Europe could end up rueing a potential new deal between China and the United States after the two sides stepped back from a trade war, France's Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire warned Sunday.

"The United States and China risk entering an agreement at the expense of Europe if Europe is not capable of showing a firm hand," Le Maire told CNEWS television.

"The United States wants to make Europe and European countries pay for China's bad behaviour. All of that is totally absurd and incomprehensible for allies," he said.

His comments came after a joint statement issued in Washington said Beijing had agreed to reduce its trade deficit, "significantly" increasing purchases of American goods.

Trump had threatened China with tariffs on up to $150 billion (127 billion euros) of imports, prompting Beijing to warn it would target US agricultural exports, aircraft, and even whiskey.

US levies on $50 billion of Chinese imports could have come into effect as early as next week.

Trump had in March imposed steep tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium imports, though it exports comparatively little of the metals to the US market.

Le Maire said French President Emmanuel Macron had been "very clear" on his request for "total and definitive exemption from American tariffs".

Trump announced earlier this month that the EU would be shielded from his steel and aluminium tariffs along with Mexico and Canada, but only for another 30 days.

On Friday, the EU told the World Trade Organization that it was ready to unfurl retaliatory measures against US metal tariffs, which would include European tariffs on motorcycles and bourbon.

Europe could end up rueing a potential new deal between China and the United States after the two sides stepped back from a trade war, France's Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire warned Sunday

Europe could end up rueing a potential new deal between China and the United States after the two sides stepped back from a trade war, France's Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire warned Sunday. "The United States and China risk entering an agreement at the expense of Europe if Europe is not capable of showing a firm hand," Le Maire told CNEWS television. "The United States wants to make Europe and European countries pay for China's bad behaviour. All of that is totally absurd and incomprehensible for allies," he said. His comments came after a joint statement issued in Washington said Beijing had agreed to reduce its trade deficit, "significantly" increasing purchases of American goods. Trump had threatened China with tariffs on up to $150 billion (127 billion euros) of imports, prompting Beijing to warn it would target US agricultural exports, aircraft, and even whiskey. US levies on $50 billion of Chinese imports could have come into effect as early as next week. Trump had in March imposed steep tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium imports, though it exports comparatively little of the metals to the US market. Le Maire said French President Emmanuel Macron had been "very clear" on his request for "total and definitive exemption from American tariffs". Trump announced earlier this month that the EU would be shielded from his steel and aluminium tariffs along with Mexico and Canada, but only for another 30 days. On Friday, the EU told the World Trade Organization that it was ready to unfurl retaliatory measures against US metal tariffs, which would include European tariffs on motorcycles and bourbon.

US-China trade deal could cost Europe: France's Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire

Thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators took to the streets in Croatia's three biggest cities on Saturday in rallies that largely passed without incident, even as the issue continues to divide the staunchly Catholic EU member state.

Police estimated that around 10,000 people took part in a "March for Life" in Zagreb, carrying banners that read "I'm not a choice, but a child", while thousands more demonstrated in both Split and Rijeka on the Adriatic coast.

In Split, archbishop Marin Barisic held a mass during which he called on the marchers to "defend life from conception".&nbsp

But in Rijeka, a counter-demonstration, "March for Freedom", attracted crowds of several thousand people, according to local media estimates, who denounced a rise in conservatism

Police detained more than 20 women's rights activists who tried to block the anti-abortion demo.

Activists have repeatedly warned that the right to abortion is being threatened by mounting pressure from Church-backed conservative groups.

Abortion is legal in Croatia until the 10th week of pregnancy, under a law dating back to 1978, when the country was still part of communist Yugoslavia.

But activists warn that large numbers of public hospital doctors invoke a conscientious objection clause in Croatian law to refuse to perform the procedure.

In a landmark ruling last year, the country's top court rejected calls to ban abortion.

But it also ordered parliament to adopt a new law on abortion regulations by early 2019, ruling that the current legislation was outdated.

Rights groups fear that that could pave the way for more restrictive laws, that would make abortion difficult to access.&nbsp

Nearly 90 percent of Croatia's 4.2 million people are Catholics and the Church plays an important role in society.

Croatia became the EU's newest member in 2013.

Police estimated that around 10,000 people took part in a "March for Life" in Zagreb, carrying banners that read "I'm not a choice, but a child", while thousands more demonstrated in both Split and Rijeka on the Adriatic coast

Thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators took to the streets in Croatia's three biggest cities on Saturday in rallies that largely passed without incident, even as the issue continues to divide the staunchly Catholic EU member state. Police estimated that around 10,000 people took part in a "March for Life" in Zagreb, carrying banners that read "I'm not a choice, but a child", while thousands more demonstrated in both Split and Rijeka on the Adriatic coast. In Split, archbishop Marin Barisic held a mass during which he called on the marchers to "defend life from conception". But in Rijeka, a counter-demonstration, "March for Freedom", attracted crowds of several thousand people, according to local media estimates, who denounced a rise in conservatism Police detained more than 20 women's rights activists who tried to block the anti-abortion demo. Activists have repeatedly warned that the right to abortion is being threatened by mounting pressure from Church-backed conservative groups. Abortion is legal in Croatia until the 10th week of pregnancy, under a law dating back to 1978, when the country was still part of communist Yugoslavia. But activists warn that large numbers of public hospital doctors invoke a conscientious objection clause in Croatian law to refuse to perform the procedure. In a landmark ruling last year, the country's top court rejected calls to ban abortion. But it also ordered parliament to adopt a new law on abortion regulations by early 2019, ruling that the current legislation was outdated. Rights groups fear that that could pave the way for more restrictive laws, that would make abortion difficult to access. Nearly 90 percent of Croatia's 4.2 million people are Catholics and the Church plays an important role in society. Croatia became the EU's newest member in 2013.

Thousands of Croatians march against abortion

Iran said Saturday it would wait to see whether Europe produces tangible results in overcoming US sanctions before deciding whether to stay in the nuclear deal, as a top EU official visited Tehran to present plans to maintain trade ties.

"The ball is in the court of the EU. They have presented different proposals, we will see if they materialise," Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation head Ali Akbar Salehi told reporters.

He was speaking after a meeting with EU Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, the first high-level Western official to visit Iran since the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal earlier this month.

Canete called the nuclear deal "fundamental for peace in the region" as he outlined EU plans to continue oil and gas purchases and protect European companies, despite renewed US sanctions on Iran that are set to be phased in over the next six months.

"For sure there are clear difficulties with the sanctions," Canete said at a press conference alongside Salehi.&nbsp

"We will have to ask for waivers, for carve-outs for the companies that make investments."

Salehi acknowledged Europe's efforts but said: "We want tangible results, otherwise we take our own decisions. I personally don't want to see such decisions being taken."

EU firms eye exit

Iran has threatened to resume industrial uranium enrichment "without limit" unless its interests are preserved.&nbsp

Salehi said the Iranian people had lost trust in the nuclear agreement, and if trade benefits were not protected "they will lose more confidence... and we will be forced to leave."

European leaders have outlined measures to protect EU firms from US sanctions.&nbsp

But several of their companies -- including France's Total and Holland's Maersk -- have already said it will be impossible to stay in Iran once US sanctions are reimposed unless they receive explicit exemptions from Washington.&nbsp

Canete was due to meet Iran's Environment Minister Isa Kalantari and Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh later on Saturday, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday.

Iran's trade with the European Union is around 20 billion euros, evenly split between imports and exports.&nbsp

The vast majority of EU purchases from Iran -- 90 percent -- are oil purchases, going primarily to Spain, France, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands and Germany.

Iran, which has the world's fourth-biggest oil reserves, produces some 3.8 million barrels of oil per day, 70 percent of which goes to China and other Asian countries, and 20 percent to Europe.&nbsp

It also has the second-biggest gas reserves in the world, but limited infrastructure means little is exported.

Russia and China -- the other parties to the nuclear deal -- have also vowed to maintain trade with Iran and are less vulnerable to economic pressure from Washington.&nbsp

Top European Union official visited Tehran on Saturday to present plans to maintain trade ties

Iran said Saturday it would wait to see whether Europe produces tangible results in overcoming US sanctions before deciding whether to stay in the nuclear deal, as a top EU official visited Tehran to present plans to maintain trade ties. "The ball is in the court of the EU. They have presented different proposals, we will see if they materialise," Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation head Ali Akbar Salehi told reporters. He was speaking after a meeting with EU Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, the first high-level Western official to visit Iran since the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal earlier this month. Canete called the nuclear deal "fundamental for peace in the region" as he outlined EU plans to continue oil and gas purchases and protect European companies, despite renewed US sanctions on Iran that are set to be phased in over the next six months. "For sure there are clear difficulties with the sanctions," Canete said at a press conference alongside Salehi. "We will have to ask for waivers, for carve-outs for the companies that make investments." Salehi acknowledged Europe's efforts but said: "We want tangible results, otherwise we take our own decisions. I personally don't want to see such decisions being taken." EU firms eye exit Iran has threatened to resume industrial uranium enrichment "without limit" unless its interests are preserved. Salehi said the Iranian people had lost trust in the nuclear agreement, and if trade benefits were not protected "they will lose more confidence... and we will be forced to leave." European leaders have outlined measures to protect EU firms from US sanctions. But several of their companies -- including France's Total and Holland's Maersk -- have already said it will be impossible to stay in Iran once US sanctions are reimposed unless they receive explicit exemptions from Washington. Canete was due to meet Iran's Environment Minister Isa Kalantari and Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh later on Saturday, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday. Iran's trade with the European Union is around 20 billion euros, evenly split between imports and exports. The vast majority of EU purchases from Iran -- 90 percent -- are oil purchases, going primarily to Spain, France, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands and Germany. Iran, which has the world's fourth-biggest oil reserves, produces some 3.8 million barrels of oil per day, 70 percent of which goes to China and other Asian countries, and 20 percent to Europe. It also has the second-biggest gas reserves in the world, but limited infrastructure means little is exported. Russia and China -- the other parties to the nuclear deal -- have also vowed to maintain trade with Iran and are less vulnerable to economic pressure from Washington.

Iran wary as EU presents measures to save nuclear deal

French President Emmanuel Macron will hold "frank" talks with Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on tax and data privacy in a week's time when he welcomes the bosses of leading tech firms to Paris in a drive to lure more investment.

The French leader's office said he would meet Zuckerberg and more than a dozen technology chief executives during a Tech for Good summit at which he will pitch France Inc but also push his case for an EU tax on digital turnover and call for a tougher battle against fake news.

Also expected at the Elysee Palace event are IBM's Virginia Rometty, Intel Corp's Brian Krzanich and Microsoft Corp's Satya Nadella.

Macron, 40, paints himself as a champion of France's plugged-in youth and wants to transform France into a "startup nation", but he is also spearheading efforts in Europe to have digital tax companies pay more tax at source.

The summit comes at a time Facebook is under pressure in the United States and in Europe over data privacy after it emerged that tens of millions of users' personal data harvested from the website by political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

"There will be tough discussions," one official in Macron's office said.

Macron will hold a one-on-one meeting with Zuckerberg, during which all subjects will be raised in "very frank" discussions, the president's office said.

In April, Zuckerberg fielded questions over two days from US&nbsplawmakers over how it handles private data, refusing to make any promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business.

Lawmakers in Europe are demanding answers too and the European Parliament has requested Zuckerberg appear before the assembly more than once.

French President Emmanuel Macron will hold 'frank' talks with Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on tax and data privacy in a week's time when he welcomes the bosses of leading tech firms to Paris in a drive to lure more investment

French President Emmanuel Macron will hold "frank" talks with Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on tax and data privacy in a week's time when he welcomes the bosses of leading tech firms to Paris in a drive to lure more investment. The French leader's office said he would meet Zuckerberg and more than a dozen technology chief executives during a Tech for Good summit at which he will pitch France Inc but also push his case for an EU tax on digital turnover and call for a tougher battle against fake news. Also expected at the Elysee Palace event are IBM's Virginia Rometty, Intel Corp's Brian Krzanich and Microsoft Corp's Satya Nadella. Macron, 40, paints himself as a champion of France's plugged-in youth and wants to transform France into a "startup nation", but he is also spearheading efforts in Europe to have digital tax companies pay more tax at source. The summit comes at a time Facebook is under pressure in the United States and in Europe over data privacy after it emerged that tens of millions of users' personal data harvested from the website by political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. "There will be tough discussions," one official in Macron's office said. Macron will hold a one-on-one meeting with Zuckerberg, during which all subjects will be raised in "very frank" discussions, the president's office said. In April, Zuckerberg fielded questions over two days from US&nbsplawmakers over how it handles private data, refusing to make any promises to support new legislation or change how the social network does business. Lawmakers in Europe are demanding answers too and the European Parliament has requested Zuckerberg appear before the assembly more than once.

France’s Macron to hold 'tough talks' with Facebook's Zuckerberg in Paris meet

NATO on Wednesday denounced a new bridge linking mainland Russia to Moscow-annexed Crimea as "another violation" of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Atlantic alliance echoed the European Union's earlier condemnation of the bridge, which Russian President Vladimir Putin drove a truck over on Tuesday.

"NATO condemns Russia's construction and partial opening of the Kerch Strait bridge between Russia and Crimea," NATO deputy spokesman Piers Cazalet said.

"Crimea is part of Ukraine and this bridge represents another violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Cazalet said in a statement.

The bridge, which limits sea traffic to Ukrainian ports on the Azov Sea, amounts to "the infringement of its navigational rights in its territorial waters," he added.&nbsp

"Russia continues to demonstrate a clear disregard for international law," Cazalet said, adding that NATO will not recognise Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Russian state television showed Putin dressed in jeans and a casual jacket sitting behind the wheel of a construction truck to drive across the bridge and officially open it.

The 29-member NATO is pursuing a dual-track policy towards the Kremlin of defence and deterrence coupled with an offer of dialogue.

Tensions between NATO and Russia are at levels not seen since the Cold War, including over Moscow's support for pro-Russian separatists in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The Atlantic alliance echoed the European Union's earlier condemnation of the bridge, which Russian President Vladimir Putin drove a truck over on Tuesday

NATO on Wednesday denounced a new bridge linking mainland Russia to Moscow-annexed Crimea as "another violation" of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Atlantic alliance echoed the European Union's earlier condemnation of the bridge, which Russian President Vladimir Putin drove a truck over on Tuesday. "NATO condemns Russia's construction and partial opening of the Kerch Strait bridge between Russia and Crimea," NATO deputy spokesman Piers Cazalet said. "Crimea is part of Ukraine and this bridge represents another violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Cazalet said in a statement. The bridge, which limits sea traffic to Ukrainian ports on the Azov Sea, amounts to "the infringement of its navigational rights in its territorial waters," he added. "Russia continues to demonstrate a clear disregard for international law," Cazalet said, adding that NATO will not recognise Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Russian state television showed Putin dressed in jeans and a casual jacket sitting behind the wheel of a construction truck to drive across the bridge and officially open it. The 29-member NATO is pursuing a dual-track policy towards the Kremlin of defence and deterrence coupled with an offer of dialogue. Tensions between NATO and Russia are at levels not seen since the Cold War, including over Moscow's support for pro-Russian separatists in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

NATO 'condemns' Russia bridge to Moscow-annexed Crimea

The United Kingdom has denied visas&nbsp;to over 1,600 skilled engineers and IT specialists who were offered jobs in the UK between December and March BBC reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, the authorities have cited the reason that they were denied because the number of monthly applying visas exceeded during that period.

Amid the ongoing Brexit issue, locals of UK are threatened with people coming out of UK for employment thus the government has asked employers to focus on recruiting from the UK before looking overseas.

However, reports say that most economists have shown concern on the immigration policy of UK as it may hamper the government's efforts to develop a high-tech economy as hiring talents from other countries would help in innovation.

As per the report of BBC, the home office of UK received a high volume of applications from employers who had offered jobs to workers outside the UK.

Between December and March, 1,226 IT specialists and 383 engineers reportedly denied visas while 1,876 medical professionals and people working in the healthcare sector, 197 teachers and 584 other professions were unable to take up their job offers in the UK due to the formality issues in the UK.

The yearly limit for non-European Union workers to get work visas is set at 20,700 per year with a monthly limit of about 1,600.

Last year in October media reports said that as the British government is seeking to slash the number of immigrants from the European Union following UK's departure there are over 11,000 job vacancies in healthcare service sector.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

According to the report, the authorities have cited the reason that they were denied because the number of monthly applying visas exceeded during that period

The United Kingdom has denied visas to over 1,600 skilled engineers and IT specialists who were offered jobs in the UK between December and March BBC reported on Wednesday. According to the report, the authorities have cited the reason that they were denied because the number of monthly applying visas exceeded during that period. Amid the ongoing Brexit issue, locals of UK are threatened with people coming out of UK for employment thus the government has asked employers to focus on recruiting from the UK before looking overseas. However, reports say that most economists have shown concern on the immigration policy of UK as it may hamper the government's efforts to develop a high-tech economy as hiring talents from other countries would help in innovation. As per the report of BBC, the home office of UK received a high volume of applications from employers who had offered jobs to workers outside the UK. Between December and March, 1,226 IT specialists and 383 engineers reportedly denied visas while 1,876 medical professionals and people working in the healthcare sector, 197 teachers and 584 other professions were unable to take up their job offers in the UK due to the formality issues in the UK. The yearly limit for non-European Union workers to get work visas is set at 20,700 per year with a monthly limit of about 1,600. Last year in October media reports said that as the British government is seeking to slash the number of immigrants from the European Union following UK's departure there are over 11,000 job vacancies in healthcare service sector.

