Turkey&#39;s migration agreement with the European Union may collapse if the EU does not keep its side of the deal on visa waivers, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told France&#39;s Le Monde newspaper. 
 
Erdogan&#39;s comments reflect a shift in stance at a time when he is rebuking Western leaders for their response to the July 15 coup bid. Erdogan vowed to keep Turkey&#39;s promises on the migrant deal as recently as July 26. 
 
&quot;The European Union is not behaving in a sincere manner with Turkey,&quot; Erdogan said in comments published by Le Monde on Monday, noting that the visa waiver for Turkish citizens was supposed to kick in on June 1. 
 
&quot;If our demands are not satisfied then the readmissions will no longer be possible,&quot; Erdogan said. 
 
Ankara agreed in March to stop migrants from crossing into Greece in exchange for financial aid being revived, the promise of visa-free travel to much of the EU and accelerated membership talks. 
 
However, the reciprocal visa-free access has been delayed due to a dispute over Turkish anti-terrorism legislation and concern in the West about the scale of Ankara&#39;s crackdown following a failed coup. 
 
Criticising the response of Washington and European leaders to the attempted putsch, Erdogan said the Turkish people had been abandoned by the West. 
 
&quot;The whole world reacted to the attack against Charlie Hebdo. Our prime minister joined a rally in the streets of Paris,&quot; Erdogan said, referring to the deadly militant attack on the office of the French satirical magazine in January 2015. 
 
&quot;I would have hoped that the leaders of the Western world would have reacted (to the coup attempt) in the same way and not have contented themselves with a few cliches.&quot; 
 
In Berlin on Monday, a spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry repeated that reinstatement of the death penalty in Turkey would end its bid to join the EU. 
 
Erdogan, speaking to German television station ARD last month after the coup attempt, said the Turkish people wanted the death penalty bringing back and those governing the country should listen to them. 
 
(Reuters)

Ankara had agreed to stop migrants from crossing into Greece in exchange for financial aid being revived, and visa-free travel to the EU

Turkey's migration agreement with the European Union may collapse if the EU does not keep its side of the deal on visa waivers, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told France's Le Monde newspaper. Erdogan's comments reflect a shift in stance at a time when he is rebuking Western leaders for their response to the July 15 coup bid. Erdogan vowed to keep Turkey's promises on the migrant deal as recently as July 26. "The European Union is not behaving in a sincere manner with Turkey," Erdogan said in comments published by Le Monde on Monday, noting that the visa waiver for Turkish citizens was supposed to kick in on June 1. "If our demands are not satisfied then the readmissions will no longer be possible," Erdogan said. Ankara agreed in March to stop migrants from crossing into Greece in exchange for financial aid being revived, the promise of visa-free travel to much of the EU and accelerated membership talks. However, the reciprocal visa-free access has been delayed due to a dispute over Turkish anti-terrorism legislation and concern in the West about the scale of Ankara's crackdown following a failed coup. Criticising the response of Washington and European leaders to the attempted putsch, Erdogan said the Turkish people had been abandoned by the West. "The whole world reacted to the attack against Charlie Hebdo. Our prime minister joined a rally in the streets of Paris," Erdogan said, referring to the deadly militant attack on the office of the French satirical magazine in January 2015. "I would have hoped that the leaders of the Western world would have reacted (to the coup attempt) in the same way and not have contented themselves with a few cliches." In Berlin on Monday, a spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry repeated that reinstatement of the death penalty in Turkey would end its bid to join the EU. Erdogan, speaking to German television station ARD last month after the coup attempt, said the Turkish people wanted the death penalty bringing back and those governing the country should listen to them. (Reuters)

Turkey President: Migration agreement with EU may collapse if demands not met

British stocks dipped Wednesday after data suggested an economic hit from the Brexit vote just ahead of a key Bank of England policy decision. 
 
Stocks were mixed elsewhere in Europe, while US stocks gained and Japanese stocks tumbled again on worries about government stimulus. 
 
Data monitoring company Markit&#39;s preliminary composite purchasing managers&#39; index (PMI) in Britain for the services industry sank to 47.4 points in July, down from 52.3 in June. A reading under 50 indicates shrinkage. 
 
The data revived worries about the surprise British vote in June to exit the European Union, sending the FTSE down 0.2 per cent. 
 
&quot;This week&#39;s manufacturing PMI report is the latest in a long list of survey data which shows that the vote to leave the EU has caused significant uncertainty, and negative shock is on the way,&quot; said Hargreaves Lansdown economist Ben Brettell. 
 
Market watchers expect the Bank of England Thursday to slash interest rates to a record-low 0.25 per cent and to potentially boost its bond-buying stimulus program. 
 
&quot;The market anticipates at least a quarter-point cut in the base rate, but an expansion of asset purchases and a &#39;bias to ease&#39; would not be surprises,&quot; said economist Larry Hatheway at asset manager GAM. 
 
In the US, payroll firm ADP reported that private US companies added 179,000 jobs in July, slightly better than expected. The data came two days ahead of the government&#39;s official July jobs report. 
 
Analysts said US stocks were also boosted by higher oil prices, which lifted most petroleum-linked shares that helped boost the S&amp;P 500 by 0.3 per cent. 
 
Paris fell 0.2 per cent and Frankfurt rose 0.3 per cent after Markit said eurozone economic data managed a small gain in July despite Brexit. 
 
Weak stimulus hits Nikkei 
 
Japan&#39;s Nikkei dropped 1.9 per cent, its second straight decline, as gripes about a surprisingly modest stimulus package continued to dent sentiment. 
 
Japanese banking shares tanked on fears about the difficulty lenders face making money in a negative interest rate era as their bottom lines come under pressure. 
 
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group closed 3.9 per cent lower, rival Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group dived 4.3 per cent and Mizuho Financial Group lost 3.3 per cent. 
 
Banking giant HSBC ended 1.8 per cent higher in Hong Kong and up more than four percent in London after it announced a $2.5 billion stock buyback and said it would maintain its dividend. 
 
In Milan, Fiat Chrysler shares surged over eight percent following a press report claiming that the auto giant is talking to Samsung about selling its car parts unit Magneti Marelli. 
 
In the US, Time Warner climbed 2.7 per cent after announcing it was taking a 10 per cent stake in Hulu, a streaming video provider that is ramping up as a competitor to sector leader Netflix. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Market watchers anticipate 0.25 per cent cut in Bank of England's base rate

British stocks dipped Wednesday after data suggested an economic hit from the Brexit vote just ahead of a key Bank of England policy decision. Stocks were mixed elsewhere in Europe, while US stocks gained and Japanese stocks tumbled again on worries about government stimulus. Data monitoring company Markit's preliminary composite purchasing managers' index (PMI) in Britain for the services industry sank to 47.4 points in July, down from 52.3 in June. A reading under 50 indicates shrinkage. The data revived worries about the surprise British vote in June to exit the European Union, sending the FTSE down 0.2 per cent. "This week's manufacturing PMI report is the latest in a long list of survey data which shows that the vote to leave the EU has caused significant uncertainty, and negative shock is on the way," said Hargreaves Lansdown economist Ben Brettell. Market watchers expect the Bank of England Thursday to slash interest rates to a record-low 0.25 per cent and to potentially boost its bond-buying stimulus program. "The market anticipates at least a quarter-point cut in the base rate, but an expansion of asset purchases and a 'bias to ease' would not be surprises," said economist Larry Hatheway at asset manager GAM. In the US, payroll firm ADP reported that private US companies added 179,000 jobs in July, slightly better than expected. The data came two days ahead of the government's official July jobs report. Analysts said US stocks were also boosted by higher oil prices, which lifted most petroleum-linked shares that helped boost the S&P 500 by 0.3 per cent. Paris fell 0.2 per cent and Frankfurt rose 0.3 per cent after Markit said eurozone economic data managed a small gain in July despite Brexit. Weak stimulus hits Nikkei Japan's Nikkei dropped 1.9 per cent, its second straight decline, as gripes about a surprisingly modest stimulus package continued to dent sentiment. Japanese banking shares tanked on fears about the difficulty lenders face making money in a negative interest rate era as their bottom lines come under pressure. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group closed 3.9 per cent lower, rival Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group dived 4.3 per cent and Mizuho Financial Group lost 3.3 per cent. Banking giant HSBC ended 1.8 per cent higher in Hong Kong and up more than four percent in London after it announced a $2.5 billion stock buyback and said it would maintain its dividend. In Milan, Fiat Chrysler shares surged over eight percent following a press report claiming that the auto giant is talking to Samsung about selling its car parts unit Magneti Marelli. In the US, Time Warner climbed 2.7 per cent after announcing it was taking a 10 per cent stake in Hulu, a streaming video provider that is ramping up as a competitor to sector leader Netflix. (AFP)

Bank of England expected to axe rates to record low, British stocks dip

The Bank of England looks ready to cut interest rates for the first time since 2009 on Thursday, seeking to stop Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union from kicking the country into recession. 
 
It may even go a step further and pump billions of pounds into financial markets. 
 
Economic surveys have pointed to a sharp slowdown since the BoE wrong footed markets just over two weeks back, when it kept rates on hold while it considered a bigger, unspecified package of stimulus, which policymakers said was likely in August. 
 
Manufacturing figures on Monday showed the most widespread downturn since early 2013. Earlier survey data for the much larger services sector pointed to the sharpest contraction since 2009. 
 
There is a chance these reports reflect a knee-jerk reaction to the vote, so the question the BoE faces this week is how aggressively to react. 
 
BoE chief economist Andy Haldane said he wanted to use &quot;a sledgehammer to crack a nut&quot;, but another policymaker, Kristin Forbes, said the central bank should stay calm and not rush into a decision until more hard data was available. 
 
Most economists polled by Reuters expect the BoE to cut interest rates by at least a quarter percentage point to 0.25 per cent, and almost half say it will restart its quantitative easing bond purchase programme, on hold since late 2012. 
 
&quot;If you&#39;re heading towards a waterfall, it is better to start paddling than to wait until you&#39;re at the edge,&quot; said Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Robert Wood, who previously worked as a BoE forecaster. 
 
Wood said looser monetary policy would take months to help the economy. He predicts the BoE will announce 50 billion pounds of asset purchases on top of the 375 billion of government bonds bought between 2009 and 2012. 
 
Others say the BoE&#39;s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) might be concerned more QE at a time of record-low global bond yields could have unpredictable consequences for banks and markets. 
 
&quot;Taken at face value, recent survey data point to a significant recession. However, there may be some element of a knee-jerk reaction and the MPC may wish to wait for more data before making such a big call,&quot; HSBC economist Simon Wells said. 
 
Surveys carried out in the first half of July may reflect the temporary political disarray as David Cameron stepped down as prime minister and the Conservative Party hunted for a successor. Some data, including the BoE&#39;s own in-house research, point to a fairly modest reaction to the referendum. 
 
Divided MPC 
 
BoE Governor Mark Carney will present the policy decision in a news conference, but is unlikely to have the full support of the MPC. 
 
Forbes, a US academic who serves as an external member of the rate-setting body, said last month looser monetary policy had costs as well as benefits, and the BoE should wait for better data to calibrate its response. 
 
The effectiveness of rate cuts and asset purchases is also in doubt at a time when 10-year British government borrowing costs GB10YT=RR have already hit a record low 0.7 per cent. 
 
&quot;At this stage monetary policy is almost out of juice,&quot; Bank of America&#39;s Wood said. Ultimately the government was likely to need to spend more or cut taxes to boost the economy, he added. 
 
HSBC&#39;s Wells also a former BoE staffer said it was probably too soon for Carney to say the BoE would act like the Bank of Japan and buy bonds in support of a fiscal stimulus which Britain&#39;s government has only hinted at so far. 
 
&quot;Although the BoE may tease us with these ideas ... (this) poses significant policy risks for the future and potentially undermines the BoE&#39;s operational independence,&quot; Wells said. 
 
More likely is for the BoE to extend its Funding for Lending Scheme, which offers banks cheap finance in return for higher lending to the private sector and was in the process of being phased out as the economy recovered. 
 
Other measures are also possible to ensure lower interest rates do not hurt financial institutions&#39; incentives to lend. 
 
The BoE will also release a quarterly update to its growth and inflation forecasts. Sterling&#39;s 12 per cent fall since the referendum is likely to trigger a forecast that inflation will exceed its 2 percent target next year as imports become more costly. 
 
