British politicians reacted angrily on Wednesday to European Union leader Donald Tusk after he wondered "what special place in Hell" awaited those who advocated Brexit without a clear plan, calling him a "devilish Euro maniac".

"Donald Tusk once again shows his contempt for the 17.4 million people who voted to escape the corruption of the EU," said Sammy Wilson, Brexit spokesman for Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party.

"This devilish Euro maniac is doing his best to keep the United Kingdom bound by the chains of EU bureaucracy and control," he added.

Tusk made the comments at a news conference in Brussels, where he was flanked by Irish leader Leo Varadkar.

Conservative MP Andrea Leadsom and prominent Leave supporter demanded an apology, calling Tusks's comments "spiteful".

"I think that what he has said is pretty unacceptable and pretty disgraceful," she told BBC Radio 4.

"I'm sure that when he reflects on it he may well wish he hadn't done it."

Fellow Tory and veteran eurosceptic Peter Bone said it was a "completely outrageous insult.

"I don't recall any president insulting members of this House, members of the government and the British people in such a way," he said.

But anti-Brexit MPs were supportive of Tusks's comments.

"Sometimes the truth hurts, doesn't it?" Joanna Cherry, an MP from the Scottish National Party, said in parlaiment.

Campaign group For our Futures' Sake said Tusk was "entirely correct".&nbsp;

The outburst dominated the online editions of Britain's newspapers, with Brexit-supporting tabloid The Sun leading with the headline "EU'VE LOST IT", adding that "sneering Donald Tusk has taken an extraordinary dig at Brexiteers".

The Mail Online carried a picture of Tusk in high spirits with Varadkar after the news conference, underneath the headline "EU President Tusk is caught laughing at the row he will cause".

Brexit figurehead Jacob Rees-Mogg, a staunch Catholic, questioned Tusk's theological credentials, saying he was "hardly in the Aquinas class...and he seems to have forgotten the commandment about not bearing false witness".

Leave supporting Tory MP Simon Clarke said the European Council president's comment's "push me towards supporting a clean break and No Deal".

Prominent Brexit campaigner Douglas Carswell also suggested that Tusk's comments "will inadvertently nudge things closer towards a clean departure from the EU".

Gerard Batten, leader of the anti-EU UKIP party, said the comments were a sign that Tusk was "getting overwrought".&nbsp;

"Mr Tusk has forgotten that in Dante's Inferno the lowest level in Hell is reserved for traitors. I would remind him that those who want their country governed by a foreign power are traitors," he added.

British politicians reacted angrily on Wednesday to European Union leader Donald Tusk after he wondered "what special place in Hell" awaited those who advocated Brexit without a clear plan, calling him a "devilish Euro maniac".

British politicians reacted angrily on Wednesday to European Union leader Donald Tusk after he wondered "what special place in Hell" awaited those who advocated Brexit without a clear plan, calling him a "devilish Euro maniac". "Donald Tusk once again shows his contempt for the 17.4 million people who voted to escape the corruption of the EU," said Sammy Wilson, Brexit spokesman for Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party. "This devilish Euro maniac is doing his best to keep the United Kingdom bound by the chains of EU bureaucracy and control," he added. Tusk made the comments at a news conference in Brussels, where he was flanked by Irish leader Leo Varadkar. Conservative MP Andrea Leadsom and prominent Leave supporter demanded an apology, calling Tusks's comments "spiteful". "I think that what he has said is pretty unacceptable and pretty disgraceful," she told BBC Radio 4. "I'm sure that when he reflects on it he may well wish he hadn't done it." Fellow Tory and veteran eurosceptic Peter Bone said it was a "completely outrageous insult. "I don't recall any president insulting members of this House, members of the government and the British people in such a way," he said. But anti-Brexit MPs were supportive of Tusks's comments. "Sometimes the truth hurts, doesn't it?" Joanna Cherry, an MP from the Scottish National Party, said in parlaiment. Campaign group For our Futures' Sake said Tusk was "entirely correct". The outburst dominated the online editions of Britain's newspapers, with Brexit-supporting tabloid The Sun leading with the headline "EU'VE LOST IT", adding that "sneering Donald Tusk has taken an extraordinary dig at Brexiteers". The Mail Online carried a picture of Tusk in high spirits with Varadkar after the news conference, underneath the headline "EU President Tusk is caught laughing at the row he will cause". Brexit figurehead Jacob Rees-Mogg, a staunch Catholic, questioned Tusk's theological credentials, saying he was "hardly in the Aquinas class...and he seems to have forgotten the commandment about not bearing false witness". Leave supporting Tory MP Simon Clarke said the European Council president's comment's "push me towards supporting a clean break and No Deal". Prominent Brexit campaigner Douglas Carswell also suggested that Tusk's comments "will inadvertently nudge things closer towards a clean departure from the EU". Gerard Batten, leader of the anti-EU UKIP party, said the comments were a sign that Tusk was "getting overwrought". "Mr Tusk has forgotten that in Dante's Inferno the lowest level in Hell is reserved for traitors. I would remind him that those who want their country governed by a foreign power are traitors," he added.

UK MPs outraged by Tusk's 'special place in Hell' slur

European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday he hoped <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-may-seeks-a-border-compromise-in-northern-ireland-195606">British Prime Minister Theresa May</a> would come to Brussels on Thursday with "realistic suggestions" on how to break the Brexit impasse as the EU would not re-open the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/delaying-brexit-would-extend-uncertainty-uk-business-minister-195601">Brexit deal</a>.

Tusk, speaking at a joint news conference with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar after their talks in Brussels, reiterated the European Union's stance that the Irish border backstop in the withdrawal agreement had to stay.

"I've been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely," Tusk said.

Varadkar said the Brexit deal, which has since been rejected by the UK parliament, was "the best possible". He said Britain's recent political instability was yet another proof of why the backstop was needed.

European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday he hoped British Prime Minister Theresa May would come to Brussels on Thursday with "realistic suggestions" on how to break the Brexit impasse as the EU would not re-open the Brexit deal.

European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday he hoped British Prime Minister Theresa May would come to Brussels on Thursday with "realistic suggestions" on how to break the Brexit impasse as the EU would not re-open the Brexit deal. Tusk, speaking at a joint news conference with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar after their talks in Brussels, reiterated the European Union's stance that the Irish border backstop in the withdrawal agreement had to stay. "I've been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely," Tusk said. Varadkar said the Brexit deal, which has since been rejected by the UK parliament, was "the best possible". He said Britain's recent political instability was yet another proof of why the backstop was needed.

Will not reopen Brexit deal, hope Theresa May has new proposals: European Union

British Prime Minister Theresa May tried to break the deadlock over <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/delaying-brexit-would-extend-uncertainty-uk-business-minister-195601">Brexit on Wednesday</a> by thrashing out alternative proposals for the Irish border with political parties in Northern Ireland.

The United Kingdom is on course to leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless May can convince the bloc to reopen the divorce deal she agreed in November and then sell it to sceptical British lawmakers.

As companies and governments across Europe step up preparations for the turmoil of a no-deal exit, diplomats and officials said the United Kingdom now faces three main options: a no-deal exit, a last-minute deal or a delay to Brexit.

At meetings in Belfast, May tried to tackle the biggest obstacle to getting a deal ratified by the British parliament - an insurance policy covering the possible future arrangements for the border between EU-member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland.

"We will find a way to deliver Brexit that honours our commitments to Northern Ireland," May said on Tuesday.

May said she would seek an alternative arrangement which avoids the need for a hard border or legally binding changes to the border backstop to introduce a time limit or create an exit mechanism.

Brexit has snagged on the 310-mile (500-km) frontier because there is disagreement on how to monitor trade without physical checks on the border, which was marked by military checkpoints before a 1998 peace deal ended three decades of sectarian conflict.

MAY TO BRUSSELS

As a way to prevent a hard border, Brussels and London agreed a so-called backstop - basically a promise that unless the sides come up with a better idea then the United Kingdom would remain bound by EU market and customs rules so that goods would not have to be checked.

But the Northern Irish party which props up May's minority government says it could endanger the province's place in the United Kingdom, while Brexit supporters in May's Conservative Party worry it would lock the country into EU rules for the long term.

British ministers, The Sun newspaper said, have been examining a plan drawn up by Japan's Fujitsu to track trade across the border, while the Telegraph said ministers had discussed delaying Brexit by eight weeks.

May is due to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and then European Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels on Thursday.

While the EU has been clear it does not want to reopen the divorce deal, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said a creative solution could break the impasse.

But diplomats in Brussels said they had heard no new proposals from London and the risk of a no-deal exit was increasing. EU leaders, diplomats said, were frustrated at May's failure to build a consensus on Brexit.

Delaying Brexit would extend rather than resolve the uncertainty that is hurting the economy, Britain's business minister Greg Clark told a parliament committee on Wednesday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May tried to break the deadlock over Brexit on Wednesday by thrashing out alternative proposals for the Irish border with political parties in Northern Ireland.

British Prime Minister Theresa May tried to break the deadlock over Brexit on Wednesday by thrashing out alternative proposals for the Irish border with political parties in Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom is on course to leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless May can convince the bloc to reopen the divorce deal she agreed in November and then sell it to sceptical British lawmakers. As companies and governments across Europe step up preparations for the turmoil of a no-deal exit, diplomats and officials said the United Kingdom now faces three main options: a no-deal exit, a last-minute deal or a delay to Brexit. At meetings in Belfast, May tried to tackle the biggest obstacle to getting a deal ratified by the British parliament - an insurance policy covering the possible future arrangements for the border between EU-member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland. "We will find a way to deliver Brexit that honours our commitments to Northern Ireland," May said on Tuesday. May said she would seek an alternative arrangement which avoids the need for a hard border or legally binding changes to the border backstop to introduce a time limit or create an exit mechanism. Brexit has snagged on the 310-mile (500-km) frontier because there is disagreement on how to monitor trade without physical checks on the border, which was marked by military checkpoints before a 1998 peace deal ended three decades of sectarian conflict. MAY TO BRUSSELS As a way to prevent a hard border, Brussels and London agreed a so-called backstop - basically a promise that unless the sides come up with a better idea then the United Kingdom would remain bound by EU market and customs rules so that goods would not have to be checked. But the Northern Irish party which props up May's minority government says it could endanger the province's place in the United Kingdom, while Brexit supporters in May's Conservative Party worry it would lock the country into EU rules for the long term. British ministers, The Sun newspaper said, have been examining a plan drawn up by Japan's Fujitsu to track trade across the border, while the Telegraph said ministers had discussed delaying Brexit by eight weeks. May is due to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and then European Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels on Thursday. While the EU has been clear it does not want to reopen the divorce deal, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said a creative solution could break the impasse. But diplomats in Brussels said they had heard no new proposals from London and the risk of a no-deal exit was increasing. EU leaders, diplomats said, were frustrated at May's failure to build a consensus on Brexit. Delaying Brexit would extend rather than resolve the uncertainty that is hurting the economy, Britain's business minister Greg Clark told a parliament committee on Wednesday.

