India`s foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale will participate in Kabul Process Conference in Afghanistan this week.

About 23 nations including Pakistan and the European Union, United Nations and NATO are also participating in Kabul Process Conference which begins tomorrow in Afghanistan.

Earlier on February 26, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had said that their government will propose an inclusive proposal to Pakistan and the Taliban during the Kabul Process conference.

Ghani will highlight the strong commitment of the Afghan government for ensuring peace in Afghanistan at the conference.

The Kabul government will call on countries in the region to reach a consensus to accept Afghan stability and work on achieving it.

About 23 nations including Pakistan and the European Union, United Nations and NATO are also participating in Kabul Process Conference which begins tomorrow in Afghanistan

India`s foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale will participate in Kabul Process Conference in Afghanistan this week. About 23 nations including Pakistan and the European Union, United Nations and NATO are also participating in Kabul Process Conference which begins tomorrow in Afghanistan. Earlier on February 26, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had said that their government will propose an inclusive proposal to Pakistan and the Taliban during the Kabul Process conference. Ghani will highlight the strong commitment of the Afghan government for ensuring peace in Afghanistan at the conference. The Kabul government will call on countries in the region to reach a consensus to accept Afghan stability and work on achieving it.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale to participate in Kabul Process Conference

European Council President Donald Tusk on Friday dismissed as &quot;pure illusion&quot; the ideas floated by Britain so far on what sort of relationship it wants with the European Union after it leaves the bloc.

Tusk said he hoped to get more clarity when he meets Theresa May next Thursday, a day before the British prime minister is due to deliver a speech to outline London&#39;s vision of its future ties with the EU.

&quot;I am glad that the UK government seems to be moving towards a more detailed position,&quot; Tusk told journalists after 27 EU leaders - all apart from May - met in Brussels on Friday.

&quot;However ... I am afraid that the UK position today is based on pure illusion. It seems like the &#39;cake&#39; philosophy is still alive. From the very start it has been a key clear principle of the EU 27 that there can be no cherry-picking and no single market &#39;a la carte&#39;.&quot;

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has famously said he wants Britain to get the best of both worlds - to &quot;have its cake and eat it&quot;.

EU leaders have long been asking May for details of London&#39;s vision for future relations, but she has been hampered by divisions within her ruling Conservative Party, with some backing close trading ties and others seeking a &quot;clean break&quot;.

The cake problem

Tusk said the remaining 27 EU states would adopt their joint stance on that in March, whether London provided input or not. He said the bloc would be &quot;extremely realistic in our assessment of possible new proposals&quot;.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who saw May this week, echoed those comments in talking to reporters separately after the Brussels meeting.

&quot;I made it clear to Theresa May that I believe it is crucial for the UK to set out its position on the transition, on issues like the Irish border, and particularly on the future relationship,&quot; he said.

&quot;We don&#39;t like cherry-picking, so it will be difficult to come to a bespoke deal along the lines that some in the UK are suggesting.&quot;

The EU has rejected British ideas for a three-pronged deal in which Britain would stick to the bloc&#39;s rules after Brexit in some areas, diverge moderately in others and go for distinctively different solutions for the rest.

The issue of avoiding erecting a border between EU member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland after Britain leaves has emerged as the most sensitive in the divorce negotiations, as both sides fear a return to the violence that beset the region for decades.

The EU expects Britain to come up with proposals on that, adding that London&#39;s desire to leave the bloc&#39;s single market and customs union means a border would be virtually unavoidable.

&quot;I don&#39;t think the United Kingdom has yet squared the circle,&quot; Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told journalists. &quot;You&#39;re hearing this idea of three baskets. But that&#39;s not a significant step away from having your cake and eating it.&quot;

Tusk said he hoped to get more clarity when he meets Theresa May next Thursday, a day before the British prime minister is due to deliver a speech to outline London's vision of its future ties with the EU.

European Council President Donald Tusk on Friday dismissed as "pure illusion" the ideas floated by Britain so far on what sort of relationship it wants with the European Union after it leaves the bloc. Tusk said he hoped to get more clarity when he meets Theresa May next Thursday, a day before the British prime minister is due to deliver a speech to outline London's vision of its future ties with the EU. "I am glad that the UK government seems to be moving towards a more detailed position," Tusk told journalists after 27 EU leaders - all apart from May - met in Brussels on Friday. "However ... I am afraid that the UK position today is based on pure illusion. It seems like the 'cake' philosophy is still alive. From the very start it has been a key clear principle of the EU 27 that there can be no cherry-picking and no single market 'a la carte'." British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has famously said he wants Britain to get the best of both worlds - to "have its cake and eat it". EU leaders have long been asking May for details of London's vision for future relations, but she has been hampered by divisions within her ruling Conservative Party, with some backing close trading ties and others seeking a "clean break". The cake problem Tusk said the remaining 27 EU states would adopt their joint stance on that in March, whether London provided input or not. He said the bloc would be "extremely realistic in our assessment of possible new proposals". Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who saw May this week, echoed those comments in talking to reporters separately after the Brussels meeting. "I made it clear to Theresa May that I believe it is crucial for the UK to set out its position on the transition, on issues like the Irish border, and particularly on the future relationship," he said. "We don't like cherry-picking, so it will be difficult to come to a bespoke deal along the lines that some in the UK are suggesting." The EU has rejected British ideas for a three-pronged deal in which Britain would stick to the bloc's rules after Brexit in some areas, diverge moderately in others and go for distinctively different solutions for the rest. The issue of avoiding erecting a border between EU member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland after Britain leaves has emerged as the most sensitive in the divorce negotiations, as both sides fear a return to the violence that beset the region for decades. The EU expects Britain to come up with proposals on that, adding that London's desire to leave the bloc's single market and customs union means a border would be virtually unavoidable. "I don't think the United Kingdom has yet squared the circle," Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told journalists. "You're hearing this idea of three baskets. But that's not a significant step away from having your cake and eating it."

UK ideas on post-Brexit ties are 'pure illusion', says European Council President Donald Tusk

European Union leaders staked out opposing positions on the size and aims of the bloc`s budget on Friday ahead of tough negotiations to deal with a hole in Brussels` finances created by Britain`s planned departure next year.

In the summit debate, all EU states except Britain are expected to say whether they agree to increase the 2021-2027 budget to pay for new common policies on security, defence, and migration, at a time when Brexit will slash revenues to the common pot by 10-12 billion euros ($12-15 billion) a year.

&quot;I think we want to have new priorities, new policies, future-oriented policies, and if we cannot reduce to the right extent old policies then countries have to pay more,&quot; European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on arrival.

The executive Commission wants the budget to increase to 1.1-1.2 per cent of EU gross national income from 1.0 per cent now. It has proposed covering the gap left by Brexit with a mix of spending cuts and new sources of revenue.

But the 27 countries that will remain in the EU when Britain leaves are deeply divided over the proposal and officials do not expect any agreement on Friday.

The Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, and Sweden - all of them net contributors to the budget - are most adamant in rejecting any increase in financing. All were allies of Britain in pushing through a cut in EU funding the last time the seven-year budget was set.

&quot;I think we are already paying quite a bit,&quot; Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters before the summit. &quot;So no increase, modernise. Britain is leaving so that part needs to be removed from the budget.&quot;

Finland and Belgium sympathise with that view.&nbsp;

Conditionality

But the Commission`s call for more money is likely to get a sympathetic ear in Germany, already the biggest net contributor to the EU budget and prepared to pay even more. Italy and France, the next biggest net contributors, are also ready to increase payments, albeit with certain conditions.

The three biggest EU countries also want to link EU payments to poorer eastern European countries to their respecting the rule of law and European &quot;solidarity&quot; - diplomatic jargon for sharing the burden of accepting migrants.

&nbsp;Poland, Hungary and others have resisted pressure to take in refugees from the Middle East or Africa, angering Germany, Italy and Sweden who have to deal with the bulk of the inflows alone.

The richer EU countries are also worried that nationalist-minded governments in Poland, Hungary and Romania do not respect the rule of law and EU values, undermining the independence of the judiciary and fundamental rights.

The Commission has opened a formal procedure against Poland to examine whether it is complying with its own constitution.

&quot;It is quite obvious that we need some conditionality,&quot; Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters when asked if EU money from the next budget should be linked to observing the rule of law and accepting migrants.

&quot;If you are a member of the European Union you are a full member, which comes with rights and obligations.&quot;

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, whose country is the biggest beneficiary of EU funds, said: &quot;We want (policies) that have so far worked well for Poland... to be continued.&quot; 
&nbsp;

European Union leaders staked out opposing positions on the size and aims of the bloc`s budget on Friday ahead of tough negotiations to deal with a hole in Brussels` finances created by Britain`s planned departure next year

European Union leaders staked out opposing positions on the size and aims of the bloc`s budget on Friday ahead of tough negotiations to deal with a hole in Brussels` finances created by Britain`s planned departure next year. In the summit debate, all EU states except Britain are expected to say whether they agree to increase the 2021-2027 budget to pay for new common policies on security, defence, and migration, at a time when Brexit will slash revenues to the common pot by 10-12 billion euros ($12-15 billion) a year. "I think we want to have new priorities, new policies, future-oriented policies, and if we cannot reduce to the right extent old policies then countries have to pay more," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on arrival. The executive Commission wants the budget to increase to 1.1-1.2 per cent of EU gross national income from 1.0 per cent now. It has proposed covering the gap left by Brexit with a mix of spending cuts and new sources of revenue. But the 27 countries that will remain in the EU when Britain leaves are deeply divided over the proposal and officials do not expect any agreement on Friday. The Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, and Sweden - all of them net contributors to the budget - are most adamant in rejecting any increase in financing. All were allies of Britain in pushing through a cut in EU funding the last time the seven-year budget was set. "I think we are already paying quite a bit," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters before the summit. "So no increase, modernise. Britain is leaving so that part needs to be removed from the budget." Finland and Belgium sympathise with that view. Conditionality But the Commission`s call for more money is likely to get a sympathetic ear in Germany, already the biggest net contributor to the EU budget and prepared to pay even more. Italy and France, the next biggest net contributors, are also ready to increase payments, albeit with certain conditions. The three biggest EU countries also want to link EU payments to poorer eastern European countries to their respecting the rule of law and European "solidarity" - diplomatic jargon for sharing the burden of accepting migrants. Poland, Hungary and others have resisted pressure to take in refugees from the Middle East or Africa, angering Germany, Italy and Sweden who have to deal with the bulk of the inflows alone. The richer EU countries are also worried that nationalist-minded governments in Poland, Hungary and Romania do not respect the rule of law and EU values, undermining the independence of the judiciary and fundamental rights. The Commission has opened a formal procedure against Poland to examine whether it is complying with its own constitution. "It is quite obvious that we need some conditionality," Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters when asked if EU money from the next budget should be linked to observing the rule of law and accepting migrants. "If you are a member of the European Union you are a full member, which comes with rights and obligations." Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, whose country is the biggest beneficiary of EU funds, said: "We want (policies) that have so far worked well for Poland... to be continued."

EU leaders prepare for battle over post-Brexit budget

Prime Minister Theresa May made her case on Saturday for a new security treaty with the EU from next year, winning support from EU and US&nbsp;officials who agreed the issue was too important to risk getting subsumed in broader Brexit negotiations.

In a speech to Western leaders and officials in Munich, May promised that London would continue to lead military missions and share intelligence if Brussels agreed to a pact &quot;effective from 2019&quot;, the year Britain is due to leave the bloc.

May`s government is using a series of speeches to set out its vision for Britain outside the European Union. But the loudest applause during her appearance came when the event`s organiser, German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger, said: &quot;Things would be so much easier if you stayed.&quot;

But May was adamant: &quot;We are leaving the EU and there is no question of a second referendum or going back, and I think that`s important,&quot; she told the Munich Security Conference.&nbsp;

&quot;The partnership that we need to create is one that offers UK and EU way to combine our efforts to greatest effect where this is in our shared interest,&quot; May said of her security plan.

Britain is one of the top three users of data from European Union police agency Europol. But as it leaves the EU, there is a risk that it will be shut out of this cooperation, becoming more vulnerable to Islamist militants, officials say.&nbsp; 
Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU`s chief executive, welcomed a &quot;security alliance&quot; with Britain, adding that the issue should be separated from the rest of the Brexit debate.&nbsp;

Britain, along with France, is Europe`s biggest military power and leads two European Union military missions while sending troops to Estonia under a NATO flag.

With a host of issues still unresolved and infighting over Brexit dividing May`s government just over a year before Britain is due to leave, security is one of London`s biggest bargaining chips as it seeks a new deal with Brussels.

Britain`s interior minister last year told the EU it could &quot;take our information with us&quot; if it left the bloc without a deal on security.

May emphasised she was committed to European security, warned against competition between Britain and the rest of Europe and said that both sides should do &quot;whatever is most practical and pragmatic in ensuring our collective security.&quot;

Juncker said security should not be conflated with &quot;other questions relating to Brexit,&quot; also quashing any British hopes that a security treaty might be a way into a free-trade deal.

&quot;I wouldn`t like to put security policy considerations with trade policy considerations in one hat. I understand why some would like to do that, but we don`t want to,&quot; he said.

Veiled threat

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also welcomed close security cooperation between Britain and the EU after Brexit, while Stoltenberg`s predecessor at the alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, told Reuters May`s was a strong speech.

&quot;I think that is what we should aim for, but any treaty is very time-consuming. The timeline is unrealistic,&quot; Fogh Rasmussen said.

A senior US&nbsp;official said: &quot;We know the goal, but I don`t know if this is the right vehicle.&quot;

But May`s call to set aside &quot;rigid institutional structures&quot; to enable a quick agreement on security was less well received.

&quot;What she meant was not specified and sounded like a veiled threat,&quot; said EU lawmaker Marietje Schaake, a Dutch centrist.

One senior EU official in Munich said that May would need to submit a formal negotiating paper to detail her ideas and then allow EU and British negotiators to move forward.

But the EU official said May`s proposal was essentially not new and could only come after Britain and the EU had agreed a divorce settlement. &quot;The European Union also wants a new security arrangement with Britain, but it can`t be done before we agree on other issues,&quot; the official said.

While the status of the Irish border and citizens rights were broadly settled in December, EU negotiators say they are now waiting for Britain to say what kind of future trade relationship it wants.

Agreement on that front would allow EU leaders to endorse the plan at a Brussels summit on March 22-23 and move on to a special transition arrangement ending in December 2020.