Growth is certain to be revised down, with the main question whether the central bank forecasts a recession. Before the referendum, Carney said a material slowdown, not a recession, was his central scenario if Britain voted to leave. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The Bank of England unlikely to have the full support of Monetary Policy Committee when it will present its policy decision

The Bank of England looks ready to cut interest rates for the first time since 2009 on Thursday, seeking to stop Britain's vote to leave the European Union from kicking the country into recession. It may even go a step further and pump billions of pounds into financial markets. Economic surveys have pointed to a sharp slowdown since the BoE wrong footed markets just over two weeks back, when it kept rates on hold while it considered a bigger, unspecified package of stimulus, which policymakers said was likely in August. Manufacturing figures on Monday showed the most widespread downturn since early 2013. Earlier survey data for the much larger services sector pointed to the sharpest contraction since 2009. There is a chance these reports reflect a knee-jerk reaction to the vote, so the question the BoE faces this week is how aggressively to react. BoE chief economist Andy Haldane said he wanted to use "a sledgehammer to crack a nut", but another policymaker, Kristin Forbes, said the central bank should stay calm and not rush into a decision until more hard data was available. Most economists polled by Reuters expect the BoE to cut interest rates by at least a quarter percentage point to 0.25 per cent, and almost half say it will restart its quantitative easing bond purchase programme, on hold since late 2012. "If you're heading towards a waterfall, it is better to start paddling than to wait until you're at the edge," said Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Robert Wood, who previously worked as a BoE forecaster. Wood said looser monetary policy would take months to help the economy. He predicts the BoE will announce 50 billion pounds of asset purchases on top of the 375 billion of government bonds bought between 2009 and 2012. Others say the BoE's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) might be concerned more QE at a time of record-low global bond yields could have unpredictable consequences for banks and markets. "Taken at face value, recent survey data point to a significant recession. However, there may be some element of a knee-jerk reaction and the MPC may wish to wait for more data before making such a big call," HSBC economist Simon Wells said. Surveys carried out in the first half of July may reflect the temporary political disarray as David Cameron stepped down as prime minister and the Conservative Party hunted for a successor. Some data, including the BoE's own in-house research, point to a fairly modest reaction to the referendum. Divided MPC BoE Governor Mark Carney will present the policy decision in a news conference, but is unlikely to have the full support of the MPC. Forbes, a US academic who serves as an external member of the rate-setting body, said last month looser monetary policy had costs as well as benefits, and the BoE should wait for better data to calibrate its response. The effectiveness of rate cuts and asset purchases is also in doubt at a time when 10-year British government borrowing costs GB10YT=RR have already hit a record low 0.7 per cent. "At this stage monetary policy is almost out of juice," Bank of America's Wood said. Ultimately the government was likely to need to spend more or cut taxes to boost the economy, he added. HSBC's Wells also a former BoE staffer said it was probably too soon for Carney to say the BoE would act like the Bank of Japan and buy bonds in support of a fiscal stimulus which Britain's government has only hinted at so far. "Although the BoE may tease us with these ideas ... (this) poses significant policy risks for the future and potentially undermines the BoE's operational independence," Wells said. More likely is for the BoE to extend its Funding for Lending Scheme, which offers banks cheap finance in return for higher lending to the private sector and was in the process of being phased out as the economy recovered. Other measures are also possible to ensure lower interest rates do not hurt financial institutions' incentives to lend. The BoE will also release a quarterly update to its growth and inflation forecasts. Sterling's 12 per cent fall since the referendum is likely to trigger a forecast that inflation will exceed its 2 percent target next year as imports become more costly. Growth is certain to be revised down, with the main question whether the central bank forecasts a recession. Before the referendum, Carney said a material slowdown, not a recession, was his central scenario if Britain voted to leave. (Reuters)

Bank of England prepares to cut interest rates

Belgian police arrested two men suspected of planning an attack in the country after house searches on Friday evening, federal prosecutors said on Saturday. 
 
The two, named as 33-year-old Nourredine H and his brother Hamza H, will appear before a judge on Saturday to determine whether they should be held in custody beyond an initial 24 hours. 
 
The federal prosecution office said in a statement that police had carried out seven house searches in the region of Mons and a further house search in Liege. No weapons or explosives were found. 
 
Brussels, home to European Union institutions and the headquarters of NATO, and Belgium in general are on a security alert level of three out of a maximum of four, a &quot;serious&quot; status with a &quot;possible and probable&quot; threat. 
 
(Reuters)

Police had carried out seven house searches in the region of Mons and a further house search in Liege. No weapons or explosives were found

Belgian police arrested two men suspected of planning an attack in the country after house searches on Friday evening, federal prosecutors said on Saturday. The two, named as 33-year-old Nourredine H and his brother Hamza H, will appear before a judge on Saturday to determine whether they should be held in custody beyond an initial 24 hours. The federal prosecution office said in a statement that police had carried out seven house searches in the region of Mons and a further house search in Liege. No weapons or explosives were found. Brussels, home to European Union institutions and the headquarters of NATO, and Belgium in general are on a security alert level of three out of a maximum of four, a "serious" status with a "possible and probable" threat. (Reuters)

Belgium police officials arrest two men suspected of planning attack

Turkey&#39;s army killed 35 militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party after they attempted to storm a base in the southeastern Hakkari province early on Saturday, military officials said. 
 
The overnight attack came hours after clashes in Hakkari&#39;s Cukurca district between soldiers and militants from PKK&nbsp;that left eight soldiers dead, the officials said. 
 
The militants attempted to take the base in three different groups, but were spotted by aerial reconnaissance. 
 
An air operation was launched, killing 23 of them, the officials said. Four more were then killed in a ground operation, they said. 
 
The remaining eight were killed in clashes in Hakkari`s Cukurca district. 
 
Friday`s clashes in Cukurca also left 25 soldiers wounded, the officials said. Turkey`s military - NATO`s second-largest - is grappling with the insurgency in the mainly Kurdish southeast as its senior ranks undergo a major shake-up in following a July 15-16 coup attempt. 
 
On Thursday, Turkey announced an overhaul of the armed forces, with 99 colonels promoted to the rank of general or admiral and nearly 1,700 military personnel given dishonourable discharges over their alleged roles in the coup. 
 
About 40 per cent of all generals and admirals in the military have been dismissed since the coup. 
 
In the southeast, the military has frequently carried out air strikes after a two and a half year ceasefire and peace process between the government and the PKK broke down last summer. 
 
Thousands of militants and hundreds of civilians and soldiers have been killed since then. Some cities in the predominantly Kurdish southeast have been engulfed in the worst violence since the 1990s. 
 
More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK - designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union - began its insurgency in 1984. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

Kurdistan Workers Party militants attempted to take the base in three different groups, but were spotted by aerial reconnaissance

Turkey's army killed 35 militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party after they attempted to storm a base in the southeastern Hakkari province early on Saturday, military officials said. The overnight attack came hours after clashes in Hakkari's Cukurca district between soldiers and militants from PKK that left eight soldiers dead, the officials said. The militants attempted to take the base in three different groups, but were spotted by aerial reconnaissance. An air operation was launched, killing 23 of them, the officials said. Four more were then killed in a ground operation, they said. The remaining eight were killed in clashes in Hakkari`s Cukurca district. Friday`s clashes in Cukurca also left 25 soldiers wounded, the officials said. Turkey`s military - NATO`s second-largest - is grappling with the insurgency in the mainly Kurdish southeast as its senior ranks undergo a major shake-up in following a July 15-16 coup attempt. On Thursday, Turkey announced an overhaul of the armed forces, with 99 colonels promoted to the rank of general or admiral and nearly 1,700 military personnel given dishonourable discharges over their alleged roles in the coup. About 40 per cent of all generals and admirals in the military have been dismissed since the coup. In the southeast, the military has frequently carried out air strikes after a two and a half year ceasefire and peace process between the government and the PKK broke down last summer. Thousands of militants and hundreds of civilians and soldiers have been killed since then. Some cities in the predominantly Kurdish southeast have been engulfed in the worst violence since the 1990s. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK - designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union - began its insurgency in 1984. (Reuters)

Turkish army kills 35 as Kurdish militants launch attack on military base in Hakkari

Pope Francis urged young people yesterday to welcome migrants and refugees, putting himself in direct contrast with the government of Poland on the second day of his visit there. 
 
Francis addressed more than 600,000 young people gathered in the city of Krakow for World Youth Day, a jamboree that actually lasts six days and has been dubbed the &quot;Catholic Woodstock&quot;. 
 
After watching performances from around the world, he urged them in an address to leave their comfort zones and be ready to embrace those in need.&nbsp;&quot;A merciful heart is able to be a place of refuge for those who are without a home or have lost their home; a merciful heart is able to build a home and a family for those forced to emigrate; it knows the meaning of tenderness and compassion,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;A merciful heart opens up to welcome refugees and migrants,&quot; he told the youths gathered in a large field near the city centre. Despite being rooted in Christian values, Poland&#39;s conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party government disagrees with Francis on refugees and opposes mandatory European Union quotas for accepting asylum seekers. 
 
Some of the country&#39;s conservative church leaders have also been hesitant over migrants, particularly those from Islamic countries, fearing that they will dilute Poland&#39;s Christian identity. 
 
Yesterday morning at the shrine city of Czestochowa, Francis prayed before Poland`s holiest icon - the Black Madonna of Jasna Gora - and said outdoor Mass for a congregation of tens of thousands, thanking Poles for holding on to their faith in difficult times. 
 
Francis praised what he called &quot;the contagious power of a genuine faith, passed down from family to family&quot; in Poland, which is about 98 per cent Catholic. He said their faith had stayed strong in many situations throughout history. Poland is renowned for keep its Catholic flame burning during decades of Communist rule. 
 
As the 79-year-old pope was blessing the altar at the start of the Mass, he tripped on a step but was helped up by aides and did not appear to be hurt. He continued the Mass and read his homily normally. Francis suffers from sciatica, a medical condition in which pain sometimes shoots down the leg from the lower back. 
 
The shrine is home to the Black Madonna, a Byzantine icon from sometime between the sixth and ninth centuries and brought to Poland some 600 years ago. The icon is painted on wood and covered with silver and jewels. The shrine has been a focal point in difficult periods of Polish history. 
 
Poles flocked there to pray when martial law was declared by the communist government in the early 1980s. The late Pope John Paul II, who reigned for nearly three decades until his death in 2005, visited the shrine often during his trips to his homeland and donated the blood-stained white sash he was wearing on May 13, 1981, when he was shot in St. Peter&#39;s Square at the Vatican by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

'A merciful heart opens up to welcome refugees and migrants,' Pope told the youths. Poland's government opposes acceptation of asylum seekers

Pope Francis urged young people yesterday to welcome migrants and refugees, putting himself in direct contrast with the government of Poland on the second day of his visit there. Francis addressed more than 600,000 young people gathered in the city of Krakow for World Youth Day, a jamboree that actually lasts six days and has been dubbed the "Catholic Woodstock". After watching performances from around the world, he urged them in an address to leave their comfort zones and be ready to embrace those in need. "A merciful heart is able to be a place of refuge for those who are without a home or have lost their home; a merciful heart is able to build a home and a family for those forced to emigrate; it knows the meaning of tenderness and compassion," he said. "A merciful heart opens up to welcome refugees and migrants," he told the youths gathered in a large field near the city centre. Despite being rooted in Christian values, Poland's conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party government disagrees with Francis on refugees and opposes mandatory European Union quotas for accepting asylum seekers. Some of the country's conservative church leaders have also been hesitant over migrants, particularly those from Islamic countries, fearing that they will dilute Poland's Christian identity. Yesterday morning at the shrine city of Czestochowa, Francis prayed before Poland`s holiest icon - the Black Madonna of Jasna Gora - and said outdoor Mass for a congregation of tens of thousands, thanking Poles for holding on to their faith in difficult times. Francis praised what he called "the contagious power of a genuine faith, passed down from family to family" in Poland, which is about 98 per cent Catholic. He said their faith had stayed strong in many situations throughout history. Poland is renowned for keep its Catholic flame burning during decades of Communist rule. As the 79-year-old pope was blessing the altar at the start of the Mass, he tripped on a step but was helped up by aides and did not appear to be hurt. He continued the Mass and read his homily normally. Francis suffers from sciatica, a medical condition in which pain sometimes shoots down the leg from the lower back. The shrine is home to the Black Madonna, a Byzantine icon from sometime between the sixth and ninth centuries and brought to Poland some 600 years ago. The icon is painted on wood and covered with silver and jewels. The shrine has been a focal point in difficult periods of Polish history. Poles flocked there to pray when martial law was declared by the communist government in the early 1980s. The late Pope John Paul II, who reigned for nearly three decades until his death in 2005, visited the shrine often during his trips to his homeland and donated the blood-stained white sash he was wearing on May 13, 1981, when he was shot in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca. (Reuters)

In a country wary of migrants, Pope tells Poles to welcome refugees

The head of the European Commission yesterday pledged &quot;Europe&#39;s solidarity and cooperation in the fight against barbarity&quot;, in a letter to French President Francois Hollande after a church attack claimed by the Islamic State group. 
 
