Kabul will commit to 're-admitting any Afghan citizen who has not been granted asylum in Europe'

The European Union (EU) has signed a deal with the Afghan government under which its member states will be allowed to deport an ‘unlimited number’ of asylum seekers from the country, the Guardian reported on Monday. According to the British daily, the deal was being worked upon for months, leading to a large EU-hosted donor conference in Brussels this week. Donors in the conference are expected to pledge about $3 billion a year for Afghanistan through 2020. Meanwhile, Guardian's report suggests that in a previously leaked memo, the EU hinted stripping Afghanistan of aid if its government did not cooperate. The deal was signed on Sunday and has not been made public but the Guardian reports that Kabul will commit to re-admitting any Afghan citizen who has not been granted asylum in Europe and those who do not want to go back voluntarily. The agreement called the 'Joint Way Forward' also opens up the deportation of women and children, which at the moment almost exclusively happens from Norway. “Special measures will ensure that such vulnerable groups receive adequate protection, assistance and care throughout the whole process.” If family members in Afghanistan cannot be located, unaccompanied children can be returned only with “adequate reception and caretaking arrangement having been put in place in Afghanistan”, the text of the agreement says, as per the report. (WION)

EU signs 'deal' with Kabul allowing member states to deport asylum seekers

Britain will want to keep some European Union laws, including on workers` rights and the environment, once it has left the bloc, transport minister and leading Brexit campaigner Chris Grayling said on Sunday.

The government has said it will next year repeal the 1972 act that took Britain into what is now the EU. It will then transpose EU law into British law before deciding on what to keep.

&quot;There`s some things we`ll want to keep: in the area of the environment, for example, in the area of workers` rights. There are other things that we`ll want to get rid of,&quot; Grayling told ITV.

Grayling said the Great Repeal Bill would go through Britain`s parliament between May 2017 and May 2018.

(Reuters)

The government has said it will next year repeal the 1972 act that took Britain into what is now the EU

Britain will want to keep some European Union laws, including on workers` rights and the environment, once it has left the bloc, transport minister and leading Brexit campaigner Chris Grayling said on Sunday. The government has said it will next year repeal the 1972 act that took Britain into what is now the EU. It will then transpose EU law into British law before deciding on what to keep. "There`s some things we`ll want to keep: in the area of the environment, for example, in the area of workers` rights. There are other things that we`ll want to get rid of," Grayling told ITV. Grayling said the Great Repeal Bill would go through Britain`s parliament between May 2017 and May 2018. (Reuters)

Britain to retain some EU laws after Brexit: Minister

Britain&#39;s foreign secretary Boris Johnson announced on Thursday that Britain has plans to trigger Article 50, the formal process for leaving the European Union (EU), early next year.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are talking to our European friends and partners in the expectation that by the early part of next year, you will see an Article 50 letter. We will invoke that,&quot; he told Britain&#39;s Sky News television in New York. 
 
Theresa May&#39;s Downing Street office, however, denied Johnson&#39;s comments. 
 
&quot;The government&#39;s position has not changed. We will not trigger Article 50 before the end of 2016 and we are using this time to prepare for the negotiations,&quot; a spokesman told AFP.&nbsp; 
 
Europe minister Alan Duncan said he did not believe Johnson really wanted Britain to leave the EU at all, AFP reported. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always thought that Boris&#39; wish was to lose by one (vote) so that he could be the heir apparent,&quot; without having to deal with &quot;clearing up all the mess&quot;, Duncan told the BBC. 
 
Johnson has also reportedly denied suggestions that Britain would have to continue allowing free movement of people with EU if it wanted access to the European single market.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They would have us believe that there is some automatic trade-off between what they call access to the single market and free movement. Complete baloney. Absolute baloney,&quot; &nbsp;AFP quoted him as saying.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The two things have nothing to do with each other. We should go for a jumbo free-trade deal and take back control of our immigration policy.&quot; 
 
Johnson said that even after Brexit the country would continue to play a role in pan-European defence and security measures.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We will continue to be a participant in common European defence discussions, security, foreign policy, counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and all that kind of thing,&quot; he said. 
 
On Thursday, May met &nbsp;was meeting with Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, who has urged her to trigger Article 50 as soon as possible. 
 
&quot;The European Parliament favours the earliest possible triggering of Article 50,&quot; he said, AFP reported. 
 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

Europe minister Alan Duncan said he did not believe that Johnson really wanted Britain to leave the EU at all

Britain's foreign secretary Boris Johnson announced on Thursday that Britain has plans to trigger Article 50, the formal process for leaving the European Union (EU), early next year. "We are talking to our European friends and partners in the expectation that by the early part of next year, you will see an Article 50 letter. We will invoke that," he told Britain's Sky News television in New York. Theresa May's Downing Street office, however, denied Johnson's comments. "The government's position has not changed. We will not trigger Article 50 before the end of 2016 and we are using this time to prepare for the negotiations," a spokesman told AFP. Europe minister Alan Duncan said he did not believe Johnson really wanted Britain to leave the EU at all, AFP reported. "I've always thought that Boris' wish was to lose by one (vote) so that he could be the heir apparent," without having to deal with "clearing up all the mess", Duncan told the BBC. Johnson has also reportedly denied suggestions that Britain would have to continue allowing free movement of people with EU if it wanted access to the European single market. "They would have us believe that there is some automatic trade-off between what they call access to the single market and free movement. Complete baloney. Absolute baloney," AFP quoted him as saying. "The two things have nothing to do with each other. We should go for a jumbo free-trade deal and take back control of our immigration policy." Johnson said that even after Brexit the country would continue to play a role in pan-European defence and security measures. "We will continue to be a participant in common European defence discussions, security, foreign policy, counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and all that kind of thing," he said. On Thursday, May met was meeting with Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, who has urged her to trigger Article 50 as soon as possible. "The European Parliament favours the earliest possible triggering of Article 50," he said, AFP reported. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Boris Johnson claims UK will trigger EU exit process early next year, Downing Street denies

British Prime Minister Theresa May might launch formal negotiations for Brexit in January-February next year, European Council president Donald Tusk said on Friday, citing a recent talk with May. 
 
May has refrained from giving any formal notification this year and there is ambiguity over how her government will initiate the process. which would set in motion a two-year countdown to Britain&#39;s exit. 
 
&quot;Prime Minister May was very open and honest with me,&quot; Tusk said talking about his visit to London on September 8.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;She declared it&#39;s almost impossible to trigger Article 50 this year but it&#39;s quite likely that they will be ready maybe in January, maybe in February next year.&quot; 
 
EU leaders are waiting to hear from May on what she wants. 
 
&quot;Our British colleagues need more time to prepare themselves for these negotiations,&quot; he told reporters. 
 
&quot;We are well prepared for these negotiations and we could in fact start these procedures even tomorrow,&quot; he added, saying that the EU&#39;s goal was &quot;the closest possible future relations&quot; with Britain while negotiating in the interests of the bloc. 
 
Divided EU struggles 
 
A meeting was held on Friday in the Slovak capital of Bratislava with the 27 other EU members &nbsp;and a six-month &quot;road map&quot; designed to bring back public confidence in the union was unveiled.&nbsp; 
 
But unity was shadowed as many leaders including &nbsp;Italy`s Matteo Renzi and Hungary`s Viktor Orban, did not agree with&nbsp;the conclusions once the meeting ended. 
 
&quot;I`m not satisfied with the (summit) conclusions on growth or on immigration,&quot; said Renzi. 
 
According to Reuters, Renzi was miffed at being excluded from a joint news conference given by Germany`s Angela Merkel and France`s Francois Hollande at the end of the summit. 
 
&quot;To define as a step forward today`s document on migrants would require a form of fantasy, a verbal high-wire act,&quot; the Italian Prime Minister added. 
 
Orban ,meanwhile, criticised&nbsp;Merkel for refusing to agree to a cap on the number of migrants entering Europe, calling her pro-refugee stance &quot;self-destructive and naive&quot;. 
 
But people eye-witnesses to the summit said that Orban and Renzi did not raise serious complaints with other leaders during the talks.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;This is clearly about domestic politics,&quot; a senior official said told Reuters. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
 
 
&nbsp;

Donald Tusk had visited London on September 8 to hold post-Brexit talks with British PM Theresa May

British Prime Minister Theresa May might launch formal negotiations for Brexit in January-February next year, European Council president Donald Tusk said on Friday, citing a recent talk with May. May has refrained from giving any formal notification this year and there is ambiguity over how her government will initiate the process. which would set in motion a two-year countdown to Britain's exit. "Prime Minister May was very open and honest with me," Tusk said talking about his visit to London on September 8. "She declared it's almost impossible to trigger Article 50 this year but it's quite likely that they will be ready maybe in January, maybe in February next year." EU leaders are waiting to hear from May on what she wants. "Our British colleagues need more time to prepare themselves for these negotiations," he told reporters. "We are well prepared for these negotiations and we could in fact start these procedures even tomorrow," he added, saying that the EU's goal was "the closest possible future relations" with Britain while negotiating in the interests of the bloc. Divided EU struggles A meeting was held on Friday in the Slovak capital of Bratislava with the 27 other EU members and a six-month "road map" designed to bring back public confidence in the union was unveiled. But unity was shadowed as many leaders including Italy`s Matteo Renzi and Hungary`s Viktor Orban, did not agree with the conclusions once the meeting ended. "I`m not satisfied with the (summit) conclusions on growth or on immigration," said Renzi. According to Reuters, Renzi was miffed at being excluded from a joint news conference given by Germany`s Angela Merkel and France`s Francois Hollande at the end of the summit. "To define as a step forward today`s document on migrants would require a form of fantasy, a verbal high-wire act," the Italian Prime Minister added. Orban ,meanwhile, criticised Merkel for refusing to agree to a cap on the number of migrants entering Europe, calling her pro-refugee stance "self-destructive and naive". But people eye-witnesses to the summit said that Orban and Renzi did not raise serious complaints with other leaders during the talks. "This is clearly about domestic politics," a senior official said told Reuters. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

May likely to launch Brexit in 2017: Donald Tusk

The European Union will subject internet services like WhatsApp and Skype to similar rules that traditional telecommunications firms face, according to major reform proposals unveiled Wednesday. 
 
In a major victory for traditional phone companies, the European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation bloc, recommended tighter privacy and security for services like Facebook-owned message service WhatsApp and Microsoft&#39;s video phone portal Skype. 
 
The demand is part of a package of reforms proposed by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, which includes a promise to provide free wifi in European towns by 2020. 
 
&quot;We propose today to equip every European village and every city with free wireless internet access around the main centres of public life by 2020,&quot; Juncker said as he gave his annual State of the Union speech.&nbsp; 
 
The plan also includes a commitment to begin converting Europe to 5G networks as early as 2018 in order to not lose ground to Asia and the United States. 
 
The proposal gives companies that invest in 5G networks longer running licenses to operate mobile services as well as the right to block rivals except in under-served areas. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a small revolution. It&#39;s no longer historic operators on one side and new entrants on the other, it&#39;s those investing in the future and the others,&quot; said Gregoire Verdeaux, head of international policy at Vodafone. 
 
The demands on services such as Skype are unprecedented&nbsp;but were underplayed by the commission. 
 
But under the proposal, the commission would require companies like WhatsApp or Skype to offer emergency-calling services when customers dial traditional phone numbers as well as obey stricter privacy rules. 
 
&quot;The Commission should use this opportunity to reduce regulation in the hugely competitive market for communications services, rather than adding complexity,&quot; said James Waterworth, of the Computer &amp; Communications Industry Association, a lobby group that represents Microsoft, Facebook and Google. 
 
(AFP)

EU has recommended tighter privacy and security for services like Facebook-owned message service WhatsApp and Microsoft's Skype

The European Union will subject internet services like WhatsApp and Skype to similar rules that traditional telecommunications firms face, according to major reform proposals unveiled Wednesday. In a major victory for traditional phone companies, the European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation bloc, recommended tighter privacy and security for services like Facebook-owned message service WhatsApp and Microsoft's video phone portal Skype. The demand is part of a package of reforms proposed by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, which includes a promise to provide free wifi in European towns by 2020. "We propose today to equip every European village and every city with free wireless internet access around the main centres of public life by 2020," Juncker said as he gave his annual State of the Union speech. The plan also includes a commitment to begin converting Europe to 5G networks as early as 2018 in order to not lose ground to Asia and the United States. The proposal gives companies that invest in 5G networks longer running licenses to operate mobile services as well as the right to block rivals except in under-served areas. "It's a small revolution. It's no longer historic operators on one side and new entrants on the other, it's those investing in the future and the others," said Gregoire Verdeaux, head of international policy at Vodafone. The demands on services such as Skype are unprecedented but were underplayed by the commission. But under the proposal, the commission would require companies like WhatsApp or Skype to offer emergency-calling services when customers dial traditional phone numbers as well as obey stricter privacy rules. "The Commission should use this opportunity to reduce regulation in the hugely competitive market for communications services, rather than adding complexity," said James Waterworth, of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, a lobby group that represents Microsoft, Facebook and Google. (AFP)

EU seeks stricter controls on WhatsApp, Skype

Voting will begin today to decide if veteran leftist Jeremy Corbyn will remain leader of Britain&#39;s Labour party, with an ill-tempered campaign deepening divisions that threaten the party&#39;s future. 
 
Ballots and online voting forms were due to be sent to party members, who will have until September 21 to decide whether to replace Corbyn with MP Owen Smith, previously little known outside Westminster. 
 
The 46-year-old triggered the election by declaring his candidacy last month, warning that Corbyn&#39;s leadership was making the possibility of a split in the party &quot;dangerously real&quot;. 
 
Smith, a former member of Corbyn&#39;s top team, is also targeting voters to the left of the party, promising a &quot;socialist revolution&quot;. 
 
&quot;Not some misty-eyed, romantic notion of a revolution where we are going to overthrow capitalism and return to a socialist nirvana... but a cold-eyed, practical socialist revolution where we build a better Britain,&quot; he said last month. 
 
Corbyn, 67, is favourite to stay as leader, retaining the support of most trade unions and many who signed up last year to propel him to a shock win in the leadership election called following the party&#39;s thrashing in the general election. 
 
But he has failed to win over many of the party&#39;s MPs, 80 per cent of whom backed a recent vote of no-confidence in their leader. 
 
Britain&#39;s vote on June 23 to leave the European Union provided the catalyst for the leadership challenge, with many in the party criticising Corbyn&#39;s performance during the campaign. 
 
London mayor slams Corbyn&nbsp; 
 
At a recent debate, Smith accused the veteran socialist of &quot;sloganising&quot; rather than holding the Conservative Party to account, and of failing to campaign hard enough to prevent a vote to leave the EU. 
 
Loud boos, cheers and heckling have characterised many of the debates between the two men while local party meetings have been suspended during the contest due to allegations of intimidation levelled against Corbyn&#39;s supporters, exposing the party&#39;s growing rift. 
 
Some commentators have warned the outcome could even split the party, which grew out of Britain&#39;s trade union movement in the 19th century. 
 
Corbyn has the support of many Labour members, and since February 2015 party membership has surged from 200,000 to 540,000. 
 
He is also backed by Momentum, a mass movement of party members who have turned out in their droves to support him at events around the country in recent days. 
 
However, he received a setback earlier this month when a court ruled that 130,000 new party members who joined in the six months up to July 12 could not vote in the leadership contest. 
 
Labour&#39;s London Mayor Sadiq Khan also delivered a blow on Sunday by declaring his support for Smith. 
 
&quot;Jeremy&#39;s personal ratings are the worst of any opposition leader on record and the Labour party is suffering badly as a result,&quot; Khan wrote in the Observer, the Sunday version of the centre-left Guardian newspaper. 
 
&quot;Jeremy has already proved that he is unable to organise an effective team and has failed to win the trust and respect of the British people,&quot; he added. 
 
Smith appears to be targeting pacifist Corbyn&#39;s grassroots base, causing controversy by calling for the British government to &quot;get round the table&quot; with the Islamic State group. 
 