British PM May seeks a border compromise in Northern Ireland

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britains-may-faces-defeat-in-parliament-over-brexit-plan-190530">Delaying Brexit</a> would extend rather than resolve the uncertainty that is hurting the economy, Britain's business minister Greg Clark told a parliament committee on Wednesday.

"Pausing Article 50 would not cure the uncertainty. In fact it would extend the uncertainty," Clark told lawmakers, referring to the legal mechanism under which Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29.

Delaying Brexit would extend rather than resolve the uncertainty that is hurting the economy, Britain's business minister Greg Clark told a parliament committee on Wednesday.

Delaying Brexit would extend rather than resolve the uncertainty that is hurting the economy, Britain's business minister Greg Clark told a parliament committee on Wednesday. "Pausing Article 50 would not cure the uncertainty. In fact it would extend the uncertainty," Clark told lawmakers, referring to the legal mechanism under which Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29.

Delaying Brexit will extend uncertainty: UK business minister

Leaders of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nato-treated-us-unfairly-says-trump-during-state-of-the-union-address-195468">NATO allies will hold a summit</a> in December in London, Jens Stoltenberg, the Western military alliance's secretary general, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The choice of location has added symbolism, as Britain prepares to leave the European Union next month while asserting that it will retain a key role in the continent's security.

The last NATO summit, at the alliance's Brussels headquarters in July, saw <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-will-meet-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-in-vietnam-on-february-27-28-trump-in-state-of-the-union-address-195467">US President Donald Trump</a> unsettle many European allies, including Germany, with demands that they spend more on their own defence and reduce what he called their dependence on Russia for much of their energy needs.

Stoltenberg said: "We are grateful to the United Kingdom for agreeing to host this meeting in NATO's 70th anniversary year.''

"London was the home of NATO's first headquarters. The United Kingdom was one of the Alliance’s twelve founding members and continues to play a key role in the Alliance, making essential contributions to our shared security.

"The meeting in London will be an opportunity ... to address the security challenges we face now and in the future, and to ensure that NATO continues to adapt in order to keep its population of almost one billion people safe."

Leaders of the NATO allies will hold a summit in December in London, Jens Stoltenberg, the Western military alliance's secretary general, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Leaders of the NATO allies will hold a summit in December in London, Jens Stoltenberg, the Western military alliance's secretary general, said in a statement on Wednesday. The choice of location has added symbolism, as Britain prepares to leave the European Union next month while asserting that it will retain a key role in the continent's security. The last NATO summit, at the alliance's Brussels headquarters in July, saw US President Donald Trump unsettle many European allies, including Germany, with demands that they spend more on their own defence and reduce what he called their dependence on Russia for much of their energy needs. Stoltenberg said: "We are grateful to the United Kingdom for agreeing to host this meeting in NATO's 70th anniversary year.'' "London was the home of NATO's first headquarters. The United Kingdom was one of the Alliance’s twelve founding members and continues to play a key role in the Alliance, making essential contributions to our shared security. "The meeting in London will be an opportunity ... to address the security challenges we face now and in the future, and to ensure that NATO continues to adapt in order to keep its population of almost one billion people safe."

NATO announces December summit in London

Apple said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with French authorities to settle 10 years of back taxes, becoming the latest US company to reach a deal with France which has led a European push for higher taxes on tech giants.

French news weekly L'Express reported that Apple had paid nearly 500 million euros ($570 million) to resolve the case in a confidential settlement reached in December.

Apple declined to disclose the amount paid, but a source familiar with the case confirmed the figure to AFP.

"The French tax administration recently concluded a multi-year audit on the company's French accounts and an adjustment will be published in our public accounts," Apple said in a statement.&nbsp;

"We know the important role taxes play in society and we pay our taxes in all the countries where we operate, in complete conformity with laws and practices in force at the local level," added the company.

French authorities declined to comment further, citing the confidentiality of tax matters.

French tech tax looms&nbsp;

Apple is one of several American technology giants in the line of fire in Europe over their tax strategies, which see them route their income through low-tax nations such as Ireland or Luxembourg.

In 2016, it was ordered by the European Commission to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes to Ireland.

The European Commission said Apple paid an effective corporate tax rate of just 0.005 per cent on its European profits in 2014 -- equivalent to just 50 euros for every million.

The deal in France comes as the government prepares to push ahead with its own unilateral "GAFA tax" -- named after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon -- faced with the failure of EU members to agree on how to get technology companies to pay more tax on their European operations.

The tax, to be put to parliament in a bill later this month, would affect companies with global sales of more than 750 million euros and 25 million euros in France, according to the government.

It would be retroactive to January 1 and is expected to raise 500 million euros this year.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has called the question of how and where global companies pay their taxes "a major issue in the 21st century".

But an agreement among EU members has proved elusive.

Ireland, Denmark and Sweden have all blocked plans for a levy for fear of dissuading investment and Germany has proved lukewarm on the issue, fearing US retaliation against its car industry.

The issue has been referred to the OECD, which aims to come up with an international tax by 2020.

Scramble to settle&nbsp;

Apple is the second major technology company to reach a tax deal with French authorities within the past year, reflecting the growing pressure from voters on governments to bring foreign companies to book.

In February 2018, Amazon said it had settled a French claim for nearly 200 million euros and would start declaring all its earnings in the country, ending a dispute that had dragged on for years.

In 2017, however, France's tax collection drive suffered a setback with a local court ruling that Google was not liable to pay 1.1 billion euros in taxes claimed on revenues transferred from France to Ireland.

According to L'Express, the deal between France and Apple was clinched after several months of talks, and concerned the small amount of revenue the firm booked in France while the sales it reported in Europe ballooned.

The report said Apple's European revenues exploded seven-fold, from 6.6 billion euros in 2008 to 47.7 billion in 2017, most of which was booked in Ireland where it has its European headquarters.

Apple said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with French authorities to settle 10 years of back taxes, becoming the latest US company to reach a deal with France which has led a European push for higher taxes on tech giants.

Apple said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with French authorities to settle 10 years of back taxes, becoming the latest US company to reach a deal with France which has led a European push for higher taxes on tech giants. French news weekly L'Express reported that Apple had paid nearly 500 million euros ($570 million) to resolve the case in a confidential settlement reached in December. Apple declined to disclose the amount paid, but a source familiar with the case confirmed the figure to AFP. "The French tax administration recently concluded a multi-year audit on the company's French accounts and an adjustment will be published in our public accounts," Apple said in a statement. "We know the important role taxes play in society and we pay our taxes in all the countries where we operate, in complete conformity with laws and practices in force at the local level," added the company. French authorities declined to comment further, citing the confidentiality of tax matters. French tech tax looms Apple is one of several American technology giants in the line of fire in Europe over their tax strategies, which see them route their income through low-tax nations such as Ireland or Luxembourg. In 2016, it was ordered by the European Commission to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes to Ireland. The European Commission said Apple paid an effective corporate tax rate of just 0.005 per cent on its European profits in 2014 -- equivalent to just 50 euros for every million. The deal in France comes as the government prepares to push ahead with its own unilateral "GAFA tax" -- named after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon -- faced with the failure of EU members to agree on how to get technology companies to pay more tax on their European operations. The tax, to be put to parliament in a bill later this month, would affect companies with global sales of more than 750 million euros and 25 million euros in France, according to the government. It would be retroactive to January 1 and is expected to raise 500 million euros this year. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has called the question of how and where global companies pay their taxes "a major issue in the 21st century". But an agreement among EU members has proved elusive. Ireland, Denmark and Sweden have all blocked plans for a levy for fear of dissuading investment and Germany has proved lukewarm on the issue, fearing US retaliation against its car industry. The issue has been referred to the OECD, which aims to come up with an international tax by 2020. Scramble to settle Apple is the second major technology company to reach a tax deal with French authorities within the past year, reflecting the growing pressure from voters on governments to bring foreign companies to book. In February 2018, Amazon said it had settled a French claim for nearly 200 million euros and would start declaring all its earnings in the country, ending a dispute that had dragged on for years. In 2017, however, France's tax collection drive suffered a setback with a local court ruling that Google was not liable to pay 1.1 billion euros in taxes claimed on revenues transferred from France to Ireland. According to L'Express, the deal between France and Apple was clinched after several months of talks, and concerned the small amount of revenue the firm booked in France while the sales it reported in Europe ballooned. The report said Apple's European revenues exploded seven-fold, from 6.6 billion euros in 2008 to 47.7 billion in 2017, most of which was booked in Ireland where it has its European headquarters.

Apple agrees 500-million-euro tax settlement with France

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday accused the European Union of seeking to overthrow embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in defiance of "democracy."

"On one side you will say 'democracy, democracy, democracy' and 'ballot box, ballot box, ballot box' and later you will dare to topple the government by violence and ruse," Erdogan told his ruling party lawmakers in parliament, referring to the European Union.

Major European powers including Britain, France, Germany and Spain on Monday recognised opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president until new elections are held after Maduro rejected a European ultimatum to call fresh polls.

The United States welcomed the recognition, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging others to follow suit.&nbsp;

Erdogan, whose government survived a coup bid in July 2016, has given support to Maduro in the wake of the crisis and told him in a phone call to "stand tall."

But Turkish backing for Maduro has drawn the ire of the United States, and a senior US official said last week that Washington was "disappointed" with Ankara's move.

On Tuesday, Erdogan called what happened in Venezuela as an "international coup attempt to remove the country's elected leader from power."

He said: "Is Venezuela one of your states?", in a veiled reference to the United States.

"How dare you tell an elected person to leave and deliver the head of state to the one who did not even run in the elections," he added.

"Where is democracy? ... Is it possible for us to accept that?"&nbsp;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday accused the European Union of seeking to overthrow embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in defiance of "democracy.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday accused the European Union of seeking to overthrow embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in defiance of "democracy." "On one side you will say 'democracy, democracy, democracy' and 'ballot box, ballot box, ballot box' and later you will dare to topple the government by violence and ruse," Erdogan told his ruling party lawmakers in parliament, referring to the European Union. Major European powers including Britain, France, Germany and Spain on Monday recognised opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president until new elections are held after Maduro rejected a European ultimatum to call fresh polls. The United States welcomed the recognition, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging others to follow suit. Erdogan, whose government survived a coup bid in July 2016, has given support to Maduro in the wake of the crisis and told him in a phone call to "stand tall." But Turkish backing for Maduro has drawn the ire of the United States, and a senior US official said last week that Washington was "disappointed" with Ankara's move. On Tuesday, Erdogan called what happened in Venezuela as an "international coup attempt to remove the country's elected leader from power." He said: "Is Venezuela one of your states?", in a veiled reference to the United States. "How dare you tell an elected person to leave and deliver the head of state to the one who did not even run in the elections," he added. "Where is democracy? ... Is it possible for us to accept that?"