&quot;More than ever, all over Europe, solidarity and cooperation will be essential in the fight against barbarity and to ensure that our shared values prevail,&quot; Jean-Claude Juncker wrote. 
 
&quot;The European Commission is fully mobilised, along with other European institutions, to provide all the support it can to France in these painful moments,&quot; he added. 
 
In a statement, the EU&#39;s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also expressed solidarity and offered her &quot;condolences to the families of the victims, to France and the Catholic Church.&quot; 
 
&quot;Targeting a man of faith, of any faith, is always a crime against our common humanity because it means targeting the deeper essence of our lives, believers and non-believers alike,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;The right answer is to keep living together, to stop the hatred,&quot; Mogherini said. 
 
&quot;The terrible, daily news of attacks reinforce our common work against terrorism, within and beyond our borders,&quot; she said. &quot;It&#39;s unity that will make us prevail.&quot; 
 
The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, wrote on Twitter: &quot;We stand side by side with the French in the face of this incomprehensible savagery.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

EU members pledged their solidarity and cooperation to France. EU's foreign policy chief stressed on unity in fight against terrorism

The head of the European Commission yesterday pledged "Europe's solidarity and cooperation in the fight against barbarity", in a letter to French President Francois Hollande after a church attack claimed by the Islamic State group. "More than ever, all over Europe, solidarity and cooperation will be essential in the fight against barbarity and to ensure that our shared values prevail," Jean-Claude Juncker wrote. "The European Commission is fully mobilised, along with other European institutions, to provide all the support it can to France in these painful moments," he added. In a statement, the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also expressed solidarity and offered her "condolences to the families of the victims, to France and the Catholic Church." "Targeting a man of faith, of any faith, is always a crime against our common humanity because it means targeting the deeper essence of our lives, believers and non-believers alike," she said. "The right answer is to keep living together, to stop the hatred," Mogherini said. "The terrible, daily news of attacks reinforce our common work against terrorism, within and beyond our borders," she said. "It's unity that will make us prevail." The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, wrote on Twitter: "We stand side by side with the French in the face of this incomprehensible savagery." (AFP)

EU vows to help France fight Islamic State 'barbarity'

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

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

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

EU president Juncker: No deadline for start of Brexit talks

Recently, Turkey witnessed a failed coup attempt while the President of the country Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on a holiday. The President appealed to the citizens to defend the country against the coup. And indeed, they did so, with the masses taking over the streets and fighting the coup perpetrators. 
 
The President of Turkey, instead of accepting this as a spontaneous show of solidarity, as a symbol of strong belief among the Turks in democracy, and making efforts to bolster that belief further, did a massive crackdown and arrested a large number of people. President Erdogan has often been called an elected dictator due to his past actions. About 2,000, including teenagers, have been prosecuted for insulting the President and journalists have also been put on trial since he assumed office in 2014. 
 
After the coup attempt and the subsequent actions of Erdogan, even the US secretary of state, John Kerry, raised the question of Turkey&rsquo;s NATO membership, suggesting that anti-democratic behaviour could imperil the country&rsquo;s place in the alliance. 
 
Several times questions have been raised regarding Turkey&rsquo;s membership to NATO. Whether it should be part of NATO or not? 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/rohit-jpeg-20160725033343.jpg" /> 
 
 
Strategic Location&nbsp;and Challenges 
 
Turkey is strategically very well placed. It is just north of Iraq and Syria, east of Europe, west of Georgia and Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, thus making it strategically very important. 
 
Because of its location and the alliance with NATO it has tremendously benefitted. When in 2003 Iraq was bombed out and almost no refining could be done in the war-ravaged country, 40,000 oil tankers were going into Turkey for refining. The oil pipeline was being put in place and it was protected by Halliburton to deliver that oil to Turkey. The income was tremendous for Turkey. Since then the Islamic State has taken over many of the oil assets in Syria and Iraq and Turkey has played a key role in selling their oil. 
 
For NATO too Turkey is at a strategic location, enabling &nbsp;the alliance to use the country&rsquo;s bases that are close enough to Russia and also to the rest of Iraq and Syria. Historically, Turkey played an important role during the Cold War. Even then questions are being raised regarding its NATO membership and there are plausible reasons to do so. 
 
Kurdish Dilemma 
 
The tensions between Turkey and the US have increased substantially as a result of differences over the degree of US support for the Syrian Kurdish nationalist Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed affiliate, the People&rsquo;s Protection Units (YPG), that are fighting against the ISIS and the Syrian Government. However, YPG is a Turkey-based group fighting for Kurdish autonomy and the Turkish government opposes this movement of the Kurds strongly. 
 
Thus, when Turkey and the US came to an agreement in July 2014 that allowed the US and NATO air forces to use the Incirlik Air Base, the relationship between US and Turkey improved. However, Turkey interpreted this agreement as a licence to attack PKK bases in northern Iraq as well as within Turkey. For Ankara, this is a fight more against the Kurds rather than the fall of ISIS and restoring peace in Syria. Clearly, US and Turkey are not on the same page. 
 
Turkey has played a role in helping the Northern Iraqi Kurds by becoming the centre point of exchange of money for oil that the Kurds sell to Iraq. This is one way to scuttle the close ties that the Iraqi Kurds and the Turkish Kurds could develop to carve a new country out of Turkey. 
 
Turkey-Russia Ballet 
 
Over the years, the relationship between Russia and Turkey improved dramatically. By 2015, Russia was Turkey&rsquo;s third-largest trading partner, fourth-largest source of foreign investment, and main supplier of natural gas, and Russian tourists had become a common sight in Turkish resort towns. There were chartered planes that flew from Russia to Turkish resorts. However, tensions between the two nations mounted when Turkey downed one Russian aircraft and Russia responded by imposing sanctions on Turkey. However, in June this year, there have been talks about normalisation of ties between Turkey and Russia as well. Russia has also lifted some of the sanctions that it slapped on Turkey. The Turks will play with NATO using the card of getting closer to the Russians and then pose a threat to NATO itself. The very fact that Russians have played an active role in Syria has already created unease for NATO. 
 
Turkey and European Union 
 
In March, Turkey and European Union entered into an ambitious deal where Turkey would take almost 2.8 million Syrian refugees within its borders with some financial assistance from the European Union and in return EU would lift visa restrictions for Turkish citizens. 
 
EU has allocated &euro;3 billion under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey to be re-imbursed by the end of 2018. So far, of the overall &euro;3 billion, &euro;740 million has been allocated, for both humanitarian and non-humanitarian assistance. This has caused tensions between the two parties. Also, EU is critical of Turkey&rsquo;s inability or will to control human-smuggling groups that are enabling refugees from Syria to reach European shores. 
 
With the recent crackdown in Turkey after the failed coup, the refugees may feel unsafe in Turkey and move towards European countries, further adding to the migrant crisis in Europe. 
 
Is Turkey Drifting? 
 
Turkey has come a long way from being a liberal society in the Nineties. But it is not leaders like Erdogan who can be blamed for this conservative approach alone. Through the early 2000s when I spoke with the Turks many would say that their society was becoming very liberal and that is when they began to take the turn towards an orthodox society. Egypt for them was an example when it went from being a liberal State in the Seventies to a highly conservative society in the Nineties. 
 
As these countries move towards conservatism, it is the women who get really impacted. Men curb their freedoms and the religious Right begins to take over, pushing women inside homes. In Egypt such a transition was still possible but Turkey may be looking at a fight as they continue to turn towards conservatism. The biggest impact would, however, come if NATO turns its back on a partner who no longer has the same values of a progressive nation. NATO&rsquo;s core principles have been to create nations of equal participation of women at all levels, ranging from conflict prevention to post-conflict reconstruction, peace and security. It expects its members to stand up and fight against sexual violence and ensure accountability to end impunity for incidents of sexual violence in conflict zones. But the direction that Turkey is taking may not fit in with the values of NATO that the Americans lead. It will get more and more difficult for NATO to justify Turkey&rsquo;s existence in this marriage of sorts. 
&nbsp;

Turkey?s recent moves at stifling democracy draw NATO?s ire

Recently, Turkey witnessed a failed coup attempt while the President of the country Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on a holiday. The President appealed to the citizens to defend the country against the coup. And indeed, they did so, with the masses taking over the streets and fighting the coup perpetrators. The President of Turkey, instead of accepting this as a spontaneous show of solidarity, as a symbol of strong belief among the Turks in democracy, and making efforts to bolster that belief further, did a massive crackdown and arrested a large number of people. President Erdogan has often been called an elected dictator due to his past actions. About 2,000, including teenagers, have been prosecuted for insulting the President and journalists have also been put on trial since he assumed office in 2014. After the coup attempt and the subsequent actions of Erdogan, even the US secretary of state, John Kerry, raised the question of Turkey’s NATO membership, suggesting that anti-democratic behaviour could imperil the country’s place in the alliance. Several times questions have been raised regarding Turkey’s membership to NATO. Whether it should be part of NATO or not? Strategic Location and Challenges Turkey is strategically very well placed. It is just north of Iraq and Syria, east of Europe, west of Georgia and Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, thus making it strategically very important. Because of its location and the alliance with NATO it has tremendously benefitted. When in 2003 Iraq was bombed out and almost no refining could be done in the war-ravaged country, 40,000 oil tankers were going into Turkey for refining. The oil pipeline was being put in place and it was protected by Halliburton to deliver that oil to Turkey. The income was tremendous for Turkey. Since then the Islamic State has taken over many of the oil assets in Syria and Iraq and Turkey has played a key role in selling their oil. For NATO too Turkey is at a strategic location, enabling the alliance to use the country’s bases that are close enough to Russia and also to the rest of Iraq and Syria. Historically, Turkey played an important role during the Cold War. Even then questions are being raised regarding its NATO membership and there are plausible reasons to do so. Kurdish Dilemma The tensions between Turkey and the US have increased substantially as a result of differences over the degree of US support for the Syrian Kurdish nationalist Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed affiliate, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), that are fighting against the ISIS and the Syrian Government. However, YPG is a Turkey-based group fighting for Kurdish autonomy and the Turkish government opposes this movement of the Kurds strongly. Thus, when Turkey and the US came to an agreement in July 2014 that allowed the US and NATO air forces to use the Incirlik Air Base, the relationship between US and Turkey improved. However, Turkey interpreted this agreement as a licence to attack PKK bases in northern Iraq as well as within Turkey. For Ankara, this is a fight more against the Kurds rather than the fall of ISIS and restoring peace in Syria. Clearly, US and Turkey are not on the same page. Turkey has played a role in helping the Northern Iraqi Kurds by becoming the centre point of exchange of money for oil that the Kurds sell to Iraq. This is one way to scuttle the close ties that the Iraqi Kurds and the Turkish Kurds could develop to carve a new country out of Turkey. Turkey-Russia Ballet Over the years, the relationship between Russia and Turkey improved dramatically. By 2015, Russia was Turkey’s third-largest trading partner, fourth-largest source of foreign investment, and main supplier of natural gas, and Russian tourists had become a common sight in Turkish resort towns. There were chartered planes that flew from Russia to Turkish resorts. However, tensions between the two nations mounted when Turkey downed one Russian aircraft and Russia responded by imposing sanctions on Turkey. However, in June this year, there have been talks about normalisation of ties between Turkey and Russia as well. Russia has also lifted some of the sanctions that it slapped on Turkey. The Turks will play with NATO using the card of getting closer to the Russians and then pose a threat to NATO itself. The very fact that Russians have played an active role in Syria has already created unease for NATO. Turkey and European Union In March, Turkey and European Union entered into an ambitious deal where Turkey would take almost 2.8 million Syrian refugees within its borders with some financial assistance from the European Union and in return EU would lift visa restrictions for Turkish citizens. EU has allocated €3 billion under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey to be re-imbursed by the end of 2018. So far, of the overall €3 billion, €740 million has been allocated, for both humanitarian and non-humanitarian assistance. This has caused tensions between the two parties. Also, EU is critical of Turkey’s inability or will to control human-smuggling groups that are enabling refugees from Syria to reach European shores. With the recent crackdown in Turkey after the failed coup, the refugees may feel unsafe in Turkey and move towards European countries, further adding to the migrant crisis in Europe. Is Turkey Drifting? Turkey has come a long way from being a liberal society in the Nineties. But it is not leaders like Erdogan who can be blamed for this conservative approach alone. Through the early 2000s when I spoke with the Turks many would say that their society was becoming very liberal and that is when they began to take the turn towards an orthodox society. Egypt for them was an example when it went from being a liberal State in the Seventies to a highly conservative society in the Nineties. As these countries move towards conservatism, it is the women who get really impacted. Men curb their freedoms and the religious Right begins to take over, pushing women inside homes. In Egypt such a transition was still possible but Turkey may be looking at a fight as they continue to turn towards conservatism. The biggest impact would, however, come if NATO turns its back on a partner who no longer has the same values of a progressive nation. NATO’s core principles have been to create nations of equal participation of women at all levels, ranging from conflict prevention to post-conflict reconstruction, peace and security. It expects its members to stand up and fight against sexual violence and ensure accountability to end impunity for incidents of sexual violence in conflict zones. But the direction that Turkey is taking may not fit in with the values of NATO that the Americans lead. It will get more and more difficult for NATO to justify Turkey’s existence in this marriage of sorts.