The result is to be announced on September 24 during a special congress in Liverpool, north-west England. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

Party members will have until September 21 to decide whether to replace Jeremy Corbyn with MP Owen Smith

Voting will begin today to decide if veteran leftist Jeremy Corbyn will remain leader of Britain's Labour party, with an ill-tempered campaign deepening divisions that threaten the party's future. Ballots and online voting forms were due to be sent to party members, who will have until September 21 to decide whether to replace Corbyn with MP Owen Smith, previously little known outside Westminster. The 46-year-old triggered the election by declaring his candidacy last month, warning that Corbyn's leadership was making the possibility of a split in the party "dangerously real". Smith, a former member of Corbyn's top team, is also targeting voters to the left of the party, promising a "socialist revolution". "Not some misty-eyed, romantic notion of a revolution where we are going to overthrow capitalism and return to a socialist nirvana... but a cold-eyed, practical socialist revolution where we build a better Britain," he said last month. Corbyn, 67, is favourite to stay as leader, retaining the support of most trade unions and many who signed up last year to propel him to a shock win in the leadership election called following the party's thrashing in the general election. But he has failed to win over many of the party's MPs, 80 per cent of whom backed a recent vote of no-confidence in their leader. Britain's vote on June 23 to leave the European Union provided the catalyst for the leadership challenge, with many in the party criticising Corbyn's performance during the campaign. London mayor slams Corbyn At a recent debate, Smith accused the veteran socialist of "sloganising" rather than holding the Conservative Party to account, and of failing to campaign hard enough to prevent a vote to leave the EU. Loud boos, cheers and heckling have characterised many of the debates between the two men while local party meetings have been suspended during the contest due to allegations of intimidation levelled against Corbyn's supporters, exposing the party's growing rift. Some commentators have warned the outcome could even split the party, which grew out of Britain's trade union movement in the 19th century. Corbyn has the support of many Labour members, and since February 2015 party membership has surged from 200,000 to 540,000. He is also backed by Momentum, a mass movement of party members who have turned out in their droves to support him at events around the country in recent days. However, he received a setback earlier this month when a court ruled that 130,000 new party members who joined in the six months up to July 12 could not vote in the leadership contest. Labour's London Mayor Sadiq Khan also delivered a blow on Sunday by declaring his support for Smith. "Jeremy's personal ratings are the worst of any opposition leader on record and the Labour party is suffering badly as a result," Khan wrote in the Observer, the Sunday version of the centre-left Guardian newspaper. "Jeremy has already proved that he is unable to organise an effective team and has failed to win the trust and respect of the British people," he added. Smith appears to be targeting pacifist Corbyn's grassroots base, causing controversy by calling for the British government to "get round the table" with the Islamic State group. The result is to be announced on September 24 during a special congress in Liverpool, north-west England. (Reuters)

Voting to begin in bitter Labour leader contest in UK

Turkey accused the European Union on Wednesday of &quot;encouraging&quot; the plotters on the night of the July 15 coup in an escalating row that has raised questions over Ankara&#39;s future relationship with the bloc. 
 
A day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a highly symbolic visit to Russia, foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkish people&#39;s confidence in the EU had &quot;unfortunately fallen&quot; in the wake of the coup, saying the bloc &quot;failed a test&quot; on the night of the putsch. 
 
&quot;Let me say openly, this is because the EU adopted a favourable position to the coup (and) encouraged the putschists,&quot; the minister told reporters during a televised briefing in the capital Ankara without expanding further. 
 
He claimed support for the EU, which Turkey has sought to join since the 1960s, had plummeted to some 20 per cent. 
 
Relations between Brussels and Ankara have become increasingly strained since Turkey launched a crackdown, imprisoning and dismissing tens of thousands within the military, judiciary and education in the wake of the putsch which it has blamed on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. 
 
The EU has urged Ankara to act within the rule of law while condemning Erdogan for suggesting the country could bring back the death penalty, abolished in 2004 as part of Turkey&#39;s reforms to join the union. 
 
Ankara has expressed astonishment that no EU official has visited Turkey in the wake of the coup.&nbsp;Cavusoglu&#39;s comments came a day after Erdogan travelled to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin for the first time since Ankara downed one of Moscow&#39;s warplanes in November, triggering a diplomatic crisis between them. 
 
It was his first foreign trip since the failed coup, but the foreign minister said it was not a move to turn Turkey&#39;s focus to the East. 
 
&quot;Our relations with Russia are not a message to the West. We worked very hard to have good relations with Europe for 15 years,&quot; he said, warning that any deterioration in ties would not be Turkey&#39;s fault. 
 
&quot;If the West one day loses Turkey, whatever our relations with Russia and China, it will be their fault.&quot; 
 
Russia and Turkey would work together on military, foreign affairs and intelligence, he said, stressing that both were united in seeing the need for a political solution in Syria. 
 
(AFP)

Turkey's confidence in the EU has fallen because the bloc 'failed a test' on the night of the coup, said the foreign minister

Turkey accused the European Union on Wednesday of "encouraging" the plotters on the night of the July 15 coup in an escalating row that has raised questions over Ankara's future relationship with the bloc. A day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a highly symbolic visit to Russia, foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkish people's confidence in the EU had "unfortunately fallen" in the wake of the coup, saying the bloc "failed a test" on the night of the putsch. "Let me say openly, this is because the EU adopted a favourable position to the coup (and) encouraged the putschists," the minister told reporters during a televised briefing in the capital Ankara without expanding further. He claimed support for the EU, which Turkey has sought to join since the 1960s, had plummeted to some 20 per cent. Relations between Brussels and Ankara have become increasingly strained since Turkey launched a crackdown, imprisoning and dismissing tens of thousands within the military, judiciary and education in the wake of the putsch which it has blamed on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. The EU has urged Ankara to act within the rule of law while condemning Erdogan for suggesting the country could bring back the death penalty, abolished in 2004 as part of Turkey's reforms to join the union. Ankara has expressed astonishment that no EU official has visited Turkey in the wake of the coup. Cavusoglu's comments came a day after Erdogan travelled to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin for the first time since Ankara downed one of Moscow's warplanes in November, triggering a diplomatic crisis between them. It was his first foreign trip since the failed coup, but the foreign minister said it was not a move to turn Turkey's focus to the East. "Our relations with Russia are not a message to the West. We worked very hard to have good relations with Europe for 15 years," he said, warning that any deterioration in ties would not be Turkey's fault. "If the West one day loses Turkey, whatever our relations with Russia and China, it will be their fault." Russia and Turkey would work together on military, foreign affairs and intelligence, he said, stressing that both were united in seeing the need for a political solution in Syria. (AFP)

Turkey accuses European Union of 'encouraging' coup plotters

Vladimir Putin will step up Russia&#39;s campaign to end European Union sanctions with a visit to Slovenia on Saturday, encouraged by signs his tactic of lobbying what he views as more pliant southern and eastern European states is starting to pay off. 
 
The sanctions, imposed over the Ukraine crisis, are designed to block access to Western credit and technology for people and businesses linked to President Putin. 
 
Combined with American and Group of Seven sanctions, they have made it harder for Russia to weather an economic crisis fuelled by low oil prices. 
 
The EU earlier this month extended economic sanctions on Russia until the start of 2017, despite misgivings from some countries such as Slovakia who are keen to debate their effectiveness. 
 
Several Moscow-based EU diplomats say Russia&#39;s tactic of methodically lobbying southern and eastern EU member states is starting to seriously erode the bloc&#39;s unity on the issue, making it potentially harder to renew them next time. 
 
&quot;Russia is constantly trying to find a way around the sanctions, targeting countries it thinks are softer. They are trying to kill the sanctions with a softly softly approach,&quot; one of the diplomats, from a country which favours their continuation, told Reuters. 
 
&quot;The result is that we are seeing more and more countries saying we should analyse the sanctions, assess what effect they are having, and review them again.&quot; Italy, 
 
Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia and Bulgaria were among Moscow&#39;s prime targets, diplomats said. 
 
Slovenia, where Putin will preside over a summit focused on trade and investment, will be the fourth of those countries he has visited since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and a pro-Russian separatist revolt broke out in eastern Ukraine. 
 
The Kremlin sees Slovenia, which Putin has visited before, as an ally in its sanctions quest. 
 
Russia was a big export market for Slovenian food products before the Ukraine crisis and Slovenia remains keen to be a transit country for a potential pipeline carrying Russia gas to southern Europe. 
 
Some EU members, such as Poland, have angered Moscow by tearing down monuments commemorating Soviet soldiers killed during World War Two. 
 
Slovenia is taking the opposite approach and the Kremlin said Putin would attend the unveiling of a new monument to Soviet soldiers in Ljubljana. 
 
Flagging Unity 
 
Russia says it will not discuss returning Crimea to Ukraine, meaning there is no prospect that the EU sanctions specifically linked to the annexation will be removed anytime soon. 
 
But there is flexibility about wider EU sanctions on Russia that were imposed in response to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where the Kremlin was accused of giving military aid to separatist rebels. Moscow denies that. 
 
Two EU diplomats said they thought the impact of Putin&#39;s widening charm offensive, accompanied by offers of lucrative trade deals and polite reminders of lost export revenues, could see those watered down next year. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s getting harder to hold the line,&quot; said one, from another country which wants the sanctions maintained. &quot;The sanctions would probably not all be lifted at once, but there could be a decision to lift them in one sector next year.&quot; 
 
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in May she expected a broader review of the bloc&#39;s policy towards Russia later in the year. 
 
Diplomats said there was a feeling that EU unity over the issue was starting to break down because those countries hurt most by Russia&#39;s counter-sanctions, which banned many EU food imports, were coming under increased pressure from their own farmers and companies. 
 
Putin in June extended Russia&#39;s counter-sanctions, which have kept products from Italian hams to French cheeses off supermarket shelves, until the end of next year. 
 
The measures have stung Italy and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi&#39;s decision to attend Russia&#39;s main annual economic forum in St Petersburg in June and share a platform with Putin was seen by some as a sign Rome was wavering. 
 
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker also attended, riling some countries such as Lithuania and Latvia who fear Russian aggression and are uneasy that high-level contacts with Moscow are intensifying despite the Ukraine crisis. 
 
But one of the diplomats said Juncker&#39;s decision to fly to Russia was at least partly motivated by a fear that the bloc&#39;s unity on sanctions was flagging. 
 
&quot;Juncker came because he was worried that member states were talking to Russia separately. He wanted to try to take back the initiative,&quot; said the diplomat. 
 
Ukranian Gridlock 
 
Russia&#39;s official line is that it will not seek to get sanctions lifted, because it did not impose them. 
 
The EU has made lifting sanctions contingent upon Russia doing more to ensure that the Minsk peace accords, which introduced a shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, are fully implemented. 
 
That requires Moscow to leverage its influence on pro-Kremlin separatists who still exchange fire, with often fatal results, &nbsp;on a regular basis with Ukrainian forces. 
 
Ukraine, which accuses Moscow of continuing to stir violence, has its part to play too. But despite numerous rounds of talks, there is little progress on either side. 
 
The violence, albeit at a much lower intensity, continues; elections haven&#39;t been held in the breakaway eastern regions, Kiev has not granted them special status, and both sides accuse each other of using heavy weaponry meant to have been withdrawn. 
 
The Kremlin&#39;s tactic internationally is to say Kiev is the chief cause of the impasse. With no sign of a breakthrough, friendly EU member states might start to do the same, say some diplomats. 
 
&quot;One scenario is that those countries that want the sanctions lifted say Ukraine is not doing enough to fulfil the Minsk peace accords,&quot; said one diplomat. &quot;That would be true, but then neither is Russia. However that could be the pretext for lifting the sanctions.&quot; 
 
Fredrik Wesslau, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations&#39; Wider Europe Programme, thinks Russia is playing a calculated waiting game. 
 
&quot;Instead of implementing Minsk, Moscow is trying to split Europe and undermine the sanctions policy,&quot; he wrote. 
 
&quot;It believes that the sanctions policy will eventually collapse. It sees European leaders sending mixed messages ... and has taken note of certain European countries&#39; wavering commitment to the policy.&quot; 
 
Countries worried by what they see as the bloc&#39;s faltering resolve fret that Britain&#39;s decision to leave the EU is likely to undermine sanctions further since London has been one of the most vocal champions of keeping them in place. 
 
One Kremlin official said Moscow would be watching with interest to see if the EU&#39;s stance on sanctions would change now that Britain is leaving the bloc. 
 
Supporters of continued sanctions also worry about Germany, where Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a member of the Social Democrats, last month spoke in favour of gradually phasing out the sanctions. 
 
That is at odds with the position of his coalition partner Chancellor Angela Merkel. But some diplomats say she faces a difficult election next year and that pressure from German business, which has been buffeted by sanctions, will only grow. 
 
With Russia&#39;s Finance Ministry warning that the country&#39;s Reserve Fund, designed to cover budget shortfalls, will be depleted by the end of next year if nothing changes, 
 
Moscow needs some movement. Chris Weafer, senior partner at economic and political consultancy Macro-Advisory Ltd, said in a note that even minor sanctions relief could help as that might start to dispel the perception that Russia was a dangerous place in which to invest or conduct business. 
 
Otherwise, he said, the Russian economy looked vulnerable to further financial crisis. 
 
(Reuters)

The EU has made lifting sanctions contingent upon Russia doing more to ensure that the Minsk peace accords are fully implemented

Vladimir Putin will step up Russia's campaign to end European Union sanctions with a visit to Slovenia on Saturday, encouraged by signs his tactic of lobbying what he views as more pliant southern and eastern European states is starting to pay off. The sanctions, imposed over the Ukraine crisis, are designed to block access to Western credit and technology for people and businesses linked to President Putin. Combined with American and Group of Seven sanctions, they have made it harder for Russia to weather an economic crisis fuelled by low oil prices. The EU earlier this month extended economic sanctions on Russia until the start of 2017, despite misgivings from some countries such as Slovakia who are keen to debate their effectiveness. Several Moscow-based EU diplomats say Russia's tactic of methodically lobbying southern and eastern EU member states is starting to seriously erode the bloc's unity on the issue, making it potentially harder to renew them next time. "Russia is constantly trying to find a way around the sanctions, targeting countries it thinks are softer. They are trying to kill the sanctions with a softly softly approach," one of the diplomats, from a country which favours their continuation, told Reuters. "The result is that we are seeing more and more countries saying we should analyse the sanctions, assess what effect they are having, and review them again." Italy, Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia and Bulgaria were among Moscow's prime targets, diplomats said. Slovenia, where Putin will preside over a summit focused on trade and investment, will be the fourth of those countries he has visited since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and a pro-Russian separatist revolt broke out in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin sees Slovenia, which Putin has visited before, as an ally in its sanctions quest. Russia was a big export market for Slovenian food products before the Ukraine crisis and Slovenia remains keen to be a transit country for a potential pipeline carrying Russia gas to southern Europe. Some EU members, such as Poland, have angered Moscow by tearing down monuments commemorating Soviet soldiers killed during World War Two. Slovenia is taking the opposite approach and the Kremlin said Putin would attend the unveiling of a new monument to Soviet soldiers in Ljubljana. Flagging Unity Russia says it will not discuss returning Crimea to Ukraine, meaning there is no prospect that the EU sanctions specifically linked to the annexation will be removed anytime soon. But there is flexibility about wider EU sanctions on Russia that were imposed in response to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where the Kremlin was accused of giving military aid to separatist rebels. Moscow denies that. Two EU diplomats said they thought the impact of Putin's widening charm offensive, accompanied by offers of lucrative trade deals and polite reminders of lost export revenues, could see those watered down next year. "It's getting harder to hold the line," said one, from another country which wants the sanctions maintained. "The sanctions would probably not all be lifted at once, but there could be a decision to lift them in one sector next year." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in May she expected a broader review of the bloc's policy towards Russia later in the year. Diplomats said there was a feeling that EU unity over the issue was starting to break down because those countries hurt most by Russia's counter-sanctions, which banned many EU food imports, were coming under increased pressure from their own farmers and companies. Putin in June extended Russia's counter-sanctions, which have kept products from Italian hams to French cheeses off supermarket shelves, until the end of next year. The measures have stung Italy and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's decision to attend Russia's main annual economic forum in St Petersburg in June and share a platform with Putin was seen by some as a sign Rome was wavering. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker also attended, riling some countries such as Lithuania and Latvia who fear Russian aggression and are uneasy that high-level contacts with Moscow are intensifying despite the Ukraine crisis. But one of the diplomats said Juncker's decision to fly to Russia was at least partly motivated by a fear that the bloc's unity on sanctions was flagging. "Juncker came because he was worried that member states were talking to Russia separately. He wanted to try to take back the initiative," said the diplomat. Ukranian Gridlock Russia's official line is that it will not seek to get sanctions lifted, because it did not impose them. The EU has made lifting sanctions contingent upon Russia doing more to ensure that the Minsk peace accords, which introduced a shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, are fully implemented. That requires Moscow to leverage its influence on pro-Kremlin separatists who still exchange fire, with often fatal results, on a regular basis with Ukrainian forces. Ukraine, which accuses Moscow of continuing to stir violence, has its part to play too. But despite numerous rounds of talks, there is little progress on either side. The violence, albeit at a much lower intensity, continues; elections haven't been held in the breakaway eastern regions, Kiev has not granted them special status, and both sides accuse each other of using heavy weaponry meant to have been withdrawn. The Kremlin's tactic internationally is to say Kiev is the chief cause of the impasse. With no sign of a breakthrough, friendly EU member states might start to do the same, say some diplomats. "One scenario is that those countries that want the sanctions lifted say Ukraine is not doing enough to fulfil the Minsk peace accords," said one diplomat. "That would be true, but then neither is Russia. However that could be the pretext for lifting the sanctions." Fredrik Wesslau, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations' Wider Europe Programme, thinks Russia is playing a calculated waiting game. "Instead of implementing Minsk, Moscow is trying to split Europe and undermine the sanctions policy," he wrote. "It believes that the sanctions policy will eventually collapse. It sees European leaders sending mixed messages ... and has taken note of certain European countries' wavering commitment to the policy." Countries worried by what they see as the bloc's faltering resolve fret that Britain's decision to leave the EU is likely to undermine sanctions further since London has been one of the most vocal champions of keeping them in place. One Kremlin official said Moscow would be watching with interest to see if the EU's stance on sanctions would change now that Britain is leaving the bloc. Supporters of continued sanctions also worry about Germany, where Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a member of the Social Democrats, last month spoke in favour of gradually phasing out the sanctions. That is at odds with the position of his coalition partner Chancellor Angela Merkel. But some diplomats say she faces a difficult election next year and that pressure from German business, which has been buffeted by sanctions, will only grow. With Russia's Finance Ministry warning that the country's Reserve Fund, designed to cover budget shortfalls, will be depleted by the end of next year if nothing changes, Moscow needs some movement. Chris Weafer, senior partner at economic and political consultancy Macro-Advisory Ltd, said in a note that even minor sanctions relief could help as that might start to dispel the perception that Russia was a dangerous place in which to invest or conduct business. Otherwise, he said, the Russian economy looked vulnerable to further financial crisis. (Reuters)

Putin steps up drive to kill sanctions amid signs of EU disunity

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

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

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

EU president Juncker: No deadline for start of Brexit talks

Turkey ordered the detention of 42 journalists today, broadcaster NTV reported, under a crackdown following a failed coup that has targeted more than 60,000 people, drawing fire from the European Union (EU). 
 