Erdogan accuses EU of seeking Maduro's ouster in defiance of 'democracy'

Venezulea Crisis: Maduro writes letter to Pope for help

British officials have revived Cold War emergency plans to relocate the royal family should there be riots in London if Britain suffers a disruptive departure from the European Union next month, two Sunday newspapers reported.

"These emergency evacuation plans have been in existence since the Cold War, but have now been repurposed in the event of civil disorder following a no-deal Brexit," the Sunday Times said, quoting an unnamed source from the government's Cabinet Office, which handles sensitive administrative issues.

The Mail on Sunday also said it had learnt of plans to move the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth, to safe locations away from London.

Britain's government is struggling to get parliamentary support for a Brexit transition agreement with the EU before the departure date of March 29, and the government and businesses are preparing contingency plans for a 'no-deal' Brexit.

Business groups have warned of widespread disruption if there are lengthy delays to EU imports due to new customs checks, and even possible shortages of food and medicine.

Last month an annual speech by the 92-year-old queen to a local women's group was widely interpreted in Britain as a call for politicians to reach an agreement over Brexit.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Conservative lawmaker and keen supporter of Brexit, told the Mail on Sunday he believed the plans showed unnecessary panic by officials over a no-deal Brexit, as senior royals had remained in London during World War Two bombing.

But the Sunday Times said an ex-police officer formerly in charge of royal protection, Dai Davies, expected Queen Elizabeth would be moved out of London if there was unrest.

"If there were problems in London, clearly you would remove the royal family away from those key sites," Davies was quoted as saying.

British officials have revived Cold War emergency plans to relocate the royal family should there be riots in London if Britain suffers a disruptive departure from the European Union next month, two Sunday newspapers reported.

British officials have revived Cold War emergency plans to relocate the royal family should there be riots in London if Britain suffers a disruptive departure from the European Union next month, two Sunday newspapers reported. "These emergency evacuation plans have been in existence since the Cold War, but have now been repurposed in the event of civil disorder following a no-deal Brexit," the Sunday Times said, quoting an unnamed source from the government's Cabinet Office, which handles sensitive administrative issues. The Mail on Sunday also said it had learnt of plans to move the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth, to safe locations away from London. Britain's government is struggling to get parliamentary support for a Brexit transition agreement with the EU before the departure date of March 29, and the government and businesses are preparing contingency plans for a 'no-deal' Brexit. Business groups have warned of widespread disruption if there are lengthy delays to EU imports due to new customs checks, and even possible shortages of food and medicine. Last month an annual speech by the 92-year-old queen to a local women's group was widely interpreted in Britain as a call for politicians to reach an agreement over Brexit. Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Conservative lawmaker and keen supporter of Brexit, told the Mail on Sunday he believed the plans showed unnecessary panic by officials over a no-deal Brexit, as senior royals had remained in London during World War Two bombing. But the Sunday Times said an ex-police officer formerly in charge of royal protection, Dai Davies, expected Queen Elizabeth would be moved out of London if there was unrest. "If there were problems in London, clearly you would remove the royal family away from those key sites," Davies was quoted as saying.

Queen Elizabeth to be evacuated in case of Brexit unrest: Report

European and Latin American countries that form an "international contact group" hoping to end <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-as-thousands-of-guaido-supporters-hit-streets-nicolas-maduro-calls-for-early-parliamentary-elections-194664">Venezuela's political crisis</a> will hold their first meeting in Montevideo on Thursday, the joint hosts announced Sunday.

The meeting will be at ministerial level, said a statement from EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini and Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez.

"The IGC aims at contributing to create conditions for a political and peaceful process to emerge, enabling Venezuelans to determine their own future, through the holding of free, transparent and credible elections, in line with the country's Constitution," said the statement.

The contact group comprises the EU and eight of its member states -- France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom -- and four Latin American countries: Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Uruguay.

The EU announced its creation last Thursday, giving itself a 90-day timetable to resolve the crisis in Venezuela.

Mogherini said then that its aim was to enable the holding of new elections under democratic conditions -- not to mediate with the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

The United States and a dozen Latin American countries have already recognised opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's acting head of state -- as has the European Parliament.

France, Britain, Germany and Spain are among the EU countries that have told Maduro to call elections by the weekend or they will recognise the opposition-backed parliamentary speaker.

France European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said Sunday that if Maduro had not called a fresh presidential election by Sunday evening, France would consider Guaido interim president with the right to organise them in his place.

She denounced Maduro's election victory last May as a "tragic farce" in comments to French radio RTL.

European and Latin American countries that form an "international contact group" hoping to end Venezuela's political crisis will hold their first meeting in Montevideo on Thursday, the joint hosts announced Sunday.

European and Latin American countries that form an "international contact group" hoping to end Venezuela's political crisis will hold their first meeting in Montevideo on Thursday, the joint hosts announced Sunday. The meeting will be at ministerial level, said a statement from EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini and Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez. "The IGC aims at contributing to create conditions for a political and peaceful process to emerge, enabling Venezuelans to determine their own future, through the holding of free, transparent and credible elections, in line with the country's Constitution," said the statement. The contact group comprises the EU and eight of its member states -- France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom -- and four Latin American countries: Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Uruguay. The EU announced its creation last Thursday, giving itself a 90-day timetable to resolve the crisis in Venezuela. Mogherini said then that its aim was to enable the holding of new elections under democratic conditions -- not to mediate with the government of President Nicolas Maduro. The United States and a dozen Latin American countries have already recognised opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's acting head of state -- as has the European Parliament. France, Britain, Germany and Spain are among the EU countries that have told Maduro to call elections by the weekend or they will recognise the opposition-backed parliamentary speaker. France European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said Sunday that if Maduro had not called a fresh presidential election by Sunday evening, France would consider Guaido interim president with the right to organise them in his place. She denounced Maduro's election victory last May as a "tragic farce" in comments to French radio RTL.

EU, Latam contact group on Venezuela to meet on December 7

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-warns-europe-not-to-force-strategic-leap-on-missile-range-194816">Do not thwart our missile development or we 'will be forced to make strategic leap': Iran</a>

The deputy chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has warned Europe against forcing the Islamic Republic into boosting the range of its missiles by trying to halt their development.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-break-backbone-of-terror-in-jammu-and-kashmir-pm-narendra-modi-194857">Will break backbone of terror in Jammu and Kashmir: PM Narendra Modi</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday in Srinagar that his government would "break the backbone of terror in Jammu and Kashmir".&nbsp;

"We will break the backbone of terror in Jammu and Kashmir and fight it with all our might," Modi said.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/yogi-adityanath-addresses-rally-in-west-bengal-via-audio-link-after-his-chopper-was-denied-permission-194825">Bengal government 'anti-democratic', says Yogi Adityanath after his chopper is refused permission to land</a>

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has cancelled his rally at West Bengal's Raiganj and Balurghat after his chopper was refused permission to land by the Mamata Banerjee-led government.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-trade-minister-says-eu-irresponsible-to-refuse-to-reopen-brexit-deal-194815">UK trade minister says EU 'irresponsible' to refuse to reopen Brexit deal</a>

It would be irresponsible for the European Union to refuse to reopen negotiations over Britain's exit deal, British trade minister Liam Fox said in an interview aired on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/5th-odi-india-beat-new-zealand-by-35-runs-win-series-4-1-194799">5th ODI: India beat New Zealand by 35 runs, win series 4-1</a>

India's bowlers rattled New Zealand's batsmen to win the fifth and final ODI by 35 runs at the Westpac Stadium, Wellington. That also meant they won the ODI series 4-1, having lost the fourth ODI at Hamilton by eight wickets.

Do not thwart our missile development or we 'will be forced to make strategic leap': Iran The deputy chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has warned Europe against forcing the Islamic Republic into boosting the range of its missiles by trying to halt their development.

Do not thwart our missile development or we 'will be forced to make strategic leap': Iran The deputy chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has warned Europe against forcing the Islamic Republic into boosting the range of its missiles by trying to halt their development. Will break backbone of terror in Jammu and Kashmir: PM Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday in Srinagar that his government would "break the backbone of terror in Jammu and Kashmir". "We will break the backbone of terror in Jammu and Kashmir and fight it with all our might," Modi said. Bengal government 'anti-democratic', says Yogi Adityanath after his chopper is refused permission to land Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has cancelled his rally at West Bengal's Raiganj and Balurghat after his chopper was refused permission to land by the Mamata Banerjee-led government. UK trade minister says EU 'irresponsible' to refuse to reopen Brexit deal It would be irresponsible for the European Union to refuse to reopen negotiations over Britain's exit deal, British trade minister Liam Fox said in an interview aired on Sunday. 5th ODI: India beat New Zealand by 35 runs, win series 4-1 India's bowlers rattled New Zealand's batsmen to win the fifth and final ODI by 35 runs at the Westpac Stadium, Wellington. That also meant they won the ODI series 4-1, having lost the fourth ODI at Hamilton by eight wickets.

News brief: Big stories of the day

It would be irresponsible for the European Union to refuse to reopen negotiations over <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/queen-elizabeth-to-be-evacuated-in-case-of-brexit-unrest-report-194679">Britain's exit deal</a>, British trade minister Liam Fox said in an interview aired on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-theresa-may-says-she-will-seek-pragmatic-brexit-solution-in-brussels-194688">British Prime Minister Theresa May</a> has said she is seeking changes to the Withdrawal Agreement she agreed with Brussels last year in order to win the support of parliament. The EU has said the deal cannot be renegotiated.

"Are they really saying that they would rather not negotiate and end up in a 'no-deal' position?" Fox told Sky News in a pre-recorded interview. "It is in all our interests to get to that agreement and for the EU to say we are not going to even discuss it seems to me to be quite irresponsible."

With less than two months until Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29, the opposition Labour Party has said it is now inevitable that the government will have to request an extension to the Article 50 exit negotiation period.

Fox, who has previously spoken out strongly against delaying the exit date, said extending the negotiations without a deal in place would not solve anything, but it was "a very different argument" if Britain just needed more time to get the necessary legislation in place for a smooth exit.

He is the second senior minister to suggest such a delay may be needed, after Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday Britain may need time to get legislation through.

"There is a big difference between if we had an agreement and we need some time to get the legalities done, that is one thing," Fox said. "I think to extend simply because we hadn’t reached an agreement would not provide any impetus for that agreement to be reached."

Fox said Britain would "be able to deal" with leaving the bloc without an agreement but it would not be in the country's interests.

It would be irresponsible for the European Union to refuse to reopen negotiations over Britain's exit deal, British trade minister Liam Fox said in an interview aired on Sunday.