Turkish coffee an acquired taste

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

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

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

Scotland must have right to consider independence: Sturgeon

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

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

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

UK seeks to assuage global worries over path to Brexit

China said today it has started imposing anti-dumping tariffs on certain steel imports from the European Union (EU), Japan and South Korea, as Beijing itself comes under fire for similar trade practices 
 
Duties on the materials, used in power transformers and electric motors, will range from around 37 to as high as 46.3 per cent, the commerce ministry said on its website. 
 
The measures are intended to prevent the sale of the product at below cost, a practice known as dumping, it added. 
 
The world&#39;s second largest economy, which makes more than half the world&#39;s steel, finds itself under attack by EU countries for allegedly flooding world markets with steel and aluminium in violation of international trade agreements. 
 
On Friday, Premier Li Keqiang told a group of visiting leaders from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and other organisations that China &quot;will not engage in a trade war or currency war&quot;. 
 
Nevertheless, the EU sees itself under attack.&nbsp;Earlier this month in Beijing, EU Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker pledged to defend the group`s steel industry against China using &quot;all the means at our disposal&quot;. 
 
He also said there was a &quot;clear link&quot; between the steel issue and the EU&#39;s decision on whether to grant China &quot;market economy status&quot; -- a prize eagerly sought by Beijing. 
 
China has been pressing the EU to grant it the status -- which would make it harder for the bloc to levy anti-dumping tariffs -- before the year&#39;s end, citing World Trade Organisation rules. 
 
China&#39;s announcement is the latest in a tit-for-tat fight with other countries over the special metal known as oriented electrical steel. 
 
In May last year, the EU imposed similar duties on imports of Chinese oriented electric steel as well as products from other countries, in a move which Bloomberg News said was intended to curb competition for EU producers. 
 
The decision prompted China to launch an investigation into imports from the European manufacturers. 
 
China has imposed such duties before. In 2012 the World Trade Organisation ruled that Chinese duties on high-tech steel from the US violated trade rules. In 2015 the organisation censured Beijing for continuing the practice despite the judgement against it. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
&nbsp;

China's announcement is the latest in a tit-for-tat fight with other countries over the special metal known as oriented electrical steel

China said today it has started imposing anti-dumping tariffs on certain steel imports from the European Union (EU), Japan and South Korea, as Beijing itself comes under fire for similar trade practices Duties on the materials, used in power transformers and electric motors, will range from around 37 to as high as 46.3 per cent, the commerce ministry said on its website. The measures are intended to prevent the sale of the product at below cost, a practice known as dumping, it added. The world's second largest economy, which makes more than half the world's steel, finds itself under attack by EU countries for allegedly flooding world markets with steel and aluminium in violation of international trade agreements. On Friday, Premier Li Keqiang told a group of visiting leaders from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and other organisations that China "will not engage in a trade war or currency war". Nevertheless, the EU sees itself under attack. Earlier this month in Beijing, EU Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker pledged to defend the group`s steel industry against China using "all the means at our disposal". He also said there was a "clear link" between the steel issue and the EU's decision on whether to grant China "market economy status" -- a prize eagerly sought by Beijing. China has been pressing the EU to grant it the status -- which would make it harder for the bloc to levy anti-dumping tariffs -- before the year's end, citing World Trade Organisation rules. China's announcement is the latest in a tit-for-tat fight with other countries over the special metal known as oriented electrical steel. In May last year, the EU imposed similar duties on imports of Chinese oriented electric steel as well as products from other countries, in a move which Bloomberg News said was intended to curb competition for EU producers. The decision prompted China to launch an investigation into imports from the European manufacturers. China has imposed such duties before. In 2012 the World Trade Organisation ruled that Chinese duties on high-tech steel from the US violated trade rules. In 2015 the organisation censured Beijing for continuing the practice despite the judgement against it. (AFP)

China slaps EU, Japan, South Korea with anti-dumping duties

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

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

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

UK records 6,193 post-Brexit hate crimes

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

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

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

Preparing for EU divorce:  UK faces monumental task

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turkey rebuffed the European Union on Friday over the death penalty, while President Tayyip Erdogan vowed to restructure the military and give it &quot;fresh blood&quot;, signalling the scope of a shake-up yet to come under a state of emergency. 
 
There is growing worry in the West about Turkey&#39;s widening crackdown against thousands of members of the security forces, judiciary, civil service and academia after last week&#39;s failed military coup. On Wednesday Erdogan announced a state of emergency, a move he said would allow the government to take swift action against coup plotters. 
 
The possibility of Turkey bringing back capital punishment for the plotters of the attempted coup that killed more than 246 people and wounded more than 2,100 has put further strain on Ankara&#39;s relationship with the EU, which it seeks to join. 
 
Turkey outlawed capital punishment in 2004 as part of its bid to join the bloc and European officials have said backtracking on the death penalty would effectively put an end to the EU accession process. Erdogan says the death penalty may need to be brought back, citing the calls for it from crowds of supporters at rallies. 
 
&quot;People demand the death penalty and that demand will surely be assessed. We have to assess that demand from the standpoint on law, and not according to what the EU says,&quot; Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told broadcaster CNN Turk. 
 
His comments are likely to spark further unease in the West, where there is growing worry about instability and human rights in the country of 80 million, which plays an important part in the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State and in the European Union&#39;s efforts to stem the flow of refugees from Syria. 
 
Turkish government says risk of second coup attempt not yet over 
 
Erdogan accuses Fethullah Gulen, a charismatic U.S.-based cleric, of masterminding the plot against him, which crumbled early on Saturday. In a crackdown on Gulen&#39;s suspected followers, more than 60,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended, detained or placed under investigation. 
 
Bozdag said that armed Gulen supporters had infiltrated the judiciary, universities and the media, as well as the armed forces. 
Erdogan told Reuters late on Thursday he would restructure the military and give it &quot;fresh blood&quot;, citing the threat of the Gulen movement, which he likened to a cancer. 
 
Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States for years, has denied any role in the attempted putsch, and accused Erdogan of orchestrating the coup himself. Turkey wants the U.S. to extradite the cleric. Washington says Turkey must give clear evidence first. 
 
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Friday that the risk of another coup had not disappeared but said the government and other institutions were in control of the situation. 
 
One week after a faction of the Turkish military staged a brief but abortive coup in which an estimated 246 people were killed, Yildirim also urged Turks to stay calm and said life had returned to normal, adding there was no room for complacency. 
 
&quot;The danger has not ended but our citizens should not be anxious,&quot; Yildirim told reporters, adding that Turkey&#39;s institutions were guided by the rule of law, not by any desire for revenge, in dealing with the aftermath of the failed coup.&nbsp; 
 
Supreme Council to oversee restructuring of Turkish armed forces 
 
Erdogan said the government&#39;s Supreme Military Council, which is chaired by the prime minister, and includes the defence minister and the chief of staff, would oversee the restructuring of the armed forces. 
 
&quot;They are all working together as to what might be done, and ... within a very short amount of time a new structure will be emerging. With this new structure, I believe the armed forces will get fresh blood,&quot; Erdogan said. 
 
Speaking at his palace in Ankara, which was targeted during the coup attempt, he said a new putsch was possible but would not be easy because authorities were now more vigilant. 
 
&quot;It is very clear that there were significant gaps and deficiencies in our intelligence, there is no point trying to hide it or deny it,&quot; Erdogan told Reuters. 
 
Erdogan also said there was no obstacle to extending the state of emergency beyond the initial three months - a comment likely to spark concern among critics already fearful about the pace of his crackdown. Emergency powers allow the government to take swift measures against supporters of the coup, in which more than 246 people were killed and over 2,000 wounded. 
 
Emergency rule will also permit the president and cabinet to bypass parliament in enacting new laws and to limit or suspend rights and freedoms as they deem necessary. 
 
Erdogan&#39;s response sparks unease in the West 
 
Germany called for the measure to end as quickly as possible. An international lawyers&#39; group warned Turkey against using it to subvert the rule of law and human rights, pointing to allegations of torture and ill-treatment of people held in the mass roundup. 
 
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the reaction to the coup must not undermine fundamental rights. 
 
&quot;What we&#39;re seeing especially in the fields of universities, media, the judiciary, is unacceptable,&quot; she said of detentions and dismissals of judges, academics and journalists. 
 
Opposition parties which stood with the authorities against the coup expressed concern that the state of emergency could concentrate too much power in the hands of Erdogan, whose rivals have long accused him of suppressing free speech. 
 
Erdogan, an Islamist, has led Turkey as prime minister or president since 2003. 
 
&quot;We will continue the fight ... wherever they might be. These people have infiltrated the state organisation in this country and they rebelled against the state,&quot; he said, calling the actions of Friday night &quot;inhuman&quot; and &quot;immoral&quot;. 
 
Around a third of Turkey&#39;s roughly 360 serving generals have been detained since the coup attempt, a senior official said, with 99 charged pending trial and 14 more being held. 
 
The Defence Ministry is investigating all military judges and prosecutors, and has suspended 262 of them, broadcaster NTV reported, while 900 police officers in the capital, Ankara, were also suspended on Wednesday. The purge also extended to civil servants in the environment and sports ministries. 
 