The arrests or suspensions of soldiers, police, judges and civil servants in response to the July 15-16 putsch have raised concerns among rights groups and Western countries, who fear President Tayyip Erdogan is capitalising on it to tighten his grip on power. 
 
EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker questioned Ankara&#39;s long-standing aspiration to join the EU. 
 
&quot;I believe that Turkey, in its current state, is not in a position to become a member any time soon and not even over a longer period,&quot; Juncker said on French television France 2. 
 
Juncker also said that if Turkey reintroduces the death penalty - something the government has said it must consider, responding to calls from supporters at public rallies for the coup leaders to be executed - it would stop the EU accession process immediately. 
 
Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2004, allowing it to open EU accession talks the following year, but the negotiations have made scant progress since then. 
 
Responding to Juncker&#39;s comments, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Haberturk TV that Europe cannot threaten Turkey regarding the death penalty. 
 
Erdogan has declared a state of emergency, which allows him to sign new laws without prior parliamentary approval and limit rights as he deems necessary. 
 
The government has said these steps are needed to root out supporters of the coup and will not infringe on the rights of ordinary Turks. 
 
NTV reported that among the 42 journalists subject to arrest warrants was well-known commentator and former parliamentarian Nazli Ilicak. 
 
State-run Turkish Airlines fired more than 100 employees, including management and cabin crew, Turkish media reported. 
 
Turkey wants US to extradite Gulen&nbsp; 
 
Erdogan has accused US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has many followers in Turkey, of masterminding the coup plot. In his first decree since the state of emergency was declared, Erdogan ordered the closure of thousands of private schools, charities and foundations with suspected links to Gulen, who denies involvement in the coup. 
 
Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, says the coup may have been orchestrated by Erdogan himself. 
 
Turkey wants the United States to extradite the cleric. Washington has said it will do so only if there is clear evidence. 
 
Foreign minister Cavusoglu said that ties with Washington will be affected if it fails to extradite Gulen. He said he would hold meetings with political and judiciary officials during a coming visit to the United States. 
 
Erdogan has accused Gulen, his former ally, of attempting to build a &quot;parallel network&quot; of supporters within the military, police, judiciary, civil service, education and media with the aim of toppling the state. 
 
&quot;They are traitors,&quot; Erdogan told Reuters in an interview last week. He described Gulen&#39;s network as &quot;like a cancer&quot; and said he would treat them like a &quot;separatist terrorist organisation&quot; and root them out, wherever they may be. 
 
Gulen denies the allegations 
 
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday that authorities had taken around 13,000 people into custody over the coup attempt, including 8,831 soldiers. He promised they would have a fair trial. 
 
Rights group Amnesty International said it had received credible evidence of detainees being subjected to beatings and torture, including rape, since the coup attempt. 
 
Erdogan has extended the maximum period of detention for suspects from four days to 30, a move Amnesty said increased the risk of torture or other maltreatment of detainees. 
 
The government has said there would be no backtracking on human rights and has ruled out torture and curfews in the state of emergency. 
 
Ankara&#39;s frustration 
 
Ankara is increasingly expressing frustration over what it says in the lack of solidarity from Western partners in the aftermath of the coup. 
 
Western countries pledged support for democracy in Turkey, but have also expressed concern over the scale of subsequent purges of state institutions. 
 
Last week, the minister for EU affairs chided Western countries for not sending any representatives to demonstrate their solidarity with Turkey since the failed coup. 
 
On Sunday, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin took to the opinion pages of the New York Times to defend Turkey&#39;s actions. 
 
&quot;Several thousand military officers and their accomplices in law enforcement and the judiciary have been suspended or arrested for having links to the coup. Their removal from public posts makes the Turkish government stronger and more transparent,&quot; he wrote, adding that at least 1,200 rank-and-file soldiers have been released so far. 
 
He also dismissed claims that Erdogan had orchestrated the coup in order to launch a crackdown. 
 
&quot;The claim that this was a fake coup is no more credible than the laughable claim that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by the United States.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in response to Ankara's crackdown said in its current state, it is not in a position to join EU

Turkey ordered the detention of 42 journalists today, broadcaster NTV reported, under a crackdown following a failed coup that has targeted more than 60,000 people, drawing fire from the European Union (EU). The arrests or suspensions of soldiers, police, judges and civil servants in response to the July 15-16 putsch have raised concerns among rights groups and Western countries, who fear President Tayyip Erdogan is capitalising on it to tighten his grip on power. EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker questioned Ankara's long-standing aspiration to join the EU. "I believe that Turkey, in its current state, is not in a position to become a member any time soon and not even over a longer period," Juncker said on French television France 2. Juncker also said that if Turkey reintroduces the death penalty - something the government has said it must consider, responding to calls from supporters at public rallies for the coup leaders to be executed - it would stop the EU accession process immediately. Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2004, allowing it to open EU accession talks the following year, but the negotiations have made scant progress since then. Responding to Juncker's comments, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Haberturk TV that Europe cannot threaten Turkey regarding the death penalty. Erdogan has declared a state of emergency, which allows him to sign new laws without prior parliamentary approval and limit rights as he deems necessary. The government has said these steps are needed to root out supporters of the coup and will not infringe on the rights of ordinary Turks. NTV reported that among the 42 journalists subject to arrest warrants was well-known commentator and former parliamentarian Nazli Ilicak. State-run Turkish Airlines fired more than 100 employees, including management and cabin crew, Turkish media reported. Turkey wants US to extradite Gulen Erdogan has accused US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has many followers in Turkey, of masterminding the coup plot. In his first decree since the state of emergency was declared, Erdogan ordered the closure of thousands of private schools, charities and foundations with suspected links to Gulen, who denies involvement in the coup. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, says the coup may have been orchestrated by Erdogan himself. Turkey wants the United States to extradite the cleric. Washington has said it will do so only if there is clear evidence. Foreign minister Cavusoglu said that ties with Washington will be affected if it fails to extradite Gulen. He said he would hold meetings with political and judiciary officials during a coming visit to the United States. Erdogan has accused Gulen, his former ally, of attempting to build a "parallel network" of supporters within the military, police, judiciary, civil service, education and media with the aim of toppling the state. "They are traitors," Erdogan told Reuters in an interview last week. He described Gulen's network as "like a cancer" and said he would treat them like a "separatist terrorist organisation" and root them out, wherever they may be. Gulen denies the allegations Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday that authorities had taken around 13,000 people into custody over the coup attempt, including 8,831 soldiers. He promised they would have a fair trial. Rights group Amnesty International said it had received credible evidence of detainees being subjected to beatings and torture, including rape, since the coup attempt. Erdogan has extended the maximum period of detention for suspects from four days to 30, a move Amnesty said increased the risk of torture or other maltreatment of detainees. The government has said there would be no backtracking on human rights and has ruled out torture and curfews in the state of emergency. Ankara's frustration Ankara is increasingly expressing frustration over what it says in the lack of solidarity from Western partners in the aftermath of the coup. Western countries pledged support for democracy in Turkey, but have also expressed concern over the scale of subsequent purges of state institutions. Last week, the minister for EU affairs chided Western countries for not sending any representatives to demonstrate their solidarity with Turkey since the failed coup. On Sunday, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin took to the opinion pages of the New York Times to defend Turkey's actions. "Several thousand military officers and their accomplices in law enforcement and the judiciary have been suspended or arrested for having links to the coup. Their removal from public posts makes the Turkish government stronger and more transparent," he wrote, adding that at least 1,200 rank-and-file soldiers have been released so far. He also dismissed claims that Erdogan had orchestrated the coup in order to launch a crackdown. "The claim that this was a fake coup is no more credible than the laughable claim that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by the United States." (Reuters)

EU furious as Turkey detains 42 journalists after coup bid

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

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

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

Scotland must have right to consider independence: Sturgeon

Britain&#39;s new finance minister Philip Hammond, under pressure from his peers from around the world, said today there could be more clarity later this year on how the country will exit the European Union. 
 
Several nations called on Britain during weekend talks on the world economy to explain how the politically fraught Brexit process will unfold in order to avoid adding a new drag on the long and slow recovery from the financial crisis. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s right at the top of the agenda here at the G20,&quot; Hammond said at the end of the two-day meeting of the Group of 20 leading economies in the Chinese city of Chengdu. &quot;It&#39;s a new factor affecting the global economic outlook and it has increased the uncertainty which the world economy faces.&quot; 
 
Britain was plunged into its biggest political crisis in decades by the June 23 Brexit vote and so far it has resisted calls from some other EU countries to trigger quickly the two-year process for negotiating its exit from the bloc. 
 
Prime Minister Theresa May, who has been in her job for less than two weeks, traveled to Germany and France last week to explain why she needed time to come up with an exit strategy. 
 
The EU&#39;s top economic official, Pierre Moscovici, said the bloc understood that Britain should not be rushed but &quot;at the same time let&#39;s not waste time, let&#39;s not have too much uncertainty, let&#39;s act and choose as swiftly as possible.&quot; 
 
Hammond told reporters today the two-year negotiating period, once launched, represented &quot;quite a tight timescale&quot; and Britain needed to go into it with clear objectives. &quot;We have to do that before the start of the process because when we serve that notice, we need to hit the ground running,&quot; he said. 
 
But Hammond also showed he was aware of the need for some clarity on Brexit: &quot;What will start to reduce uncertainty is when we are able to set out more clearly the kind of arrangement we envisage going forward with the European Union.&quot; 
 
&quot;If our European Union partners respond to such a vision positively - obviously it will be subject to negotiation - so that there is a sense perhaps later this year that we are all on the same page in terms of where we expect to be going, I think that will send a reassuring signal to the business community and to markets,&quot; Hammond said. 
 
May has said she does not plan to launch the formal negotiation period this year. It remains to be seen if other EU countries would enter informal talks with Britain before the formal negotiations, something they have previously ruled out. 
 
Govt, Bank of England have to be ready 
 
Financial markets have stabilised after the initial shock of the referendum result which saw the value of the pound plunge by more than 10 per cent and trillions of dollars wiped off stock markets worldwide. But economists are expecting Britain to fall into a recession, according to a Reuters poll. 
 
Hammond said he did not think that a survey of British businesses published on Friday, which showed the sharpest fall on record in a purchasing managers index, was a sign that the economy was in already in a recession. 
 
&quot;What it does is underscore the hit to confidence,&quot; he said. 
 
Hammond warned that Brexit-related volatility in markets would be a risk throughout the two-year negotiation period. 
 
&quot;We have to be ready as government, the Bank of England has to be ready as monetary authority, throughout that period to respond to any instability created by that uncertainty and to ensure that the economy continues to operate smoothly,&quot; he said. 
 
The BoE is expected to cut interest rates and possibly announce more stimulus measures on August 4. Hammond has said he could ease fiscal policy in the autumn if more help is needed. 
 
Asked about a comment he made on Friday, that he might &quot;reset&quot; fiscal policy to cope with the Brexit fallout, Hammond said Britain&#39;s still high levels of debt meant it needed a new framework on its public finances to give clarity to markets. 
 
&quot;What that framework will look like will depend on the decisions we make about whether or not any fiscal stimulus is required on the basis of the data we will by then have available,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)

Britain's finance minister accepted the need for some clarity on Brexit, said it's at the top of agenda at the G20

Britain's new finance minister Philip Hammond, under pressure from his peers from around the world, said today there could be more clarity later this year on how the country will exit the European Union. Several nations called on Britain during weekend talks on the world economy to explain how the politically fraught Brexit process will unfold in order to avoid adding a new drag on the long and slow recovery from the financial crisis. "It's right at the top of the agenda here at the G20," Hammond said at the end of the two-day meeting of the Group of 20 leading economies in the Chinese city of Chengdu. "It's a new factor affecting the global economic outlook and it has increased the uncertainty which the world economy faces." Britain was plunged into its biggest political crisis in decades by the June 23 Brexit vote and so far it has resisted calls from some other EU countries to trigger quickly the two-year process for negotiating its exit from the bloc. Prime Minister Theresa May, who has been in her job for less than two weeks, traveled to Germany and France last week to explain why she needed time to come up with an exit strategy. The EU's top economic official, Pierre Moscovici, said the bloc understood that Britain should not be rushed but "at the same time let's not waste time, let's not have too much uncertainty, let's act and choose as swiftly as possible." Hammond told reporters today the two-year negotiating period, once launched, represented "quite a tight timescale" and Britain needed to go into it with clear objectives. "We have to do that before the start of the process because when we serve that notice, we need to hit the ground running," he said. But Hammond also showed he was aware of the need for some clarity on Brexit: "What will start to reduce uncertainty is when we are able to set out more clearly the kind of arrangement we envisage going forward with the European Union." "If our European Union partners respond to such a vision positively - obviously it will be subject to negotiation - so that there is a sense perhaps later this year that we are all on the same page in terms of where we expect to be going, I think that will send a reassuring signal to the business community and to markets," Hammond said. May has said she does not plan to launch the formal negotiation period this year. It remains to be seen if other EU countries would enter informal talks with Britain before the formal negotiations, something they have previously ruled out. Govt, Bank of England have to be ready Financial markets have stabilised after the initial shock of the referendum result which saw the value of the pound plunge by more than 10 per cent and trillions of dollars wiped off stock markets worldwide. But economists are expecting Britain to fall into a recession, according to a Reuters poll. Hammond said he did not think that a survey of British businesses published on Friday, which showed the sharpest fall on record in a purchasing managers index, was a sign that the economy was in already in a recession. "What it does is underscore the hit to confidence," he said. Hammond warned that Brexit-related volatility in markets would be a risk throughout the two-year negotiation period. "We have to be ready as government, the Bank of England has to be ready as monetary authority, throughout that period to respond to any instability created by that uncertainty and to ensure that the economy continues to operate smoothly," he said. The BoE is expected to cut interest rates and possibly announce more stimulus measures on August 4. Hammond has said he could ease fiscal policy in the autumn if more help is needed. Asked about a comment he made on Friday, that he might "reset" fiscal policy to cope with the Brexit fallout, Hammond said Britain's still high levels of debt meant it needed a new framework on its public finances to give clarity to markets. "What that framework will look like will depend on the decisions we make about whether or not any fiscal stimulus is required on the basis of the data we will by then have available," he said. (Reuters)

UK seeks to assuage global worries over path to Brexit

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

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

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

UK records 6,193 post-Brexit hate crimes

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

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

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

Preparing for EU divorce:  UK faces monumental task

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned risks to the global economy are growing, as it called on some G20 nations to boost government spending.