In a speech to Western leaders and officials in Munich, Theresa May promised that London would continue to lead military missions and share intelligence if Brussels agreed to a pact 'effective from 2019', the year Britain is due to leave the bloc

Prime Minister Theresa May made her case on Saturday for a new security treaty with the EU from next year, winning support from EU and US officials who agreed the issue was too important to risk getting subsumed in broader Brexit negotiations. In a speech to Western leaders and officials in Munich, May promised that London would continue to lead military missions and share intelligence if Brussels agreed to a pact "effective from 2019", the year Britain is due to leave the bloc. May`s government is using a series of speeches to set out its vision for Britain outside the European Union. But the loudest applause during her appearance came when the event`s organiser, German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger, said: "Things would be so much easier if you stayed." But May was adamant: "We are leaving the EU and there is no question of a second referendum or going back, and I think that`s important," she told the Munich Security Conference. "The partnership that we need to create is one that offers UK and EU way to combine our efforts to greatest effect where this is in our shared interest," May said of her security plan. Britain is one of the top three users of data from European Union police agency Europol. But as it leaves the EU, there is a risk that it will be shut out of this cooperation, becoming more vulnerable to Islamist militants, officials say. Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU`s chief executive, welcomed a "security alliance" with Britain, adding that the issue should be separated from the rest of the Brexit debate. Britain, along with France, is Europe`s biggest military power and leads two European Union military missions while sending troops to Estonia under a NATO flag. With a host of issues still unresolved and infighting over Brexit dividing May`s government just over a year before Britain is due to leave, security is one of London`s biggest bargaining chips as it seeks a new deal with Brussels. Britain`s interior minister last year told the EU it could "take our information with us" if it left the bloc without a deal on security. May emphasised she was committed to European security, warned against competition between Britain and the rest of Europe and said that both sides should do "whatever is most practical and pragmatic in ensuring our collective security." Juncker said security should not be conflated with "other questions relating to Brexit," also quashing any British hopes that a security treaty might be a way into a free-trade deal. "I wouldn`t like to put security policy considerations with trade policy considerations in one hat. I understand why some would like to do that, but we don`t want to," he said. Veiled threat NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also welcomed close security cooperation between Britain and the EU after Brexit, while Stoltenberg`s predecessor at the alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, told Reuters May`s was a strong speech. "I think that is what we should aim for, but any treaty is very time-consuming. The timeline is unrealistic," Fogh Rasmussen said. A senior US official said: "We know the goal, but I don`t know if this is the right vehicle." But May`s call to set aside "rigid institutional structures" to enable a quick agreement on security was less well received. "What she meant was not specified and sounded like a veiled threat," said EU lawmaker Marietje Schaake, a Dutch centrist. One senior EU official in Munich said that May would need to submit a formal negotiating paper to detail her ideas and then allow EU and British negotiators to move forward. But the EU official said May`s proposal was essentially not new and could only come after Britain and the EU had agreed a divorce settlement. "The European Union also wants a new security arrangement with Britain, but it can`t be done before we agree on other issues," the official said. While the status of the Irish border and citizens rights were broadly settled in December, EU negotiators say they are now waiting for Britain to say what kind of future trade relationship it wants. Agreement on that front would allow EU leaders to endorse the plan at a Brussels summit on March 22-23 and move on to a special transition arrangement ending in December 2020.

Britain's May wins backing for EU security pact, timing unclear

Haiti`s president said on Friday that sexual misconduct by staff of British charity Oxfam was only the tip of an &quot;iceberg&quot; and called for investigations into Doctors Without Borders and other aid organizations which came to the country after its 2010 earthquake.

&quot;The Oxfam case is the visible part of the iceberg,&quot; President Jovenel Moise said in a phone interview with Reuters on Friday. &quot;It is not only Oxfam, there are other NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in the same situation, but they hide the information internally.&quot;

The scandal has already shaken the aid sector, with Britain and the European Union reviewing Oxfam&rsquo;s funding.

Oxfam, one of the world`s biggest disaster relief charities, apologised this week for unspecified sexual misconduct uncovered in a 2011 internal investigation. It has neither confirmed nor denied a recent Times of London report that some of its staff paid for sex with prostitutes.

&quot;There should be an investigation into other organizations that have been working here since 2010,&quot; said Moise. &quot;For example, Doctors Without Borders had to repatriate about 17 people for misconduct which was not explained,&quot; he added.

It was not clear what cases Moise was referring to.

Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders, known as Medecins Sans Frontieres in non-English speaking countries, is looking into Moise`s comments and welcomes scrutiny on the aid sector, said spokeswoman Analia Lorenzo. She added that the organization had zero tolerance of sexual misconduct.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Doctors Without Borders, which sends medical staff around the world to regions stricken with war and disease, said it had dealt with 24 cases of sexual harassment or abuse among its 40,000 staff last year, and dismissed 19 people as a result. It did not provide details of where the harassment or abuse took place, who was dismissed or whether the complaints were also registered with local law enforcement.

`MISTAKES`&nbsp;

Roland Van Hauwermeiren, the former Oxfam official at the center of the sex abuse scandal, said on Thursday he made mistakes by having a sexual relationship with the sister of a recipient of aid when working in Haiti but denied paying for sex with prostitutes or abusing minors.

In an open letter to a broadcaster in his native Belgium, he said he feared that Oxfam, other aid workers and those they help would suffer from false accusations.

&quot;We call on the Belgian and UK government to assume their responsibility, and we call on the whole international community to help make sure those guilty of such misconduct are punished, whether they are Belgian or of another nationality,&quot; Moise said. &quot;The dignity of the Haitian people has been trampled on.&quot;

Haitian Justice Minister Heidi Fortune told Reuters on Wednesday he had asked Belgium for help in starting legal action against Van Hauwermeiren. He did not say which laws he believed were broken. 
Belgium`s Justice Ministry said on Thursday it had received no such request and prosecutors said they were not aware of any investigation into Van Hauwermeiren. Belgium does not extradite its citizens to countries outside the European Union.

Prostitution is a crime in Haiti, but it was not clear what other crimes the Oxfam officials may have committed.

He called for investigations into Doctors Without Borders

Haiti`s president said on Friday that sexual misconduct by staff of British charity Oxfam was only the tip of an "iceberg" and called for investigations into Doctors Without Borders and other aid organizations which came to the country after its 2010 earthquake. "The Oxfam case is the visible part of the iceberg," President Jovenel Moise said in a phone interview with Reuters on Friday. "It is not only Oxfam, there are other NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in the same situation, but they hide the information internally." The scandal has already shaken the aid sector, with Britain and the European Union reviewing Oxfam’s funding. Oxfam, one of the world`s biggest disaster relief charities, apologised this week for unspecified sexual misconduct uncovered in a 2011 internal investigation. It has neither confirmed nor denied a recent Times of London report that some of its staff paid for sex with prostitutes. "There should be an investigation into other organizations that have been working here since 2010," said Moise. "For example, Doctors Without Borders had to repatriate about 17 people for misconduct which was not explained," he added. It was not clear what cases Moise was referring to. Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders, known as Medecins Sans Frontieres in non-English speaking countries, is looking into Moise`s comments and welcomes scrutiny on the aid sector, said spokeswoman Analia Lorenzo. She added that the organization had zero tolerance of sexual misconduct. On Wednesday, Doctors Without Borders, which sends medical staff around the world to regions stricken with war and disease, said it had dealt with 24 cases of sexual harassment or abuse among its 40,000 staff last year, and dismissed 19 people as a result. It did not provide details of where the harassment or abuse took place, who was dismissed or whether the complaints were also registered with local law enforcement. `MISTAKES` Roland Van Hauwermeiren, the former Oxfam official at the center of the sex abuse scandal, said on Thursday he made mistakes by having a sexual relationship with the sister of a recipient of aid when working in Haiti but denied paying for sex with prostitutes or abusing minors. In an open letter to a broadcaster in his native Belgium, he said he feared that Oxfam, other aid workers and those they help would suffer from false accusations. "We call on the Belgian and UK government to assume their responsibility, and we call on the whole international community to help make sure those guilty of such misconduct are punished, whether they are Belgian or of another nationality," Moise said. "The dignity of the Haitian people has been trampled on." Haitian Justice Minister Heidi Fortune told Reuters on Wednesday he had asked Belgium for help in starting legal action against Van Hauwermeiren. He did not say which laws he believed were broken. Belgium`s Justice Ministry said on Thursday it had received no such request and prosecutors said they were not aware of any investigation into Van Hauwermeiren. Belgium does not extradite its citizens to countries outside the European Union. Prostitution is a crime in Haiti, but it was not clear what other crimes the Oxfam officials may have committed.

Haiti president says many aid organizations hid misconduct

Britain and the European Union should resolve trade and other issues related to Britain`s exit from the bloc separately from discussions about a security pact with the UK, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Saturday.

&quot;We need a security alliance between the UK and the EU, but we can`t mix that question up with other questions relating to Brexit,&quot; Juncker told the annual Munich Security Conference.

&quot;I wouldn`t like to put security policy considerations with trade policy considerations in one hat. I understand why some would like to do that, but we don`t want to,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

Britain and the European Union should resolve trade and other issues related to Britain`s exit from the bloc separately from discussions about a security pact with the UK, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Saturday

Britain and the European Union should resolve trade and other issues related to Britain`s exit from the bloc separately from discussions about a security pact with the UK, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Saturday. "We need a security alliance between the UK and the EU, but we can`t mix that question up with other questions relating to Brexit," Juncker told the annual Munich Security Conference. "I wouldn`t like to put security policy considerations with trade policy considerations in one hat. I understand why some would like to do that, but we don`t want to," he said.

Don't tangle up Brexit, security issues, EU tells UK

The European Union&#39;s ambassador to China urged Beijing today to &quot;immediately&quot; release dissident publisher Gui Minhai after the Swedish citizen was snatched for a second time while accompanied by Swedish diplomats.

&quot;We expect the Chinese authorities to immediately release Mr&nbsp;Gui Minhai from detention and allow him to reunite with his family, to get consular support and to get medical support,&quot; said Hans Dietmar Schweisgut at a press conference, adding: &quot;He&#39;s a Swedish citizen and a citizen of the EU.&quot;

One of five Hong Kong-based booksellers known for salacious titles about the lives of China&#39;s political elite, 53-year-old Gui first went missing in 2015 while on vacation in Thailand before resurfacing at an undisclosed location in China.

Chinese authorities said they had released Gui in October, but it was unclear to what extent he was a free man after serving a jail sentence over &quot;a traffic incident&quot;.

His daughter Angela Gui told Radio Sweden that he had then been snatched by plain clothes police on Saturday while on a train to Beijing from the eastern city of Ningbo, where he was living, while accompanied by two Swedish diplomats.

Gui senior had been travelling to Beijing to see a Swedish doctor as he was showing symptoms of the neurological disease ALS -- also known as Lou Gehrig&#39;s disease -- Angela added.

'We expect the Chinese authorities to immediately release Mr Gui Minhai from detention and allow him to reunite with his family,' Hans Dietmar Schweisgut said

The European Union's ambassador to China urged Beijing today to "immediately" release dissident publisher Gui Minhai after the Swedish citizen was snatched for a second time while accompanied by Swedish diplomats. "We expect the Chinese authorities to immediately release Mr Gui Minhai from detention and allow him to reunite with his family, to get consular support and to get medical support," said Hans Dietmar Schweisgut at a press conference, adding: "He's a Swedish citizen and a citizen of the EU." One of five Hong Kong-based booksellers known for salacious titles about the lives of China's political elite, 53-year-old Gui first went missing in 2015 while on vacation in Thailand before resurfacing at an undisclosed location in China. Chinese authorities said they had released Gui in October, but it was unclear to what extent he was a free man after serving a jail sentence over "a traffic incident". His daughter Angela Gui told Radio Sweden that he had then been snatched by plain clothes police on Saturday while on a train to Beijing from the eastern city of Ningbo, where he was living, while accompanied by two Swedish diplomats. Gui senior had been travelling to Beijing to see a Swedish doctor as he was showing symptoms of the neurological disease ALS -- also known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- Angela added.

EU urges China to release Swedish book publisher

Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s conservatives and the Social Democrats sealed a deal Wednesday on a new coalition, officials close to the talks said, potentially ending four months of political standstill in Europe&#39;s top economy.

The sources said the parties had ironed out their final differences and were ready to sign an agreement for Merkel&#39;s fourth term.

Public broadcaster ARD said the final disputes had centred around &quot;ministry remits and personnel questions&quot;.&nbsp;

The breakthrough will come as a relief to Germany&#39;s EU partners as the bloc faces tough negotiations on migration and Brexit.&nbsp;

Merkel, Europe&#39;s most experienced leader, has seen her standing at home and abroad weakened by the longest stretch of coalition-building in the country&#39;s postwar history.

But before she can be sworn in, a final hurdle looms: the hard-fought pact between her CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democratic Party must still be approved by the SPD&#39;s sceptical rank-and-file .

The agreement for a renewed &quot;grand coalition&quot; comes after days of marathon talks in which negotiators from all three parties haggled over everything from foreign policy to labour issues and healthcare.

SPD holds the keys&nbsp;

Germany has been stuck in political limbo since September&#39;s inconclusive general election saw mainstream parties bleed support to the far-right AfD, which tapped into anger over Merkel&#39;s liberal refugee policy.

Merkel, in power for over 12 years, at first tried to cobble together a novel three-way coalition with the Greens and the liberal Free Democrats, but those efforts collapsed in November.

Faced with snap elections that could further boost the AfD or the prospect of heading an unstable minority government, she opted to woo back the SPD -- her junior partner for two of her three terms since 2005.

SPD leader Martin Schulz then abandoned his post-election vow to renew the party in opposition -- a U-turn that angered many.

Merkel&#39;s fate now lies in the hands of the SPD, as Schulz has promised to give his party&#39;s 460,000 members the final say on whether to accept the coalition pact.

Observers expect the referendum to be tight, with the SPD&#39;s left and youth wings fiercely opposed to another four years governing in Merkel&#39;s shadow.

The party&#39;s fiery youth chief Kevin Kuehnert has led a campaign against another &quot;GroKo&quot;, as the grand coalition is known.

The referendum will be held by postal ballot, with the result expected to be announced in early March.

A green light could see a new Merkel-led government in place by the end of next month.

A thumbs-down could spell disaster for Merkel and Schulz, whose political lives hang in the balance, and see the country headed for fresh elections.

Hard-won concessions&nbsp;

With so much at stake, Schulz was determined to extract as many concessions as possible from the tortuous coalition talks to win over sceptics.

While details of the final agreement have yet to be released, former European Parliament chief Schulz has put a fairer Europe at the heart of his efforts, insisting that Berlin must join French President Emmanuel Macron&#39;s push to deepen eurozone integration.

In a draft version of the coalition pact seen by AFP, the parties agreed to support Macron&#39;s reform drive and tentatively backed his idea of a eurozone investment budget.

On the hot-button topic of migration, the two camps said they would aim to limit the annual intake to 180,000-220,000 people, a key CSU demand.

The SPD however won assurances that family reunifications for refugees would resume in August, albeit restricted to 1,000 people a month.

It was not immediately clear how the final sticking points in the negotiations were resolved, such as the SPD&#39;s insistence on limiting short-term contracts and overhauling the two-tier healthcare system.

On defence spending too, both sides remained at odds as the finish line neared with the conservatives more open than the SPD to raising military spending closer to NATO targets, as pushed for by US President Donald Trump.

But the protracted haggling has left its scars, and surveys suggest both camps have much to fear from fresh elections in case of a &quot;no&quot; vote from SPD members.

A recent Insa poll found that support for the CDU/CSU had fallen from 33 to 30.5 per cent, while the SPD slipped from September&#39;s historic low of 20.5 per cent to 17 per cent.

The AfD meanwhile scored a record 15 pe rcent.

