS also claimed responsibility. But Rudd voiced doubt over the IS claim that it was behind Friday's bombing. "It is inevitable that so-called Islamic State or Daesh will try to claim responsibility but we have no evidence to suggest that yet," she told the BBC. Rudd had earlier dismissed as "pure speculation" US President Donald Trump's claim, made Friday on Twitter, that a "loser terrorist" behind the attack was known to Scotland Yard. The tweet had already drawn a terse rebuke from Prime Minister Theresa May, who said: "I never think it`s helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation." In another security scare on Sunday, a London-bound British Airways flight was evacuated at Paris`s Charles de Gaulle airport after a false bomb alert. The improvised device at Parsons Green, a quiet and well-off residential district, failed to detonate fully. But the blast inflicted flash burns on passengers, and prompted dozens of others to flee in panic.Twitter user @Rrigs posted pictures of a white bucket smouldering on the train and described how a "fireball flew down carriage and we just jumped out open door". The bucket, which was inside a frozen food bag, looked like the type used by builders, and there appeared to be cables coming from it. Louis Hather, 21, had been travelling to work and was three carriages down from where the explosion took place. "I could smell the burning. Like when you burn plastic," he told AFP. He was trampled on as panicking passengers stampeded out of the station, leaving him with a badly cut and bruised leg. The bomb`s remnants were examined by forensic scientists but no further details were released. Several victims were taken to hospital, though health authorities said none were in a life-threatening condition.

Britain lowers threat level after second arrest over London attack

Britain&#39;s Pinewood Studios, where Harry Potter and James Bond movies were filmed, could be sold to a property company for &pound;323 million (384 million euros, $426 million) under a draft deal revealed today. 
 
Pinewood &quot;announces that it has reached agreement on key terms of a possible cash offer for Pinewood by Venus Grafton,&quot; a subsidiary of PW Real Estate Fund, Pinewood Group said in a statement. 
 
Pinewood owns television and film studios around the world including those in the US and Canada, but the jewel in its crown is the original Pinewood Studios.&nbsp; 
 
Built west of London in the 1930s, they became famous as the setting for British cinema classics. More recently, parts of the latest &quot;Star Wars: The Force Awakens&quot; were filmed there. Hollywood star Harrison Ford could have been killed when a door from the Millenium Falcon spaceship set fell on him during filming in 2014, a court heard earlier this week in a health and safety case. 
 
The actor suffered a broken leg in the incident. The 007 stage at Pinewood was built for the Bond film &quot;The Spy Who Loved Me&quot; and has since been used for numerous productions including &quot;Lara Croft Tomb Raider&quot; and &quot;The Da Vinci Code&quot;. Pinewood had appointed Rothschild investment bank in February to prepare a possible sale of the company. 
 
The shareholder register is &quot;tightly held, which has continued to stifle liquidity in the shares and has prevented the company from achieving its aim of obtaining a main market listing&quot;, Pinewood Group said. Pinewood shareholders would receive 560 pence in cash for each share plus a final dividend of 3.2 pence per share, according to the terms of the draft deal. 
 
Pinewood Group said it would recommend a firm offer to shareholders. The company&#39;s share price was down 5.17 percent at 550 pence by 10:20 GMT after the announcement. 
 
(AFP)

Built west of London in the 1930s, Pinewood Studios became famous as the setting for British cinema classics

Britain's Pinewood Studios, where Harry Potter and James Bond movies were filmed, could be sold to a property company for £323 million (384 million euros, $426 million) under a draft deal revealed today. Pinewood "announces that it has reached agreement on key terms of a possible cash offer for Pinewood by Venus Grafton," a subsidiary of PW Real Estate Fund, Pinewood Group said in a statement. Pinewood owns television and film studios around the world including those in the US and Canada, but the jewel in its crown is the original Pinewood Studios. Built west of London in the 1930s, they became famous as the setting for British cinema classics. More recently, parts of the latest "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" were filmed there. Hollywood star Harrison Ford could have been killed when a door from the Millenium Falcon spaceship set fell on him during filming in 2014, a court heard earlier this week in a health and safety case. The actor suffered a broken leg in the incident. The 007 stage at Pinewood was built for the Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me" and has since been used for numerous productions including "Lara Croft Tomb Raider" and "The Da Vinci Code". Pinewood had appointed Rothschild investment bank in February to prepare a possible sale of the company. The shareholder register is "tightly held, which has continued to stifle liquidity in the shares and has prevented the company from achieving its aim of obtaining a main market listing", Pinewood Group said. Pinewood shareholders would receive 560 pence in cash for each share plus a final dividend of 3.2 pence per share, according to the terms of the draft deal. Pinewood Group said it would recommend a firm offer to shareholders. The company's share price was down 5.17 percent at 550 pence by 10:20 GMT after the announcement. (AFP)

Harry Potter, James Bond studios could be sold for ?323m

The Delhi High Court has said it was &quot;unfortunate&quot; that India was still following British era recruitment process and selecting police personnel on basis of only physical strength and fitness, and advised devising of a procedure which would include criteria like emotional maturity and psychological tests. 
 
&quot;What we find in India is that the only screening done is with respect to the moral character and integrity, physical strength and (that the person is) free from medical disease.&nbsp;No evaluation pertaining to the emotional maturity, ability to remain calm in emotionally charged situations, ability to handle difficult situations and be responsive and the ability of initiative in work is conducted,&quot; a bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Pratibha Rani said. 
 
The bench said it was &quot;unfortunate&quot; that India was &quot;not marching ahead in the comity of nations&quot;, where psychological tests are also conducted to ascertain suitability of a candidate commensurate to the nature of job they are being inducted to. 
 
It advised the Centre to devise a selection procedure under which those who are desirous of joining police forces would be tested with regard to not only their integrity, physical strength and fitness but also with respect to their emotional maturity, ability to be calm in charged situations, ability to exercise initiative in their work, dependability and good judgement. 
 
The observations came on a man&#39;s plea challenging the order withdrawing his appointment to post of constable in the CISF on the ground that he was an accused in a criminal case, even though he was acquitted by the trial court. 
 
It noted there were &quot;no rules to guide the authorities in Delhi Police as to in what cases despite acquittal, the person can be kept out of service or can be deprived of employment&quot;. 
 
With regard to the criteria of criminal background of a candidate, the court said it would be a violation of the Constitutional right of a person if &quot;trivial offences&quot; by him would justify the government &quot;shutting its eyes and denying employment&quot;. 
 
It said it was &quot;high time&quot; that the executive made a policy for not treating summary or ordinary conviction as a bar to entry or retention in government service, including the police force. 
 
Noting that his acquittal was &quot;honourable&quot; as it came after the prosecution led all its evidence, the high court set aside his rejection and directed that he be inducted into service as a Constable with Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). 
 
It also said that &quot;he would be entitled to all benefits of seniority and continuity into service with effect from the date the person immediately beneath the petitioner in the empanelled list was made to join&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

The Delhi High Court said it was 'unfortunate' India still followed British era recruitment, selecting police only by strength and fitness

The Delhi High Court has said it was "unfortunate" that India was still following British era recruitment process and selecting police personnel on basis of only physical strength and fitness, and advised devising of a procedure which would include criteria like emotional maturity and psychological tests. "What we find in India is that the only screening done is with respect to the moral character and integrity, physical strength and (that the person is) free from medical disease. No evaluation pertaining to the emotional maturity, ability to remain calm in emotionally charged situations, ability to handle difficult situations and be responsive and the ability of initiative in work is conducted," a bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Pratibha Rani said. The bench said it was "unfortunate" that India was "not marching ahead in the comity of nations", where psychological tests are also conducted to ascertain suitability of a candidate commensurate to the nature of job they are being inducted to. It advised the Centre to devise a selection procedure under which those who are desirous of joining police forces would be tested with regard to not only their integrity, physical strength and fitness but also with respect to their emotional maturity, ability to be calm in charged situations, ability to exercise initiative in their work, dependability and good judgement. The observations came on a man's plea challenging the order withdrawing his appointment to post of constable in the CISF on the ground that he was an accused in a criminal case, even though he was acquitted by the trial court. It noted there were "no rules to guide the authorities in Delhi Police as to in what cases despite acquittal, the person can be kept out of service or can be deprived of employment". With regard to the criteria of criminal background of a candidate, the court said it would be a violation of the Constitutional right of a person if "trivial offences" by him would justify the government "shutting its eyes and denying employment". It said it was "high time" that the executive made a policy for not treating summary or ordinary conviction as a bar to entry or retention in government service, including the police force. Noting that his acquittal was "honourable" as it came after the prosecution led all its evidence, the high court set aside his rejection and directed that he be inducted into service as a Constable with Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). It also said that "he would be entitled to all benefits of seniority and continuity into service with effect from the date the person immediately beneath the petitioner in the empanelled list was made to join". (PTI)

Indian police recruitment to vet for emotional maturity, other psychological tests

Six-time former British champion jockey Kieran Fallon is suffering from &quot;severe depression&quot; and has retired from riding, racing&#39;s chief doctor announced on Monday.

One of the most gifted horsemen of his generation, the 51-year-old from county Clare in Ireland won 16 British classics and two Prix de l&#39;Arc de Triomphes.

His last rides in public came at the Curragh on Irish Derby day last month.