It would be irresponsible for the European Union to refuse to reopen negotiations over Britain's exit deal, British trade minister Liam Fox said in an interview aired on Sunday. British Prime Minister Theresa May has said she is seeking changes to the Withdrawal Agreement she agreed with Brussels last year in order to win the support of parliament. The EU has said the deal cannot be renegotiated. "Are they really saying that they would rather not negotiate and end up in a 'no-deal' position?" Fox told Sky News in a pre-recorded interview. "It is in all our interests to get to that agreement and for the EU to say we are not going to even discuss it seems to me to be quite irresponsible." With less than two months until Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29, the opposition Labour Party has said it is now inevitable that the government will have to request an extension to the Article 50 exit negotiation period. Fox, who has previously spoken out strongly against delaying the exit date, said extending the negotiations without a deal in place would not solve anything, but it was "a very different argument" if Britain just needed more time to get the necessary legislation in place for a smooth exit. He is the second senior minister to suggest such a delay may be needed, after Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday Britain may need time to get legislation through. "There is a big difference between if we had an agreement and we need some time to get the legalities done, that is one thing," Fox said. "I think to extend simply because we hadn’t reached an agreement would not provide any impetus for that agreement to be reached." Fox said Britain would "be able to deal" with leaving the bloc without an agreement but it would not be in the country's interests.

UK trade minister says EU 'irresponsible' to refuse to reopen Brexit deal

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-says-russia-suspending-missile-treaty-after-us-move-agencies-194569">Following US move, Putin says Russia is pulling out of nuclear missile treaty</a>

President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia was suspending its participation in a key Cold War-era missile treaty in a mirror response to a US move the day before.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rishi-kumar-shukla-appointed-new-cbi-chief-officials-194608">Rishi Kumar Shukla appointed new CBI chief</a>

Rishi Kumar Shukla has been appointed the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, PTI quoted officials as saying Saturday.&nbsp;

Shukla is a 1983-batch Indian Police Service officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-to-mamata-in-bengal-there-is-a-trinamool-tolabaji-hafta-tax-all-over-the-state-194622">Modi to Mamata in Bengal: Trinamool Tolabaji (</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-to-mamata-in-bengal-there-is-a-trinamool-tolabaji-hafta-tax-all-over-the-state-194622">hafta</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-to-mamata-in-bengal-there-is-a-trinamool-tolabaji-hafta-tax-all-over-the-state-194622">) Tax all over the state</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government of foisting a tolabaji (hafta) culture all over the state.&nbsp;

“Trinamool Tolabaji Tax is prevalent in the state. Every child in West Bengal is aware of this TTT. West Bengal is the only state where you have to pay tax for education. No one opposed this culture of syndicate and TTT, which is why the Trinamool Congress got a free run," Modi said. &nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-government-begins-serious-work-on-uk-staying-in-eu-customs-union-the-independent-194575">British government begins 'serious work' on UK staying in EU customs union: Report</a>

British officials have begun "serious work" on the UK staying in a permanent EU customs union as a way to rescue the Brexit deal, the Independent newspaper reported on Friday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/indias-smriti-mandhana-becomes-no1-odi-batswoman-194600">India's Smriti Mandhana becomes No. 1 ODI batswoman</a>

Smriti Mandhana has moved up three spots to attain the number one rank in the updated ICC ODI batting rankings, released on Saturday.

After scoring her fourth ODI century and an unbeaten 90 in the three-match series against New Zealand, Mandhana now sits above the Australians Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning.&nbsp;

Following US move, Putin says Russia is pulling out of nuclear missile treaty President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia was suspending its participation in a key Cold War-era missile treaty in a mirror response to a US move the day before.

Following US move, Putin says Russia is pulling out of nuclear missile treaty President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia was suspending its participation in a key Cold War-era missile treaty in a mirror response to a US move the day before. Rishi Kumar Shukla appointed new CBI chief Rishi Kumar Shukla has been appointed the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, PTI quoted officials as saying Saturday. Shukla is a 1983-batch Indian Police Service officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre. Modi to Mamata in Bengal: Trinamool Tolabaji (hafta) Tax all over the state Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government of foisting a tolabaji (hafta) culture all over the state. “Trinamool Tolabaji Tax is prevalent in the state. Every child in West Bengal is aware of this TTT. West Bengal is the only state where you have to pay tax for education. No one opposed this culture of syndicate and TTT, which is why the Trinamool Congress got a free run," Modi said. British government begins 'serious work' on UK staying in EU customs union: Report British officials have begun "serious work" on the UK staying in a permanent EU customs union as a way to rescue the Brexit deal, the Independent newspaper reported on Friday. India's Smriti Mandhana becomes No. 1 ODI batswoman Smriti Mandhana has moved up three spots to attain the number one rank in the updated ICC ODI batting rankings, released on Saturday. After scoring her fourth ODI century and an unbeaten 90 in the three-match series against New Zealand, Mandhana now sits above the Australians Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning.

By Emil Kirchner

Two new landmark agreements between the EU and Japan come into effect on February 1, 2019: the Economic Partnership Agreement and the Strategic Partnership Agreement. The economic agreement is the largest bilateral trade deal ever made by the EU in terms of market size and will be the largest zone of free trade created in history.

It drastically reduces tariffs between the EU and Japan, paving the way for simpler and faster trade between the two, and therefore an increase in volume. The strategic partnership commits to security cooperation on issues like nuclear proliferation, regional security, international terrorism and organised crime, cyber-security, and energy and climate security.

As Han Dorussen and I explain in our new book EU-Japan Security Cooperation: Trends and Prospects, these agreements come at a crucial time in the development of international trade and global governance. Brexit has the UK trying to redefine its relationship with the EU and potentially forge its own trade policies with the rest of the world.

Perhaps more importantly, the new EU-Japan agreements stand in direct contrast to Donald Trump’s decision to introduce an “America First” trade policy. Since being elected president in 2016, Trump has emphasised bilateral deals, erected trade barriers and undermined international institutions like the World Trade Organisation. Indeed, it was the anticipation of Trump’s nationalist policies, and especially his withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, that gave renewed impetus to the EU and Japan’s lingering negotiations of the two agreements. Large trade agreements take a notoriously long time to negotiate and talks between the EU and Japan first began in 2013.

Japan and the EU – and Germany in particular – are export-driven economies and advocates of open trade. The protectionist stance of President Trump left them feeling vulnerable. So the new economic agreement is seen as strongly reaffirming the rules-based international trading system.

The concessions Japan offered to the EU on agricultural products are a blow to US farmers, who for a long time had been hoping to pry open this sealed market. The EU-Japan deal will emphasise Japan’s commitment to free trade and give further thrust to the newly-formed multilateral trade agreement known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which rose from the ashes of the TPP after the US withdrawal.

Opening up trade

The EU-Japan economic agreement will ultimately remove 97 per cent of the tariffs that Japan applies to European goods and 99 per cent of those applied by the EU. It is estimated that EU companies will save €1 billion a year in duties which they currently pay when exporting to Japan. A number of longstanding regulatory barriers, for example on car exports, will also be removed.

The agreement will open up the Japanese market of 127m consumers to key EU agricultural products and increase EU export opportunities in many other sectors such as financial services. As Japan will scrap duties on agricultural products, the Europeans stand to gain the most from exports of consumer products, such as cheese, pork, and wines.

Japan’s main interest in a trade deal with Europe was to increase its auto industry exports. The EU currently imposes a 10 per cent tariff on Japanese cars. Under the agreement, it will lower this to zero over eight years. 
 
Although cars and auto components account for about a fifth of Japan’s exports to Europe, Japanese car makers’ share of the European market is only about 10 per cent – much lower than in the US or Asia.

Besides these improvements, the economic agreement will strengthen cooperation between Europe and Japan in a range of areas. It will reaffirm their shared commitment to sustainable development and include for the first time a specific commitment to the Paris climate agreement.

EU firms already export more than €58 billion in goods and €28 billion in services to Japan every year. This will grow, and the strategic partnership will lead to the further deepening of EU-Japan relations and engagement across a wide range of global, regional and bilateral thematic issues. It reaffirms the shared values and common principles that form the basis of EU-Japan relations, including human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Together, the EU and Japan’s economies account for about a third of global GDP. The new trade agreement should, therefore, serve to bolster the global economy, as well as marking a strong commitment to multilateralism by two of the world’s biggest economies.

 
(Emil Kirchner is Emeritus Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/eu-japan-trade-deal-comes-into-force-to-create-worlds-biggest-trade-zone-110729">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Emil Kirchner Two new landmark agreements between the EU and Japan come into effect on February 1, 2019: the Economic Partnership Agreement and the Strategic Partnership Agreement.

By Emil Kirchner Two new landmark agreements between the EU and Japan come into effect on February 1, 2019: the Economic Partnership Agreement and the Strategic Partnership Agreement. The economic agreement is the largest bilateral trade deal ever made by the EU in terms of market size and will be the largest zone of free trade created in history. It drastically reduces tariffs between the EU and Japan, paving the way for simpler and faster trade between the two, and therefore an increase in volume. The strategic partnership commits to security cooperation on issues like nuclear proliferation, regional security, international terrorism and organised crime, cyber-security, and energy and climate security. As Han Dorussen and I explain in our new book EU-Japan Security Cooperation: Trends and Prospects, these agreements come at a crucial time in the development of international trade and global governance. Brexit has the UK trying to redefine its relationship with the EU and potentially forge its own trade policies with the rest of the world. Perhaps more importantly, the new EU-Japan agreements stand in direct contrast to Donald Trump’s decision to introduce an “America First” trade policy. Since being elected president in 2016, Trump has emphasised bilateral deals, erected trade barriers and undermined international institutions like the World Trade Organisation. Indeed, it was the anticipation of Trump’s nationalist policies, and especially his withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, that gave renewed impetus to the EU and Japan’s lingering negotiations of the two agreements. Large trade agreements take a notoriously long time to negotiate and talks between the EU and Japan first began in 2013. Japan and the EU – and Germany in particular – are export-driven economies and advocates of open trade. The protectionist stance of President Trump left them feeling vulnerable. So the new economic agreement is seen as strongly reaffirming the rules-based international trading system. The concessions Japan offered to the EU on agricultural products are a blow to US farmers, who for a long time had been hoping to pry open this sealed market. The EU-Japan deal will emphasise Japan’s commitment to free trade and give further thrust to the newly-formed multilateral trade agreement known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which rose from the ashes of the TPP after the US withdrawal. Opening up trade The EU-Japan economic agreement will ultimately remove 97 per cent of the tariffs that Japan applies to European goods and 99 per cent of those applied by the EU. It is estimated that EU companies will save €1 billion a year in duties which they currently pay when exporting to Japan. A number of longstanding regulatory barriers, for example on car exports, will also be removed. The agreement will open up the Japanese market of 127m consumers to key EU agricultural products and increase EU export opportunities in many other sectors such as financial services. As Japan will scrap duties on agricultural products, the Europeans stand to gain the most from exports of consumer products, such as cheese, pork, and wines. Japan’s main interest in a trade deal with Europe was to increase its auto industry exports. The EU currently imposes a 10 per cent tariff on Japanese cars. Under the agreement, it will lower this to zero over eight years. Although cars and auto components account for about a fifth of Japan’s exports to Europe, Japanese car makers’ share of the European market is only about 10 per cent – much lower than in the US or Asia. Besides these improvements, the economic agreement will strengthen cooperation between Europe and Japan in a range of areas. It will reaffirm their shared commitment to sustainable development and include for the first time a specific commitment to the Paris climate agreement. EU firms already export more than €58 billion in goods and €28 billion in services to Japan every year. This will grow, and the strategic partnership will lead to the further deepening of EU-Japan relations and engagement across a wide range of global, regional and bilateral thematic issues. It reaffirms the shared values and common principles that form the basis of EU-Japan relations, including human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Together, the EU and Japan’s economies account for about a third of global GDP. The new trade agreement should, therefore, serve to bolster the global economy, as well as marking a strong commitment to multilateralism by two of the world’s biggest economies. (Emil Kirchner is Emeritus Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

EU-Japan trade deal comes into force to create the world’s biggest trade zone

Britain may need<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-represents-only-way-to-ensure-orderly-uk-withdrawal-ireland-foreign-minister-coveney-193943"> to delay Brexit </a>to pass legislation to implement the split with the European Union, foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday.