The sources said the parties had ironed out their final differences and were ready to sign an agreement for Merkel's fourth term

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and the Social Democrats sealed a deal Wednesday on a new coalition, officials close to the talks said, potentially ending four months of political standstill in Europe's top economy. The sources said the parties had ironed out their final differences and were ready to sign an agreement for Merkel's fourth term. Public broadcaster ARD said the final disputes had centred around "ministry remits and personnel questions". The breakthrough will come as a relief to Germany's EU partners as the bloc faces tough negotiations on migration and Brexit. Merkel, Europe's most experienced leader, has seen her standing at home and abroad weakened by the longest stretch of coalition-building in the country's postwar history. But before she can be sworn in, a final hurdle looms: the hard-fought pact between her CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democratic Party must still be approved by the SPD's sceptical rank-and-file . The agreement for a renewed "grand coalition" comes after days of marathon talks in which negotiators from all three parties haggled over everything from foreign policy to labour issues and healthcare. SPD holds the keys Germany has been stuck in political limbo since September's inconclusive general election saw mainstream parties bleed support to the far-right AfD, which tapped into anger over Merkel's liberal refugee policy. Merkel, in power for over 12 years, at first tried to cobble together a novel three-way coalition with the Greens and the liberal Free Democrats, but those efforts collapsed in November. Faced with snap elections that could further boost the AfD or the prospect of heading an unstable minority government, she opted to woo back the SPD -- her junior partner for two of her three terms since 2005. SPD leader Martin Schulz then abandoned his post-election vow to renew the party in opposition -- a U-turn that angered many. Merkel's fate now lies in the hands of the SPD, as Schulz has promised to give his party's 460,000 members the final say on whether to accept the coalition pact. Observers expect the referendum to be tight, with the SPD's left and youth wings fiercely opposed to another four years governing in Merkel's shadow. The party's fiery youth chief Kevin Kuehnert has led a campaign against another "GroKo", as the grand coalition is known. The referendum will be held by postal ballot, with the result expected to be announced in early March. A green light could see a new Merkel-led government in place by the end of next month. A thumbs-down could spell disaster for Merkel and Schulz, whose political lives hang in the balance, and see the country headed for fresh elections. Hard-won concessions With so much at stake, Schulz was determined to extract as many concessions as possible from the tortuous coalition talks to win over sceptics. While details of the final agreement have yet to be released, former European Parliament chief Schulz has put a fairer Europe at the heart of his efforts, insisting that Berlin must join French President Emmanuel Macron's push to deepen eurozone integration. In a draft version of the coalition pact seen by AFP, the parties agreed to support Macron's reform drive and tentatively backed his idea of a eurozone investment budget. On the hot-button topic of migration, the two camps said they would aim to limit the annual intake to 180,000-220,000 people, a key CSU demand. The SPD however won assurances that family reunifications for refugees would resume in August, albeit restricted to 1,000 people a month. It was not immediately clear how the final sticking points in the negotiations were resolved, such as the SPD's insistence on limiting short-term contracts and overhauling the two-tier healthcare system. On defence spending too, both sides remained at odds as the finish line neared with the conservatives more open than the SPD to raising military spending closer to NATO targets, as pushed for by US President Donald Trump. But the protracted haggling has left its scars, and surveys suggest both camps have much to fear from fresh elections in case of a "no" vote from SPD members. A recent Insa poll found that support for the CDU/CSU had fallen from 33 to 30.5 per cent, while the SPD slipped from September's historic low of 20.5 per cent to 17 per cent. The AfD meanwhile scored a record 15 pe rcent.

Germany's top parties 'reach deal' on Merkel coalition

Dutch judges on Wednesday referred a landmark case brought by British expats over their rights as European citizens after Brexit to the EU&#39;s top court.

&quot;We refer the questions to the European Court of Justice,&quot; judge Floris Bakels said in a written verdict issued by the Amsterdam District Court, in the case which could have far-reaching implications for about a million British citizens living in Europe.

The judges are referring two preliminary questions to the Luxembourg-based ECJ for an answer about the group&#39;s rights as EU citizens after Brexit, their lawyer Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm said.

The questions are: &quot;Does Brexit mean that Britons automatically lose their European citizenship or do they maintain their rights, and if so, under what conditions?&quot; Thijm said.

Five British expats and two expat organisations last month took the Dutch government to court, arguing they have independent rights as EU citizens, over and above being citizens of any specific EU member country -- including Britain.

The group insist their legal rights as EU citizens -- including freedom of movement -- should therefore remain and be protected by The Netherlands even after Britain withdraws from the 28-member body on March 29, 2019. 
They asked the Dutch judges to refer the matter to the European court for clarification &quot;as to what exactly being a European citizen means,&quot; said one of the plaintiffs, Stephen Huyton.

&quot;I am shocked and delighted with the decision,&quot; he told AFP, shortly after the verdict was issued.

&quot;But we have to realise that this is just the first step to eventually getting clarity about our status,&quot; he added.

Judge Bakels gave lawyers a week to comment on the decision and to add any other preliminary questions to be put to the ECJ.

Dutch judges on Wednesday referred a landmark case brought by British expats over their rights as European citizens after Brexit to the EU's top court

Dutch judges on Wednesday referred a landmark case brought by British expats over their rights as European citizens after Brexit to the EU's top court. "We refer the questions to the European Court of Justice," judge Floris Bakels said in a written verdict issued by the Amsterdam District Court, in the case which could have far-reaching implications for about a million British citizens living in Europe. The judges are referring two preliminary questions to the Luxembourg-based ECJ for an answer about the group's rights as EU citizens after Brexit, their lawyer Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm said. The questions are: "Does Brexit mean that Britons automatically lose their European citizenship or do they maintain their rights, and if so, under what conditions?" Thijm said. Five British expats and two expat organisations last month took the Dutch government to court, arguing they have independent rights as EU citizens, over and above being citizens of any specific EU member country -- including Britain. The group insist their legal rights as EU citizens -- including freedom of movement -- should therefore remain and be protected by The Netherlands even after Britain withdraws from the 28-member body on March 29, 2019. They asked the Dutch judges to refer the matter to the European court for clarification "as to what exactly being a European citizen means," said one of the plaintiffs, Stephen Huyton. "I am shocked and delighted with the decision," he told AFP, shortly after the verdict was issued. "But we have to realise that this is just the first step to eventually getting clarity about our status," he added. Judge Bakels gave lawyers a week to comment on the decision and to add any other preliminary questions to be put to the ECJ.

What happens to us after Brexit, ask British expats in Europe

Hundreds of thousands of Greeks rallied outside parliament in Athens on Sunday to protest against the use of the term Macedonia in any settlement the government pursues with the ex-Yugoslav Republic to end a decades-old name row.

According to the law enforcement data, 283 buses brought the protesters to the demonstration site. The demonstration&rsquo;s organizers said that over a million people had been a part of&nbsp;the rally up till Sunday night.

The two countries have agreed to step up negotiations, mediated by the United Nations, this year to settle the dispute, which has frustrated the aspirations of Greece&rsquo;s small northern neighbour to join NATO and the European Union.

Thoroughfares in central Athens turned into a sea of people waving blue and white Greek flags in what locals said was the largest gathering in decades, easily outdoing rallies against austerity foisted by lenders on the crisis-hit country.

Greece objects to Macedonia&rsquo;s name because it has its own region called Macedonia, and argues that its neighbour&rsquo;s use of the name, along with contentious articles in its constitution, imply territorial claims over Greek land.

According to media reports, the police officials are trying to get the situation in control between the far-right and far-left protesters after the far-right demonstrators reportedly attempted to attack anarchists with stones, flag poles, and stun grenades.

Reports further said that the police had to resort to using tear gas against demonstrators.

Protesters hoisted a giant Greek flag over the demonstration with a crane on Sunday. They held banners reading &ldquo;Hands off Macedonia!&rdquo; and chanted the national anthem.

Greece considers the name &quot;Macedonia&quot; to be part of its own cultural heritage, as it is also the name of a historic Greek province that was the core of Alexander the Great&#39;s ancient empire.

Athens thus seeks guarantees that the use of the name by its neighbour implies no claim to parts of its own territory.

Because of Greece&#39;s objections, Macedonia in 1993 joined the United Nations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

To break the deadlock, longterm UN mediator Matthew Nimetz has now proposed several alternative names in Macedonian, including &quot;Republika Nova Makedonija&quot; or the &quot;Republic of New Macedonia&quot;.

Tsipras&#39; government says it is ready to accept a composite name that will establish a clear distinction from Greek Macedonia.

A resolution of the issue is needed before Macedonia can join NATO or the EU.

Greece in 2008 threatened to veto Macedonia&#39;s NATO entry. Skopje subsequently took the issue to the International Court of Justice, which said Athens had been wrong to block its land-locked neighbour&#39;s aspirations.

 
&nbsp;

The two countries have agreed to step up negotiations, mediated by the United Nations, this year to settle the dispute, which has frustrated the aspirations of Greece’s small northern neighbour to join NATO and the European Union

Hundreds of thousands of Greeks rallied outside parliament in Athens on Sunday to protest against the use of the term Macedonia in any settlement the government pursues with the ex-Yugoslav Republic to end a decades-old name row. According to the law enforcement data, 283 buses brought the protesters to the demonstration site. The demonstration’s organizers said that over a million people had been a part of the rally up till Sunday night. The two countries have agreed to step up negotiations, mediated by the United Nations, this year to settle the dispute, which has frustrated the aspirations of Greece’s small northern neighbour to join NATO and the European Union. Thoroughfares in central Athens turned into a sea of people waving blue and white Greek flags in what locals said was the largest gathering in decades, easily outdoing rallies against austerity foisted by lenders on the crisis-hit country. Greece objects to Macedonia’s name because it has its own region called Macedonia, and argues that its neighbour’s use of the name, along with contentious articles in its constitution, imply territorial claims over Greek land. According to media reports, the police officials are trying to get the situation in control between the far-right and far-left protesters after the far-right demonstrators reportedly attempted to attack anarchists with stones, flag poles, and stun grenades. Reports further said that the police had to resort to using tear gas against demonstrators. Protesters hoisted a giant Greek flag over the demonstration with a crane on Sunday. They held banners reading “Hands off Macedonia!” and chanted the national anthem. Greece considers the name "Macedonia" to be part of its own cultural heritage, as it is also the name of a historic Greek province that was the core of Alexander the Great's ancient empire. Athens thus seeks guarantees that the use of the name by its neighbour implies no claim to parts of its own territory. Because of Greece's objections, Macedonia in 1993 joined the United Nations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). To break the deadlock, longterm UN mediator Matthew Nimetz has now proposed several alternative names in Macedonian, including "Republika Nova Makedonija" or the "Republic of New Macedonia". Tsipras' government says it is ready to accept a composite name that will establish a clear distinction from Greek Macedonia. A resolution of the issue is needed before Macedonia can join NATO or the EU. Greece in 2008 threatened to veto Macedonia's NATO entry. Skopje subsequently took the issue to the International Court of Justice, which said Athens had been wrong to block its land-locked neighbour's aspirations.

Millions of Greeks rally over Macedonia name row

Britain has ruled out staying in any customs union with the European Union after Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May`s spokesman said on Monday as the government prepares for a crunch week of Brexit talks.

The extent of any British post-Brexit involvement in the EU`s customs union - which binds members into a trade bloc with common external tariffs - has become a major issue of contention inside May`s divided government and Conservative Party.

Membership of the, or a, customs union after Brexit, would prevent London from striking trade deals with countries outside the EU in future.

&quot;The key point, as the prime minister has said on many many occasions, is that we need to have our own independent trade policy and be able to strike trade deals with the rest of the world,&quot; May`s spokesman told reporters.&nbsp;

&quot;We will be leaving the EU and the customs union and it is not government policy to be members of `the` customs union or `a` customs union.&quot;&nbsp;

He said the official negotiating stance had been set out in a document published in August giving: &quot;two possible options and they are: a highly streamlined customs arrangement, and a new customs partnership with the EU.&quot;

The spokesman said Britain was still looking at both options, and no deadline for a decision on which one to pursue had been set.

With just a year left before Britain`s March 2019 exit from the European Union, May`s party remains deeply divided over what sort of relationship should be built between the world`s biggest trading bloc and the world`s sixth-largest economy.

Such are the divisions within May`s government, that the debate over the extent of Britain`s post-Brexit participation in a EU customs union has taken place in public with key ministers offering a range of views.

Brexit Tariff?

While May has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the customs union, some ministers had hoped that Britain could remain in some sort of bespoke customs arrangement with the EU after Brexit.

But supporters of Brexit say one of the main benefits of leaving the bloc will be the ability to strike trade deals with other, faster-growing countries around the world.&nbsp;

The Confederation of British Industry has called for Britain to stay in a customs union and finance minister Philip Hammond last month also left open the possibility of Britain joining a new customs union.

A customs union means that its members apply the same tariff to goods imported into their territory from elsewhere and apply no tariffs to goods from other members. It also limits checks and other bureaucracies at borders between members.

Unless Britain negotiates a new trade deal with the EU, its exports would run into the union`s external tariffs, which average about 5 percent across all goods, including 10 percent for cars and over 200 percent on certain types of poultry.

But May is under pressure from eurosceptic members in her party to quit the trading arrangement because for them the key prize is chance to sign new trade deals with other nations such as the US, China and India.

Britain and the EU are due to hold their first formal discussions about what their future relationship will look like after Britain leaves the EU this week.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier will meet his opposite number, Brexit Secretary David Davis, in London on Monday for the first time since EU leaders told Barnier to negotiate a post-Brexit transition period to ease Britain`s departure.&nbsp;

May will hold two cabinet meetings on Wednesday and Thursday at which she will try to heal the deep divisions among her ministers over the best way to leave the EU.

If no deal is reached by October of this year, many businesses fear Britain could face a disorderly exit that would weaken the West, disrupt the peace in Northern Ireland, imperil Britain&rsquo;s $2.7 trillion economy and undermine

London&rsquo;s position as the only financial centre to rival New York.&nbsp;

A disorderly Brexit as a result of Britain misjudging the &quot;self-preservation&quot; instincts of the European Union could lead to a further downgrade of the UK`s sovereign credit rating, S&amp;P Global also said on Monday.

The extent of any British post-Brexit involvement in the EU`s customs union has become a major issue of contention inside May`s divided government and Conservative Party

Britain has ruled out staying in any customs union with the European Union after Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May`s spokesman said on Monday as the government prepares for a crunch week of Brexit talks. The extent of any British post-Brexit involvement in the EU`s customs union - which binds members into a trade bloc with common external tariffs - has become a major issue of contention inside May`s divided government and Conservative Party. Membership of the, or a, customs union after Brexit, would prevent London from striking trade deals with countries outside the EU in future. "The key point, as the prime minister has said on many many occasions, is that we need to have our own independent trade policy and be able to strike trade deals with the rest of the world," May`s spokesman told reporters. "We will be leaving the EU and the customs union and it is not government policy to be members of `the` customs union or `a` customs union." He said the official negotiating stance had been set out in a document published in August giving: "two possible options and they are: a highly streamlined customs arrangement, and a new customs partnership with the EU." The spokesman said Britain was still looking at both options, and no deadline for a decision on which one to pursue had been set. With just a year left before Britain`s March 2019 exit from the European Union, May`s party remains deeply divided over what sort of relationship should be built between the world`s biggest trading bloc and the world`s sixth-largest economy. Such are the divisions within May`s government, that the debate over the extent of Britain`s post-Brexit participation in a EU customs union has taken place in public with key ministers offering a range of views. Brexit Tariff? While May has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the customs union, some ministers had hoped that Britain could remain in some sort of bespoke customs arrangement with the EU after Brexit. But supporters of Brexit say one of the main benefits of leaving the bloc will be the ability to strike trade deals with other, faster-growing countries around the world. The Confederation of British Industry has called for Britain to stay in a customs union and finance minister Philip Hammond last month also left open the possibility of Britain joining a new customs union. A customs union means that its members apply the same tariff to goods imported into their territory from elsewhere and apply no tariffs to goods from other members. It also limits checks and other bureaucracies at borders between members. Unless Britain negotiates a new trade deal with the EU, its exports would run into the union`s external tariffs, which average about 5 percent across all goods, including 10 percent for cars and over 200 percent on certain types of poultry. But May is under pressure from eurosceptic members in her party to quit the trading arrangement because for them the key prize is chance to sign new trade deals with other nations such as the US, China and India. Britain and the EU are due to hold their first formal discussions about what their future relationship will look like after Britain leaves the EU this week. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier will meet his opposite number, Brexit Secretary David Davis, in London on Monday for the first time since EU leaders told Barnier to negotiate a post-Brexit transition period to ease Britain`s departure. May will hold two cabinet meetings on Wednesday and Thursday at which she will try to heal the deep divisions among her ministers over the best way to leave the EU. If no deal is reached by October of this year, many businesses fear Britain could face a disorderly exit that would weaken the West, disrupt the peace in Northern Ireland, imperil Britain’s $2.7 trillion economy and undermine London’s position as the only financial centre to rival New York. A disorderly Brexit as a result of Britain misjudging the "self-preservation" instincts of the European Union could lead to a further downgrade of the UK`s sovereign credit rating, S&P Global also said on Monday.