Central bank chiefs and finance ministers from the world&#39;s top 20 economies gathered in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu on Saturday to tackle a slowing global economy facing new uncertainties with Britain voting to leave the European Union (EU).

&quot;Global growth remains weak, and downside risks have become more salient,&quot; the IMF said in a report released ahead of the G20 meeting.

&quot;Growth could be even lower if the current increases in economic and political uncertainty in the wake of the &#39;Brexit&#39; vote continue.&quot;

In an update to its April forecast, the IMF lowered its forecasts for global growth this year and next by 0.1 per cent, to 3.1 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively.

Britain&#39;s new finance minister Philip Hammond is among those attending to deliver a message that his country is still &quot;open for business&quot;, according to a statement from the British treasury.

The IMF wants advanced economies like Germany and the United States to channel more public spending into infrastructure investment to help boost global growth, an issue that has sparked divisions among G20 members.

&quot;Reforms that facilitate the scaling up of infrastructure investment would help raise productive capacity, boost short-term demand directly, and catalyse private investment,&quot; it said.
Terrorism, Turkey, Trump 
 
But other challenges loom besides Brexit, including what one official attending referred to as the &quot;Three Ts&quot; -&nbsp;terrorism, Turkey and Trump.

The recent attack in the French city of Nice which killed 84 people, the third major incident in the European country over the past 18 months, has rattled financial markets, and a gunman in the German city of Munich killed nine people on Friday.

A failed coup in Turkey which had aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his huge subsequent crackdown on opponents, has alarmed Ankara&#39;s Western allies.

Speaking at a G20-linked tax seminar on Saturday, Turkey&#39;s deputy prime minister Mehmet Simsek sought to reassure other countries.

&quot;Despite what has happened a week ago in Turkey,&nbsp;we will continue to strongly adhere to democratic principles and apply rule of law, and not much really has changed,&quot; he said.

Tycoon Donald Trump sealing the Republican party nomination in the US presidential race, where he will face Democrat Hillary Clinton, could add uncertainty if the contest is close.

At an earlier G20 meeting in February, finance ministers vowed to use &quot;all policy tools&quot; -- monetary, fiscal and structural -- to support economic growth.

&quot;The G20 process has given us greater ability to focus globally on how to use the different tools at our disposal to promote growth,&quot; US treasury secretary Jacob Lew told the tax seminar.

But with the use of monetary policy reaching its limits in some countries, analysts see more room for using fiscal measures.

&quot;As to stimulus, we actually do not expect much monetary stimulus ahead in the major advanced economies other than in Japan,&quot; Louis Kuijs, head of Asia economics at Oxford Economics in Hong Kong, said ahead of the G20 meeting.

&quot;But I do think that the likelihood of fiscal policy easing is rising globally.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The International Monetary Fund has warned of risks to global growth in the wake of Britain leaving the European Union

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned risks to the global economy are growing, as it called on some G20 nations to boost government spending. Central bank chiefs and finance ministers from the world's top 20 economies gathered in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu on Saturday to tackle a slowing global economy facing new uncertainties with Britain voting to leave the European Union (EU). "Global growth remains weak, and downside risks have become more salient," the IMF said in a report released ahead of the G20 meeting. "Growth could be even lower if the current increases in economic and political uncertainty in the wake of the 'Brexit' vote continue." In an update to its April forecast, the IMF lowered its forecasts for global growth this year and next by 0.1 per cent, to 3.1 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively. Britain's new finance minister Philip Hammond is among those attending to deliver a message that his country is still "open for business", according to a statement from the British treasury. The IMF wants advanced economies like Germany and the United States to channel more public spending into infrastructure investment to help boost global growth, an issue that has sparked divisions among G20 members. "Reforms that facilitate the scaling up of infrastructure investment would help raise productive capacity, boost short-term demand directly, and catalyse private investment," it said. Terrorism, Turkey, Trump But other challenges loom besides Brexit, including what one official attending referred to as the "Three Ts" - terrorism, Turkey and Trump. The recent attack in the French city of Nice which killed 84 people, the third major incident in the European country over the past 18 months, has rattled financial markets, and a gunman in the German city of Munich killed nine people on Friday. A failed coup in Turkey which had aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his huge subsequent crackdown on opponents, has alarmed Ankara's Western allies. Speaking at a G20-linked tax seminar on Saturday, Turkey's deputy prime minister Mehmet Simsek sought to reassure other countries. "Despite what has happened a week ago in Turkey, we will continue to strongly adhere to democratic principles and apply rule of law, and not much really has changed," he said. Tycoon Donald Trump sealing the Republican party nomination in the US presidential race, where he will face Democrat Hillary Clinton, could add uncertainty if the contest is close. At an earlier G20 meeting in February, finance ministers vowed to use "all policy tools" -- monetary, fiscal and structural -- to support economic growth. "The G20 process has given us greater ability to focus globally on how to use the different tools at our disposal to promote growth," US treasury secretary Jacob Lew told the tax seminar. But with the use of monetary policy reaching its limits in some countries, analysts see more room for using fiscal measures. "As to stimulus, we actually do not expect much monetary stimulus ahead in the major advanced economies other than in Japan," Louis Kuijs, head of Asia economics at Oxford Economics in Hong Kong, said ahead of the G20 meeting. "But I do think that the likelihood of fiscal policy easing is rising globally." (AFP)

G20 finance leaders meet in China, discuss growing risks to global economy

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today faced growing criticism from the European Union (EU) over an &quot;unacceptable&quot; crackdown that has seen tens of thousands of people detained or sacked, as supporters celebrated the defeat one week ago of the coup aimed at ending his rule.&nbsp; 
 
The authorities imposed a state of emergency yesterday, strengthening powers to round up suspects behind the failed military putsch and suspending a key European rights convention. 
 
The European Union urged Turkey &quot;to respect under any circumstances the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms&quot;, in a joint statement from foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn. 
 
They slammed as &quot;unacceptable&quot; the sacking or suspension of tens of thousands of people in the education system, judiciary and the media and said they were monitoring the state of emergency &quot;with concern&quot;. 
 
Turkey&#39;s Western allies have been watching with alarm the turmoil in the key NATO member state, which has also been reeling from a wave of bomb attacks by Islamic State group jihadists and Kurdish rebels. 
 
 
Erdogan basks in support of jubilant crowds&nbsp; 
 
But at home, Erdogan has basked in the support of jubilant crowds who took to the streets of Istanbul overnight. 
 
Huge numbers were again expected to fill city squares Friday to celebrate Erdogan`s victory over the rebels, whose botched coup last Friday with troops, tanks and fighter jets claimed 265 lives. 
 
The president has said July 15 would in future be marked as the &quot;Remembrance Day of the Martyrs&quot;. 
 
The government said the coup claimed the lives of 24 plotters, and of 241 citizens and members of the security forces who stood up to them. Thousands of Erdogan supporters -- many carrying lit torches and waving the national crescent flag -- late Thursday streamed across the Bosphorus bridge that was one of the key battlegrounds. 
 
Flocking to the landmark where Turkish citizens stood up to the mutineers, they brandished signs such as &quot;Our flag, our nation&quot; and denounced the man Erdogan blames for the coup plot -- US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, 75. 
 
Erdogan has repeatedly rallied Turks -- on TV and even with mass phone text messages -- to stay on the streets in the fight against the &quot;terrorist&quot; followers of the spiritual leader whom he accuses of forming a secretive &quot;parallel state&quot; in Turkey. 
 
Erdogan has demanded the United States extradite his former ally turned arch-enemy Gulen, the leader of the Hizmet (Service) movement, which runs a global network of schools as well as businesses, media outlets and cultural centres. 
 
The usually reclusive 75-year-old preacher has condemned the attempted putsch and rejected the accusations against him as &quot;ridiculous, irresponsible and false&quot;. 
 
Late Wednesday, after a marathon meeting of his national security council, Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency -- Turkey`s first since 2002, the year before he first came to power as prime minister. 
 
The emergency powers allow Erdogan and his cabinet to rule by decree and rights groups and opposition parties fear they could lead to further curbs on freedoms of speech and assembly. 
 
&quot;The road to arbitrary rule, unlawful behaviour, feeding on violence, has been chosen,&quot; charged the opposition Peoples` Democratic Party (HDP).&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Society has been forced to choose between a coup or an undemocratic government.&quot;Erdogan has insisted democracy would &quot;not be compromised&quot; and the government pointed out that France also declared an emergency in the wake of a series of bloody jihadist attacks. 
 
Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said there would be no curfews, and that the special measures may only last 45 days, insisting: &quot;We want to end the state of emergency as soon as possible&quot;. 
 
&quot;This is not a declaration of martial law.&quot; 
 
Period of pre-charge detention likely to be lengthened&nbsp; 
 
Erdogan said 10,410 people had so far been detained with 4,060 of them remanded in custody, including more than 100 generals and admirals.&nbsp; 
 
Turkey has started to close Gulenist schools, may set up special courts for coup plotters and restructure the MIT intelligence service, the Hurriyet and Sabah newspapers reported, citing government sources. 
 
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told CNN-Turk that the period of pre-charge detention would be lengthened. 
 
On restoring the death penalty, he pointed to Erdogan`s comment that there was popular demand for its reintroduction. 
 
&quot;The president said we cannot close our ears to the demands of the people.&quot; 
 
On EU warnings that capital punishment would spell the end of Turkey&#39;s membership bid, he said &quot;the European Union cannot tell us much, it has made Turkey wait at the door&quot; for decades. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Turkey's Western allies have been watching with alarm the turmoil in the key NATO member state

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today faced growing criticism from the European Union (EU) over an "unacceptable" crackdown that has seen tens of thousands of people detained or sacked, as supporters celebrated the defeat one week ago of the coup aimed at ending his rule. The authorities imposed a state of emergency yesterday, strengthening powers to round up suspects behind the failed military putsch and suspending a key European rights convention. The European Union urged Turkey "to respect under any circumstances the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms", in a joint statement from foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn. They slammed as "unacceptable" the sacking or suspension of tens of thousands of people in the education system, judiciary and the media and said they were monitoring the state of emergency "with concern". Turkey's Western allies have been watching with alarm the turmoil in the key NATO member state, which has also been reeling from a wave of bomb attacks by Islamic State group jihadists and Kurdish rebels. Erdogan basks in support of jubilant crowds But at home, Erdogan has basked in the support of jubilant crowds who took to the streets of Istanbul overnight. Huge numbers were again expected to fill city squares Friday to celebrate Erdogan`s victory over the rebels, whose botched coup last Friday with troops, tanks and fighter jets claimed 265 lives. The president has said July 15 would in future be marked as the "Remembrance Day of the Martyrs". The government said the coup claimed the lives of 24 plotters, and of 241 citizens and members of the security forces who stood up to them. Thousands of Erdogan supporters -- many carrying lit torches and waving the national crescent flag -- late Thursday streamed across the Bosphorus bridge that was one of the key battlegrounds. Flocking to the landmark where Turkish citizens stood up to the mutineers, they brandished signs such as "Our flag, our nation" and denounced the man Erdogan blames for the coup plot -- US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, 75. Erdogan has repeatedly rallied Turks -- on TV and even with mass phone text messages -- to stay on the streets in the fight against the "terrorist" followers of the spiritual leader whom he accuses of forming a secretive "parallel state" in Turkey. Erdogan has demanded the United States extradite his former ally turned arch-enemy Gulen, the leader of the Hizmet (Service) movement, which runs a global network of schools as well as businesses, media outlets and cultural centres. The usually reclusive 75-year-old preacher has condemned the attempted putsch and rejected the accusations against him as "ridiculous, irresponsible and false". Late Wednesday, after a marathon meeting of his national security council, Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency -- Turkey`s first since 2002, the year before he first came to power as prime minister. The emergency powers allow Erdogan and his cabinet to rule by decree and rights groups and opposition parties fear they could lead to further curbs on freedoms of speech and assembly. "The road to arbitrary rule, unlawful behaviour, feeding on violence, has been chosen," charged the opposition Peoples` Democratic Party (HDP). "Society has been forced to choose between a coup or an undemocratic government."Erdogan has insisted democracy would "not be compromised" and the government pointed out that France also declared an emergency in the wake of a series of bloody jihadist attacks. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said there would be no curfews, and that the special measures may only last 45 days, insisting: "We want to end the state of emergency as soon as possible". "This is not a declaration of martial law." Period of pre-charge detention likely to be lengthened Erdogan said 10,410 people had so far been detained with 4,060 of them remanded in custody, including more than 100 generals and admirals. Turkey has started to close Gulenist schools, may set up special courts for coup plotters and restructure the MIT intelligence service, the Hurriyet and Sabah newspapers reported, citing government sources. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told CNN-Turk that the period of pre-charge detention would be lengthened. On restoring the death penalty, he pointed to Erdogan`s comment that there was popular demand for its reintroduction. "The president said we cannot close our ears to the demands of the people." On EU warnings that capital punishment would spell the end of Turkey's membership bid, he said "the European Union cannot tell us much, it has made Turkey wait at the door" for decades. (AFP)

Week after Turkey coup bid, EU slams 'unacceptable' crackdown

The world cannot depend on China alone to save it from a Brexit-induced downturn, the country&#39;s premier said today. 
 
Li Keqiang made the remarks after meeting the heads of six global economic organisations, days after the International Monetary Fund&nbsp;(IMF)&nbsp;predicted that uncertainty created by Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union would slow the world economy into next year. 
 
&quot;Given the financial fluctuations as a result of Brexit, China will advance market-based reform of its exchange rate,&quot; Li said, adding, &quot;we will not engage in a trade war or currency war.&nbsp;But it is impossible to carry all of the burden of the whole world on our shoulders,&quot; he said. 
 
Improving global economic growth would require the world to step up macroeconomic coordination and increase the transparency of macro policies, Li added. 
 
In an update to its April forecast, the IMF said global economic growth was likely to be 3.1 per cent this year and 3.4 per cent in 2017, a downward revision of 0.1 per cent for both years. At the same time it upgraded its growth forecast for China by 0.1 per cent to 6.6. 
 
The Asian giant&#39;s economy expanded at 6.7 per cent in the April-June period, the same as the first three months of the year, and slowing from a growth of 6.9 for the full year 2015, its weakest annual rate in a quarter of a century.&nbsp;But the second-quarter reading was stronger than expected and fuelled hopes that growth in the world&#39;s second-largest economy may be stabilising. 
 
Li said the IMF hike put &quot;pressure&quot; on China to &quot;maintain growth and stability&quot;, adding that the organisation should &quot;encourage all countries to move in the same direction&quot;. 
 
Following Li&#39;s comments, World Bank president Jim Yong Kim praised China for its commitment to international economic cooperation at a &quot;time when in the West there is a very loud rejection of globalisation and multilateralism&quot;. 
 
The remarks come as Beijing finds itself in a dispute with the EU over whether or not it deserves to be granted market economy status, a designation that would make it much harder for major economies to fight Beijing over alleged unfair trading practices. 
 
Li&#39;s meeting came ahead of a G-20 finance ministers summit in the Chinese city of Chengdu, where representatives from the biggest industrialised and emerging economies are expected to discuss the impact of Brexit. 
 
(AFP)

In the West there is a very loud rejection of globalisation and multilateralism: World Bank president, Jim Yong Kim

The world cannot depend on China alone to save it from a Brexit-induced downturn, the country's premier said today. Li Keqiang made the remarks after meeting the heads of six global economic organisations, days after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that uncertainty created by Britain's vote to leave the European Union would slow the world economy into next year. "Given the financial fluctuations as a result of Brexit, China will advance market-based reform of its exchange rate," Li said, adding, "we will not engage in a trade war or currency war. But it is impossible to carry all of the burden of the whole world on our shoulders," he said. Improving global economic growth would require the world to step up macroeconomic coordination and increase the transparency of macro policies, Li added. In an update to its April forecast, the IMF said global economic growth was likely to be 3.1 per cent this year and 3.4 per cent in 2017, a downward revision of 0.1 per cent for both years. At the same time it upgraded its growth forecast for China by 0.1 per cent to 6.6. The Asian giant's economy expanded at 6.7 per cent in the April-June period, the same as the first three months of the year, and slowing from a growth of 6.9 for the full year 2015, its weakest annual rate in a quarter of a century. But the second-quarter reading was stronger than expected and fuelled hopes that growth in the world's second-largest economy may be stabilising. Li said the IMF hike put "pressure" on China to "maintain growth and stability", adding that the organisation should "encourage all countries to move in the same direction". Following Li's comments, World Bank president Jim Yong Kim praised China for its commitment to international economic cooperation at a "time when in the West there is a very loud rejection of globalisation and multilateralism". The remarks come as Beijing finds itself in a dispute with the EU over whether or not it deserves to be granted market economy status, a designation that would make it much harder for major economies to fight Beijing over alleged unfair trading practices. Li's meeting came ahead of a G-20 finance ministers summit in the Chinese city of Chengdu, where representatives from the biggest industrialised and emerging economies are expected to discuss the impact of Brexit. (AFP)

Chinese premier: We alone cannot save world from Brexit downturn

British business activity sank in July to its lowest level since April 2009, a survey revealed today in the first indication of economic contaction since the shock European Union (EU) exit vote. 
 