UK denies visa to over 1000 IT professionals and engineers

The United States indirectly criticised China on Monday for shielding Myanmar from strong UN&nbspSecurity Council action over a military crackdown against mainly Rohingya Muslims that the US&nbspand other countries have denounced as ethnic cleansing.

US&nbspAmbassador Nikki Haley did not mention China by name, but China proposed substantial amendments to a British-drafted Security Council statement on Myanmar last week. The 15-member council eventually agreed a weaker statement.

The Security Council met on Monday to discuss a visit by envoys to Myanmar and Bangladesh two weeks ago.

Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state in August last year sparked a military operation that sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.

"Some members of the council have kept us from taking action for cynical and self-interested reasons," Haley said. "Some undermined the unity of the council demonstrated during the trip with unhelpful edits that only weakened the council's message."

Speaking before Haley, China's UN&nbspAmbassador Ma Zhaoxu told the Security Council that Myanmar and Bangladesh should be encouraged to solve the crisis bilaterally to make sure it doesn't "drag on or become more complicated."

"The council should continue to encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to increase consultations and cooperation for the early implementation of the bilateral arrangement," he said.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years but differences between the two sides remain and implementation of the plan has been slow.

Diplomats said Russia has also backed China in council discussions on Myanmar.

Speaking after Haley, Russia's deputy UN&nbspAmbassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said the unity of the council on the issue was important and he hoped some members "will not fall prey to the temptation of using this situation to pursue their narrow, domestic political aims."

Fleeing refugees have reported killings, rapes and arson on a large scale. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing and has said its operations in Rakhine were a legitimate response to attacks on security forces by Rohingya insurgents.

"The government of Myanmar has stated time and again that no violation of human rights will be condoned," Myanmar's UN&nbspAmbassador Hau Do Suan told council on Monday. "Allegations supported by evidence will be investigated and action taken in accordance with the law."

The United States and Canada have imposed unilateral sanctions against a general in Myanmar's military for his role in the crackdown and the European Union is preparing individual sanctions.

Haley, who did not travel to Myanmar and Bangladesh, said that the Security Council had "unique tools to encourage Burma to take real steps towards resolving this crisis," though she did not elaborate.

"We should move quickly to adopt a resolution that institutes real steps to resolve this enormous and growing humanitarian and human rights crisis," Haley said. 
&nbsp

The UN Security Council met on Monday to discuss a visit by envoys to Myanmar and Bangladesh two weeks ago

The United States indirectly criticised China on Monday for shielding Myanmar from strong UN&nbspSecurity Council action over a military crackdown against mainly Rohingya Muslims that the US&nbspand other countries have denounced as ethnic cleansing. US&nbspAmbassador Nikki Haley did not mention China by name, but China proposed substantial amendments to a British-drafted Security Council statement on Myanmar last week. The 15-member council eventually agreed a weaker statement. The Security Council met on Monday to discuss a visit by envoys to Myanmar and Bangladesh two weeks ago. Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state in August last year sparked a military operation that sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. "Some members of the council have kept us from taking action for cynical and self-interested reasons," Haley said. "Some undermined the unity of the council demonstrated during the trip with unhelpful edits that only weakened the council's message." Speaking before Haley, China's UN&nbspAmbassador Ma Zhaoxu told the Security Council that Myanmar and Bangladesh should be encouraged to solve the crisis bilaterally to make sure it doesn't "drag on or become more complicated." "The council should continue to encourage Myanmar and Bangladesh to increase consultations and cooperation for the early implementation of the bilateral arrangement," he said. Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years but differences between the two sides remain and implementation of the plan has been slow. Diplomats said Russia has also backed China in council discussions on Myanmar. Speaking after Haley, Russia's deputy UN&nbspAmbassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said the unity of the council on the issue was important and he hoped some members "will not fall prey to the temptation of using this situation to pursue their narrow, domestic political aims." Fleeing refugees have reported killings, rapes and arson on a large scale. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing and has said its operations in Rakhine were a legitimate response to attacks on security forces by Rohingya insurgents. "The government of Myanmar has stated time and again that no violation of human rights will be condoned," Myanmar's UN&nbspAmbassador Hau Do Suan told council on Monday. "Allegations supported by evidence will be investigated and action taken in accordance with the law." The United States and Canada have imposed unilateral sanctions against a general in Myanmar's military for his role in the crackdown and the European Union is preparing individual sanctions. Haley, who did not travel to Myanmar and Bangladesh, said that the Security Council had "unique tools to encourage Burma to take real steps towards resolving this crisis," though she did not elaborate. "We should move quickly to adopt a resolution that institutes real steps to resolve this enormous and growing humanitarian and human rights crisis," Haley said.

US criticises China for shielding Myanmar from UN action

British Prime Minister Theresa May insisted Sunday she could be trusted to deliver a good Brexit deal as she tried to mend government rifts over the best way forward.

May's Conservative administration is divided on what sort of customs agreement Britain should have with the European Union after it leaves the bloc.

The splits were laid bare last week when Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed as "crazy" one of May's proposals for future EU customs arrangements.

But the prime minister insisted: "You can trust me to deliver", as she attempted to ease the tensions.

"The path I am setting out is the path to deliver the Brexit people voted for," she wrote in The Sunday Times newspaper.

"Of course, the details are incredibly complex and, as in any negotiation, there will have to be compromises.&nbsp

"I will need your help and support to get there. And in return, my pledge to you is simple: I will not let you down."

May said she had proposed different options for a new customs arrangement with the EU and the government would continue to work on them during the negotiations.

She said her mission in the talks was to build a new, close trading relationship with the EU, put Britain in full control over its immigration policy and taxpayer spending and build closer ties with the world's emerging economies.

She said any deal must protect the United Kingdom's constitutional and economic integrity and honour the Northern Irish peace accords.

"This means there can be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, or between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK," May wrote.

"Any agreements must create as little friction as possible for trade," she said, adding: "We must not constrain our ability to negotiate trade agreements with other countries around the world by being bound into a customs union."

Final decision looming 
Last year, London put forward two options to ease cross-border trade with the EU but, with Brexit looming, has still yet to make a final decision on which to pursue.

May's preferred option, the customs partnership, was reportedly rejected at a meeting of her senior ministers last week, while Brussels has also condemned it as "magical thinking".

The model would involve Britain collecting EU tariffs on goods heading into the bloc but charging its own on UK-destined products.

A second option, "maximum facilitation", would involve using technology to minimise customs checks, but the EU has also cast doubt on its viability.

A decision is not expected for at least another week, but the clock is ticking ahead of a crucial EU summit in June.

The Sunday Times said May's article was "an appeal for unity as she enters another perilous phase of her premiership".

The main opposition Labour Party called Sunday for parliament to be given the chance to vote on a customs union.

British Prime Minister Theresa May insisted Sunday she could be trusted to deliver a good Brexit deal as she tried to mend government rifts over the best way forward

British Prime Minister Theresa May insisted Sunday she could be trusted to deliver a good Brexit deal as she tried to mend government rifts over the best way forward. May's Conservative administration is divided on what sort of customs agreement Britain should have with the European Union after it leaves the bloc. The splits were laid bare last week when Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed as "crazy" one of May's proposals for future EU customs arrangements. But the prime minister insisted: "You can trust me to deliver", as she attempted to ease the tensions. "The path I am setting out is the path to deliver the Brexit people voted for," she wrote in The Sunday Times newspaper. "Of course, the details are incredibly complex and, as in any negotiation, there will have to be compromises. "I will need your help and support to get there. And in return, my pledge to you is simple: I will not let you down." May said she had proposed different options for a new customs arrangement with the EU and the government would continue to work on them during the negotiations. She said her mission in the talks was to build a new, close trading relationship with the EU, put Britain in full control over its immigration policy and taxpayer spending and build closer ties with the world's emerging economies. She said any deal must protect the United Kingdom's constitutional and economic integrity and honour the Northern Irish peace accords. "This means there can be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, or between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK," May wrote. "Any agreements must create as little friction as possible for trade," she said, adding: "We must not constrain our ability to negotiate trade agreements with other countries around the world by being bound into a customs union." Final decision looming Last year, London put forward two options to ease cross-border trade with the EU but, with Brexit looming, has still yet to make a final decision on which to pursue. May's preferred option, the customs partnership, was reportedly rejected at a meeting of her senior ministers last week, while Brussels has also condemned it as "magical thinking". The model would involve Britain collecting EU tariffs on goods heading into the bloc but charging its own on UK-destined products. A second option, "maximum facilitation", would involve using technology to minimise customs checks, but the EU has also cast doubt on its viability. A decision is not expected for at least another week, but the clock is ticking ahead of a crucial EU summit in June. The Sunday Times said May's article was "an appeal for unity as she enters another perilous phase of her premiership". The main opposition Labour Party called Sunday for parliament to be given the chance to vote on a customs union.

British PM Theresa May says 'trust me' on Brexit

Britain's Electoral Commission has fined Leave.EU, one of the main campaign groups for Brexit in the 2016 referendum, for breaking spending rules.

Leave.EU was fined 70,000 pounds ($95,000) for multiple breaches of electoral law, but the voting regulator said it had found no evidence that Leave.EU received donations or paid-for services from Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy at the centre of a storm over how Facebook data was used in political campaigns.

Leave.EU and Cambridge Analytica had previously denied working together on the Brexit campaign. Leave.EU was not the officially designated "leave" campaign group during the referendum.

Voting regulator, however, said it had found no evidence that Leave.EU received donations or paid-for services from Cambridge Analytica.

Britain's Electoral Commission has fined Leave.EU, one of the main campaign groups for Brexit in the 2016 referendum, for breaking spending rules. Leave.EU was fined 70,000 pounds ($95,000) for multiple breaches of electoral law, but the voting regulator said it had found no evidence that Leave.EU received donations or paid-for services from Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy at the centre of a storm over how Facebook data was used in political campaigns. Leave.EU and Cambridge Analytica had previously denied working together on the Brexit campaign. Leave.EU was not the officially designated "leave" campaign group during the referendum.

Britain's Electoral Commission fines Leave.EU over Brexit vote spending

President Nicolas Maduro scoffed at international criticism of Venezuela's upcoming May 20 vote in which he is seeking re-election and offered a prize for those who vote with a state-issued card.

Venezuela's mainstream opposition is boycotting the election on the grounds it is rigged in favour of the 55-year-old socialist incumbent. The United States, European Union and various Latin American neighbours have also slammed it as unfair.

"So they're not going to recognize Maduro around the world. What the hell do I care?" Maduro said at an election rally in La Guaira, on the coast outside Caracas, late on Wednesday. "What the hell do I care what Europe and Washington say?"

Maduro, who is casting his re-election campaign as a battle against imperialism, has only one serious rival: Henri Falcon, 56, a former state governor. Falcon has broken with the opposition coalition's boycott of the vote, believing anger at an economic crisis will win him votes.

OPEC member Venezuela is in the fifth year of punishing recession, inflation is the highest in the world, oil production is at a three-decade low, shortages of food and medicines are widespread, and millions are skipping meals.

Some polls show Falcon more popular than Maduro, who narrowly won election to replace Hugo Chavez in 2013.

But the opposition abstention campaign, the presence of Maduro loyalists in key institutions including the election board, and vote-winning power of state welfare programs like housing and food giveaways make a Falcon victory look a tall order.

In his speech, Maduro told supporters that all those who vote showing a government-issued "Fatherland Card," which is needed to access certain welfare programs, probably would receive "a really good prize."

He did not give details but critics say that, and other pre-election cash and other bonuses via the card, is akin to vote bribery. Voting in Venezuela is secret but state workers say they are constantly pressured to support the government.

Falcon, a former soldier, has been largely shunned by Venezuela's best-known opposition leaders but this week received the support of at least one high-profile leader, Enrique Marquez, who is vice president of A New Time party.

He also has been wooing twice-presidential candidate Henrique Capriles to join his campaign but without success so far. Capriles, and another popular opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez, are both barred from standing in the election.

Maduro says Venezuela's election system is the cleanest in the world but even the official operator of the voting platform, UK-based Smartmatic, denounced fraud in an election last August. Little is known about the Argentine company that has replaced it for this month's election.

If Maduro does win re-election, attention will turn immediately to whether he plans to use the political breathing space to deepen an internal purge of rivals, and if the United States will carry out a threat to impose oil sanctions.

President Donald Trump's administration already has imposed some financial and individual sanctions on Maduro's government, accusing senior officials of rights abuses and corruption.

Venezuela's mainstream opposition is boycotting the election on the grounds it is rigged in favour of the 55-year-old socialist incumbent.

President Nicolas Maduro scoffed at international criticism of Venezuela's upcoming May 20 vote in which he is seeking re-election and offered a prize for those who vote with a state-issued card. Venezuela's mainstream opposition is boycotting the election on the grounds it is rigged in favour of the 55-year-old socialist incumbent. The United States, European Union and various Latin American neighbours have also slammed it as unfair. "So they're not going to recognize Maduro around the world. What the hell do I care?" Maduro said at an election rally in La Guaira, on the coast outside Caracas, late on Wednesday. "What the hell do I care what Europe and Washington say?" Maduro, who is casting his re-election campaign as a battle against imperialism, has only one serious rival: Henri Falcon, 56, a former state governor. Falcon has broken with the opposition coalition's boycott of the vote, believing anger at an economic crisis will win him votes. OPEC member Venezuela is in the fifth year of punishing recession, inflation is the highest in the world, oil production is at a three-decade low, shortages of food and medicines are widespread, and millions are skipping meals. Some polls show Falcon more popular than Maduro, who narrowly won election to replace Hugo Chavez in 2013. But the opposition abstention campaign, the presence of Maduro loyalists in key institutions including the election board, and vote-winning power of state welfare programs like housing and food giveaways make a Falcon victory look a tall order. In his speech, Maduro told supporters that all those who vote showing a government-issued "Fatherland Card," which is needed to access certain welfare programs, probably would receive "a really good prize." He did not give details but critics say that, and other pre-election cash and other bonuses via the card, is akin to vote bribery. Voting in Venezuela is secret but state workers say they are constantly pressured to support the government. Falcon, a former soldier, has been largely shunned by Venezuela's best-known opposition leaders but this week received the support of at least one high-profile leader, Enrique Marquez, who is vice president of A New Time party. He also has been wooing twice-presidential candidate Henrique Capriles to join his campaign but without success so far. Capriles, and another popular opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez, are both barred from standing in the election. Maduro says Venezuela's election system is the cleanest in the world but even the official operator of the voting platform, UK-based Smartmatic, denounced fraud in an election last August. Little is known about the Argentine company that has replaced it for this month's election. If Maduro does win re-election, attention will turn immediately to whether he plans to use the political breathing space to deepen an internal purge of rivals, and if the United States will carry out a threat to impose oil sanctions. President Donald Trump's administration already has imposed some financial and individual sanctions on Maduro's government, accusing senior officials of rights abuses and corruption.

Venezuela's Maduro defies foreign censure, offers 'prize' to voters

The Philippines decried what it said was interference in its internal affairs by the European Parliament, which urged the Southeast Asian nation in a resolution to end "extrajudicial killings" and halt plans to bring back the death penalty.

About 4,100 people have been killed by police in the Philippines since President Rodrigo Duterte took power in late June 2016 in what the authorities say were shootouts during anti-narcotics operations. Activists say many of those killings were executions, which police deny.

At least 2,300 drug-related deaths have occurred separately, at the hands of what police say are unknown assassins.

The European lawmakers on Thursday condemned Philippine authorities for "trying to justify these murders with falsified evidence", which Manila said was meddling and based on wrong information.

"The European Parliament has crossed a red line when it called for unwarranted actions against the Philippines," Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement late on Thursday.

The European Parliament and its members have criticised the Philippines'&nbspbrutal anti-narcotics crackdown several times, infuriating Duterte, who has directed his frustration on the European Union, rather than its legislative branch.

The EU is an important source of development aid, commerce and investment for the Philippines.

European lawmakers also called on Manila to remove what they called human rights defenders from its list of what it considers as "terrorists", including Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.

They also condemned "the intimidation and the abuse" of human rights activists and journalists, and said Duterte`s push to reintroduce the death penalty was against its international obligations.

"In case the members of the European Parliament are not aware of it, may we remind them that their recommended actions already constitute interference in the affairs of a sovereign state," Cayetano added.

He said the resolution was based on "biased, incomplete and even wrong information and does not reflect the true situation on the ground".

The New York-based Human Rights Watch applauded the European Parliament for adopting the resolution and for its support for international efforts to investigate the Philippine crackdown.&nbsp

"It is a timely and forceful message from the EU parliamentarians putting President Duterte and his backers on notice - that continued grave abuses will come at a price," its researcher, Carlos Conde, said in a statement.