&quot;Kieren is suffering from severe depression,&quot; the British Turf Club&#39;s chief medical officier Adrian McGoldrick told The Racing Post.

&quot;He told me that he has lost the motivation to continue his riding career and wanted people to know about his decision to retire. He said it was time to move on once his depression has been managed.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Fallon, who has won 16 British classics, wants people to know about his decision to retire

Six-time former British champion jockey Kieran Fallon is suffering from "severe depression" and has retired from riding, racing's chief doctor announced on Monday. One of the most gifted horsemen of his generation, the 51-year-old from county Clare in Ireland won 16 British classics and two Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes. His last rides in public came at the Curragh on Irish Derby day last month. "Kieren is suffering from severe depression," the British Turf Club's chief medical officier Adrian McGoldrick told The Racing Post. "He told me that he has lost the motivation to continue his riding career and wanted people to know about his decision to retire. He said it was time to move on once his depression has been managed." (AFP)

British Jockey champion Kieran Fallon retires due to severe depression

Conservative Party member Theresa May said in an article published in The Times, London, on Thursday she was set to launch her campaign for the position of the leader of the Tory party and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 
 
&quot;Today I will launch my campaign to become the leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. And I do so for three clear reasons.&nbsp;First, following last week&rsquo;s referendum, our country needs strong, proven leadership to steer us through this period of economic and political uncertainty, and to negotiate the best possible terms as we leave the European Union,&quot; she wrote in the piece. 
 
Her article assumes significance in a scenario where former London mayor Boris Johnson&#39;s name was still doing the rounds as the front-runner for the Prime Minister&#39;s position following David Cameron&#39;s decision to step down. Johnson was one of the foremost &#39;Leave&quot; campaigners. 
 
Barely a few hours before the nominations for the leadership of the Tory party closed on Thursday, Johnson announced he was no longer in the race&nbsp;for Prime Ministership after Micheal Gove, justice minister, announced that he would no longer support his candidature. 
 
Now the contest is pitched between Gove and May who as the interior minister campaigned to remain in the EU. 
 
May pitched the Tories as the only solid option for UK &quot;with the labour party tearing itself to pieces&quot;. 
 
&quot;We need leadership that can unite our party and our country. With the Labour Party tearing itself to pieces, and divisive nationalists in Scotland and Wales, it is the patriotic duty of the Conservative Party to unite and govern in the best interests of the whole country,&quot; she wrote. 
 
&quot;We need a bold, new, positive vision for the future of our country &mdash; a vision of a country that works not for a privileged few but for everyone, regardless of who they are and regardless of where they&rsquo;re from.&quot; 
 
May went on to write about the hardships the poor and the marginalised faced in today&#39;s Britain. &quot;If you&rsquo;re born poor in today&rsquo;s Britain, you will die on average nine years earlier than others. If you&rsquo;re black, you&rsquo;re treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if you&rsquo;re white. If you&rsquo;re a white, working-class boy, you&rsquo;re less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
May wrote she will be arguing in favour of a new and radical programme of social reform. This programme will include big changes to the way Britian thinks about its economy, its society and its democracy. She stressed that she was a believer in capitalism and free markets, but where capitalism was not helping to provide opportunity for all, she wanted to reform it. 
 
&quot;We need to think differently about the role of the state. Instead of thinking of it always as the problem, we should acknowledge that often it is only the state that can provide solutions to the problems we face. So yes, the state needs to be small, but it needs to be strong.&quot; 
 
She added, &quot;Under my leadership, the motives of the Conservative Party will never be in any doubt. We will put ourselves at the service of ordinary, working people and we will strive to make Britain a country that works for everyone, regardless of who they are and regardless of where they&rsquo;re from.&quot; 
 
(WION)

In an editorial for The Times, the interior minister announced her campaign for occupying 10, Downing Street

Conservative Party member Theresa May said in an article published in The Times, London, on Thursday she was set to launch her campaign for the position of the leader of the Tory party and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. "Today I will launch my campaign to become the leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. And I do so for three clear reasons. First, following last week’s referendum, our country needs strong, proven leadership to steer us through this period of economic and political uncertainty, and to negotiate the best possible terms as we leave the European Union," she wrote in the piece. Her article assumes significance in a scenario where former London mayor Boris Johnson's name was still doing the rounds as the front-runner for the Prime Minister's position following David Cameron's decision to step down. Johnson was one of the foremost 'Leave" campaigners. Barely a few hours before the nominations for the leadership of the Tory party closed on Thursday, Johnson announced he was no longer in the race for Prime Ministership after Micheal Gove, justice minister, announced that he would no longer support his candidature. Now the contest is pitched between Gove and May who as the interior minister campaigned to remain in the EU. May pitched the Tories as the only solid option for UK "with the labour party tearing itself to pieces". "We need leadership that can unite our party and our country. With the Labour Party tearing itself to pieces, and divisive nationalists in Scotland and Wales, it is the patriotic duty of the Conservative Party to unite and govern in the best interests of the whole country," she wrote. "We need a bold, new, positive vision for the future of our country — a vision of a country that works not for a privileged few but for everyone, regardless of who they are and regardless of where they’re from." May went on to write about the hardships the poor and the marginalised faced in today's Britain. "If you’re born poor in today’s Britain, you will die on average nine years earlier than others. If you’re black, you’re treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if you’re white. If you’re a white, working-class boy, you’re less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university." May wrote she will be arguing in favour of a new and radical programme of social reform. This programme will include big changes to the way Britian thinks about its economy, its society and its democracy. She stressed that she was a believer in capitalism and free markets, but where capitalism was not helping to provide opportunity for all, she wanted to reform it. "We need to think differently about the role of the state. Instead of thinking of it always as the problem, we should acknowledge that often it is only the state that can provide solutions to the problems we face. So yes, the state needs to be small, but it needs to be strong." She added, "Under my leadership, the motives of the Conservative Party will never be in any doubt. We will put ourselves at the service of ordinary, working people and we will strive to make Britain a country that works for everyone, regardless of who they are and regardless of where they’re from." (WION)

Theresa May in race for Tory leadership and UK PM's post

Tara Moore praised the influence of her mind trainer Tony Lekic after the Briton registered a first ever singles victory at a grand slam tournament when she beat Alison Van Uytvanck in the opening round at Wimbledon on Tuesday. 
 
Coming into the grasscourt tournament ranked 227th in the world, the wildcard overcame the Belgian ranked 100 places above her 6-3 6-2 to set up a second round encounter against Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a great benefit. He doesn&#39;t just help me with on-court stuff. There&#39;s a lot of off-court stuff that people don&#39;t see, a lot of behind the scenes things that are tough to handle for a tennis player,&quot; Moore told British media. 
 
&quot;We travel a lot. We&#39;re away from loved ones and friends a lot. That&#39;s really difficult. Tennis is so difficult without all the little things. He&#39;s definitely there to help with the little things. That&#39;s been monumental for me.&quot; 
 
Moore said she also drew inspiration from 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis&#39; win over Lithuanian world number 54 Ricardas Berankis, which set up a second round encounter against seven-time champion Roger Federer. 
 
&quot;I was watching, cheering and screaming at the screen. Willis has done so great. For sure it was an inspiration,&quot; Moore said. 
 
&quot;The British players are very supportive of each other and push each other on. I definitely think (British) tennis is on the up.&quot; 
 
The 23-year-old will also team up with Switzerland&#39;s Conny Perrin for a women&#39;s doubles first round clash against Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino and Puerto Rican Monica Puig today. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

Tara Moore is the first British woman to reach the second round at Wimbeldon

Tara Moore praised the influence of her mind trainer Tony Lekic after the Briton registered a first ever singles victory at a grand slam tournament when she beat Alison Van Uytvanck in the opening round at Wimbledon on Tuesday. Coming into the grasscourt tournament ranked 227th in the world, the wildcard overcame the Belgian ranked 100 places above her 6-3 6-2 to set up a second round encounter against Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. "It's been a great benefit. He doesn't just help me with on-court stuff. There's a lot of off-court stuff that people don't see, a lot of behind the scenes things that are tough to handle for a tennis player," Moore told British media. "We travel a lot. We're away from loved ones and friends a lot. That's really difficult. Tennis is so difficult without all the little things. He's definitely there to help with the little things. That's been monumental for me." Moore said she also drew inspiration from 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis' win over Lithuanian world number 54 Ricardas Berankis, which set up a second round encounter against seven-time champion Roger Federer. "I was watching, cheering and screaming at the screen. Willis has done so great. For sure it was an inspiration," Moore said. "The British players are very supportive of each other and push each other on. I definitely think (British) tennis is on the up." The 23-year-old will also team up with Switzerland's Conny Perrin for a women's doubles first round clash against Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino and Puerto Rican Monica Puig today. (Reuters)

Moore hails mind trainer after Wimbledon breakthrough

British Labour Party lawmakers voted massively against their leader on Tuesday amid political turmoil in Britain after a vote to leave the European Union, as candidates to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron vied for power behind the scenes. 
 
Labour&#39;s Jeremy Corbyn lost a non-binding confidence motion, with 172 Labour MPs voting against him and only 40 in favour out of a total of 229 Labour lawmakers in the House of Commons lower house. But the veteran socialist insisted he would not stand down. 
 