The state of emergency went into effect after parliament formally approved the measure on Thursday. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Ankara says institutions are guided by the rule of law, not by any desire for revenge, in dealing with the aftermath of the failed coup

Turkey rebuffed the European Union on Friday over the death penalty, while President Tayyip Erdogan vowed to restructure the military and give it "fresh blood", signalling the scope of a shake-up yet to come under a state of emergency. There is growing worry in the West about Turkey's widening crackdown against thousands of members of the security forces, judiciary, civil service and academia after last week's failed military coup. On Wednesday Erdogan announced a state of emergency, a move he said would allow the government to take swift action against coup plotters. The possibility of Turkey bringing back capital punishment for the plotters of the attempted coup that killed more than 246 people and wounded more than 2,100 has put further strain on Ankara's relationship with the EU, which it seeks to join. Turkey outlawed capital punishment in 2004 as part of its bid to join the bloc and European officials have said backtracking on the death penalty would effectively put an end to the EU accession process. Erdogan says the death penalty may need to be brought back, citing the calls for it from crowds of supporters at rallies. "People demand the death penalty and that demand will surely be assessed. We have to assess that demand from the standpoint on law, and not according to what the EU says," Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told broadcaster CNN Turk. His comments are likely to spark further unease in the West, where there is growing worry about instability and human rights in the country of 80 million, which plays an important part in the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State and in the European Union's efforts to stem the flow of refugees from Syria. Turkish government says risk of second coup attempt not yet over Erdogan accuses Fethullah Gulen, a charismatic U.S.-based cleric, of masterminding the plot against him, which crumbled early on Saturday. In a crackdown on Gulen's suspected followers, more than 60,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended, detained or placed under investigation. Bozdag said that armed Gulen supporters had infiltrated the judiciary, universities and the media, as well as the armed forces. Erdogan told Reuters late on Thursday he would restructure the military and give it "fresh blood", citing the threat of the Gulen movement, which he likened to a cancer. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States for years, has denied any role in the attempted putsch, and accused Erdogan of orchestrating the coup himself. Turkey wants the U.S. to extradite the cleric. Washington says Turkey must give clear evidence first. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Friday that the risk of another coup had not disappeared but said the government and other institutions were in control of the situation. One week after a faction of the Turkish military staged a brief but abortive coup in which an estimated 246 people were killed, Yildirim also urged Turks to stay calm and said life had returned to normal, adding there was no room for complacency. "The danger has not ended but our citizens should not be anxious," Yildirim told reporters, adding that Turkey's institutions were guided by the rule of law, not by any desire for revenge, in dealing with the aftermath of the failed coup. Supreme Council to oversee restructuring of Turkish armed forces Erdogan said the government's Supreme Military Council, which is chaired by the prime minister, and includes the defence minister and the chief of staff, would oversee the restructuring of the armed forces. "They are all working together as to what might be done, and ... within a very short amount of time a new structure will be emerging. With this new structure, I believe the armed forces will get fresh blood," Erdogan said. Speaking at his palace in Ankara, which was targeted during the coup attempt, he said a new putsch was possible but would not be easy because authorities were now more vigilant. "It is very clear that there were significant gaps and deficiencies in our intelligence, there is no point trying to hide it or deny it," Erdogan told Reuters. Erdogan also said there was no obstacle to extending the state of emergency beyond the initial three months - a comment likely to spark concern among critics already fearful about the pace of his crackdown. Emergency powers allow the government to take swift measures against supporters of the coup, in which more than 246 people were killed and over 2,000 wounded. Emergency rule will also permit the president and cabinet to bypass parliament in enacting new laws and to limit or suspend rights and freedoms as they deem necessary. Erdogan's response sparks unease in the West Germany called for the measure to end as quickly as possible. An international lawyers' group warned Turkey against using it to subvert the rule of law and human rights, pointing to allegations of torture and ill-treatment of people held in the mass roundup. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the reaction to the coup must not undermine fundamental rights. "What we're seeing especially in the fields of universities, media, the judiciary, is unacceptable," she said of detentions and dismissals of judges, academics and journalists. Opposition parties which stood with the authorities against the coup expressed concern that the state of emergency could concentrate too much power in the hands of Erdogan, whose rivals have long accused him of suppressing free speech. Erdogan, an Islamist, has led Turkey as prime minister or president since 2003. "We will continue the fight ... wherever they might be. These people have infiltrated the state organisation in this country and they rebelled against the state," he said, calling the actions of Friday night "inhuman" and "immoral". Around a third of Turkey's roughly 360 serving generals have been detained since the coup attempt, a senior official said, with 99 charged pending trial and 14 more being held. The Defence Ministry is investigating all military judges and prosecutors, and has suspended 262 of them, broadcaster NTV reported, while 900 police officers in the capital, Ankara, were also suspended on Wednesday. The purge also extended to civil servants in the environment and sports ministries. The state of emergency went into effect after parliament formally approved the measure on Thursday. (Reuters)

Turkey rebuffs EU on death penalty, citing calls from supporters

British Prime Minister Theresa May is heading to Berlin on Wednesday and Paris on Thursday to start thrashing out the roadmap for Britain&#39;s departure from the EU. 
 
In her first foreign visits, a week since taking over as Britain&#39;s premier, May will plunge straight into laying out the Brexit groundwork in talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande. 
 
May&#39;s Downing Street office said she would try to establish a personal relationship and explain how her government needed time to consult before sculpting its objectives for Britain&#39;s divorce from Brussels. 
 
&quot;I am determined that Britain will make a success of leaving the European Union and that&#39;s why I have decided to visit Berlin and Paris so soon after taking office,&quot; May said in a statement. 
 
&quot;I do not underestimate the challenge of negotiating our exit from the EU and I firmly believe that being able to talk frankly and openly about the issues we face will be an important part of a successful negotiation. 
 
&quot;I also want to deliver a very clear message about the importance we attach to our bilateral relationship with our European partners, not just now but also when we have left the EU.&quot; 
 
May will have a meeting and a working dinner with Merkel. 
 
Then on Thursday, she will visit Paris for a meeting with Hollande at the president&#39;s official residence, the Elysee Palace. 
 
Key sticking points in the Brexit negotiations could be freedom of movement and the timetable for triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which starts the two-year countdown to Britain&#39;s formal departure. 
 
&quot;May has to build bridges with her fellow leaders,&quot; Professor Iain Begg, from the European Institute at the London School of Economics university, told AFP. 
 
&quot;It will be getting to know each other combined with trying to put positions on the table. 
 
&quot;May has this reputation as a tough negotiator who says what she wants and wants what she says. She will be anxious to convey that she&#39;s not a soft touch.&quot; 
 
The new British prime minster may well have an easier ride with Merkel than Socialist Hollande, though both have their own domestic election cycles to think about. 
 
Commentators have drawn comparisons between the two female centre-right leaders: both pastor&#39;s daughters with low-profile husbands, no children and a love of Alpine hiking who have risen to the top. 
 
While some EU countries want Britain out of the bloc as soon as possible, Merkel has called for patience with London as it sorts out its Brexit negotiating stance. 
 
However, she has also warned that Britain cannot have continued access to the single market while restricting the freedom of EU citizens to emigrate to Britain, the key issue in the June 23 referendum. 
 
Meanwhile, Hollande has a presidential election looming in April and is coming under pressure from the Front National, which wants France to leave the EU too. 
 
&quot;For Hollande there is manifestly a concern about Brexit contagion to France,&quot; said Begg. 
 
&quot;He will want to impress upon May that she cannot string this along indefinitely or expect great gifts from France because Hollande has domestic politics to think about and he will want to avoid &#39;encourager les autres&#39; (encouraging others).&quot; 
 
Downing Street said it would &quot;take some time&quot; to prepare for the Brexit negotiations, as the government needed to consult with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with industry sectors to determine the objectives for post-departure relations with the EU. 
 
Nina Schick, communications director at the Open Europe independent EU policy think-tank, said Britain &quot;does have things in its favour&quot; going into the talks. 
 
&quot;Paris and Berlin are quite divided as to what the future of the EU should be,&quot; she told AFP. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think May has the upper hand. She&#39;s the one that&#39;s going to trigger Article 50. There will be a period where Merkel will say there&#39;s no need to rush into it. 
 
&quot;But if the UK does not trigger it until late next year, political goodwill might be lost if the UK waits too long, especially if uncertainty drags on. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Key sticking points in the negotiations could be freedom of movement and a timetable for triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty

British Prime Minister Theresa May is heading to Berlin on Wednesday and Paris on Thursday to start thrashing out the roadmap for Britain's departure from the EU. In her first foreign visits, a week since taking over as Britain's premier, May will plunge straight into laying out the Brexit groundwork in talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande. May's Downing Street office said she would try to establish a personal relationship and explain how her government needed time to consult before sculpting its objectives for Britain's divorce from Brussels. "I am determined that Britain will make a success of leaving the European Union and that's why I have decided to visit Berlin and Paris so soon after taking office," May said in a statement. "I do not underestimate the challenge of negotiating our exit from the EU and I firmly believe that being able to talk frankly and openly about the issues we face will be an important part of a successful negotiation. "I also want to deliver a very clear message about the importance we attach to our bilateral relationship with our European partners, not just now but also when we have left the EU." May will have a meeting and a working dinner with Merkel. Then on Thursday, she will visit Paris for a meeting with Hollande at the president's official residence, the Elysee Palace. Key sticking points in the Brexit negotiations could be freedom of movement and the timetable for triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which starts the two-year countdown to Britain's formal departure. "May has to build bridges with her fellow leaders," Professor Iain Begg, from the European Institute at the London School of Economics university, told AFP. "It will be getting to know each other combined with trying to put positions on the table. "May has this reputation as a tough negotiator who says what she wants and wants what she says. She will be anxious to convey that she's not a soft touch." The new British prime minster may well have an easier ride with Merkel than Socialist Hollande, though both have their own domestic election cycles to think about. Commentators have drawn comparisons between the two female centre-right leaders: both pastor's daughters with low-profile husbands, no children and a love of Alpine hiking who have risen to the top. While some EU countries want Britain out of the bloc as soon as possible, Merkel has called for patience with London as it sorts out its Brexit negotiating stance. However, she has also warned that Britain cannot have continued access to the single market while restricting the freedom of EU citizens to emigrate to Britain, the key issue in the June 23 referendum. Meanwhile, Hollande has a presidential election looming in April and is coming under pressure from the Front National, which wants France to leave the EU too. "For Hollande there is manifestly a concern about Brexit contagion to France," said Begg. "He will want to impress upon May that she cannot string this along indefinitely or expect great gifts from France because Hollande has domestic politics to think about and he will want to avoid 'encourager les autres' (encouraging others)." Downing Street said it would "take some time" to prepare for the Brexit negotiations, as the government needed to consult with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with industry sectors to determine the objectives for post-departure relations with the EU. Nina Schick, communications director at the Open Europe independent EU policy think-tank, said Britain "does have things in its favour" going into the talks. "Paris and Berlin are quite divided as to what the future of the EU should be," she told AFP. "I don't think May has the upper hand. She's the one that's going to trigger Article 50. There will be a period where Merkel will say there's no need to rush into it. "But if the UK does not trigger it until late next year, political goodwill might be lost if the UK waits too long, especially if uncertainty drags on. (AFP)

May to thrash out Brexit roadmap in Berlin, Paris talks

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

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

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

Europol warns it is difficult to predict lone wolf attacks

Beijing will &quot;never&quot; stop building in the South China Sea prematurely, a top military official has vowed, despite an international ruling that its actions were illegal. 
 
The pushback came as China launched war games in waters in the strategically vital region, where diplomatic tensions are high. 
 
&quot;We will never stop our construction on the Nansha Islands halfway,&quot; Wu Shengli, the commander of the People&#39;s Liberation Army Navy, told US counterpart Admiral John Richardson, according to the official Xinhua news agency. 
 
Nansha is China&#39;s name for the Spratlys, where Beijing has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands with facilities capable of military use, including extensive runways. 
 
The reef system has multiple claimants in the region. 
 
&quot;The Nansha Islands are China&#39;s inherent territory, and our necessary construction on the islands is reasonable, justified and lawful,&quot; Wu added. 
 
China dismissed Hague ruling as &#39;piece of waste paper&#39;&nbsp; 
 
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague last week ruled that there was no legal basis for Beijing&#39;s claims to much of the South China Sea, embodied in a &quot;nine-dash line&quot; that dates from 1940s maps and stretches close to other countries&#39; coasts. 
 
Its extensive decision also said that China&#39;s construction on Mischief Reef had &quot;violated the Philippines&#39; sovereign rights with respect to its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf&quot;. 
 
Manila -- which lodged the suit against Beijing -- welcomed the decision but China dismissed it as a &quot;piece of waste paper&quot;. 
 
Wu said Beijing would not be intimated over the issue, adding: &quot;Any attempt to force China to give in through flexing military muscles will only have the opposite effect.&quot; 
 
Despite Chinese objections, the European Union weighed in on the subject at a regional summit last weekend, with President Donald Tusk telling reporters the bloc &quot;will continue to speak out in support of upholding international law&quot;, adding that it had &quot;full confidence&quot; in the PCA and its decisions. 
 
China pressured countries in the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations not to issue a joint statement on the ruling, diplomats said. 
 
The US, Japan and Australia, amongst others, have urged Beijing to fall into line and respect the tribunal&#39;s ruling. 
 
&#39;Flexing military muscles&#39;&nbsp; 
 
An area off the east coast of China&#39;s island province of Hainan will host military exercises from Tuesday to Thursday, China&#39;s maritime administration said on its website, adding that entrance was &quot;prohibited&quot;. 
 
The area of sea identified is some distance from the Paracel islands and even further from the Spratlys. 
 
Beijing held military drills in the South China Sea just days before the international arbitration court ruling, state media reported. 
 
A combat air patrol was mounted over the sea recently and these would become a regular practice in future, an air force spokesman said separately. 
 