About 4,100 people have been killed by police in the Philippines since President Rodrigo Duterte took power in late June 2016 in what the authorities say were shootouts during anti-narcotics operations. Activists say many of those killings were executions, which police deny

The Philippines decried what it said was interference in its internal affairs by the European Parliament, which urged the Southeast Asian nation in a resolution to end "extrajudicial killings" and halt plans to bring back the death penalty. About 4,100 people have been killed by police in the Philippines since President Rodrigo Duterte took power in late June 2016 in what the authorities say were shootouts during anti-narcotics operations. Activists say many of those killings were executions, which police deny. At least 2,300 drug-related deaths have occurred separately, at the hands of what police say are unknown assassins. The European lawmakers on Thursday condemned Philippine authorities for "trying to justify these murders with falsified evidence", which Manila said was meddling and based on wrong information. "The European Parliament has crossed a red line when it called for unwarranted actions against the Philippines," Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement late on Thursday. The European Parliament and its members have criticised the Philippines'&nbspbrutal anti-narcotics crackdown several times, infuriating Duterte, who has directed his frustration on the European Union, rather than its legislative branch. The EU is an important source of development aid, commerce and investment for the Philippines. European lawmakers also called on Manila to remove what they called human rights defenders from its list of what it considers as "terrorists", including Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples. They also condemned "the intimidation and the abuse" of human rights activists and journalists, and said Duterte`s push to reintroduce the death penalty was against its international obligations. "In case the members of the European Parliament are not aware of it, may we remind them that their recommended actions already constitute interference in the affairs of a sovereign state," Cayetano added. He said the resolution was based on "biased, incomplete and even wrong information and does not reflect the true situation on the ground". The New York-based Human Rights Watch applauded the European Parliament for adopting the resolution and for its support for international efforts to investigate the Philippine crackdown. "It is a timely and forceful message from the EU parliamentarians putting President Duterte and his backers on notice - that continued grave abuses will come at a price," its researcher, Carlos Conde, said in a statement.

Philippines decries European Parliament's 'interference' in alleged execustions matter

If a new European law restricting what companies can do with people's online data went into effect tomorrow, almost 1.9 billion Facebook Inc users around the world would be protected by it. The online social network is making changes that ensure the number will be much smaller.

Facebook members outside the United States and Canada, whether they know it or not, are currently governed by terms of service agreed with the company's international headquarters in Ireland.

Next month, Facebook is planning to make that the case for only European users, meaning 1.5 billion members in Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America will not fall under the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which takes effect on May 25.

The previously unreported move, which Facebook confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday, shows the world's largest online social network is keen to reduce its exposure to GDPR, which allows European regulators to fine companies for collecting or using personal data without users' consent.

That removes a huge potential liability for Facebook, as the new EU law allows for fines of up to 4 percent of global annual revenue for infractions, which in Facebook's case could mean billions of dollars.

The change comes as Facebook is under scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers around the world since disclosing last month that the personal information of millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, setting off wider concerns about how it handles user data.

The change affects more than 70 percent of Facebook's 2 billion-plus members. As of December, Facebook had 239 million users in the United States and Canada, 370 million in Europe and 1.52 billion users elsewhere.

Facebook, like many other U.S. technology companies, established an Irish subsidiary in 2008 and took advantage of the country's low corporate tax rates, routing through it revenue from some advertisers outside North America. The unit is subject to regulations applied by the 28-nation European Union.

Facebook said the latest change does not have tax implications.

'IN SPIRIT'

In a statement given to Reuters, Facebook played down the importance of the terms of service change, saying it plans to make the privacy controls and settings that Europe will get under GDPR available to the rest of the world.

"We apply the same privacy protections everywhere, regardless of whether your agreement is with Facebook Inc or Facebook Ireland," the company said.

Earlier this month, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told Reuters in an interview that his company would apply the EU law globally "in spirit," but stopped short of committing to it as the standard for the social network across the world.

In practice, the change means the 1.5 billion affected users will not be able to file complaints with Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner or in Irish courts. Instead they will be governed by more lenient U.S. privacy laws, said Michael Veale, a technology policy researcher at University College London.

Facebook will have more leeway in how it handles data about those users, Veale said. Certain types of data such as browsing history, for instance, are considered personal data under EU law but are not as protected in the United States, he said.

The company said its rationale for the change was related to the European Union's mandated privacy notices, "because EU law requires specific language." For example, the company said, the new EU law requires specific legal terminology about the legal basis for processing data which does not exist in U.S. law.

NO WARNING

Ireland was unaware of the change. One Irish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he did not know of any plans by Facebook to transfer responsibilities wholesale to the United States or to decrease Facebook's presence in Ireland, where the social network is seeking to recruit more than 100 new staff.

Facebook released a revised terms of service in draft form two weeks ago, and they are scheduled to take effect next month.

Other multinational companies are also planning changes. LinkedIn, a unit of Microsoft Corp, tells users in its existing terms of service that if they are outside the United States, they have a contract with LinkedIn Ireland. New terms that take effect May 8 move non-Europeans to contracts with U.S.-based LinkedIn Corp.

LinkedIn said in a statement on Wednesday that all users are entitled to the same privacy protections. "We've simply streamlined the contract location to ensure all members understand the LinkedIn entity responsible for their personal data," the company said.

The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, restricting what companies can do with people's online data, will take effect on May 25

If a new European law restricting what companies can do with people's online data went into effect tomorrow, almost 1.9 billion Facebook Inc users around the world would be protected by it. The online social network is making changes that ensure the number will be much smaller. Facebook members outside the United States and Canada, whether they know it or not, are currently governed by terms of service agreed with the company's international headquarters in Ireland. Next month, Facebook is planning to make that the case for only European users, meaning 1.5 billion members in Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America will not fall under the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which takes effect on May 25. The previously unreported move, which Facebook confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday, shows the world's largest online social network is keen to reduce its exposure to GDPR, which allows European regulators to fine companies for collecting or using personal data without users' consent. That removes a huge potential liability for Facebook, as the new EU law allows for fines of up to 4 percent of global annual revenue for infractions, which in Facebook's case could mean billions of dollars. The change comes as Facebook is under scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers around the world since disclosing last month that the personal information of millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, setting off wider concerns about how it handles user data. The change affects more than 70 percent of Facebook's 2 billion-plus members. As of December, Facebook had 239 million users in the United States and Canada, 370 million in Europe and 1.52 billion users elsewhere. Facebook, like many other U.S. technology companies, established an Irish subsidiary in 2008 and took advantage of the country's low corporate tax rates, routing through it revenue from some advertisers outside North America. The unit is subject to regulations applied by the 28-nation European Union. Facebook said the latest change does not have tax implications. 'IN SPIRIT' In a statement given to Reuters, Facebook played down the importance of the terms of service change, saying it plans to make the privacy controls and settings that Europe will get under GDPR available to the rest of the world. "We apply the same privacy protections everywhere, regardless of whether your agreement is with Facebook Inc or Facebook Ireland," the company said. Earlier this month, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told Reuters in an interview that his company would apply the EU law globally "in spirit," but stopped short of committing to it as the standard for the social network across the world. In practice, the change means the 1.5 billion affected users will not be able to file complaints with Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner or in Irish courts. Instead they will be governed by more lenient U.S. privacy laws, said Michael Veale, a technology policy researcher at University College London. Facebook will have more leeway in how it handles data about those users, Veale said. Certain types of data such as browsing history, for instance, are considered personal data under EU law but are not as protected in the United States, he said. The company said its rationale for the change was related to the European Union's mandated privacy notices, "because EU law requires specific language." For example, the company said, the new EU law requires specific legal terminology about the legal basis for processing data which does not exist in U.S. law. NO WARNING Ireland was unaware of the change. One Irish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he did not know of any plans by Facebook to transfer responsibilities wholesale to the United States or to decrease Facebook's presence in Ireland, where the social network is seeking to recruit more than 100 new staff. Facebook released a revised terms of service in draft form two weeks ago, and they are scheduled to take effect next month. Other multinational companies are also planning changes. LinkedIn, a unit of Microsoft Corp, tells users in its existing terms of service that if they are outside the United States, they have a contract with LinkedIn Ireland. New terms that take effect May 8 move non-Europeans to contracts with U.S.-based LinkedIn Corp. LinkedIn said in a statement on Wednesday that all users are entitled to the same privacy protections. "We've simply streamlined the contract location to ensure all members understand the LinkedIn entity responsible for their personal data," the company said.

New privacy law coming, Facebook working to keep 1.5 billion users out of its reach

British lawmakers on Monday published evidence that Brexit campaign group Leave.EU benefited from work by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy at the centre of a recent storm over use of Facebook data.

Nigel Oakes, founder of SCL Group, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, said the consultancy was lined up to do work with Leave.EU in the event that it was designated as the official campaign to leave the European Union, according to transcripts of interviews published by a parliamentary committee.

Oakes said that "there was no contract and no money" but that they did do work to demonstrate their capabilities. A transcript of another interview with Leave.EU official Andy Wigmore says the campaign group copied Cambridge Analytica's methods.

"Leave.EU benefited from their work with Cambridge Analytica before the decision was made on which Leave campaign would receive the official designation for the referendum," Damian Collins, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said in a statement.

Cambridge Analytica lies at the center of a storm for using data obtained from millions of Facebook users without their permission after it was hired by Donald Trump for his 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign.

The analytics firm is also under scrutiny over campaigning for the 2016 referendum when Britons voted to leave the European Union, a move seen by critics as a colossal historical mistake but by admirers as a vital reassertion of British sovereignty.

Oakes said Wigmore's claim to have copied Cambridge Analytica's techniques raised "more questions about how Leave.EU developed their database to do this, and whether consumer data from other companies they had a relationship was used to support their campaign."

The interview transcripts were submitted by Emma Briant, an academic who interviewed figures from SCL Group, Cambridge Analytica and Leave.EU.

In the event, "Vote Leave" beat Leave.EU to become the officially designated campaign to leave the EU ahead of Britain's referendum, though Leave.EU continued to campaign for Brexit.

Leave.EU founder Arron Banks has said that because it did not win the designation and due to concerns about the consultancy, it did no work with Cambridge Analytica, and received no benefit in kind.

Former Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix told the committee in February that the firm did not work with Leave.EU, but he has been recalled for a new hearing, which will take place on Wednesday.

The lawmakers were also critical of Wigmore and Oakes for speaking in admiring terms about Nazi propganda techniques, and said there were also questions about Cambridge Analytica's closeness with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

"The propaganda machine of the Nazis, for instance – you take away all the hideous horror and that kind of stuff – it was very clever, the way they managed to do what they did," Wigmore said, according to one interview transcript.

Collins said that the "extreme messaging" around immigration during the campaign meant "these statements will raise concerns that data analytics was used to target voters who were concerned about this issue, and to frighten them with messaging designed to create 'an artificial enemy' for them to act against."

British lawmakers on Monday published evidence that Brexit campaign group Leave.EU benefited from work by Cambridge Analytica

British lawmakers on Monday published evidence that Brexit campaign group Leave.EU benefited from work by Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy at the centre of a recent storm over use of Facebook data. Nigel Oakes, founder of SCL Group, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, said the consultancy was lined up to do work with Leave.EU in the event that it was designated as the official campaign to leave the European Union, according to transcripts of interviews published by a parliamentary committee. Oakes said that "there was no contract and no money" but that they did do work to demonstrate their capabilities. A transcript of another interview with Leave.EU official Andy Wigmore says the campaign group copied Cambridge Analytica's methods. "Leave.EU benefited from their work with Cambridge Analytica before the decision was made on which Leave campaign would receive the official designation for the referendum," Damian Collins, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said in a statement. Cambridge Analytica lies at the center of a storm for using data obtained from millions of Facebook users without their permission after it was hired by Donald Trump for his 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign. The analytics firm is also under scrutiny over campaigning for the 2016 referendum when Britons voted to leave the European Union, a move seen by critics as a colossal historical mistake but by admirers as a vital reassertion of British sovereignty. Oakes said Wigmore's claim to have copied Cambridge Analytica's techniques raised "more questions about how Leave.EU developed their database to do this, and whether consumer data from other companies they had a relationship was used to support their campaign." The interview transcripts were submitted by Emma Briant, an academic who interviewed figures from SCL Group, Cambridge Analytica and Leave.EU. In the event, "Vote Leave" beat Leave.EU to become the officially designated campaign to leave the EU ahead of Britain's referendum, though Leave.EU continued to campaign for Brexit. Leave.EU founder Arron Banks has said that because it did not win the designation and due to concerns about the consultancy, it did no work with Cambridge Analytica, and received no benefit in kind. Former Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix told the committee in February that the firm did not work with Leave.EU, but he has been recalled for a new hearing, which will take place on Wednesday. The lawmakers were also critical of Wigmore and Oakes for speaking in admiring terms about Nazi propganda techniques, and said there were also questions about Cambridge Analytica's closeness with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. "The propaganda machine of the Nazis, for instance – you take away all the hideous horror and that kind of stuff – it was very clever, the way they managed to do what they did," Wigmore said, according to one interview transcript. Collins said that the "extreme messaging" around immigration during the campaign meant "these statements will raise concerns that data analytics was used to target voters who were concerned about this issue, and to frighten them with messaging designed to create 'an artificial enemy' for them to act against."

Cambridge Analytica work helped Brexit group: UK lawmakers

Technology companies such as Google, Microsoft and Facebook will be forced to hand over users' data to European law enforcement officials even when it is stored on servers outside the bloc, under a law proposed by the EU on Tuesday.

The law would allow European prosecutors to force companies to turn over data such as emails, text messages and pictures stored online in another country, within 10 days or as little as six hours in urgent cases.

The European Union executive says the proposed law, which would apply to data stored inside and outside the bloc, is necessary because current legal procedures between countries to obtain such electronic evidence can drag on for months.

"Electronic evidence is increasingly important in criminal proceedings," said European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans.

"We cannot allow criminals and terrorists to exploit modern and electronic communication technologies to hide their criminal actions and evade justice."

Digital borders are a growing global issue in an era where big companies operate so-called cloud networks of giant data centres, which mean that an individual's data can reside anywhere.

Technology companies have found themselves torn between protecting consumers' privacy while cooperating with law enforcement. The political pressure has intensified after Islamist-inspired attacks across Europe in recent years.

The United States recently moved to address the same problem, passing a law making it clear that U. judges could issue warrants for data held abroad while giving companies an avenue to object if the request conflicts with foreign law.

Prosecutors and police will have to ask a judge to approve their request for electronic evidence where it concerns more sensitive data, such as the actual content of messages, emails, pictures and videos.

They will also be able to ask companies to ensure electronic evidence is not deleted while they prepare their so-called production order.

The proposal will apply only in cases where crimes carry a minimum jail sentence of three years. In cases of cyber crime there will be no minimum penalty requirement.

Where companies find themselves in a conflict-of-law situation because the country where data is stored forbids them from handing it over to a foreign authority, they will be able to challenge the seizure request.

However, such extraterritorial rules are fraught with complexity, legal and privacy experts warn.

In the United States, for example, certain companies are prohibited from disclosing information to foreign governments, while in Europe consumers' data privacy is strictly protected and companies are restricted in how they can transfer data outside the bloc.

"The Commission is proposing dangerous shortcuts to allow national authorities to obtain people's data directly from companies, basically turning them into judicial authorities," said Maryant Fernandez Perez, senior policy adviser at campaign group European Digital Rights.

CCIA, a tech association that includes Google and Facebook, welcomed the proposal but said it only offered a limited mechanism for addressing the risk that companies find themselves torn between two conflicting national laws.

"We welcome today’s proposals, which can help authorities obtain digital evidence more effectively and with more transparency and legal clarity," said Alexandre Roure, CCIA Europe's senior manager.

Ultimately, the Commission hopes to start talks with the United States on a deal to help law enforcement authorities to seize evidence held on each other's territories.

"We always think it's useful to have an EU-U.S. coordinated approach instead of a French-U.S. approach, a Belgian-U.S. approach because that leads to fragmentation," a Commission official said.