As the March 29 withdrawal date looms, the government is still trying to convince MPs to support a version of the divorce deal it has agreed with the bloc.

Even if it is passed, legislation putting the treaty into effect would then have to go through both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

"If we ended up approving a deal in the days before March 29, then we might need some extra time to pass critical legislation," Hunt told BBC radio.

"But if we are able to make progress sooner then that might not be necessary. We can't know at this stage exactly which of those scenarios would happen."

The government is considering extending parliamentary hours and cancelling the February holiday of MPs to allow more time to debate Brexit legislation.

But there are still eight laws needed to prepare for Brexit, not just on the deal but also covering issues such as trade, agriculture and immigration.

Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the House of Commons, had previously suggested Britain could probably secure "a couple of extra weeks" if needed.

Any delay must be agreed by the other 27 EU countries.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/theresa-mays-brexit-deal-finally-wins-majority-support-in-parliament-193817">Prime Minister Theresa May</a> has promised to return to Brussels to try to secure changes to the deal that would enable MPs to support it, but the EU has warned it does not want to reopen the agreement.

Without the deal, Britain runs the risk of severing ties with its closest trading partner on March 29 with no new arrangements in place.

Britain may need to delay Brexit to pass legislation to implement the split with the European Union, foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday. As the March 29 withdrawal date looms, the government is still trying to convince MPs to support a version of the divorce deal it has agreed with the bloc.

Britain may need to delay Brexit to pass legislation to implement the split with the European Union, foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday. As the March 29 withdrawal date looms, the government is still trying to convince MPs to support a version of the divorce deal it has agreed with the bloc. Even if it is passed, legislation putting the treaty into effect would then have to go through both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. "If we ended up approving a deal in the days before March 29, then we might need some extra time to pass critical legislation," Hunt told BBC radio. "But if we are able to make progress sooner then that might not be necessary. We can't know at this stage exactly which of those scenarios would happen." The government is considering extending parliamentary hours and cancelling the February holiday of MPs to allow more time to debate Brexit legislation. But there are still eight laws needed to prepare for Brexit, not just on the deal but also covering issues such as trade, agriculture and immigration. Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the House of Commons, had previously suggested Britain could probably secure "a couple of extra weeks" if needed. Any delay must be agreed by the other 27 EU countries. Prime Minister Theresa May has promised to return to Brussels to try to secure changes to the deal that would enable MPs to support it, but the EU has warned it does not want to reopen the agreement. Without the deal, Britain runs the risk of severing ties with its closest trading partner on March 29 with no new arrangements in place.

May need to delay Brexit to pass legislation to implement split with EU: Britain

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-i-dont-want-to-leave-eu-without-a-deal-pm-theresa-may-to-lawmakers-193765">British Prime Minister Theresa May</a> won parliament's backing on Tuesday to renegotiate her Brexit deal — a major policy reversal that sets up a new standoff with the EU after it ruled out any change.

May's dramatic decision to abandon a pact she herself sealed with the 27 EU leaders at a summit last month came with Britain on course to crash out of the bloc after 46 years in a blaze of political and economic chaos on March 29.

The pound quickly fell on fears of a no-deal scenario as MPs voted through an amendment saying they would only support a divorce deal if its controversial "backstop" clause to keep the Irish border open was removed.

A spokesman for EU leader Donald Tusk said the deal was "not open for renegotiation" while French President Emmanuel Macron said it was the "best agreement possible".

MPs also voted in favour of a non-binding measure that "rejects the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a Withdrawal Agreement".

But they failed to vote through a more important plan — backed by European supporters — that would have tried to force through a Brexit delay if no new deal with the EU emerged by February 26.

May now faces a formidable challenge convincing Brussels to re-open talks that took 18 excruciating months to conclude.

She said parliament's approval of the backstop amendment gave her the "mandate" to "seek to obtain legally binding changes to the withdrawal agreement".

But she conceded that there was "limited appetite" in the EU for renegotiation.

"It won't be easy," said May. "But in contrast to a fortnight ago, this house has made it clear what it needs to approve the withdrawal agreement."

'Alternative arrangement' 
Parliament on January 15 voted against the draft deal by a crushing margin.

That significantly raised the risk that Britain's departure without a plan on March 29 will create trade and economic disruptions on both sides of the Channel.

Brexit hardliners from May's Conservative party think the backstop -- created to keep the border open with Ireland -- could see Britain indefinitely tied to EU trade rules.

The winning amendment calls for the backstop to be replaced with "alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border" -- vague wording that did not pin May to any specific approach.

- Playing for time? - 
Yet analysts struggled to see how May could convince her EU counterparts to agree to any changes.

"The only strategy I can see behind all this is the prime minister uses this to finally prove to all but her most recalcitrant backbenchers that the backstop cannot be renegotiated," King's College London professor Anand Menon said.

"She is going to have to come back definitely and say this deal isn't on offer," Menon said.

University College London professor Morten Ravn agreed that May appeared to be playing for time.

"May won support for an amendment that she probably expects she cannot deliver on in the hope that parliament will support her deal last minute in order to avoid no-deal Brexit," Ravn told AFP.

May promised to give MPs a chance to vote on what happens next on February 14 should she fail to win a new agreement over the course of the next two weeks.

'Nothing changes' 
May already tried and failed to wrest new concessions from Brussels during a difficult summit last month that exposed her weak negotiating position -- and the European Union's resolve.

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier's deputy Sabine Weyand on Monday remarked that the current political debate in Britain felt "like Groundhog Day".

She said Britain risked crashing out of the EU without a deal "by accident" because London cannot decide what it wants.

Following Tuesday's votes, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said the he hoped the backstop would "never be used" or replaced quickly by a new trade agreement.

"But it is necessary and tonight's developments at Westminster do nothing to change this," Coveney tweeted.

British Prime Minister Theresa May won parliament's backing on Tuesday to renegotiate her Brexit deal — a major policy reversal that sets up a new standoff with the EU after it ruled out any change.

British Prime Minister Theresa May won parliament's backing on Tuesday to renegotiate her Brexit deal — a major policy reversal that sets up a new standoff with the EU after it ruled out any change. May's dramatic decision to abandon a pact she herself sealed with the 27 EU leaders at a summit last month came with Britain on course to crash out of the bloc after 46 years in a blaze of political and economic chaos on March 29. The pound quickly fell on fears of a no-deal scenario as MPs voted through an amendment saying they would only support a divorce deal if its controversial "backstop" clause to keep the Irish border open was removed. A spokesman for EU leader Donald Tusk said the deal was "not open for renegotiation" while French President Emmanuel Macron said it was the "best agreement possible". MPs also voted in favour of a non-binding measure that "rejects the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a Withdrawal Agreement". But they failed to vote through a more important plan — backed by European supporters — that would have tried to force through a Brexit delay if no new deal with the EU emerged by February 26. May now faces a formidable challenge convincing Brussels to re-open talks that took 18 excruciating months to conclude. She said parliament's approval of the backstop amendment gave her the "mandate" to "seek to obtain legally binding changes to the withdrawal agreement". But she conceded that there was "limited appetite" in the EU for renegotiation. "It won't be easy," said May. "But in contrast to a fortnight ago, this house has made it clear what it needs to approve the withdrawal agreement." 'Alternative arrangement' Parliament on January 15 voted against the draft deal by a crushing margin. That significantly raised the risk that Britain's departure without a plan on March 29 will create trade and economic disruptions on both sides of the Channel. Brexit hardliners from May's Conservative party think the backstop -- created to keep the border open with Ireland -- could see Britain indefinitely tied to EU trade rules. The winning amendment calls for the backstop to be replaced with "alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border" -- vague wording that did not pin May to any specific approach. - Playing for time? - Yet analysts struggled to see how May could convince her EU counterparts to agree to any changes. "The only strategy I can see behind all this is the prime minister uses this to finally prove to all but her most recalcitrant backbenchers that the backstop cannot be renegotiated," King's College London professor Anand Menon said. "She is going to have to come back definitely and say this deal isn't on offer," Menon said. University College London professor Morten Ravn agreed that May appeared to be playing for time. "May won support for an amendment that she probably expects she cannot deliver on in the hope that parliament will support her deal last minute in order to avoid no-deal Brexit," Ravn told AFP. May promised to give MPs a chance to vote on what happens next on February 14 should she fail to win a new agreement over the course of the next two weeks. 'Nothing changes' May already tried and failed to wrest new concessions from Brussels during a difficult summit last month that exposed her weak negotiating position -- and the European Union's resolve. EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier's deputy Sabine Weyand on Monday remarked that the current political debate in Britain felt "like Groundhog Day". She said Britain risked crashing out of the EU without a deal "by accident" because London cannot decide what it wants. Following Tuesday's votes, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said the he hoped the backstop would "never be used" or replaced quickly by a new trade agreement. "But it is necessary and tonight's developments at Westminster do nothing to change this," Coveney tweeted.

UK MPs vote to renegotiate Brexit, EU says it's not happening

The European Union has a message for British <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-govt-may-scrap-mps-holiday-to-pass-brexit-laws-193184">Prime Minister Theresa Ma</a>y&nbsp;as she plots a path out of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/with-two-months-to-brexit-cracks-form-on-irish-border-193080">Brexit impasse</a>: a backup plan for the Irish border can be tweaked but will have to be included in any divorce deal.

With less than nine weeks until the United Kingdom is due by law to leave the European Union on March 29, there is no agreement yet in London on how and even whether to leave the world's biggest trading bloc.

Parliament defeated May's deal two weeks ago by a huge margin with many Brexit-supporting rebels in her Conservative Party angry at the Irish backstop, an insurance policy aimed at preventing a hard border in Ireland if no other solutions can be agreed.

Ahead of Tuesday's votes in the British parliament on a way forward, lawmakers in May's party are pushing for her to demand the European Union drop the backstop and replace it with something else.

Ireland said the backstop was staying and the European Commission repeated on Monday that the withdrawal agreement text, and its backstop component, is not open for renegotiation.

"The European Parliament will not ratify a withdrawal agreement that doesn't have a backstop in it, it's as simple as that," Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney told the BBC.