Bombers, fighters and other aircraft were sent to patrol islands and reefs including Huangyan Dao -- the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal -- spokesman Shen Jinke was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency as saying. 
 
Scarborough Shoal is disputed with the Philippines and is seen as a particular flashpoint. 
 
In a separate message on its website, the maritime administration said last week that four out of five lighthouses built atop islands and reefs in the sea have been activated, and a fifth would be put into use soon. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The pushback came as China launched war games in waters in the strategically vital region, where diplomatic tensions are high

Beijing will "never" stop building in the South China Sea prematurely, a top military official has vowed, despite an international ruling that its actions were illegal. The pushback came as China launched war games in waters in the strategically vital region, where diplomatic tensions are high. "We will never stop our construction on the Nansha Islands halfway," Wu Shengli, the commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy, told US counterpart Admiral John Richardson, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Nansha is China's name for the Spratlys, where Beijing has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands with facilities capable of military use, including extensive runways. The reef system has multiple claimants in the region. "The Nansha Islands are China's inherent territory, and our necessary construction on the islands is reasonable, justified and lawful," Wu added. China dismissed Hague ruling as 'piece of waste paper' The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague last week ruled that there was no legal basis for Beijing's claims to much of the South China Sea, embodied in a "nine-dash line" that dates from 1940s maps and stretches close to other countries' coasts. Its extensive decision also said that China's construction on Mischief Reef had "violated the Philippines' sovereign rights with respect to its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf". Manila -- which lodged the suit against Beijing -- welcomed the decision but China dismissed it as a "piece of waste paper". Wu said Beijing would not be intimated over the issue, adding: "Any attempt to force China to give in through flexing military muscles will only have the opposite effect." Despite Chinese objections, the European Union weighed in on the subject at a regional summit last weekend, with President Donald Tusk telling reporters the bloc "will continue to speak out in support of upholding international law", adding that it had "full confidence" in the PCA and its decisions. China pressured countries in the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations not to issue a joint statement on the ruling, diplomats said. The US, Japan and Australia, amongst others, have urged Beijing to fall into line and respect the tribunal's ruling. 'Flexing military muscles' An area off the east coast of China's island province of Hainan will host military exercises from Tuesday to Thursday, China's maritime administration said on its website, adding that entrance was "prohibited". The area of sea identified is some distance from the Paracel islands and even further from the Spratlys. Beijing held military drills in the South China Sea just days before the international arbitration court ruling, state media reported. A combat air patrol was mounted over the sea recently and these would become a regular practice in future, an air force spokesman said separately. Bombers, fighters and other aircraft were sent to patrol islands and reefs including Huangyan Dao -- the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal -- spokesman Shen Jinke was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency as saying. Scarborough Shoal is disputed with the Philippines and is seen as a particular flashpoint. In a separate message on its website, the maritime administration said last week that four out of five lighthouses built atop islands and reefs in the sea have been activated, and a fifth would be put into use soon. (AFP)

Despite Hague ruling, Beijing vows to continue South China Sea construction

The swift rounding up of judges and others after a failed coup in Turkey indicated the government had prepared a list beforehand, the EU commissioner dealing with Turkey&#39;s membership bid, Johannes Hahn, said today.&nbsp; 
 
Following a failed coup attempt on Saturday, Turkish authorities on Sunday rounded up nearly 3,000 suspected military plotters, ranging from top commanders to foot soldiers, and the same number of judges and prosecutors. 
 
&quot;It looks at least as if something has been prepared. The lists are available, which indicates it was prepared and to be used at a certain stage,&quot; Hahn said. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m very concerned. It is exactly what we feared,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;Rule of law has to be protected&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday that&nbsp;Turkey must protect the rule of law as it cracks down after the failed coup. 
 
&quot;We are the ones saying today rule of law has to be protected in the country. There is no excuse for any steps that take the country away from that,&quot; Mogherini said as European Union foreign ministers met in Brussels. 
 
&quot;As we have been the first ones to say that in that tragic night (of Friday&#39;s coup attempt), the democratic and legislative institutions needed to be protected,&quot; she told reporters. 
 
&quot;Today we will say together with ministers that obviously doesn&#39;t mean that rule of law and the system of checks and balances in the country does not count. On the contrary, it needs to be protected for the sake of the country. 
 
&quot;So we will send a strong message on that.&quot; 
 
Turkey&#39;s attempts to join EU hobbled in recent years&nbsp; 
 
Would-be EU member Turkey carried out fresh raids today as the EU ministers were meeting, prompting growing international concern over the scale of the crackdown. 
 
Judges and military commanders are among 6,000 people who were arrested over the weekend as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vows to stamp out the &quot;virus&quot; of the coup plotters. 
 
Turkey&#39;s attempts to join the 28-nation European Union have been hobbled in recent years by concern over the increasingly authoritarian Erdogan&#39;s record on human rights and press freedom. 
 
But the EU agreed to speed up its membership bid and give visa-free travel to Turks as part of a migrant crisis deal in which Ankara agreed to take back people landing in the Greek islands. 
 
France, Belgium urge restraint&nbsp; 
 
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault also insisted &quot;the rule of law must prevail&quot;. 
 
&quot;France has condemned the coup, you can&#39;t accept the military taking power,&quot; he said. &quot;At the same time we have to be vigilant that the Turkish authorities don&#39;t put in place a system which turns back democracy.&quot; 
 
Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders also urged restraint, saying: &quot;It&#39;s normal to punish those involved in the coup, but it&#39;s normal to ask for respect for the rule of law.&quot; 
 
(Agencies)&nbsp;

The union urges restraint as the country cracks down heavily on people suspected of plotting the failed coup

The swift rounding up of judges and others after a failed coup in Turkey indicated the government had prepared a list beforehand, the EU commissioner dealing with Turkey's membership bid, Johannes Hahn, said today. Following a failed coup attempt on Saturday, Turkish authorities on Sunday rounded up nearly 3,000 suspected military plotters, ranging from top commanders to foot soldiers, and the same number of judges and prosecutors. "It looks at least as if something has been prepared. The lists are available, which indicates it was prepared and to be used at a certain stage," Hahn said. "I'm very concerned. It is exactly what we feared," he added. 'Rule of law has to be protected' Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday that Turkey must protect the rule of law as it cracks down after the failed coup. "We are the ones saying today rule of law has to be protected in the country. There is no excuse for any steps that take the country away from that," Mogherini said as European Union foreign ministers met in Brussels. "As we have been the first ones to say that in that tragic night (of Friday's coup attempt), the democratic and legislative institutions needed to be protected," she told reporters. "Today we will say together with ministers that obviously doesn't mean that rule of law and the system of checks and balances in the country does not count. On the contrary, it needs to be protected for the sake of the country. "So we will send a strong message on that." Turkey's attempts to join EU hobbled in recent years Would-be EU member Turkey carried out fresh raids today as the EU ministers were meeting, prompting growing international concern over the scale of the crackdown. Judges and military commanders are among 6,000 people who were arrested over the weekend as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vows to stamp out the "virus" of the coup plotters. Turkey's attempts to join the 28-nation European Union have been hobbled in recent years by concern over the increasingly authoritarian Erdogan's record on human rights and press freedom. But the EU agreed to speed up its membership bid and give visa-free travel to Turks as part of a migrant crisis deal in which Ankara agreed to take back people landing in the Greek islands. France, Belgium urge restraint French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault also insisted "the rule of law must prevail". "France has condemned the coup, you can't accept the military taking power," he said. "At the same time we have to be vigilant that the Turkish authorities don't put in place a system which turns back democracy." Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders also urged restraint, saying: "It's normal to punish those involved in the coup, but it's normal to ask for respect for the rule of law." (Agencies)

Turkey government seemed to have list of arrests prepared: EU's Johannes Hahn

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

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

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

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

The head of Britain&#39;s new Brexit ministry on Sunday said that EU migrants arriving between now and the country&#39;s official departure from the bloc may not be guaranteed the right to remain. 
 
David Davis told the Mail on Sunday that he would negotiate with European leaders to secure &quot;a generous settlement for EU migrants here now and a generous settlement for British citizens in the EU&quot;, but offered no such assurances for newcomers. 
 
&quot;There are a variety of possibilities,&quot; he said of plans to deal with a predicted &quot;surge&quot; in arrivals from the EU ahead of Britain&#39;s departure. 
 
&quot;We may have to say that the right to indefinite leave to remain protection only applies before a certain date. But you have to make those judgments on reality, not speculation.&quot; 
 
Britain will have to stick to the EU&#39;s freedom of movement rules until it officially leaves, but will then have control over who stays in the country, including over those who arrived before the pullout date. 
 
Davis has said that invoking Article 50, which would trigger official negotiations to leave the EU, should happen by the beginning of 2017. The negotiations have a two-year time limit, meaning Britain would leave by early 2019, at the latest. 
 
The EU Commission is refusing to hold talks until Article 50 takes effect, but Davis said some dialogue was inevitable. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t have to do any negotiations, just find out where their interests are,&quot; he told the paper.&nbsp;&quot;(Foreign Secretary) Boris Johnson is going to the EU foreign affairs council this weekend. Are they going to say, &#39;Oh, I can&#39;t mention this to you?&#39; Of course not.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Davis, 67, has been a long-time eurosceptic and was briefly Europe Minister in the Conservative government of former Prime Minister John Major in the 1990s. 
 
(AFP)

Britain is bound to the EU's freedom of movement rules until it officially leaves, then controls who stays, including new and old migrants

The head of Britain's new Brexit ministry on Sunday said that EU migrants arriving between now and the country's official departure from the bloc may not be guaranteed the right to remain. David Davis told the Mail on Sunday that he would negotiate with European leaders to secure "a generous settlement for EU migrants here now and a generous settlement for British citizens in the EU", but offered no such assurances for newcomers. "There are a variety of possibilities," he said of plans to deal with a predicted "surge" in arrivals from the EU ahead of Britain's departure. "We may have to say that the right to indefinite leave to remain protection only applies before a certain date. But you have to make those judgments on reality, not speculation." Britain will have to stick to the EU's freedom of movement rules until it officially leaves, but will then have control over who stays in the country, including over those who arrived before the pullout date. Davis has said that invoking Article 50, which would trigger official negotiations to leave the EU, should happen by the beginning of 2017. The negotiations have a two-year time limit, meaning Britain would leave by early 2019, at the latest. The EU Commission is refusing to hold talks until Article 50 takes effect, but Davis said some dialogue was inevitable. "We don't have to do any negotiations, just find out where their interests are," he told the paper. "(Foreign Secretary) Boris Johnson is going to the EU foreign affairs council this weekend. Are they going to say, 'Oh, I can't mention this to you?' Of course not." Davis, 67, has been a long-time eurosceptic and was briefly Europe Minister in the Conservative government of former Prime Minister John Major in the 1990s. (AFP)

UK Brexit minister can't guarantee new arrivals from EU the right to remain

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

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

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

EU slaps third anti-trust charge on tech giant Google

Britain&#39;s new finance minister Philip Hammond today ruled out an emergency budget in response to economic turbulence triggered by the country&#39;s vote in favour of exiting the European Union. 
 
Hammond told media that a budget would not be submitted before the British autumn, adding that London&#39;s key financial sector must retain access to the EU single market following Brexit. 
 
Ahead of last month&#39;s EU referendum, Hammond&#39;s predecessor George Osborne suggested that an emergency budget would be required in the event of a Brexit vote because of the risk of recession. 
 
However, he quickly ruled out such an event despite the country voting on June 23 to quit the bloc - and has now quit the government following Hammond&#39;s appointment. 
 
New Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday appointed Hammond to replace Osborne as chancellor of the exchequer. 
 
Osborne was the architect of the past six years of British austerity and a close friend of former prime minister David Cameron, while both had campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU. 
 
Hammond, who had been foreign minister in the outgoing government of Cameron, told various media outlets today that there would be no emergency budget. 
 
May &quot;made clear we will do an Autumn Statement (budget) in the usual way, in the autumn, and we will look carefully over the summer at the situation&quot;, Hammond told Sky News. 
 
Speaking to the ITV channel, he said that financial markets &quot;need to know we will do whatever is necessary to keep the economy on track&quot;. 
 
Bank of England meeting 
 
Hammond added that he was meeting today with Bank of England (BoE) governor Mark Carney to assess Britain&#39;s economy. 
 
It comes as the BoE prepares to announce whether it will cut its main interest rate to a new record low level under 0.50 per cent to curb the economic fallout from Brexit. 
 