UK rules out being in a customs union with the EU after Brexit

Local authorities in Syria`s Afrin called on Sunday for world powers to intervene to halt a Turkish-led assault on their region, accusing Russia of complicity in civilian deaths there.

Ankara and allied rebels launched operation &quot;Olive Branch&quot; on January 20 against the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey has blacklisted as &quot;terrorists&quot;.

Afrin`s local administration -- the semi-autonomous government in place since 2013 -- shot back the accusation on Sunday and urged Moscow to take a firm stand.

&quot;We ask the Russian federation in particular to rescind its support for the Turkish state`s terrorism against the people of Afrin,&quot; it said in a statement.

&quot;It bears responsibility for the massacres the fascist Turkish state is carrying out against innocent civilians.&quot;

Russia, which intervened militarily in Syria`s war in 2015, had troops positioned in Afrin but withdrew them as Turkey launched the assault.

The YPG and Afrin officials say that withdrawal amounted to tacit approval of the Turkish offensive.

Officials on Sunday also called for the United States, European Union, United Nations Security Council and the US-led coalition fighting jihadists to &quot;immediately intervene to stop Turkey`s aggression&quot;.

Ankara says it launched the operation to protect its southern border and insists that it is doing everything it can to avoid civilian casualties.

But the campaign has sparked mass protests, including in Afrin on Sunday.

Thousands of people marched in downtown Afrin with YPG flags and posters of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK).

Turkey is vehemently opposed to the YPG because of its ties to the PKK, which has waged a three-decade insurgency against Turkish forces.

&quot;We`re holding the whole world responsible because we fought terrorism on behalf of everyone, but today the world agreed to kill Syrians,&quot; said Ali Mahmoud, 45.

Other demonstrators clutched olive branches, a symbol of Afrin which is known for its abundant olive groves but also now associated with the name Turkey gave its offensive.

&quot;They named their attack `Olive Branch`. It`s a thorn in their hand, but in our hands, it`s a gun,&quot; said Fikrat Afdal, 33.

At least 68 civilians, including 21 children, have died in Turkish shelling as part of the assault, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

More than 100 pro-Ankara rebels and a similar number of YPG fighters have also died, the British-based monitor says. 
&nbsp;

Ankara and allied rebels launched operation 'Olive Branch' on January 20 against the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey has blacklisted as 'terrorists'

Local authorities in Syria`s Afrin called on Sunday for world powers to intervene to halt a Turkish-led assault on their region, accusing Russia of complicity in civilian deaths there. Ankara and allied rebels launched operation "Olive Branch" on January 20 against the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey has blacklisted as "terrorists". Afrin`s local administration -- the semi-autonomous government in place since 2013 -- shot back the accusation on Sunday and urged Moscow to take a firm stand. "We ask the Russian federation in particular to rescind its support for the Turkish state`s terrorism against the people of Afrin," it said in a statement. "It bears responsibility for the massacres the fascist Turkish state is carrying out against innocent civilians." Russia, which intervened militarily in Syria`s war in 2015, had troops positioned in Afrin but withdrew them as Turkey launched the assault. The YPG and Afrin officials say that withdrawal amounted to tacit approval of the Turkish offensive. Officials on Sunday also called for the United States, European Union, United Nations Security Council and the US-led coalition fighting jihadists to "immediately intervene to stop Turkey`s aggression". Ankara says it launched the operation to protect its southern border and insists that it is doing everything it can to avoid civilian casualties. But the campaign has sparked mass protests, including in Afrin on Sunday. Thousands of people marched in downtown Afrin with YPG flags and posters of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK). Turkey is vehemently opposed to the YPG because of its ties to the PKK, which has waged a three-decade insurgency against Turkish forces. "We`re holding the whole world responsible because we fought terrorism on behalf of everyone, but today the world agreed to kill Syrians," said Ali Mahmoud, 45. Other demonstrators clutched olive branches, a symbol of Afrin which is known for its abundant olive groves but also now associated with the name Turkey gave its offensive. "They named their attack `Olive Branch`. It`s a thorn in their hand, but in our hands, it`s a gun," said Fikrat Afdal, 33. At least 68 civilians, including 21 children, have died in Turkish shelling as part of the assault, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. More than 100 pro-Ankara rebels and a similar number of YPG fighters have also died, the British-based monitor says.

Syria's Afrin urges Russia to oppose Turkish-led assault

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected proposals of a partnership with the EU, insisting full membership to the bloc is the only option, in an interview published Sunday.

Hosting Erdogan on a visit to Paris in January, French President Emmanuel Macron said it was &quot;hypocrisy&quot; to say progress could be made on Turkish EU membership, floating the idea of a partnership instead.

The EU must &quot;keep its promises&quot; to Turkey, Erdogan told Italy&#39;s Stampa newspaper, ahead of his arrival in Rome on Sunday evening for a 24-hour visit.&nbsp;

&quot;The EU is blocking access to negotiations and suggests that lack of progress is because of us. It&#39;s unfair. Just like it is that other countries are pushing for options other than membership,&quot; he said.

&quot;We want full membership. Other options are not satisfactory,&quot; he added.

He stressed the country&#39;s &quot;important&quot; role stemming the flow of migrants to Europe, which he said offered &quot;security and stability&quot; to the continent.&nbsp;

Turkish ambitions to join the EU date back over half a century but accession talks started in October 2005.&nbsp;

Out of the total of 35 chapters needed to be closed to join the EU, 16 have been opened with just one closed. No new chapter has been opened since financial and budgetary provisions was opened in June 2016.

The Turkish leader also defended his recently-launched &quot;Olive Branch&quot; operation in the northern Syrian region of Afrin, fighting Syrian Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) militia which Ankara sees as a terror group.

&quot;The Turkish armed forces are not in Afrin to fight armed Kurdish groups. We don&#39;t have problems with the Kurdish Syrians, we are only fighting terrorists, and we have the right to do it,&quot; insisted Erdogan, repeating that Turkey was not seeking territorial gains.&nbsp;

Erdogan&#39;s flying visit to Italy will include a meeting with his Italian counterpart Italian Sergio Mattarella.

He will also be the first Turkish president to visit the Vatican in 59 years, where he will thank Pope Francis for challenging US President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a city also claimed by Palestinians.&nbsp;

&quot;We are both in favour of the status quo and we have the will to protect it,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Hosting Erdogan on a visit to Paris in January, French President Emmanuel Macron said it was 'hypocrisy' to say progress could be made on Turkish EU membership

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected proposals of a partnership with the EU, insisting full membership to the bloc is the only option, in an interview published Sunday. Hosting Erdogan on a visit to Paris in January, French President Emmanuel Macron said it was "hypocrisy" to say progress could be made on Turkish EU membership, floating the idea of a partnership instead. The EU must "keep its promises" to Turkey, Erdogan told Italy's Stampa newspaper, ahead of his arrival in Rome on Sunday evening for a 24-hour visit. "The EU is blocking access to negotiations and suggests that lack of progress is because of us. It's unfair. Just like it is that other countries are pushing for options other than membership," he said. "We want full membership. Other options are not satisfactory," he added. He stressed the country's "important" role stemming the flow of migrants to Europe, which he said offered "security and stability" to the continent. Turkish ambitions to join the EU date back over half a century but accession talks started in October 2005. Out of the total of 35 chapters needed to be closed to join the EU, 16 have been opened with just one closed. No new chapter has been opened since financial and budgetary provisions was opened in June 2016. The Turkish leader also defended his recently-launched "Olive Branch" operation in the northern Syrian region of Afrin, fighting Syrian Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) militia which Ankara sees as a terror group. "The Turkish armed forces are not in Afrin to fight armed Kurdish groups. We don't have problems with the Kurdish Syrians, we are only fighting terrorists, and we have the right to do it," insisted Erdogan, repeating that Turkey was not seeking territorial gains. Erdogan's flying visit to Italy will include a meeting with his Italian counterpart Italian Sergio Mattarella. He will also be the first Turkish president to visit the Vatican in 59 years, where he will thank Pope Francis for challenging US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a city also claimed by Palestinians. "We are both in favour of the status quo and we have the will to protect it," he said.

Erdogan rejects option of partnership with European Union

Britain will not &quot;surrender&quot; in its fight to win a bespoke deal with the European Union that would offer tariff-free trade as well as control over immigration, a minister said on Sunday before a crunch week for the government in Brexit negotiations.

Interior minister Amber Rudd was one of several senior Conservative lawmakers to take to the airwaves to support Prime Minister Theresa May, under pressure from Brexit hardliners who fear she is diluting her plans for a clean break with the EU.

With reports in the local media suggesting that pro-Brexit ministers are being urged to get ready to replace May, Rudd tried to play down the deep divisions in government, saying there was more unity than so-called Brexiteers thought.

&quot;We want to have a bespoke agreement. Now we`re not going to surrender before we have that battle,&quot; Rudd told the BBC when asked whether ministers were pursuing what the EU has already ruled out as &quot;having its cake and eating it&quot; - demanding tariff-free access to the EU`s market while controlling immigration.

She also told the Andrew Marr Show she supported May in demanding that EU citizens arriving after Brexit Day in March 2019 should have settlement rights different to those who came before that date - something the EU has opposed.

Asked whether Brexit campaigners were right to say that some in her cabinet were trying to blunt prospects for a wholesale departure from with the EU, Rudd said: &quot;I have a surprise for the Brexiteers, which is the committee that meets in order to help make these decisions ... is more united than they think.&quot;

Her words come at the beginning of a week when the government will flesh out some of its demands in negotiations with the EU on their future relationship and Brexit negotiations start in earnest again.

The government`s Brexit sub-committee of ministers will also meet twice this week, Rudd said, adding: &quot;I think that we will arrive at something which suits us all.&quot;

Another new row

Other Conservative lawmakers backed her message, with junior housing minister Dominic Raab saying there wasn`t &quot;a fag (cigarette) paper&quot; between ministers on their stance on the future relationship.&nbsp;

But the choreographed display of unity did little to mask a growing dispute over a leaked document suggesting the economy will be worse off after Brexit whether Britain left with a free trade deal, with access to the EU`s single market, or with no deal at all.

The leak, which bolstered arguments from some lawmakers to stay in the EU`s customs union to protect the economy, prompted allegations from Brexit campaigners that the civil service was trying to undermine Britain`s departure.

A former head of the civil service, Gus O`Donnell, said the allegations were unfounded and offered up by those who did not like what they heard.

&quot;If you`re selling snake oil, you don`t like the idea of experts testing your product,&quot; he told ITV`s Peston on Sunday. &quot;And I think that`s what we`ve got - this backlash against evidence and experts is because they know where the experts will go.&quot;&nbsp;

Interior minister Amber Rudd was one of several senior Conservative lawmakers to take to the airwaves to support Prime Minister Theresa May, under pressure from Brexit hardliners who fear she is diluting her plans for a clean break with the EU

Britain will not "surrender" in its fight to win a bespoke deal with the European Union that would offer tariff-free trade as well as control over immigration, a minister said on Sunday before a crunch week for the government in Brexit negotiations. Interior minister Amber Rudd was one of several senior Conservative lawmakers to take to the airwaves to support Prime Minister Theresa May, under pressure from Brexit hardliners who fear she is diluting her plans for a clean break with the EU. With reports in the local media suggesting that pro-Brexit ministers are being urged to get ready to replace May, Rudd tried to play down the deep divisions in government, saying there was more unity than so-called Brexiteers thought. "We want to have a bespoke agreement. Now we`re not going to surrender before we have that battle," Rudd told the BBC when asked whether ministers were pursuing what the EU has already ruled out as "having its cake and eating it" - demanding tariff-free access to the EU`s market while controlling immigration. She also told the Andrew Marr Show she supported May in demanding that EU citizens arriving after Brexit Day in March 2019 should have settlement rights different to those who came before that date - something the EU has opposed. Asked whether Brexit campaigners were right to say that some in her cabinet were trying to blunt prospects for a wholesale departure from with the EU, Rudd said: "I have a surprise for the Brexiteers, which is the committee that meets in order to help make these decisions ... is more united than they think." Her words come at the beginning of a week when the government will flesh out some of its demands in negotiations with the EU on their future relationship and Brexit negotiations start in earnest again. The government`s Brexit sub-committee of ministers will also meet twice this week, Rudd said, adding: "I think that we will arrive at something which suits us all." Another new row Other Conservative lawmakers backed her message, with junior housing minister Dominic Raab saying there wasn`t "a fag (cigarette) paper" between ministers on their stance on the future relationship. But the choreographed display of unity did little to mask a growing dispute over a leaked document suggesting the economy will be worse off after Brexit whether Britain left with a free trade deal, with access to the EU`s single market, or with no deal at all. The leak, which bolstered arguments from some lawmakers to stay in the EU`s customs union to protect the economy, prompted allegations from Brexit campaigners that the civil service was trying to undermine Britain`s departure. A former head of the civil service, Gus O`Donnell, said the allegations were unfounded and offered up by those who did not like what they heard. "If you`re selling snake oil, you don`t like the idea of experts testing your product," he told ITV`s Peston on Sunday. "And I think that`s what we`ve got - this backlash against evidence and experts is because they know where the experts will go."

UK will not 'surrender' over bespoke Brexit deal with EU: Minister

Japan&#39;s businesses must realise Britain&#39;s membership of the European Union is &quot;over,&quot; French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said today, while touting France as an attractive post-Brexit alternative.

&quot;The message is clear for us: firstly, the presence of Britain in the European Union is over,&quot; he said describing his discussions with local business leaders during a four-day trip to Japan.

&quot;I felt that there were maybe some voices saying &#39;perhaps it...&#39; No! It&#39;s over,&quot; he added, encouraging Japanese companies to face the reality of Britain&#39;s departure from the EU.

&quot;In March 2019, it will be the end,&quot; he said at a conference on the last day of his trip.

Japanese banks were among the first to react to Britain&#39;s June 2016 referendum decision to leave the EU, with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group saying in 2017 it would create a subsidiary in Frankfurt in preparation for Brexit.

But Japanese companies present in Britain have been more cautious about publicly announcing similar Brexit plans, despite the efforts of other European countries to woo those looking for alternatives.

"The message is clear for us: firstly, the presence of Britain in the European Union is over," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said

Japan's businesses must realise Britain's membership of the European Union is "over," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said today, while touting France as an attractive post-Brexit alternative. "The message is clear for us: firstly, the presence of Britain in the European Union is over," he said describing his discussions with local business leaders during a four-day trip to Japan. "I felt that there were maybe some voices saying 'perhaps it...' No! It's over," he added, encouraging Japanese companies to face the reality of Britain's departure from the EU. "In March 2019, it will be the end," he said at a conference on the last day of his trip. Japanese banks were among the first to react to Britain's June 2016 referendum decision to leave the EU, with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group saying in 2017 it would create a subsidiary in Frankfurt in preparation for Brexit. But Japanese companies present in Britain have been more cautious about publicly announcing similar Brexit plans, despite the efforts of other European countries to woo those looking for alternatives.