The preliminary composite purchasing managers&#39; index (PMI) by the research Markit group sank to 47.7 points in July, down from 52.4 in June. 
 
A reading under 50 indicates contraction in private sector activity. 
 
The survey -- regarded as a key early indicator of economic activity before official statistics are published -- is the first major evidence of economic fallout after Britons voted to leave the EU in a referendum on June 23. 
 
&quot;July saw a dramatic deterioration in the economy, with business activity slumping at the fastest rate since the height of the global financial crisis in early-2009,&quot; said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit. 
 
&quot;The downturn, whether manifesting itself in order book cancellations, a lack of new orders or the postponement or halting of projects, was most commonly attributed in one way or another to Brexit,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Third quarter opens on weak footing in Britain&nbsp; 
 
Markit added that the survey signalled a 0.4-per cent contraction in the British economy in the third quarter, or three months to September. 
 
&quot;Much of course depends on whether we see a further deterioration in August or if July represents a shock-induced nadir,&quot; added Williamson. 
 
&quot;Given the record slump in service sector business expectations, the suggestion is that there is further pain to come in the short-term at least.&quot; 
 
Markit added the survey showed that the economy had &quot;opened the third quarter on a weak footing&quot;. 
 
Output and new orders fell in both the manufacturing and service sectors during July. 
 
&quot;A number of firms linked this to ongoing uncertainty pre- and post-EU referendum, with reports especially prevalent among service providers,&quot; added Markit in a statement. 
 
&quot;The downturn in services was also more marked than that seen in manufacturing. Services activity and new orders both fell at the quickest rates in over seven years.&quot; 
 
The collapse in the British pound following the Brexit vote had meanwhile pushed up manufacturers&#39; costs. 
 
&quot;The downside of the exchange rate was a steep rise in manufacturers` input prices, mainly due to higher import costs,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;The rate of purchase price inflation hit a five-year record, with the extent of the acceleration among the steepest in the survey history.&quot; 
 
The data was published after the International Monetary Fund slashed its global and British economic growth forecasts for 2016 and 2017 earlier this week -- and blamed uncertainty created by Brexit. Britain`s new finance minister Philip Hammond meanwhile declared this week that it was up to the Bank of England (BoE) to respond to the economic &quot;shock&quot; arising from Brexit. 
 
&#39;PMI data could persuade policymakers to act&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Williamson added today that the new PMI data could persuade policymakers to act. 
 
&quot;With policymakers waiting to see hard data on the state of the economy before considering more stimulus, the slump in the PMI will provide a powerful argument for swift action,&quot; noted Williamson. 
 
The BoE kept its key interest rate at 0.50 percent last week, confounding expectations for a reduction -- but flagged a possible August cut in response to Brexit. 
 
Policymakers also signalled that the exact size and nature of any stimulatory measures would be determined at next month`s monetary policy gathering, due on August 4. 
 
The impact of Brexit on the eurozone was much more muted, however, with Markit&#39;s preliminary composite PMI for the 19 nations that share the euro dipping to 52.9 points, which was however an 18-month low. 
 
Williamson said the eurozone economy &quot;showed surprising resilience in the face of the UK&#39;s vote to leave the EU and another terrorist attack in France.&quot; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The survey is the first major evidence of economic fallout after Britons voted to leave the EU

British business activity sank in July to its lowest level since April 2009, a survey revealed today in the first indication of economic contaction since the shock European Union (EU) exit vote. The preliminary composite purchasing managers' index (PMI) by the research Markit group sank to 47.7 points in July, down from 52.4 in June. A reading under 50 indicates contraction in private sector activity. The survey -- regarded as a key early indicator of economic activity before official statistics are published -- is the first major evidence of economic fallout after Britons voted to leave the EU in a referendum on June 23. "July saw a dramatic deterioration in the economy, with business activity slumping at the fastest rate since the height of the global financial crisis in early-2009," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit. "The downturn, whether manifesting itself in order book cancellations, a lack of new orders or the postponement or halting of projects, was most commonly attributed in one way or another to Brexit," he added. Third quarter opens on weak footing in Britain Markit added that the survey signalled a 0.4-per cent contraction in the British economy in the third quarter, or three months to September. "Much of course depends on whether we see a further deterioration in August or if July represents a shock-induced nadir," added Williamson. "Given the record slump in service sector business expectations, the suggestion is that there is further pain to come in the short-term at least." Markit added the survey showed that the economy had "opened the third quarter on a weak footing". Output and new orders fell in both the manufacturing and service sectors during July. "A number of firms linked this to ongoing uncertainty pre- and post-EU referendum, with reports especially prevalent among service providers," added Markit in a statement. "The downturn in services was also more marked than that seen in manufacturing. Services activity and new orders both fell at the quickest rates in over seven years." The collapse in the British pound following the Brexit vote had meanwhile pushed up manufacturers' costs. "The downside of the exchange rate was a steep rise in manufacturers` input prices, mainly due to higher import costs," it said. "The rate of purchase price inflation hit a five-year record, with the extent of the acceleration among the steepest in the survey history." The data was published after the International Monetary Fund slashed its global and British economic growth forecasts for 2016 and 2017 earlier this week -- and blamed uncertainty created by Brexit. Britain`s new finance minister Philip Hammond meanwhile declared this week that it was up to the Bank of England (BoE) to respond to the economic "shock" arising from Brexit. 'PMI data could persuade policymakers to act' Williamson added today that the new PMI data could persuade policymakers to act. "With policymakers waiting to see hard data on the state of the economy before considering more stimulus, the slump in the PMI will provide a powerful argument for swift action," noted Williamson. The BoE kept its key interest rate at 0.50 percent last week, confounding expectations for a reduction -- but flagged a possible August cut in response to Brexit. Policymakers also signalled that the exact size and nature of any stimulatory measures would be determined at next month`s monetary policy gathering, due on August 4. The impact of Brexit on the eurozone was much more muted, however, with Markit's preliminary composite PMI for the 19 nations that share the euro dipping to 52.9 points, which was however an 18-month low. Williamson said the eurozone economy "showed surprising resilience in the face of the UK's vote to leave the EU and another terrorist attack in France." (AFP)

British business activity sinks after EU divorce, eurozone economy shows resilience: Key survey

Hundreds of migrants from the Middle East and Asia marched through Belgrade today on their way to Hungary, and announced a hunger strike to underline their demand for passage to western Europe. 
 
Last month Hungary, Serbia&#39;s northern neighbour and an European Union member, allowed police to send back illegal migrants detained within eight kilometres of its razor wire-fenced frontier with Serbia. It has also limited the number of daily entries to a maximum of 30, creating a bottleneck in Serbia. 
 
A group of around 300 men, mainly from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, marched across the main bridge between Belgrades city centre and the Novi Beograd area, with a police car leading the column. There were no women or children in the group.&nbsp; 
 
A police officer who declined to be named said the migrants had started a march to the Hungarian border, around 200 kilometres to the north. &quot;We are here to guarantee their safety and prevent accidents en route,&quot; he said. 
 
Earlier in the day, the group also announced a hunger strike, said Vladimir Sjekloca, a manager of Belgrade&#39;s Asylum Info Centre. 
 
&quot;They want to go to Hungary, they want borders open,&quot; he said. &quot;Most of them spent the night in the park.&quot; To cope with the inflow of over 100,000 migrants that passed through Serbia so far this year, the country&#39;s police and army last week formed joint border patrols. More than 650,000 people passed through Serbia last year on their way to the EU. 
 
On Friday, Aleksandar Vulin, Serbia`s minister for social affairs, said as many as 3,000 migrants were stranded in the country. 
&quot;Serbia cannot allow that,&quot; Vulin was quoted as saying by the Tanjug news agency. &quot;It will not suffer because EU countries cannot find a joint solution.&quot; 
 
Unlike in 2015, when countries tried to organise the orderly passage of migrants, the closure of the Balkan route prompted many to cross borders illegally or through human trafficking networks. 
 
(Reuters)

More than 650,000 people passed through Serbia last year on their way to the EU

Hundreds of migrants from the Middle East and Asia marched through Belgrade today on their way to Hungary, and announced a hunger strike to underline their demand for passage to western Europe. Last month Hungary, Serbia's northern neighbour and an European Union member, allowed police to send back illegal migrants detained within eight kilometres of its razor wire-fenced frontier with Serbia. It has also limited the number of daily entries to a maximum of 30, creating a bottleneck in Serbia. A group of around 300 men, mainly from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, marched across the main bridge between Belgrades city centre and the Novi Beograd area, with a police car leading the column. There were no women or children in the group. A police officer who declined to be named said the migrants had started a march to the Hungarian border, around 200 kilometres to the north. "We are here to guarantee their safety and prevent accidents en route," he said. Earlier in the day, the group also announced a hunger strike, said Vladimir Sjekloca, a manager of Belgrade's Asylum Info Centre. "They want to go to Hungary, they want borders open," he said. "Most of them spent the night in the park." To cope with the inflow of over 100,000 migrants that passed through Serbia so far this year, the country's police and army last week formed joint border patrols. More than 650,000 people passed through Serbia last year on their way to the EU. On Friday, Aleksandar Vulin, Serbia`s minister for social affairs, said as many as 3,000 migrants were stranded in the country. "Serbia cannot allow that," Vulin was quoted as saying by the Tanjug news agency. "It will not suffer because EU countries cannot find a joint solution." Unlike in 2015, when countries tried to organise the orderly passage of migrants, the closure of the Balkan route prompted many to cross borders illegally or through human trafficking networks. (Reuters)

Migrants in Serbia march to Hungary, announce hunger strike

British police said today there had been almost 6,200 hate crimes reported in the last month following the vote to leave the European Union in a referendum where immigration had been a key issue. In the four weeks from June 16, police forces across the country said 6,193 offences had been reported, with the most common crimes being harassment, assault and other violence such as verbal abuse or spitting. 
 
Britons voted on June 23 to exit the EU following bitter and deeply divisive campaigning in which the control of immigration was one of the main arguments of those who supported leaving the bloc. 
 
Since the result was declared, Muslims and Eastern Europeans say they have been particularly targeted. The latest figures showed there were 3001 offences in the first two weeks of July, down six per cent compared to the previous fortnight, but still 20 per cent higher than the same period last year.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Following increases in hate crime seen after the EU referendum, police forces have been taking a robust approach to these crimes and we are pleased to see the numbers of incidents have begun to fall,&quot; said Mark Hamilton, the National Police Chiefs&#39; Council spokesman on hate crimes. &quot;Clearly any hate crime is unacceptable and these numbers are still far too high.&quot; 
 
Critics of the &quot;Leave&quot; campaign say its focus on immigration helped stoke xenophobia and racism, an accusation its leaders reject. A week before the vote, opposition Labour lawmaker Jo Cox, a strong supporter of remaining in the EU, was shot and stabbed to death in her constituency in northern England. 
 
(Reuters)

Since the result was declared, Muslims and Eastern Europeans say they have been particularly targeted

British police said today there had been almost 6,200 hate crimes reported in the last month following the vote to leave the European Union in a referendum where immigration had been a key issue. In the four weeks from June 16, police forces across the country said 6,193 offences had been reported, with the most common crimes being harassment, assault and other violence such as verbal abuse or spitting. Britons voted on June 23 to exit the EU following bitter and deeply divisive campaigning in which the control of immigration was one of the main arguments of those who supported leaving the bloc. Since the result was declared, Muslims and Eastern Europeans say they have been particularly targeted. The latest figures showed there were 3001 offences in the first two weeks of July, down six per cent compared to the previous fortnight, but still 20 per cent higher than the same period last year. "Following increases in hate crime seen after the EU referendum, police forces have been taking a robust approach to these crimes and we are pleased to see the numbers of incidents have begun to fall," said Mark Hamilton, the National Police Chiefs' Council spokesman on hate crimes. "Clearly any hate crime is unacceptable and these numbers are still far too high." Critics of the "Leave" campaign say its focus on immigration helped stoke xenophobia and racism, an accusation its leaders reject. A week before the vote, opposition Labour lawmaker Jo Cox, a strong supporter of remaining in the EU, was shot and stabbed to death in her constituency in northern England. (Reuters)

UK police report almost 6,200 hate crimes in month after Brexit vote

Europe is at major risk of &quot;lone wolf&quot; terror attacks, its policing agency said today, with the latest incidents showing &quot;how difficult it is to detect and disrupt suspects&quot;. 
 
Recent incidents including Monday&#39;s attack on a German train and last week&#39;s carnage in Nice which left 84 people dead &quot;remain a favoured tactic by the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda,&quot; Europol said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Both groups have repeatedly called on Muslims living in western countries to perpetrate lone actor attacks in their countries of residence,&quot; it said. 
 
In the latest incident, the Islamic State group on Tuesday released a video purportedly featuring a 17-year-old migrant who went on an axe rampage on a train at Wuerzburg in southern Germany, injuring five people, two critically. 
 
&quot;Although IS has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks, none seem to have been planned, logistically supported or executed directly by IS,&quot; Europol said, 
 
Despite the attackers&#39; pledges of allegiance to the IS group, &quot;their actual involvement cannot be established,&quot; Europol said. 
 
The Hague-based policing organisation also released its 2015 &quot;EU Terrorism and Trend Report&quot; saying 151 people died and more than 350 others were injured in terror attacks last year in the 28-member bloc. 
 
The 55-page report only looked at 2015 and did not take into account the Nice attack or the attacks on the Brussels airport and metro stations in March in which 32 people died. 
 
&quot;In 2015 the EU (European Union) experienced a massive number of casualties caused by terrorist attacks,&quot; Europol chief Rob Wainwright said. 
 
&quot;The carefully planned attacks demonstrate the elevated threat to the EU from a fanatical minority based in the Middle East, combined with a network of people born and raised in the EU,&quot; he said. 
 
These people are &quot;often radicalised within a short space of time, (and) proven willing to act as facilitators and active accomplices in terrorism,&quot; Wainwright said. 
 
A significant number of all foreign terrorist travellers in Syria and Iraq are now female, the report said, and women have also &quot;proven to be very successful in facilitating and recruiting while still in the EU&quot;. 
 
These women are trained in the use of weapons though are probably not currently taking part in active combat, Europol added. 
 
&quot;Their roles may change in the future, which may have an effect on the nature and impact&quot; of Islamic State group operations in Europe, the policing agency warned. 
 
Last year, 687 suspects were arrested, of whom 198 were convicted of jihadist activities. 
 