Following the referendum the pound slumped to a 31-year-low against the dollar, before rebounding slightly. While a weak pound helps exporters, it makes imports more expensive, which in turn can push up inflation. 
 
But while a cut to the BoE&#39;s interest rate may help to boost business investment, it risks further weakening the pound according to analysts. 
 
&quot;There has been a chilling effect,&quot; on markets since the referendum, Hammond told BBC radio today. 
 
&quot;We have seen business investment decisions being paused because businesses now want to take stock, want to understand how we will take forward our renegotiation with the EU.&quot; 
 
Businesses &quot;want to know on what terms they will be able to sell into the single market of the European Union once Britain is outside that Union&quot;, he told the BBC. 
 
Hammond added that during Brexit negotiations with the EU, the government needed &quot;to ensure access to the European Union single market&quot; for London&#39;s financial services. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not only in London&#39;s interest, it&#39;s in the interest of the EU as well. London provides a crucial financial service,&quot; he added. 
 
Osborne had said following the referendum result that he would seek to slash corporation tax over fears of an exodus of companies from Britain. 
 
Hammond though would not be drawn on Thursday on Osborne&#39;s pledge to cut Britain&#39;s levy on company profits to under 15 per cent from 20 per cent currently. 
 
Following the referendum, Osborne also scrapped the government&#39;s promise for a budget surplus by 2020. 
 
Hammond told the BBC on today that the Conservative government had &quot;to reduce the deficit further, but looking at how and when and at what pace we do that and how we measure our progress in doing that, is something that we now need to consider in light of the new circumstances that the economy is facing.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

'We will do whatever is necessary to keep the economy on track,' Philip Hammond said

Britain's new finance minister Philip Hammond today ruled out an emergency budget in response to economic turbulence triggered by the country's vote in favour of exiting the European Union. Hammond told media that a budget would not be submitted before the British autumn, adding that London's key financial sector must retain access to the EU single market following Brexit. Ahead of last month's EU referendum, Hammond's predecessor George Osborne suggested that an emergency budget would be required in the event of a Brexit vote because of the risk of recession. However, he quickly ruled out such an event despite the country voting on June 23 to quit the bloc - and has now quit the government following Hammond's appointment. New Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday appointed Hammond to replace Osborne as chancellor of the exchequer. Osborne was the architect of the past six years of British austerity and a close friend of former prime minister David Cameron, while both had campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU. Hammond, who had been foreign minister in the outgoing government of Cameron, told various media outlets today that there would be no emergency budget. May "made clear we will do an Autumn Statement (budget) in the usual way, in the autumn, and we will look carefully over the summer at the situation", Hammond told Sky News. Speaking to the ITV channel, he said that financial markets "need to know we will do whatever is necessary to keep the economy on track". Bank of England meeting Hammond added that he was meeting today with Bank of England (BoE) governor Mark Carney to assess Britain's economy. It comes as the BoE prepares to announce whether it will cut its main interest rate to a new record low level under 0.50 per cent to curb the economic fallout from Brexit. Following the referendum the pound slumped to a 31-year-low against the dollar, before rebounding slightly. While a weak pound helps exporters, it makes imports more expensive, which in turn can push up inflation. But while a cut to the BoE's interest rate may help to boost business investment, it risks further weakening the pound according to analysts. "There has been a chilling effect," on markets since the referendum, Hammond told BBC radio today. "We have seen business investment decisions being paused because businesses now want to take stock, want to understand how we will take forward our renegotiation with the EU." Businesses "want to know on what terms they will be able to sell into the single market of the European Union once Britain is outside that Union", he told the BBC. Hammond added that during Brexit negotiations with the EU, the government needed "to ensure access to the European Union single market" for London's financial services. "It's not only in London's interest, it's in the interest of the EU as well. London provides a crucial financial service," he added. Osborne had said following the referendum result that he would seek to slash corporation tax over fears of an exodus of companies from Britain. Hammond though would not be drawn on Thursday on Osborne's pledge to cut Britain's levy on company profits to under 15 per cent from 20 per cent currently. Following the referendum, Osborne also scrapped the government's promise for a budget surplus by 2020. Hammond told the BBC on today that the Conservative government had "to reduce the deficit further, but looking at how and when and at what pace we do that and how we measure our progress in doing that, is something that we now need to consider in light of the new circumstances that the economy is facing." (AFP)

British finance minister rules out emergency budget

Gold fell on Thursday after rising nearly 1 per cent in the previous session, as the Dollar strengthened against the Yen and Asian stocks stayed near eight-month highs on expectations of an interest rate cut by the Bank of England (BoE). 
 
Investors bet the BoE will cut interest rates for the first time in more than seven years to ward off recession following Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union. 
 
The central bank is expected to halve its benchmark interest rate to a record low of 0.25 per cent when it makes a monthly policy statement at 1100 GMT later on Thursday. 
 
Spot gold was down 0.8 per cent at $1,332.33 per ounce by 0639 GMT. It rose about 0.9 per cent on Wednesday, closing at $1,342.45. 
 
&quot;Despite our near-term views that gold may correct further, we believe any losses may be limited and further declines well-bid,&quot; HSBC analyst James Steel said in a note. 
 
Low interest rates boost the appeal of non-interest bearing assets such as bullion. 
 
Spot gold is biased to retest a support at $1,328 per ounce, a break below which could cause a loss to the next support at $1,313, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao. 
 
Ronald Leung, chief dealer at Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong, said gold prices had steadied due to a number of stabilising factors including the appointment of a new prime minister in the UK, and the expected interest rate cuts by the Japanese and England central banks. 
 
&quot;Major central banks including the Bank of England and the European Central Bank are expected to relax their monetary policies, while the US Federal Reserve is reluctant to raise interest rates. People are expecting these central banks to relax their monetary policies in the wake of the financial and political uncertainty,&quot; he added. 
 
Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Marker said late on Wednesday that the central bank would likely opt for a &quot;fairly shallow&quot; series of US interest rate hikes, and that he wanted to &quot;let it play out a bit&quot; before backing a policy tightening. 
 
The Dollar was up 1 per cent at 105.57 Yen, its post-Brexit high, as investors remained focused on whether the Bank of Japan will expand its monetary stimulus at its policy meeting later this month. 
 
Among other precious metals, spot palladium slipped 0.1 per cent to $640.50 an ounce, after hitting an eight-month high of $647.20 in the previous session. 
 
Silver edged down 0.3 per cent to $20.28 an ounce, while platinum fell 0.7 per cent to $1,086.85 an ounce. 
 
(Reuters)

Investors bet the BoE will cut interest rates for the first time in more than seven years to ward off recession

Gold fell on Thursday after rising nearly 1 per cent in the previous session, as the Dollar strengthened against the Yen and Asian stocks stayed near eight-month highs on expectations of an interest rate cut by the Bank of England (BoE). Investors bet the BoE will cut interest rates for the first time in more than seven years to ward off recession following Britain's vote to leave the European Union. The central bank is expected to halve its benchmark interest rate to a record low of 0.25 per cent when it makes a monthly policy statement at 1100 GMT later on Thursday. Spot gold was down 0.8 per cent at $1,332.33 per ounce by 0639 GMT. It rose about 0.9 per cent on Wednesday, closing at $1,342.45. "Despite our near-term views that gold may correct further, we believe any losses may be limited and further declines well-bid," HSBC analyst James Steel said in a note. Low interest rates boost the appeal of non-interest bearing assets such as bullion. Spot gold is biased to retest a support at $1,328 per ounce, a break below which could cause a loss to the next support at $1,313, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao. Ronald Leung, chief dealer at Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong, said gold prices had steadied due to a number of stabilising factors including the appointment of a new prime minister in the UK, and the expected interest rate cuts by the Japanese and England central banks. "Major central banks including the Bank of England and the European Central Bank are expected to relax their monetary policies, while the US Federal Reserve is reluctant to raise interest rates. People are expecting these central banks to relax their monetary policies in the wake of the financial and political uncertainty," he added. Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Marker said late on Wednesday that the central bank would likely opt for a "fairly shallow" series of US interest rate hikes, and that he wanted to "let it play out a bit" before backing a policy tightening. The Dollar was up 1 per cent at 105.57 Yen, its post-Brexit high, as investors remained focused on whether the Bank of Japan will expand its monetary stimulus at its policy meeting later this month. Among other precious metals, spot palladium slipped 0.1 per cent to $640.50 an ounce, after hitting an eight-month high of $647.20 in the previous session. Silver edged down 0.3 per cent to $20.28 an ounce, while platinum fell 0.7 per cent to $1,086.85 an ounce. (Reuters)

Gold falls as market pauses ahead of Bank of England policy statement

The&nbsp;European&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;proposed more unified EU asylum rules on Wednesday, in a bid to stop people waiting for refugee status moving around the bloc and disrupting its passport-free zone.

In an unprecedented wave of migration last year, 1.3 million people reached the EU and most ignored legal restrictions, trekking from the Mediterranean coast to apply for asylum in wealthy Germany, prompting some EU countries to suspend the Schengen Area system that allows free passage between most EU states.

&quot;The changes will create a genuine common asylum procedure,&quot; said EU Migration&nbsp;Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos. &quot;At the same time, we set clear obligations and duties for asylum seekers to prevent secondary movements and abuse of procedures.&quot;

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said it had concerns about the new rules and said the new system must not lower standards of protection and asylum.

The proposal would standardise refugee reception facilities across the bloc and unify the level of state support they can get, setting common rules on residence permits, travel papers, access to jobs, schools, social welfare and healthcare.

It would grant prospective refugees swifter rights to work, but also put more obligations on them, meaning that if they do not cooperate with the authorities or head to an EU state of their choice rather than staying put, their asylum application could be jeopardised.

The five-year waiting period after which refugees are eligible for long-term residence would be restarted if they move from their designated country, the&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;said.

UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said people should be dissuaded from such movements, not punished.

The proposal also spells out more cases in which asylum seekers could be detained, something Jean Lambert, a British Green Party member of the&nbsp;European&nbsp;Parliament, said showed the EU was taking the wrong attitude to people seeking sanctuary.

&quot;The EU has justifiably come under fire for its response to the refugee crisis but today&#39;s proposals ... will do nothing to allay this,&quot; she said, accusing the&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;of seeking to curb the rights of asylum seekers and &quot;an obsession with punitive measures&quot;.

&quot;People are fleeing because their lives are threatened and homes being destroyed, not because the EU&#39;s asylum system is gold plated - it&#39;s not!&quot;

The plan, which will be reviewed by EU governments and the&nbsp;European&nbsp;Parliament, comes after Brussels proposed in May a system for distributing asylum seekers, an idea opposed by eastern EU states which refuse to accept refugees.

Only 3,056 people have so far been relocated under the scheme that was meant for 160,000 people, the&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;said. Hungary and Slovakia have challenged the system in the courts.

UNHCR wants the EU to drop the first country of arrival principle and distribute asylum seekers among EU member states.

Asked whether Brussels would punish countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, for not complying, Avramopoulos said: &quot;We&#39;re not here to punish, we are here to persuade. But if this persuasion doesn&#39;t succeed, then yes, we&#39;re thinking of doing that. But we&#39;re not there yet.&quot;

&nbsp;

Safe List

Last year&#39;s record arrivals triggered bitter political disputes in the EU, where the wealthier states which ended up hosting most of the people accused the newer members in the east of showing no solidarity.

A deal with Turkey in March has since cut the arrivals to Greece to a trickle, but has prompted concerns about human rights.

Unlike the Turkey route, however, which mainly brought Syrians and other people with a strong cases for asylum into Europe, the bloc is now worried over a rise in arrivals from Africa through Libya. Most people on that route do not qualify for asylum and, under the EU rules, should be sent back.

The&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;wants to draw up lists of &quot;safe countries&quot; outside the bloc, which would help EU states return people, after Athens&#39; refusal to recognise Turkey as such a place hindered deportations from the Greek islands back to Turkey.

So-called safe countries should only be an option where &quot;precise, impartial, and up-to-date information is available on the safety of a particular country&quot;, UNHCR&#39;s Spindler said.

&quot;An applicant must have an effective opportunity to rebut the presumption of safety in light of their individual circumstances, and the safe country concepts should not apply to vulnerable applicants.&quot;

To discourage chaotic flows by facilitating legal migration, the&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;also proposed an EU-wide system for resettlement directly from refugee camps. It said Brussels would pay 10,000 Euros for each person EU states bring in.