As the Brexit crisis goes down to the line, however, EU officials indicated there might be wriggle room if May came back with a clear, and viable, request for changes that she - and the EU - believe will secure a final ratification.

The backstop is a type of insurance policy aimed at preventing a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland if no other solutions can be agreed. It is the most contentious part of May's deal.

IRELAND

The question for May is whether the EU can offer enough to get a variant of her defeated deal through the British parliament.

Possible amendments floated by EU officials range from further public assurances that the backstop would probably never be used or only for a brief period to amending the text which accompanies the treaty and which lays out expectations for the trading relationship that will come in after the transition.

The EU has explicitly said if Britain were to stay in a customs union indefinitely, as the opposition Labour Party favours, that could leave the backstop redundant.

One key element is maintaining a united front with the Irish government, which insists it needs the backstop without a time limit to ensure there is no physical frontier, which could become a target of the violence that has been reduced as a result of the two-decade-old Good Friday Agreement peace deal.

EU and Irish leaders insist that Dublin is under no pressure to relent.

However, a looming no-deal Brexit, in which the EU insists Ireland cannot leave an open door to British goods, has highlighted the difficulty Ireland will face if the backstop issue scuppers an agreement.

EU leaders are open to giving May more time beyond March 29 if she can convince them she will use the time to secure the elusive orderly outcome, whether leaving or staying.

"SHOW US YOUR MAJORITY"

Brussels and the national governments are keeping their options open, however, determined not to give in to British demands that they believe would undermine their single market but also anxious to use every possibility to avoid chaos.

But they are reluctant to offer May more concessions that then fail to satisfy British lawmakers.

"Theresa May must show us a majority for something concrete. Come back and be specific about what she needs to get the deal passed," one EU source told Reuters.

"All eyes are on the House of Commons, what amendments pass and what can be built on their basis, maybe around the middle of February," said another.

May is trying to use a series of votes in parliament on Tuesday to find a consensus that lawmakers in her own party could support, just two weeks since her deal suffered the biggest parliamentary defeat in modern British history.

The British parliament on Tuesday will vote on proposals put forward by lawmakers including a delay to Brexit and going back to the EU to demand changes to the Northern Irish backstop.

In essence, May is forcing lawmakers to show their cards on what sort of Brexit, if any, they want. Lawmakers in her own party want her to demand a last-minute change to the deal to remove the backstop.

The European Union has a message for British Prime Minister Theresa May as she plots a path out of the Brexit impasse: a backup plan for the Irish border can be tweaked but will have to be included in any divorce deal.

The European Union has a message for British Prime Minister Theresa May as she plots a path out of the Brexit impasse: a backup plan for the Irish border can be tweaked but will have to be included in any divorce deal. With less than nine weeks until the United Kingdom is due by law to leave the European Union on March 29, there is no agreement yet in London on how and even whether to leave the world's biggest trading bloc. Parliament defeated May's deal two weeks ago by a huge margin with many Brexit-supporting rebels in her Conservative Party angry at the Irish backstop, an insurance policy aimed at preventing a hard border in Ireland if no other solutions can be agreed. Ahead of Tuesday's votes in the British parliament on a way forward, lawmakers in May's party are pushing for her to demand the European Union drop the backstop and replace it with something else. Ireland said the backstop was staying and the European Commission repeated on Monday that the withdrawal agreement text, and its backstop component, is not open for renegotiation. "The European Parliament will not ratify a withdrawal agreement that doesn't have a backstop in it, it's as simple as that," Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney told the BBC. As the Brexit crisis goes down to the line, however, EU officials indicated there might be wriggle room if May came back with a clear, and viable, request for changes that she - and the EU - believe will secure a final ratification. The backstop is a type of insurance policy aimed at preventing a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland if no other solutions can be agreed. It is the most contentious part of May's deal. IRELAND The question for May is whether the EU can offer enough to get a variant of her defeated deal through the British parliament. Possible amendments floated by EU officials range from further public assurances that the backstop would probably never be used or only for a brief period to amending the text which accompanies the treaty and which lays out expectations for the trading relationship that will come in after the transition. The EU has explicitly said if Britain were to stay in a customs union indefinitely, as the opposition Labour Party favours, that could leave the backstop redundant. One key element is maintaining a united front with the Irish government, which insists it needs the backstop without a time limit to ensure there is no physical frontier, which could become a target of the violence that has been reduced as a result of the two-decade-old Good Friday Agreement peace deal. EU and Irish leaders insist that Dublin is under no pressure to relent. However, a looming no-deal Brexit, in which the EU insists Ireland cannot leave an open door to British goods, has highlighted the difficulty Ireland will face if the backstop issue scuppers an agreement. EU leaders are open to giving May more time beyond March 29 if she can convince them she will use the time to secure the elusive orderly outcome, whether leaving or staying. "SHOW US YOUR MAJORITY" Brussels and the national governments are keeping their options open, however, determined not to give in to British demands that they believe would undermine their single market but also anxious to use every possibility to avoid chaos. But they are reluctant to offer May more concessions that then fail to satisfy British lawmakers. "Theresa May must show us a majority for something concrete. Come back and be specific about what she needs to get the deal passed," one EU source told Reuters. "All eyes are on the House of Commons, what amendments pass and what can be built on their basis, maybe around the middle of February," said another. May is trying to use a series of votes in parliament on Tuesday to find a consensus that lawmakers in her own party could support, just two weeks since her deal suffered the biggest parliamentary defeat in modern British history. The British parliament on Tuesday will vote on proposals put forward by lawmakers including a delay to Brexit and going back to the EU to demand changes to the Northern Irish backstop. In essence, May is forcing lawmakers to show their cards on what sort of Brexit, if any, they want. Lawmakers in her own party want her to demand a last-minute change to the deal to remove the backstop.

EU will not ratify Brexit withdrawal without backstop: Ireland deputy PM Coveney

Venezuela crisis: EU gives Maduro 8-day deadline to call elections

The United States pressed all nations Saturday to "stand with the forces of freedom" in Venezuela, encouraged by a tougher European line as Russia stood in the minority in backing embattled leader Nicolas Maduro.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a forceful case at a special session of the United Nations Security Council, where he described Maduro as part of an "illegitimate mafia state" responsible for Venezuela's economic collapse.

With mounting protests over Venezuela's crisis in which more than two million have fled shortages of basic food and medicine, Pompeo asked all nations to follow the US in recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president.

"Now it is time for every other nation to pick a side. No more delays, no more games. Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you're in league with Maduro and his mayhem," Pompeo said.

Pompeo denounced Russia and China, which have stood by Maduro, saying that they were motivated not by principle but raw financial interest.

"China and Russia are propping up a failed regime in the hopes of recovering billions of dollars in ill-considered investments and assistance made over the years," Pompeo said.

Russia has denounced the United States for interference and attempted to block the Security Council meeting, but it was voted down with nine of the 15 members agreeing to go forward.

"Venezuela does not pose any threat to peace and security. The intention of the United States is to orchestrate a coup d'etat," said the Russian ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia.

He accused the United States of renewing a long history of imperialism in Latin America, saying that Washington treated it as a "backyard where you can do anything you want."&nbsp;

But Russia managed to block a Security Council statement seen by AFP that would have offered "full support to Guaido and called the National Assembly that he heads "Venezuela's only democratically elected institution."

President Donald Trump's recognition of Guaido has enjoyed the support of many, but not all, Latin American powers including Brazil, Colombia and Argentina.

European powers, after cautious initial statements, on Saturday warned that they will recognize Guaido unless Maduro calls elections within eight days.

"If within eight days there are no fair, free and transparent elections called in Venezuela, Spain will recognize Juan Guaido as Venezuelan president" so that he himself can call the vote, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised announcement.

French President Emmanuel Macron followed suit in a tweet, saying "the Venezuelan people must be able to freely decide on their future." Germany and Britain also joined in the ultimatum.

Guaido quickly welcomed the support from the European powerhouses.

"There continues to be progress in the European Union for the recognition and full support of our legitimate and constitutional struggle," he tweeted.

But other members of the 28-nation bloc such as Austria, Greece and Portugal are more reluctant.

Greece's ruling left-wing party Syriza has publicly backed Maduro, with party secretary Panos Skourletis voicing "full support and solidarity" to what to he called "the legal president."

Fears for Guaido&nbsp;

Sanchez insisted that Spain, which has some 200,000 of its nationals living in Venezuela, is "not looking to impose or remove governments in Venezuela, we want democracy and free elections in Venezuela."

Maduro's re-election last year was contested by the opposition and rejected by the US, EU and UN as a sham -- but he has until now retained the loyalty of the powerful military.

Guaido, who has managed to galvanise a previously divided opposition, this week attempted to attract military support by offering an amnesty to anyone who disavows Maduro, with no luck so far.

In a Skype interview with Univision late Thursday, he went one step further by suggesting Maduro could be offered amnesty if he agrees to step down.

He has, however, rejected an offer of talks with Maduro, saying he won't attend a "fake dialogue" on a crisis that has left 26 dead in clashes this week between anti-Maduro activists and security forces.

More than 350 people have also been detained this week in the protests, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Friday.

Guaido has acalled for another "major demonstration" next week.

Maduro, for his part, called for a "popular rebellion against the coup" on the streets of Venezuela.

The Inter-American Human Rights Commission late Friday issued a statement warning that Guaido's life and health were in danger given the high political tension in the country.

Maduro has given US diplomats until late Saturday to leave Venezuela.&nbsp;

The United States said it was ignoring the orders as it no longer considers Maduro the president -- but withdrew non-essential staff and argued that Maduro, who controls the security forces, still bore responsibility for diplomats' safety.&nbsp;

"Do not test the United States on our resolve to protect our people," Pompeo warned.

The United States pressed all nations Saturday to "stand with the forces of freedom" in Venezuela, encouraged by a tougher European line as Russia stood in the minority in backing embattled leader Nicolas Maduro.