&quot;I was democratically elected leader of our party for a new kind of politics by 60 per cent of Labour members and supporters, and I will not betray them by resigning. Todays vote by MPs has no constitutional legitimacy,&quot; he said in a statement. 
 
Five days after the shock referendum vote, the two parties that have dominated Westminster for nearly a century were in almost complete disarray. 
 
Pro-EU finance minister George Osborne, long tipped to succeed Cameron, ruled himself out on Tuesday while British media reported that Work and Pensions Minister Stephen Crabb, a virtual unknown to the British public, would put his name forward. 
 
Former London mayor and &quot;Leave&quot; figurehead Boris Johnson -- now a bogeyman for many in the &quot;Remain&quot; camp -- is tipped as one of the favourites. 
 
The other is interior minister Theresa May who is reportedly seeking support for a rival bid that British media tipped as the &quot;Stop Boris&quot; campaign. 
 
The Conservatives have set a Thursday deadline for nominations, and the party said the winner would be announced on September 9. 
 
Cameron has said he would leave it to his successor to invoke Article 50 -- the formal procedure for exiting the European Union.On the opposition side, over half of Corbyns shadow cabinet -- the leadership of his party -- have now resigned since Sunday in a coordinated series of resignations against the 67-year-old, who only became leader in September. 
 
Corbyn, a veteran socialist and eurosceptic who voted against EU membership in a 1975 referendum, has come under heavy criticism from pro-EU lawmakers for his lukewarm campaigning in favour of Britain staying in. Many experts have blamed the strong anti-EU vote in Labour heartlands in northern England on Corbyn. 
 
But Corbyn himself has blamed Conservative austerity measures for creating disenchantment in many working-class areas, and said the media had not covered Labours referendum campaign, focussing instead on rifts within the ruling Conservatives. 
 
The Conservatives are meanwhile scrambling to choose a successor to Cameron, who announced his resignation within hours of the Brexit result last Friday. 
 
A new poll Tuesday put May in the lead with 31 per cent, against 24 per cent for Johnson. 
 
Nominations for the party leadership open Wednesday, and close Thursday. 
 
If more than two candidates stand, Tory MPs will vote next week to whittle down the field to two nominees, before the new leader is chosen by a postal ballot of party members, who currently number around 150,000. 
 
The new Tory leader is expected to be announced on September 9, the party announced Tuesday. 
 
Critics have questioned whether the &quot;Leave&quot; camp -- and Johnson in particular -- has any idea how to manage the unprecedented situation left by last week&#39;s vote. 
 
&quot;He has still to offer anything like a concrete plan on how he would negotiate the post-Brexit future,&quot; wrote former BBC political editor Nick Robinson. 
 
He added: &quot;The fallout from the biggest exercise in popular democracy has already been dramatic... It has, though, only just begun.&nbsp;The old order has been smashed. It may be a very long time -- not weeks, not months but years -- before the shape of the new order and the answers to all those questions become clear.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Actually, both major British parties are in disarray after last week's decision to leave the EU

British Labour Party lawmakers voted massively against their leader on Tuesday amid political turmoil in Britain after a vote to leave the European Union, as candidates to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron vied for power behind the scenes. Labour's Jeremy Corbyn lost a non-binding confidence motion, with 172 Labour MPs voting against him and only 40 in favour out of a total of 229 Labour lawmakers in the House of Commons lower house. But the veteran socialist insisted he would not stand down. "I was democratically elected leader of our party for a new kind of politics by 60 per cent of Labour members and supporters, and I will not betray them by resigning. Todays vote by MPs has no constitutional legitimacy," he said in a statement. Five days after the shock referendum vote, the two parties that have dominated Westminster for nearly a century were in almost complete disarray. Pro-EU finance minister George Osborne, long tipped to succeed Cameron, ruled himself out on Tuesday while British media reported that Work and Pensions Minister Stephen Crabb, a virtual unknown to the British public, would put his name forward. Former London mayor and "Leave" figurehead Boris Johnson -- now a bogeyman for many in the "Remain" camp -- is tipped as one of the favourites. The other is interior minister Theresa May who is reportedly seeking support for a rival bid that British media tipped as the "Stop Boris" campaign. The Conservatives have set a Thursday deadline for nominations, and the party said the winner would be announced on September 9. Cameron has said he would leave it to his successor to invoke Article 50 -- the formal procedure for exiting the European Union.On the opposition side, over half of Corbyns shadow cabinet -- the leadership of his party -- have now resigned since Sunday in a coordinated series of resignations against the 67-year-old, who only became leader in September. Corbyn, a veteran socialist and eurosceptic who voted against EU membership in a 1975 referendum, has come under heavy criticism from pro-EU lawmakers for his lukewarm campaigning in favour of Britain staying in. Many experts have blamed the strong anti-EU vote in Labour heartlands in northern England on Corbyn. But Corbyn himself has blamed Conservative austerity measures for creating disenchantment in many working-class areas, and said the media had not covered Labours referendum campaign, focussing instead on rifts within the ruling Conservatives. The Conservatives are meanwhile scrambling to choose a successor to Cameron, who announced his resignation within hours of the Brexit result last Friday. A new poll Tuesday put May in the lead with 31 per cent, against 24 per cent for Johnson. Nominations for the party leadership open Wednesday, and close Thursday. If more than two candidates stand, Tory MPs will vote next week to whittle down the field to two nominees, before the new leader is chosen by a postal ballot of party members, who currently number around 150,000. The new Tory leader is expected to be announced on September 9, the party announced Tuesday. Critics have questioned whether the "Leave" camp -- and Johnson in particular -- has any idea how to manage the unprecedented situation left by last week's vote. "He has still to offer anything like a concrete plan on how he would negotiate the post-Brexit future," wrote former BBC political editor Nick Robinson. He added: "The fallout from the biggest exercise in popular democracy has already been dramatic... It has, though, only just begun. The old order has been smashed. It may be a very long time -- not weeks, not months but years -- before the shape of the new order and the answers to all those questions become clear." (AFP)

Corbyn fights to maintain grip on Labour party after Brexit vote

Hungary&#39;s government is drawing up a list of incentives to lure companies leaving Britain after the Brexit vote, economy minister Mihaly Varga told business daily Vilaggazdasag in an interview published today. 
 
The interview did not go into details on what sort of offers would be made to persuade companies to move to Hungary, or how far the plan had progressed. 
 
Varga said Britain&#39;s exit from the EU would probably affect Hungary in the longer term, as it would hit the EU&#39;s budget, and thus the development funds flowing to eastern Europe. 
 
But Varga said this was not an immediate issue, as Britain&#39;s negotiations with the EU would last at least for two years, and there was no need to amend Hungary&#39;s budget this year or next. 
 
He said Hungary also had no plan to follow Britain&#39;s example in leaving the EU. 
 
&quot;There is no such intention, no such plan, no such scenario or idea,&quot; Varga told the paper. 
 
He said he expected market turbulence to subside this week after Friday&#39;s sharp falls. 
 
(Reuters)

Budapest has no plan to follow London's example in leaving the EU, said economy minister Mihaly Varga

Hungary's government is drawing up a list of incentives to lure companies leaving Britain after the Brexit vote, economy minister Mihaly Varga told business daily Vilaggazdasag in an interview published today. The interview did not go into details on what sort of offers would be made to persuade companies to move to Hungary, or how far the plan had progressed. Varga said Britain's exit from the EU would probably affect Hungary in the longer term, as it would hit the EU's budget, and thus the development funds flowing to eastern Europe. But Varga said this was not an immediate issue, as Britain's negotiations with the EU would last at least for two years, and there was no need to amend Hungary's budget this year or next. He said Hungary also had no plan to follow Britain's example in leaving the EU. "There is no such intention, no such plan, no such scenario or idea," Varga told the paper. He said he expected market turbulence to subside this week after Friday's sharp falls. (Reuters)

Hungary prepares incentives to lure firms leaving Britain after Brexit vote

Britain could have a new prime minister by early September, the ruling Conservative Party said today, after David Cameron started laying the groundwork for his successor to trigger the country&#39;s exit from the European Union. 
 
The government is under pressure to fill a vacuum left when Cameron announced he would resign by October after Britain ignored his advice and voted to leave the 28-member bloc in last week&#39;s referendum. 
 
Triggering a leadership battle which could draw in some of his closest advisers, Cameron urged ministers to work together in the meantime. But he also formed a separate unit, staffed by public servants, to help advise Britain on its departure and its options for a future outside the EU. 
 
Graham Brady, chair of the &quot;1922 committee&quot; of Conservative lawmakers which sets the party&#39;s ground rules in parliament, said the group had recommended that the leadership contest should begin next week and conclude no later than Sept. 2. 
 
That recommendation will almost certainly be passed. 
 
&quot;Both the Conservatives and the country more generally really want certainty. We would like a resolution and we think it would be a good thing to conclude this process as soon as we practicably can,&quot; Brady told Sky News. 
 
He said there should be no new parliamentary election before Britain had negotiated the terms of its exit from the EU. 
 
Several Conservative lawmakers have urged leadership candidates to try to broker a deal quickly to make sure that any campaign is as painless as possible, to avoid deepening divisions exposed during the referendum campaign. 
 
&quot;A leadership contest now is not in the interests of our country,&quot; said Justine Greening, international development minister. &quot;It will mean our party focuses inward at the very time our country most needs us to focus outward.&quot; 
 
Jockeying for position 
 
All eyes are on former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent of the &quot;Leave&quot; campaigners and now bookmakers&#39; favourite to succeed Cameron. 
 
