Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for intensifying regional cooperation to effectively deal with terrorism and pitched for a rules-based security architecture for the resource-rich region, seen as a veiled reference to China&#39;s expansionist posturing in the Indo- Pacific.

In an address at the ASEAN-India summit here, Modi identified terrorism and extremism as the major challenges facing the region and said the time has come for the countries of the region to join hands to collectively deal with it.

&quot;We have individually strived very hard to fight terrorism and violent extremism. It is time that we jointly address this challenge by intensifying cooperation in this crucial area,&quot; he said.

The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.

In a clear reference to the South China Sea (SCS) dispute which has cast a shadow over the summit talks, Modi said India will continue its support to the ASEAN for establishing a rules-based security architecture in the region.

&quot;India assures the ASEAN of its steady support towards achieving a rules-based regional security architecture that best attests to the region&#39;s interests and its peaceful development,&quot; he said.

China&#39;s aggressive military build up in the SCS was one of the focus areas of the deliberations at the ASEAN summit. China claims sovereignty over all of the SCS, a huge source of hydrocarbons.

However, several ASEAN member countries including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei have counter claims.

India has been supporting freedom of navigation and access to resources in the SCS in accordance with principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The ASEAN has been pushing for a legally binding code of conduct for all stakeholders in the SCS but Beijing has been opposing such a framework asserting that it will resolve the dispute with respective countries under the bilateral mechanism.

Prime Minister Modi also talked about shared values and common destiny between India and ASEAN, adding 1.25 billion people in India were eagerly waiting to receive leaders of the ASEAN at the Republic Day celebrations in January next year.

He said India is also holding a commemorative summit with ASEAN on January 25 next year. The ties between India and ASEAN have been on an upswing.

The ASEAN region along with India together comprises a combined population of 1.85 billion people, which is one-fourth of the global population and their combined GDP has been estimated at over USD 3.8 trillion.

Investment from ASEAN to India has been over USD 70 billion in the last 17 years accounting for more than 17 percent of India&#39;s total FDI. India&#39;s investment in ASEAN during the same period has been more than USD 40 billion.

Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei are the members of the ASEAN.

Prime Minister Modi also participated at a meeting of leaders of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The RCEP, comprising 10-member ASEAN bloc and six other countries -- India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, is engaged in negotiations for a free trade pact.

'India assures the ASEAN of its steady support towards achieving a rules-based regional security architecture that best attests to the region's interests and its peaceful development,' Modi said

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for intensifying regional cooperation to effectively deal with terrorism and pitched for a rules-based security architecture for the resource-rich region, seen as a veiled reference to China's expansionist posturing in the Indo- Pacific. In an address at the ASEAN-India summit here, Modi identified terrorism and extremism as the major challenges facing the region and said the time has come for the countries of the region to join hands to collectively deal with it. "We have individually strived very hard to fight terrorism and violent extremism. It is time that we jointly address this challenge by intensifying cooperation in this crucial area," he said. The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners. In a clear reference to the South China Sea (SCS) dispute which has cast a shadow over the summit talks, Modi said India will continue its support to the ASEAN for establishing a rules-based security architecture in the region. "India assures the ASEAN of its steady support towards achieving a rules-based regional security architecture that best attests to the region's interests and its peaceful development," he said. China's aggressive military build up in the SCS was one of the focus areas of the deliberations at the ASEAN summit. China claims sovereignty over all of the SCS, a huge source of hydrocarbons. However, several ASEAN member countries including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei have counter claims. India has been supporting freedom of navigation and access to resources in the SCS in accordance with principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The ASEAN has been pushing for a legally binding code of conduct for all stakeholders in the SCS but Beijing has been opposing such a framework asserting that it will resolve the dispute with respective countries under the bilateral mechanism. Prime Minister Modi also talked about shared values and common destiny between India and ASEAN, adding 1.25 billion people in India were eagerly waiting to receive leaders of the ASEAN at the Republic Day celebrations in January next year. He said India is also holding a commemorative summit with ASEAN on January 25 next year. The ties between India and ASEAN have been on an upswing. The ASEAN region along with India together comprises a combined population of 1.85 billion people, which is one-fourth of the global population and their combined GDP has been estimated at over USD 3.8 trillion. Investment from ASEAN to India has been over USD 70 billion in the last 17 years accounting for more than 17 percent of India's total FDI. India's investment in ASEAN during the same period has been more than USD 40 billion. Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei are the members of the ASEAN. Prime Minister Modi also participated at a meeting of leaders of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The RCEP, comprising 10-member ASEAN bloc and six other countries -- India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, is engaged in negotiations for a free trade pact.

India supports rules-based security architecture: Modi at ASEAN

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will&nbsp;on Sunday&nbsp;visit Catalonia for the first time since Madrid imposed direct rule on the region, a day after hundreds of thousands of Catalans marched to demand the release of jailed regional officials.

Mariano Rajoy is expected in Barcelona, the Catalan capital, at&nbsp;11:00 am&nbsp;(1000 GMT) to show support for his Popular Party`s campaign ahead of a vote next month.

His visit comes two weeks after he dismissed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, his government and the parliament, suspended the region&#39;s autonomy and called for new elections there on&nbsp;December 21.

On Saturday&nbsp;hundreds of thousands of Catalans protested the jailing of regional officials for their push for independence from Spain, which has left the country mired in a political crisis.

The demonstrators gathered on an avenue next to the regional parliament building waving Catalan independence flags and chanting &quot;Freedom!&quot; while some held up banners announcing: &quot;SOS Democracy&quot;.

Rajoy, who is due to attend a presentation by a party candidate at a station hotel, will not make a public appearance in the city.

The protest followed the release from jail of the region&#39;s parliament speaker -- one of the dozens of lawmakers sacked by Madrid last month -- after posting 150,000 euros ($175,000) bail.

Children in riding helmets climbed castells -- the region&#39;s traditional human towers -- as others held placards bearing caricatures of some jailed lawmakers.

Barcelona municipal police put turnout for the march at some 750,000 people as crowds stretched for more than 15 blocks along the boulevard.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-senate-votes-to-suspend-catalonias-autonomy-23050">The Catalonia crisis</a> has caused concern in the European Union as the bloc deals with Brexit and uncertainty over the fate of the region`s 7.5 million people. More than 2,400 businesses have moved their legal headquarters elsewhere.

On Wednesday&nbsp;a general strike called by a pro-independence union caused travel chaos, blocking 60 roads and train lines including Spain`s main highway link to France and the rest of Europe.

Since lawmakers in Catalonia -- a wealthy region with its own language and distinct culture -- declared independence on October 27 following a banned referendum, pro-separatist officials have come under huge pressure from Madrid.

Barcelona&#39;s popular mayor earlier slammed the actions of Puigdemont`s government.

&quot;They&#39;ve provoked tensions and carried out a unilateral independence declaration which the majority do not want,&quot; Ada Colau told a meeting of her party members.

&quot;They&#39;ve tricked the population for their own interests.&quot;

Eight members of the axed Catalan cabinet are currently detained on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds.&nbsp;

A further six fired officials including parliament speaker Carme Forcadell were granted bail this week on similar charges by Spain&#39;s Supreme Court.

Puigdemont is in self-imposed exile in Belgium awaiting a hearing on possible extradition back to Spain after Madrid issued an EU-wide warrant.

&quot;The situation is sad, the politicians haven&#39;t done their jobs,&quot; said Robert Muni, who was protesting with his children, although some protesters shouted their support for Puigdemont, &quot;our president&quot;. Puigdemont and four ex-ministers say they are in Brussels because they cannot be guaranteed a fair trial back home.&nbsp;

&quot;Although some of us are far away from you and others are in prison, we have an opportunity to express loudly and clearly that we want freedom and democracy,&quot; Puigdemont told Catalan television.&nbsp;

Saturday&#39;s protest was organised by two pro-independence lobby groups, ANC and Omnium, whose two leaders are also detained.

&quot;We don&#39;t know what`s going to happen but we know what we want: the release of political prisoners,&quot; said demonstrator Maria Angels Quintana.

Puigdemont has said he travelled to Brussels after declaring independence in order to raise international awareness on the treatment of separatists in Spain.

But the European Union, nervous that Catalan independence could stir up separatist tensions in several member states, has repeatedly backed the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy over the crisis.

Some participants at the rally betrayed their frustration at the lack of support from Brussels for their cause, holding banners printed in English asking &quot;Europe, where are you?&quot;

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will?on Sunday?visit Catalonia for the first time since Madrid imposed direct rule on the region, a day after hundreds of thousands of Catalans marched to demand the release of jailed regional officials.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will on Sunday visit Catalonia for the first time since Madrid imposed direct rule on the region, a day after hundreds of thousands of Catalans marched to demand the release of jailed regional officials. Mariano Rajoy is expected in Barcelona, the Catalan capital, at 11:00 am (1000 GMT) to show support for his Popular Party`s campaign ahead of a vote next month. His visit comes two weeks after he dismissed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, his government and the parliament, suspended the region's autonomy and called for new elections there on December 21. On Saturday hundreds of thousands of Catalans protested the jailing of regional officials for their push for independence from Spain, which has left the country mired in a political crisis. The demonstrators gathered on an avenue next to the regional parliament building waving Catalan independence flags and chanting "Freedom!" while some held up banners announcing: "SOS Democracy". Rajoy, who is due to attend a presentation by a party candidate at a station hotel, will not make a public appearance in the city. The protest followed the release from jail of the region's parliament speaker -- one of the dozens of lawmakers sacked by Madrid last month -- after posting 150,000 euros ($175,000) bail. Children in riding helmets climbed castells -- the region's traditional human towers -- as others held placards bearing caricatures of some jailed lawmakers. Barcelona municipal police put turnout for the march at some 750,000 people as crowds stretched for more than 15 blocks along the boulevard. The Catalonia crisis has caused concern in the European Union as the bloc deals with Brexit and uncertainty over the fate of the region`s 7.5 million people. More than 2,400 businesses have moved their legal headquarters elsewhere. On Wednesday a general strike called by a pro-independence union caused travel chaos, blocking 60 roads and train lines including Spain`s main highway link to France and the rest of Europe. Since lawmakers in Catalonia -- a wealthy region with its own language and distinct culture -- declared independence on October 27 following a banned referendum, pro-separatist officials have come under huge pressure from Madrid. Barcelona's popular mayor earlier slammed the actions of Puigdemont`s government. "They've provoked tensions and carried out a unilateral independence declaration which the majority do not want," Ada Colau told a meeting of her party members. "They've tricked the population for their own interests." Eight members of the axed Catalan cabinet are currently detained on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds. A further six fired officials including parliament speaker Carme Forcadell were granted bail this week on similar charges by Spain's Supreme Court. Puigdemont is in self-imposed exile in Belgium awaiting a hearing on possible extradition back to Spain after Madrid issued an EU-wide warrant. "The situation is sad, the politicians haven't done their jobs," said Robert Muni, who was protesting with his children, although some protesters shouted their support for Puigdemont, "our president". Puigdemont and four ex-ministers say they are in Brussels because they cannot be guaranteed a fair trial back home. "Although some of us are far away from you and others are in prison, we have an opportunity to express loudly and clearly that we want freedom and democracy," Puigdemont told Catalan television. Saturday's protest was organised by two pro-independence lobby groups, ANC and Omnium, whose two leaders are also detained. "We don't know what`s going to happen but we know what we want: the release of political prisoners," said demonstrator Maria Angels Quintana. Puigdemont has said he travelled to Brussels after declaring independence in order to raise international awareness on the treatment of separatists in Spain. But the European Union, nervous that Catalan independence could stir up separatist tensions in several member states, has repeatedly backed the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy over the crisis. Some participants at the rally betrayed their frustration at the lack of support from Brussels for their cause, holding banners printed in English asking "Europe, where are you?"

Rajoy in Barcelona for first Catalonia visit since direct rule

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Friday, the 10th of November, that he was &quot;reasonably confident&quot; a deal on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could be reached without the United States.

Trade ministers from the TPP countries met on Thursday, November 9th, but their meetings ended without making headway. It was unclear whether leaders of TPP countries would meet on Friday.

The TPP aims to eliminate tariffs on industrial and farm products across a bloc whose trade totalled $356 billion last year. It also has provisions for protecting everything from labour rights to the environment to intellectual property - one of the main sticking points.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has provisions for protecting everything from labour rights to the environment to intellectual property - one of the main sticking points

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Friday, the 10th of November, that he was "reasonably confident" a deal on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could be reached without the United States. Trade ministers from the TPP countries met on Thursday, November 9th, but their meetings ended without making headway. It was unclear whether leaders of TPP countries would meet on Friday. The TPP aims to eliminate tariffs on industrial and farm products across a bloc whose trade totalled $356 billion last year. It also has provisions for protecting everything from labour rights to the environment to intellectual property - one of the main sticking points.

TPP trade deal can be reached without US: Malaysia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met DMK supremo M Karunanidhi at the latter&#39;s Gopalapuram residence here.

The meeting between the two leaders lasted about 20 minutes. Modi sat next to Karunanidhi and held his hands.

Earlier, DMK Working President and Karunanidhi&#39;s son, M K Stalin, welcomed the Prime Minister at the gate and honoured him with a red shawl.

Modi was accompanied by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and state BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan.