The United States pressed all nations Saturday to "stand with the forces of freedom" in Venezuela, encouraged by a tougher European line as Russia stood in the minority in backing embattled leader Nicolas Maduro. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a forceful case at a special session of the United Nations Security Council, where he described Maduro as part of an "illegitimate mafia state" responsible for Venezuela's economic collapse. With mounting protests over Venezuela's crisis in which more than two million have fled shortages of basic food and medicine, Pompeo asked all nations to follow the US in recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president. "Now it is time for every other nation to pick a side. No more delays, no more games. Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you're in league with Maduro and his mayhem," Pompeo said. Pompeo denounced Russia and China, which have stood by Maduro, saying that they were motivated not by principle but raw financial interest. "China and Russia are propping up a failed regime in the hopes of recovering billions of dollars in ill-considered investments and assistance made over the years," Pompeo said. Russia has denounced the United States for interference and attempted to block the Security Council meeting, but it was voted down with nine of the 15 members agreeing to go forward. "Venezuela does not pose any threat to peace and security. The intention of the United States is to orchestrate a coup d'etat," said the Russian ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia. He accused the United States of renewing a long history of imperialism in Latin America, saying that Washington treated it as a "backyard where you can do anything you want." But Russia managed to block a Security Council statement seen by AFP that would have offered "full support to Guaido and called the National Assembly that he heads "Venezuela's only democratically elected institution." President Donald Trump's recognition of Guaido has enjoyed the support of many, but not all, Latin American powers including Brazil, Colombia and Argentina. European powers, after cautious initial statements, on Saturday warned that they will recognize Guaido unless Maduro calls elections within eight days. "If within eight days there are no fair, free and transparent elections called in Venezuela, Spain will recognize Juan Guaido as Venezuelan president" so that he himself can call the vote, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised announcement. French President Emmanuel Macron followed suit in a tweet, saying "the Venezuelan people must be able to freely decide on their future." Germany and Britain also joined in the ultimatum. Guaido quickly welcomed the support from the European powerhouses. "There continues to be progress in the European Union for the recognition and full support of our legitimate and constitutional struggle," he tweeted. But other members of the 28-nation bloc such as Austria, Greece and Portugal are more reluctant. Greece's ruling left-wing party Syriza has publicly backed Maduro, with party secretary Panos Skourletis voicing "full support and solidarity" to what to he called "the legal president." Fears for Guaido Sanchez insisted that Spain, which has some 200,000 of its nationals living in Venezuela, is "not looking to impose or remove governments in Venezuela, we want democracy and free elections in Venezuela." Maduro's re-election last year was contested by the opposition and rejected by the US, EU and UN as a sham -- but he has until now retained the loyalty of the powerful military. Guaido, who has managed to galvanise a previously divided opposition, this week attempted to attract military support by offering an amnesty to anyone who disavows Maduro, with no luck so far. In a Skype interview with Univision late Thursday, he went one step further by suggesting Maduro could be offered amnesty if he agrees to step down. He has, however, rejected an offer of talks with Maduro, saying he won't attend a "fake dialogue" on a crisis that has left 26 dead in clashes this week between anti-Maduro activists and security forces. More than 350 people have also been detained this week in the protests, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Friday. Guaido has acalled for another "major demonstration" next week. Maduro, for his part, called for a "popular rebellion against the coup" on the streets of Venezuela. The Inter-American Human Rights Commission late Friday issued a statement warning that Guaido's life and health were in danger given the high political tension in the country. Maduro has given US diplomats until late Saturday to leave Venezuela. The United States said it was ignoring the orders as it no longer considers Maduro the president -- but withdrew non-essential staff and argued that Maduro, who controls the security forces, still bore responsibility for diplomats' safety. "Do not test the United States on our resolve to protect our people," Pompeo warned.

US calls to 'stand with freedom' in Venezuela as EU gives ultimatum

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spain-france-germany-give-embattled-venezuelan-leader-nicolas-maduro-an-ultimatum-192997">European Union</a> "will take further actions" if new elections are not called in Venezuela in the coming days, EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said on Saturday, as international pressure grows on embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Her statement came after the United States, Canada and major South American governments recognised opposition leader Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself acting president in a challenge to Maduro.

"In the absence of an announcement on the organisation of fresh elections with the necessary guarantees over the next days, the EU will take further actions, including on the issue of recognition of the country's leadership," Mogherini said.

Spain, France, Germany, Portugal and the United Kingdom on Saturday also gave Maduro an ultimatum&nbsp;of eight days to call new elections or they would recognise Guaido as president.

The coordinated announcements are the most explicit yet from EU countries after the 28-member bloc struggled to draft a joint statement with regards to its position on the crisis in Venezuela.

However, the ultimatum has been rejected by Venezuela's finance minister&nbsp;insisting that Nicolas Maduro remained the legitimate president despite US-led pressure.

"Nobody is going to give us deadlines or tell us if there are elections or not," Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told a special session of the United Nations Security Council.

Maduro's reelection last year was contested by the opposition and rejected by the US, EU and UN as a sham -- but he has until now retained the loyalty of the South American OPEC nation's powerful military.

Guaido, who is chief of the elected National Assembly, proclaimed himself acting president of Venezuela during massive street rallies this week.

"The EU reiterates its full support to the National Assembly, which is the democratic legitimate body of Venezuela," the Mogherini statement said. "We reaffirm our deep belief that a peaceful and inclusive democratic solution is the only sustainable way out of the current political impasse."

After four years of economic collapse that has left Venezuelans short of food and medicine and driven more than two million to flee, Guaido is trying to oust Maduro following elections that saw the socialist leader sworn in for a second term.

The European Union "will take further actions" if new elections are not called in Venezuela in the coming days, EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said on Saturday, as international pressure grows on embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

The European Union "will take further actions" if new elections are not called in Venezuela in the coming days, EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said on Saturday, as international pressure grows on embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Her statement came after the United States, Canada and major South American governments recognised opposition leader Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself acting president in a challenge to Maduro. "In the absence of an announcement on the organisation of fresh elections with the necessary guarantees over the next days, the EU will take further actions, including on the issue of recognition of the country's leadership," Mogherini said. Spain, France, Germany, Portugal and the United Kingdom on Saturday also gave Maduro an ultimatum of eight days to call new elections or they would recognise Guaido as president. The coordinated announcements are the most explicit yet from EU countries after the 28-member bloc struggled to draft a joint statement with regards to its position on the crisis in Venezuela. However, the ultimatum has been rejected by Venezuela's finance minister insisting that Nicolas Maduro remained the legitimate president despite US-led pressure. "Nobody is going to give us deadlines or tell us if there are elections or not," Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told a special session of the United Nations Security Council. Maduro's reelection last year was contested by the opposition and rejected by the US, EU and UN as a sham -- but he has until now retained the loyalty of the South American OPEC nation's powerful military. Guaido, who is chief of the elected National Assembly, proclaimed himself acting president of Venezuela during massive street rallies this week. "The EU reiterates its full support to the National Assembly, which is the democratic legitimate body of Venezuela," the Mogherini statement said. "We reaffirm our deep belief that a peaceful and inclusive democratic solution is the only sustainable way out of the current political impasse." After four years of economic collapse that has left Venezuelans short of food and medicine and driven more than two million to flee, Guaido is trying to oust Maduro following elections that saw the socialist leader sworn in for a second term.

EU to 'take further actions' if new elections not called in Venezuela: Diplomatic chief Mogherini

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Former British prime minister Tony Blair said on Thursday&nbsp;that he believed the chances of a second Brexit referendum taking place were now greater than 50 percent.

With just over nine weeks until Britain is due to leave the EU, there is still no deal on the divorce terms and future relations, after parliament last week crushingly defeated the plan that Prime Minister Theresa May had negotiated.

"The real options have dawned on the members of parliament and therefore, there's not really a majority at the moment for any Brexit proposition," Blair, who opposes leaving the European Union, told Reuters TV at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Since rejecting May's deal, British lawmakers have failed to unite behind any other option and remain deeply divided over how to proceed. Some favour a second referendum as a way of breaking the deadlock in parliament.

Blair, from the main opposition Labour Party and prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said Britain was faced with the choice of a "pointless" Brexit that would render the country a "rule-taker", or a painful break away from the EU.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair said on Thursday that he believed the chances of a second Brexit referendum taking place were now greater than 50 percent.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair said on Thursday that he believed the chances of a second Brexit referendum taking place were now greater than 50 percent. With just over nine weeks until Britain is due to leave the EU, there is still no deal on the divorce terms and future relations, after parliament last week crushingly defeated the plan that Prime Minister Theresa May had negotiated. "The real options have dawned on the members of parliament and therefore, there's not really a majority at the moment for any Brexit proposition," Blair, who opposes leaving the European Union, told Reuters TV at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Since rejecting May's deal, British lawmakers have failed to unite behind any other option and remain deeply divided over how to proceed. Some favour a second referendum as a way of breaking the deadlock in parliament. Blair, from the main opposition Labour Party and prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said Britain was faced with the choice of a "pointless" Brexit that would render the country a "rule-taker", or a painful break away from the EU.

'50-50 chance of second Brexit referendum': Ex British PM Tony Blair

The White House on Tuesday said high-level trade talks with Beijing were proceeding uninterrupted, quickly rebutting media reports that progress toward resolving their trade war had faltered.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is to meet his US counterparts in Washington next week as the two sides work to resolve their trade disagreements by March 1, when a 90-day truce is due to expire, allowing US import duties on Chinese goods to increase sharply.

Washington and Beijing imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on more than $360 billion worth of goods in two-way trade last year.

Trump initiated the trade war because of complaints about unfair Chinese trade practices -- concerns shared by the European Union, Japan and others.

The Financial Times and CNBC both reported Tuesday afternoon that Washington had cancelled a preliminary meeting set for this week ahead of Liu's visit.

American officials had reportedly cited a lack of progress on the most difficult issues in the trade dispute -- including allegedly forced technology transfers and far-reaching structural reforms to China's economy.

The reports sent Wall Street even further into the red. US stocks had already opened lower on downgraded forecasts for global economic growth.

But, shortly before the close of trading in New York, top White House economic aide Larry Kudlow flatly denied the reports during an appearance on CNBC.

"With respect, the story is not true," Kudlow said.

"There was never a planned meeting that was cancelled."

Stock prices recovered some of their losses following his remarks but still finished substantially lower for the day.

Kudlow said the United States continued to press the Chinese on the subject of intellectual property and state intervention in markets, among other matters.

He also said American officials were insisting that any agreement have teeth to ensure Beijing's compliance.

"Enforcement is absolutely crucial to the success of these talks," Kudlow said.&nbsp;

"Will it be solved at the end of the month? I don't know. I wouldn't dare predict and want to make sure people understand how important that is to put it on the table."

If both sides fail to reach a resolution to the trade war, US duty rates on $200 billion in Chinese goods are due to rise to 25 per cent from their current 10 per cent, a prospect that has shaken markets in recent months.

Last year, the Chinese economy posted its slowest annual growth in nearly three decades, according to official figures published Monday in Beijing, underscoring concerns the trade conflict with the United States could sap the strength of the world's second-largest economy and harm global growth in the process. 
&nbsp;

The White House on Tuesday said high-level trade talks with Beijing were proceeding uninterrupted, quickly rebutting media reports that progress toward resolving their trade war had faltered.