But not all party members back him and many are pressing for &quot;Anyone But Boris&quot;, seeing his decision to back the Leave campaign as a betrayal of his former ally Cameron, according to media reports. 
 
Cameron&#39;s spokeswoman declined to comment on the leadership battle and said there had been no discussion at today&#39;s cabinet meeting, which did not include Johnson, about the possibility of an early parliamentary election. 
 
Instead, she said, the Prime Minister had urged unity both in government and in the country and had announced he had set up an advisory unit to help manage Britain&#39;s departure from the European Union and to make sure his successor has all the possible information necessary to decide the country&#39;s future. 
 
The unit would &quot;make sure we have done the groundwork ready for a new prime minister. So it is about preparing advice on the whole range of issues that will need to be looked at, things like transitional issues,&quot; she said, adding that Oliver Letwin, a lawmaker and friend of Cameron&#39;s, would be involved in it. 
 
For now, the priority was working together on government business, which some critics say has been all but put on hold since campaigning for the referendum began in February, and reassuring the many migrants who fear their status may change. 
 
Cameron would not put up with intolerance, she added, after reports that migrants, particularly those from Poland, had been told by some Britons to &quot;go home&quot; after the referendum. 
 
&quot;Across Britain we should be standing together at the moment, to not allow the result of this referendum to divide communities or to provoke fear amongst some.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

All eyes are on former London mayor, Boris Johnson, the most prominent of the 'Leave' campaigners expected to succeed David Cameron

Britain could have a new prime minister by early September, the ruling Conservative Party said today, after David Cameron started laying the groundwork for his successor to trigger the country's exit from the European Union. The government is under pressure to fill a vacuum left when Cameron announced he would resign by October after Britain ignored his advice and voted to leave the 28-member bloc in last week's referendum. Triggering a leadership battle which could draw in some of his closest advisers, Cameron urged ministers to work together in the meantime. But he also formed a separate unit, staffed by public servants, to help advise Britain on its departure and its options for a future outside the EU. Graham Brady, chair of the "1922 committee" of Conservative lawmakers which sets the party's ground rules in parliament, said the group had recommended that the leadership contest should begin next week and conclude no later than Sept. 2. That recommendation will almost certainly be passed. "Both the Conservatives and the country more generally really want certainty. We would like a resolution and we think it would be a good thing to conclude this process as soon as we practicably can," Brady told Sky News. He said there should be no new parliamentary election before Britain had negotiated the terms of its exit from the EU. Several Conservative lawmakers have urged leadership candidates to try to broker a deal quickly to make sure that any campaign is as painless as possible, to avoid deepening divisions exposed during the referendum campaign. "A leadership contest now is not in the interests of our country," said Justine Greening, international development minister. "It will mean our party focuses inward at the very time our country most needs us to focus outward." Jockeying for position All eyes are on former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent of the "Leave" campaigners and now bookmakers' favourite to succeed Cameron. But not all party members back him and many are pressing for "Anyone But Boris", seeing his decision to back the Leave campaign as a betrayal of his former ally Cameron, according to media reports. Cameron's spokeswoman declined to comment on the leadership battle and said there had been no discussion at today's cabinet meeting, which did not include Johnson, about the possibility of an early parliamentary election. Instead, she said, the Prime Minister had urged unity both in government and in the country and had announced he had set up an advisory unit to help manage Britain's departure from the European Union and to make sure his successor has all the possible information necessary to decide the country's future. The unit would "make sure we have done the groundwork ready for a new prime minister. So it is about preparing advice on the whole range of issues that will need to be looked at, things like transitional issues," she said, adding that Oliver Letwin, a lawmaker and friend of Cameron's, would be involved in it. For now, the priority was working together on government business, which some critics say has been all but put on hold since campaigning for the referendum began in February, and reassuring the many migrants who fear their status may change. Cameron would not put up with intolerance, she added, after reports that migrants, particularly those from Poland, had been told by some Britons to "go home" after the referendum. "Across Britain we should be standing together at the moment, to not allow the result of this referendum to divide communities or to provoke fear amongst some." (Reuters)

Britain may see new PM by early September, readies for Brexit

China&#39;s policymakers and leading economists today voiced concerns about Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union, with the finance minister saying it has heightened market uncertainty, though some expect a limited impact on the Chinese economy. 
 
The &quot;Brexit&quot; decision &quot;will cast a shadow over the global economy ... The repercussions and fallout will emerge in the next five to 10 years,&quot; said Lou Jiwei, China&#39;s minister of finance, at the first annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s difficult to predict now,&quot; he said. &quot;The knee-jerk reaction from the market is probably a bit excessive and needs to calm down and take an objective view.&quot; 
 
Stock markets around the world plunged in the wake of the referendum. Sterling&#39;s value also plummeted. 
 
Lou&#39;s views were echoed by the head of China&#39;s top economic planning authority and other economists at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the northern city of Tianjin. 
 
&quot;For Chinese firms that are going to invest or carry out mergers, entrepreneurs are smarter than me, and they will definitely wait and see,&quot; Xu Shaoshi, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at WEF today. 
 
&quot;The Brexit incident wil affect China&#39;s economy via investment, trade and capital,&quot; he said. &quot;But I believe the impact will not be big and relevant government departments have made contingency plans.&quot; 
 
Huang Yiping, a professor at Peking University and a member of the central bank&#39;s monetary policy committee, said it is hard to judge the direct impact of the British referendum on China&#39;s economy. 
 
&quot;If (Brexit) is an important landmark in terms of a reversal of globalisation, I think that&#39;s very bad for the world, it&#39;s very bad for China,&quot; Huang said. 
 
Li Daokui, a professor at Tsinghua University and a former adviser to China&#39;s central bank, was more optimistic on the referendum&#39;s effects on the world&#39;s second-largest economy. 
 
&quot;China is perhaps one of the least impacted economies in the world by the event of Brexit,&quot; he told an audience at WEF. 
 
&quot;The only short-term impact I can think about is the exchange rate of the Renminbi ... But I do think within a few trading sessions that situation will very quickly be subdued,&quot; Li said. 
 
Also speaking at WEF was economist Nouriel Roubini, famed for predicting the global financial crisis, who said the decision to leave the European Union &quot;creates a whole bunch of financial, economic, political and geopolitical uncertainties.&quot; 
 
It could be the &quot;beginning of the disintegration&quot; of the bloc of countries, the euro zone or the United Kingdom, said Roubini. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t expect a global recession or another global financial crisis,&quot; he added. &quot;I think the impact of Brexit is significant but not of the same size and magnitude of the one we had 2007 to 2009.&quot; 
 
Michael Falcon, CEO of Global Investment Management Asia Pacific at JP Morgan, said he expects more market volatility but doubts the vote will derail a global recovery. 
 
&quot;It is a shock, not a crisis, and so far markets seem to be handling this pretty well,&quot; Falcon said at the WEF conference. 
 
(Reuters)

The repercussions and fallout will emerge in the next five to 10 years, said Lou Jiwei, China's finance minister

China's policymakers and leading economists today voiced concerns about Britain's vote to leave the European Union, with the finance minister saying it has heightened market uncertainty, though some expect a limited impact on the Chinese economy. The "Brexit" decision "will cast a shadow over the global economy ... The repercussions and fallout will emerge in the next five to 10 years," said Lou Jiwei, China's minister of finance, at the first annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing. "It's difficult to predict now," he said. "The knee-jerk reaction from the market is probably a bit excessive and needs to calm down and take an objective view." Stock markets around the world plunged in the wake of the referendum. Sterling's value also plummeted. Lou's views were echoed by the head of China's top economic planning authority and other economists at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the northern city of Tianjin. "For Chinese firms that are going to invest or carry out mergers, entrepreneurs are smarter than me, and they will definitely wait and see," Xu Shaoshi, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at WEF today. "The Brexit incident wil affect China's economy via investment, trade and capital," he said. "But I believe the impact will not be big and relevant government departments have made contingency plans." Huang Yiping, a professor at Peking University and a member of the central bank's monetary policy committee, said it is hard to judge the direct impact of the British referendum on China's economy. "If (Brexit) is an important landmark in terms of a reversal of globalisation, I think that's very bad for the world, it's very bad for China," Huang said. Li Daokui, a professor at Tsinghua University and a former adviser to China's central bank, was more optimistic on the referendum's effects on the world's second-largest economy. "China is perhaps one of the least impacted economies in the world by the event of Brexit," he told an audience at WEF. "The only short-term impact I can think about is the exchange rate of the Renminbi ... But I do think within a few trading sessions that situation will very quickly be subdued," Li said. Also speaking at WEF was economist Nouriel Roubini, famed for predicting the global financial crisis, who said the decision to leave the European Union "creates a whole bunch of financial, economic, political and geopolitical uncertainties." It could be the "beginning of the disintegration" of the bloc of countries, the euro zone or the United Kingdom, said Roubini. "I don't expect a global recession or another global financial crisis," he added. "I think the impact of Brexit is significant but not of the same size and magnitude of the one we had 2007 to 2009." Michael Falcon, CEO of Global Investment Management Asia Pacific at JP Morgan, said he expects more market volatility but doubts the vote will derail a global recovery. "It is a shock, not a crisis, and so far markets seem to be handling this pretty well," Falcon said at the WEF conference. (Reuters)

China's finance minister sees 'Brexit' heightening uncertainty for markets

Seven members of Britain&#39;s opposition Labour Party said on Sunday they had withdrawn support for the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, plunging the party into crisis in the wake of Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union. 
 