Europol warned: &quot;It is a highly challenging task for the security services and law enforcement to prevent every terrorist attack by keeping track of the ever-increasing numbers of people suspected of being, in one way, or another sympathetic to IS ideology.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The Islamic State group yesterday released a video purportedly featuring a 17-year-old migrant who went on an axe rampage on a train

Europe is at major risk of "lone wolf" terror attacks, its policing agency said today, with the latest incidents showing "how difficult it is to detect and disrupt suspects". Recent incidents including Monday's attack on a German train and last week's carnage in Nice which left 84 people dead "remain a favoured tactic by the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda," Europol said in a statement. "Both groups have repeatedly called on Muslims living in western countries to perpetrate lone actor attacks in their countries of residence," it said. In the latest incident, the Islamic State group on Tuesday released a video purportedly featuring a 17-year-old migrant who went on an axe rampage on a train at Wuerzburg in southern Germany, injuring five people, two critically. "Although IS has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks, none seem to have been planned, logistically supported or executed directly by IS," Europol said, Despite the attackers' pledges of allegiance to the IS group, "their actual involvement cannot be established," Europol said. The Hague-based policing organisation also released its 2015 "EU Terrorism and Trend Report" saying 151 people died and more than 350 others were injured in terror attacks last year in the 28-member bloc. The 55-page report only looked at 2015 and did not take into account the Nice attack or the attacks on the Brussels airport and metro stations in March in which 32 people died. "In 2015 the EU (European Union) experienced a massive number of casualties caused by terrorist attacks," Europol chief Rob Wainwright said. "The carefully planned attacks demonstrate the elevated threat to the EU from a fanatical minority based in the Middle East, combined with a network of people born and raised in the EU," he said. These people are "often radicalised within a short space of time, (and) proven willing to act as facilitators and active accomplices in terrorism," Wainwright said. A significant number of all foreign terrorist travellers in Syria and Iraq are now female, the report said, and women have also "proven to be very successful in facilitating and recruiting while still in the EU". These women are trained in the use of weapons though are probably not currently taking part in active combat, Europol added. "Their roles may change in the future, which may have an effect on the nature and impact" of Islamic State group operations in Europe, the policing agency warned. Last year, 687 suspects were arrested, of whom 198 were convicted of jihadist activities. Europol warned: "It is a highly challenging task for the security services and law enforcement to prevent every terrorist attack by keeping track of the ever-increasing numbers of people suspected of being, in one way, or another sympathetic to IS ideology." (AFP)

Europol warns it is difficult to predict lone wolf attacks

The European Union today announced another 500 million Euros for the bloc&#39;s farmers to help reverse the plunge in prices shaking the dairy industry, bringing the total support to one billion Euros. 
 
Overproduction of milk since EU quotas were abolished in April 2015 triggered a collapse in prices that have not recovered despite an initial 500-million-Euro ($553 million) aid package announced in September. 
 
&quot;This package provides a further robust response, and means that the Commission has mobilised more than one billion Euros in new money to support hard-pressed farmers,&quot; EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan said. 
 
&quot;Our ultimate goal is to see the much needed recovery of prices paid to farmers, so that they may make a living from their work&quot;, he added. 
 
In a breakdown of the funds, which were announced at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers, the bloc will spend 150 million Euros to compensate independent and other producers for each litre of milk they do not produce. 
 
Another 350 million Euros will be distributed to the 28 member states that will decide what further measures to take to support their farmers. The member states will also be able to match the funds with their own money. 
 
A combination of factors, including changing dietary habits, slowing Chinese demand, and a Russian embargo on Western products in response to sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, has pushed down prices for beef, pork and milk. 
 
(AFP)

Changing dietary habits, slow Chinese demand and a Russian embargo on Western product have pushed down milk prices

The European Union today announced another 500 million Euros for the bloc's farmers to help reverse the plunge in prices shaking the dairy industry, bringing the total support to one billion Euros. Overproduction of milk since EU quotas were abolished in April 2015 triggered a collapse in prices that have not recovered despite an initial 500-million-Euro ($553 million) aid package announced in September. "This package provides a further robust response, and means that the Commission has mobilised more than one billion Euros in new money to support hard-pressed farmers," EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan said. "Our ultimate goal is to see the much needed recovery of prices paid to farmers, so that they may make a living from their work", he added. In a breakdown of the funds, which were announced at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers, the bloc will spend 150 million Euros to compensate independent and other producers for each litre of milk they do not produce. Another 350 million Euros will be distributed to the 28 member states that will decide what further measures to take to support their farmers. The member states will also be able to match the funds with their own money. A combination of factors, including changing dietary habits, slowing Chinese demand, and a Russian embargo on Western products in response to sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, has pushed down prices for beef, pork and milk. (AFP)

European Union offers milk farmers 500 million Euros to shore up prices

EU chiefs Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker today backed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s government and urged a &quot;swift return&quot; to normal after a coup attempt. 
 
&quot;The tensions in and challenges for Turkey cannot be solved with guns,&quot; EU president Tusk told reporters during an Asia-Europe summit in Mongolia. 
 
&quot;Military coups have no place in modern Turkey. There is no alternative to democracy and the rule of law,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
 
Erdogan&#39;s authoritarian rule drew flak from EU&nbsp; 
 
The comments followed a joint statement by Tusk, European Commission head Juncker, and EU foreign policy head Federica Mogherini calling for &quot;a swift return to Turkey&#39;s constitutional order.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Turkey is a key partner for the European Union. The EU fully supports the democratically elected government, the institutions of the country and the rule of law,&quot; it added. 
 
EU representatives at the gathering met earlier in the day to discuss the unfolding situation. 
 
Brussels will be watching with deep concern as events progress in Turkey, a key partner on its southeastern flank which has been trying to join the EU for many years without success. 
 
Turkey is also a crucial partner for the EU because of the controversial deal they signed in March to tackle the migration crisis. 
 
Under the deal, Ankara agreed to take back migrants and refugees from the Greek islands and to stop people crossing the Aegean Sea. In return it is to get aid and visa-free travel for 80 million Turks to the EU. 
 
The bloc overcame its aversion to Erdogan&#39;s increasingly authoritarian rule, which has received sharp criticism from the EU, to sign the deal. 
 
Tusk said it was &quot;too early to speculate&quot; on the potential consequences of the coup attempt. 
 
&quot;The key question will be what kind of Turkey comes out from this crisis,&quot; he said, adding that how the country deals with the consequences &quot;will be crucial not only for Turkey but the whole region and of course EU-Turkey relations.&quot; 
 
&quot;Our hope and intention is of course to keep Turkey as a key partner,&quot; he said. 
 
NATO and US President Barack Obama have also backed the country&#39;s democratic institutions following the coup attempt. 
 
Turkey will now likely dominate an EU foreign minister&#39;s meeting on Monday which will also be attended by US secretary of state John Kerry. 
 
(AFP)

'Military coups have no place in modern Turkey. There is no alternative to democracy and the rule of law'

EU chiefs Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker today backed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's government and urged a "swift return" to normal after a coup attempt. "The tensions in and challenges for Turkey cannot be solved with guns," EU president Tusk told reporters during an Asia-Europe summit in Mongolia. "Military coups have no place in modern Turkey. There is no alternative to democracy and the rule of law," he said. Erdogan's authoritarian rule drew flak from EU The comments followed a joint statement by Tusk, European Commission head Juncker, and EU foreign policy head Federica Mogherini calling for "a swift return to Turkey's constitutional order." "Turkey is a key partner for the European Union. The EU fully supports the democratically elected government, the institutions of the country and the rule of law," it added. EU representatives at the gathering met earlier in the day to discuss the unfolding situation. Brussels will be watching with deep concern as events progress in Turkey, a key partner on its southeastern flank which has been trying to join the EU for many years without success. Turkey is also a crucial partner for the EU because of the controversial deal they signed in March to tackle the migration crisis. Under the deal, Ankara agreed to take back migrants and refugees from the Greek islands and to stop people crossing the Aegean Sea. In return it is to get aid and visa-free travel for 80 million Turks to the EU. The bloc overcame its aversion to Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian rule, which has received sharp criticism from the EU, to sign the deal. Tusk said it was "too early to speculate" on the potential consequences of the coup attempt. "The key question will be what kind of Turkey comes out from this crisis," he said, adding that how the country deals with the consequences "will be crucial not only for Turkey but the whole region and of course EU-Turkey relations." "Our hope and intention is of course to keep Turkey as a key partner," he said. NATO and US President Barack Obama have also backed the country's democratic institutions following the coup attempt. Turkey will now likely dominate an EU foreign minister's meeting on Monday which will also be attended by US secretary of state John Kerry. (AFP)

Challenges in Turkey can't be resolved with guns: EU president on attempted coup

European Union (EU) regulators brought a third antitrust charge against Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google today accusing it of blocking rivals in the lucrative online search advertising market.&nbsp; 
 
The European Commission also reinforced its existing charge against the world&#39;s most popular internet search engine that its search results favour Google&#39;s own shopping service over that of rivals.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Google has come up with many innovative products that have made a difference to our lives. But that doesn&#39;t give Google the right to deny other companies the chance to compete and innovate,&quot; European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager told a news conference in Brussels. 
 
The Commission said it had sent two &quot;statements of objections&quot; to Google. 
 
Google could face fines up to 10 per cent of its global turnover&nbsp; 
 
The new chargesheet accuses Google of having abused its dominant position by artificially preventing third-party websites from displaying search advertisements from its competitors. 
 
This relates to Googles &quot;AdSense for Search&quot; platform, in which Google acts as an intermediary for websites such as those of online retailers, telecoms operators or newspapers, with searches producing results that include search ads.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We have also raised concerns that Google has hindered competition by limiting the ability of its competitors to place search adverts on third-party websites, which stifles consumer choice and innovation,&quot; Vestager said. 
 
The EU&#39;s pursuit of Google, along with probes into other US multinationals over tax issues and control of personal data, has caused irritation in Washington, with President Barack Obama last year accusing Europe of veering toward protectionism. 
 
Vestager, a former Danish economy minister who took over as the EU&#39;s powerful antitrust commissioner in late 2014, insists she is simply applying the law and promoting free competition.&nbsp; 
 
Google&#39;s AdWords and AdSense programmes have been on the Commissions radar since 2010, under Vestagers predecessor, after rivals complained about unfair advertising exclusivity clauses and undue restrictions on other advertisers. 
 
They form the core of Google&#39;s business which posted about $75 billion in revenue last year, the vast bulk of Alphabets total annual revenue. 
 
The Commission also said it had reinforced its earlier preliminary conclusion that Google had abused its dominant position by systematically favouring its comparison shopping service in its search result pages. 
 
Google could face fines up to 10 per cent of its global turnover for each case if found guilty of breaching the blocs antitrust rules. Google said it believe it increased choice for European consumers and increased choice. &quot;Well examine the Commission&#39;s renewed cases and provide a detailed response in the coming weeks,&quot; a Google spokesman said 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Google has been accused of artificially preventing third-party websites from displaying search advertisements from its competitors

European Union (EU) regulators brought a third antitrust charge against Alphabet Inc's Google today accusing it of blocking rivals in the lucrative online search advertising market. The European Commission also reinforced its existing charge against the world's most popular internet search engine that its search results favour Google's own shopping service over that of rivals. "Google has come up with many innovative products that have made a difference to our lives. But that doesn't give Google the right to deny other companies the chance to compete and innovate," European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager told a news conference in Brussels. The Commission said it had sent two "statements of objections" to Google. Google could face fines up to 10 per cent of its global turnover The new chargesheet accuses Google of having abused its dominant position by artificially preventing third-party websites from displaying search advertisements from its competitors. This relates to Googles "AdSense for Search" platform, in which Google acts as an intermediary for websites such as those of online retailers, telecoms operators or newspapers, with searches producing results that include search ads. "We have also raised concerns that Google has hindered competition by limiting the ability of its competitors to place search adverts on third-party websites, which stifles consumer choice and innovation," Vestager said. The EU's pursuit of Google, along with probes into other US multinationals over tax issues and control of personal data, has caused irritation in Washington, with President Barack Obama last year accusing Europe of veering toward protectionism. Vestager, a former Danish economy minister who took over as the EU's powerful antitrust commissioner in late 2014, insists she is simply applying the law and promoting free competition. Google's AdWords and AdSense programmes have been on the Commissions radar since 2010, under Vestagers predecessor, after rivals complained about unfair advertising exclusivity clauses and undue restrictions on other advertisers. They form the core of Google's business which posted about $75 billion in revenue last year, the vast bulk of Alphabets total annual revenue. The Commission also said it had reinforced its earlier preliminary conclusion that Google had abused its dominant position by systematically favouring its comparison shopping service in its search result pages. Google could face fines up to 10 per cent of its global turnover for each case if found guilty of breaching the blocs antitrust rules. Google said it believe it increased choice for European consumers and increased choice. "Well examine the Commission's renewed cases and provide a detailed response in the coming weeks," a Google spokesman said (Reuters)

EU slaps third anti-trust charge on tech giant Google

Dubbed a liar by his French counterpart and lampooned as a &quot;political jester&quot; in European newspapers, chief Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson faced a wave of criticism and mockery today after being named Britain&#39;s foreign minister. 
 
In a shock move, new Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday appointed the eccentric former London mayor, known for his political antics and gaffe-prone style, as the top diplomat to lead the country out of the EU. 
 
French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that, as a &quot;Leave&quot; campaigner, Johnson had &quot;lied a lot&quot; and said his appointment &quot;reveals the British political crisis&quot; following the referendum. 
 
Ayrault claimed he was not worried about working with Johnson but stressed the need for a &quot;clear, credible and reliable&quot; negotiating partner. 
 
The outspoken European Parliament chief Martin Schulz also slammed May&#39;s new cabinet, saying it was based on solving internal party splits rather than the national interest. 
 
&quot;The United Kingdom has to break this dangerously vicious cycle which has direct impacts on the rest of Europe,&quot; Schulz said. 
 
Animosity is widespread in Europe about Johnson, who recently compared the EU&#39;s aims to those of Adolf Hitler. 
 
After the Brexit vote, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker labelled Johnson and other Leave campaigners &quot;sad heroes&quot;. 
 
German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, speaking Wednesday, shortly before the news of Johnson&#39;s appointment, said he was outraged by Britain&#39;s &quot;irresponsible politicians who first lured the country into Brexit, then got out, refused to take responsibility, and went to go and play cricket&quot;. 
 
A deputy leader of the German Social Democrats, Ralf Stegner, said Johnson was not known for his diplomatic skills, adding: &quot;Now he&#39;ll negotiate the Brexit. Bon Voyage!&quot; 
 
&#39;King of the Blunder&#39; 
Many governments, in line with protocol, congratulated their new counterpart, who will make his diplomatic debut in Brussels next week. 
 
A US State Department spokesman told reporters that &quot;we look forward to engage with Boris Johnson&quot; and that the US-UK relationship &quot;goes beyond personalities&quot;. 
 
The foreign ministers of Latvia, Estonia and Norway were others who said they looked forward to meeting Johnson. 
 
In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov voiced hopes that &quot;the weightiness of his current position, of course, will certainly prompt a somewhat different rhetoric of a more diplomatic nature.&quot; 
 
Most newspapers and social media, however, treated the appointment as the latest act in a political theatre of the absurd. 
 
Germany&#39;s Handelsblatt called Johnson a &quot;political jester&quot;, the daily Sueddeutsche labelled his appointment an example of &quot;British humour&quot;, while the French L&#39;Obs news magazine&#39;s headline was simply &quot;King of the Blunder&quot;. 
 
Germany&#39;s Die Welt said many initially thought the &quot;bombshell&quot; appointment was a joke. 
 
&quot;The fact that Theresa May is appointing, of all people, this undiplomatic, unpredictable and disloyal hotshot as foreign minister seems absurd at first glance,&quot; it said. 
 
But it also saw the move as calculated, arguing that &quot;the pressure now rests upon him - and his undoubted ambition - to prove himself&quot;. 
 
&#39;Poisoned chalice&#39; 
Germany news magazine Der Spiegel, in an online commentary headlined &quot;House of Cards in Britain&quot;, was withering. 
 
&quot;Those who thought the shamelessness with which Britain&#39;s political class play their power games could not be surpassed were disabused of that notion yesterday,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;Boris Johnson, King of Brexit, has now been rewarded with the post of foreign secretary, having initially stuck his head in the sand after the vote. 
 
&quot;Now, finally, there can be no more doubt that British politics is not concerned with the country&#39;s welfare, but with haggling for positions, personal ambitions and power plays.&quot; 
 
In its main article from London, Der Spiegel said Johnson &quot;himself seemed surprised&quot;, having been widely regarded as &quot;Britain&#39;s greatest bogeyman&quot; after the vote. 
 
But it also said May had appointed him &quot;to heal the party and to show the voters that she takes the referendum outcome seriously&quot;. 
 
France&#39;s Liberation reminded its readers that Johnson &quot;has never held a ministerial post and a few days ago he pathetically withdrew from the race to lead the Tory Party&quot;. 
 
&quot;What looks like a promotion could in fact be a poisoned chalice,&quot; the left-leaning paper said, adding that &quot;the real negotiations on the Brexit will be managed by a specially created ministry and by the prime minister&#39;s cabinet&quot;. 
 