The White House on Tuesday said high-level trade talks with Beijing were proceeding uninterrupted, quickly rebutting media reports that progress toward resolving their trade war had faltered. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is to meet his US counterparts in Washington next week as the two sides work to resolve their trade disagreements by March 1, when a 90-day truce is due to expire, allowing US import duties on Chinese goods to increase sharply. Washington and Beijing imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on more than $360 billion worth of goods in two-way trade last year. Trump initiated the trade war because of complaints about unfair Chinese trade practices -- concerns shared by the European Union, Japan and others. The Financial Times and CNBC both reported Tuesday afternoon that Washington had cancelled a preliminary meeting set for this week ahead of Liu's visit. American officials had reportedly cited a lack of progress on the most difficult issues in the trade dispute -- including allegedly forced technology transfers and far-reaching structural reforms to China's economy. The reports sent Wall Street even further into the red. US stocks had already opened lower on downgraded forecasts for global economic growth. But, shortly before the close of trading in New York, top White House economic aide Larry Kudlow flatly denied the reports during an appearance on CNBC. "With respect, the story is not true," Kudlow said. "There was never a planned meeting that was cancelled." Stock prices recovered some of their losses following his remarks but still finished substantially lower for the day. Kudlow said the United States continued to press the Chinese on the subject of intellectual property and state intervention in markets, among other matters. He also said American officials were insisting that any agreement have teeth to ensure Beijing's compliance. "Enforcement is absolutely crucial to the success of these talks," Kudlow said. "Will it be solved at the end of the month? I don't know. I wouldn't dare predict and want to make sure people understand how important that is to put it on the table." If both sides fail to reach a resolution to the trade war, US duty rates on $200 billion in Chinese goods are due to rise to 25 per cent from their current 10 per cent, a prospect that has shaken markets in recent months. Last year, the Chinese economy posted its slowest annual growth in nearly three decades, according to official figures published Monday in Beijing, underscoring concerns the trade conflict with the United States could sap the strength of the world's second-largest economy and harm global growth in the process.

White House denies reports of cancelled trade meeting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The African Union and the EU on Tuesday signalled their willingness to accept the official results of DR Congo's presidential election, despite bitter protests by the runner-up.

Felix Tshisekedi is expected to be sworn in as president on Thursday after the country's highest court declared him victor -- even though leaked figures suggested his opponent had won.

After talks between EU and AU foreign ministers in Brussels, the African bloc's peace and security commissioner Smail Chergui said his organisation was "ready to work with president Mr Tshisekedi."

The EU's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini did not give Tshisekedi such explicit backing.

But she said Brussels had "taken note" of the officially-declared results, and she referred to Tshisekedi as the "new president".

"The task now for the new president includes major challenges in several sectors -- on the security, social, economic and governance fronts," Mogherini said.

"We think that all of this requires the president to be a unifier, willing to engage in dialogue both inside the country and abroad... to meet the political and economic aspirations of the people."

In a further sign of the EU's acceptance, the bloc will have an official representative at the inauguration.

The identity and rank of the envoy was not given. On December 27, DR Congo expelled the EU's head of mission, Bart Ouvry, a Belgian national, after the 28-nation bloc reimposed sanctions on 14 officials over a brutal crackdown on protest.

The ceremony will come after three weeks of growing tension over the long and drawn-out counting process after the December 30 vote.

After Tshisekedi was provisionally declared winner, his main rival Martin Fayulu appealed, but the Constitutional Court ruled against him.

At stake is political stewardship of the mineral-rich but notoriously unstable central African nation, which has been ruled by strongman Joseph Kabila since 2001.

Tshisekedi's investiture will mark the country's first peaceful handover of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.

The African Union and the EU on Tuesday signalled their willingness to accept the official results of DR Congo's presidential election, despite bitter protests by the runner-up.

The African Union and the EU on Tuesday signalled their willingness to accept the official results of DR Congo's presidential election, despite bitter protests by the runner-up. Felix Tshisekedi is expected to be sworn in as president on Thursday after the country's highest court declared him victor -- even though leaked figures suggested his opponent had won. After talks between EU and AU foreign ministers in Brussels, the African bloc's peace and security commissioner Smail Chergui said his organisation was "ready to work with president Mr Tshisekedi." The EU's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini did not give Tshisekedi such explicit backing. But she said Brussels had "taken note" of the officially-declared results, and she referred to Tshisekedi as the "new president". "The task now for the new president includes major challenges in several sectors -- on the security, social, economic and governance fronts," Mogherini said. "We think that all of this requires the president to be a unifier, willing to engage in dialogue both inside the country and abroad... to meet the political and economic aspirations of the people." In a further sign of the EU's acceptance, the bloc will have an official representative at the inauguration. The identity and rank of the envoy was not given. On December 27, DR Congo expelled the EU's head of mission, Bart Ouvry, a Belgian national, after the 28-nation bloc reimposed sanctions on 14 officials over a brutal crackdown on protest. The ceremony will come after three weeks of growing tension over the long and drawn-out counting process after the December 30 vote. After Tshisekedi was provisionally declared winner, his main rival Martin Fayulu appealed, but the Constitutional Court ruled against him. At stake is political stewardship of the mineral-rich but notoriously unstable central African nation, which has been ruled by strongman Joseph Kabila since 2001. Tshisekedi's investiture will mark the country's first peaceful handover of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.

European Union, Africa Union signal willingness to work with Congo's Tshisekedi

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

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

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

Brexit: A messy separation

Russia on Monday threatened&nbsp;retaliatory measures after the <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/world/european-union-sanctions-russia-military-intel-chief-syrian-officials-over-skripal-191829">European Union imposed chemical weapons sanctions</a> on nine Russian officials over <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/from-russian-spy-poisoning-to-diplomatic-fallout-149289">nerve agent attack</a>.

"We reserve the right to take retaliatory measures over this unfriendly step," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The European Union(EU) had today imposed sanctions on nine Russian officials&nbsp;including the head and the deputy head of the powerful GRU military intelligence agency.

It blamed the Russians for &nbsp;"possession, transport and use" of the nerve agent 'Novichok'&nbsp;used in the attack&nbsp;in Salisbury, England last year in March.

In addition to an assets freeze and travel ban against Russian officials, the bloc announced sanctions on an alleged Syrian chemical weapons agency and five Syrians

Full details of those targeted were to be placed on&nbsp;the EU official journal later on Monday.

Russian agents have been blamed for the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city in March last year using the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok.

The alleged Salisbury attack, the first offensive use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War II, caused an international outcry and prompted a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats by Western nations.

The Skripals survived the alleged attack but a woman died in June after her partner picked up a discarded perfume bottle that British investigators believe was used to carry the Novichok.

Russia has denied any involvement in the poisoning and has offered numerous and varied alternative explanations and counter-accusations. 
&nbsp;

Russia on Monday threatened retaliatory measures after the European Union imposed chemical weapons sanctions on nine Russian officials over nerve agent attack. "We reserve the right to take retaliatory measures over this unfriendly step," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Russia on Monday threatened retaliatory measures after the European Union imposed chemical weapons sanctions on nine Russian officials over nerve agent attack. "We reserve the right to take retaliatory measures over this unfriendly step," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. The European Union(EU) had today imposed sanctions on nine Russian officials including the head and the deputy head of the powerful GRU military intelligence agency. It blamed the Russians for "possession, transport and use" of the nerve agent 'Novichok' used in the attack in Salisbury, England last year in March. In addition to an assets freeze and travel ban against Russian officials, the bloc announced sanctions on an alleged Syrian chemical weapons agency and five Syrians Full details of those targeted were to be placed on the EU official journal later on Monday. Russian agents have been blamed for the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city in March last year using the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok. The alleged Salisbury attack, the first offensive use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War II, caused an international outcry and prompted a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats by Western nations. The Skripals survived the alleged attack but a woman died in June after her partner picked up a discarded perfume bottle that British investigators believe was used to carry the Novichok. Russia has denied any involvement in the poisoning and has offered numerous and varied alternative explanations and counter-accusations.

Russia threatens to retaliate over EU sanctions on Russian officials in nerve attack case

France's data watchdog on Monday announced a fine of 50 million euros ($57 million) for US search giant Google, using the EU's strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the first time.

Google was handed the record fine from the CNIL regulator for failing to provide transparent and easily accessible information on its data consent policies, a statement said.

The CNIL said Google made it too difficult for users to understand and manage preferences on how their personal information is used, in particular with regards to targeted advertising.

"People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We're deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR," a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

"We're studying the decision to determine our next steps."&nbsp;

The ruling follows complaints lodged by two advocacy groups last May, shortly after the landmark GDPR directive came into effect.

One was filed on behalf of some 10,000 signatories by France's Quadrature du Net group, while the other was by None Of Your Business, created by the Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems.

Schrems had accused Google of securing "forced consent" through the use of pop-up boxes online or on its apps which imply that its services will not be available unless people accept its conditions of use.

"Also, the information provided is not sufficiently clear for the user to understand the legal basis for targeted advertising is consent, and not Google's legitimate business interests," the CNIL said.

France's data watchdog on Monday announced a fine of 50 million euros ($57 million) for US search giant Google, using the EU's strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the first time.

France's data watchdog on Monday announced a fine of 50 million euros ($57 million) for US search giant Google, using the EU's strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the first time. Google was handed the record fine from the CNIL regulator for failing to provide transparent and easily accessible information on its data consent policies, a statement said. The CNIL said Google made it too difficult for users to understand and manage preferences on how their personal information is used, in particular with regards to targeted advertising. "People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We're deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. "We're studying the decision to determine our next steps." The ruling follows complaints lodged by two advocacy groups last May, shortly after the landmark GDPR directive came into effect. One was filed on behalf of some 10,000 signatories by France's Quadrature du Net group, while the other was by None Of Your Business, created by the Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems. Schrems had accused Google of securing "forced consent" through the use of pop-up boxes online or on its apps which imply that its services will not be available unless people accept its conditions of use. "Also, the information provided is not sufficiently clear for the user to understand the legal basis for targeted advertising is consent, and not Google's legitimate business interests," the CNIL said.

France uses new European Union data law to fine Google 50 million euros

european-union

European Union, News on European Union, stories on European Union, articles on European Union, European Union stories at Wion, European Union news, European Union latest news

european union

UK MPs outraged by Tusk's 'special place in Hell' slur

Will not reopen Brexit deal, hope Theresa May has new proposals: European Union

British PM May seeks a border compromise in Northern Ireland

Delaying Brexit will extend uncertainty: UK business minister

NATO announces December summit in London

Apple agrees 500-million-euro tax settlement with France

Erdogan accuses EU of seeking Maduro's ouster in defiance of 'democracy'

Venezulea Crisis: Maduro writes letter to Pope for help

Queen Elizabeth to be evacuated in case of Brexit unrest: Report

EU, Latam contact group on Venezuela to meet on December 7

News brief: Big stories of the day

UK trade minister says EU 'irresponsible' to refuse to reopen Brexit deal

News brief: Big stories of the day

EU-Japan trade deal comes into force to create the world’s biggest trade zone

May need to delay Brexit to pass legislation to implement split with EU: Britain

UK MPs vote to renegotiate Brexit, EU says it's not happening

EU will not ratify Brexit withdrawal without backstop: Ireland deputy PM Coveney

Venezuela crisis: EU gives Maduro 8-day deadline to call elections

US calls to 'stand with freedom' in Venezuela as EU gives ultimatum

EU to 'take further actions' if new elections not called in Venezuela: Diplomatic chief Mogherini

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

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

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

'50-50 chance of second Brexit referendum': Ex British PM Tony Blair

White House denies reports of cancelled trade meeting

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