DMK leaders including Kanimozhi, who is the daughter of Karunanidhi, were also present.

Later, the wheelchair-bound Karunanidhi made a brief appearance outside and waved at his supporters who cheered him.

Karunanidhi, who was taken ill in October 2016 due to a drug-induced allergy, was twice admitted to a private hospital in December last.

Karunanidhi has been since confined to his house, but made one rare appearance on October 19 this year when he visited an exhibition here held to showcase the 75-year journey of DMK&#39;s mouthpiece, &#39;Murasoli&#39;.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had called on the nonagenarian DMK patriarch at his residence in December, 2016.

The meeting between the two leaders lasted about 20 minutes. Modi sat next to Karunanidhi and held his hands

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met DMK supremo M Karunanidhi at the latter's Gopalapuram residence here. The meeting between the two leaders lasted about 20 minutes. Modi sat next to Karunanidhi and held his hands. Earlier, DMK Working President and Karunanidhi's son, M K Stalin, welcomed the Prime Minister at the gate and honoured him with a red shawl. Modi was accompanied by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and state BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan. DMK leaders including Kanimozhi, who is the daughter of Karunanidhi, were also present. Later, the wheelchair-bound Karunanidhi made a brief appearance outside and waved at his supporters who cheered him. Karunanidhi, who was taken ill in October 2016 due to a drug-induced allergy, was twice admitted to a private hospital in December last. Karunanidhi has been since confined to his house, but made one rare appearance on October 19 this year when he visited an exhibition here held to showcase the 75-year journey of DMK's mouthpiece, 'Murasoli'. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had called on the nonagenarian DMK patriarch at his residence in December, 2016.

PM Modi meets DMK patriarch Karunanidhi

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Friday the &quot;business of government goes on&quot; despite a citizenship crisis that ousted his deputy and cost the government its parliamentary majority.&nbsp;

Australia`s High Court ruled earlier on Friday that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and four other lawmakers are ineligible to remain in parliament because they held dual citizenship at the time of the last election.&nbsp;

&quot;The decision of the court today is clearly not the outcome we were hoping for but the business of government goes on,&quot; Turnbull told reporters in Canberra.

Turnbull confirmed that a by-election would be held in Joyce`s seat on Dec. 2.

Australia`s High Court ruled earlier on Friday that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and four other lawmakers are ineligible to remain in parliament because they held dual citizenship at the time of the last election.?

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Friday the "business of government goes on" despite a citizenship crisis that ousted his deputy and cost the government its parliamentary majority. Australia`s High Court ruled earlier on Friday that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and four other lawmakers are ineligible to remain in parliament because they held dual citizenship at the time of the last election. "The decision of the court today is clearly not the outcome we were hoping for but the business of government goes on," Turnbull told reporters in Canberra. Turnbull confirmed that a by-election would be held in Joyce`s seat on Dec. 2.

Respects court decision, says Australian deputy PM after court  rules him ineligible for parliament

The Iraqi government ruled out talks on possible secession for Kurdish-held parts of northern Iraq after a referendum on independence showed strong support for a split.

&quot;We are not ready to discuss or have a dialogue about the results of the referendum because it is unconstitutional,&quot; Abadi said in a speech broadcast on state TV on Monday (September 25) night.

Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani says the referendum is not binding, but was meant to be a legitimate mandate to negotiate with Baghdad and neighbouring countries over the secession of the region from Iraq.

The vote was expected to deliver a comfortable &quot;yes&quot;, and final results should be announced in 72 hours.

Haider Al - Abadi: We are not ready to discuss or have a dialogue about the results of the referendum because it is unconstitutional.

The Iraqi government ruled out talks on possible secession for Kurdish-held parts of northern Iraq after a referendum on independence showed strong support for a split. "We are not ready to discuss or have a dialogue about the results of the referendum because it is unconstitutional," Abadi said in a speech broadcast on state TV on Monday (September 25) night. Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani says the referendum is not binding, but was meant to be a legitimate mandate to negotiate with Baghdad and neighbouring countries over the secession of the region from Iraq. The vote was expected to deliver a comfortable "yes", and final results should be announced in 72 hours.

Iraq refuses to discuss Kurdish independence after referendum

The&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;issue&nbsp;should&nbsp;be resolved&nbsp;peacefully&nbsp;through talks, Chinese President&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;Jinping told British Prime Minister&nbsp;Theresa&nbsp;May&nbsp;in a telephone call, state radio said on Monday.

Chinese President?Xi?Jinping told British Prime Minister?Theresa?May

The North Korean issue should be resolved peacefully through talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping told British Prime Minister Theresa May in a telephone call, state radio said on Monday.

North Korea issue should be peacefully resolved: Xi to Theresa May

The leaders of&nbsp;Britain, France and Italy will push social media companies on Wednesday to remove &quot;terrorist content&quot; from the internet within one to two hours of it appearing because they say that is the period when most material is spread.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni will raise the issue at an event on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

Internet companies including Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google said they will attend the meeting.

Google will be represented by general counsel Kent Walker, who will also speak on behalf of a recently formed industry group called the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.

Facebook is sending Monika Bickert, head of global policy management, who is expected to make remarks reiterating the companies&#39; commitment to combating online extremism.

Microsoft is sending Dave Heiner, a senior policy advisor.

The European Union has threatened legislation if internet companies do not step up efforts to police what is available on the web.

The British UN&nbsp;mission said May will welcome progress, but urge companies to go &quot;further and faster&quot; to stop groups like Islamic State spreading material that promotes extremism or shows how to make bombs or attack pedestrians with vehicles.

&quot;Terrorist groups are aware that links to their propaganda are being removed more quickly, and are placing a greater emphasis on disseminating content at speed in order to stay ahead,&quot; May plans to tell the event.

&quot;Industry needs to go further and faster in automating the detection and removal of terrorist content online, and developing technological solutions which prevent it being uploaded in the first place,&quot; she will say.

Responding to pressure from governments in Europe and the United States after a spate of militant attacks, key firms created the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism in June to share technical solutions for removing extremist content and work more with counter-terrorism experts.

Twitter said it had removed 299,649 accounts in the first half of this year for the &quot;promotion of terrorism&quot;, a 20 percent decline from the previous six months, although it gave no reason for the drop. Three-quarters of those accounts were suspended before posting their first tweet.

May said ahead of Wednesday&#39;s event: &quot;We need a fundamental shift in the scale and nature of our response &ndash; both from industry and governments &ndash; if we are to match the evolving nature of terrorists&#39; use of the internet.&quot;

Internet companies including Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google said they will attend the meeting.

Google will be represented by general counsel Kent Walker, who will also speak on behalf of a recently formed industry group called the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.

Facebook is sending Monika Bickert, head of global policy management, who is expected to make remarks reiterating the companies&#39; commitment to combating online extremism.

Microsoft is sending Dave Heiner, a senior policy advisor.

The European Union has threatened legislation if internet companies do not step up efforts to police what is available on the web.

The British UN&nbsp;mission said May will welcome progress, but urge companies to go &quot;further and faster&quot; to stop groups like Islamic State spreading material that promotes extremism or shows how to make bombs or attack pedestrians with vehicles.

&quot;Terrorist groups are aware that links to their propaganda are being removed more quickly, and are placing a greater emphasis on disseminating content at speed in order to stay ahead,&quot; May plans to tell the event.

&quot;Industry needs to go further and faster in automating the detection and removal of terrorist content online, and developing technological solutions which prevent it being uploaded in the first place,&quot; she will say.

Responding to pressure from governments in Europe and the United States after a spate of militant attacks, key firms created the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism in June to share technical solutions for removing extremist content and work more with counter-terrorism experts.

Twitter said it had removed 299,649 accounts in the first half of this year for the &quot;promotion of terrorism&quot;, a 20 per cent decline from the previous six months, although it gave no reason for the drop. Three-quarters of those accounts were suspended before posting their first tweet.

May said ahead of Wednesday&#39;s event: &quot;We need a fundamental shift in the scale and nature of our response &ndash; both from industry and governments &ndash; if we are to match the evolving nature of terrorists&#39; use of the internet.&quot;

British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni will raise the issue at an event on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

The leaders of Britain, France and Italy will push social media companies on Wednesday to remove "terrorist content" from the internet within one to two hours of it appearing because they say that is the period when most material is spread. British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni will raise the issue at an event on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. Internet companies including Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp Alphabet Inc's Google said they will attend the meeting. Google will be represented by general counsel Kent Walker, who will also speak on behalf of a recently formed industry group called the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism. Facebook is sending Monika Bickert, head of global policy management, who is expected to make remarks reiterating the companies' commitment to combating online extremism. Microsoft is sending Dave Heiner, a senior policy advisor. The European Union has threatened legislation if internet companies do not step up efforts to police what is available on the web. The British UN mission said May will welcome progress, but urge companies to go "further and faster" to stop groups like Islamic State spreading material that promotes extremism or shows how to make bombs or attack pedestrians with vehicles. "Terrorist groups are aware that links to their propaganda are being removed more quickly, and are placing a greater emphasis on disseminating content at speed in order to stay ahead," May plans to tell the event. "Industry needs to go further and faster in automating the detection and removal of terrorist content online, and developing technological solutions which prevent it being uploaded in the first place," she will say. Responding to pressure from governments in Europe and the United States after a spate of militant attacks, key firms created the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism in June to share technical solutions for removing extremist content and work more with counter-terrorism experts. Twitter said it had removed 299,649 accounts in the first half of this year for the "promotion of terrorism", a 20 percent decline from the previous six months, although it gave no reason for the drop. Three-quarters of those accounts were suspended before posting their first tweet. May said ahead of Wednesday's event: "We need a fundamental shift in the scale and nature of our response – both from industry and governments – if we are to match the evolving nature of terrorists' use of the internet." Internet companies including Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp Alphabet Inc's Google said they will attend the meeting. Google will be represented by general counsel Kent Walker, who will also speak on behalf of a recently formed industry group called the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism. Facebook is sending Monika Bickert, head of global policy management, who is expected to make remarks reiterating the companies' commitment to combating online extremism. Microsoft is sending Dave Heiner, a senior policy advisor. The European Union has threatened legislation if internet companies do not step up efforts to police what is available on the web. The British UN mission said May will welcome progress, but urge companies to go "further and faster" to stop groups like Islamic State spreading material that promotes extremism or shows how to make bombs or attack pedestrians with vehicles. "Terrorist groups are aware that links to their propaganda are being removed more quickly, and are placing a greater emphasis on disseminating content at speed in order to stay ahead," May plans to tell the event. "Industry needs to go further and faster in automating the detection and removal of terrorist content online, and developing technological solutions which prevent it being uploaded in the first place," she will say. Responding to pressure from governments in Europe and the United States after a spate of militant attacks, key firms created the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism in June to share technical solutions for removing extremist content and work more with counter-terrorism experts. Twitter said it had removed 299,649 accounts in the first half of this year for the "promotion of terrorism", a 20 per cent decline from the previous six months, although it gave no reason for the drop. Three-quarters of those accounts were suspended before posting their first tweet. May said ahead of Wednesday's event: "We need a fundamental shift in the scale and nature of our response – both from industry and governments – if we are to match the evolving nature of terrorists' use of the internet."

At UN, Britain to push internet firms to remove extremist content quicker

&nbsp;India&nbsp;on Tuesday (September 19) announced&nbsp;emergency&nbsp;fund&nbsp;of $200,000 for hurricane-battered&nbsp;Caribbean&nbsp;countries, wherein over 30 people have died amid widespread damage.

The relief aid was announced after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with&nbsp;Caribbean delegation in the third<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/external-affairs-minister-sushma-swaraj-arrives-in-new-york-for-7-day-visit-5119">&nbsp;India-Caribbean&nbsp;Community (CARICOM) meeting in New York</a>, on the sidelines of 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/hurricane-irma-lashes-florida-4829">&#39;Irma&#39;</a>, which ranked as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record before striking the U.S. mainland as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 10, killed at least 84 people. Several hard-hit Caribbean&nbsp;islands, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, suffered more than half the fatalities.

Now just <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-irma-hurricane-maria-follows-in-same-path-20331">days after Irma left a trail of destruction, &#39;Maria&#39;</a>, is churning right through the region and, reportedly has already claimed one life.

Swaraj also delivered her address at Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ministerial meeting with Palestine and reassured the support of&nbsp;India&nbsp;towards Palestinian people.

The statement comes just months after Narendra Modi became the first prime minister of&nbsp;India&nbsp;to visit Israel.

The relief aid was announced after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with the Caribbean delegation in the third?India-Caribbean?Community (CARICOM) meeting in New York, on the sidelines of 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly.

India on Tuesday (September 19) announced emergency fund of $200,000 for hurricane-battered Caribbean countries, wherein over 30 people have died amid widespread damage. The relief aid was announced after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with Caribbean delegation in the third India-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meeting in New York, on the sidelines of 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly. 'Irma', which ranked as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record before striking the U.S. mainland as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 10, killed at least 84 people. Several hard-hit Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, suffered more than half the fatalities. Now just days after Irma left a trail of destruction, 'Maria', is churning right through the region and, reportedly has already claimed one life. Swaraj also delivered her address at Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ministerial meeting with Palestine and reassured the support of India towards Palestinian people. The statement comes just months after Narendra Modi became the first prime minister of India to visit Israel.