Britain's EU days are 'over', French FM tells Japan firms

The EU adopted red lines Monday for a transition period that binds Britain by the bloc&#39;s laws for nearly two years after Brexit without having any policy-making power.

The plan has sparked deep divisions in British Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s government, with eurosceptic lawmakers saying it leaves Britain a &quot;vassal state&quot; of Brussels.

European affairs ministers took just two minutes to green-light instructions for the EU&#39;s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on the transition, which the bloc wants to run from March 29, 2019 -- when Britain leaves the EU -- until December 31, 2020.

Barnier&#39;s deputy Sabine Weyand said a meeting of European affairs ministers in Brussels &quot;adopts guidelines for Brexit negotiations within two minutes: status quo transition without institutional representation, lasting... to 31 December 2020&quot;.

The so-called negotiating directives say Britain would retain access to the EU&#39;s single market during that time, but in return must follow EU rules &quot;as if it were a member state&quot;, without any voting rights.

Irish European affairs minister Helen McEntee meanwhile ruled out Britain having any power to vet EU laws passed during the transition, the Financial Times newspaper reported, saying London could not be allowed to undermine the single market.&nbsp;

&quot;When the UK leaves the European Union they will not be a voice around the table,&quot; she said.

Transition talks with Barnier&#39;s counterpart David Davis could begin as early as this week, with the aim of completing them by March so negotiations on future trade ties can start, European sources said.

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, whose country holds the EU&#39;s rotating presidency, meanwhile urged Britain to agree &quot;as soon as possible&quot; on the legal text of December&#39;s in-principle agreement on the terms of the divorce.

That deal paved the way for the EU and Britain to move on to discussing the transition.

Britain asked for a transition period of around two years to ease the impact of Brexit on people, public services and businesses, and to provide more time to conclude any eventual EU-UK trade pact.

But May&#39;s Downing Street office warned the talks could be tough.

&quot;This will be a negotiation and there will naturally be some distance in the detail of our starting positions,&quot; the prime minister&#39;s spokesman said.

With dangerous rifts emerging openly in May&#39;s government over the plan and eurosceptic MPs baying for blood, Davis and other top ministers tried to show a united front at the weekend.

Despite previous differences, Davis, finance minister Philip Hammond and business secretary Greg Clark wrote a joint letter saying the transition would be &quot;strictly time-limited&quot; and that Britain is still leaving the bloc.

But Jacob Rees-Mogg -- who leads a group of more than 50 Conservative Brexiteer MPs and made the &quot;vassal state&quot; comment -- warned that staying closely aligned to the EU risked reducing Brexit to a &quot;damage limitation exercise&quot;.

US President Donald Trump added to the pressure on May, saying in remarks aired Sunday that if he was in charge of the Brexit negotiations he would have &quot;negotiated it differently&quot; and taken a &quot;tougher stand&quot;.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian meanwhile touted his country as a post-Brexit alternative, telling Japanese businesses on Monday they must realise that Britain&#39;s EU days are &quot;over&quot;.

Some member states have called for the transition itself to be extendable if the EU and Britain have still not managed to sort out a future relationship deal when it ends in 2020.

But France has led opposition to the idea, and the guidelines say the transition must be &quot;clearly defined and precisely limited in time&quot;.

Davis is meanwhile on a collision course with the EU over his claim last week that Britain could negotiate and even sign its own free trade deals around the world during the transition period.

EU officials insist Britain can negotiate but not conclude any deals.

The plan has sparked deep divisions in British Prime Minister Theresa May's government, with eurosceptic lawmakers saying it leaves Britain a 'vassal state' of Brussels

The EU adopted red lines Monday for a transition period that binds Britain by the bloc's laws for nearly two years after Brexit without having any policy-making power. The plan has sparked deep divisions in British Prime Minister Theresa May's government, with eurosceptic lawmakers saying it leaves Britain a "vassal state" of Brussels. European affairs ministers took just two minutes to green-light instructions for the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on the transition, which the bloc wants to run from March 29, 2019 -- when Britain leaves the EU -- until December 31, 2020. Barnier's deputy Sabine Weyand said a meeting of European affairs ministers in Brussels "adopts guidelines for Brexit negotiations within two minutes: status quo transition without institutional representation, lasting... to 31 December 2020". The so-called negotiating directives say Britain would retain access to the EU's single market during that time, but in return must follow EU rules "as if it were a member state", without any voting rights. Irish European affairs minister Helen McEntee meanwhile ruled out Britain having any power to vet EU laws passed during the transition, the Financial Times newspaper reported, saying London could not be allowed to undermine the single market. "When the UK leaves the European Union they will not be a voice around the table," she said. Transition talks with Barnier's counterpart David Davis could begin as early as this week, with the aim of completing them by March so negotiations on future trade ties can start, European sources said. Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, meanwhile urged Britain to agree "as soon as possible" on the legal text of December's in-principle agreement on the terms of the divorce. That deal paved the way for the EU and Britain to move on to discussing the transition. Britain asked for a transition period of around two years to ease the impact of Brexit on people, public services and businesses, and to provide more time to conclude any eventual EU-UK trade pact. But May's Downing Street office warned the talks could be tough. "This will be a negotiation and there will naturally be some distance in the detail of our starting positions," the prime minister's spokesman said. With dangerous rifts emerging openly in May's government over the plan and eurosceptic MPs baying for blood, Davis and other top ministers tried to show a united front at the weekend. Despite previous differences, Davis, finance minister Philip Hammond and business secretary Greg Clark wrote a joint letter saying the transition would be "strictly time-limited" and that Britain is still leaving the bloc. But Jacob Rees-Mogg -- who leads a group of more than 50 Conservative Brexiteer MPs and made the "vassal state" comment -- warned that staying closely aligned to the EU risked reducing Brexit to a "damage limitation exercise". US President Donald Trump added to the pressure on May, saying in remarks aired Sunday that if he was in charge of the Brexit negotiations he would have "negotiated it differently" and taken a "tougher stand". French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian meanwhile touted his country as a post-Brexit alternative, telling Japanese businesses on Monday they must realise that Britain's EU days are "over". Some member states have called for the transition itself to be extendable if the EU and Britain have still not managed to sort out a future relationship deal when it ends in 2020. But France has led opposition to the idea, and the guidelines say the transition must be "clearly defined and precisely limited in time". Davis is meanwhile on a collision course with the EU over his claim last week that Britain could negotiate and even sign its own free trade deals around the world during the transition period. EU officials insist Britain can negotiate but not conclude any deals.

UK Brexit: European Union sets 2020 redline

The European Union`s trade policy with America is &quot;very unfair&quot;, President Donald Trump said in an interview to be aired Sunday, warning that his many problems with Brussels &quot;may morph into something very big&quot;.

&quot;We cannot get our product in. It`s very, very tough. And yet, they send their product to us -- no taxes, very little taxes. It`s very unfair,&quot; Trump told ITV News in the interview conducted Thursday.

&quot;I`ve had a lot of problems with (the) European Union, and it may morph into something very big from that standpoint -- from a trade standpoint.&quot;

Trump delivered the warning during a wide-ranging interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he took his &quot;America First&quot; agenda to the global business elite.

In a speech Friday he told the forum that his mantra &quot;does not mean America alone&quot; and hinted that the US could rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a deal he withdrew from a year ago.

But earlier this month the Trump Administration imposed steep tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels, and his comments in the interview to air Sunday may cause alarm in European capitals over future trade with the US.

The Trump Administration last year vowed to impose nearly 300 percent punitive tariffs on airplanes manufactured by Canada`s Bombardier.

A bipartisan US trade panel blocked that decision on Friday but the dispute, which has inflamed relations with Ottawa -- and to a lesser degree Britain, where Bombardier has a large workforce -- could be a harbinger for the EU.In other remarks released ahead of the interview`s airing, Trump appeared to slight British Prime Minister Theresa May`s handling of fraught Brexit negotiations, declaring that he would have &quot;negotiated it differently&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;I would have had a different attitude,&quot; he said of the talks, which have followed Britain`s June 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU, and will continue through to its planned departure in March 2019.

&quot;I think I would have said that the European Union is not cracked up to what it`s supposed to be. And I would have taken a tougher stand in getting out,&quot; Trump added.

In excerpts of the discussion screened in Britain Friday, the US president apologised for the first time for retweeting a British far-right group`s videos apparently showing Islamist violence.&nbsp;

&quot;If you`re telling me they`re horrible racist people, I would certainly apologise if you`d like me to do that,&quot; the president said.

Trump confirmed he will visit Britain later this year, where he believes he is &quot;very popular&quot;, according to the interviewer Piers Morgan, who wrote an account of the sit-down in the Mail on Sunday newspaper.&nbsp;

The president said he does not care about those opposed to his British visit, who include London mayor Sadiq Khan and the opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, amid predictions of large protests.

&quot;I think a lot of people in your country like what I stand for, they respect what I stand for,&quot; he told Morgan, according to the presenter.

Asked if he had received an invitation to the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle later this year, Trump replied &quot;not that I know of&quot;.

&quot;I really want them to be happy. They look like a lovely couple,&quot; he added when pressed if he would like to attend the ceremony.During the interview -- billed as the first of his presidency with a non-US international broadcaster -- Trump was asked if he identifies as a feminist.

&quot;No, I wouldn`t say I`m a feminist,&quot; he replied.

&quot;I mean, I think that would be, maybe, going too far. I`m for women, I`m for men, I`m for everyone.&quot;

Trump also signalled he would be willing to sign the US back up to the Paris climate accord, but only if the treaty undergoes major change.

He was met with global condemnation when he announced in June 2017 that America was pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, painting it a &quot;bad deal&quot; for its economy.

&quot;The Paris accord, for us, would have been a disaster,&quot; he said in the interview to run Sunday.

&quot;If they made a good deal... there`s always a chance we`d get back.&quot;

'We cannot get our product in. It`s very, very tough. And yet, they send their product to us -- no taxes, very little taxes. It`s very unfair,' Trump told ITV News in the interview conducted Thursday

The European Union`s trade policy with America is "very unfair", President Donald Trump said in an interview to be aired Sunday, warning that his many problems with Brussels "may morph into something very big". "We cannot get our product in. It`s very, very tough. And yet, they send their product to us -- no taxes, very little taxes. It`s very unfair," Trump told ITV News in the interview conducted Thursday. "I`ve had a lot of problems with (the) European Union, and it may morph into something very big from that standpoint -- from a trade standpoint." Trump delivered the warning during a wide-ranging interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he took his "America First" agenda to the global business elite. In a speech Friday he told the forum that his mantra "does not mean America alone" and hinted that the US could rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a deal he withdrew from a year ago. But earlier this month the Trump Administration imposed steep tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels, and his comments in the interview to air Sunday may cause alarm in European capitals over future trade with the US. The Trump Administration last year vowed to impose nearly 300 percent punitive tariffs on airplanes manufactured by Canada`s Bombardier. A bipartisan US trade panel blocked that decision on Friday but the dispute, which has inflamed relations with Ottawa -- and to a lesser degree Britain, where Bombardier has a large workforce -- could be a harbinger for the EU.In other remarks released ahead of the interview`s airing, Trump appeared to slight British Prime Minister Theresa May`s handling of fraught Brexit negotiations, declaring that he would have "negotiated it differently". "I would have had a different attitude," he said of the talks, which have followed Britain`s June 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU, and will continue through to its planned departure in March 2019. "I think I would have said that the European Union is not cracked up to what it`s supposed to be. And I would have taken a tougher stand in getting out," Trump added. In excerpts of the discussion screened in Britain Friday, the US president apologised for the first time for retweeting a British far-right group`s videos apparently showing Islamist violence. "If you`re telling me they`re horrible racist people, I would certainly apologise if you`d like me to do that," the president said. Trump confirmed he will visit Britain later this year, where he believes he is "very popular", according to the interviewer Piers Morgan, who wrote an account of the sit-down in the Mail on Sunday newspaper. The president said he does not care about those opposed to his British visit, who include London mayor Sadiq Khan and the opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, amid predictions of large protests. "I think a lot of people in your country like what I stand for, they respect what I stand for," he told Morgan, according to the presenter. Asked if he had received an invitation to the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle later this year, Trump replied "not that I know of". "I really want them to be happy. They look like a lovely couple," he added when pressed if he would like to attend the ceremony.During the interview -- billed as the first of his presidency with a non-US international broadcaster -- Trump was asked if he identifies as a feminist. "No, I wouldn`t say I`m a feminist," he replied. "I mean, I think that would be, maybe, going too far. I`m for women, I`m for men, I`m for everyone." Trump also signalled he would be willing to sign the US back up to the Paris climate accord, but only if the treaty undergoes major change. He was met with global condemnation when he announced in June 2017 that America was pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, painting it a "bad deal" for its economy. "The Paris accord, for us, would have been a disaster," he said in the interview to run Sunday. "If they made a good deal... there`s always a chance we`d get back."

Trump blasts EU trade policy with US as 'very unfair'

France&rsquo;s president Emannuel Macron is having a busy week meeting two women: &nbsp;one who is going to sever their relationship and the other, looking to strengthen it. &nbsp;On a cold, blustery day straight out of the windblown scenes of the famous novel, &ldquo;The French Lieutenant&rsquo;s Woman&rsquo;&rsquo;, Monsieur Macron first met with UK PM &nbsp;Theresa May for the 35th Anglo-French Summit in Sandhurst. There were two subjects uppermost on their minds: the plight of refugees in the French town of Calais, which is the French transit point across the English Channel from the UK. And how Brexit will affect the UK-France relationship.

Le Touquet in French means a trivial sum, something of no consequence. But it&rsquo;s also the name of a 2003 agreement between the two countries which allows British officials to screen refugees in Calais &ndash; on French soil, before they can leave for the UK and that is proving to be a big deal. &nbsp;Calais officials are annoyed because the signatories didn&rsquo;t anticipate just how many refugees would arrive in the seaside town, 33 km across the sea from the UK. There were once 10,000 refugees here. The number has dwindled to 700 and yet, officials say that many arrive without papers and formal family reunification requests and &ndash; the numbers are reportedly mounting again.

The youthful Macron swore to amend the agreement and &ndash; the exquisite meal in a Michelin-starred pub that his 61-year-old U.K. counterpart invited him to, may have helped in striking a deal. The UK will offer France 62 million dollars to bolster security at French border controls and the two sides signed a new treaty to complement the agreement too. Ms May, of course, hopes that the gesture will soften Mr Macron towards the UK even after Brexit.

&quot;While this summit takes place as the UK prepares to leave the EU, we are and will remain a steadfast partner to our friends and allies, said Ms May at a joint press conference. &ldquo;And a strong and deep relationship between the United Kingdom and France remains in both of our interests. The president and I agree on the importance of the UK-France relationship, not just to our security but to European security.&quot;

When it came to the subject of Brexit and the EU, &nbsp;not even the finest partridge lunch seems to have helped. Macron was unmoved and continued to play hardball.

&quot;First of all, I&#39;m going to be very clear with you: I am not here to reward or punish, the French President said. &ldquo; I am here to do the utmost to make sure that our mutual interests are defended. But I have one demand and that is that the single market is preserved. It is one of the benefits of the European Union and one of the bases of the European Union. So now the choice in on the British side, it&#39;s not on my side. There cannot be a differentiated access to the single market of which financial services are part.&rdquo;

It was a bittersweet parting. &nbsp;And just like in the famous novel by John Fowles, Monsieur Macron returned to France &ndash; leaving a windblown Ms May gazing across the channel in despair and pondering over their joint future after the formal divorce &ndash; Brexit &ndash; is through.