Corbyn sacked Hilary Benn as Labour&#39;s foreign policy chief today after he said he had lost confidence in the leadership. Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray all announced they were withdrawing support and stepping down from Corbyn&#39;s &#39;shadow cabinet&#39;. 
 
Sky News television reported that Lilian Greenwood and Kerry Mccarthy had also resigned. 
 
Several said in statements that they doubted Corbyn&#39;s ability to lead the party to victory in the country&#39;s next parliamentary election. 
 
A vote must take place within months after Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Friday he would step down by October after Britain voted to leave the European Union. 
 
(Reuters)

Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray announced they were withdrawing support and resigning from shadow cabinet

Seven members of Britain's opposition Labour Party said on Sunday they had withdrawn support for the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, plunging the party into crisis in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union. Corbyn sacked Hilary Benn as Labour's foreign policy chief today after he said he had lost confidence in the leadership. Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray all announced they were withdrawing support and stepping down from Corbyn's 'shadow cabinet'. Sky News television reported that Lilian Greenwood and Kerry Mccarthy had also resigned. Several said in statements that they doubted Corbyn's ability to lead the party to victory in the country's next parliamentary election. A vote must take place within months after Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Friday he would step down by October after Britain voted to leave the European Union. (Reuters)

Seven of Labour withdraw support from Corbyn

Turmoil unleashed by Britain&#39;s vote to leave the EU engulfed the opposition Labour Party, while policymakers as far away as China, Japan and South Korea fretted today over the threat to global financial stability, hours before markets reopen. 
 
In the oldest parliamentary democracy, three million Britons have signed a petition calling for a re-run of Thursday&#39;s referendum that split the nation, and one opinion poll showed a strong majority of Scots now want to break with the United Kingdom rather than with the European Union. 
 
Labour&#39;s left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn sacked his foreign policy chief as the party plunged into open conflict. 
 
His health chief responded by resigning, calling for a new leader and reflecting accusations among pro-EU lawmakers that Corbyn&#39;s failure to win over traditional Labour voters had played a major role in the referendum result. 
 
Sacked foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn also called for Corbyn, who was elected last year largely by Left-wing party members and supporters, to go. &quot;He is a good and decent man but he is not a leader,&quot; Benn told BBC television. 
 
The 52-48 per cent referendum vote marked the biggest blow since World War II to the European project of forging greater unity across the continent. 
 
Sterling fell as much as 10 per cent against the Dollar on Friday to levels last seen in 1985, while world stocks saw more than $2 trillion wiped off their value. The weekend gave some respite from the turmoil, but with markets opening shortly in Asia, anxiety is growing. 
 
Prime Minister David Cameron resigned on Friday after Britons ignored his passionate appeals to stay in the EU, but left formally notifying Brussels of Britain&#39;s exit to his successor, who is unlikely to be in office for about three months. That signals a long period of limbo. 
 
Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said the vote &quot;will cast a shadow over the global economy&quot;. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s difficult to predict now,&quot; he said at the first annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing. &quot;The knee-jerk reaction from the market is probably a bit excessive and needs to calm down and take an objective view.&quot; 
 
Japan likewise fretted over the effect on the global currency market and contemplated official action. &quot;Speculative, violent moves have extremely negative effects,&quot; said Tomomi Inada, policy chief of the ruling LDP party. &quot;If necessary, the government should not hesitate to respond, including currency intervention,&quot; Nikkei daily quoted him as saying. 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has tried to engineer a weaker Yen to encourage exports to help revive the Japanese economy. But after initial success, investors have sought safety in the Yen this year due to stock market turmoil and now the Brexit vote, pushing the currency back up. 
 
No respite 
 
South Korea&#39;s finance minister also said he feared international markets will remain volatile throughout negotiations on the British exit. 
 
The United States, which during campaigning made clear it wanted Britain to stay in the EU, also showed signs of unease. 
 
Secretary of state John Kerry will meet EU foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini in Brussels and British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond in London on Monday. 
 
The visit is largely meant to offer symbolic reassurance at a critical juncture for Europe, but a senior US official said Kerry would also stress the importance of other members not following Britain&#39;s lead and further weakening the EU. 
 
Despite the international expressions of concern, respite from the uncertainty is unlikely for months, at the very least. 
 
Cameron has offered to stay on as a caretaker, but he has refused to invoke Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, which allows for two years of exit negotiations. Instead he left that job to his successor, who is due to be elected by his Conservative Party sometime before its annual conference in October. 
 
Only after the new leader has invoked can work on thrashing out Britain&#39;s new relationship with the bloc begin. The man widely tipped as the next prime minister is former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent member of the campaign to leave the EU. 
 
No lying down 
 
Signs are growing that not all the 16 million Britons who voted to stay in the EU are willing to take the result lying down. Many flocked to back an online petition demanding a second vote, with signatures exceeding three million today morning, more than double the figure the previous afternoon. 
 
The petition, posted on Parliament&#39;s website before the referendum, said there should be another vote if the outcome was close on a turnout of less than 75 per cent - three points above Thursday&#39;s figure. 
 
It will have to be considered for debate by lawmakers, but has no legal force and its backers compare with the 17.4 million who voted &quot;leave&quot;. 
 
The referendum has also re-energised support for Scotland, which voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, to break away from the United Kingdom instead. 
 
An opinion poll in The Sunday Post said 59 per cent of respondents backed independence, rocketing from 45 per cent of votes cast in a referendum in 2014. 
 
Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said a fresh independence referendum is possible 
 
&quot;My challenge now as first minister is to work out how I best protect Scotland&#39;s interests, how I try to prevent us being taken out of the EU against our will with all of the deeply damaging and painful consequences that that will entail,&quot; she told the BBC&#39;s Andrew Marr show.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

The 52-48% referendum vote marked the biggest blow since World War II to the European project forging unity across the continent

Turmoil unleashed by Britain's vote to leave the EU engulfed the opposition Labour Party, while policymakers as far away as China, Japan and South Korea fretted today over the threat to global financial stability, hours before markets reopen. In the oldest parliamentary democracy, three million Britons have signed a petition calling for a re-run of Thursday's referendum that split the nation, and one opinion poll showed a strong majority of Scots now want to break with the United Kingdom rather than with the European Union. Labour's left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn sacked his foreign policy chief as the party plunged into open conflict. His health chief responded by resigning, calling for a new leader and reflecting accusations among pro-EU lawmakers that Corbyn's failure to win over traditional Labour voters had played a major role in the referendum result. Sacked foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn also called for Corbyn, who was elected last year largely by Left-wing party members and supporters, to go. "He is a good and decent man but he is not a leader," Benn told BBC television. The 52-48 per cent referendum vote marked the biggest blow since World War II to the European project of forging greater unity across the continent. Sterling fell as much as 10 per cent against the Dollar on Friday to levels last seen in 1985, while world stocks saw more than $2 trillion wiped off their value. The weekend gave some respite from the turmoil, but with markets opening shortly in Asia, anxiety is growing. Prime Minister David Cameron resigned on Friday after Britons ignored his passionate appeals to stay in the EU, but left formally notifying Brussels of Britain's exit to his successor, who is unlikely to be in office for about three months. That signals a long period of limbo. Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said the vote "will cast a shadow over the global economy". "It's difficult to predict now," he said at the first annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing. "The knee-jerk reaction from the market is probably a bit excessive and needs to calm down and take an objective view." Japan likewise fretted over the effect on the global currency market and contemplated official action. "Speculative, violent moves have extremely negative effects," said Tomomi Inada, policy chief of the ruling LDP party. "If necessary, the government should not hesitate to respond, including currency intervention," Nikkei daily quoted him as saying. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has tried to engineer a weaker Yen to encourage exports to help revive the Japanese economy. But after initial success, investors have sought safety in the Yen this year due to stock market turmoil and now the Brexit vote, pushing the currency back up. No respite South Korea's finance minister also said he feared international markets will remain volatile throughout negotiations on the British exit. The United States, which during campaigning made clear it wanted Britain to stay in the EU, also showed signs of unease. Secretary of state John Kerry will meet EU foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini in Brussels and British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond in London on Monday. The visit is largely meant to offer symbolic reassurance at a critical juncture for Europe, but a senior US official said Kerry would also stress the importance of other members not following Britain's lead and further weakening the EU. Despite the international expressions of concern, respite from the uncertainty is unlikely for months, at the very least. Cameron has offered to stay on as a caretaker, but he has refused to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which allows for two years of exit negotiations. Instead he left that job to his successor, who is due to be elected by his Conservative Party sometime before its annual conference in October. Only after the new leader has invoked can work on thrashing out Britain's new relationship with the bloc begin. The man widely tipped as the next prime minister is former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent member of the campaign to leave the EU. No lying down Signs are growing that not all the 16 million Britons who voted to stay in the EU are willing to take the result lying down. Many flocked to back an online petition demanding a second vote, with signatures exceeding three million today morning, more than double the figure the previous afternoon. The petition, posted on Parliament's website before the referendum, said there should be another vote if the outcome was close on a turnout of less than 75 per cent - three points above Thursday's figure. It will have to be considered for debate by lawmakers, but has no legal force and its backers compare with the 17.4 million who voted "leave". The referendum has also re-energised support for Scotland, which voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, to break away from the United Kingdom instead. An opinion poll in The Sunday Post said 59 per cent of respondents backed independence, rocketing from 45 per cent of votes cast in a referendum in 2014. Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said a fresh independence referendum is possible "My challenge now as first minister is to work out how I best protect Scotland's interests, how I try to prevent us being taken out of the EU against our will with all of the deeply damaging and painful consequences that that will entail," she told the BBC's Andrew Marr show. (Reuters)

British EU exit turmoil alarms Asia, rocks Labour opposition

The deaths of 14 Nepali guards in Afghanistan have highlighted the Himalayan nation&#39;s role as supplier of security forces to the world, an industry fuelled by poverty and built on the centuries-old reputation of its Gurkha troops for courage and loyalty. 
 