India announces emergency fund for hurricane-battered Caribbean countries

Rattled by the recent spate of train derailments in the country, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday, assured the people about the ambitious project and said that that the bullet train has not seen a single accident in Japan.

&quot;It has been a zero-accident train in Japan and I am sure the track record will remain the same in India,&quot; Piyush Goyal said.

Ahead of Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of the bullet train project, Goyal said that the country`s rail network will be transformed and revolutionised with the initiative.

&quot;Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given directions for a holistic development of the Indian Railways,&quot; Goyal said, adding, India`s transport sector is all set to change and &quot;it is indeed a matter of celebration.&quot; Goyal further said that the new initiative will help boost the employment in the country. &quot;The coming of bullet trains to India will not only boost employment , but also will help India to export it,&quot; he said.

Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe will also be visiting India to attend the `Bhoomi Poojan` and foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs. 97,636-crore Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail link, using Japanese bullet-train technology. During the visit, Prime Minister Abe will also hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi and is expected to serve as the &quot;top salesman&quot; for the adoption of the Shinkansen technology by other Indian railway systems, with China also aiming to win orders for the projects, the Japan Times had reported, earlier in August.

The 500-km railway will link Mumbai and Ahmedabad in western India, with services planned to commence in 2023. This train is based on Japanese high-speed technology called Shinkansen, known for its safety and comfort. India has pledged to build high-speed railways, focused on the four major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

When Prime Minister Modi went to Japan last November, he travelled by Shinkansen with his Japanese counterpart from Tokyo to Kobe to visit a bullet-train plant of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., a maker of Shinkansen cars.

'It has been a zero-accident train in Japan and I am sure the track record will remain the same in India,' the new railway miniser said

Rattled by the recent spate of train derailments in the country, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday, assured the people about the ambitious project and said that that the bullet train has not seen a single accident in Japan. "It has been a zero-accident train in Japan and I am sure the track record will remain the same in India," Piyush Goyal said. Ahead of Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of the bullet train project, Goyal said that the country`s rail network will be transformed and revolutionised with the initiative. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given directions for a holistic development of the Indian Railways," Goyal said, adding, India`s transport sector is all set to change and "it is indeed a matter of celebration." Goyal further said that the new initiative will help boost the employment in the country. "The coming of bullet trains to India will not only boost employment , but also will help India to export it," he said. Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe will also be visiting India to attend the `Bhoomi Poojan` and foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs. 97,636-crore Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail link, using Japanese bullet-train technology. During the visit, Prime Minister Abe will also hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi and is expected to serve as the "top salesman" for the adoption of the Shinkansen technology by other Indian railway systems, with China also aiming to win orders for the projects, the Japan Times had reported, earlier in August. The 500-km railway will link Mumbai and Ahmedabad in western India, with services planned to commence in 2023. This train is based on Japanese high-speed technology called Shinkansen, known for its safety and comfort. India has pledged to build high-speed railways, focused on the four major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. When Prime Minister Modi went to Japan last November, he travelled by Shinkansen with his Japanese counterpart from Tokyo to Kobe to visit a bullet-train plant of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., a maker of Shinkansen cars.

Piyush Goyal assures people Indian bullet train will be safe

Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Monday (September 11) it would be counter-productive for the United States to sanction Pakistani officials or further cut military assistance, warning it would hurt both countries&#39; fight against militancy.

US-Pakistan relations have frayed since President Donald Trump last month set out a new Afghanistan policy and lashed out at nuclear-armed Pakistan as a fickle ally that gives safe haven to &quot;agents of chaos&quot; by harbouring the Afghan Taliban and other militants.

The United States has already begun conditioning future aid to Pakistan on progress Islamabad makes in tackling the Haqqani network militants who it alleges are Pakistan-based and have helped the Taliban carry out deadly attacks inside Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies hosting militant sanctuaries, and Islamabad bristles at claims it has not done enough to tackle militancy, noting it has borne the brunt of violence in the so-called war on terror, suffering more than 60,000 casualties since 2001.

Former petroleum minister Abbasi, 58, who was installed as prime minister last month after the Supreme Court ousted veteran premier Nawaz Sharif over undeclared income, told Reuters that any targeted sanctions by Washington against Pakistani military and intelligence officials would not help US. counter-terrorism efforts.

The Trump administration&#39;s tougher stance is seen as pushing Islamabad closer to Beijing, which has pledged about $60 billion in roads, rail and power infrastructure in Pakistan as part of its ambitious Belt and Road initiative to build vast land and sea trade routes linking Asia with Europe and Africa.

U.S.-Pakistan relations have frayed since President Donald Trump last month set out a new Afghanistan policy and lashed out at nuclear-armed Pakistan as a fickle ally that gives safe haven to "agents of chaos" by harbouring the Afghan Taliban and other militants.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Monday (September 11) it would be counter-productive for the United States to sanction Pakistani officials or further cut military assistance, warning it would hurt both countries' fight against militancy. US-Pakistan relations have frayed since President Donald Trump last month set out a new Afghanistan policy and lashed out at nuclear-armed Pakistan as a fickle ally that gives safe haven to "agents of chaos" by harbouring the Afghan Taliban and other militants. The United States has already begun conditioning future aid to Pakistan on progress Islamabad makes in tackling the Haqqani network militants who it alleges are Pakistan-based and have helped the Taliban carry out deadly attacks inside Afghanistan. Pakistan denies hosting militant sanctuaries, and Islamabad bristles at claims it has not done enough to tackle militancy, noting it has borne the brunt of violence in the so-called war on terror, suffering more than 60,000 casualties since 2001. Former petroleum minister Abbasi, 58, who was installed as prime minister last month after the Supreme Court ousted veteran premier Nawaz Sharif over undeclared income, told Reuters that any targeted sanctions by Washington against Pakistani military and intelligence officials would not help US. counter-terrorism efforts. The Trump administration's tougher stance is seen as pushing Islamabad closer to Beijing, which has pledged about $60 billion in roads, rail and power infrastructure in Pakistan as part of its ambitious Belt and Road initiative to build vast land and sea trade routes linking Asia with Europe and Africa.

Pakistan PM warns US sanctions would be counter-productive

Carrot juice and gunfire

Israel is a country that stuns you with its beauty and incongruity. And that&rsquo;s an understatement. Our chopper (called BDS, not weird at all!) landed on Mount Bental in the Golan Heights. It&rsquo;s a dormant volcano where lava seeps from the base and not the top of the mountain, leaving the soil around it rich with minerals. There are lush vineyards as far as the eye can see. The Instagram happy lot had just turned on their selfie cameras when we were beckoned to the other side.

There was a UN convoy practicing a drill. The young Irish officers refused to talk. But a few minutes down the road we met more soldiers, men, and women, resting with their backpacks and machine guns, lying under olive trees, posing for cameras. War, perhaps, is just a state of mind for some.&nbsp;

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A female soldier smiling for the photograph shows for some war is just a state of mind. Photo credit: Palki Sharma (Others)
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We were headed to cafe Kofi Annan, packed with tourists and students. Kofi Annan in Hebrew sounds like &lsquo;coffee on the clouds&rsquo;. Apt. around tables laden with salads, coffee, carrot juice, pizzas and oranges, animated conversation ebbed and flowed. It was like any other cafe, except that you heard booming sounds intermittently.

It&rsquo;s the ISIS fighting, said our guide. He passed on a pair of binoculars. In the distance, you could see the Syrian border. This is the only place in the world or one of the only since I don&rsquo;t know better, where you can see the full theatre of war, live and unedited, perched on barstools.

After a while, the sounds ceased. It&rsquo;s lunch break for the fighters, we were told. Of course. Ideology gives only so much sustenance.&nbsp;

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The scene reminded me of Tom Friedman&rsquo;s description of the Lebanese war in the 80s. An American friend of his was invited for dinner on Christmas Eve. Amid artillery salvos and machine gun fire that shook the neighborhood, the hostess put off serving dinner hoping that things would calm down. After a while, she asked, &ldquo;Would you like to eat now or wait for the cease-fire?&rdquo; I thought it was a bit exaggerated. Not anymore. It&rsquo;s a coping mechanism.

For a country that has lived under the constant shadow of war when it&rsquo;s not fighting one, this perhaps is the only way to survive and thrive. The Israelis have turned it into a fine art, complete with blooming hydrangeas in the kitchen garden and lace doilies on the window sill.&nbsp;

More power to Merav!

We were led into a fine dining restaurant with sparkling wine goblets and oversized lampshades. We were to meet a member of Knesset from the ruling coalition. Merav Ben Ari was to brief us on policy and politics. She walked in pushing a pram. Her three-month-old daughter gurgled greetings as the mother shook hands with us. She&rsquo;s the first lawmaker in Israel to have conceived a baby with a gay friend and opted for shared parenting out of wedlock. At the risk of soundly too credulous and callow, I have to say I cannot imagine a politician in India, much less a woman, doing this and being cheered for it.&nbsp;

She discussed the corruption allegations against Prime Minister Netanyahu while burping her baby and forking her ravioli. The picture was almost inspirational - a working mother, unapologetic about tending to her baby while meeting a delegation, not expected to prove her dedication to her profession while balancing it with &#39;life&#39;. &nbsp;Envy.&nbsp;

All the exhortations about leaning in and claiming your space seemed fraudulent. It&rsquo;s not really a choice for most women where I come from. It&rsquo;s an offer with pre-conditions foisted on them. Most struggle to convince their bosses that they are committed professionals and to their children that they are committed mothers while living in the constant guilt that they might end up being neither.

Ben Ari gave me hope. But unfortunately, I did not follow much of what she said. My contemplative mood coupled with an overdose of cheesecakes that had me looking forward to a nap on the bus to our next destination.

Palki Sharma&nbsp;traveled to Israel for the AJC&#39;s Project Interchange 2017.&nbsp;

The Israelis have turned war into a fine art, complete with blooming hydrangeas in the kitchen garden and lace doilies on the window sill.

Carrot juice and gunfire Israel is a country that stuns you with its beauty and incongruity. And that’s an understatement. Our chopper (called BDS, not weird at all!) landed on Mount Bental in the Golan Heights. It’s a dormant volcano where lava seeps from the base and not the top of the mountain, leaving the soil around it rich with minerals. There are lush vineyards as far as the eye can see. The Instagram happy lot had just turned on their selfie cameras when we were beckoned to the other side. There was a UN convoy practicing a drill. The young Irish officers refused to talk. But a few minutes down the road we met more soldiers, men, and women, resting with their backpacks and machine guns, lying under olive trees, posing for cameras. War, perhaps, is just a state of mind for some. A female soldier smiling for the photograph shows for some war is just a state of mind. Photo credit: Palki Sharma (Others) × We were headed to cafe Kofi Annan, packed with tourists and students. Kofi Annan in Hebrew sounds like ‘coffee on the clouds’. Apt. around tables laden with salads, coffee, carrot juice, pizzas and oranges, animated conversation ebbed and flowed. It was like any other cafe, except that you heard booming sounds intermittently. It’s the ISIS fighting, said our guide. He passed on a pair of binoculars. In the distance, you could see the Syrian border. This is the only place in the world or one of the only since I don’t know better, where you can see the full theatre of war, live and unedited, perched on barstools. After a while, the sounds ceased. It’s lunch break for the fighters, we were told. Of course. Ideology gives only so much sustenance. Tourists on the Golan Heights looking able to see the Syrian border. Photo credit: Palki Sharma (Others) × The scene reminded me of Tom Friedman’s description of the Lebanese war in the 80s. An American friend of his was invited for dinner on Christmas Eve. Amid artillery salvos and machine gun fire that shook the neighborhood, the hostess put off serving dinner hoping that things would calm down. After a while, she asked, “Would you like to eat now or wait for the cease-fire?” I thought it was a bit exaggerated. Not anymore. It’s a coping mechanism. For a country that has lived under the constant shadow of war when it’s not fighting one, this perhaps is the only way to survive and thrive. The Israelis have turned it into a fine art, complete with blooming hydrangeas in the kitchen garden and lace doilies on the window sill. More power to Merav! We were led into a fine dining restaurant with sparkling wine goblets and oversized lampshades. We were to meet a member of Knesset from the ruling coalition. Merav Ben Ari was to brief us on policy and politics. She walked in pushing a pram. Her three-month-old daughter gurgled greetings as the mother shook hands with us. She’s the first lawmaker in Israel to have conceived a baby with a gay friend and opted for shared parenting out of wedlock. At the risk of soundly too credulous and callow, I have to say I cannot imagine a politician in India, much less a woman, doing this and being cheered for it. She discussed the corruption allegations against Prime Minister Netanyahu while burping her baby and forking her ravioli. The picture was almost inspirational - a working mother, unapologetic about tending to her baby while meeting a delegation, not expected to prove her dedication to her profession while balancing it with 'life'. Envy. All the exhortations about leaning in and claiming your space seemed fraudulent. It’s not really a choice for most women where I come from. It’s an offer with pre-conditions foisted on them. Most struggle to convince their bosses that they are committed professionals and to their children that they are committed mothers while living in the constant guilt that they might end up being neither. Ben Ari gave me hope. But unfortunately, I did not follow much of what she said. My contemplative mood coupled with an overdose of cheesecakes that had me looking forward to a nap on the bus to our next destination. Palki Sharma traveled to Israel for the AJC's Project Interchange 2017.