But the flexible &quot;Mr Plexiglas&quot; - as some of his opponents call him - is already on to something new: a rendezvous with his all-time favourite lady.&nbsp;

Her age is perfect &ndash; she&rsquo;s 64. She is just as powerful as he is, Europeans say even more so. And the stars seem right since she is finally going to give Germany a long-awaited coalition government. Chancellor Angela Merkel will spend an afternoon on the banks of the Seine on Friday to celebrate an even longer alliance: 55 years of fraternit&eacute; with France.

Merkel brings Mr Macron the news he has been waiting for: that five months after Germany&rsquo;s general election, the coalition between her conservatives and the Social Democrats will finally take shape. The two superpowers of the European Union are in synch: Macron is putting tough but necessary reforms in place - of the kind that have propelled Germany&rsquo;s economy back on track. Ms Merkel and Mr Macron will aim at strengthening the Eurozone and aim at closer cooperation over the three issues closest to their hearts: defence, migration and climate change.

But the flexible "Mr Plexiglas" - as some of his opponents call him - is already on to something new: a rendezvous with his all-time favourite lady.

France’s president Emannuel Macron is having a busy week meeting two women: one who is going to sever their relationship and the other, looking to strengthen it. On a cold, blustery day straight out of the windblown scenes of the famous novel, “The French Lieutenant’s Woman’’, Monsieur Macron first met with UK PM Theresa May for the 35th Anglo-French Summit in Sandhurst. There were two subjects uppermost on their minds: the plight of refugees in the French town of Calais, which is the French transit point across the English Channel from the UK. And how Brexit will affect the UK-France relationship. Le Touquet in French means a trivial sum, something of no consequence. But it’s also the name of a 2003 agreement between the two countries which allows British officials to screen refugees in Calais – on French soil, before they can leave for the UK and that is proving to be a big deal. Calais officials are annoyed because the signatories didn’t anticipate just how many refugees would arrive in the seaside town, 33 km across the sea from the UK. There were once 10,000 refugees here. The number has dwindled to 700 and yet, officials say that many arrive without papers and formal family reunification requests and – the numbers are reportedly mounting again. The youthful Macron swore to amend the agreement and – the exquisite meal in a Michelin-starred pub that his 61-year-old U.K. counterpart invited him to, may have helped in striking a deal. The UK will offer France 62 million dollars to bolster security at French border controls and the two sides signed a new treaty to complement the agreement too. Ms May, of course, hopes that the gesture will soften Mr Macron towards the UK even after Brexit. "While this summit takes place as the UK prepares to leave the EU, we are and will remain a steadfast partner to our friends and allies, said Ms May at a joint press conference. “And a strong and deep relationship between the United Kingdom and France remains in both of our interests. The president and I agree on the importance of the UK-France relationship, not just to our security but to European security." When it came to the subject of Brexit and the EU, not even the finest partridge lunch seems to have helped. Macron was unmoved and continued to play hardball. "First of all, I'm going to be very clear with you: I am not here to reward or punish, the French President said. “ I am here to do the utmost to make sure that our mutual interests are defended. But I have one demand and that is that the single market is preserved. It is one of the benefits of the European Union and one of the bases of the European Union. So now the choice in on the British side, it's not on my side. There cannot be a differentiated access to the single market of which financial services are part.” It was a bittersweet parting. And just like in the famous novel by John Fowles, Monsieur Macron returned to France – leaving a windblown Ms May gazing across the channel in despair and pondering over their joint future after the formal divorce – Brexit – is through. But the flexible "Mr Plexiglas" - as some of his opponents call him - is already on to something new: a rendezvous with his all-time favourite lady. Her age is perfect – she’s 64. She is just as powerful as he is, Europeans say even more so. And the stars seem right since she is finally going to give Germany a long-awaited coalition government. Chancellor Angela Merkel will spend an afternoon on the banks of the Seine on Friday to celebrate an even longer alliance: 55 years of fraternité with France. Merkel brings Mr Macron the news he has been waiting for: that five months after Germany’s general election, the coalition between her conservatives and the Social Democrats will finally take shape. The two superpowers of the European Union are in synch: Macron is putting tough but necessary reforms in place - of the kind that have propelled Germany’s economy back on track. Ms Merkel and Mr Macron will aim at strengthening the Eurozone and aim at closer cooperation over the three issues closest to their hearts: defence, migration and climate change.

Emannuel Macron meets Theresa May, Angela Merkel as UK prepares to leave the EU

British lawmakers voted in favour of the government&#39;s legislative blueprint for&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;on Wednesday, marking a victory for Prime Minister Theresa May over political opponents who want a softer approach to leaving the European Union.

But the legislation will now face scrutiny from parliament&#39;s largely pro-EU upper house, where May&#39;s party does not have a majority, which will intensify efforts to force a re-run of a 2016 referendum, and water down or even stop the divorce.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill was approved by a 324 to 295 vote in the lower house - a milestone on the long road towards cementing the legal foundations of Britain&#39;s departure from the bloc.

The bill repeals the 1972 law that made Britain a member of the EU and transfers EU laws into British ones.

&quot;This bill is essential for preparing the country for the historic milestone of withdrawing from the European Union,&quot;&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;minister David Davis told parliament before the vote.

&quot;It ensures that on day one we will have a statute book that works, delivering the smooth and orderly exit desired by people and businesses across the United Kingdom and being delivered by this government.&quot;

The bill has become the focal point for months of divisive debate about what type of EU divorce Britain should seek, severely testing May&#39;s ability to deliver on her exit strategy without a parliamentary majority.

But despite one embarrassing parliamentary defeat, several government concessions and rebellion from within her own party, May&#39;s Conservative lawmakers overcame opposition from the Labour Party and others.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn instructed his lawmakers to vote against passage of the bill because the government had not met conditions set out by the party, demanding safeguards on a range of issues including workers and consumer rights.

&quot;This bill has never been fit for purpose,&quot; said Labour&#39;s&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;policy chief, Keir Starmer, describing any attempt to persuade the government that the legislation needed to change as &quot;talking to a brick wall&quot;.

Lords scrutiny&nbsp;

The upper house, the House of Lords, will now begin months of scrutiny of the bill before it can become law. Any changes made by the lords will require approval from the lower house, and the whole process could take until May to complete.

The House of Lords contains a diverse, largely unelected, mix of political appointees, experts, and members who inherited their positions. Many lords are opposed to&nbsp;Brexit.

Some of those figures are expected to try to soften the&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;approach to include remaining in the EU&#39;s single market or a second public vote, but the most likely areas for changes involve technical and constitutional issues.

May has ruled out a second vote and says Britain will be leaving. Labour&#39;s Corbyn is also committed to following through with&nbsp;Brexit, albeit pushing for different priorities and aims.

Nevertheless, calls for a second referendum are expected to persist, particularly as both pro- and anti-EU politicians have mooted the possibility recently.

EU officials and some member states have said they would welcome a change of heart from Britain.

But, barring a major change of policy from one of the country&#39;s two largest political parties, Britain remains on course to leave the bloc in March 2019.

But the legislation will now face scrutiny from parliament's largely pro-EU upper house, where May's party does not have a majority, which will intensify efforts to force a re-run of a 2016 referendum, and water down or even stop the divorce.

British lawmakers voted in favour of the government's legislative blueprint for Brexit on Wednesday, marking a victory for Prime Minister Theresa May over political opponents who want a softer approach to leaving the European Union. But the legislation will now face scrutiny from parliament's largely pro-EU upper house, where May's party does not have a majority, which will intensify efforts to force a re-run of a 2016 referendum, and water down or even stop the divorce. The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill was approved by a 324 to 295 vote in the lower house - a milestone on the long road towards cementing the legal foundations of Britain's departure from the bloc. The bill repeals the 1972 law that made Britain a member of the EU and transfers EU laws into British ones. "This bill is essential for preparing the country for the historic milestone of withdrawing from the European Union," Brexit minister David Davis told parliament before the vote. "It ensures that on day one we will have a statute book that works, delivering the smooth and orderly exit desired by people and businesses across the United Kingdom and being delivered by this government." The bill has become the focal point for months of divisive debate about what type of EU divorce Britain should seek, severely testing May's ability to deliver on her exit strategy without a parliamentary majority. But despite one embarrassing parliamentary defeat, several government concessions and rebellion from within her own party, May's Conservative lawmakers overcame opposition from the Labour Party and others. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn instructed his lawmakers to vote against passage of the bill because the government had not met conditions set out by the party, demanding safeguards on a range of issues including workers and consumer rights. "This bill has never been fit for purpose," said Labour's Brexit policy chief, Keir Starmer, describing any attempt to persuade the government that the legislation needed to change as "talking to a brick wall". Lords scrutiny The upper house, the House of Lords, will now begin months of scrutiny of the bill before it can become law. Any changes made by the lords will require approval from the lower house, and the whole process could take until May to complete. The House of Lords contains a diverse, largely unelected, mix of political appointees, experts, and members who inherited their positions. Many lords are opposed to Brexit. Some of those figures are expected to try to soften the Brexit approach to include remaining in the EU's single market or a second public vote, but the most likely areas for changes involve technical and constitutional issues. May has ruled out a second vote and says Britain will be leaving. Labour's Corbyn is also committed to following through with Brexit, albeit pushing for different priorities and aims. Nevertheless, calls for a second referendum are expected to persist, particularly as both pro- and anti-EU politicians have mooted the possibility recently. EU officials and some member states have said they would welcome a change of heart from Britain. But, barring a major change of policy from one of the country's two largest political parties, Britain remains on course to leave the bloc in March 2019.

British lawmakers back Brexit legislation, stiffer tests yet to come

Britain will be leaving the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s spokesman said on Tuesday.

The statement came shortly after European Council president Donald Tusk suggested the country would be welcome to change its mind and stay in the bloc.

&quot;I think we&#39;ve been absolutely clear, the British public voted to leave the European Union and that is what we will be doing,&quot; the spokesman told reporters.

'I think we've been absolutely clear, the British public voted to leave the European Union,' the spokesman noted

Britain will be leaving the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said on Tuesday. The statement came shortly after European Council president Donald Tusk suggested the country would be welcome to change its mind and stay in the bloc. "I think we've been absolutely clear, the British public voted to leave the European Union and that is what we will be doing," the spokesman told reporters.

Britain will be leaving the EU: PM Theresa May's spokesman

Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage fears that a vote for Britain to leave the European Union could be overturned by a powerful group of the bloc&#39;s supporters.

In an interview with Britain&#39;s Observer newspaper, Farage, former head of the eurosceptic UK Independence Party, said a well-organised and funded group of campaigners that wants to remain in the EU was drowning out those who want to leave.

&quot;The Remain side are making all the running,&quot; said Farage. &quot;They have a majority in parliament, and unless we get ourselves organised we could lose the historic victory that was Brexit.&quot;

Last week, Farage said he was warming to the idea of holding a second vote on Britain&#39;s membership of the EU to settle the argument - an idea written off by other Brexit campaigners who urged the government to press on with exit talks with the bloc.

In 2016, Britons voted 52 to 48 percent in favour of ending its membership of the EU. Prime Minister Theresa May has ruled out a second referendum, saying her government was seeking an amicable divorce with the EU which will safeguard the economy and enable Britain to secure trade deals with other countries.

But some Brexit campaigners fear her approach has led to the watering down of several of their demands, including the ability to reduce immigration and to reclaim sovereignty by leaving the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

Several pro-EU campaigners say the need for a second referendum has become more pressing because public opinion is showing some signs of turning against Brexit as the difficulty of negotiations to leave the bloc becomes increasingly clear.

On Thursday, a ComRes poll for the Daily Mirror newspaper of 1,049 adults showed that although more people think there should not be a second referendum (51 to 43 percent), if there were to be a re-run, voters say they would opt to stay in the EU by 55 to 45 percent.

&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

In 2016, Britons voted 52 to 48 percent in favour of ending its membership of the EU

Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage fears that a vote for Britain to leave the European Union could be overturned by a powerful group of the bloc's supporters. In an interview with Britain's Observer newspaper, Farage, former head of the eurosceptic UK Independence Party, said a well-organised and funded group of campaigners that wants to remain in the EU was drowning out those who want to leave. "The Remain side are making all the running," said Farage. "They have a majority in parliament, and unless we get ourselves organised we could lose the historic victory that was Brexit." Last week, Farage said he was warming to the idea of holding a second vote on Britain's membership of the EU to settle the argument - an idea written off by other Brexit campaigners who urged the government to press on with exit talks with the bloc. In 2016, Britons voted 52 to 48 percent in favour of ending its membership of the EU. Prime Minister Theresa May has ruled out a second referendum, saying her government was seeking an amicable divorce with the EU which will safeguard the economy and enable Britain to secure trade deals with other countries. But some Brexit campaigners fear her approach has led to the watering down of several of their demands, including the ability to reduce immigration and to reclaim sovereignty by leaving the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. Several pro-EU campaigners say the need for a second referendum has become more pressing because public opinion is showing some signs of turning against Brexit as the difficulty of negotiations to leave the bloc becomes increasingly clear. On Thursday, a ComRes poll for the Daily Mirror newspaper of 1,049 adults showed that although more people think there should not be a second referendum (51 to 43 percent), if there were to be a re-run, voters say they would opt to stay in the EU by 55 to 45 percent. (With inputs from Reuters)

Brexit vote may be reversed, says British campaigner Nigel Farage

Britain could lose almost 500,000 jobs and 50 billion pounds ($67.41 billion) investment over the next 12 years if it fails to agree a trade deal with the European Union, according a report commissioned by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Cambridge Econometrics, an economics consultancy, looked at five different Brexit scenarios, from the hardest to the softest form of Brexit, and broke down the economic impact on nine industries, from construction to finance.

The study said that in a no-deal scenario, the industry that fares the worst will be financial and professional services, with as many as 119,000 fewer jobs nationwide.

&quot;If the Government continue to mishandle the negotiations we could be heading for a lost decade of lower growth and lower employment,&quot; Khan said. &quot;Ministers are fast running out of time to turn the negotiations around.&quot;

Britain and the EU will soon begin the much harder task of defining their future trading relationship, after settling the broad terms of their divorce settlement last month.

A stand-off between Britain and the EU over the future access to single market for London&#39;s vast financial services industry is shaping up to be one of the key Brexit battlegrounds before Britain is due to leave the bloc in March 2019. 
&nbsp;

Britain and the EU will soon begin the much harder task of defining their future trading relationship

Britain could lose almost 500,000 jobs and 50 billion pounds ($67.41 billion) investment over the next 12 years if it fails to agree a trade deal with the European Union, according a report commissioned by London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Cambridge Econometrics, an economics consultancy, looked at five different Brexit scenarios, from the hardest to the softest form of Brexit, and broke down the economic impact on nine industries, from construction to finance. The study said that in a no-deal scenario, the industry that fares the worst will be financial and professional services, with as many as 119,000 fewer jobs nationwide. "If the Government continue to mishandle the negotiations we could be heading for a lost decade of lower growth and lower employment," Khan said. "Ministers are fast running out of time to turn the negotiations around." Britain and the EU will soon begin the much harder task of defining their future trading relationship, after settling the broad terms of their divorce settlement last month. A stand-off between Britain and the EU over the future access to single market for London's vast financial services industry is shaping up to be one of the key Brexit battlegrounds before Britain is due to leave the bloc in March 2019.