The European Union executive says the proposed law, which would apply to data stored inside and outside the bloc, is necessary because current legal procedures

Technology companies such as Google, Microsoft and Facebook will be forced to hand over users' data to European law enforcement officials even when it is stored on servers outside the bloc, under a law proposed by the EU on Tuesday. The law would allow European prosecutors to force companies to turn over data such as emails, text messages and pictures stored online in another country, within 10 days or as little as six hours in urgent cases. The European Union executive says the proposed law, which would apply to data stored inside and outside the bloc, is necessary because current legal procedures between countries to obtain such electronic evidence can drag on for months. "Electronic evidence is increasingly important in criminal proceedings," said European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans. "We cannot allow criminals and terrorists to exploit modern and electronic communication technologies to hide their criminal actions and evade justice." Digital borders are a growing global issue in an era where big companies operate so-called cloud networks of giant data centres, which mean that an individual's data can reside anywhere. Technology companies have found themselves torn between protecting consumers' privacy while cooperating with law enforcement. The political pressure has intensified after Islamist-inspired attacks across Europe in recent years. The United States recently moved to address the same problem, passing a law making it clear that U. judges could issue warrants for data held abroad while giving companies an avenue to object if the request conflicts with foreign law. Prosecutors and police will have to ask a judge to approve their request for electronic evidence where it concerns more sensitive data, such as the actual content of messages, emails, pictures and videos. They will also be able to ask companies to ensure electronic evidence is not deleted while they prepare their so-called production order. The proposal will apply only in cases where crimes carry a minimum jail sentence of three years. In cases of cyber crime there will be no minimum penalty requirement. Where companies find themselves in a conflict-of-law situation because the country where data is stored forbids them from handing it over to a foreign authority, they will be able to challenge the seizure request. However, such extraterritorial rules are fraught with complexity, legal and privacy experts warn. In the United States, for example, certain companies are prohibited from disclosing information to foreign governments, while in Europe consumers' data privacy is strictly protected and companies are restricted in how they can transfer data outside the bloc. "The Commission is proposing dangerous shortcuts to allow national authorities to obtain people's data directly from companies, basically turning them into judicial authorities," said Maryant Fernandez Perez, senior policy adviser at campaign group European Digital Rights. CCIA, a tech association that includes Google and Facebook, welcomed the proposal but said it only offered a limited mechanism for addressing the risk that companies find themselves torn between two conflicting national laws. "We welcome today’s proposals, which can help authorities obtain digital evidence more effectively and with more transparency and legal clarity," said Alexandre Roure, CCIA Europe's senior manager. Ultimately, the Commission hopes to start talks with the United States on a deal to help law enforcement authorities to seize evidence held on each other's territories. "We always think it's useful to have an EU-U.S. coordinated approach instead of a French-U.S. approach, a Belgian-U.S. approach because that leads to fragmentation," a Commission official said.

EU proposes law to force tech companies to give police overseas data

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday extolled the benefits of free trade among Commonwealth countries, seeking new sources of commerce as Britain looks to finalise divorce terms with its current biggest trading partner, the European Union.

May is looking to win the support of the Commonwealth, a network of mostly former British colonies, for future trade deals at a meeting of its leaders in London, and bolster her argument that the future is bright after Brexit.

The Commonwealth, headed by Queen Elizabeth, is not a formal trading bloc with a free-trade agreement. In 2015 it accounted for only 9 per cent of British exports while by contrast the EU, which Britain voted to leave in 2016, accounted for around 44 per cent.

Speaking at the opening of a Commonwealth business forum, May urged the use of common standards across the network of 53 countries, warning that global growth was fragile and that protectionism posed a clear threat to the world economy.&nbsp

"With its unique scope and global voice, such a Commonwealth can set a powerful example to the world, one that demonstrates and underlines the importance of protecting free trade and the rules-based international order," she said.

"Freer and easier trade means stronger economies, more jobs, more choice and lower prices."

The lavish week-long Commonwealth meeting, split across landmark locations in London, is likely to be overshadowed by May's decision to join US&nbspand French air strikes on Syria on Saturday in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack.

Commonwealth family

Britain's appeal to the Commonwealth comes as Brexit negotiators prepare to begin work on a future trade agreement with the EU, which the government hopes will allow frictionless trade with the bloc to continue. The EU has said Britain cannot enjoy the benefits of its single market after leaving.

May's ministers have spent much of their time since the 2016 exit vote touring the globe, touting Britain`s ability to negotiate its own trade deals with countries including Commonwealth states such as Australia, India, and New Zealand as one of the main benefits of life outside the EU.&nbsp

"Our Commonwealth family already accounts for one-fifth of global trade," May said in a statement before the meeting.

"And we must continue to work together to build further upon this solid foundation by building on our existing trade links and establishing new ones."

May announced new programmes to free up trade, improve the skills of young people and boost women`s participation in business, including an offer of 7 million pounds ($10 million) in Commonwealth-wide support to boost businesses owned by women in countries where being female is a professional barrier.

May also announced funding for a new Commonwealth Standards Network to establish a common language for goods and services to help boost trade.

Theresa May is looking to win the support of the Commonwealth, a network of mostly former British colonies, for future trade deals at a meeting of its leaders in London, and bolster her argument that the future is bright after Brexit

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday extolled the benefits of free trade among Commonwealth countries, seeking new sources of commerce as Britain looks to finalise divorce terms with its current biggest trading partner, the European Union. May is looking to win the support of the Commonwealth, a network of mostly former British colonies, for future trade deals at a meeting of its leaders in London, and bolster her argument that the future is bright after Brexit. The Commonwealth, headed by Queen Elizabeth, is not a formal trading bloc with a free-trade agreement. In 2015 it accounted for only 9 per cent of British exports while by contrast the EU, which Britain voted to leave in 2016, accounted for around 44 per cent. Speaking at the opening of a Commonwealth business forum, May urged the use of common standards across the network of 53 countries, warning that global growth was fragile and that protectionism posed a clear threat to the world economy. "With its unique scope and global voice, such a Commonwealth can set a powerful example to the world, one that demonstrates and underlines the importance of protecting free trade and the rules-based international order," she said. "Freer and easier trade means stronger economies, more jobs, more choice and lower prices." The lavish week-long Commonwealth meeting, split across landmark locations in London, is likely to be overshadowed by May's decision to join US&nbspand French air strikes on Syria on Saturday in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack. Commonwealth family Britain's appeal to the Commonwealth comes as Brexit negotiators prepare to begin work on a future trade agreement with the EU, which the government hopes will allow frictionless trade with the bloc to continue. The EU has said Britain cannot enjoy the benefits of its single market after leaving. May's ministers have spent much of their time since the 2016 exit vote touring the globe, touting Britain`s ability to negotiate its own trade deals with countries including Commonwealth states such as Australia, India, and New Zealand as one of the main benefits of life outside the EU. "Our Commonwealth family already accounts for one-fifth of global trade," May said in a statement before the meeting. "And we must continue to work together to build further upon this solid foundation by building on our existing trade links and establishing new ones." May announced new programmes to free up trade, improve the skills of young people and boost women`s participation in business, including an offer of 7 million pounds ($10 million) in Commonwealth-wide support to boost businesses owned by women in countries where being female is a professional barrier. May also announced funding for a new Commonwealth Standards Network to establish a common language for goods and services to help boost trade.

Theresa May seeks Commonwealth trade boost as final Brexit talks begin

Hungary's firebrand nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed a "historic victory" Sunday as his right-wing party took a thumping lead in the country's key parliamentary election.

With almost 98 per cent of votes counted, Orban's Fidesz party has won 48.81 per cent of the vote, the National Election Office (NVI) said, surpassing even the expectations of many within Fidesz.

The score represents an improvement on four years ago and puts the 54-year-old premier on track for a third consecutive term in office -- and more possible clashes with Brussels.

Voter turnout had reached 69.26 per cent, up more than seven points on elections in 2014, the NVI said, with several polling stations forced to open late to accommodate the increase.

Addressing flag-waving supporters in Budapest late on Sunday, Orban said the result gave Hungarians "the opportunity to defend themselves and to defend Hungary".

The crowd cheered as a giant TV screen showed electoral maps of the country almost completely covered in Fidesz's orange colour.

No opposition here

At end of his speech, Orban led the crowd in singing a song from the country's 1848 revolution, "Long Live Hungarian Freedom".

One supporter, 53-year-old Eva Halasz, said: "Viktor is the only leader for Hungary, this proves he has the nation behind him, there is no-one in this country like him, there is no opposition here."

Before the vote, it had been thought that a surge in voter turnout would favour the opposition Jobbik, a far-right party that has been moving towards the centre, and the centre-left Socialists.

However, with nearly all votes counted, results show Jobbik trailing far behind with 19.67 percent, the Socialists on 12.42 percent and the environmentalist LMP party on 6.97 percent.

Jobbik's leader Gabor Vona resigned on Sunday night, as he had promised to do if Jobbik didn't win, and railed against the "lies" and "constant attacks" his party had had to face in the campaign.

It became clear on Sunday night Vona will struggle to win the seat he contested in his hometown of Gyoengyoes.

Mass immigration rejected

Orban will likely seize on the results as vindication of his clashes with EU institutions over his hardline anti-immigration policies and rejection of the EU's refugee resettlement programme, as well as his moves to clamp down on civil society groups.

An Orban victory will also provide a fillip for other nationalist politicians and those on the far-right around Europe who look to him as an inspiration.

In his speech Orban himself thanked Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Poland's governing PiS party, for his support.

Poland and Hungary see each other as key allies in their battles with EU institutions.

France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen tweeted her congratulations on Sunday night, saying the "reversal of values and mass immigration promoted by the EU has been rejected once again".

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders was also quick to welcome the "excellent result".

"These elections have proved that migration is indeed a winning card for Orban's Fidesz. In the current Hungarian context, migration prevails against all other issues, from corruption to healthcare," analyst Andras Biro-Nagy from the Policy Solutions think-tank told AFP.

In terms of what a third Fidesz term may hold, Biro-Nagy said, "we should take seriously what Orban promised to his opponents [in a speech] on 15 March".

In that speech, Orban had said he would take unspecified "moral, political and legal" measures against his opponents after the vote, prompting fears of a crackdown on opposition.

Supermajority?

Fidesz may even be on track to win its coveted two-thirds "supermajority" in parliament which would grant it wide powers to press ahead with controversial measures and change the constitution.

Some of the previous measures passed using this mechanism include those that have put Orban on a collision course with Brussels.

They include what critics call the erosion of media and judicial independence, as well as its crackdown on civil society organisations linked to liberal US billionaire George Soros.

Orban accuses Soros and the organisations he funds of promoting mass Muslim and African immigration into Europe in order to undermine its Christian identity.

The last few weeks of the campaign were marked by allegations of money laundering and corruption levelled at Orban's inner circle, often published in media owned by oligarch Lajos Simicska, an erstwhile Orban ally who fell out with him after Fidesz's 2014 election victory.

The opposition's campaign had focused on corruption and deteriorating public services, as well as the government's failure to stem a high level of emigration which has seen the country's population fall under the symbolic 10 million mark.

Definitive results will not be issued for several days, after ballots sent by expatriate Hungarians and ethnic Hungarians in neighbouring countries are counted.

With almost 98 per cent of votes counted, Viktor Orban's Fidesz party has won 48.81 per cent of the vote

Hungary's firebrand nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed a "historic victory" Sunday as his right-wing party took a thumping lead in the country's key parliamentary election. With almost 98 per cent of votes counted, Orban's Fidesz party has won 48.81 per cent of the vote, the National Election Office (NVI) said, surpassing even the expectations of many within Fidesz. The score represents an improvement on four years ago and puts the 54-year-old premier on track for a third consecutive term in office -- and more possible clashes with Brussels. Voter turnout had reached 69.26 per cent, up more than seven points on elections in 2014, the NVI said, with several polling stations forced to open late to accommodate the increase. Addressing flag-waving supporters in Budapest late on Sunday, Orban said the result gave Hungarians "the opportunity to defend themselves and to defend Hungary". The crowd cheered as a giant TV screen showed electoral maps of the country almost completely covered in Fidesz's orange colour. No opposition here At end of his speech, Orban led the crowd in singing a song from the country's 1848 revolution, "Long Live Hungarian Freedom". One supporter, 53-year-old Eva Halasz, said: "Viktor is the only leader for Hungary, this proves he has the nation behind him, there is no-one in this country like him, there is no opposition here." Before the vote, it had been thought that a surge in voter turnout would favour the opposition Jobbik, a far-right party that has been moving towards the centre, and the centre-left Socialists. However, with nearly all votes counted, results show Jobbik trailing far behind with 19.67 percent, the Socialists on 12.42 percent and the environmentalist LMP party on 6.97 percent. Jobbik's leader Gabor Vona resigned on Sunday night, as he had promised to do if Jobbik didn't win, and railed against the "lies" and "constant attacks" his party had had to face in the campaign. It became clear on Sunday night Vona will struggle to win the seat he contested in his hometown of Gyoengyoes. Mass immigration rejected Orban will likely seize on the results as vindication of his clashes with EU institutions over his hardline anti-immigration policies and rejection of the EU's refugee resettlement programme, as well as his moves to clamp down on civil society groups. An Orban victory will also provide a fillip for other nationalist politicians and those on the far-right around Europe who look to him as an inspiration. In his speech Orban himself thanked Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Poland's governing PiS party, for his support. Poland and Hungary see each other as key allies in their battles with EU institutions. France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen tweeted her congratulations on Sunday night, saying the "reversal of values and mass immigration promoted by the EU has been rejected once again". Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders was also quick to welcome the "excellent result". "These elections have proved that migration is indeed a winning card for Orban's Fidesz. In the current Hungarian context, migration prevails against all other issues, from corruption to healthcare," analyst Andras Biro-Nagy from the Policy Solutions think-tank told AFP. In terms of what a third Fidesz term may hold, Biro-Nagy said, "we should take seriously what Orban promised to his opponents [in a speech] on 15 March". In that speech, Orban had said he would take unspecified "moral, political and legal" measures against his opponents after the vote, prompting fears of a crackdown on opposition. Supermajority? Fidesz may even be on track to win its coveted two-thirds "supermajority" in parliament which would grant it wide powers to press ahead with controversial measures and change the constitution. Some of the previous measures passed using this mechanism include those that have put Orban on a collision course with Brussels. They include what critics call the erosion of media and judicial independence, as well as its crackdown on civil society organisations linked to liberal US billionaire George Soros. Orban accuses Soros and the organisations he funds of promoting mass Muslim and African immigration into Europe in order to undermine its Christian identity. The last few weeks of the campaign were marked by allegations of money laundering and corruption levelled at Orban's inner circle, often published in media owned by oligarch Lajos Simicska, an erstwhile Orban ally who fell out with him after Fidesz's 2014 election victory. The opposition's campaign had focused on corruption and deteriorating public services, as well as the government's failure to stem a high level of emigration which has seen the country's population fall under the symbolic 10 million mark. Definitive results will not be issued for several days, after ballots sent by expatriate Hungarians and ethnic Hungarians in neighbouring countries are counted.

Hungary's PM Viktor Orban claims victory as his party takes sweeping poll lead

Hungarians are set to reelect Viktor Orban, a hard-liner on immigration, for a third straight term in a Sunday election that could help solidify anti-migrant positions in Central European governments.

After an acrimonious campaign in which Orban has projected himself as a saviour of Hungary's Christian culture against Muslim migration into Europe, all opinion polls put his Fidesz party well ahead.

A strong victory could embolden him to put more muscle into a Central European alliance against the European Union's migration policies. Orban, Hungary's longest-serving post-communist premier, strongly opposes deeper integration of the bloc.

A landslide win would make Orban feel vindicated in his decision to run a single-issue campaign, arguing that migration posed a big security threat. Orban's critics said his stance has fuelled xenophobia in Hungary.

A strong win for Orban would also boost other right-wing nationalists in Central Europe, in Poland, and in neighbouring Austria, and expose cracks in the 28-nation EU.

The EU has struggled to respond as Orban's government has used its two landslide victories in 2010 and 2014 to erode democratic checks and balances, by curbing the powers of the constitutional court, controlling the media, and appointing loyalists to key positions.

Orban has far-right admirers across Europe who like his tough line on migrants. He is also credited with keeping the budget deficit under control, reducing unemployment and some of Hungary's debt, and putting its economy on a growth track.

On Friday, at his closing campaign rally, Orban vowed to protect his nation from Muslim migrants.

"Migration is like rust that slowly but surely would consume Hungary," he said.

The fierce anti-immigrant campaign has gone down well with around two million core voters of Fidesz.

"Migrants should not come here, and this (Fidesz') economic policy should continue," said Janos Dimovics, a pensioner who came from his village to see Orban. He had always voted for Fidesz and praised Orban's policy to support families.

In March the government also gave pre-election handouts to millions of families and pensioners.

Odd chance of surprise

According to a poll by Zavech research institute published on Friday, Fidesz had 46 percent support among decided voters, while former far-right Jobbik, which has reshaped its image into a more moderate force, had 19 percent. The Socialists came in third with 14 percent. Voter turnout was estimated between 64 and 68 percent.

However, the polls could be unreliable as one-third of voters are undecided and many hide their voting preference.

There is also a slight chance that the fragmented opposition could strip Fidesz of its parliament majority if voters frustrated with Orban's policies choose tactical voting in the 106 constituencies.

In 2014, Fidesz won a two-thirds majority in the 199-seat parliament with 133 seats. That looks less likely now.

If Orban wins he is expected to carry on with his current economic policies -- with income tax cuts and incentives to boost growth.

His business allies are also expected to expand their economic domains. Businessmen close to Fidesz have acquired stakes in major industries like banking, energy, construction, and tourism, profiting from EU funds.

"Only a dramatic outcome of the election would force a significant shift in the direction of policymaking," Barclays said in a note.