But Slovakia, the current holder of the EU&#39;s rotating presidency, was sceptical on chances for unified asylum system.

&quot;We can only talk about real burden-sharing when the quality of life is the same in all EU states,&quot; said Bernard Priecel, head of Slovakia&#39;s migration service. &quot;Otherwise we will always have secondary movements. How can you force them to stay?&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The proposal would standardise refugee reception facilities across the bloc, and unify the level of state support they can receive

The European Commission proposed more unified EU asylum rules on Wednesday, in a bid to stop people waiting for refugee status moving around the bloc and disrupting its passport-free zone. In an unprecedented wave of migration last year, 1.3 million people reached the EU and most ignored legal restrictions, trekking from the Mediterranean coast to apply for asylum in wealthy Germany, prompting some EU countries to suspend the Schengen Area system that allows free passage between most EU states. "The changes will create a genuine common asylum procedure," said EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos. "At the same time, we set clear obligations and duties for asylum seekers to prevent secondary movements and abuse of procedures." The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said it had concerns about the new rules and said the new system must not lower standards of protection and asylum. The proposal would standardise refugee reception facilities across the bloc and unify the level of state support they can get, setting common rules on residence permits, travel papers, access to jobs, schools, social welfare and healthcare. It would grant prospective refugees swifter rights to work, but also put more obligations on them, meaning that if they do not cooperate with the authorities or head to an EU state of their choice rather than staying put, their asylum application could be jeopardised. The five-year waiting period after which refugees are eligible for long-term residence would be restarted if they move from their designated country, the Commission said. UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said people should be dissuaded from such movements, not punished. The proposal also spells out more cases in which asylum seekers could be detained, something Jean Lambert, a British Green Party member of the European Parliament, said showed the EU was taking the wrong attitude to people seeking sanctuary. "The EU has justifiably come under fire for its response to the refugee crisis but today's proposals ... will do nothing to allay this," she said, accusing the Commission of seeking to curb the rights of asylum seekers and "an obsession with punitive measures". "People are fleeing because their lives are threatened and homes being destroyed, not because the EU's asylum system is gold plated - it's not!" The plan, which will be reviewed by EU governments and the European Parliament, comes after Brussels proposed in May a system for distributing asylum seekers, an idea opposed by eastern EU states which refuse to accept refugees. Only 3,056 people have so far been relocated under the scheme that was meant for 160,000 people, the Commission said. Hungary and Slovakia have challenged the system in the courts. UNHCR wants the EU to drop the first country of arrival principle and distribute asylum seekers among EU member states. Asked whether Brussels would punish countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, for not complying, Avramopoulos said: "We're not here to punish, we are here to persuade. But if this persuasion doesn't succeed, then yes, we're thinking of doing that. But we're not there yet." Safe List Last year's record arrivals triggered bitter political disputes in the EU, where the wealthier states which ended up hosting most of the people accused the newer members in the east of showing no solidarity. A deal with Turkey in March has since cut the arrivals to Greece to a trickle, but has prompted concerns about human rights. Unlike the Turkey route, however, which mainly brought Syrians and other people with a strong cases for asylum into Europe, the bloc is now worried over a rise in arrivals from Africa through Libya. Most people on that route do not qualify for asylum and, under the EU rules, should be sent back. The Commission wants to draw up lists of "safe countries" outside the bloc, which would help EU states return people, after Athens' refusal to recognise Turkey as such a place hindered deportations from the Greek islands back to Turkey. So-called safe countries should only be an option where "precise, impartial, and up-to-date information is available on the safety of a particular country", UNHCR's Spindler said. "An applicant must have an effective opportunity to rebut the presumption of safety in light of their individual circumstances, and the safe country concepts should not apply to vulnerable applicants." To discourage chaotic flows by facilitating legal migration, the Commission also proposed an EU-wide system for resettlement directly from refugee camps. It said Brussels would pay 10,000 Euros for each person EU states bring in. But Slovakia, the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, was sceptical on chances for unified asylum system. "We can only talk about real burden-sharing when the quality of life is the same in all EU states," said Bernard Priecel, head of Slovakia's migration service. "Otherwise we will always have secondary movements. How can you force them to stay?" (Reuters)

EU proposes new asylum rules to stop migrants crossing Europe

In Boris Johnson, Britain has appointed a liar with his back against the wall as its new foreign secretary at a time when somebody reliable is needed in the role, his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault said today.&nbsp; 
 
Johnson campaigned successfully for Britons to vote to leave the European Union last month. In France, a founding EU member, he is seen as a key player in the departure and in the setback to European integration it represents. 
 
&quot;I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson, but... during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back against the wall,&quot; said Ayrault on Europe 1 radio. 
 
After the vote on June 23, Johnson turned his back on a chance to stand as prime minister in place of Conservative David Cameron, who stepped down having led the campaign to stay. 
 
However, on Wednesday, Cameron`s successor, Theresa May, appointed the former mayor of London and one-time journalist as her foreign secretary. 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/johnson-20160714125658.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Boris Johnson (in photo) campaigned for Britons to vote to leave the European Union last month.
</div>
 
 
Johnson will not be in charge of talks about how the divorce will be arranged. May named David Davis, a pro-Brexit former Conservative Party chairman, to a special ministerial role for that purpose. 
 
Nevertheless, the normally soft-spoken former French prime minister Ayrault had a strong warning for the new foreign policy chief of his near neighbour. 
 
&quot;(He has) his back against the wall to defend his country but also with his back against the wall the relationship with Europe should be clear,&quot; Ayrault said. 
 
&quot;I need a partner with whom I can negotiate and who is clear, credible and reliable,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We cannot let this ambiguous, blurred situation drag on... in the interests of the British themselves.&quot; 
 
France and other EU partners have urged Britain to trigger quickly the process of exiting the bloc so that a two-year period of talks about trade terms and other links can begin. May has indicated she does not intend to do that this year.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

On Wednesday, David Cameron's successor, Theresa May, appointed London's former mayor Boris Johnson as her foreign secretary

In Boris Johnson, Britain has appointed a liar with his back against the wall as its new foreign secretary at a time when somebody reliable is needed in the role, his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault said today. Johnson campaigned successfully for Britons to vote to leave the European Union last month. In France, a founding EU member, he is seen as a key player in the departure and in the setback to European integration it represents. "I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson, but... during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back against the wall," said Ayrault on Europe 1 radio. After the vote on June 23, Johnson turned his back on a chance to stand as prime minister in place of Conservative David Cameron, who stepped down having led the campaign to stay. However, on Wednesday, Cameron`s successor, Theresa May, appointed the former mayor of London and one-time journalist as her foreign secretary. Boris Johnson (in photo) campaigned for Britons to vote to leave the European Union last month. Johnson will not be in charge of talks about how the divorce will be arranged. May named David Davis, a pro-Brexit former Conservative Party chairman, to a special ministerial role for that purpose. Nevertheless, the normally soft-spoken former French prime minister Ayrault had a strong warning for the new foreign policy chief of his near neighbour. "(He has) his back against the wall to defend his country but also with his back against the wall the relationship with Europe should be clear," Ayrault said. "I need a partner with whom I can negotiate and who is clear, credible and reliable," he added. "We cannot let this ambiguous, blurred situation drag on... in the interests of the British themselves." France and other EU partners have urged Britain to trigger quickly the process of exiting the bloc so that a two-year period of talks about trade terms and other links can begin. May has indicated she does not intend to do that this year. (Reuters)

UK's Johnson lied in his campaign, now has his back against the wall: French foreign minister

A second candidate joined the race today to try to unseat Britain&#39;s opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is battling a party revolt in the wake of the Brexit vote. 
 
&quot;I will stand in this election and I will do the decent thing and fight Jeremy Corbyn on the issues,&quot; Labour lawmaker Owen Smith told the BBC. 
 
He will join fellow MP Angela Eagle in trying to wrest the party leadership from the veteran socialist, who has refused to quit despite a major rebellion by his MPs. 
 
The winner of the contest, which will formally get underway with an announcement of the timetable on Thursday, is expected to be crowned in September. 
 
Smith said he had decided to stand after seeing a &quot;dramatic collapse of faith and confidence in Jeremy&quot; over the last couple of weeks. 
 
Corbyn accused of lacklustre leadership&nbsp; 
 
Many moderate Labour MPs have never reconciled themselves to Corbyn&#39;s election as leader last September, secured thanks to strong support among ordinary party members. 
 
They moved against him in the wake of Britain&#39;s shock June 23 vote to leave the European Union -- an outcome deplored by most of the parliamentary party. 
 
Three-quarters of Labour MPs backed a vote of no confidence in Corbyn on June 28, accusing him of lacklustre leadership in the campaign which culminated with many longtime Labour voters in underprivileged areas defying the party line and backing Brexit. 
 
Many party grandees also fear he would be unable to win a general election if one were called early, although incoming prime minister Theresa May, who takes over from David Cameron later today, has ruled out an early vote. 
 
Late Tuesday, Corbyn won a first victory over his critics after the party&#39;s executive committee ruled he would automatically be included on the leadership ballot. 
 
The decision means that -- unlike his challengers -- he does not need the required 51 nominations from Labour MPs or members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to stand. 
 
Smith was in his teens when joined Labour party&nbsp; 
 
Smith, a former BBC radio producer seen as more centrist than Corbyn, has only been a member of parliament since 2010, representing the Welsh constituency of Pontypridd. 
 
But the 46-year-old has been a member of the Labour party since he was 16, and was special advisor to Paul Murphy, the Labour government minister in charge of Wales and then Northern Ireland, between 2002 and 2005. 
 
After a stint working as a media advisor to pharmaceutical group Pfizer, he became an MP when Labour moved into opposition, and became its spokesman on Welsh affairs. 
 
He appeared in a list of possible candidates to replace outgoing leader Ed Miliband following Labour&#39;s second successive general election defeat last year. 
 
But he did not step forward then and was named shadow work and pensions minister under Corbyn in September 2015. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Smith will join fellow MP Angela Eagle in bid to wrest party leadership from veteran socialist, who refused to quit despite a major rebel

A second candidate joined the race today to try to unseat Britain's opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is battling a party revolt in the wake of the Brexit vote. "I will stand in this election and I will do the decent thing and fight Jeremy Corbyn on the issues," Labour lawmaker Owen Smith told the BBC. He will join fellow MP Angela Eagle in trying to wrest the party leadership from the veteran socialist, who has refused to quit despite a major rebellion by his MPs. The winner of the contest, which will formally get underway with an announcement of the timetable on Thursday, is expected to be crowned in September. Smith said he had decided to stand after seeing a "dramatic collapse of faith and confidence in Jeremy" over the last couple of weeks. Corbyn accused of lacklustre leadership Many moderate Labour MPs have never reconciled themselves to Corbyn's election as leader last September, secured thanks to strong support among ordinary party members. They moved against him in the wake of Britain's shock June 23 vote to leave the European Union -- an outcome deplored by most of the parliamentary party. Three-quarters of Labour MPs backed a vote of no confidence in Corbyn on June 28, accusing him of lacklustre leadership in the campaign which culminated with many longtime Labour voters in underprivileged areas defying the party line and backing Brexit. Many party grandees also fear he would be unable to win a general election if one were called early, although incoming prime minister Theresa May, who takes over from David Cameron later today, has ruled out an early vote. Late Tuesday, Corbyn won a first victory over his critics after the party's executive committee ruled he would automatically be included on the leadership ballot. The decision means that -- unlike his challengers -- he does not need the required 51 nominations from Labour MPs or members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to stand. Smith was in his teens when joined Labour party Smith, a former BBC radio producer seen as more centrist than Corbyn, has only been a member of parliament since 2010, representing the Welsh constituency of Pontypridd. But the 46-year-old has been a member of the Labour party since he was 16, and was special advisor to Paul Murphy, the Labour government minister in charge of Wales and then Northern Ireland, between 2002 and 2005. After a stint working as a media advisor to pharmaceutical group Pfizer, he became an MP when Labour moved into opposition, and became its spokesman on Welsh affairs. He appeared in a list of possible candidates to replace outgoing leader Ed Miliband following Labour's second successive general election defeat last year. But he did not step forward then and was named shadow work and pensions minister under Corbyn in September 2015. (AFP)

Power struggle in Labour party heats up, Owen Smith joins race to unseat Corbyn

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

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

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

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

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