'No deal' Brexit could cost Britain about 500,000 jobs: London mayor Sadiq Khan

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Everyone on the red carpet chose to wear black to launch the Times Up campaign that has Hollywood setting up legal aid for victims who have faced sexual harassment or violence at work place.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fire-breaks-out-bengaluru-restaurant-5-dead-28823">Fire breaks out in Bengaluru restaurant, 5 dead</a>

At least five people have died after a major fire broke early on Monday morning in a restaurant in Bengaluru, five employees sleeping inside died in the fire.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-to-invite-iran-foreign-minister-for-talks-over-protests-berlin-28814">European</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-to-invite-iran-foreign-minister-for-talks-over-protests-berlin-28814"> Union to invite Iran Foreign Minister for talks over protests</a>

The European Union will invite Iran&#39;s foreign minister for talks about the recent anti-government protests that have hit the country, Germany&#39;s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Sunday.

&nbsp;

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Elon Musk-led SpaceX today launched the secret Zuma spacecraft for the US government which was scheduled to take place in November finally happened after nearly two-month delay on Sunday night.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/google-doodle-celebrates-110th-birthday-of-hunterwali-fearless-nadia-28829">Google Doodle celebrates 110th birthday of &#39;Hunterwali&#39; Fearless Nadia</a>

It&#39;s Mary Ann Evans&#39; 110th birth anniversary and Google has a Doodle in place to commemorate the event.&nbsp;Popularly known by her stage name &#39;Fearless Nadia&#39;, Evans was born on January 8, 1908, in Perh Australia.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Golden Globes 2018, Live: James Franco wins Best Actor, Coco Best Animation Film Everyone on the red carpet chose to wear black to launch the Times Up campaign that has Hollywood setting up legal aid for victims who have faced sexual harassment or violence at work place. Fire breaks out in Bengaluru restaurant, 5 dead At least five people have died after a major fire broke early on Monday morning in a restaurant in Bengaluru, five employees sleeping inside died in the fire. European Union to invite Iran Foreign Minister for talks over protests The European Union will invite Iran's foreign minister for talks about the recent anti-government protests that have hit the country, Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Sunday. Watch: SpaceX launches 'secret' US spacecraft Zuma Elon Musk-led SpaceX today launched the secret Zuma spacecraft for the US government which was scheduled to take place in November finally happened after nearly two-month delay on Sunday night. Google Doodle celebrates 110th birthday of 'Hunterwali' Fearless Nadia It's Mary Ann Evans' 110th birth anniversary and Google has a Doodle in place to commemorate the event. Popularly known by her stage name 'Fearless Nadia', Evans was born on January 8, 1908, in Perh Australia.

WION Morning News Brief, January 8, 2016

The European Union will invite Iran&#39;s foreign minister for talks about the recent anti-government protests that have hit the country, Germany&#39;s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Sunday.

&quot;Together with the EU&#39;s foreign policy chief (Federica Mogherini), we agreed to invite the Iranian foreign minister, if possible next week,&quot; Gabriel told German public broadcaster ZDF, without giving further details.&nbsp;

21 people have died and hundreds arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the Iranian regime as a whole, with attacks on government buildings and police stations.

&quot;We very quickly affirmed that we support the freedom to demonstrate and that the state should support this,&quot; Gabriel said.

At the same time, Gabriel said Berlin will not follow the lead of US President Donald Trump, who pledged to help Iranians &quot;take back&quot; their government.

Trump also seized on the recent unrest to again slam a multiparty nuclear deal with Iran as deeply flawed.

Germany, as well as France, has &quot;warned against attempts at instrumentalising the domestic conflicts in Iran,&quot; said Gabriel.

The US on Friday took the Iran protests to the UN Security Council, where deep divisions emerged over the issue, with Russia arguing the demonstrations posed no threat to international peace and security.

21 people have died and hundreds arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the Iranian regime

The European Union will invite Iran's foreign minister for talks about the recent anti-government protests that have hit the country, Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Sunday. "Together with the EU's foreign policy chief (Federica Mogherini), we agreed to invite the Iranian foreign minister, if possible next week," Gabriel told German public broadcaster ZDF, without giving further details. 21 people have died and hundreds arrested since December 28 as protests over economic woes turned against the Iranian regime as a whole, with attacks on government buildings and police stations. "We very quickly affirmed that we support the freedom to demonstrate and that the state should support this," Gabriel said. At the same time, Gabriel said Berlin will not follow the lead of US President Donald Trump, who pledged to help Iranians "take back" their government. Trump also seized on the recent unrest to again slam a multiparty nuclear deal with Iran as deeply flawed. Germany, as well as France, has "warned against attempts at instrumentalising the domestic conflicts in Iran," said Gabriel. The US on Friday took the Iran protests to the UN Security Council, where deep divisions emerged over the issue, with Russia arguing the demonstrations posed no threat to international peace and security.

European Union to invite Iran Foreign Minister for talks over protests

French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that &quot;no progress is possible&quot; in Turkey&#39;s bid to join the European Union after a huge post-coup crackdown and other human rights concerns.

&quot;For relations with the European Union, it is clear that recent developments and choices allow no progress in the process,&quot; Macron said at a joint press conference in Paris with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that "no progress is possible" in Turkey's bid to join the European Union after a huge post-coup crackdown and other human rights concerns

French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that "no progress is possible" in Turkey's bid to join the European Union after a huge post-coup crackdown and other human rights concerns. "For relations with the European Union, it is clear that recent developments and choices allow no progress in the process," Macron said at a joint press conference in Paris with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

No progress possible on Turkey's EU bid: Macron

The Russian authorities&#39;&nbsp;decision to bar opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running in next year&#39;s presidential election raises questions about the vote, the European Union&#39;s foreign service said in a statement on Tuesday.

The central election commission said on Monday Navalny was not eligible to run in the March 18 election due to a suspended prison sentence.

He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and says the case is politically motivated.

The decision &quot;casts a serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia and the prospect of democratic elections next year,&quot; the EU&#39;s External Action Service, or EEAS, said in a statement.

&quot;Politically-motivated charges should not be used against political participation,&quot; the EEAS said. It urged the Russian authorities &quot;to ensure that there is a level playing field&quot; in the presidential vote in March and in all other votes.&nbsp;

The EEAS said that Navalny was denied the right to a fair trial in his prosecution in 2013, according to the European Court of Human Rights, to which Russia is a signatory.

Polls show President Vladimir Putin is on course to be comfortably re-elected, meaning he could remain in power until 2024.

Navalny has been jailed three times this year and charged with breaking the law by organising public meetings and rallies.

The European External Action Service (EEAS), set up in 2009, runs a network of diplomats around the globe, drafts policy papers for EU foreign ministers and is led by the EU&#39;s top diplomat Federica Mogherini, who visited Moscow in April this year.&nbsp;

Russian authorities' decision to bar opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running in next year's presidential election raises questions about the vote

The Russian authorities' decision to bar opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running in next year's presidential election raises questions about the vote, the European Union's foreign service said in a statement on Tuesday. The central election commission said on Monday Navalny was not eligible to run in the March 18 election due to a suspended prison sentence. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and says the case is politically motivated. The decision "casts a serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia and the prospect of democratic elections next year," the EU's External Action Service, or EEAS, said in a statement. "Politically-motivated charges should not be used against political participation," the EEAS said. It urged the Russian authorities "to ensure that there is a level playing field" in the presidential vote in March and in all other votes. The EEAS said that Navalny was denied the right to a fair trial in his prosecution in 2013, according to the European Court of Human Rights, to which Russia is a signatory. Polls show President Vladimir Putin is on course to be comfortably re-elected, meaning he could remain in power until 2024. Navalny has been jailed three times this year and charged with breaking the law by organising public meetings and rallies. The European External Action Service (EEAS), set up in 2009, runs a network of diplomats around the globe, drafts policy papers for EU foreign ministers and is led by the EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini, who visited Moscow in April this year.

European Union questions Russia's 2018 vote after Navalny decision

An EU agreement with Britain on relations after Brexit could serve as a model for ties with other countries that want to be as close as possible to the bloc but are not yet ready to join, such as Ukraine and Turkey, Germany&#39;s foreign minister said.

Britain secured the go-ahead from Brussels to start talks on its future relationship with the EU earlier this month, with London saying it aspires to a closer relationship as a former member than that of any other third country.

In an interview with the Funke newspaper group published on Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said such a deal could offer a solution to the puzzle of how the bloc of 27 can manage its ties with two other large non-members.

&quot;I can&#39;t imagine Turkey or Ukraine becoming EU members in the next few years,&quot; he said. &quot;If we get a smart agreement with Britain regulating relations with Europe after Brexit, that could be a model for other countries - Ukraine and also Turkey.&quot;

Turkey, a candidate for EU membership for decades, already has a customs union with the EU which allows the trade of most goods without tariffs.

One possibility would be to offer Ankara a &quot;new, closer form of the customs union&quot;, Gabriel said, although he also said such a project would have to wait for changes in Turkey&#39;s political environment.

Thousands of people, including German citizens, have been detained in Turkey as part of a government crackdown since a failed coup in 2016.

An agreement between the EU and Ukraine on a &quot;deep and comprehensive free trade area&quot; formally came into force in September, aimed at allowing free trade of goods, services and capital, and visa-free travel for people for short stays.

Ukraine&#39;s desire for closer ties with the EU was one of the driving forces behind a popular revolt that toppled a pro-Russian president in 2014, leading Moscow to seize Ukraine&#39;s Crimea peninsula and back pro-Russian separatists in a still-unresolved conflict in the east of the country.

Gabriel&#39;s Social Democratic Party (SPD) is preparing for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel`s conservatives on governing together for another four years.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said such a deal could offer a solution to the puzzle of how the bloc of 27 can manage its ties with two other large non-members.

An EU agreement with Britain on relations after Brexit could serve as a model for ties with other countries that want to be as close as possible to the bloc but are not yet ready to join, such as Ukraine and Turkey, Germany's foreign minister said. Britain secured the go-ahead from Brussels to start talks on its future relationship with the EU earlier this month, with London saying it aspires to a closer relationship as a former member than that of any other third country. In an interview with the Funke newspaper group published on Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said such a deal could offer a solution to the puzzle of how the bloc of 27 can manage its ties with two other large non-members. "I can't imagine Turkey or Ukraine becoming EU members in the next few years," he said. "If we get a smart agreement with Britain regulating relations with Europe after Brexit, that could be a model for other countries - Ukraine and also Turkey." Turkey, a candidate for EU membership for decades, already has a customs union with the EU which allows the trade of most goods without tariffs. One possibility would be to offer Ankara a "new, closer form of the customs union", Gabriel said, although he also said such a project would have to wait for changes in Turkey's political environment. Thousands of people, including German citizens, have been detained in Turkey as part of a government crackdown since a failed coup in 2016. An agreement between the EU and Ukraine on a "deep and comprehensive free trade area" formally came into force in September, aimed at allowing free trade of goods, services and capital, and visa-free travel for people for short stays. Ukraine's desire for closer ties with the EU was one of the driving forces behind a popular revolt that toppled a pro-Russian president in 2014, leading Moscow to seize Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and back pro-Russian separatists in a still-unresolved conflict in the east of the country. Gabriel's Social Democratic Party (SPD) is preparing for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel`s conservatives on governing together for another four years.

Brexit deal could be template for EU ties to Ukraine, Turkey: German foreign minister

From the hammer blow of Brexit to turbulence in Catalonia, new forms of nationalism are testing the relevance and unity of the European Union, analysts say.

The crisis in Spain served as a stark reminder of the fault lines that run through Europe, with a country&#39;s central government battling a region whose leaders want to break away.

In Britain, the cry for sovereignty brought 17.4 million people to the polls to vote for Brexit in June 2016.

Campaigners also played on anger about having to fund the EU -- arguing that it imposed bureaucratic rules from afar and prevented the country from engaging with the rest of the world.

In Catalonia, emotional arguments dating back to the Franco dictatorship combined with economic issues to fuel calls for independence.

&quot;The nationalists understood that in developed and prosperous regions, you can no longer simply appeal to the idea of historic oppression&quot;, said Bruno Yammine, a Belgium-based historian.

&quot;Economic arguments have now legitimised cultural and ethnic nationalism, especially by renouncing fiscal solidarity with poorer regions&quot;, he added.

The &quot;Brexiteers&quot; argued that money currently being paid by London to the EU would be better spent on the public health service, despite their financial figures being hotly disputed.

In Barcelona, &quot;there was the idea of a Catalonia that could be an international platform within the framework of the EU, a North American style of the platform that could bring additional growth&quot;, said Andres de Blas Guerrero, a political scientist at Spain&#39;s National University of Distance Education.

Other sentiments seized on by populist nationalists include the threat of immigration to national identity and a rejection of elites.

For Renaud Thillaye, European Affairs analyst at Flint Global in London, a management consultancy, the success of nationalism is linked &quot;on the one hand to corruption and the discrediting of traditional parties, and the thirst for more local democracy.

&quot;On the other hand, there is a need for cultural anchoring around a common language and heritage at a time when everything is moving very fast and the artificial character of nation-states is all the more apparent&quot;.

Against this backdrop, nationalists have been able to paint supra-national bodies such as the EU as instruments of globalisation, which they blame for reinforcing the domestic wealth gap and testing national solidarity.

Thillaye said the EU wants to avoid the proliferation of states at all costs and is doing everything possible to discourage independence movements, whether it be in Scotland, Catalonia or Corsica, who may at one point have seen the EU as an ally in their fight against the central state.

&nbsp;

In Catalonia, emotional arguments dating back to the Franco dictatorship combined with economic issues to fuel calls for independence

From the hammer blow of Brexit to turbulence in Catalonia, new forms of nationalism are testing the relevance and unity of the European Union, analysts say. The crisis in Spain served as a stark reminder of the fault lines that run through Europe, with a country's central government battling a region whose leaders want to break away. In Britain, the cry for sovereignty brought 17.4 million people to the polls to vote for Brexit in June 2016. Campaigners also played on anger about having to fund the EU -- arguing that it imposed bureaucratic rules from afar and prevented the country from engaging with the rest of the world. In Catalonia, emotional arguments dating back to the Franco dictatorship combined with economic issues to fuel calls for independence. "The nationalists understood that in developed and prosperous regions, you can no longer simply appeal to the idea of historic oppression", said Bruno Yammine, a Belgium-based historian. "Economic arguments have now legitimised cultural and ethnic nationalism, especially by renouncing fiscal solidarity with poorer regions", he added. The "Brexiteers" argued that money currently being paid by London to the EU would be better spent on the public health service, despite their financial figures being hotly disputed. In Barcelona, "there was the idea of a Catalonia that could be an international platform within the framework of the EU, a North American style of the platform that could bring additional growth", said Andres de Blas Guerrero, a political scientist at Spain's National University of Distance Education. Other sentiments seized on by populist nationalists include the threat of immigration to national identity and a rejection of elites. For Renaud Thillaye, European Affairs analyst at Flint Global in London, a management consultancy, the success of nationalism is linked "on the one hand to corruption and the discrediting of traditional parties, and the thirst for more local democracy. "On the other hand, there is a need for cultural anchoring around a common language and heritage at a time when everything is moving very fast and the artificial character of nation-states is all the more apparent". Against this backdrop, nationalists have been able to paint supra-national bodies such as the EU as instruments of globalisation, which they blame for reinforcing the domestic wealth gap and testing national solidarity. Thillaye said the EU wants to avoid the proliferation of states at all costs and is doing everything possible to discourage independence movements, whether it be in Scotland, Catalonia or Corsica, who may at one point have seen the EU as an ally in their fight against the central state.