While the number of Gurkha soldiers Britain recruits annually in the impoverished nation has fallen in recent years, global demand for Nepalis as private security guards remains high. 
 
&quot;Everyone wants a Gurkha to protect their assets -- from a billionaire in Hong Kong to private firms in Kabul,&quot; said Mahesh Shrestha, Nepal country manager for British security giant G4S. 
 
&quot;Gurkhas have always been a big craze as far as the market for security (personnel) is concerned,&quot; Shrestha told AFP. 
 
The industry provides lucrative jobs for retired Gurkhas as well as former Nepal army and police staff willing to risk their lives in conflict zones around the world. 
 
Nepalis were first recruited overseas by the British East India Company after the Anglo-Nepali war that ended in 1816. 
 
Impressed by their bravery, the British struck a deal to hire their former foes as soldiers, using Gurkha troops to crush riots in 19th-century India and fight for Britain in World Wars I and II. 
 
The Gurkhas&#39; World War I exploits also secured the Himalayan kingdom&#39;s sovereignty via a 1923 treaty between Nepal and Britain. 
 
Famed for their ferocity and skillful use of razor-sharp curved kukri knives, the Gurkhas have fought in every British conflict for the last two centuries. 
 
More than 45,000 have died in action. 
 
They have also enlisted in the Singapore police force and the Indian army, whose former chief of staff Sam Manekshaw is reported to have said: &quot;If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha&quot;. 
 
Today, private security firms seek to trade on that reputation when they advertise their recruitment of Nepalis -- including non-Gurkhas -- to prospective clients. 
 
As a result, Nepalis enjoy a virtual monopoly in the private security sector in countries like Malaysia, where companies are only allowed to hire them or locals as guards. 
 
&quot;Thanks to the Gurkhas&#39; fame... people think Nepalis are loyal, honest, hardworking men who can survive anywhere and cope with tough conditions,&quot; G4S&#39;s Shrestha said. 
 
Fuelled by desperation 
The hillside towns the Gurkhas come from are islands of relative prosperity in Nepal thanks to salaries and pensions which are substantially higher than local wages. 
 
Thousands of young men apply to join the British Gurkhas each year, but only around 230 make the final cut. Their tests include a 4.6-kilometre (2.9-mile) race up a steep hill while carrying a basket packed with rocks. 
 
The British army now employs around 2,500 Gurkhas, down from an all-time high of 112,000 during World War II, and many have taken jobs as security guards in conflict zones like Afghanistan, where 14 Nepalis working for the Canadian embassy were killed in a bomb attack this week. 
 
They are more expensive than Afghan security, but are seen as more reliable and their physical similarity allows them to blend in better than other foreigners. 
 
&quot;Young Nepali males don&#39;t really have many options at home and so they seek dangerous jobs overseas... because of their desperation,&quot; journalist Kunda Dixit told AFP. 
 
Nepali migrant workers play a critical role in propping up the country&#39;s economy: their remittances make up about 30 percent of gross domestic product. 
 
Authorities say some 3,300 Nepalis currently work in Afghanistan as security guards but accurate figures for the total number employed across the world are hard to come by. 
 
Despite the dangers, commentators say the deaths this week will do little to stop other Nepalis from venturing into war zones in desperate pursuit of work, as the country struggles to recover from last year&#39;s massive earthquake. 
(AFP)

Famed for their ferocity and skillful use of razor-sharp curved khukri knives, Gurkhas fight for the British, Indian and Nepalese armies

The deaths of 14 Nepali guards in Afghanistan have highlighted the Himalayan nation's role as supplier of security forces to the world, an industry fuelled by poverty and built on the centuries-old reputation of its Gurkha troops for courage and loyalty. While the number of Gurkha soldiers Britain recruits annually in the impoverished nation has fallen in recent years, global demand for Nepalis as private security guards remains high. "Everyone wants a Gurkha to protect their assets -- from a billionaire in Hong Kong to private firms in Kabul," said Mahesh Shrestha, Nepal country manager for British security giant G4S. "Gurkhas have always been a big craze as far as the market for security (personnel) is concerned," Shrestha told AFP. The industry provides lucrative jobs for retired Gurkhas as well as former Nepal army and police staff willing to risk their lives in conflict zones around the world. Nepalis were first recruited overseas by the British East India Company after the Anglo-Nepali war that ended in 1816. Impressed by their bravery, the British struck a deal to hire their former foes as soldiers, using Gurkha troops to crush riots in 19th-century India and fight for Britain in World Wars I and II. The Gurkhas' World War I exploits also secured the Himalayan kingdom's sovereignty via a 1923 treaty between Nepal and Britain. Famed for their ferocity and skillful use of razor-sharp curved kukri knives, the Gurkhas have fought in every British conflict for the last two centuries. More than 45,000 have died in action. They have also enlisted in the Singapore police force and the Indian army, whose former chief of staff Sam Manekshaw is reported to have said: "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha". Today, private security firms seek to trade on that reputation when they advertise their recruitment of Nepalis -- including non-Gurkhas -- to prospective clients. As a result, Nepalis enjoy a virtual monopoly in the private security sector in countries like Malaysia, where companies are only allowed to hire them or locals as guards. "Thanks to the Gurkhas' fame... people think Nepalis are loyal, honest, hardworking men who can survive anywhere and cope with tough conditions," G4S's Shrestha said. Fuelled by desperation The hillside towns the Gurkhas come from are islands of relative prosperity in Nepal thanks to salaries and pensions which are substantially higher than local wages. Thousands of young men apply to join the British Gurkhas each year, but only around 230 make the final cut. Their tests include a 4.6-kilometre (2.9-mile) race up a steep hill while carrying a basket packed with rocks. The British army now employs around 2,500 Gurkhas, down from an all-time high of 112,000 during World War II, and many have taken jobs as security guards in conflict zones like Afghanistan, where 14 Nepalis working for the Canadian embassy were killed in a bomb attack this week. They are more expensive than Afghan security, but are seen as more reliable and their physical similarity allows them to blend in better than other foreigners. "Young Nepali males don't really have many options at home and so they seek dangerous jobs overseas... because of their desperation," journalist Kunda Dixit told AFP. Nepali migrant workers play a critical role in propping up the country's economy: their remittances make up about 30 percent of gross domestic product. Authorities say some 3,300 Nepalis currently work in Afghanistan as security guards but accurate figures for the total number employed across the world are hard to come by. Despite the dangers, commentators say the deaths this week will do little to stop other Nepalis from venturing into war zones in desperate pursuit of work, as the country struggles to recover from last year's massive earthquake. (AFP)

Gurkhas to guards: Nepalis doing dangerous jobs abroad

<div style="text-align: justify;">The man arrested over the murder of British MP Jo Cox was described by neighbours as a friendly loner who helped them with their gardening, but allegedly had ties to white supremacists and battled mental illness. 
 
Police confirmed a 52-year-old was in custody over Thursday&#39;s attack in the Yorkshire village of Birstall. He was named by British media as Thomas Mair&nbsp;and he had lived in social housing nearby for the past 40 years. 
 
&quot;He is just a quiet bloke who keeps to himself,&quot; neighbour Kathleen Cooke, 62, was quoted as saying in several newspapers. 
 
Another neighbour, David Pickles, 62, was quoted as saying he was &quot;a bit of a loner, but I could not say he was unfriendly&quot;, adding that he was &quot;a man of few words&quot;. 
 
The description seems at odds with the frenzied nature of the attack on Cox, who eyewitnesses said was shot three times, and then stabbed as she lay bleeding on the pavement. 
 
Mair&#39;s brother Scott, 50, told The Sun tabloid that he was &quot;struggling to believe what has happened&quot;. 
 
&quot;My brother is not a violent man and is not that political. We don&#39;t even know who he votes for. I am visibly shaken at this news,&quot; he said. 
 
He confirmed that his brother had mental health problems, and the suspect himself spoke about these in an interview with a local newspaper in 2010. 
 
But evidence has also emerged of Mair&#39;s links to white nationalist movements in the United States and South Africa. 
 
The Southern Poverty Law Centre, a US civil rights group, said it had found records suggesting Mair was &quot;a dedicated supporter of the National Alliance (NA), the once premier neo-Nazi organisation in the United States, for decades&quot;. 
 