There is an Israel beyond the gunfire

By Deepali Mittal

Reena Pushkarna, the celebrity chef who has introduced Indian food to Israel by opening a chain called Tandoori, has been tasked with cooking for the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during his visit to&nbsp;Israel.

Exclusive footage inside the kitchen&nbsp;of Reena Pushkarna reveals what is on the menu for the&nbsp;prime minister.

He was introduced to her ginger tea, aka&nbsp;adrak ki chai, yesterday, July 4th, and Pushkarna prepared her special cup of tea for him today too.&nbsp;&quot;We have to have fresh ginger (adrak) all the time,&quot;&nbsp;she said.&nbsp;

Pushkarna selected all the vegetables for Modi&#39;s lunch today herself, saying she always gets fresh food to maintain hygiene and nutritional value of the food.

Pushkarna was born in New Delhi in 1958 to a Sikh father and Jewish mother. She married&nbsp;Vinod Pushkarna, a graduate of the Merchant Marine Officers Training Ship in Bombay Harbour. Vinod served as a seaman for nine years before he and Reena decided to settle down in Israel.

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She went on to say that PM Modi is a man of simple tastes who is satisfied with khichdi and adrak ki chaai (WION)
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The celebrity was born in New Delhi to a Sikh father and Jewish mother.

By Deepali Mittal Reena Pushkarna, the celebrity chef who has introduced Indian food to Israel by opening a chain called Tandoori, has been tasked with cooking for the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Israel. Exclusive footage inside the kitchen of Reena Pushkarna reveals what is on the menu for the prime minister. He was introduced to her ginger tea, aka adrak ki chai, yesterday, July 4th, and Pushkarna prepared her special cup of tea for him today too. "We have to have fresh ginger (adrak) all the time," she said. Pushkarna selected all the vegetables for Modi's lunch today herself, saying she always gets fresh food to maintain hygiene and nutritional value of the food. Pushkarna was born in New Delhi in 1958 to a Sikh father and Jewish mother. She married Vinod Pushkarna, a graduate of the Merchant Marine Officers Training Ship in Bombay Harbour. Vinod served as a seaman for nine years before he and Reena decided to settle down in Israel. She went on to say that PM Modi is a man of simple tastes who is satisfied with khichdi and adrak ki chaai (WION) ×

Reena Pushkarna: The chef cooking for Modi in Israel

Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled her Brexit blueprint on Tuesday, announcing for the first time that Britain will leave Europe&#39;s single market in order to control EU immigration.

In a highly-anticipated speech, May warned the EU against imposing harsh terms on Britain&#39;s historic divorce from the bloc after more than four decades of membership.

She revealed that Britain would look to strike a new customs agreement with the EU to be able to carve out its own trade deals with the rest of the world.

In a concession to parliamentary critics, the Conservative leader also said lawmakers would get a vote on any final Brexit agreement negotiated with Brussels.

EU leaders have insisted that single market membership means accepting free movement -- a key issue in Britain&#39;s shock June referendum vote to become the first country to leave the 28-member grouping.

&quot;Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe. And that is what we will deliver,&quot; May told foreign ambassadors in London.

&quot;What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market.&quot;

EU immigration to Britain ran at 284,000 in the year to June 2016.

EU president Donald Tusk said May&#39;s plans were &quot;at least more realistic&quot; about what London wanted.

But the European Commission&#39;s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned that an orderly divorce from the bloc within the specified two years was a &quot;prerequisite&quot; for any future free trade deal.

Good deal or no deal

Britain has two years to negotiate a break-up deal once May triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, officially declaring the country&#39;s intention to quit, or face leaving with no agreement.

May said London could accept departing on such terms if Brussels played hardball, but it would hurt the EU hardest.

&quot;No deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain,&quot; she said.

May has promised to trigger Article 50 by the end of March, and said she was confident that final settlements could be negotiated within the two-year timeframe.

Seeking to calm fears of a sudden jolt to the economy on abruptly leaving the EU in 2019, May said she would seek a &quot;phased process of implementation&quot;.

EU countries accounted for 44 percent of Britain&#39;s total exports in goods and services in 2015, with the country recording a &pound;68.6 billion ($82.7 billion, 77.9 billion euros) trade deficit with the bloc.

The single market without Britain covers 460 million people.

Brussels has estimated the bill Britain will have to pay at 55 to 60 billion euros, EU sources told AFP.

The British currency has endured a rocky ride since the June referendum, but sterling responded strongly to May&#39;s speech, wiping out losses earlier in the week to stand at $1.2379 at 1730 GMT.

&quot;The prime minister has adopted a more pragmatic approach to Brexit than expected, providing some much needed relief for the pound,&quot; NFS Macro analyst Nick Stamenkovic told AFP.

Meanwhile London stocks closed down 1.5 percent at 7,220.38 points.

Warning on &#39;punitive deal&#39;

May hinted that Britain might undercut the EU economically if it does not get a free trade deal.

Excluded from the single market, May said London would be free to change its economic model and &quot;set competitive tax rates&quot;.

&quot;There are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path.

&quot;That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe.&quot;

Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973 but was often an uncomfortable partner as the grouping moved to greater integration, refusing to join the euro currency or the Schengen open borders zone.

May said Britain voted to leave because Europe had not been flexible enough for voters on key issues, but Britain nonetheless wanted the EU to succeed, not unravel.

She said Britain would remain a key intelligence and security partner in Europe, as she couched her speech as repositioning Britain as an outward-looking global trading player.

Professor Anand Menon, director of The UK in a Changing Europe research initiative, said: &quot;Her ability to achieve the ambitions she set out will ultimately hinge on what her partners are willing to give her.&quot;

Scotland&#39;s nationalist First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said May&#39;s speech had made Scottish independence more likely.

&quot;The UK is heading for a hard Brexit, which threatens to be economically catastrophic,&quot; she said.

A new independence referendum is now &quot;even more likely&quot;.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said May had &quot;finally brought a bit more clarity&quot;.

&quot;We also want as good, close and trusting a relationship as possible,&quot; he said.

Britain&#39;s Supreme Court is due to rule later this month on whether May must seek parliamentary approval before triggering Article 50, which could delay the start of negotiations.

(AFP)

May unveiled her Brexit blueprint on Tuesday,?warning the EU against imposing harsh terms on Britain

Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled her Brexit blueprint on Tuesday, announcing for the first time that Britain will leave Europe's single market in order to control EU immigration. In a highly-anticipated speech, May warned the EU against imposing harsh terms on Britain's historic divorce from the bloc after more than four decades of membership. She revealed that Britain would look to strike a new customs agreement with the EU to be able to carve out its own trade deals with the rest of the world. In a concession to parliamentary critics, the Conservative leader also said lawmakers would get a vote on any final Brexit agreement negotiated with Brussels. EU leaders have insisted that single market membership means accepting free movement -- a key issue in Britain's shock June referendum vote to become the first country to leave the 28-member grouping. "Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe. And that is what we will deliver," May told foreign ambassadors in London. "What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market." EU immigration to Britain ran at 284,000 in the year to June 2016. EU president Donald Tusk said May's plans were "at least more realistic" about what London wanted. But the European Commission's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned that an orderly divorce from the bloc within the specified two years was a "prerequisite" for any future free trade deal. Good deal or no deal Britain has two years to negotiate a break-up deal once May triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, officially declaring the country's intention to quit, or face leaving with no agreement. May said London could accept departing on such terms if Brussels played hardball, but it would hurt the EU hardest. "No deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain," she said. May has promised to trigger Article 50 by the end of March, and said she was confident that final settlements could be negotiated within the two-year timeframe. Seeking to calm fears of a sudden jolt to the economy on abruptly leaving the EU in 2019, May said she would seek a "phased process of implementation". EU countries accounted for 44 percent of Britain's total exports in goods and services in 2015, with the country recording a £68.6 billion ($82.7 billion, 77.9 billion euros) trade deficit with the bloc. The single market without Britain covers 460 million people. Brussels has estimated the bill Britain will have to pay at 55 to 60 billion euros, EU sources told AFP. The British currency has endured a rocky ride since the June referendum, but sterling responded strongly to May's speech, wiping out losses earlier in the week to stand at $1.2379 at 1730 GMT. "The prime minister has adopted a more pragmatic approach to Brexit than expected, providing some much needed relief for the pound," NFS Macro analyst Nick Stamenkovic told AFP. Meanwhile London stocks closed down 1.5 percent at 7,220.38 points. Warning on 'punitive deal' May hinted that Britain might undercut the EU economically if it does not get a free trade deal. Excluded from the single market, May said London would be free to change its economic model and "set competitive tax rates". "There are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path. "That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe." Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973 but was often an uncomfortable partner as the grouping moved to greater integration, refusing to join the euro currency or the Schengen open borders zone. May said Britain voted to leave because Europe had not been flexible enough for voters on key issues, but Britain nonetheless wanted the EU to succeed, not unravel. She said Britain would remain a key intelligence and security partner in Europe, as she couched her speech as repositioning Britain as an outward-looking global trading player. Professor Anand Menon, director of The UK in a Changing Europe research initiative, said: "Her ability to achieve the ambitions she set out will ultimately hinge on what her partners are willing to give her." Scotland's nationalist First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said May's speech had made Scottish independence more likely. "The UK is heading for a hard Brexit, which threatens to be economically catastrophic," she said. A new independence referendum is now "even more likely". German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said May had "finally brought a bit more clarity". "We also want as good, close and trusting a relationship as possible," he said. Britain's Supreme Court is due to rule later this month on whether May must seek parliamentary approval before triggering Article 50, which could delay the start of negotiations. (AFP)

Britain will leave EU single market: British PM May

Over 50 days after announcing demonetisation, with the situation yet to return to normalcy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss the impact of the note-ban with senior ministers on Tuesday, the Hindustan Times reported.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister will discuss the steps taken by the government so far. &nbsp;

&ldquo;The focus will be more on the slew of measures announced by the PM on the eve of the new year,&rdquo; a minister told the daily.

The report added that Modi will start a five day-long series of meetings with the secretaries of 10 ministries.

Addressing the nation on the eve of the new year, the Prime Minister had announced a slew of sops and praised the efforts of bankers post demonetistion.&nbsp;

&quot;My effort is to take the banking system to normalcy as fast as possible in the new year. I have asked all concerned officers in government to focus their attention to this task,&quot; he had said.

He also asked banks to work proactively, especially in rural and remote areas, to ease people&#39;s difficulties.

Meanwhile, a day ago, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation.&nbsp;

&quot;On the day of announcement of demonetization, Modi was saying with great confidence and telling people to see what happens on December 30, but nothing has happened,&quot; he told reporters.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

Modi will reportedly also start a five day-long series of meetings with the secretaries of 10 ministries

Over 50 days after announcing demonetisation, with the situation yet to return to normalcy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss the impact of the note-ban with senior ministers on Tuesday, the Hindustan Times reported. At the meeting, the Prime Minister will discuss the steps taken by the government so far. “The focus will be more on the slew of measures announced by the PM on the eve of the new year,” a minister told the daily. The report added that Modi will start a five day-long series of meetings with the secretaries of 10 ministries. Addressing the nation on the eve of the new year, the Prime Minister had announced a slew of sops and praised the efforts of bankers post demonetistion. "My effort is to take the banking system to normalcy as fast as possible in the new year. I have asked all concerned officers in government to focus their attention to this task," he had said. He also asked banks to work proactively, especially in rural and remote areas, to ease people's difficulties. Meanwhile, a day ago, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation. "On the day of announcement of demonetization, Modi was saying with great confidence and telling people to see what happens on December 30, but nothing has happened," he told reporters. (This report first appeared in DNA)

Demonetisation: To review impact, PM Modi calls meeting of senior ministers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the nation on New Year eve.

Sources said the Prime Minister, who has come under sharp criticism post the November 8 demonetisation drive, is likely to put forth his views in this regard before the nation.

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Prime Minister Modi had earlier urged the nation to give him 50 days post the demonetisation decision to get things back on track.

After demonetisation, the government has taken a number of steps to ensure that no hardship is faced by tourists and the industry is not affected.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) smoothly transitioned to cashless mode of payment by simplifying&nbsp;process of e - tickets.

The government`s efforts have paid dividend as there has been a notable growth in the comparative figures of Foreign Tourists Arrival (FTA), Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) and online sale of e - tickets after demonetisation.

In a television address to the nation on November 8, Prime Minister Modi said, &quot;The magnitude of cash in circulation is directly linked to the level of corruption.&quot;

Inflation becomes worse through the deployment of cash earned in corrupt ways.

&quot;He said to break the grip of corruption and black money, the government has decided that from midnight Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes will cease to be legal tender.&quot;

The Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes hoarded by anti-national and anti-social elements will become just worthless pieces of paper,&quot; he added.

Till date, the government has made several changes to the norms.

After reports on crop sowing taking a hit due to no availability of cash, the government allowed farmers to buy seeds with old Rs. 500 currency notes.

A November 17 announcement allowed the farmers to withdraw up to Rs. 25,000 per week from their KYC-compliant account.

Following reports on abuse of Jan Dhan accounts, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) capped the withdrawal limit to Rs. 10,000 per month.

On November 17, the government made more modifications to the existing rules.

Families could now withdraw up to Rs. 2.5 lakh for weddings.