It said pragmatism was likely to prevail given the importance of EU structural funds for Hungary which would probably avoid an all-out conflict with the EU. 
&nbsp;

Viktor Orban is a hard-liner on immigration and would be selected for a third straight term in a Sunday election

Hungarians are set to reelect Viktor Orban, a hard-liner on immigration, for a third straight term in a Sunday election that could help solidify anti-migrant positions in Central European governments. After an acrimonious campaign in which Orban has projected himself as a saviour of Hungary's Christian culture against Muslim migration into Europe, all opinion polls put his Fidesz party well ahead. A strong victory could embolden him to put more muscle into a Central European alliance against the European Union's migration policies. Orban, Hungary's longest-serving post-communist premier, strongly opposes deeper integration of the bloc. A landslide win would make Orban feel vindicated in his decision to run a single-issue campaign, arguing that migration posed a big security threat. Orban's critics said his stance has fuelled xenophobia in Hungary. A strong win for Orban would also boost other right-wing nationalists in Central Europe, in Poland, and in neighbouring Austria, and expose cracks in the 28-nation EU. The EU has struggled to respond as Orban's government has used its two landslide victories in 2010 and 2014 to erode democratic checks and balances, by curbing the powers of the constitutional court, controlling the media, and appointing loyalists to key positions. Orban has far-right admirers across Europe who like his tough line on migrants. He is also credited with keeping the budget deficit under control, reducing unemployment and some of Hungary's debt, and putting its economy on a growth track. On Friday, at his closing campaign rally, Orban vowed to protect his nation from Muslim migrants. "Migration is like rust that slowly but surely would consume Hungary," he said. The fierce anti-immigrant campaign has gone down well with around two million core voters of Fidesz. "Migrants should not come here, and this (Fidesz') economic policy should continue," said Janos Dimovics, a pensioner who came from his village to see Orban. He had always voted for Fidesz and praised Orban's policy to support families. In March the government also gave pre-election handouts to millions of families and pensioners. Odd chance of surprise According to a poll by Zavech research institute published on Friday, Fidesz had 46 percent support among decided voters, while former far-right Jobbik, which has reshaped its image into a more moderate force, had 19 percent. The Socialists came in third with 14 percent. Voter turnout was estimated between 64 and 68 percent. However, the polls could be unreliable as one-third of voters are undecided and many hide their voting preference. There is also a slight chance that the fragmented opposition could strip Fidesz of its parliament majority if voters frustrated with Orban's policies choose tactical voting in the 106 constituencies. In 2014, Fidesz won a two-thirds majority in the 199-seat parliament with 133 seats. That looks less likely now. If Orban wins he is expected to carry on with his current economic policies -- with income tax cuts and incentives to boost growth. His business allies are also expected to expand their economic domains. Businessmen close to Fidesz have acquired stakes in major industries like banking, energy, construction, and tourism, profiting from EU funds. "Only a dramatic outcome of the election would force a significant shift in the direction of policymaking," Barclays said in a note. It said pragmatism was likely to prevail given the importance of EU structural funds for Hungary which would probably avoid an all-out conflict with the EU.

Hungary expected to give nationalist Prime Minister Orban third term

Russian diplomats expelled from the United States arrived in Moscow on Sunday, with post-Cold War tensions peaking in the wake of a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain.

A deepening crisis in ties between Russia and the West has over the past weeks seen the biggest wave of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions in recent memory.

In further signs of tension, Russia warned its nationals on Saturday to think twice before travelling to Britain, where it said they could be singled out for harassment by local authorities.

By expelling 60 Russian diplomats, the US joined a score of Britain's allies in responding to the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.

Two planes arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on Sunday, bringing home a total of 171 people -- the 60 diplomats and their families -- from Washington and New York.

Russian television showed passengers disembarking from a government plane while several buses waited to pick them up.

More than 150 Russian diplomats have now been ordered out of the US, EU members, NATO countries and other nations.

Britain has said it is "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for the Skripal attack using the Soviet-designed Novichok nerve agent. Russia has angrily denied any involvement.

The US alleged the 60 diplomats were "spies" and sent them home from posts around the country and at the Russian mission to the United Nations, as well as closing Russia's consulate in Seattle.

However Washington has since said that Russia is free to apply to accredit more diplomats to replace those expelled.

Moscow responded by expelling 60 US diplomats and closing Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg on Saturday.

Work to improve ties

US President Donald Trump has often appeared reluctant to criticise Russian leader Vladimir Putin and has said the two could meet for a summit in the near future.

"Now the consulate is closed but our work to improve Russian-US ties is continuing," the US embassy in Moscow said on Twitter.

Moscow also issued further retaliatory measures against Britain on Saturday, demanding that London further slash its diplomatic presence.

"Russia suggested parity. The British side has more than 50 more people," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told AFP.&nbsp

The call came after 23 British diplomats were expelled from Russia last month.

Moscow also closed a British consulate in Saint Petersburg and suspended all projects of the British Council for the first time in nearly 60 years.

Threatening rhetoric

The Russian embassy in London urged Russians to think carefully before travelling to the UK or sending children to summer school there.

The embassy warned that British authorities including police could single out Russians for additional checks, citing "the anti-Russian policies and an escalation of the British side's threatening rhetoric".

Britain acknowledged Saturday that border officials had searched an incoming Aeroflot flight from Moscow in what Russia blasted as an act of "blatant provocation".

Britain said it conducts routine checks on aircraft to protect the UK from organised crime and people attempting to bring harmful substances into the country.

Earlier this week Moscow summoned British ambassador Laurie Bristow, giving London a month to cut the number of diplomatic staff in Russia to the same number Russia has in Britain.&nbsp

He was handed a protest note over the "provocative and unfounded actions of the British side which instigated the unwarranted expulsion of Russian diplomats from a variety of states," the Russian foreign ministry said.&nbsp

Bristow was summoned along with the heads of missions from 23 other countries -- most of them EU member states -- who were told that some of their diplomats had to leave.

France, Germany, Canada and Poland each said that Russia was expelling four of their diplomats.&nbsp

Other countries including Australia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania and Norway were also told to pull their envoys.&nbsp

Russian diplomats expelled from the United States arrived in Moscow on Sunday, with post-Cold War tensions peaking in the wake of a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain

Russian diplomats expelled from the United States arrived in Moscow on Sunday, with post-Cold War tensions peaking in the wake of a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain. A deepening crisis in ties between Russia and the West has over the past weeks seen the biggest wave of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions in recent memory. In further signs of tension, Russia warned its nationals on Saturday to think twice before travelling to Britain, where it said they could be singled out for harassment by local authorities. By expelling 60 Russian diplomats, the US joined a score of Britain's allies in responding to the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. Two planes arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on Sunday, bringing home a total of 171 people -- the 60 diplomats and their families -- from Washington and New York. Russian television showed passengers disembarking from a government plane while several buses waited to pick them up. More than 150 Russian diplomats have now been ordered out of the US, EU members, NATO countries and other nations. Britain has said it is "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for the Skripal attack using the Soviet-designed Novichok nerve agent. Russia has angrily denied any involvement. The US alleged the 60 diplomats were "spies" and sent them home from posts around the country and at the Russian mission to the United Nations, as well as closing Russia's consulate in Seattle. However Washington has since said that Russia is free to apply to accredit more diplomats to replace those expelled. Moscow responded by expelling 60 US diplomats and closing Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg on Saturday. Work to improve ties US President Donald Trump has often appeared reluctant to criticise Russian leader Vladimir Putin and has said the two could meet for a summit in the near future. "Now the consulate is closed but our work to improve Russian-US ties is continuing," the US embassy in Moscow said on Twitter. Moscow also issued further retaliatory measures against Britain on Saturday, demanding that London further slash its diplomatic presence. "Russia suggested parity. The British side has more than 50 more people," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told AFP. The call came after 23 British diplomats were expelled from Russia last month. Moscow also closed a British consulate in Saint Petersburg and suspended all projects of the British Council for the first time in nearly 60 years. Threatening rhetoric The Russian embassy in London urged Russians to think carefully before travelling to the UK or sending children to summer school there. The embassy warned that British authorities including police could single out Russians for additional checks, citing "the anti-Russian policies and an escalation of the British side's threatening rhetoric". Britain acknowledged Saturday that border officials had searched an incoming Aeroflot flight from Moscow in what Russia blasted as an act of "blatant provocation". Britain said it conducts routine checks on aircraft to protect the UK from organised crime and people attempting to bring harmful substances into the country. Earlier this week Moscow summoned British ambassador Laurie Bristow, giving London a month to cut the number of diplomatic staff in Russia to the same number Russia has in Britain. He was handed a protest note over the "provocative and unfounded actions of the British side which instigated the unwarranted expulsion of Russian diplomats from a variety of states," the Russian foreign ministry said. Bristow was summoned along with the heads of missions from 23 other countries -- most of them EU member states -- who were told that some of their diplomats had to leave. France, Germany, Canada and Poland each said that Russia was expelling four of their diplomats. Other countries including Australia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania and Norway were also told to pull their envoys.

Expelled Russians arrive home as Moscow warns against travel to UK

Israel rejected calls for an independent probe on Sunday after its soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip.

Israel's military has faced questions from rights groups over its use of live fire on Friday, the bloodiest day in the conflict since a 2014 war, while Palestinians accuse soldiers of firing on protesters posing no threat.

Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini have called for an independent investigation.

On Saturday, the United States blocked a draft UN Security Council statement urging restraint and calling for an investigation of the violence, diplomats said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised soldiers' actions for "guarding the country's borders," while Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the protests were not a "Woodstock festival".

Lieberman said calls for an independent investigation were hypocritical and on Sunday repeated his rejection of such an investigation.

"There will be no commission of inquiry," he told Israel's public radio.

"There will be no such thing here. We shall not cooperate with any commission of inquiry."

Netanyahu also hit back at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his sharp criticism of what he called Israel's "inhumane attack" in Gaza.

"The most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately," Netanyahu tweeted.

He has previously labelled Erdogan as someone who "bombs Kurdish villagers".

Hard to believe

On Friday Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians who strayed from a main protest camp attended by tens of thousands and approached the heavily fortified fence cutting off the blockaded Gaza Strip.

The military has defended the soldiers' action and said they opened fire only when necessary against those throwing stones and firebombs or rolling tyres at soldiers.

It said there were attempts to damage the fence and infiltrate Israel, while alleging there was also an attempted gun attack against soldiers along the border.

Israel accuses Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of using the protest as cover to carry out violence.

In addition to the 16 Palestinians killed, more than 1,400 were wounded Friday, 758 of them by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation, the health ministry in Gaza said.

No casualties were reported among Israelis.

The armed wing of Hamas said five of those killed were its members who were participating "in popular events side-by-side with their people".

The Israeli army alleges 10 of the dead had "documented terror backgrounds" in Hamas and other groups and were killed "whilst carrying out acts of terror".

Unverified videos being shared online have fuelled the debate, including one appearing to show a protester running with a tyre being shot while seeming to pose no threat.

Israel's army has issued a statement saying footage is being "edited and fabricated," without referring to specific videos.

Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticised Israel's use of live fire.

Israel had deployed troop reinforcements along the border, including more than 100 special forces snipers, saying it would prevent attempts to break through the fence.

"While some Palestinian demonstrators have thrown stones and other objects towards the fence, it's hard to believe how this would be an imminent danger to the lives of well-equipped soldiers protected by snipers, tanks and drones," Amnesty said.

More protests ahead

The protest, which includes tents erected at various areas, is designed to last six weeks, ending around the time the United States moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in mid-May.

The embassy move has deeply angered the Palestinians, who see Jerusalem's annexed eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

But while tens of thousands attended Friday's start of the protests, demonstrations have since dwindled. Several hundred attended on Saturday, while on Sunday dozens milled around protest tents.

The protests may however again see large crowds after Friday's main Muslim prayers and for upcoming key dates.

May 14 will mark 70 years since the creation of Israel and is when the United States is expected to open its new Jerusalem embassy.

Palestinians will mark what they call the Nakba, or "catastrophe," the following day.

The Nakba commemorates the more than 700,000 Palestinians who either fled or were expelled from their homes in the war surrounding Israel's creation in 1948.

Gaza's protest is in support of refugees, including those in the Palestinian enclave who want to return to their former homes in what is now Israel.

Israel rejected calls for an independent probe on Sunday after its soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip

Israel rejected calls for an independent probe on Sunday after its soldiers killed 16 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more when a major demonstration led to clashes along the border with the Gaza Strip. Israel's military has faced questions from rights groups over its use of live fire on Friday, the bloodiest day in the conflict since a 2014 war, while Palestinians accuse soldiers of firing on protesters posing no threat. Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini have called for an independent investigation. On Saturday, the United States blocked a draft UN Security Council statement urging restraint and calling for an investigation of the violence, diplomats said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised soldiers' actions for "guarding the country's borders," while Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the protests were not a "Woodstock festival". Lieberman said calls for an independent investigation were hypocritical and on Sunday repeated his rejection of such an investigation. "There will be no commission of inquiry," he told Israel's public radio. "There will be no such thing here. We shall not cooperate with any commission of inquiry." Netanyahu also hit back at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his sharp criticism of what he called Israel's "inhumane attack" in Gaza. "The most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately," Netanyahu tweeted. He has previously labelled Erdogan as someone who "bombs Kurdish villagers". Hard to believe On Friday Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians who strayed from a main protest camp attended by tens of thousands and approached the heavily fortified fence cutting off the blockaded Gaza Strip. The military has defended the soldiers' action and said they opened fire only when necessary against those throwing stones and firebombs or rolling tyres at soldiers. It said there were attempts to damage the fence and infiltrate Israel, while alleging there was also an attempted gun attack against soldiers along the border. Israel accuses Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of using the protest as cover to carry out violence. In addition to the 16 Palestinians killed, more than 1,400 were wounded Friday, 758 of them by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation, the health ministry in Gaza said. No casualties were reported among Israelis. The armed wing of Hamas said five of those killed were its members who were participating "in popular events side-by-side with their people". The Israeli army alleges 10 of the dead had "documented terror backgrounds" in Hamas and other groups and were killed "whilst carrying out acts of terror". Unverified videos being shared online have fuelled the debate, including one appearing to show a protester running with a tyre being shot while seeming to pose no threat. Israel's army has issued a statement saying footage is being "edited and fabricated," without referring to specific videos. Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticised Israel's use of live fire. Israel had deployed troop reinforcements along the border, including more than 100 special forces snipers, saying it would prevent attempts to break through the fence. "While some Palestinian demonstrators have thrown stones and other objects towards the fence, it's hard to believe how this would be an imminent danger to the lives of well-equipped soldiers protected by snipers, tanks and drones," Amnesty said. More protests ahead The protest, which includes tents erected at various areas, is designed to last six weeks, ending around the time the United States moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in mid-May. The embassy move has deeply angered the Palestinians, who see Jerusalem's annexed eastern sector as the capital of their future state. But while tens of thousands attended Friday's start of the protests, demonstrations have since dwindled. Several hundred attended on Saturday, while on Sunday dozens milled around protest tents. The protests may however again see large crowds after Friday's main Muslim prayers and for upcoming key dates. May 14 will mark 70 years since the creation of Israel and is when the United States is expected to open its new Jerusalem embassy. Palestinians will mark what they call the Nakba, or "catastrophe," the following day. The Nakba commemorates the more than 700,000 Palestinians who either fled or were expelled from their homes in the war surrounding Israel's creation in 1948. Gaza's protest is in support of refugees, including those in the Palestinian enclave who want to return to their former homes in what is now Israel.

Israel rejects calls for independent probe of Gaza violence

Don't leave your iPad at home this holiday. Starting Sunday, Europeans on vacation can enjoy their online entertainment such as Netflix or BBC iPlayer as if at home all across Europe.

Europeans spend about one billion nights in other EU countries every year but until now faced a frustrating inability to access subscription services or national broadcasters while outside their home country.

All that changes on Easter Sunday, when new portability rules will allow travellers in the EU to access their online content when they’re away from home.&nbsp

"As of April 1, wherever you are travelling to in the EU, you will no longer miss out on your favourite films, TV series, sports broadcasts, games or e-books, that you have digitally subscribed to at home," an EU statement said.

As it stands, a subscriber to the Netflix or Amazon Prime streaming service in, for example, France, only has access to the service as it is available in the country being visited, where the supply of movies or TV series often drastically differs to the home version.

In another example, digital subscribers to Sky Sports in London are unable to access Premier League football matches on their iPads or laptops when travelling abroad.&nbsp

The EU hopes the measure should prevent users from using illegal broadcast services or virtual networks, known as VPNs, that connect to a service by hiding its true location.&nbsp

The European Commission estimates that at least 29 million people, or 5.7 per cent of EU consumers, could use cross-border portability this year, and that number could reach 72 million by 2020.

Starting Sunday, Europeans on vacation can enjoy their online entertainment such as Netflix or BBC iPlayer as if at home all across Europe

Don't leave your iPad at home this holiday. Starting Sunday, Europeans on vacation can enjoy their online entertainment such as Netflix or BBC iPlayer as if at home all across Europe. Europeans spend about one billion nights in other EU countries every year but until now faced a frustrating inability to access subscription services or national broadcasters while outside their home country. All that changes on Easter Sunday, when new portability rules will allow travellers in the EU to access their online content when they’re away from home. "As of April 1, wherever you are travelling to in the EU, you will no longer miss out on your favourite films, TV series, sports broadcasts, games or e-books, that you have digitally subscribed to at home," an EU statement said. As it stands, a subscriber to the Netflix or Amazon Prime streaming service in, for example, France, only has access to the service as it is available in the country being visited, where the supply of movies or TV series often drastically differs to the home version. In another example, digital subscribers to Sky Sports in London are unable to access Premier League football matches on their iPads or laptops when travelling abroad. The EU hopes the measure should prevent users from using illegal broadcast services or virtual networks, known as VPNs, that connect to a service by hiding its true location. The European Commission estimates that at least 29 million people, or 5.7 per cent of EU consumers, could use cross-border portability this year, and that number could reach 72 million by 2020.