On social media, writers let rip too, with one tweeting, &quot;A clown as the new foreign minister - comedy or Shakespearean tragedy?&quot; and another proposing that Johnson &quot;recruit Mr Bean as an adviser&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

Animosity is widespread in Europe about Boris Johnson, who recently compared the EU's aims to those of Adolf Hitler

Dubbed a liar by his French counterpart and lampooned as a "political jester" in European newspapers, chief Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson faced a wave of criticism and mockery today after being named Britain's foreign minister. In a shock move, new Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday appointed the eccentric former London mayor, known for his political antics and gaffe-prone style, as the top diplomat to lead the country out of the EU. French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that, as a "Leave" campaigner, Johnson had "lied a lot" and said his appointment "reveals the British political crisis" following the referendum. Ayrault claimed he was not worried about working with Johnson but stressed the need for a "clear, credible and reliable" negotiating partner. The outspoken European Parliament chief Martin Schulz also slammed May's new cabinet, saying it was based on solving internal party splits rather than the national interest. "The United Kingdom has to break this dangerously vicious cycle which has direct impacts on the rest of Europe," Schulz said. Animosity is widespread in Europe about Johnson, who recently compared the EU's aims to those of Adolf Hitler. After the Brexit vote, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker labelled Johnson and other Leave campaigners "sad heroes". German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, speaking Wednesday, shortly before the news of Johnson's appointment, said he was outraged by Britain's "irresponsible politicians who first lured the country into Brexit, then got out, refused to take responsibility, and went to go and play cricket". A deputy leader of the German Social Democrats, Ralf Stegner, said Johnson was not known for his diplomatic skills, adding: "Now he'll negotiate the Brexit. Bon Voyage!" 'King of the Blunder' Many governments, in line with protocol, congratulated their new counterpart, who will make his diplomatic debut in Brussels next week. A US State Department spokesman told reporters that "we look forward to engage with Boris Johnson" and that the US-UK relationship "goes beyond personalities". The foreign ministers of Latvia, Estonia and Norway were others who said they looked forward to meeting Johnson. In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov voiced hopes that "the weightiness of his current position, of course, will certainly prompt a somewhat different rhetoric of a more diplomatic nature." Most newspapers and social media, however, treated the appointment as the latest act in a political theatre of the absurd. Germany's Handelsblatt called Johnson a "political jester", the daily Sueddeutsche labelled his appointment an example of "British humour", while the French L'Obs news magazine's headline was simply "King of the Blunder". Germany's Die Welt said many initially thought the "bombshell" appointment was a joke. "The fact that Theresa May is appointing, of all people, this undiplomatic, unpredictable and disloyal hotshot as foreign minister seems absurd at first glance," it said. But it also saw the move as calculated, arguing that "the pressure now rests upon him - and his undoubted ambition - to prove himself". 'Poisoned chalice' Germany news magazine Der Spiegel, in an online commentary headlined "House of Cards in Britain", was withering. "Those who thought the shamelessness with which Britain's political class play their power games could not be surpassed were disabused of that notion yesterday," it said. "Boris Johnson, King of Brexit, has now been rewarded with the post of foreign secretary, having initially stuck his head in the sand after the vote. "Now, finally, there can be no more doubt that British politics is not concerned with the country's welfare, but with haggling for positions, personal ambitions and power plays." In its main article from London, Der Spiegel said Johnson "himself seemed surprised", having been widely regarded as "Britain's greatest bogeyman" after the vote. But it also said May had appointed him "to heal the party and to show the voters that she takes the referendum outcome seriously". France's Liberation reminded its readers that Johnson "has never held a ministerial post and a few days ago he pathetically withdrew from the race to lead the Tory Party". "What looks like a promotion could in fact be a poisoned chalice," the left-leaning paper said, adding that "the real negotiations on the Brexit will be managed by a specially created ministry and by the prime minister's cabinet". On social media, writers let rip too, with one tweeting, "A clown as the new foreign minister - comedy or Shakespearean tragedy?" and another proposing that Johnson "recruit Mr Bean as an adviser". (AFP)

This man is Britain's new foreign minister? Europe asks

A population slump in Hungary is presenting Prime Minister Viktor Orban&#39;s anti-immigration government with a headache: how to plug labour supply shortages without turning to foreigners. 
 
Hungary, a member of European Union (EU) since 2004, has seen 400,000 people leave the country since 2008, and 850,000 over the past 35 years. 
 
&#39;Hungarian economic train can&#39;t get out of the station because there are no wheels&#39;&nbsp; 
 
In addition, since the 1980s, the ex-communist central European country has had one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, bringing the overall population below the 10-million mark. 
 
As a result, at least a quarter of Hungarian firms are experiencing problems finding workers, said the Confederation of Hungarian Employers and Industrialists (MGYOSZ) in a recent study. 
 
&quot;The Hungarian economic train can&#39;t get out of the station because there are no wheels,&quot; said the report. 
 
Call centre employee Mark Stern and his teacher wife Rita, about to move to Ireland with their toddler Marci, are among the latest to join the exodus. 
 
&quot;We have friends in Ireland, we speak English and there are lots of opportunities for people there who want to work,&quot; Rita, 32, told AFP in Gyomro, a town outside Budapest, as she made her farewells. 
 
Hungarians being encouraged to return from abroad have more babies&nbsp; 
 
The conservative Orban, in power since 2010 and a father of five himself, has attempted to redress the dire situation with a raft of measures aimed at getting Hungarians to have more babies or return from abroad. 
 
Since June 2015, Hungarians returning have been able to benefit from a welcome-back present of 3,000 euros ($3,330) as well as help finding work and accommodation. 
 
Only 105 people have taken up the offer, however. 
 
Couples planning to have three children in the next decade, or those with three kids already, can get 10 million forints (35,700 euros, $35,480) towards buying a property, and a low-interest loan of the same amount. 
 
More than 12,500 people have signed up for this scheme in the past year, contributing to a rise in real estate prices of between 10 and 30 percent, according to economists. 
 
There is more the government can do, said Balazs Kapitany, head of the national demographics office, not least when it comes to cutting red tape for re-entering the education and health systems. 
 
But longer term, he says, it will be difficult for Hungary`s population to grow.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The children from Hungary&#39;s 1970-75 baby boom will soon be too old to have children, and the succeeding generations are not very numerous,&quot; he said.The answer, and one turned to by other European countries facing similar, if less acute, challenges may be immigration, Mihaly Varga, Hungary&#39;s economy minister, said last week. 
 
Importing workers would be difficult 
 
But, in spite of employer woes, importing workers would be a difficult measure to swallow for a government that has put up billboards telling foreigners not to take Hungarians&#39; jobs. 
 
The premier has often argued that immigration cannot compensate for labour shortages, and has been anything but welcoming to foreigners, particularly Muslims, in the last year. 
 
The influx of mostly Muslim refugees and migrants into the EU over the last 12 months poses a security threat and threatens the continent`s Christian identity, Orban has said.&nbsp; 
 
Around 400,000 migrants and refugees passed through Hungary in 2015 before the government sealed off the southern borders with razor wire and fences. 
 
An EU plan for member countries to take in migrants according to a mandatory quota meanwhile has also been furiously slammed by Budapest which will put the issue to a referendum in October. 
 
The need to reconcile Orban&#39;s anti-foreigner stance with Hungary`s growing demand for new sources of manpower looks though to have already caused a shift in approach. 
 
According to Varga, the ministry is mulling a plan by MGYOSZ that proposes allowing non-EU citizens to live and work in the country. 
 
The scheme could copy countries like Poland, the body said, where around one million people from neighbouring Ukraine are employed. 
 
Labour shortages in sectors like tourism and construction could be filled by &quot;skilled, culturally integrable guest workers,&quot; according to MGYOSZ.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Influx of Muslim refugees, migrants into the EU poses a security threat and threatens the continent's Christian identity: PM Orban

A population slump in Hungary is presenting Prime Minister Viktor Orban's anti-immigration government with a headache: how to plug labour supply shortages without turning to foreigners. Hungary, a member of European Union (EU) since 2004, has seen 400,000 people leave the country since 2008, and 850,000 over the past 35 years. 'Hungarian economic train can't get out of the station because there are no wheels' In addition, since the 1980s, the ex-communist central European country has had one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, bringing the overall population below the 10-million mark. As a result, at least a quarter of Hungarian firms are experiencing problems finding workers, said the Confederation of Hungarian Employers and Industrialists (MGYOSZ) in a recent study. "The Hungarian economic train can't get out of the station because there are no wheels," said the report. Call centre employee Mark Stern and his teacher wife Rita, about to move to Ireland with their toddler Marci, are among the latest to join the exodus. "We have friends in Ireland, we speak English and there are lots of opportunities for people there who want to work," Rita, 32, told AFP in Gyomro, a town outside Budapest, as she made her farewells. Hungarians being encouraged to return from abroad have more babies The conservative Orban, in power since 2010 and a father of five himself, has attempted to redress the dire situation with a raft of measures aimed at getting Hungarians to have more babies or return from abroad. Since June 2015, Hungarians returning have been able to benefit from a welcome-back present of 3,000 euros ($3,330) as well as help finding work and accommodation. Only 105 people have taken up the offer, however. Couples planning to have three children in the next decade, or those with three kids already, can get 10 million forints (35,700 euros, $35,480) towards buying a property, and a low-interest loan of the same amount. More than 12,500 people have signed up for this scheme in the past year, contributing to a rise in real estate prices of between 10 and 30 percent, according to economists. There is more the government can do, said Balazs Kapitany, head of the national demographics office, not least when it comes to cutting red tape for re-entering the education and health systems. But longer term, he says, it will be difficult for Hungary`s population to grow. "The children from Hungary's 1970-75 baby boom will soon be too old to have children, and the succeeding generations are not very numerous," he said.The answer, and one turned to by other European countries facing similar, if less acute, challenges may be immigration, Mihaly Varga, Hungary's economy minister, said last week. Importing workers would be difficult But, in spite of employer woes, importing workers would be a difficult measure to swallow for a government that has put up billboards telling foreigners not to take Hungarians' jobs. The premier has often argued that immigration cannot compensate for labour shortages, and has been anything but welcoming to foreigners, particularly Muslims, in the last year. The influx of mostly Muslim refugees and migrants into the EU over the last 12 months poses a security threat and threatens the continent`s Christian identity, Orban has said. Around 400,000 migrants and refugees passed through Hungary in 2015 before the government sealed off the southern borders with razor wire and fences. An EU plan for member countries to take in migrants according to a mandatory quota meanwhile has also been furiously slammed by Budapest which will put the issue to a referendum in October. The need to reconcile Orban's anti-foreigner stance with Hungary`s growing demand for new sources of manpower looks though to have already caused a shift in approach. According to Varga, the ministry is mulling a plan by MGYOSZ that proposes allowing non-EU citizens to live and work in the country. The scheme could copy countries like Poland, the body said, where around one million people from neighbouring Ukraine are employed. Labour shortages in sectors like tourism and construction could be filled by "skilled, culturally integrable guest workers," according to MGYOSZ. (AFP)

Hungary's 'anti-immigration' PM faces workforce shortage amid population slump

Gold saw its biggest one-day fall in three weeks yesterday as global equities rallied on easing political uncertainty in Britain and hopes for more economic stimulus, which in turn curbed demand for assets perceived as safe havens. 
 
Spot gold fell as much as 1.9 pe rcent to $1,329.75 an ounce and was down 1.6 pct at $1,332.86 by 2:20 p.m. EDT (1820 GMT).&nbsp; 
The most active US gold futures for August delivery settled down 1.6 per cent at $1,335.30 per ounce.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Tensions in Britain are easing for now, as the country will soon have a new Prime Minister,&quot; ActivTrades chief analyst Carlo Alberto de Casa said, referring to incoming Prime Minister, Theresa May, who will replace David Cameron on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;With the British pound gaining some ground, demand for gold and other safe havens is decreasing,&quot; he said. 
 
Gold has gained about $100 an ounce since Britain voted recently to leave the European Union, with worried investors piling their cash into safe-haven assets.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The UK has a leader and we almost have the outlines of a plan,&quot; said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist for US Bank Wealth&nbsp;Management in Seattle, describing a &quot;risk-on day&quot; pressuring prices despite a weak U.S. dollar. 
 
Profit-taking and new highs in the US stock market also weighed on bullion, Haworth said. 
 
Major US stock indexes set record intraday highs on Tuesday as optimism about the world economy and upbeat corporate results from Alcoa boosted risk appetite, while European shares rose for a fourth straight day.&nbsp; 
 
Japan&#39;s ruling coalition fanned expectations of more fiscal stimulus, while the Bank of England could cut rates as soon as Thursday following its monthly policy meeting. 
 
&quot;The additional stimulus packages will continue to create a challenging environment for investors looking for a return because they are not getting it through bonds and as long as we have that scenario, then the alternatives are currently stocks but also precious metals,&quot; 
Saxo Bank senior manager Ole Hansen said. 
 
Markets were also assessing whether the latest US jobs data, which was stronger than expected, has boosted the prospects for an interest rate increase by the US Federal Reserve. 
 
The European Central Bank will not ease monetary policy any further at its meeting next week, according to an overwhelming majority of respondents in a Reuters poll of euro money market traders. 
Silver was down 0.65 per cent at $20.13 an ounce.&nbsp; 
 
Platinum fell for the first time in two weeks, down 1.14 per cent at $1,087. Palladium rose 1 per cent to $627.50. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Gold has gained about $100 an ounce since Brexit but UK is now hoping for more economic stimulus?as it welcomes new Prime Minister

Gold saw its biggest one-day fall in three weeks yesterday as global equities rallied on easing political uncertainty in Britain and hopes for more economic stimulus, which in turn curbed demand for assets perceived as safe havens. Spot gold fell as much as 1.9 pe rcent to $1,329.75 an ounce and was down 1.6 pct at $1,332.86 by 2:20 p.m. EDT (1820 GMT). The most active US gold futures for August delivery settled down 1.6 per cent at $1,335.30 per ounce. "Tensions in Britain are easing for now, as the country will soon have a new Prime Minister," ActivTrades chief analyst Carlo Alberto de Casa said, referring to incoming Prime Minister, Theresa May, who will replace David Cameron on Wednesday. "With the British pound gaining some ground, demand for gold and other safe havens is decreasing," he said. Gold has gained about $100 an ounce since Britain voted recently to leave the European Union, with worried investors piling their cash into safe-haven assets. "The UK has a leader and we almost have the outlines of a plan," said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist for US Bank Wealth Management in Seattle, describing a "risk-on day" pressuring prices despite a weak U.S. dollar. Profit-taking and new highs in the US stock market also weighed on bullion, Haworth said. Major US stock indexes set record intraday highs on Tuesday as optimism about the world economy and upbeat corporate results from Alcoa boosted risk appetite, while European shares rose for a fourth straight day. Japan's ruling coalition fanned expectations of more fiscal stimulus, while the Bank of England could cut rates as soon as Thursday following its monthly policy meeting. "The additional stimulus packages will continue to create a challenging environment for investors looking for a return because they are not getting it through bonds and as long as we have that scenario, then the alternatives are currently stocks but also precious metals," Saxo Bank senior manager Ole Hansen said. Markets were also assessing whether the latest US jobs data, which was stronger than expected, has boosted the prospects for an interest rate increase by the US Federal Reserve. The European Central Bank will not ease monetary policy any further at its meeting next week, according to an overwhelming majority of respondents in a Reuters poll of euro money market traders. Silver was down 0.65 per cent at $20.13 an ounce. Platinum fell for the first time in two weeks, down 1.14 per cent at $1,087. Palladium rose 1 per cent to $627.50. (Reuters)

Gold sees biggest one-day fall in 3 weeks as pound gains ground

Jim Charlesworth has no doubts about the abilities of his local MP and neighbour Theresa May. &quot;She will be the best Prime Minister this country has ever known,&quot; the 69-year-old said. 
 
May, who replaces David Cameron as Britain&#39;s next leader on Wednesday, is widely viewed as hard-working, tough but approachable in her constituency of Maidenhead in southern England. 
 
&quot;I can&#39;t say a wrong word about that lady -- she will get this country back on its feet,&quot; Charlesworth told AFP. 
 
May has represented Maidenhead, west of London, since 1997. She was re-elected as its Conservative MP last year with 65.8 per cent of the vote. 
 
&quot;I never voted for her but I do respect her, she is a very hard-working MP,&quot; said Anne Matkin, 64. 
 
She said May was &quot;always willing to listen and to help people&quot; despite, for the past six years as interior minister, holding one of the toughest jobs in government. 
 
&quot;She spends a lot of time in the area,&quot; adds Maxine Lattimer, a 46-year-old housewife with five children, describing her as a &quot;nice, caring woman&quot;. 
 
She recalled how May attended a recent parade to celebrate St George&#39;s Day, in honour of England&#39;s patron saint, along with her bodyguards. 
 
After six years as home secretary, she now has the tough task of uniting the country and leading Britain out of the European Union (EU). 
 