The currency exchange limit was reduced from Rs. 4,500 to Rs. 2,000 per person.

The traders in agricultural mandis were permitted to draw up to Rs. 50,000 in cash per week to pay for sundry expenses like wages.

Also, government employees up to Group C could draw Rs. 10,000 salary in advance in cash.

The demonetisation decision has also taken a toll on the common man, with reports of some dying while standing in queues to collect money.

In between all this, Prime Minister Modi has continued to address the nation at various public gatherings and his `Mann ki Baat` radio programme.

Making an emotional appeal at an event in Goa on November 13, Prime Minister Modi asked the &quot;honest&quot; people of the country to bear the hardships for another 50 days.

Exactly two weeks later on November 27, the Prime Minister urged the farmers and small traders to go cashless at his monthly `Mann ki Baat` address.

&quot;The common man will be trouble free if they are made aware of the digital financial transaction options,&quot; he said asking the youth to lead the change.

The opposition cornered the government in the Winter Session of Parliament over the inconvenience faced by the nation post demonetisation.

(ANI)&nbsp;

He will probably talk about demonetisation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the nation on New Year eve. Sources said the Prime Minister, who has come under sharp criticism post the November 8 demonetisation drive, is likely to put forth his views in this regard before the nation. On November 8, Modi had said, 'The magnitude of cash in circulation is directly linked to the level of corruption' × Prime Minister Modi had earlier urged the nation to give him 50 days post the demonetisation decision to get things back on track. After demonetisation, the government has taken a number of steps to ensure that no hardship is faced by tourists and the industry is not affected. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) smoothly transitioned to cashless mode of payment by simplifying process of e - tickets. The government`s efforts have paid dividend as there has been a notable growth in the comparative figures of Foreign Tourists Arrival (FTA), Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) and online sale of e - tickets after demonetisation. In a television address to the nation on November 8, Prime Minister Modi said, "The magnitude of cash in circulation is directly linked to the level of corruption." Inflation becomes worse through the deployment of cash earned in corrupt ways. "He said to break the grip of corruption and black money, the government has decided that from midnight Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes will cease to be legal tender." The Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes hoarded by anti-national and anti-social elements will become just worthless pieces of paper," he added. Till date, the government has made several changes to the norms. After reports on crop sowing taking a hit due to no availability of cash, the government allowed farmers to buy seeds with old Rs. 500 currency notes. A November 17 announcement allowed the farmers to withdraw up to Rs. 25,000 per week from their KYC-compliant account. Following reports on abuse of Jan Dhan accounts, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) capped the withdrawal limit to Rs. 10,000 per month. On November 17, the government made more modifications to the existing rules. Families could now withdraw up to Rs. 2.5 lakh for weddings. The currency exchange limit was reduced from Rs. 4,500 to Rs. 2,000 per person. The traders in agricultural mandis were permitted to draw up to Rs. 50,000 in cash per week to pay for sundry expenses like wages. Also, government employees up to Group C could draw Rs. 10,000 salary in advance in cash. The demonetisation decision has also taken a toll on the common man, with reports of some dying while standing in queues to collect money. In between all this, Prime Minister Modi has continued to address the nation at various public gatherings and his `Mann ki Baat` radio programme. Making an emotional appeal at an event in Goa on November 13, Prime Minister Modi asked the "honest" people of the country to bear the hardships for another 50 days. Exactly two weeks later on November 27, the Prime Minister urged the farmers and small traders to go cashless at his monthly `Mann ki Baat` address. "The common man will be trouble free if they are made aware of the digital financial transaction options," he said asking the youth to lead the change. The opposition cornered the government in the Winter Session of Parliament over the inconvenience faced by the nation post demonetisation. (ANI)

Indian PM Modi likely to address country on New Year's eve: Sources

&nbsp;French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Monday entered the race to be the Socialist candidate for next year&rsquo;s presidential election and said he was quitting the government to focus on campaigning.

Opinion polls bill the 54-year-old Valls as favourite to win his party&#39;s nomination in late January primaries.

But the centrist with a business-friendly stance on economic policies combined with a reputation as a hardliner on law and order will face stiff competition from party rivals.

In any case, opinion polls predict that no left-wing candidate is likely to gather enough support in the presidential election and that conservative Francois Fillon would eventually beat far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a two-way run-off.

&quot;Yes, I am candidate for the presidency of the Republic,&quot; Valls said to applause from supporters in his fiefdom of Evry, the gritty southern suburb of Paris where he was mayor for over a decade.&nbsp;

&quot;I am outraged at the idea that the Left could be disqualified from these presidentials,&quot; Valls said, referring to his camp`s poor poll ratings and its divisions. &quot;We must unite,&quot; said Valls who later added: &quot;My candidacy is one of conciliation, of reconciliation.&quot;

Valls had made no secret of his desire to seek the Socialist ticket and President Francois Hollande&#39;s decision not to run for a second mandate opened the way for him.

Valls announced his resignation as prime minister, saying it would be effective on Tuesday.

 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Valls announced his resignation as prime minister, saying it would be effective on Tuesday

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Monday entered the race to be the Socialist candidate for next year’s presidential election and said he was quitting the government to focus on campaigning. Opinion polls bill the 54-year-old Valls as favourite to win his party's nomination in late January primaries. But the centrist with a business-friendly stance on economic policies combined with a reputation as a hardliner on law and order will face stiff competition from party rivals. In any case, opinion polls predict that no left-wing candidate is likely to gather enough support in the presidential election and that conservative Francois Fillon would eventually beat far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a two-way run-off. "Yes, I am candidate for the presidency of the Republic," Valls said to applause from supporters in his fiefdom of Evry, the gritty southern suburb of Paris where he was mayor for over a decade. "I am outraged at the idea that the Left could be disqualified from these presidentials," Valls said, referring to his camp`s poor poll ratings and its divisions. "We must unite," said Valls who later added: "My candidacy is one of conciliation, of reconciliation." Valls had made no secret of his desire to seek the Socialist ticket and President Francois Hollande's decision not to run for a second mandate opened the way for him. Valls announced his resignation as prime minister, saying it would be effective on Tuesday. (Reuters)

France elections: PM Valls makes presidential bid for 2017, quits government

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for &quot;resolute action&quot; against terrorism in the region.

In his address at the 6th conference of Heart of Asia, he also urged on the importance of taking strict action against those who support, shelter, train and finance them.

&quot;Terrorism and externally-induced instability pose the gravest threat to Afghanistan&#39;s peace, stability and prosperity. And, the growing arc of terrorist violence endangers our entire region. As such, support for voices of peace in Afghanistan alone is not enough.

&quot;It must be backed by resolute action. Not just against forces of terrorism, but also against those who support, shelter, train and finance them,&quot; the prime minister said.

He was speaking after jointly inaugurating the annual ministerial conference here along with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani which is being attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz along with representatives of around 30 countries.

&quot;Silence and inaction against terrorism in Afghanistan and our region will only embolden terrorists and their masters. Third, our bilateral and regional commitments of material assistance for Afghanistan&#39;s development and humanitarian needs must continue and increase,&quot; Modi&nbsp;said.

Modi said there was a need to demonstrate strong and collective will to defeat terror networks that cause bloodshed and spread fear.

Expressing India&#39;s strong commitment to Afghanistan&#39;s transition, Modi said, &quot;On India&#39;s part, our commitment to our brave Afghan brothers and sisters is absolute and unwavering. The welfare of Afghanistan and its people is close to our hearts and minds.&quot;

He also called for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace process to bring stability to the country.&nbsp;

Calling for sustained and sincere global efforts to bring &quot;durable peace and lasting political stability&quot; to Afghanistan, Modi said securing its territory and citizens from external threats must be a focus area for the &quot;critical unfinished mission of our time&quot;.

&quot;We have no doubt about the scale of the challenge. But, we are equally determined to succeed,&quot; he said, adding the results of collective efforts thus far have been hard-won, but mixed.

Modi said there was a need to reflect with urgency on what more must be done and what must be avoided in Afghanistan so that its citizens can self-sustain peace and economic growth.

&quot;The question is of resolve and action. And, of putting Afghanistan and its people first. For this, First, an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled process is key. It is the only guarantor of durability of solutions.

&quot;Second, we must demonstrate strong collective will to defeat terror networks that cause bloodshed and spread fear,&quot; he said.

Noting that all those involved in Afghanistan&#39;s transition must build on the gains of the last 15 years, he said what was at stake is not just the future of Afghanistan that has invested in a vision of development, democracy, and pluralism but the the peace and stability of the entire region, and beyond.

Pitching for improving connectivity between Afghanistan and countries of the region, the prime minister said Afghanistan should be at the centre of our connectivity networks, not peripheral to them.

&quot;On our part, we see Afghanistan as the hub for strengthening links of connectivity between South Asia and Central Asia.

&quot;We cannot deny that the more connected Afghanistan is with the regional arteries of trade, capital and markets, the more assured would be its economic growth and progress. President Ghani and I have converged on the priority of strengthening trade and transport linkages with other partners in the region,&quot; he said.

Talking about significance of hosting the Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar, Modi said the flow of trade, people and ideas through the region has often intersected in the holy city on one of Asia&#39;s oldest and longest surface arteries, the Grand Trunk Road.

&quot;Amritsar reinforces the value of restoring connectivity which is so crucial for the overall growth, stability and economic prosperity of Afghanistan,&quot; he said, while describing the city as an embodiment of peace and humanism as well as a symbol of great valour and sacrifice.

Talking about Amritsar&#39;s link with Afghanistan, he said among the the earliest disciples of the first Guru of Sikhs, Baba Guru Nanak Dev ji, were Afghans he had preached in Kabul in the 15th century.

(PTI)

The Indian Prime Minister also pushed for stronger ties with Afghanistan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for "resolute action" against terrorism in the region. In his address at the 6th conference of Heart of Asia, he also urged on the importance of taking strict action against those who support, shelter, train and finance them. "Terrorism and externally-induced instability pose the gravest threat to Afghanistan's peace, stability and prosperity. And, the growing arc of terrorist violence endangers our entire region. As such, support for voices of peace in Afghanistan alone is not enough. "It must be backed by resolute action. Not just against forces of terrorism, but also against those who support, shelter, train and finance them," the prime minister said. He was speaking after jointly inaugurating the annual ministerial conference here along with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani which is being attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz along with representatives of around 30 countries. "Silence and inaction against terrorism in Afghanistan and our region will only embolden terrorists and their masters. Third, our bilateral and regional commitments of material assistance for Afghanistan's development and humanitarian needs must continue and increase," Modi said. Modi said there was a need to demonstrate strong and collective will to defeat terror networks that cause bloodshed and spread fear. Expressing India's strong commitment to Afghanistan's transition, Modi said, "On India's part, our commitment to our brave Afghan brothers and sisters is absolute and unwavering. The welfare of Afghanistan and its people is close to our hearts and minds." He also called for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace process to bring stability to the country. Calling for sustained and sincere global efforts to bring "durable peace and lasting political stability" to Afghanistan, Modi said securing its territory and citizens from external threats must be a focus area for the "critical unfinished mission of our time". "We have no doubt about the scale of the challenge. But, we are equally determined to succeed," he said, adding the results of collective efforts thus far have been hard-won, but mixed. Modi said there was a need to reflect with urgency on what more must be done and what must be avoided in Afghanistan so that its citizens can self-sustain peace and economic growth. "The question is of resolve and action. And, of putting Afghanistan and its people first. For this, First, an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled process is key. It is the only guarantor of durability of solutions. "Second, we must demonstrate strong collective will to defeat terror networks that cause bloodshed and spread fear," he said. Noting that all those involved in Afghanistan's transition must build on the gains of the last 15 years, he said what was at stake is not just the future of Afghanistan that has invested in a vision of development, democracy, and pluralism but the the peace and stability of the entire region, and beyond. Pitching for improving connectivity between Afghanistan and countries of the region, the prime minister said Afghanistan should be at the centre of our connectivity networks, not peripheral to them. "On our part, we see Afghanistan as the hub for strengthening links of connectivity between South Asia and Central Asia. "We cannot deny that the more connected Afghanistan is with the regional arteries of trade, capital and markets, the more assured would be its economic growth and progress. President Ghani and I have converged on the priority of strengthening trade and transport linkages with other partners in the region," he said. Talking about significance of hosting the Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar, Modi said the flow of trade, people and ideas through the region has often intersected in the holy city on one of Asia's oldest and longest surface arteries, the Grand Trunk Road. "Amritsar reinforces the value of restoring connectivity which is so crucial for the overall growth, stability and economic prosperity of Afghanistan," he said, while describing the city as an embodiment of peace and humanism as well as a symbol of great valour and sacrifice. Talking about Amritsar's link with Afghanistan, he said among the the earliest disciples of the first Guru of Sikhs, Baba Guru Nanak Dev ji, were Afghans he had preached in Kabul in the 15th century. (PTI)

India: Resolute action needed against those sheltering terror forces, says Modi

Attacking the Modi government, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday called the implementation of demonetisation as &#39;monumental management failure&#39; and urged the Prime Minister to find a practical and pragmatic solution to give relief to the common man.

Here is the complete text of his speech:

<blockquote>
I rise to highlight some of the problems that have arisen after the decision to demonetise Rs500 and Rs1000 currency notes.