New EU rules let you watch Netflix, BBC abroad

Prime Minister Theresa May promised Britain bright prospects outside the European Union on Thursday as she toured a country still profoundly divided about its future as the countdown to Brexit enters its final 12 months.

Britain is on course to leave the European Union at 2300 GMT on March 29, 2019, severing ties that helped define its national identity, its laws, and its international stature over 46 years of integration with European neighbours.

The people of Britain, the world's sixth-largest economy, caused a major global shock in 2016 by voting narrowly to quit the EU after a fevered referendum campaign that sharpened regional divisions, pitted young against old and exposed a deep distrust between voters and the political establishment.

In the 21 months since the referendum, May, who became prime minister in the resulting political chaos, has struggled to unite the country behind a single vision of Brexit.

Voters' disparate views on leaving are entrenched, and few have any certainty about Britain's long-term future.

May will meet voters in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on a whirlwind tour designed as a rallying cry for the union between the four nations of the United Kingdom, and to paint a positive post-Brexit vision.

"I am determined that our future will be a bright one," she said ahead of the roughly 800-mile (1,280 km) trip ending in London.

Starting her tour in Scotland, May met workers in a textile factory, focusing on the future benefits she said Brexit could bring for trade.

"I believe that we can negotiate a good agreement which is tariff-free and as frictionless trade as possible, so we maintain those markets in the EU, but also that we open up market around the rest of the world. Brexit provides us with opportunities," she told broadcasters.

The EU maintains that by leaving its single market and customs union, Britain will be making trade more difficult.

EU Council President Donald Tusk has remarked that any trade deal with Britain would be the first in history to loosen economic links rather than strengthen them.

Long way to go

May, 61, has 12 months to plot a successful course through difficult political and economic terrain.

Brexiteers fret that the EU divorce is taking too long and could be reversed. Pro-EU campaigners still push for a less radical exit or a second referendum.

A ComRes opinion poll published on Thursday showed 44 per cent of people thought the government's handling of the negotiations had been "a total shambles". Only 29 per cent were optimistic their households would be better off after Brexit.

Britain's economy has defied pre-referendum predictions of a swift plunge into recession, buoyed in part by stronger global growth. But longer term forecasts show growth grinding lower over the next five years and lagging international rivals.

At home, May only has a small majority in parliament and must find a way to corral her Conservative Party, which is still split over the best Brexit plan, into backing legislation that will prepare Britain for life outside the bloc.

That task has so far swamped her government and its administrative machine, leading to accusations she has taken the eye off the ball on domestic policy and given the socialist-led Labour Party a chance to build support ahead of a 2022 election.

In Brussels, May's ministers have won little in the way of concessions from the EU negotiating team, setting a difficult tone for upcoming talks on long-term trading ties - particularly when it comes to the future of Britain's economic engine: its financial services sector.

But, a transitional deal that effectively keeps Britain inside the EU single market until the end of 2020, agreed in principle last week with Brussels, has calmed anxious businesses and bought May time to work out the details of post-Brexit policy.

Among those challenges will be holding together the United Kingdom, made up of four nations which diverged at the referendum: Wales and England voted to leave the EU, Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain.

Scotland and Wales are drawing up contingency plans to protect their own interests in case they cannot reach agreement with May on how powers regained from Brussels are redistributed.

Northern Ireland is into a second year of a political crisis that has left it without a devolved administration, and the future management of its land border with EU-member Ireland is one of the thorniest issues outstanding in talks with Brussels.

Against that backdrop, May's tour is focused on meeting a cross-section of voters to reassure them that she is working to tear down the barriers thrown up by the referendum, and that whether they voted "Leave" or "Remain", they will be better off after Brexit.

"I am determined that as we leave the EU, and in the years ahead, we will strengthen the bonds that unite us, because ours is the world’s most successful union," she said in her statement.

Prime Minister Theresa May promised Britain bright prospects outside the European Union on Thursday as she toured a country still profoundly divided about its future as the countdown to Brexit enters its final 12 months

Prime Minister Theresa May promised Britain bright prospects outside the European Union on Thursday as she toured a country still profoundly divided about its future as the countdown to Brexit enters its final 12 months. Britain is on course to leave the European Union at 2300 GMT on March 29, 2019, severing ties that helped define its national identity, its laws, and its international stature over 46 years of integration with European neighbours. The people of Britain, the world's sixth-largest economy, caused a major global shock in 2016 by voting narrowly to quit the EU after a fevered referendum campaign that sharpened regional divisions, pitted young against old and exposed a deep distrust between voters and the political establishment. In the 21 months since the referendum, May, who became prime minister in the resulting political chaos, has struggled to unite the country behind a single vision of Brexit. Voters' disparate views on leaving are entrenched, and few have any certainty about Britain's long-term future. May will meet voters in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on a whirlwind tour designed as a rallying cry for the union between the four nations of the United Kingdom, and to paint a positive post-Brexit vision. "I am determined that our future will be a bright one," she said ahead of the roughly 800-mile (1,280 km) trip ending in London. Starting her tour in Scotland, May met workers in a textile factory, focusing on the future benefits she said Brexit could bring for trade. "I believe that we can negotiate a good agreement which is tariff-free and as frictionless trade as possible, so we maintain those markets in the EU, but also that we open up market around the rest of the world. Brexit provides us with opportunities," she told broadcasters. The EU maintains that by leaving its single market and customs union, Britain will be making trade more difficult. EU Council President Donald Tusk has remarked that any trade deal with Britain would be the first in history to loosen economic links rather than strengthen them. Long way to go May, 61, has 12 months to plot a successful course through difficult political and economic terrain. Brexiteers fret that the EU divorce is taking too long and could be reversed. Pro-EU campaigners still push for a less radical exit or a second referendum. A ComRes opinion poll published on Thursday showed 44 per cent of people thought the government's handling of the negotiations had been "a total shambles". Only 29 per cent were optimistic their households would be better off after Brexit. Britain's economy has defied pre-referendum predictions of a swift plunge into recession, buoyed in part by stronger global growth. But longer term forecasts show growth grinding lower over the next five years and lagging international rivals. At home, May only has a small majority in parliament and must find a way to corral her Conservative Party, which is still split over the best Brexit plan, into backing legislation that will prepare Britain for life outside the bloc. That task has so far swamped her government and its administrative machine, leading to accusations she has taken the eye off the ball on domestic policy and given the socialist-led Labour Party a chance to build support ahead of a 2022 election. In Brussels, May's ministers have won little in the way of concessions from the EU negotiating team, setting a difficult tone for upcoming talks on long-term trading ties - particularly when it comes to the future of Britain's economic engine: its financial services sector. But, a transitional deal that effectively keeps Britain inside the EU single market until the end of 2020, agreed in principle last week with Brussels, has calmed anxious businesses and bought May time to work out the details of post-Brexit policy. Among those challenges will be holding together the United Kingdom, made up of four nations which diverged at the referendum: Wales and England voted to leave the EU, Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain. Scotland and Wales are drawing up contingency plans to protect their own interests in case they cannot reach agreement with May on how powers regained from Brussels are redistributed. Northern Ireland is into a second year of a political crisis that has left it without a devolved administration, and the future management of its land border with EU-member Ireland is one of the thorniest issues outstanding in talks with Brussels. Against that backdrop, May's tour is focused on meeting a cross-section of voters to reassure them that she is working to tear down the barriers thrown up by the referendum, and that whether they voted "Leave" or "Remain", they will be better off after Brexit. "I am determined that as we leave the EU, and in the years ahead, we will strengthen the bonds that unite us, because ours is the world’s most successful union," she said in her statement.

The future is bright, vows PM May on tour of Brexit-divided country

Anti-Brexit group Best for Britain on Wednesday unveiled a nationwide billboard campaign as part of a bid to force another public vote on leaving the European Union.

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The campaign will also include posters, social media and other digital advertisements aimed at both Leave and Remain voters.

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Billboards will this week appear at London hubs Leicester Square, Westfield Stratford and Canary Wharf as well as in Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

The campaign comes as Britain begins a one-year countdown from Thursday to its scheduled departure date from the bloc.

Advertisements calling for a "People's Vote" on the final Brexit deal will also appear in the Evening Standard and The Guardian newspapers.

"The campaign is aimed at involving the public into the campaign calling for a public vote on the Brexit deal," Best for Britain said in a statement.

The campaign has not specified the terms of the vote they are calling for, and what would happen if the deal were rejected.

The posters feature British citizens from various walks of life under the words "When will we know what we voted for?" Chair of Best for Britain Mark Malloch-Brown said that voters were "profoundly and increasingly frustrated that they still do not know what Brexit means."

"This government's strategy to fudge, dodge and delay their way to a rubber stamp vote in October is already beginning to unravel.

This media campaign simply aims to hasten that process," he explained.

The campaign group hit the headlines last month when it emerged that it had received a £400,0000 donation from billionaire investor George Soros. The revelation led to accusations from the pro-Brexit newspaper The Daily Telegraph that he was leading a "campaign to overturn" the June 2016 vote.

Anti-Brexit group Best for Britain on Wednesday unveiled a nationwide billboard campaign as part of a bid to force another public vote on leaving the European Union

Anti-Brexit group Best for Britain on Wednesday unveiled a nationwide billboard campaign as part of a bid to force another public vote on leaving the European Union. Also read: In a new chapter in India-Israel ties, Air India's maiden direct flight lands at Tel Aviv The campaign will also include posters, social media and other digital advertisements aimed at both Leave and Remain voters. Also read: Saudi gives Air India overflight rights for its Israel routes Track Air India Flight Billboards will this week appear at London hubs Leicester Square, Westfield Stratford and Canary Wharf as well as in Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. The campaign comes as Britain begins a one-year countdown from Thursday to its scheduled departure date from the bloc. Advertisements calling for a "People's Vote" on the final Brexit deal will also appear in the Evening Standard and The Guardian newspapers. "The campaign is aimed at involving the public into the campaign calling for a public vote on the Brexit deal," Best for Britain said in a statement. The campaign has not specified the terms of the vote they are calling for, and what would happen if the deal were rejected. The posters feature British citizens from various walks of life under the words "When will we know what we voted for?" Chair of Best for Britain Mark Malloch-Brown said that voters were "profoundly and increasingly frustrated that they still do not know what Brexit means." "This government's strategy to fudge, dodge and delay their way to a rubber stamp vote in October is already beginning to unravel. This media campaign simply aims to hasten that process," he explained. The campaign group hit the headlines last month when it emerged that it had received a £400,0000 donation from billionaire investor George Soros. The revelation led to accusations from the pro-Brexit newspaper The Daily Telegraph that he was leading a "campaign to overturn" the June 2016 vote.

UK billboards call for 'People's Vote' on Brexit deal

EU leaders decided Friday to recall the bloc&#39;s envoy to Russia after backing Britain&#39;s assessment that Moscow was likely behind a nerve agent attack on an ex-spy, officials said.

A number of EU countries are also considering expelling Russian diplomats or recalling their own envoys following the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England.

&quot;After agreeing on attribution, they continued the discussions on how could they go beyond just words and actually really have some deeds,&quot; a senior EU official said after the first day of the summit.

&quot;Some member states are looking into possibly expelling Russian diplomats or recalling national diplomats.

&quot;But there was also an agreement to recall the EU ambassador to Moscow for consultations.&quot;

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte confirmed the recall of the EU envoy.

Another EU source told AFP the recall was a &quot;show of intent&quot;.

The 28 EU leaders said in a statement &quot;that it is highly likely that the Russian Federation is responsible and that there is no plausible alternative explanation&quot;.

Lithuania&#39;s outspoken President Dalia Grybauskaite said on the way into the summit that she was giving serious thought to following Britain&#39;s lead in taking steps against Moscow.

Britain has expelled 23 Russian diplomats and severed some high-level ties.

&quot;All of us we are considering such measures,&quot; Grybauskaite said.&nbsp;

A number of EU countries are also considering expelling Russian diplomats or recalling their own envoys following the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England

EU leaders decided Friday to recall the bloc's envoy to Russia after backing Britain's assessment that Moscow was likely behind a nerve agent attack on an ex-spy, officials said. A number of EU countries are also considering expelling Russian diplomats or recalling their own envoys following the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England. "After agreeing on attribution, they continued the discussions on how could they go beyond just words and actually really have some deeds," a senior EU official said after the first day of the summit. "Some member states are looking into possibly expelling Russian diplomats or recalling national diplomats. "But there was also an agreement to recall the EU ambassador to Moscow for consultations." Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte confirmed the recall of the EU envoy. Another EU source told AFP the recall was a "show of intent". The 28 EU leaders said in a statement "that it is highly likely that the Russian Federation is responsible and that there is no plausible alternative explanation". Lithuania's outspoken President Dalia Grybauskaite said on the way into the summit that she was giving serious thought to following Britain's lead in taking steps against Moscow. Britain has expelled 23 Russian diplomats and severed some high-level ties. "All of us we are considering such measures," Grybauskaite said.

European Union to recall envoy to Russia over spy attack: Officials

European Union leaders will Thursday press tech giants to protect personal data in the wake of the scandal over information harvested from Facebook, draft summit conclusions said.

The Brussels summit is tackling the row over the misuse of Facebook data by British firm Cambridge Analytica, which played a role in US President Donald Trump&#39;s election campaign.

&quot;Social networks and digital platforms need to guarantee transparent practices and full protection of citizens&#39; privacy and personal data,&quot; said the draft statement.

The leaders will further discuss the issue at a summit in the Bulgarian capital Sofia in May, it added.

EU President Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday that it would be added to the summit agenda at the last minute.

Tusk said leaders would tackle issues &quot;undermining trust in our democracies through fake news or election meddling&quot;.

He said this was &quot;particularly relevant in view of the recent revelations about Cambridge Analytica.&quot;

The EU leaders are taking up the issue following calls for an investigation by both the European Commission and the European Parliament, which has invited Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to speak to the assembly.

During a visit to the United States on Wednesday, EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova warned that Europe&#39;s General Data Protection Regulation would make it &quot;very, very expensive&quot; for violators once the legislation enters force on May 25.

Jourova added she is waiting &quot;impatiently&quot; for answers on the data breach after she failed to meet with a Facebook official specifically to discuss the problem.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg vowed Wednesday to &quot;step up&quot; to fix problems at the social media giant.

The EU unveiled on Wednesday proposals for a digital tax that targets US tech giants including Facebook.

European Union leaders will Thursday press tech giants to protect personal data in the wake of the scandal over information harvested from Facebook, draft summit conclusions said

European Union leaders will Thursday press tech giants to protect personal data in the wake of the scandal over information harvested from Facebook, draft summit conclusions said. The Brussels summit is tackling the row over the misuse of Facebook data by British firm Cambridge Analytica, which played a role in US President Donald Trump's election campaign. "Social networks and digital platforms need to guarantee transparent practices and full protection of citizens' privacy and personal data," said the draft statement. The leaders will further discuss the issue at a summit in the Bulgarian capital Sofia in May, it added. EU President Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday that it would be added to the summit agenda at the last minute. Tusk said leaders would tackle issues "undermining trust in our democracies through fake news or election meddling". He said this was "particularly relevant in view of the recent revelations about Cambridge Analytica." The EU leaders are taking up the issue following calls for an investigation by both the European Commission and the European Parliament, which has invited Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to speak to the assembly. During a visit to the United States on Wednesday, EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova warned that Europe's General Data Protection Regulation would make it "very, very expensive" for violators once the legislation enters force on May 25. Jourova added she is waiting "impatiently" for answers on the data breach after she failed to meet with a Facebook official specifically to discuss the problem. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg vowed Wednesday to "step up" to fix problems at the social media giant. The EU unveiled on Wednesday proposals for a digital tax that targets US tech giants including Facebook.

European Union leaders urge privacy protection amid Facebook row

A former member of the European Parliament, Paulo Casaca, recently raised questions over the European Union&#39;s ignorance towards human rights violations, minority rights, and terror-funding activities in Pakistan.

Casaca, who is now an executive director of Brussels-based south Asia Democratic Forum, said, &quot;There are laws that should be followed. The European Union is now giving to Pakistan the very rare distinction of being considered to be one utmost follower of international laws and namely of human rights conventions and also of conventions against terrorism. And, it cannot ignore what is going on. I think that the European Union with this attitude actually gives a lot of incentive for the Pakistani authorities to ignore human rights. The European Union has a lot of responsibility of what is going on in Pakistan&quot;.

Recently, the European Parliament expressed satisfaction on the progress achieved by Pakistan in enacting new laws and developing new institutions for implementation of 27 core conventions of Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus.

The international committee on international trade also agreed to deliberate upon the possibility of up-scaling the relationship with Pakistan from a beneficiary of GSP Plus to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partner in the future.