Lattimer has no doubt that May is the right person to lead the Brexit negotiations. 
 
&quot;She&#39;ll be very assertive, she&#39;ll work really really hard for the best interest of Britain. She won&#39;t shy away from difficult decisions -- she is tough when she needs to be,&quot; she said. 
 
&#39;Nothing murky&#39; 
 
The 60,000 residents of Maidenhead, many of whom commute to work in London, bucked the trend across England by voting for Britain to stay in the EU. 
 
May, too, had wanted Britain to stay in and although she kept a low national profile, residents here say she had campaigned locally for the status quo. 
 
&quot;People felt that she did her bit,&quot; said Martin Trepte, editor of the local newspaper, the Maidenhead Advertiser, which has a circulation of 17,000. 
 
May has repeatedly said that she will uphold the will of the public and that &quot;Brexit means Brexit&quot;. 
 
Trepte described her as a &quot;mature, grown-up politician&quot; who &quot;knows her stuff&quot; -- and says there are no skeletons in her closet, at least as far as he knows. 
 
&quot;In 19 years there has been nothing murky at all,&quot; he said. 
 
He added: &quot;We don&#39;t know too much about her. She&#39;s quite a private person. We know she goes to church regularly.&quot; 
 
May attends church in Sonning, a picturesque village on the banks of the River Thames where she lives with her husband Philip. 
 
Its charms have attracted other high-profile neighbours including Hollywood actor George Clooney and his wife Amal, and Led Zeppelin&#39;s Jimmy Page. 
 
&#39;Genuine and passionate&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Gil Cattermole, another of May&#39;s neighbours, recalled popping in for a chat before the politician became home secretary and had to step up her security. 
 
&quot;I used to go around to her house and talk to her,&quot; said the 69-year-old, noting that when May now goes to church, she is accompanied by several armoured Range Rovers. 
 
At the Bull Inn, a pub where Clooney has been spotted, May is also well known -- although they expect to see less of her once she enters Downing Street. 
 
&quot;She&#39;s always been very charming, very nice to customers and staff. She seems sort of genuine and very passionate about her beliefs,&quot; owner Christine Mason said. 
 
&quot;I bumped in her at the petrol station the other week. She is still relaxed doing the normal things in life. Always says &#39;hello&#39; -- nice lady.&quot; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Britain's new Prime Minister is widely viewed as hard-working, tough but approachable in her constituency of Maidenhead in southern England

Jim Charlesworth has no doubts about the abilities of his local MP and neighbour Theresa May. "She will be the best Prime Minister this country has ever known," the 69-year-old said. May, who replaces David Cameron as Britain's next leader on Wednesday, is widely viewed as hard-working, tough but approachable in her constituency of Maidenhead in southern England. "I can't say a wrong word about that lady -- she will get this country back on its feet," Charlesworth told AFP. May has represented Maidenhead, west of London, since 1997. She was re-elected as its Conservative MP last year with 65.8 per cent of the vote. "I never voted for her but I do respect her, she is a very hard-working MP," said Anne Matkin, 64. She said May was "always willing to listen and to help people" despite, for the past six years as interior minister, holding one of the toughest jobs in government. "She spends a lot of time in the area," adds Maxine Lattimer, a 46-year-old housewife with five children, describing her as a "nice, caring woman". She recalled how May attended a recent parade to celebrate St George's Day, in honour of England's patron saint, along with her bodyguards. After six years as home secretary, she now has the tough task of uniting the country and leading Britain out of the European Union (EU). Lattimer has no doubt that May is the right person to lead the Brexit negotiations. "She'll be very assertive, she'll work really really hard for the best interest of Britain. She won't shy away from difficult decisions -- she is tough when she needs to be," she said. 'Nothing murky' The 60,000 residents of Maidenhead, many of whom commute to work in London, bucked the trend across England by voting for Britain to stay in the EU. May, too, had wanted Britain to stay in and although she kept a low national profile, residents here say she had campaigned locally for the status quo. "People felt that she did her bit," said Martin Trepte, editor of the local newspaper, the Maidenhead Advertiser, which has a circulation of 17,000. May has repeatedly said that she will uphold the will of the public and that "Brexit means Brexit". Trepte described her as a "mature, grown-up politician" who "knows her stuff" -- and says there are no skeletons in her closet, at least as far as he knows. "In 19 years there has been nothing murky at all," he said. He added: "We don't know too much about her. She's quite a private person. We know she goes to church regularly." May attends church in Sonning, a picturesque village on the banks of the River Thames where she lives with her husband Philip. Its charms have attracted other high-profile neighbours including Hollywood actor George Clooney and his wife Amal, and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page. 'Genuine and passionate' Gil Cattermole, another of May's neighbours, recalled popping in for a chat before the politician became home secretary and had to step up her security. "I used to go around to her house and talk to her," said the 69-year-old, noting that when May now goes to church, she is accompanied by several armoured Range Rovers. At the Bull Inn, a pub where Clooney has been spotted, May is also well known -- although they expect to see less of her once she enters Downing Street. "She's always been very charming, very nice to customers and staff. She seems sort of genuine and very passionate about her beliefs," owner Christine Mason said. "I bumped in her at the petrol station the other week. She is still relaxed doing the normal things in life. Always says 'hello' -- nice lady." (AFP)

May's neighbours sing her praises

The European Union on Tuesday launched a controversial deal with the United States aimed at curbing government spying on the personal internet infomation of European citizens. 
 
The deal replaces one struck down by the EU&#39;s top court in October, a decision which left firms like Google and Facebook in legal limbo over whether they could transfer data to their US headquarters. The court struck down that deal based on an Austrian activist&#39;s case against Facebook in Ireland, and its judgment cited US snooping practices exposed by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. 
 
&quot;The EU-US Privacy Shield is a robust new system to protect the personal data of Europeans and ensure legal certainty for businesses,&quot; said EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova, launching the deal with US commerce secretary Penny Pritzker in Brussels. 
 
The deal will take effect within hours once EU member states are formally notified, officials said.&quot;The approval of the privacy deal is a milestone for privacy at a time when the sharing of data is driving growth in every sector,&quot; Pritzker told a press conference with Jourova. 
 
The deal will &quot;facilitate more trade across our borders, more collaboration across the Atlantic and more job creating investments in our communities&quot;, Pritzker said. 
 
Jourova insisted the deal offers the &quot;highest standards&quot; to protect personal data of EU citizens. 
 
But critics say it amounts to &quot;a little upgrade&quot; over the previous arrangement, called Safe Harbour. 
 
Austrian internet activist Max Schrems, who brought the original case against Facebook, said the new deal was likely to face fresh legal challenges. &quot;This deal is bad for users,&quot; Schrems said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that it was the result of pressure from Washington. 
 
The old agreement effectively meant that Europe treated the United States as a safe destination for internet data on the basis that Brussels and Washington adhered to similar standards. 
 
Safe Harbour was declared &quot;invalid&quot; by the European Court of Justice, citing National Security Agency documents leaked by Snowden in 2013. 
 
Top US companies including Facebook, Google and Microsoft in particular have been eager to end the legal void, because they transfer data from their European subsidiaries to their headquarters in the United States. 
 
The deal includes commitments by the US to limit the use of bulk-collected intelligence, the appointment of a US ombudsman to deal with complaints by European citizens, and fines for firms that do not comply. 
 
The deal will also be subject to an annual review. 
 
But activists and European lawmakers are highly critical. They call the deal still highly deficient in terms of protection from US government access to data, as well as safeguards from bulk data collection. 
 
The European Parliament in May asked the EU to continue negotiating with the United States for a better deal. 
 
It said the proposed US ombudsman to deal with complaints by European citizens would neither be &quot;sufficiently independent&quot; nor have enough powers to act. 
 
But Markus Beyrer, director general of Brussels-based BusinessEurope, said the deal &quot;will enhance legal certainty for thousands of businesses on both sides of the Atlantic while providing an adequate level of protection for citizens&#39; data&quot;. 
 
The members of Industry group DIGITALEUROPE are &quot;ready to begin the re-certification process&quot; through the US department of Commerce when it begins on August 1, communications director Paul Meller said. 
 
(AFP)

Critics say it amounts to 'a little upgrade' from the previous one, likely to face fresh legal challenges

The European Union on Tuesday launched a controversial deal with the United States aimed at curbing government spying on the personal internet infomation of European citizens. The deal replaces one struck down by the EU's top court in October, a decision which left firms like Google and Facebook in legal limbo over whether they could transfer data to their US headquarters. The court struck down that deal based on an Austrian activist's case against Facebook in Ireland, and its judgment cited US snooping practices exposed by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. "The EU-US Privacy Shield is a robust new system to protect the personal data of Europeans and ensure legal certainty for businesses," said EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova, launching the deal with US commerce secretary Penny Pritzker in Brussels. The deal will take effect within hours once EU member states are formally notified, officials said."The approval of the privacy deal is a milestone for privacy at a time when the sharing of data is driving growth in every sector," Pritzker told a press conference with Jourova. The deal will "facilitate more trade across our borders, more collaboration across the Atlantic and more job creating investments in our communities", Pritzker said. Jourova insisted the deal offers the "highest standards" to protect personal data of EU citizens. But critics say it amounts to "a little upgrade" over the previous arrangement, called Safe Harbour. Austrian internet activist Max Schrems, who brought the original case against Facebook, said the new deal was likely to face fresh legal challenges. "This deal is bad for users," Schrems said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that it was the result of pressure from Washington. The old agreement effectively meant that Europe treated the United States as a safe destination for internet data on the basis that Brussels and Washington adhered to similar standards. Safe Harbour was declared "invalid" by the European Court of Justice, citing National Security Agency documents leaked by Snowden in 2013. Top US companies including Facebook, Google and Microsoft in particular have been eager to end the legal void, because they transfer data from their European subsidiaries to their headquarters in the United States. The deal includes commitments by the US to limit the use of bulk-collected intelligence, the appointment of a US ombudsman to deal with complaints by European citizens, and fines for firms that do not comply. The deal will also be subject to an annual review. But activists and European lawmakers are highly critical. They call the deal still highly deficient in terms of protection from US government access to data, as well as safeguards from bulk data collection. The European Parliament in May asked the EU to continue negotiating with the United States for a better deal. It said the proposed US ombudsman to deal with complaints by European citizens would neither be "sufficiently independent" nor have enough powers to act. But Markus Beyrer, director general of Brussels-based BusinessEurope, said the deal "will enhance legal certainty for thousands of businesses on both sides of the Atlantic while providing an adequate level of protection for citizens' data". The members of Industry group DIGITALEUROPE are "ready to begin the re-certification process" through the US department of Commerce when it begins on August 1, communications director Paul Meller said. (AFP)

EU signs controversial internet privacy deal with US

Sri Lanka today announced that it had raised $1.5 billion through a bond issue which was nearly four times oversubscribed despite volatility triggered by Britain&#39;s to leave the European Union (EU). 
 
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka said orders totalled $5.5 billion for the $1.5 billion bond issue on Monday. Sri Lanka offered $500 million in bonds with a tenure of 5.5 years and $1 billion for a period of 10 years. 
 
The shorter term debt was priced just below 6.125 per cent while the longer tenue was at 7.125 percent, the bank said, adding that the rate was well within its anticipated interest rate. 
 
&quot;Despite the high volatility in the global financial markets following the historic United Kingdom referendum in June regarding their membership of the European Union, the bonds saw strong interests from a wide range of high quality investors,&quot; the bank said. 
 
Sri Lanka has already appointed a high-powered panel to study the effects of Brexit on its $82 billion economy as 10 per cent of its exports to Britain are under European Union trade concessions. 
 
Sri Lanka&#39;s new government secured a $1.5 billion IMF bailout last month to address its balance of payments crisis after a spending spree to increase public sector salaries last year. 
 
President Maithripala Sirisena&#39;s administration sought an IMF bailout immediately after taking power in January last year, but the fund turned down the request, saying Sri Lanka&#39;s reserves were at a comfortable level then. 
 
However, the government faced a balance of payments crisis after it implemented its election pledges of lower fuel and utility prices. 
 
Sri Lanka enjoyed impressive economic growth rates averaging more than 8.0 percent for two years after a prolonged civil war ended in 2009. 
 
But the pace has since slowed, falling to 4.8 percent in 2015, down from 4.9 in the previous year, according to official data. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

Sri Lanka has already appointed a high-powered panel to study the effects of Brexit on its $82 billion economy

Sri Lanka today announced that it had raised $1.5 billion through a bond issue which was nearly four times oversubscribed despite volatility triggered by Britain's to leave the European Union (EU). The Central Bank of Sri Lanka said orders totalled $5.5 billion for the $1.5 billion bond issue on Monday. Sri Lanka offered $500 million in bonds with a tenure of 5.5 years and $1 billion for a period of 10 years. The shorter term debt was priced just below 6.125 per cent while the longer tenue was at 7.125 percent, the bank said, adding that the rate was well within its anticipated interest rate. "Despite the high volatility in the global financial markets following the historic United Kingdom referendum in June regarding their membership of the European Union, the bonds saw strong interests from a wide range of high quality investors," the bank said. Sri Lanka has already appointed a high-powered panel to study the effects of Brexit on its $82 billion economy as 10 per cent of its exports to Britain are under European Union trade concessions. Sri Lanka's new government secured a $1.5 billion IMF bailout last month to address its balance of payments crisis after a spending spree to increase public sector salaries last year. President Maithripala Sirisena's administration sought an IMF bailout immediately after taking power in January last year, but the fund turned down the request, saying Sri Lanka's reserves were at a comfortable level then. However, the government faced a balance of payments crisis after it implemented its election pledges of lower fuel and utility prices. Sri Lanka enjoyed impressive economic growth rates averaging more than 8.0 percent for two years after a prolonged civil war ended in 2009. But the pace has since slowed, falling to 4.8 percent in 2015, down from 4.9 in the previous year, according to official data. (AFP)

Despite Brexit volatility, Sri Lanka raises $1.5 billion

Prime Minister David Cameron said it was in Britain&#39;s fundamental interest to remain very close to the European Union (EU) when it renegotiates a new relationship with the bloc it voted to leave in a referendum last month. 
 
Speaking to global aerospace executives at the Farnborough airshow today, Cameron said Britain must accept the reality of the vote and must make it work, including forging a new relationship with its European partners. 
 
&quot;The big strategic decisions are for the next prime minister but the groundwork is underway,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;All I would say about the outcome is this: I believe it is in our fundamental national and economic interest to remain very close to the European Union, for trade, for business, for security, for cooperation. So let that be our goal.&quot; 
 
Cameron announced his resignation the day after his campaign to remain in the EU was defeated in the referendum. 
 
He said Britain had already had a taste of the turbulence in global markets and in term of the value of the pound that he had warned would follow a leave victory. 
 
&quot;There will be other problems ahead but I want to be clear: we will deal with them from a position of strength, with a growing economy, a greatly reduced deficit, lower inflation and more jobs and businesses than ever before in our country,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Above all though, we must recognise we are in a new reality now, we must accept it and we must make it work.&quot; 
 
He said Britain needed to &quot;think big and think radically&quot; to ensure the best outcome in the new circumstances, including a much bigger push on trade and investment targeting fast-growing economies like India and China. 
 
(Reuters)

Britain needs to "think big and think radically" to ensure the best outcome in the new circumstances, insists PM David Cameron

Prime Minister David Cameron said it was in Britain's fundamental interest to remain very close to the European Union (EU) when it renegotiates a new relationship with the bloc it voted to leave in a referendum last month. Speaking to global aerospace executives at the Farnborough airshow today, Cameron said Britain must accept the reality of the vote and must make it work, including forging a new relationship with its European partners. "The big strategic decisions are for the next prime minister but the groundwork is underway," he said. "All I would say about the outcome is this: I believe it is in our fundamental national and economic interest to remain very close to the European Union, for trade, for business, for security, for cooperation. So let that be our goal." Cameron announced his resignation the day after his campaign to remain in the EU was defeated in the referendum. He said Britain had already had a taste of the turbulence in global markets and in term of the value of the pound that he had warned would follow a leave victory. "There will be other problems ahead but I want to be clear: we will deal with them from a position of strength, with a growing economy, a greatly reduced deficit, lower inflation and more jobs and businesses than ever before in our country," he said. "Above all though, we must recognise we are in a new reality now, we must accept it and we must make it work." He said Britain needed to "think big and think radically" to ensure the best outcome in the new circumstances, including a much bigger push on trade and investment targeting fast-growing economies like India and China. (Reuters)

After divorce, Cameron says UK must stay close to EU

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