Prime minister has been arguing that this is the way to curb black money, to prevent growth of forfeited currency notes and also to help in control of terrorist finance activity.

I do not disagree with these objectives. But what I do want to point out is that in the process of demonetisation, monumental mismanagement has been undertaken [applause] about which there is no opinions in the country as a whole.

Even those who say that this measure will do harm or will cause distress in the short term but be in the interest of the country in the long-run, I am reminded of what John Keynes said once: In the long run, all of us are dead.

And therefore it is important to take note of the grievances of the people, the ordinary people who have suffered as a result of this imposition on the country overnight by the prime minister.

And I say so with all responsibility, that the outcome&hellip; we do not know what will be final outcome. Prime minister has said that we should wait for 50 days. Well, 50 days is a short period, but for those who are poor and deprived section of the community, even 50 days torture can bring about disastrous effect. And that&rsquo;s why about 60 to 65 people have lost their lives. Maybe more.

And what is more is, what has been done can weaken and erode our people&rsquo;s confidence in the currency system and in the banking system. One, I would like to know from the prime minister, the names of any countries he may think of where people have deposited their money in the banks but they are not allowed to withdraw their money. This alone, I think, is enough to condemn what has been done in the name of [inaudible].

And sir, I would further like to point out that in my opinion, this scheme of (de)monetisation, the way it has been implemented will hurt agricultural growth in our country, will hurt small industry, will hurt all those people who are in the informal sectors of the economy. And my own feeling is that the national income, i.e. the GDP of the country, can decline by about two percentage points as a result of what has been done. This is an underestimate, not an overestimate.

Therefore, I feel that the prime minister must come with some construction proposal: How we can implement this scheme and at the same time, prevent this distress that is being caused to the common people?

It is no good that every day the banking system comes with modification of the rules, the conditions under which people can withdraw money. That reflects very poorly on the prime minister&rsquo;s office, on the finance minister&rsquo;s office and on the Reserve Bank of India. I am very sorry that the Reserve Bank of India has been exposed to this sort of criticism, which I think is fully justified.

I, therefore, would not like to say much more than this. I urge upon the prime minister to find practical, pragmatic ways and means to relieve the distress of the people who happen to be a great majority of our people. 
After all, 90 per cent of our people work in the informal sector, 55% of our workers in agriculture are feeling distressed. The cooperative banking system, which serves a large number of people in the rural areas, is non-functional. It has been prevented from handling [inaudible].

So, all these measures convince me that the way this scheme has been implemented is a monumental management failure and in fact, it is a case of organised loot and legalised plunder [inaudible].

With these words, sir, I conclude. It is not my intention to pick holes in what one side does, or another side does. But I sincerely hope that the prime minister will, even at this late hour, will help us to find practical, pragmatic ways and means to provide relief to the suffering people of this country.
</blockquote>

He urged the Prime Minister to find a practical and pragmatic solution to give relief to the common man

Attacking the Modi government, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday called the implementation of demonetisation as 'monumental management failure' and urged the Prime Minister to find a practical and pragmatic solution to give relief to the common man. Here is the complete text of his speech: I rise to highlight some of the problems that have arisen after the decision to demonetise Rs500 and Rs1000 currency notes. Prime minister has been arguing that this is the way to curb black money, to prevent growth of forfeited currency notes and also to help in control of terrorist finance activity. I do not disagree with these objectives. But what I do want to point out is that in the process of demonetisation, monumental mismanagement has been undertaken [applause] about which there is no opinions in the country as a whole. Even those who say that this measure will do harm or will cause distress in the short term but be in the interest of the country in the long-run, I am reminded of what John Keynes said once: In the long run, all of us are dead. And therefore it is important to take note of the grievances of the people, the ordinary people who have suffered as a result of this imposition on the country overnight by the prime minister. And I say so with all responsibility, that the outcome… we do not know what will be final outcome. Prime minister has said that we should wait for 50 days. Well, 50 days is a short period, but for those who are poor and deprived section of the community, even 50 days torture can bring about disastrous effect. And that’s why about 60 to 65 people have lost their lives. Maybe more. And what is more is, what has been done can weaken and erode our people’s confidence in the currency system and in the banking system. One, I would like to know from the prime minister, the names of any countries he may think of where people have deposited their money in the banks but they are not allowed to withdraw their money. This alone, I think, is enough to condemn what has been done in the name of [inaudible]. And sir, I would further like to point out that in my opinion, this scheme of (de)monetisation, the way it has been implemented will hurt agricultural growth in our country, will hurt small industry, will hurt all those people who are in the informal sectors of the economy. And my own feeling is that the national income, i.e. the GDP of the country, can decline by about two percentage points as a result of what has been done. This is an underestimate, not an overestimate. Therefore, I feel that the prime minister must come with some construction proposal: How we can implement this scheme and at the same time, prevent this distress that is being caused to the common people? It is no good that every day the banking system comes with modification of the rules, the conditions under which people can withdraw money. That reflects very poorly on the prime minister’s office, on the finance minister’s office and on the Reserve Bank of India. I am very sorry that the Reserve Bank of India has been exposed to this sort of criticism, which I think is fully justified. I, therefore, would not like to say much more than this. I urge upon the prime minister to find practical, pragmatic ways and means to relieve the distress of the people who happen to be a great majority of our people. After all, 90 per cent of our people work in the informal sector, 55% of our workers in agriculture are feeling distressed. The cooperative banking system, which serves a large number of people in the rural areas, is non-functional. It has been prevented from handling [inaudible]. So, all these measures convince me that the way this scheme has been implemented is a monumental management failure and in fact, it is a case of organised loot and legalised plunder [inaudible]. With these words, sir, I conclude. It is not my intention to pick holes in what one side does, or another side does. But I sincerely hope that the prime minister will, even at this late hour, will help us to find practical, pragmatic ways and means to provide relief to the suffering people of this country.

Demonetisation: What former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in Parliament

Britain&#39;s former prime minister&nbsp;David&nbsp;Cameron&nbsp;has resigned his seat in the House of Commons, he told broadcaster ITV in an interview Monday.

Cameron&nbsp;stepped down as prime minister in June, hours after Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum in which he had campaigned to stay in the bloc.

&quot;In my view, with modern politics, with the circumstances of my resignation it isn&#39;t really possible to be a proper backbench MP as a former prime minister,&quot;&nbsp;Cameron&nbsp;told the broadcaster.

&quot;I think everything you do will become a big distraction and a big diversion from what the government needs to do for our country.&quot;

Cameron&#39;s resignation from parliament is unusually quick -- former prime ministers have typically retained their seats for a number of years after leaving the official Downing Street residence. 
 
(AFP)

Cameron had resigned as the prime minister days after Remain campaign lost the EU referendum in June

Britain's former prime minister David Cameron has resigned his seat in the House of Commons, he told broadcaster ITV in an interview Monday. Cameron stepped down as prime minister in June, hours after Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum in which he had campaigned to stay in the bloc. "In my view, with modern politics, with the circumstances of my resignation it isn't really possible to be a proper backbench MP as a former prime minister," Cameron told the broadcaster. "I think everything you do will become a big distraction and a big diversion from what the government needs to do for our country." Cameron's resignation from parliament is unusually quick -- former prime ministers have typically retained their seats for a number of years after leaving the official Downing Street residence. (AFP)

Former British PM David Cameron steps down from parliament

The leader of Nepal&#39;s Maoist party appeared certain to be the next prime minister after the deadline for nominations expired on Tuesday with only his name on the ballot. 
 
Lawmakers in the Himalayan nation are due to elect a new prime minister on Wednesday after KP Sharma Oli resigned last week, minutes before facing a no-confidence motion in parliament. 
 
&quot;We have only received the nomination of Pushpa Kamal Dahal for the prime minister&#39;s post,&quot; deputy parliament spokesman Sudarshan Kuinkel told AFP, referring to the Maoist party leader. Dahal, better known by his nom de guerre Prachanda or &quot;the fierce one&quot;, led a decade-long Maoist insurgency before transforming the rebel movement into a political party after a 2006 peace deal. 
 
He has served as prime minister once before, after the Maoists won elections in 2009, but only lasted nine months in office before resigning.&nbsp;The party lost ground in the last elections in 2013 and is now only the third-biggest force in parliament. But neither of the two larger parties have enough seats to govern alone. 
 
Dahal secured the backing of the largest party, the Nepali Congress, after pulling out of Oli&#39;s coalition three weeks ago. If elected, Dahal faces the twin challenges of rebuilding the country after a devastating earthquake and resolving simmering unrest over a divisive new constitution adopted last September. 
 
Oli faced fierce criticism over his handling of protests against the charter, which triggered a months-long border blockade by demonstrators from the Madhesi ethnic minority. 
 
More than 50 people died in clashes between police and protesters, who say the constitution has left them marginalised. The new charter, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to bolster Nepal&#39;s transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability. 
 
But continuing discussions between the government and protesters over the constitution, particularly over the rights of marginalised communities, have failed to yield an&nbsp;agreement. 
 
(AFP)

He has served as prime minister once before, after the Maoists won elections in 2009, but resigned after nine months in office

The leader of Nepal's Maoist party appeared certain to be the next prime minister after the deadline for nominations expired on Tuesday with only his name on the ballot. Lawmakers in the Himalayan nation are due to elect a new prime minister on Wednesday after KP Sharma Oli resigned last week, minutes before facing a no-confidence motion in parliament. "We have only received the nomination of Pushpa Kamal Dahal for the prime minister's post," deputy parliament spokesman Sudarshan Kuinkel told AFP, referring to the Maoist party leader. Dahal, better known by his nom de guerre Prachanda or "the fierce one", led a decade-long Maoist insurgency before transforming the rebel movement into a political party after a 2006 peace deal. He has served as prime minister once before, after the Maoists won elections in 2009, but only lasted nine months in office before resigning. The party lost ground in the last elections in 2013 and is now only the third-biggest force in parliament. But neither of the two larger parties have enough seats to govern alone. Dahal secured the backing of the largest party, the Nepali Congress, after pulling out of Oli's coalition three weeks ago. If elected, Dahal faces the twin challenges of rebuilding the country after a devastating earthquake and resolving simmering unrest over a divisive new constitution adopted last September. Oli faced fierce criticism over his handling of protests against the charter, which triggered a months-long border blockade by demonstrators from the Madhesi ethnic minority. More than 50 people died in clashes between police and protesters, who say the constitution has left them marginalised. The new charter, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to bolster Nepal's transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability. But continuing discussions between the government and protesters over the constitution, particularly over the rights of marginalised communities, have failed to yield an agreement. (AFP)

Nepal's Maoist leader, Prachanda, set to become next prime minister

Nepal&#39;s president Bidya Devi Bhandari today gave a fresh call to all political parties to form a majority government after the deadline given to them for forging consensus expired without yielding any results. 
 
In a letter sent to the parliament, the president asked the parties to begin the process of electing a new prime minister on a majority basis in accordance with the constitution.&nbsp;Bhandari had on July 25 called on all the political parties to elect a new prime minister within a week based on consensus to end the political instability in the country, a day after KP Oli resigned. 
 
It is learnt that the parliament has started preparation for beginning the procedure of electing the premier on Wednesday. 
 
CPN-maoist president Pushpa Kamal Dahal &#39;Prachanda&#39; is expected to become Nepal&#39;s 39th prime minister with the support of the largest party Nepali Congress, the Madhesis and other fringe parties if there is no dramatic development. 
 
Oli resigned last month ahead of a no-confidence vote, plunging the country into a fresh political turmoil after last year&#39;s crippling Madhesi protests against the new constitution. 
 
Oli, who became prime minister last October heading Nepal&#39;s eighth government in the past 10 years, was facing a no-trust motion after the maoists withdrew support from the coalition government. 
 
Nepal&#39;s maoist party led by Prachanda last week decided to initiate discussions and dialogue with all political parties, including the Madhesis, having representation in the parliament to form a national consensus government.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

The previous prime minister KP Oli resigned last month ahead of a no-confidence vote, plunging the country into fresh political turmoil

Nepal's president Bidya Devi Bhandari today gave a fresh call to all political parties to form a majority government after the deadline given to them for forging consensus expired without yielding any results. In a letter sent to the parliament, the president asked the parties to begin the process of electing a new prime minister on a majority basis in accordance with the constitution. Bhandari had on July 25 called on all the political parties to elect a new prime minister within a week based on consensus to end the political instability in the country, a day after KP Oli resigned. It is learnt that the parliament has started preparation for beginning the procedure of electing the premier on Wednesday. CPN-maoist president Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' is expected to become Nepal's 39th prime minister with the support of the largest party Nepali Congress, the Madhesis and other fringe parties if there is no dramatic development. Oli resigned last month ahead of a no-confidence vote, plunging the country into a fresh political turmoil after last year's crippling Madhesi protests against the new constitution. Oli, who became prime minister last October heading Nepal's eighth government in the past 10 years, was facing a no-trust motion after the maoists withdrew support from the coalition government. Nepal's maoist party led by Prachanda last week decided to initiate discussions and dialogue with all political parties, including the Madhesis, having representation in the parliament to form a national consensus government. (PTI)

Nepalese president asks parties to form new government

Turkey&#39;s prime minister warned yesterday that the crackdown following a failed coup was not over, as authorities issued arrest warrants for dozens of former newspaper staff. 
 