It said that he had spent more than $620 (550 euros) on reading material from the National Alliance, a group which called for the creation of an all-white homeland and eradication of the Jewish people. 
 
The Daily Telegraph newspaper also reported that Mair was a subscriber to S. A. Patriot, a South African magazine published by the pro-apartheid group the White Rhino Club. 
 
A 2006 blog posting attributed to the group, which describes the magazine&#39;s editorial stance as being against multiculturalism, named him as one of its earliest subscribers. 
 
- &#39;Socially isolated&#39; - 
Mair&#39;s half-brother Duane St Louis, 41, expressed his disbelief at suggestions of his far-right leanings. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s never expressed any views about Britain, or politics or racist tendencies. I&#39;m mixed race and I&#39;m his half-brother, we got on well,&quot; he was widely quoted as saying. 
 
In 2010, Mair spoke to the local Huddersfield Examiner newspaper about his mental health issues. 
 
The report said he volunteered at Oakwell Hall country park, a stately home and gardens nearby, after being a patient at a day centre for adults with mental illness. 
 
&quot;I can honestly say it (the work) has done me more good than all the psychotherapy and medication in the world,&quot; Mair was reported as saying. 
 
&quot;Many people who suffer from mental illness are socially isolated and disconnected from society, feelings of worthlessness are also common, mainly caused by long-term unemployment.&quot; 
 
Neighbours said that Mair had never had a full-time job, and lived in the council house that he had once shared with his grandmother, who died about 20 years ago. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s lived there longer than me and I&#39;ve lived here since 1975. I still can&#39;t believe it. He&#39;s the last guy I would have thought of,&quot; Pickles was quoted as saying by the Press Association news agency. 
 
Mair&#39;s brother Scott expressed his condolences to Cox&#39;s family, while Mair&#39;s mother Mary, 69, was also struggling to make sense of what happened. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t understand it, I just don&#39;t understand it,&quot; she was quoted in the Daily Mail as saying. 
(AFP)</div>

Neighbours describe the 52-year-old suspect, named by the British media as Thomas Mair, as socially isolated

The man arrested over the murder of British MP Jo Cox was described by neighbours as a friendly loner who helped them with their gardening, but allegedly had ties to white supremacists and battled mental illness. Police confirmed a 52-year-old was in custody over Thursday's attack in the Yorkshire village of Birstall. He was named by British media as Thomas Mair and he had lived in social housing nearby for the past 40 years. "He is just a quiet bloke who keeps to himself," neighbour Kathleen Cooke, 62, was quoted as saying in several newspapers. Another neighbour, David Pickles, 62, was quoted as saying he was "a bit of a loner, but I could not say he was unfriendly", adding that he was "a man of few words". The description seems at odds with the frenzied nature of the attack on Cox, who eyewitnesses said was shot three times, and then stabbed as she lay bleeding on the pavement. Mair's brother Scott, 50, told The Sun tabloid that he was "struggling to believe what has happened". "My brother is not a violent man and is not that political. We don't even know who he votes for. I am visibly shaken at this news," he said. He confirmed that his brother had mental health problems, and the suspect himself spoke about these in an interview with a local newspaper in 2010. But evidence has also emerged of Mair's links to white nationalist movements in the United States and South Africa. The Southern Poverty Law Centre, a US civil rights group, said it had found records suggesting Mair was "a dedicated supporter of the National Alliance (NA), the once premier neo-Nazi organisation in the United States, for decades". It said that he had spent more than $620 (550 euros) on reading material from the National Alliance, a group which called for the creation of an all-white homeland and eradication of the Jewish people. The Daily Telegraph newspaper also reported that Mair was a subscriber to S. A. Patriot, a South African magazine published by the pro-apartheid group the White Rhino Club. A 2006 blog posting attributed to the group, which describes the magazine's editorial stance as being against multiculturalism, named him as one of its earliest subscribers. - 'Socially isolated' - Mair's half-brother Duane St Louis, 41, expressed his disbelief at suggestions of his far-right leanings. "He's never expressed any views about Britain, or politics or racist tendencies. I'm mixed race and I'm his half-brother, we got on well," he was widely quoted as saying. In 2010, Mair spoke to the local Huddersfield Examiner newspaper about his mental health issues. The report said he volunteered at Oakwell Hall country park, a stately home and gardens nearby, after being a patient at a day centre for adults with mental illness. "I can honestly say it (the work) has done me more good than all the psychotherapy and medication in the world," Mair was reported as saying. "Many people who suffer from mental illness are socially isolated and disconnected from society, feelings of worthlessness are also common, mainly caused by long-term unemployment." Neighbours said that Mair had never had a full-time job, and lived in the council house that he had once shared with his grandmother, who died about 20 years ago. "He's lived there longer than me and I've lived here since 1975. I still can't believe it. He's the last guy I would have thought of," Pickles was quoted as saying by the Press Association news agency. Mair's brother Scott expressed his condolences to Cox's family, while Mair's mother Mary, 69, was also struggling to make sense of what happened. "I don't understand it, I just don't understand it," she was quoted in the Daily Mail as saying. (AFP)

British MP murder suspect 'friendly loner', was battling mental illness

Britain has been left deeply shocked after&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;member of&nbsp;Parliament&nbsp;Jo Cox was murdered on the streets of her constituency. She died after she was shot at least two times and stabbed in West Yorkshire.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The 41-year-old politician was kicked and left lying bleeding on the pavement in&nbsp;Birstall, near Leeds,&nbsp;an eyewitness said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A second witness reported three shots&nbsp;including one &quot;round the head area&quot;.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
She was married with two young daughters aged three and five. Her husband, Brendan Cox, said in a statement that his wife &quot;believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with an energy, and a zest for life&quot;.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
He also urged people to &quot;fight against the hatred that killed her&quot;. &quot;Hate doesn&#39;t have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A fifty-two-year-old man has been arrested over the attack. He has been named locally as Tommy&nbsp;Mair. He was described by&nbsp;neighbours&nbsp;as&nbsp;a loner who never had a full-time job and had suffered mental illness in the past.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the shooting.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
British Prime Minister&nbsp;David Cameron paid tribute to the&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;politician saying, &nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ve lost a great star. She had a big heart and people are going to be very, very sad at what has happened.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q0wbnxAVRDw" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp; 
Labour&nbsp;leader&nbsp;Jeremy&nbsp;Corbyn&nbsp;said the country will be &quot;in shock at the horrific murder&quot; and said that&nbsp;Ms&nbsp;Cox was a &quot;much loved colleague&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The EU referendum Remain and Leave campaigns suspended their activities for Thursday and Friday as a result of the attack&nbsp;and David Cameron cancelled a pro-EU rally in Gibraltar.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Incredibly sad to hear shocking news about Jo Cox. All my thoughts with Brendan and their children
&mdash; George Osborne (@George_Osborne) <a href="https://twitter.com/George_Osborne/status/743478309338636288">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Extremely sad news of the murder of Jo Cox MP, killed whilst serving her constituents, thinking of all who knew her
&mdash; Chloe Smith (@NorwichChloe) <a href="https://twitter.com/NorwichChloe/status/743487945802399745">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hoping, praying and thinking of Jo, Brendan and the children. GB
&mdash; Gordon &amp; Sarah Brown (@OfficeGSBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeGSBrown/status/743441830713384960">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Absolutely devastated at Jo Cox death, a beautiful person, a wonderful caring and decent person, R.I.P. friend <a href="https://t.co/LdKMlYOM0c">pic.twitter.com/LdKMlYOM0c</a>
&mdash; Angela Rayner MP (@AngelaRayner) <a href="https://twitter.com/AngelaRayner/status/743485648854728704">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Absolutely devastating news that the wonderful, beautiful &amp; brilliant <a href="https://twitter.com/Jo_Cox1">@Jo_Cox1</a> has died. All my thoughts are with Brendan &amp; her children
&mdash; Lucy Powell MP (@LucyMPowell) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucyMPowell/status/743477884531138560">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Please pray for our friend Jo Cox and her lovely staff and wonderful family x
&mdash; Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) <a href="https://twitter.com/wesstreeting/status/743437508743172096">June 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

She was shot, stabbed, kicked, and left lying bleeding on a pavement

Britain has been left deeply shocked after Labour member of Parliament Jo Cox was murdered on the streets of her constituency. She died after she was shot at least two times and stabbed in West Yorkshire. The 41-year-old politician was kicked and left lying bleeding on the pavement in Birstall, near Leeds, an eyewitness said. A second witness reported three shots including one "round the head area". She was married with two young daughters aged three and five. Her husband, Brendan Cox, said in a statement that his wife "believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with an energy, and a zest for life". He also urged people to "fight against the hatred that killed her". "Hate doesn't have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous." A fifty-two-year-old man has been arrested over the attack. He has been named locally as Tommy Mair. He was described by neighbours as a loner who never had a full-time job and had suffered mental illness in the past. Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the shooting. British Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the Labour politician saying, "We've lost a great star. She had a big heart and people are going to be very, very sad at what has happened." Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the country will be "in shock at the horrific murder" and said that Ms Cox was a "much loved colleague". The EU referendum Remain and Leave campaigns suspended their activities for Thursday and Friday as a result of the attack and David Cameron cancelled a pro-EU rally in Gibraltar. Incredibly sad to hear shocking news about Jo Cox. All my thoughts with Brendan and their children — George Osborne (@George_Osborne) June 16, 2016 Extremely sad news of the murder of Jo Cox MP, killed whilst serving her constituents, thinking of all who knew her — Chloe Smith (@NorwichChloe) June 16, 2016 Hoping, praying and thinking of Jo, Brendan and the children. GB — Gordon & Sarah Brown (@OfficeGSBrown) June 16, 2016 Absolutely devastated at Jo Cox death, a beautiful person, a wonderful caring and decent person, R.I.P. friend pic.twitter.com/LdKMlYOM0c — Angela Rayner MP (@AngelaRayner) June 16, 2016 Absolutely devastating news that the wonderful, beautiful & brilliant @Jo_Cox1 has died. All my thoughts are with Brendan & her children — Lucy Powell MP (@LucyMPowell) June 16, 2016 Please pray for our friend Jo Cox and her lovely staff and wonderful family x — Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) June 16, 2016

Kingdom united in grief after death of anti-Brexit MP Jo Cox

Tearful residents laid flowers to their local MP, Jo Cox, on Thursday in the normally quiet Yorkshire village where the 41-year-old mother of two was gunned down, as armed police patrolled the area. 
 