Paulo Casaca, who addressed a side event on the human rights situation in Pakistan during the 37th session of United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva told, &quot;There is an article that clearly states that for being eligible for any trade preference a country must apply United Nations&#39; Conventions and it very clearly the case that Pakistan is not doing. At last, the President of United States said it in a very clear way, it is a declaration that is late for some decades, but better late than never, This is so obvious what it says that I cannot understand how can someone ignore it.&quot;

Pakistan maintains a poor record on human rights as the country witnesses a rise in the incidents of enforced disappearances, tortures, attack on minorities under blasphemy laws, military courts and rise of extremism.

While reacting to the issue of minorities, Paulo said the Pakistan government should be held accountable for.

He said, &quot;Very much so! Because, the way the blasphemy laws have been dealt with and the fact that actually nobody is allowed to protest against these blasphemy laws as we are seeing with the former governor of Punjab was a very important personality within at a time the ruling party of the civilians authorities in Pakistan shows that this is a terror law. Whoever considers themselves to be the owners of Islam are at their will can kill whoever they want by calling them as blasphemers, without any objective basis.&quot;

Favouring strict sanctions on Pakistan by the European Union, Paulo said, &quot;This would actually be a very important cause of action. I think before giving sanctions, the most obvious step is to withdraw the very favourable concessions that have been given to Pakistan. This should have been made clear to the Pakistani authorities and I have to say that if this was the case, the Pakistani authorities would be now behaving differently. I am absolutely convinced.&quot;

While reacting to the issue of minorities, Paulo (a former member of the European Parliament) said the Pakistan government should be held accountable for

A former member of the European Parliament, Paulo Casaca, recently raised questions over the European Union's ignorance towards human rights violations, minority rights, and terror-funding activities in Pakistan. Casaca, who is now an executive director of Brussels-based south Asia Democratic Forum, said, "There are laws that should be followed. The European Union is now giving to Pakistan the very rare distinction of being considered to be one utmost follower of international laws and namely of human rights conventions and also of conventions against terrorism. And, it cannot ignore what is going on. I think that the European Union with this attitude actually gives a lot of incentive for the Pakistani authorities to ignore human rights. The European Union has a lot of responsibility of what is going on in Pakistan". Recently, the European Parliament expressed satisfaction on the progress achieved by Pakistan in enacting new laws and developing new institutions for implementation of 27 core conventions of Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus. The international committee on international trade also agreed to deliberate upon the possibility of up-scaling the relationship with Pakistan from a beneficiary of GSP Plus to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partner in the future. Paulo Casaca, who addressed a side event on the human rights situation in Pakistan during the 37th session of United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva told, "There is an article that clearly states that for being eligible for any trade preference a country must apply United Nations' Conventions and it very clearly the case that Pakistan is not doing. At last, the President of United States said it in a very clear way, it is a declaration that is late for some decades, but better late than never, This is so obvious what it says that I cannot understand how can someone ignore it." Pakistan maintains a poor record on human rights as the country witnesses a rise in the incidents of enforced disappearances, tortures, attack on minorities under blasphemy laws, military courts and rise of extremism. While reacting to the issue of minorities, Paulo said the Pakistan government should be held accountable for. He said, "Very much so! Because, the way the blasphemy laws have been dealt with and the fact that actually nobody is allowed to protest against these blasphemy laws as we are seeing with the former governor of Punjab was a very important personality within at a time the ruling party of the civilians authorities in Pakistan shows that this is a terror law. Whoever considers themselves to be the owners of Islam are at their will can kill whoever they want by calling them as blasphemers, without any objective basis." Favouring strict sanctions on Pakistan by the European Union, Paulo said, "This would actually be a very important cause of action. I think before giving sanctions, the most obvious step is to withdraw the very favourable concessions that have been given to Pakistan. This should have been made clear to the Pakistani authorities and I have to say that if this was the case, the Pakistani authorities would be now behaving differently. I am absolutely convinced."

'European Union must take note of human rights violations in Pakistan'

Expressing &quot;grave concern&quot;&nbsp;over the current political crisis in the Maldives, the European Parliament, through a resolution, has called upon the governments of India and China to work with countries in the European Union (EU) to help deliver political and democratic stability in the crisis-ridden archipelago.&nbsp;

In a 16-point resolution introduced and passed unanimously earlier this week, the EU Parliament called on the EU &quot;to make full use of all instruments at its disposal to promote respect for human rights and democratic principles&quot;&nbsp;in the Maldives, including, possibly, the suspension of EU financial assistance to the country pending the resumption of the rule of law and abidance by democratic principles.&nbsp;

The resolution said there was a need for introducing targeted measures and sanctions against those in the country undermining human rights, and to freeze the assets abroad of, and impose travel bans on, certain members of the Maldivian government and their leading supporters in the Maldivian business community.&nbsp;

It further called on the government of Maldives to carry out &quot;a far-reaching reform of the judiciary&#39;&#39;, to establish the impartiality of the Judicial Service Commission, to re-establish the independence of the Prosecutor General, and to respect due process of law and the right to a fair, impartial and independent trial.&nbsp;

The resolution also recognized that, under the Constitution, elections must be held in 2018, and stressed that immediate action should be taken to ensure that these elections are transparent and credible; that voters are given a genuine choice and that parties are able to campaign freely.&nbsp;

Expressing deep concern over the serious and deteriorating political and human rights situation in Maldives, and the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Yameen and his Government, the EU Parliament, according to its resolution published by the website www.europarl.europa.eu, called on Maldives to lift the state of emergency immediately, to respect the institutions and their competencies as provided for in the Constitution, and to respect the fundamental rights of all people, including the right to freedom of expression and assembly, as well as the rule of law; expresses its growing concern over the recent actions of the government, which seriously damage and undermine democracy, and run counter to the Maldives&nbsp;Constitution and the country&#39;s international human rights obligations.

It also condemned the &quot;continued intimidation of, and threats against, journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders in the Maldives&quot;, and urged the Maldivian authorities to guarantee the safety of all civil society activists, human rights defenders and media workers in the country.&nbsp;

It also deplored the crackdown on political opponents in Maldives and called on the government to drop all charges against all those being held for political reasons and release them immediately and unconditionally.&nbsp;

It said it is very concerned over the increasing breakdown of the principle of separation of the executive, judicial and other powers in Maldives, and called on &quot;responsible authorities to take immediate steps to restore and uphold the principles enshrined in its Constitution.&quot;.&nbsp;

It said that the Maldivian government must engage in an inclusive dialogue with leaders of all political parties to pave the way for credible, transparent and inclusive elections.

It called on the EU to also actively continue to support UN facilitation for and of such a dialogue.&nbsp;

The EU Parliament said: &quot;We believe that the only way to reverse the deterioration in democracy, human rights and freedoms in The Maldives is through a process of genuine dialogue, involving all political parties and other civic leaders. It further believes that, as the first step towards reconciliation, the government must release all opposition politicians currently held in jail, and reiterated the EU`s firm opposition to the death penalty, in all cases and without exception; strongly condemns the announcement of the reintroduction of the death penalty in the Maldives, and urges the government and parliament of the Maldives to respect the moratorium on the death penalty that has been in place for more than 60 years.&quot;

The European Parliament, through a resolution, has called upon the Governments of India and China to work with countries in the European Union (EU) to help deliver political and democratic stability in the crisis-ridden archipelago

Expressing "grave concern" over the current political crisis in the Maldives, the European Parliament, through a resolution, has called upon the governments of India and China to work with countries in the European Union (EU) to help deliver political and democratic stability in the crisis-ridden archipelago. In a 16-point resolution introduced and passed unanimously earlier this week, the EU Parliament called on the EU "to make full use of all instruments at its disposal to promote respect for human rights and democratic principles" in the Maldives, including, possibly, the suspension of EU financial assistance to the country pending the resumption of the rule of law and abidance by democratic principles. The resolution said there was a need for introducing targeted measures and sanctions against those in the country undermining human rights, and to freeze the assets abroad of, and impose travel bans on, certain members of the Maldivian government and their leading supporters in the Maldivian business community. It further called on the government of Maldives to carry out "a far-reaching reform of the judiciary'', to establish the impartiality of the Judicial Service Commission, to re-establish the independence of the Prosecutor General, and to respect due process of law and the right to a fair, impartial and independent trial. The resolution also recognized that, under the Constitution, elections must be held in 2018, and stressed that immediate action should be taken to ensure that these elections are transparent and credible; that voters are given a genuine choice and that parties are able to campaign freely. Expressing deep concern over the serious and deteriorating political and human rights situation in Maldives, and the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Yameen and his Government, the EU Parliament, according to its resolution published by the website www.europarl.europa.eu, called on Maldives to lift the state of emergency immediately, to respect the institutions and their competencies as provided for in the Constitution, and to respect the fundamental rights of all people, including the right to freedom of expression and assembly, as well as the rule of law; expresses its growing concern over the recent actions of the government, which seriously damage and undermine democracy, and run counter to the Maldives Constitution and the country's international human rights obligations. It also condemned the "continued intimidation of, and threats against, journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders in the Maldives", and urged the Maldivian authorities to guarantee the safety of all civil society activists, human rights defenders and media workers in the country. It also deplored the crackdown on political opponents in Maldives and called on the government to drop all charges against all those being held for political reasons and release them immediately and unconditionally. It said it is very concerned over the increasing breakdown of the principle of separation of the executive, judicial and other powers in Maldives, and called on "responsible authorities to take immediate steps to restore and uphold the principles enshrined in its Constitution.". It said that the Maldivian government must engage in an inclusive dialogue with leaders of all political parties to pave the way for credible, transparent and inclusive elections. It called on the EU to also actively continue to support UN facilitation for and of such a dialogue. The EU Parliament said: "We believe that the only way to reverse the deterioration in democracy, human rights and freedoms in The Maldives is through a process of genuine dialogue, involving all political parties and other civic leaders. It further believes that, as the first step towards reconciliation, the government must release all opposition politicians currently held in jail, and reiterated the EU`s firm opposition to the death penalty, in all cases and without exception; strongly condemns the announcement of the reintroduction of the death penalty in the Maldives, and urges the government and parliament of the Maldives to respect the moratorium on the death penalty that has been in place for more than 60 years."

India, China should work with EU to ensure democratic stability in Maldives: European Parliament

&nbsp;A senior European researcher has accused Pakistan of making moves to sell the disputed region of Gilgit-Baltistan to China in return for stacks of Renminbi (Chinese currency) and Yuan (basic unit of Chinese currency).

Participating in the 37th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Senior Research Analyst at the European Foundation for South-Asian Studies Du&scaron;an Vejinovic said Friday, &quot;While Pakistan manifests itself as a self-styled advocate of the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the factual situation is, that it remains an illegal occupier of Jammu and Kashmir, which has deprived the people of their political and civil liberties.&quot;

&quot;Contrary to the country&#39;s diplomatic rhetoric, it is Pakistan which has denied the people of Jammu and Kashmir their fundamental human rights. Moreover, it is now aspiring to become a broker of Jammu and Kashmir, by negotiating the sale of Gilgit-Baltistan to Beijing, in return for stacks of Chinese Yuan,&quot; he added.

Demanding that the United Nations take appropriate action against Pakistan, Vejinovic said, &quot;Why is Pakistan allowed to infringe international law and make a mockery of this august institution? The United Nations is obliged to act, not only to ensure peace in South Asia, but more importantly, to maintain its own credibility and reinforce its authority.&quot;

Reminding the UNHRC that the UN&nbsp;resolutions of 1948 and 1949 had directed Pakistan to withdraw its troops from the state of Jammu and Kashmir by August 13, 1948, a perplexed Vejinovic asked what is preventing Islamabad from complying with a legally binding instruction issued more than 70 years ago.

Jammu and Kashmir has been an area of contention for both India and Pakistan ever since the nations were formed in 1947 with three battles having been fought between the two neighbours over it.

A senior European researcher has accused Pakistan of making moves to sell the disputed region of Gilgit-Baltistan to China in return for stacks of Renminbi (Chinese currency) and Yuan (basic unit of Chinese currency)

A senior European researcher has accused Pakistan of making moves to sell the disputed region of Gilgit-Baltistan to China in return for stacks of Renminbi (Chinese currency) and Yuan (basic unit of Chinese currency). Participating in the 37th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Senior Research Analyst at the European Foundation for South-Asian Studies Dušan Vejinovic said Friday, "While Pakistan manifests itself as a self-styled advocate of the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the factual situation is, that it remains an illegal occupier of Jammu and Kashmir, which has deprived the people of their political and civil liberties." "Contrary to the country's diplomatic rhetoric, it is Pakistan which has denied the people of Jammu and Kashmir their fundamental human rights. Moreover, it is now aspiring to become a broker of Jammu and Kashmir, by negotiating the sale of Gilgit-Baltistan to Beijing, in return for stacks of Chinese Yuan," he added. Demanding that the United Nations take appropriate action against Pakistan, Vejinovic said, "Why is Pakistan allowed to infringe international law and make a mockery of this august institution? The United Nations is obliged to act, not only to ensure peace in South Asia, but more importantly, to maintain its own credibility and reinforce its authority." Reminding the UNHRC that the UN resolutions of 1948 and 1949 had directed Pakistan to withdraw its troops from the state of Jammu and Kashmir by August 13, 1948, a perplexed Vejinovic asked what is preventing Islamabad from complying with a legally binding instruction issued more than 70 years ago. Jammu and Kashmir has been an area of contention for both India and Pakistan ever since the nations were formed in 1947 with three battles having been fought between the two neighbours over it.

'Broker' Pakistan now aspiring to sell Gilgit-Baltistan to China: European Union expert

Britain&#39;s trade minister Liam Fox on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump&#39;s announcement of duties on steel and aluminium imports to America, saying it was the &quot;wrong way&quot; to resolve trade disputes.

&quot;We can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel but this is the wrong way to go about it,&quot; he told the live TV audience of a BBC current affairs show.

&quot;Protectionism, tariffs never really work,&quot; Fox added.

Trump imposed the tariffs -- 25 per cent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium -- despite calls for restraint from Britain and repeated warnings from the European Union and other allies that it could trigger a full-on trade war.

Announcing the move Trump leaned on a little-used and decades old national security clause in US trade law, but said Canada and Mexico would be excluded and other countries could negotiate exemptions.

Fox said he would travel to Washington next week for meetings with US officials about the tariffs and the possible exemptions for America&#39;s allies.

&quot;We&#39;ll have to wait to see what the announcements are,&quot; he added on the potential opt-outs.

&quot;We&#39;ll wait to see whether there&#39;s a time for negotiation -- that&#39;s why I&#39;m going to Washington next week.&quot;

Fox argued it was &quot;doubly absurd&quot; to target Britain with steel tariffs on national security grounds when it only provided the US with one percent of its imports and made steel for the American military.

The British steel industry could be badly hit by the tariffs, with trade body UK Steel saying the tariffs could have a &quot;profound and detrimental impact&quot;.

Britain is currently a member of the European Union and would be bound by US measures against the bloc and any retaliation it launches.

The EU, which says it should also be excluded from the duties, has already drawn up a hitlist of flagship American products to target for countermeasures.

'We can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel but this is the wrong way to go about it,' Liam Fox said

Britain's trade minister Liam Fox on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump's announcement of duties on steel and aluminium imports to America, saying it was the "wrong way" to resolve trade disputes. "We can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel but this is the wrong way to go about it," he told the live TV audience of a BBC current affairs show. "Protectionism, tariffs never really work," Fox added. Trump imposed the tariffs -- 25 per cent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium -- despite calls for restraint from Britain and repeated warnings from the European Union and other allies that it could trigger a full-on trade war. Announcing the move Trump leaned on a little-used and decades old national security clause in US trade law, but said Canada and Mexico would be excluded and other countries could negotiate exemptions. Fox said he would travel to Washington next week for meetings with US officials about the tariffs and the possible exemptions for America's allies. "We'll have to wait to see what the announcements are," he added on the potential opt-outs. "We'll wait to see whether there's a time for negotiation -- that's why I'm going to Washington next week." Fox argued it was "doubly absurd" to target Britain with steel tariffs on national security grounds when it only provided the US with one percent of its imports and made steel for the American military. The British steel industry could be badly hit by the tariffs, with trade body UK Steel saying the tariffs could have a "profound and detrimental impact". Britain is currently a member of the European Union and would be bound by US measures against the bloc and any retaliation it launches. The EU, which says it should also be excluded from the duties, has already drawn up a hitlist of flagship American products to target for countermeasures.

UK minister says US tariffs 'wrong way' to resolve trade issues

Prime Minister Theresa May defended Britain&#39;s links to security ally Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Queen Elizabeth for lunch on a high-profile visit that drew protests over Riyadh&#39;s human rights record.

A fiery exchange in parliament between May and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn underlined tension in Britain over Prince Mohammed&#39;s trip, which was aimed at building a broader economic partnership between the two countries, but has sparked anger about alleged human rights abuses and the war in Yemen.

&quot;The link that we have with Saudi Arabia is historic, it is an important one, and it has saved the lives of potentially hundreds of people in this country,&quot; May said, pausing her answer briefly as opposition lawmakers cried &quot;Shame!&quot;. She was alluding to intelligence-sharing on Islamist militant suspects.