A senior minister also revealed that a major army shake-up had been planned just before the putsch - suggesting elements in the military made the dramatic move because they knew they were about to be purged. 
 
Since the attempted power grab on the night of July 15, more than 15,000 people have been detained and more than 8,000 of them remain in custody, according to the latest interior ministry figures. 
 
&quot;The investigation is continuing, there are people who are being searched for. There could be new apprehensions, arrests and detentions,&quot; Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told Sky News, according to the network&#39;s translation of his remarks. 
 
&quot;The process is not completed yet,&quot; he said. 
 
In the attempted coup, renegade soldiers sought to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but were stopped by crowds of civilians and loyalist security forces. 
 
At least 270 people were killed on both sides. 
 
Turkey blames the botched putsch on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, who strongly denies the accusations and demands that the United States resist calls for his extradition. 
 
But Yildirim said Turkey was &quot;determined&quot; to secure his removal. 
 
&quot;We shared all the details with them and, from this point on, the task falls on the shoulders of the US government,&quot; the prime minister said. 
 
&#39;Planned purge&#39; 
 
Energy minister Berat Albayrak, who is Erdogan&#39;s son-in-law, said Turkish authorities had been planning a major purge of the military and other institutions to remove Gulen-linked elements ahead of the coup attempt. 
 
&quot;They were going to take really important steps to remove Gulenist officers and generals from the armed forces. We were already working on this,&quot; said Albayrak, who was with Erdogan on the coup night. 
 
Turkey yesterday issued arrest warrants for 47 former staff of the once pro-Gulen Zaman newspaper suspected of links to the reclusive cleric. 
 
An official who declined to be named said the swoop covered &quot;executives and some staff including columnists&quot;, describing Zaman as the &quot;flagship media organisation&quot; of the Gulen-led movement. 
 
In March, Zaman and its English-language sister newspaper Today&#39;s Zaman were taken over by state-appointed administrators and it has since taken a strongly pro-government line. 
 
Several former staff are believed to have since left Turkey. 
 
The official insisted the warrants were not related to what individual columnists had previously said or written. 
 
But &quot;prominent employees of Zaman are likely to have intimate knowledge of the Gulen network and as such could benefit the investigation&quot;, the official explained. 
 
Earlier in the week, Turkey issued another 42 arrest warrants for journalists, 16 of whom have so far been detained according to state-run news agency Anadolu. 
 
Military reshuffle 
 
A large-scale shake-up of the Turkish armed forces is expected to be announced when the country&#39;s Supreme Military Council meets on today. 
 
More than 10,000 soldiers and around half of the 358 generals serving in Turkey have been detained, leaving gaping holes in the command structure to be filled. 
 
Tens of thousands of Turkish civilians have lost their jobs since July 15. 
 
The first worker in the private financial sector to be affected is AK Investment&#39;s research director Mert Ulke, after the financial regulator cancelled his licence following his report on the failed coup. 
 
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday expressed deep concern about the ongoing wave of arrests in Turkey following the putsch. 
 
The EU meanwhile appointed a new ambassador to Turkey and repeated warnings that Ankara must respect democracy and human rights for ties to prosper. 
 
(AFP)

Turkey's energy minister said authorities had been planning a major purge of the military and other institutions ahead of the coup attempt

Turkey's prime minister warned yesterday that the crackdown following a failed coup was not over, as authorities issued arrest warrants for dozens of former newspaper staff. A senior minister also revealed that a major army shake-up had been planned just before the putsch - suggesting elements in the military made the dramatic move because they knew they were about to be purged. Since the attempted power grab on the night of July 15, more than 15,000 people have been detained and more than 8,000 of them remain in custody, according to the latest interior ministry figures. "The investigation is continuing, there are people who are being searched for. There could be new apprehensions, arrests and detentions," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told Sky News, according to the network's translation of his remarks. "The process is not completed yet," he said. In the attempted coup, renegade soldiers sought to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but were stopped by crowds of civilians and loyalist security forces. At least 270 people were killed on both sides. Turkey blames the botched putsch on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, who strongly denies the accusations and demands that the United States resist calls for his extradition. But Yildirim said Turkey was "determined" to secure his removal. "We shared all the details with them and, from this point on, the task falls on the shoulders of the US government," the prime minister said. 'Planned purge' Energy minister Berat Albayrak, who is Erdogan's son-in-law, said Turkish authorities had been planning a major purge of the military and other institutions to remove Gulen-linked elements ahead of the coup attempt. "They were going to take really important steps to remove Gulenist officers and generals from the armed forces. We were already working on this," said Albayrak, who was with Erdogan on the coup night. Turkey yesterday issued arrest warrants for 47 former staff of the once pro-Gulen Zaman newspaper suspected of links to the reclusive cleric. An official who declined to be named said the swoop covered "executives and some staff including columnists", describing Zaman as the "flagship media organisation" of the Gulen-led movement. In March, Zaman and its English-language sister newspaper Today's Zaman were taken over by state-appointed administrators and it has since taken a strongly pro-government line. Several former staff are believed to have since left Turkey. The official insisted the warrants were not related to what individual columnists had previously said or written. But "prominent employees of Zaman are likely to have intimate knowledge of the Gulen network and as such could benefit the investigation", the official explained. Earlier in the week, Turkey issued another 42 arrest warrants for journalists, 16 of whom have so far been detained according to state-run news agency Anadolu. Military reshuffle A large-scale shake-up of the Turkish armed forces is expected to be announced when the country's Supreme Military Council meets on today. More than 10,000 soldiers and around half of the 358 generals serving in Turkey have been detained, leaving gaping holes in the command structure to be filled. Tens of thousands of Turkish civilians have lost their jobs since July 15. The first worker in the private financial sector to be affected is AK Investment's research director Mert Ulke, after the financial regulator cancelled his licence following his report on the failed coup. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday expressed deep concern about the ongoing wave of arrests in Turkey following the putsch. The EU meanwhile appointed a new ambassador to Turkey and repeated warnings that Ankara must respect democracy and human rights for ties to prosper. (AFP)

Turkey PM warns post-coup crackdown not over

Prime Minister of Tibetan government-in-exile Lobsang Sangay, based in India&#39;s northern town of Dharamsala, on Saturday rejected China&#39;s claims that it was making efforts to develop the restive Tibet. 
 
His comments come days after Beijing invited foreign delegates and news media to a state-sponsored tour in Tibet for a development forum. 
 
&quot;Not much positive change. You know, I mean, generally we (have) been saying internationally. Chinese foreign policies have been both nationalistic and assertive. Domestically all over China, they have been more aggressive and situation in Tibet has not been changed,&quot; Sangay said after chairing a meeting of the Tibetan Task Force. 
 
Exiled Tibetans and rights groups say China, which took control of Tibet in 1950, has tried to stamp out religious freedom and culture in the Himalayan region. China rejects the criticism, saying its rule has ended serfdom and brought development. 
 
The Chinese government has pumped billions of dollars into the region in the past few years, aiming to develop infrastructure and social policies such as healthcare, housing and education. 
 
China has ruled Tibet with an iron fist since 1950, when Communist troops marched in and took control in what Beijing calls a &quot;peaceful liberation&quot;. 
 
Dharamsala, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, is home to thousands of exiled Tibetans who fled to India in 1959, and is the headquarters of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). 
 
(Reuters)

Exiled Tibetans and rights groups say China has tried to stamp out religious freedom and culture in the Himalayan region

Prime Minister of Tibetan government-in-exile Lobsang Sangay, based in India's northern town of Dharamsala, on Saturday rejected China's claims that it was making efforts to develop the restive Tibet. His comments come days after Beijing invited foreign delegates and news media to a state-sponsored tour in Tibet for a development forum. "Not much positive change. You know, I mean, generally we (have) been saying internationally. Chinese foreign policies have been both nationalistic and assertive. Domestically all over China, they have been more aggressive and situation in Tibet has not been changed," Sangay said after chairing a meeting of the Tibetan Task Force. Exiled Tibetans and rights groups say China, which took control of Tibet in 1950, has tried to stamp out religious freedom and culture in the Himalayan region. China rejects the criticism, saying its rule has ended serfdom and brought development. The Chinese government has pumped billions of dollars into the region in the past few years, aiming to develop infrastructure and social policies such as healthcare, housing and education. China has ruled Tibet with an iron fist since 1950, when Communist troops marched in and took control in what Beijing calls a "peaceful liberation". Dharamsala, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, is home to thousands of exiled Tibetans who fled to India in 1959, and is the headquarters of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). (Reuters)

Prime Minister of Tibetan government-in-exile refutes China's claims of development

Theresa May took over as Britain&#39;s new prime minister on Wednesday charged with pulling the country out of the EU, and sprung a surprise by making top Brexit campaigner&nbsp;Boris&nbsp;Johnson foreign secretary. 
 
May replaced David Cameron after he stood down following the seismic June 23 vote to leave the European Union, which sparked three weeks of intense political turmoil and volatility on the financial markets. 
 
May, who had supported Britain&#39;s continued EU membership, appointed leading &quot;Leave&quot; campaigner Johnson to a senior cabinet post while moving quickly to heal divisions sparked by the referendum. 
 
But the decision to name Johnson, the eccentric former London mayor, to the high-profile post of representing Britain to the rest of the world&nbsp;has already proved controversial. 
 
Johnson led the Brexit camp to victory, antagonising many EU leaders in the process, but dismayed supporters by backing out of the race to succeed Cameron at the last minute. 
 
May ditched finance minister George Osborne, Cameron&#39;s closest ally, and appointed former foreign secretary Philip Hammond to the job instead, charging him with the task of calming fears over the potential damage of leaving Britain&#39;s biggest market. 
 
Eurosceptic former ministers David Davis and Liam Fox were appointed respectively as Brexit negotiator and minister for international trade, two new posts reflecting changed priorities after the referendum. 
 
EU leaders are pressing for a swift divorce following the Brexit vote, which sent shock&nbsp;waves around the world. 
 
May had a phone call late Wednesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who invited her to visit, followed by calls with the French and Irish leaders, a Downing Street spokeswoman said. 
 
May emphasised her commitment to delivering Brexit but &quot;explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit&quot;, the spokeswoman said of the calls. 
 
&#39;Burning injustice&#39;&nbsp; 
 
May, the second female British prime minister after Margaret Thatcher, has repeatedly said that &quot;Brexit means Brexit&quot;. 
 
But European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker insisted the issue must be addressed &quot;soon&quot;, a sentiment echoed by French President Francois Hollande in his call with May. 
 
After formally being invited to form a government by Queen Elizabeth II, May arrived at her new Downing Street residence with a promise to tackle &quot;burning injustice&quot;. 
 
&quot;Following the referendum we face a time of great national change,&quot; the 59-year-old told reporters, flanked by her banker husband, Philip. 
 
&quot;As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world. And we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few but for every one of us.&quot; 
 
May said keeping the &quot;precious&quot; United Kingdom together was also a priority after the referendum, with the devolved Scottish government threatening a second independence vote. 
 
Political stability 
 
May&#39;s appointment after a brief leadership contest in the governing centre-right Conservative Party brings some stability following a period of political disarray, which has also sparked a leadership challenge in the main opposition Labour Party. 
 
Investors will be watching her first days in office closely but with greater optimism as the value of the pound, which fell by up to 15 per&nbsp;cent against the dollar after the Brexit vote, rallied in recent days. 
 
On Thursday, the Bank of England will announce whether it will cut interest rates for the first time in more than seven years to curb the economic fallout from Brexit. 
 
May is something of an unknown quantity internationally, but European Council president Donald Tusk said he looked forward to a &quot;fruitful working relationship&quot; with her. 
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready for &quot;constructive dialogue&quot; with Britain&#39;s new premier, while White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that US officials who had worked with May &quot;found her to be quite effective&quot;. 
 
May campaigned for the leadership as a safe pair of hands, after spending six years as home secretary, one of the toughest jobs in British politics. 
 
&#39;I was the future, once&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Earlier, Cameron had made his final statement in Downing Street, flanked by his wife Samantha and three children, where he wished Britain &quot;continued success&quot;. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not been an easy journey and, of course, we&#39;ve not got every decision right, but I do believe today our country is much stronger,&quot; the 49-year-old said. 
 
Cameron had called the referendum and campaigned to stay in the EU in a bid to try to heal divisions in the Conservative ranks. He gambled, and he lost.&nbsp;In his final question-and-answer session in the House of Commons, Cameron echoed a line he used to launch himself in 2005, taunting Labour&#39;s then-prime minister Tony Blair. 
 