As Britain struggled to comprehend a murder that has cast a shadow over next week&#39;s EU vote, investigators sealed off the home of the suspect -- named in the media as Thomas Mair -- and carried out a forensic search of his garden. 
 
Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Cox&#39;s Labour Party, was expected in Birstall later on Friday after paying tribute to Cox at a vigil outside Parliament on Thursday. 
 
&quot;She grew up in this community, she lived for this community, she served this community, and in the end she gave her life for this community,&quot; Jonathan Gibbs, the Bishop of Huddersfield, told residents. 
 
Dozens of floral tributes could be seen at the foot of a statue in Birstall, a large village in a district of around 16,000 inhabitants. 
 
&quot;My heart breaks for your children. So many of your constituents are proud to have called you their MP. Our whole country is hurting right now,&quot; read one handwritten note left with the flowers. 
 
&quot;Jo, what a vile and tragic day,&quot; read another. 
 
Hichem Ben Abdallah, an eyewitness to the shooting who had campaigned in the last election alongside Cox, told AFP he was still in shock at the killing, the first murder of a serving British MP since the Irish Republican Army killed Ian Gow with a car bomb in 1990. 
 
&quot;She stood for peace and transparency, fighting corruption, wanted justice for all. I think her flame will carry on,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;I hope we learn lessons from this,&quot; he added. 
 
Cox, a former charity worker who was only elected to Parliament last year, was best known for her campaigning in favour of refugee rights and for Britain staying in the European Union (EU). 
 
She grew up in the area and made an impassioned maiden speech in parliament about the ethnic diversity of her local community, which saw an influx of migrants from Ireland and the Indian subcontinent when it was a hub for the English textile industry. 
 
Sitting outside a local sports and social club, Stephen Lees said of the attack: &quot;It&#39;s atrocious. It&#39;s not something you expect around here. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not sunk in properly yet.&quot; 
 
In London, mourners laid flowers on the roof of the house boat where Cox lived with her husband and two young children, next to Tower Bridge. 
 
Anne Wainwright, who lived alongside, told mourners: &quot;We have lost a dear, dear friend in the most tragic and outrageous circumstances.&quot; 
 
&quot;We pay tribute to our amazing, wonderful and spirited member of this community -- a beacon of hope who believed in love, friendship and values that we all so much need at this time. 
 
&quot;The community will continue to be inspired by her relentless energy and her commitment to all that is good.&quot;&nbsp; 
(AFP)

'Jo, what a vile and tragic day,' was one of the messages left for Jo cox at the foot of a statue in Birstall where she was killed

Tearful residents laid flowers to their local MP, Jo Cox, on Thursday in the normally quiet Yorkshire village where the 41-year-old mother of two was gunned down, as armed police patrolled the area. As Britain struggled to comprehend a murder that has cast a shadow over next week's EU vote, investigators sealed off the home of the suspect -- named in the media as Thomas Mair -- and carried out a forensic search of his garden. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Cox's Labour Party, was expected in Birstall later on Friday after paying tribute to Cox at a vigil outside Parliament on Thursday. "She grew up in this community, she lived for this community, she served this community, and in the end she gave her life for this community," Jonathan Gibbs, the Bishop of Huddersfield, told residents. Dozens of floral tributes could be seen at the foot of a statue in Birstall, a large village in a district of around 16,000 inhabitants. "My heart breaks for your children. So many of your constituents are proud to have called you their MP. Our whole country is hurting right now," read one handwritten note left with the flowers. "Jo, what a vile and tragic day," read another. Hichem Ben Abdallah, an eyewitness to the shooting who had campaigned in the last election alongside Cox, told AFP he was still in shock at the killing, the first murder of a serving British MP since the Irish Republican Army killed Ian Gow with a car bomb in 1990. "She stood for peace and transparency, fighting corruption, wanted justice for all. I think her flame will carry on," he said. "I hope we learn lessons from this," he added. Cox, a former charity worker who was only elected to Parliament last year, was best known for her campaigning in favour of refugee rights and for Britain staying in the European Union (EU). She grew up in the area and made an impassioned maiden speech in parliament about the ethnic diversity of her local community, which saw an influx of migrants from Ireland and the Indian subcontinent when it was a hub for the English textile industry. Sitting outside a local sports and social club, Stephen Lees said of the attack: "It's atrocious. It's not something you expect around here. "It's not sunk in properly yet." In London, mourners laid flowers on the roof of the house boat where Cox lived with her husband and two young children, next to Tower Bridge. Anne Wainwright, who lived alongside, told mourners: "We have lost a dear, dear friend in the most tragic and outrageous circumstances." "We pay tribute to our amazing, wonderful and spirited member of this community -- a beacon of hope who believed in love, friendship and values that we all so much need at this time. "The community will continue to be inspired by her relentless energy and her commitment to all that is good." (AFP)

English village in shock after British MP's murder

British singer Elton John told a concert in Moscow he still wanted to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss his concerns about gay rights and AIDS in Russia, despite the Kremlin leader not having time to meet him this time round.

John, performing at a luxury shopping and&nbsp;entertainment&nbsp;centre in the Russian capital on Monday night as part of a world tour, sounded disappointed about not getting to meet Putin, but said he would return to try to see him.

&quot;As some of you may know I hoped to meet with President Putin on this trip,&quot; said John, whose music has been popular in Russia since the Soviet era, told the audience.

&quot;Although it wasn&#39;t possible, I&#39;m deeply grateful to him for inviting me to discuss some serious issues in Russia including LGBT, HIV and AIDS, and I very much hope we will find time in future to meet.&quot;

Putin&#39;s spokesman said last week that the Russian leader&#39;s schedule did not match up with John&#39;s, but that a meeting might take place &quot;next time.&quot; Putin had to fly to Kazakhstan on Tuesday morning for a meeting.

In September Putin phoned the singer, who has used his status as one of the world&#39;s most famous gay celebrities to push for equal rights for homosexuals around the world, to say he would be willing to meet up after John, 69, requested a meeting.

Western governments and human rights activists have criticised the Russian authorities for their treatment of gay people, and John has previously spoken out against a 2013 law banning the dissemination of &quot;gay propaganda&quot; among young Russians.

Putin has said he is not prejudiced against gay people.

John has also expressed alarm about the scale of Russia&#39;s AIDS epidemic.

The number of people registered HIV-positive passed the 1 million mark earlier this year and the country&#39;s top AIDS specialist warned the rate of infection had reached record levels.

British singer Elton John told a concert in Moscow he still wanted to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss his concerns about gay rights and AIDS in Russia, but the Kremlin leader didn't have time

British singer Elton John told a concert in Moscow he still wanted to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss his concerns about gay rights and AIDS in Russia, despite the Kremlin leader not having time to meet him this time round. John, performing at a luxury shopping and entertainment centre in the Russian capital on Monday night as part of a world tour, sounded disappointed about not getting to meet Putin, but said he would return to try to see him. "As some of you may know I hoped to meet with President Putin on this trip," said John, whose music has been popular in Russia since the Soviet era, told the audience. "Although it wasn't possible, I'm deeply grateful to him for inviting me to discuss some serious issues in Russia including LGBT, HIV and AIDS, and I very much hope we will find time in future to meet." Putin's spokesman said last week that the Russian leader's schedule did not match up with John's, but that a meeting might take place "next time." Putin had to fly to Kazakhstan on Tuesday morning for a meeting. In September Putin phoned the singer, who has used his status as one of the world's most famous gay celebrities to push for equal rights for homosexuals around the world, to say he would be willing to meet up after John, 69, requested a meeting. Western governments and human rights activists have criticised the Russian authorities for their treatment of gay people, and John has previously spoken out against a 2013 law banning the dissemination of "gay propaganda" among young Russians. Putin has said he is not prejudiced against gay people. John has also expressed alarm about the scale of Russia's AIDS epidemic. The number of people registered HIV-positive passed the 1 million mark earlier this year and the country's top AIDS specialist warned the rate of infection had reached record levels.

Elton John tells Russians he still wants to meet Putin to discuss gay rights

british

British, News on British, stories on British, articles on British, British stories at Wion, British news, British latest news