The debate took place as Prince Mohammed lunched with the British monarch on the first leg of a trip packed with displays of diplomatic affection designed to help widen long-standing defence ties into a more far-reaching partnership.

May later met Prince Mohammed at her Downing Street office, extending a warm diplomatic welcome to the conservative kingdom&#39;s heir apparent and agreeing a 65 billion pound ($90.29 billion) trade and investment target.

Britain is looking for trading partners as it exits the European Union, and energy powerhouse Saudi Arabia needs to convince sceptical investors about its domestic reforms.

&quot;This is a significant boost for UK prosperity and a clear demonstration of the strong international confidence in our economy as we prepare to leave the European Union,&quot; a spokeswoman from May&#39;s office said after the meeting.

But demonstrators gathered outside May&#39;s office amid a heavy police presence to protest at both countries&#39; role in Yemen, where war has killed around 10,000 people. A Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015 and critics say Riyadh has been using British-supplied weapons in devastating strikes.

&quot;I don&#39;t believe that someone like Mohammed bin Salman should be welcomed in Britain,&quot; said Hassan Yassine, a 25-year-old customer service worker from London. &quot;It is definitely not ethical, bearing in mind what is going on in Yemen every single day, every single second, even as we speak.&quot;

Corbyn said British military advisers were &quot;directing the war&quot; in Yemen. May&#39;s spokesman said British personnel had no role in carrying out coalition air strikes, and were not involved in Saudi targeting decisions.

Strategic partnership

Police said a man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after an egg was thrown at a police vehicle as bin Salman&#39;s motorcade arrived in Downing Street.

Wednesday&#39;s first official engagement was a trip to Buckingham Palace to see Queen Elizabeth - a rare honour usually reserved for heads of state.

The Saudi delegation then met May at her offices to launch a UK-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council.

The meeting set out the mutual trade and investment target, which would include direct investment in Britain and new Saudi public procurement with British companies. This would be spread across sectors including finance, education, healthcare, renewable energy and defence, May&#39;s office said.

Britain is vying to land the stock market listing of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, but no decision is expected this week.

&quot;We would like the Aramco share option to be issued in the United Kingdom and we will continue to suggest the City would be the best place for it,&quot; junior foreign office minister Alistair Burt told parliament.

Later this month Prince Mohammed visits the United States, which also wants the lucrative listing, although sources said both countries might miss out.

British officials were privately delighted at the decision by Prince Mohammed, 32, to choose Britain as the major Western destination on his first foreign trip since becoming heir to the Saudi throne last year.

The British government is keen to develop a two-way trade and investment relationship, eyeing both an expanded market in Saudi Arabia for service sector exports, and attracting Saudi cash to finance domestic projects.

For his part, Saudi Arabia&#39;s ambitious heir wants to show that &quot;shock&quot; reforms have made his country a better place to invest and a more tolerant society.

Photographs posted online showed London taxis displaying advertising graphics welcoming Prince Mohammed, and electronic billboards around the capital promoted pro-Saudi messages with the hashtag #anewsaudiarabia.

Business deals are possible with British defence group BAE Systems and European weapons maker MBDA, and initial agreements could be concluded on gas exploration, petrochemicals and other industries, according to British and Saudi sources.

Royal treatment

The three-day visit will include a second Royal audience - dinner with the Prince Charles and Prince William on Wednesday - and a prestigious visit to May&#39;s country residence on Thursday.

The prime minister intends to use the private dinner at Chequers, a 16th-century manor house 40 miles (60 km) northwest of London, to further press her concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, her spokesman said.

The Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Iran-allied Houthi movement in Yemen in a campaign to restore its internationally recognised government, generating what the United Nations said in January is the world&#39;s worst humanitarian crisis.

Demonstrators are protesting against Britain for licensing 4.6 billion pounds of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia since 2015.

May said all arms sales were strictly regulated, that Saudi Arabia&#39;s involvement in the conflict was backed by the UN&nbsp;Security Council and her government supported it.

&quot;The prime minister and crown prince agreed on the importance of full and unfettered humanitarian and commercial access, including through the ports, and that a political solution was ultimately the only way to end the conflict and humanitarian suffering in Yemen,&quot; the statement from May&#39;s office said.

A fiery exchange in parliament between May and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn underlined tension in Britain over Prince Mohammed's trip

Prime Minister Theresa May defended Britain's links to security ally Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Queen Elizabeth for lunch on a high-profile visit that drew protests over Riyadh's human rights record. A fiery exchange in parliament between May and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn underlined tension in Britain over Prince Mohammed's trip, which was aimed at building a broader economic partnership between the two countries, but has sparked anger about alleged human rights abuses and the war in Yemen. "The link that we have with Saudi Arabia is historic, it is an important one, and it has saved the lives of potentially hundreds of people in this country," May said, pausing her answer briefly as opposition lawmakers cried "Shame!". She was alluding to intelligence-sharing on Islamist militant suspects. The debate took place as Prince Mohammed lunched with the British monarch on the first leg of a trip packed with displays of diplomatic affection designed to help widen long-standing defence ties into a more far-reaching partnership. May later met Prince Mohammed at her Downing Street office, extending a warm diplomatic welcome to the conservative kingdom's heir apparent and agreeing a 65 billion pound ($90.29 billion) trade and investment target. Britain is looking for trading partners as it exits the European Union, and energy powerhouse Saudi Arabia needs to convince sceptical investors about its domestic reforms. "This is a significant boost for UK prosperity and a clear demonstration of the strong international confidence in our economy as we prepare to leave the European Union," a spokeswoman from May's office said after the meeting. But demonstrators gathered outside May's office amid a heavy police presence to protest at both countries' role in Yemen, where war has killed around 10,000 people. A Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015 and critics say Riyadh has been using British-supplied weapons in devastating strikes. "I don't believe that someone like Mohammed bin Salman should be welcomed in Britain," said Hassan Yassine, a 25-year-old customer service worker from London. "It is definitely not ethical, bearing in mind what is going on in Yemen every single day, every single second, even as we speak." Corbyn said British military advisers were "directing the war" in Yemen. May's spokesman said British personnel had no role in carrying out coalition air strikes, and were not involved in Saudi targeting decisions. Strategic partnership Police said a man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after an egg was thrown at a police vehicle as bin Salman's motorcade arrived in Downing Street. Wednesday's first official engagement was a trip to Buckingham Palace to see Queen Elizabeth - a rare honour usually reserved for heads of state. The Saudi delegation then met May at her offices to launch a UK-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council. The meeting set out the mutual trade and investment target, which would include direct investment in Britain and new Saudi public procurement with British companies. This would be spread across sectors including finance, education, healthcare, renewable energy and defence, May's office said. Britain is vying to land the stock market listing of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, but no decision is expected this week. "We would like the Aramco share option to be issued in the United Kingdom and we will continue to suggest the City would be the best place for it," junior foreign office minister Alistair Burt told parliament. Later this month Prince Mohammed visits the United States, which also wants the lucrative listing, although sources said both countries might miss out. British officials were privately delighted at the decision by Prince Mohammed, 32, to choose Britain as the major Western destination on his first foreign trip since becoming heir to the Saudi throne last year. The British government is keen to develop a two-way trade and investment relationship, eyeing both an expanded market in Saudi Arabia for service sector exports, and attracting Saudi cash to finance domestic projects. For his part, Saudi Arabia's ambitious heir wants to show that "shock" reforms have made his country a better place to invest and a more tolerant society. Photographs posted online showed London taxis displaying advertising graphics welcoming Prince Mohammed, and electronic billboards around the capital promoted pro-Saudi messages with the hashtag #anewsaudiarabia. Business deals are possible with British defence group BAE Systems and European weapons maker MBDA, and initial agreements could be concluded on gas exploration, petrochemicals and other industries, according to British and Saudi sources. Royal treatment The three-day visit will include a second Royal audience - dinner with the Prince Charles and Prince William on Wednesday - and a prestigious visit to May's country residence on Thursday. The prime minister intends to use the private dinner at Chequers, a 16th-century manor house 40 miles (60 km) northwest of London, to further press her concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, her spokesman said. The Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Iran-allied Houthi movement in Yemen in a campaign to restore its internationally recognised government, generating what the United Nations said in January is the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Demonstrators are protesting against Britain for licensing 4.6 billion pounds of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia since 2015. May said all arms sales were strictly regulated, that Saudi Arabia's involvement in the conflict was backed by the UN Security Council and her government supported it. "The prime minister and crown prince agreed on the importance of full and unfettered humanitarian and commercial access, including through the ports, and that a political solution was ultimately the only way to end the conflict and humanitarian suffering in Yemen," the statement from May's office said.

Theresa May defends Saudi ties as crown prince gets royal welcome in London

Italy faces a prolonged period of political instability after voters delivered a hung parliament on Sunday, spurning traditional parties and flocking to anti-establishment and far-right groups in record numbers.

With votes counted from more than 75 per cent of polling stations, it looked almost certain that none of the three main factions would be able to govern alone and there was little prospect of a return to mainstream government, creating a dilemma for the European Union.

A rightist alliance including former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi&#39;s Forza Italia (Go Italy!) held the biggest bloc of votes.

In a bitter personal defeat that appeared unlikely last week, the billionaire media magnate&#39;s party looked almost certain to be overtaken by its ally, the far-right League, which campaigned on a fiercely anti-migrant ticket.

But the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement saw its support soar to become Italy&#39;s largest single party by far, and one of its senior officials said on Monday that forming a coalition without it would be impossible.

The League&#39;s economics chief on Monday raised the possibility of an alliance with 5-Star. Any government based on that combination would be euro-sceptic, likely to challenge EU budget restrictions and be little interested in further European integration.

The full result is not due until later on Monday and, with the centre-right coalition on course for 37 percent of the vote and 5-Star for 31 percent, swift new elections to try to break the deadlock are another plausible scenario.

Despite overseeing a modest economic recovery, the ruling centre-left coalition trailed a distant third on 22 percent, hit by widespread anger over persistent poverty, high unemployment and an influx of more than 600,000 migrants over the past four years.

Prolonged political stalemate could make heavily indebted Italy the focus of market concern in Europe, now that the threat of German instability has receded after the revival on Sunday of a grand coalition under Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In early European trading, the euro dipped while investors dumped Italian government debt, with the yield on its 10-year bonds jumping 10 basis points.

&quot;Italy is far from having sorted its long-standing problems, and now it will have new ones. Be prepared for long and complex negotiations,&quot; said Lorenzo Codogno, a former chief economist at the Italian Treasury.

Parliament will meet for the first time on March 23 and President Sergio Mattarella is not expected to open formal talks on forming a government until early April.

Italy Ungovernable

During two months of election campaigning, party leaders repeatedly ruled out any post-election tie-ups. However, Italy has a long history of finding a way out of apparently intractable political stalemate.

The 5-Star once rejected talk of any power sharing, but it now says it is willing to discuss common policies but not negotiate over cabinet posts.

Led by 31-year-old Luigi Di Maio, the movement was formed in 2009 and has fed off public fury over institutional corruption and economic hardship. Some have questioned whether other parties would be able to work with it.

&quot;Di Maio wins, Italy ungovernable,&quot; was the front page headline on La Stampa newspaper.

Claudio Borghi, the League&#39;s economics chief, on Monday suggested that, with Berlusconi on course to lose the leadership of the centre right for the first time since he entered politics in 1994, a centre-right headed by League leader Matteo Salvini could find a modus vivendi with 5-Star.

Borghi cited as an example the cancellation of a constitutional requirement to balance the budget.

Meanwhile senior 5-Star member Riccardo Fraccaro said nobody would be able to govern without his party. &quot;We will ... (talk) with all the parties about what this country needs.&quot;

Five-Star and the League once shared strong anti-euro views. The League still says it wants to leave the single currency but 5-Star now says the time for quitting it has passed.

Its flagship proposal in the election campaign was a minimum monthly income of up to 780 euros ($963) for the poor, helping it draw massive support in the underdeveloped south.

By contrast, Salvini and Berlusconi - heading for 18 percent and 14 percent respectively - appeared to have dominated the wealthier north, with the centre-left squeezed into a narrow stretch of central Italy.

&quot;We did not anticipate this rationalisation of the electorate... We are going to have to ... find a response,&quot; said senior PD politician Ettore Rosato.

There was much speculation on Sunday night that PD leader and ex-prime minister Matteo Renzi would step down.

Anti-establishment parties have been on the rise across Europe since the 2008 financial crisis. Italy&#39;s mainstream parties have found it especially hard to contain voter anger, with the economy still 6 percent smaller than a decade ago and unemployment stuck at about 11 percent.

A rightist alliance including former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Go Italy!) held the biggest bloc of votes

Italy faces a prolonged period of political instability after voters delivered a hung parliament on Sunday, spurning traditional parties and flocking to anti-establishment and far-right groups in record numbers. With votes counted from more than 75 per cent of polling stations, it looked almost certain that none of the three main factions would be able to govern alone and there was little prospect of a return to mainstream government, creating a dilemma for the European Union. A rightist alliance including former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Go Italy!) held the biggest bloc of votes. In a bitter personal defeat that appeared unlikely last week, the billionaire media magnate's party looked almost certain to be overtaken by its ally, the far-right League, which campaigned on a fiercely anti-migrant ticket. But the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement saw its support soar to become Italy's largest single party by far, and one of its senior officials said on Monday that forming a coalition without it would be impossible. The League's economics chief on Monday raised the possibility of an alliance with 5-Star. Any government based on that combination would be euro-sceptic, likely to challenge EU budget restrictions and be little interested in further European integration. The full result is not due until later on Monday and, with the centre-right coalition on course for 37 percent of the vote and 5-Star for 31 percent, swift new elections to try to break the deadlock are another plausible scenario. Despite overseeing a modest economic recovery, the ruling centre-left coalition trailed a distant third on 22 percent, hit by widespread anger over persistent poverty, high unemployment and an influx of more than 600,000 migrants over the past four years. Prolonged political stalemate could make heavily indebted Italy the focus of market concern in Europe, now that the threat of German instability has receded after the revival on Sunday of a grand coalition under Chancellor Angela Merkel. In early European trading, the euro dipped while investors dumped Italian government debt, with the yield on its 10-year bonds jumping 10 basis points. "Italy is far from having sorted its long-standing problems, and now it will have new ones. Be prepared for long and complex negotiations," said Lorenzo Codogno, a former chief economist at the Italian Treasury. Parliament will meet for the first time on March 23 and President Sergio Mattarella is not expected to open formal talks on forming a government until early April. Italy Ungovernable During two months of election campaigning, party leaders repeatedly ruled out any post-election tie-ups. However, Italy has a long history of finding a way out of apparently intractable political stalemate. The 5-Star once rejected talk of any power sharing, but it now says it is willing to discuss common policies but not negotiate over cabinet posts. Led by 31-year-old Luigi Di Maio, the movement was formed in 2009 and has fed off public fury over institutional corruption and economic hardship. Some have questioned whether other parties would be able to work with it. "Di Maio wins, Italy ungovernable," was the front page headline on La Stampa newspaper. Claudio Borghi, the League's economics chief, on Monday suggested that, with Berlusconi on course to lose the leadership of the centre right for the first time since he entered politics in 1994, a centre-right headed by League leader Matteo Salvini could find a modus vivendi with 5-Star. Borghi cited as an example the cancellation of a constitutional requirement to balance the budget. Meanwhile senior 5-Star member Riccardo Fraccaro said nobody would be able to govern without his party. "We will ... (talk) with all the parties about what this country needs." Five-Star and the League once shared strong anti-euro views. The League still says it wants to leave the single currency but 5-Star now says the time for quitting it has passed. Its flagship proposal in the election campaign was a minimum monthly income of up to 780 euros ($963) for the poor, helping it draw massive support in the underdeveloped south. By contrast, Salvini and Berlusconi - heading for 18 percent and 14 percent respectively - appeared to have dominated the wealthier north, with the centre-left squeezed into a narrow stretch of central Italy. "We did not anticipate this rationalisation of the electorate... We are going to have to ... find a response," said senior PD politician Ettore Rosato. There was much speculation on Sunday night that PD leader and ex-prime minister Matteo Renzi would step down. Anti-establishment parties have been on the rise across Europe since the 2008 financial crisis. Italy's mainstream parties have found it especially hard to contain voter anger, with the economy still 6 percent smaller than a decade ago and unemployment stuck at about 11 percent.

Italy faces political gridlock after 5-Star surges

A joint committee between the European Union and Britain shall oversee arrangements for the Irish border, the bloc said in its draft withdrawal treaty published on Wednesday, also setting out a special zone covering Ireland and Northern Ireland.

&quot;The common regulatory area shall constitute an area without internal borders in which the free movement of goods is ensured and North-South cooperation protected,&quot; the draft said in a special protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The bloc also set out a special zone covering Ireland and Northern Ireland

A joint committee between the European Union and Britain shall oversee arrangements for the Irish border, the bloc said in its draft withdrawal treaty published on Wednesday, also setting out a special zone covering Ireland and Northern Ireland. "The common regulatory area shall constitute an area without internal borders in which the free movement of goods is ensured and North-South cooperation protected," the draft said in a special protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.

EU-UK committee to oversee Irish border deal

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