Brexit, Catalonia test EU resolve against nationalism

British Prime Minister Theresa May was set to avoid a damaging parliamentary defeat after rebels in her party appeared to strike a compromise over the exact timing of Brexit.&nbsp;The government is trying to pass major domestic legislation to implement Brexit and had wanted to enshrine the leaving date of March 29, 2019, in British law, two years after serving its intention to withdraw.&nbsp;

But Conservative rebel MPs, who helped deliver the government a stinging Brexit defeat in parliament on Wednesday, looked set to reject the plan over fears that Britain could crash out of the EU without a deal if talks overrun, heaping further worries on the vulnerable prime minister.

A senior EU official told AFP on Saturday that sealing a final deal by March 2019 was a daunting task, pointing out that the EU trade deal with Canada &quot;is 1,598 pages of legal text, and we have negotiated for nine months and have 19 pages of non-legal text.&quot;

May is therefore under pressure from MPs to avoid a &quot;cliff-edge&quot; divorce that would throw the economy into chaos.&nbsp;But at the same time, she is being pressed by Brexit voters and eurosceptic potential usurpers in her own party to deliver Brexit in March 2019, as stipulated by the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty.

As a result, the rebels late Friday backed a new, more conciliatory, amendment to the Brexit bill to avert another House of Commons vote loss for the government.&nbsp;While the original plan to leave in March 2019 will stay in the bill, a new amendment will give ministers the power to delay the date if talks overrun.

&#39;Time to move on&#39;

Tory MP Oliver Letwin, who tabled the new amendment, told the Guardian it would &quot;create a sensible arrangement in which the date for leaving is set&quot; while allowing &quot;a little extra time&quot; to reach a new deal if needed.&nbsp;

Rebel MP Sarah Wollaston backed the compromise, tweeting it was &quot;good to see this amendment&quot;, and attached text saying &quot;we are pleased the government has responded to our concerns and will support&quot;, although May&#39;s office would not confirm that it had officially backed the plan.

Fellow rebel Anna Soubry tweeted it was &quot;time to move on and build a consensus on Brexit&quot;.&nbsp;The two teamed up on Wednesday to help pass an amendment demanding MPs get a &quot;meaningful vote&quot; on the deal before Britain leaves the EU in March 2019.

It was May&#39;s first defeat over the legislation, which will formally end Britain&#39;s membership of the EU, as well as smooth its exit by transferring thousands of pieces of European legislation onto the UK statute books.&nbsp;It came as a body blow to May on the eve of a summit in Brussels, where EU leaders approved the terms of the interim Brexit deal agreed last week after months of tortuous negotiations.

May lost her parliamentary majority during June&#39;s snap election and had to strike a deal with Northern Ireland&#39;s DUP to stay in power.&nbsp;She has since struggled to assert her authority, with rumours swirling of a leadership challenge, but appeared to be on the more solid ground after agreeing to the interim Brexit deal.

But her domestic weakness was laid bare on Wednesday when it took only 11 rebels to defeat the government&#39;s powers to enact a Brexit deal without a parliamentary vote.

Theresa May is under pressure from MPs to avoid a "cliff-edge" divorce that would throw the economy into chaos. But at the same time she is being pressed by Brexit voters to deliver Brexit in March 2019, as stipulated by the EU's Lisbon Treaty

British Prime Minister Theresa May was set to avoid a damaging parliamentary defeat after rebels in her party appeared to strike a compromise over the exact timing of Brexit. The government is trying to pass major domestic legislation to implement Brexit and had wanted to enshrine the leaving date of March 29, 2019, in British law, two years after serving its intention to withdraw. But Conservative rebel MPs, who helped deliver the government a stinging Brexit defeat in parliament on Wednesday, looked set to reject the plan over fears that Britain could crash out of the EU without a deal if talks overrun, heaping further worries on the vulnerable prime minister. A senior EU official told AFP on Saturday that sealing a final deal by March 2019 was a daunting task, pointing out that the EU trade deal with Canada "is 1,598 pages of legal text, and we have negotiated for nine months and have 19 pages of non-legal text." May is therefore under pressure from MPs to avoid a "cliff-edge" divorce that would throw the economy into chaos. But at the same time, she is being pressed by Brexit voters and eurosceptic potential usurpers in her own party to deliver Brexit in March 2019, as stipulated by the EU's Lisbon Treaty. As a result, the rebels late Friday backed a new, more conciliatory, amendment to the Brexit bill to avert another House of Commons vote loss for the government. While the original plan to leave in March 2019 will stay in the bill, a new amendment will give ministers the power to delay the date if talks overrun. 'Time to move on' Tory MP Oliver Letwin, who tabled the new amendment, told the Guardian it would "create a sensible arrangement in which the date for leaving is set" while allowing "a little extra time" to reach a new deal if needed. Rebel MP Sarah Wollaston backed the compromise, tweeting it was "good to see this amendment", and attached text saying "we are pleased the government has responded to our concerns and will support", although May's office would not confirm that it had officially backed the plan. Fellow rebel Anna Soubry tweeted it was "time to move on and build a consensus on Brexit". The two teamed up on Wednesday to help pass an amendment demanding MPs get a "meaningful vote" on the deal before Britain leaves the EU in March 2019. It was May's first defeat over the legislation, which will formally end Britain's membership of the EU, as well as smooth its exit by transferring thousands of pieces of European legislation onto the UK statute books. It came as a body blow to May on the eve of a summit in Brussels, where EU leaders approved the terms of the interim Brexit deal agreed last week after months of tortuous negotiations. May lost her parliamentary majority during June's snap election and had to strike a deal with Northern Ireland's DUP to stay in power. She has since struggled to assert her authority, with rumours swirling of a leadership challenge, but appeared to be on the more solid ground after agreeing to the interim Brexit deal. But her domestic weakness was laid bare on Wednesday when it took only 11 rebels to defeat the government's powers to enact a Brexit deal without a parliamentary vote.

Brexit rebel MPs compromise with UK govt over key bill

Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s government was defeated on Wednesday, when lawmakers forced through changes to its Brexit blueprint that ministers said could endanger Britain&#39;s departure from the European Union.

In a blow to May, already weakened after losing her Conservative Party&#39;s majority in a June election, the 650-seat parliament voted 309 to 305 in favour of an amendment to hand lawmakers more say over a final exit deal with the EU.

Up until the last minute of an often bitter debate in parliament, May&#39;s team tried to convince lawmakers in her party to give up their demands and side with a government fearful that the move will weaken its hand in tough Brexit negotiations.

Members of Parliament (MPs) are debating the EU withdrawal bill, which will repeal the 1972 legislation binding Britain to the EU and copy existing EU law into domestic law to ensure legal continuity after &#39;Exit Day&#39; on March 29, 2019.

In focus on Wednesday was an amendment put forward by Conservative lawmaker and former attorney general Dominic Grieve who wants parliament to have a meaningful vote on any deal before it is finalised and for it to be written into law.

&quot;There is a time for everybody to stand up and be counted,&quot; Grieve told parliament earlier, criticising some fellow members of the Conservative Party for calling him a traitor over his decision to vote against the government.

He dismissed a last-minute pledge by justice minister Dominic Raab for government to write the promise of a meaningful vote into law later on its journey through both houses of parliament as coming &quot;too late&quot;.

The government was &quot;disappointed&quot; by the vote, a spokeswoman said in a statement, adding that &quot;this amendment does not prevent us from preparing our statute book for exit day&quot;.

But with May due at an EU summit on Thursday to encourage the other 27 leaders to approve a move to the second phase of Brexit talks and begin a discussion about future trade, the defeat comes at a difficult time for the prime minister.

In the European Parliament, which must also ratify any withdrawal treaty with Britain, its Brexit coordinator cheekily tweeted that his British counterparts had &quot;taken back control&quot; - a reference to the catchphrase of pro-Brexit campaigners.

&quot;A good day for democracy,&quot; added Guy Verhofstadt.

DEEP DIVISIONS

The EU withdrawal bill has been the focus of seven days of often bitter debate, underscoring the deep divisions over Brexit not only among the Conservatives but also in the main opposition Labour Party and across the country.

It has also highlighted May&#39;s weakness.

In June, she gambled on a snap election to strengthen her party&#39;s majority in the 650-seat parliament but instead bungled her campaign and ended up with a minority government propped up by the 10 votes of a small, pro-Brexit Northern Irish party.

Since then she has struggled to assert her authority over a Conservative Party which is deeply divided over the best route out of the EU.

&quot;This defeat is a humiliating loss of authority for the government on the eve of the European Council meeting,&quot; Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement.

&quot;Theresa May has resisted democratic accountability. Her refusal to listen means she will now have to accept Parliament taking back control.&quot;

Earlier, May had tried to persuade lawmakers to vote with the government for her Brexit blueprint, saying Grieve&#39;s amendment would put added time pressure on a government which wants to make Britain ready to leave the EU in March 2019.

&quot;That could be at a very late stage in the proceedings which could mean that we are not able to have the orderly and smooth exit from the European Union that we wish to have,&quot; she told parliament before an hours-long debate on the exit plan.

Her spokesman said the government had &quot;in good faith come forward with a strong package of concessions to deal with the spirit of the amendment&quot;.

Pro-Brexit lawmakers fear the amendment could force Britain to weaken its negotiating stance by offering parliament the opportunity of forcing ministers back to the negotiating table if it feels any final deal is not good enough.

Raab said that could convince the EU that Britain would not walk away from a bad deal.

&quot;Actually if that looked likely we&#39;d end up with worse terms, and we&#39;d be positively incentivising the EU to give us worse terms,&quot; he told parliament.

Up until the last minute of an often bitter debate in parliament, May's team tried to convince lawmakers in her party to give up their demands and side with a government fearful that the move will weaken its hand in tough Brexit negotiations.

Prime Minister Theresa May's government was defeated on Wednesday, when lawmakers forced through changes to its Brexit blueprint that ministers said could endanger Britain's departure from the European Union. In a blow to May, already weakened after losing her Conservative Party's majority in a June election, the 650-seat parliament voted 309 to 305 in favour of an amendment to hand lawmakers more say over a final exit deal with the EU. Up until the last minute of an often bitter debate in parliament, May's team tried to convince lawmakers in her party to give up their demands and side with a government fearful that the move will weaken its hand in tough Brexit negotiations. Members of Parliament (MPs) are debating the EU withdrawal bill, which will repeal the 1972 legislation binding Britain to the EU and copy existing EU law into domestic law to ensure legal continuity after 'Exit Day' on March 29, 2019. In focus on Wednesday was an amendment put forward by Conservative lawmaker and former attorney general Dominic Grieve who wants parliament to have a meaningful vote on any deal before it is finalised and for it to be written into law. "There is a time for everybody to stand up and be counted," Grieve told parliament earlier, criticising some fellow members of the Conservative Party for calling him a traitor over his decision to vote against the government. He dismissed a last-minute pledge by justice minister Dominic Raab for government to write the promise of a meaningful vote into law later on its journey through both houses of parliament as coming "too late". The government was "disappointed" by the vote, a spokeswoman said in a statement, adding that "this amendment does not prevent us from preparing our statute book for exit day". But with May due at an EU summit on Thursday to encourage the other 27 leaders to approve a move to the second phase of Brexit talks and begin a discussion about future trade, the defeat comes at a difficult time for the prime minister. In the European Parliament, which must also ratify any withdrawal treaty with Britain, its Brexit coordinator cheekily tweeted that his British counterparts had "taken back control" - a reference to the catchphrase of pro-Brexit campaigners. "A good day for democracy," added Guy Verhofstadt. DEEP DIVISIONS The EU withdrawal bill has been the focus of seven days of often bitter debate, underscoring the deep divisions over Brexit not only among the Conservatives but also in the main opposition Labour Party and across the country. It has also highlighted May's weakness. In June, she gambled on a snap election to strengthen her party's majority in the 650-seat parliament but instead bungled her campaign and ended up with a minority government propped up by the 10 votes of a small, pro-Brexit Northern Irish party. Since then she has struggled to assert her authority over a Conservative Party which is deeply divided over the best route out of the EU. "This defeat is a humiliating loss of authority for the government on the eve of the European Council meeting," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement. "Theresa May has resisted democratic accountability. Her refusal to listen means she will now have to accept Parliament taking back control." Earlier, May had tried to persuade lawmakers to vote with the government for her Brexit blueprint, saying Grieve's amendment would put added time pressure on a government which wants to make Britain ready to leave the EU in March 2019. "That could be at a very late stage in the proceedings which could mean that we are not able to have the orderly and smooth exit from the European Union that we wish to have," she told parliament before an hours-long debate on the exit plan. Her spokesman said the government had "in good faith come forward with a strong package of concessions to deal with the spirit of the amendment". Pro-Brexit lawmakers fear the amendment could force Britain to weaken its negotiating stance by offering parliament the opportunity of forcing ministers back to the negotiating table if it feels any final deal is not good enough. Raab said that could convince the EU that Britain would not walk away from a bad deal. "Actually if that looked likely we'd end up with worse terms, and we'd be positively incentivising the EU to give us worse terms," he told parliament.

Britain's Theresa May defeated in parliament over Brexit blueprint

More than 10,000 people braved biting cold to stage protests across Romania to denounce the left-wing government for backtracking on efforts to fight corruption.

The demonstrators want the withdrawal of proposed legislation that would overhaul Romania&#39;s justice system and reduce the powers of the respected anti-corruption directorate, the DNA.

Critics say the changes would dent progress in tackling graft, which Brussels has long complained about in the 10 years since Romania joined the European Union.

In Bucharest&#39;s central Victory Square, thousands gathered holding European Union and Romanian flags and shouted &quot;Resign&quot;, while branding the ruling Social Democrats (PSD) &quot;the red plague&quot;.

&quot;They are doing everything so that they can steal legitimately. They are changing the laws in their favour, not for the benefit of the country,&quot; said a 36-year-old who refused to give his name. &quot;Don&#39;t force us to leave our country,&quot; he said.

This week, Romania&#39;s prosecutor general Augustin Lazar denounced moves to &quot;weaken the independence of prosecutors&quot;.

The protests saw several thousand take to the streets of Bucharest. More than 2,000 people demonstrated in the central city of Sibiu and in western Timisoara.

The PSD returned to power after a thumping election victory last December but has had a rocky ride.

It backtracked on altering anti-corruption laws in February after they provoked the biggest protests since communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was toppled and executed in 1989.

The demonstrators want the withdrawal of proposed legislation that would overhaul Romania's justice system and reduce the powers of the respected anti-corruption directorate, the DNA

More than 10,000 people braved biting cold to stage protests across Romania to denounce the left-wing government for backtracking on efforts to fight corruption. The demonstrators want the withdrawal of proposed legislation that would overhaul Romania's justice system and reduce the powers of the respected anti-corruption directorate, the DNA. Critics say the changes would dent progress in tackling graft, which Brussels has long complained about in the 10 years since Romania joined the European Union. In Bucharest's central Victory Square, thousands gathered holding European Union and Romanian flags and shouted "Resign", while branding the ruling Social Democrats (PSD) "the red plague". "They are doing everything so that they can steal legitimately. They are changing the laws in their favour, not for the benefit of the country," said a 36-year-old who refused to give his name. "Don't force us to leave our country," he said. This week, Romania's prosecutor general Augustin Lazar denounced moves to "weaken the independence of prosecutors". The protests saw several thousand take to the streets of Bucharest. More than 2,000 people demonstrated in the central city of Sibiu and in western Timisoara. The PSD returned to power after a thumping election victory last December but has had a rocky ride. It backtracked on altering anti-corruption laws in February after they provoked the biggest protests since communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was toppled and executed in 1989.

Romanians stage anti-corruption protests

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