&quot;As I once said, I was the future, once,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP)

Eurosceptic former ministers David Davis and Liam Fox were appointed?as Brexit negotiator and minister for international trade

Theresa May took over as Britain's new prime minister on Wednesday charged with pulling the country out of the EU, and sprung a surprise by making top Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson foreign secretary. May replaced David Cameron after he stood down following the seismic June 23 vote to leave the European Union, which sparked three weeks of intense political turmoil and volatility on the financial markets. May, who had supported Britain's continued EU membership, appointed leading "Leave" campaigner Johnson to a senior cabinet post while moving quickly to heal divisions sparked by the referendum. But the decision to name Johnson, the eccentric former London mayor, to the high-profile post of representing Britain to the rest of the world has already proved controversial. Johnson led the Brexit camp to victory, antagonising many EU leaders in the process, but dismayed supporters by backing out of the race to succeed Cameron at the last minute. May ditched finance minister George Osborne, Cameron's closest ally, and appointed former foreign secretary Philip Hammond to the job instead, charging him with the task of calming fears over the potential damage of leaving Britain's biggest market. Eurosceptic former ministers David Davis and Liam Fox were appointed respectively as Brexit negotiator and minister for international trade, two new posts reflecting changed priorities after the referendum. EU leaders are pressing for a swift divorce following the Brexit vote, which sent shock waves around the world. May had a phone call late Wednesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who invited her to visit, followed by calls with the French and Irish leaders, a Downing Street spokeswoman said. May emphasised her commitment to delivering Brexit but "explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit", the spokeswoman said of the calls. 'Burning injustice' May, the second female British prime minister after Margaret Thatcher, has repeatedly said that "Brexit means Brexit". But European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker insisted the issue must be addressed "soon", a sentiment echoed by French President Francois Hollande in his call with May. After formally being invited to form a government by Queen Elizabeth II, May arrived at her new Downing Street residence with a promise to tackle "burning injustice". "Following the referendum we face a time of great national change," the 59-year-old told reporters, flanked by her banker husband, Philip. "As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world. And we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few but for every one of us." May said keeping the "precious" United Kingdom together was also a priority after the referendum, with the devolved Scottish government threatening a second independence vote. Political stability May's appointment after a brief leadership contest in the governing centre-right Conservative Party brings some stability following a period of political disarray, which has also sparked a leadership challenge in the main opposition Labour Party. Investors will be watching her first days in office closely but with greater optimism as the value of the pound, which fell by up to 15 per cent against the dollar after the Brexit vote, rallied in recent days. On Thursday, the Bank of England will announce whether it will cut interest rates for the first time in more than seven years to curb the economic fallout from Brexit. May is something of an unknown quantity internationally, but European Council president Donald Tusk said he looked forward to a "fruitful working relationship" with her. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready for "constructive dialogue" with Britain's new premier, while White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that US officials who had worked with May "found her to be quite effective". May campaigned for the leadership as a safe pair of hands, after spending six years as home secretary, one of the toughest jobs in British politics. 'I was the future, once' Earlier, Cameron had made his final statement in Downing Street, flanked by his wife Samantha and three children, where he wished Britain "continued success". "It's not been an easy journey and, of course, we've not got every decision right, but I do believe today our country is much stronger," the 49-year-old said. Cameron had called the referendum and campaigned to stay in the EU in a bid to try to heal divisions in the Conservative ranks. He gambled, and he lost. In his final question-and-answer session in the House of Commons, Cameron echoed a line he used to launch himself in 2005, taunting Labour's then-prime minister Tony Blair. "As I once said, I was the future, once," he said. (AFP)

May takes charge as British PM, makes Boris Johnson foreign secretary

Nepalese opposition lawmakers filed a no-confidence motion today against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli after former rebel Maoists quit his coalition, triggering fresh political turmoil in the quake-hit nation. 
 
The former guerrillas announced on Tuesday that they were withdrawing support for Oli`s government, leaving his coalition without a majority. 
 
After Oli refused to resign, opposition lawmakers from the Nepali Congress and the Maoists filed a motion against the embattled premier in parliament, an official told AFP. 
 
&quot;A no-confidence motion against the PM has been registered, 280 members have signed it,&quot; said Parliament spokesman Bharat Gautam. 
 
According to procedure, Oli will now have a week to secure support for a majority government before Parliament hosts discussions and a possible vote on the motion, Gautam said. 
 
Oli`s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) currently holds 175 elected seats in Parliament, far fewer than the 299 needed to win a vote of confidence. 
 
The Maoists joined the government last October, weeks after Nepal adopted a divisive new national constitution. 
 
Cracks began to appear in the coalition two months ago when they threatened to topple Oli. 
 
Oli survived that attempt by drawing up an 11th-hour deal with Maoist chief, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known by his nom-de-guerre Prachanda. 
 
But Dahal later pulled out of the coalition, citing the government`s failure to implement the agreement to withdraw civil war cases from Nepal`s courts and offer amnesties to people accused of abuses during the decade-long Maoist insurgency which ended in 2006.&nbsp; 
 
Since becoming premier, Oli has faced fierce criticism over his handling of protests against the new charter, which triggered a months-long border blockade in southern Nepal by demonstrators from the Madhesi ethnic minority. 
 
More than 50 people died in clashes between police and protesters, who said the constitution left them politically marginalised.&nbsp; 
 
Kathmandu accused New Delhi of imposing an &quot;unofficial blockade&quot; on the impoverished landlocked nation in support of the Madhesis, who share close cultural and family links with Indians across the border. 
 
The new constitution, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to cement peace and bolster Nepal`s transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability. 
 
But ongoing discussions between the government and protesters over the charter have failed to yield agreement. 
 
(AFP)

According to procedure, he will have a week to secure support before Parliament hosts a possible vote

Nepalese opposition lawmakers filed a no-confidence motion today against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli after former rebel Maoists quit his coalition, triggering fresh political turmoil in the quake-hit nation. The former guerrillas announced on Tuesday that they were withdrawing support for Oli`s government, leaving his coalition without a majority. After Oli refused to resign, opposition lawmakers from the Nepali Congress and the Maoists filed a motion against the embattled premier in parliament, an official told AFP. "A no-confidence motion against the PM has been registered, 280 members have signed it," said Parliament spokesman Bharat Gautam. According to procedure, Oli will now have a week to secure support for a majority government before Parliament hosts discussions and a possible vote on the motion, Gautam said. Oli`s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) currently holds 175 elected seats in Parliament, far fewer than the 299 needed to win a vote of confidence. The Maoists joined the government last October, weeks after Nepal adopted a divisive new national constitution. Cracks began to appear in the coalition two months ago when they threatened to topple Oli. Oli survived that attempt by drawing up an 11th-hour deal with Maoist chief, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known by his nom-de-guerre Prachanda. But Dahal later pulled out of the coalition, citing the government`s failure to implement the agreement to withdraw civil war cases from Nepal`s courts and offer amnesties to people accused of abuses during the decade-long Maoist insurgency which ended in 2006. Since becoming premier, Oli has faced fierce criticism over his handling of protests against the new charter, which triggered a months-long border blockade in southern Nepal by demonstrators from the Madhesi ethnic minority. More than 50 people died in clashes between police and protesters, who said the constitution left them politically marginalised. Kathmandu accused New Delhi of imposing an "unofficial blockade" on the impoverished landlocked nation in support of the Madhesis, who share close cultural and family links with Indians across the border. The new constitution, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to cement peace and bolster Nepal`s transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability. But ongoing discussions between the government and protesters over the charter have failed to yield agreement. (AFP)

Opposition, Maoists file no-confidence motion against Nepal PM Oli

Theresa May became Britain&#39;s new prime minister on Wednesday, promising to carve out a bold new future in the world as she embarks on the monumental task of leading the country out of the European Union. 
 
May, 59 assumed office after an audience with Queen Elizabeth and drove straight to her new home of 10 Downing Street, vacated hours earlier by David Cameron. 
 
&quot;We will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us,&quot; she said. 
 
Cameron stepped down after Britons rejected his entreaties and voted to leave the EU in a referendum last month, severely undermining European efforts to forge greater unity and creating economic uncertainty across the 28-nation bloc. 
 
May must try to limit the damage to British trade and investment as she renegotiates the country&#39;s ties with its 27 EU partners. She will also attempt to unite a divided ruling Conservative party and a fractured nation in which many, on the evidence of the vote, feel angry with the political elite and left behind by the forces of globalisation. 
 
Acknowledging the struggles faced by many Britons, May declared: &quot;The government I lead will be driven not be the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. 
 
&quot;When we take the big calls we&#39;ll think not of the powerful but you, when we pass new laws we&#39;ll listen not to the mighty but to you, when it comes to taxes we&#39;ll prioritise not the wealthy but you.&quot; 
 
The United States congratulated May and said it was confident in her ability to steer Britain through the Brexit negotiations. 
 
&quot;Based on the public comments we&#39;ve seen from the incoming prime minister, she intends to pursue a course that&#39;s consistent with the prescription that President Obama has offered,&quot; White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. 
 
An official photograph showed May curtseying to a smiling Queen Elizabeth, for whom she is the 13th prime minister in a line that started with Winston Churchill. 
 
She is also Britain&#39;s second female head of government after Margaret Thatcher. 
 
Divorce talks 
EU leaders, keen to move forward after the shock of &#39;Brexit&#39;, want May to launch formal divorce proceedings as soon as possible to help resolve the uncertainty. 
 
But she has said the process should not be launched before the end of year, to give time for Britain to draw up its negotiating strategy. 
 
Although she favoured Britain remaining in Europe, May has repeatedly declared that &quot;Brexit means Brexit&quot; and that there can be no attempt to reverse the referendum outcome. 
 
The shock vote partly reflected discontent with EU rules on freedom of movement that have contributed to record-high immigration - an issue on which May, as interior minister for the past six years, is politically vulnerable. 
 
But EU leaders have made clear that free movement is a fundamental principle that goes hand-in-hand with access to the bloc&#39;s tariff-free single market, a stance that will hugely complicate May&#39;s task in hammering out new terms of trade. 
 
&quot;My advice to my successor, who is a brilliant negotiator, is that we should try to be as close to the European Union as we can be for the benefits of trade, cooperation and of security,&quot; Cameron told parliament in his last appearance before resigning. 
 
Appearing later in Downing Street with his wife Samantha and their three children, he delivered his parting remarks to the nation after six years dominated by the Europe question and the aftermath of the global financial crisis. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not been an easy journey and of course we&#39;ve not got every decision right,&quot; he said, &quot;but I do believe that today our country is much stronger.&quot; 
 
In parliament, Cameron took the opportunity to trumpet his government&#39;s achievements in generating one of the fastest growth rates among western economies, chopping the budget deficit, creating 2.5 million jobs and legalising gay marriage. 
 
Yet his legacy will be overshadowed by his failed referendum gamble, which he had hoped would keep Britain at the heart of a reformed EU. 
 
&#39;Our Angela Merkel&#39; 
May is seen by her supporters as a safe pair of hands to steer the country through the disruptive Brexit process. Colleagues describe her as cautious, unflappable and intensely private. 
 
&quot;I think around the cabinet table yesterday the feeling was that we have our Angela Merkel,&quot; said Jeremy Hunt, health secretary in Cameron&#39;s team which met for the last time on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;We have an incredibly tough, shrewd, determined and principled person to lead those negotiations for Britain,&quot; Hunt told Sky News television. 
 
German Chancellor Merkel will be May&#39;s most important counterpart on the continent as the process unfolds. Both women are renowned for their firmness, pragmatism and discipline. 
 
The new British leader is expected to immediately start putting together a new cabinet, a complex political balancing act in which she will try to satisfy opposing camps in her party. 
 
She has said she plans to set up a new government department to lead the process of quitting the EU which would be headed by someone who had campaigned on the Leave side. 
 
Financial markets, which had been extremely volatile since the referendum, reacted positively to news on Monday that May would become prime minister earlier than expected. 
 
Stock markets traded within sight of their highest levels of the year as the prospect of stimulative economic policy across the developed world eased immediate concerns over the impact of the Brexit vote. 
 
Economists predicted in a Reuters poll that the Bank of England would halve its main interest rate to 0.25 percent on Thursday in a pre-emptive strike to try to ward off a recession and reassure markets. 
 
(Reuters)

She becomes the country's second female head of government after Margaret Thatcher

Theresa May became Britain's new prime minister on Wednesday, promising to carve out a bold new future in the world as she embarks on the monumental task of leading the country out of the European Union. May, 59 assumed office after an audience with Queen Elizabeth and drove straight to her new home of 10 Downing Street, vacated hours earlier by David Cameron. "We will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us," she said. Cameron stepped down after Britons rejected his entreaties and voted to leave the EU in a referendum last month, severely undermining European efforts to forge greater unity and creating economic uncertainty across the 28-nation bloc. May must try to limit the damage to British trade and investment as she renegotiates the country's ties with its 27 EU partners. She will also attempt to unite a divided ruling Conservative party and a fractured nation in which many, on the evidence of the vote, feel angry with the political elite and left behind by the forces of globalisation. Acknowledging the struggles faced by many Britons, May declared: "The government I lead will be driven not be the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. "When we take the big calls we'll think not of the powerful but you, when we pass new laws we'll listen not to the mighty but to you, when it comes to taxes we'll prioritise not the wealthy but you." The United States congratulated May and said it was confident in her ability to steer Britain through the Brexit negotiations. "Based on the public comments we've seen from the incoming prime minister, she intends to pursue a course that's consistent with the prescription that President Obama has offered," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. An official photograph showed May curtseying to a smiling Queen Elizabeth, for whom she is the 13th prime minister in a line that started with Winston Churchill. She is also Britain's second female head of government after Margaret Thatcher. Divorce talks EU leaders, keen to move forward after the shock of 'Brexit', want May to launch formal divorce proceedings as soon as possible to help resolve the uncertainty. But she has said the process should not be launched before the end of year, to give time for Britain to draw up its negotiating strategy. Although she favoured Britain remaining in Europe, May has repeatedly declared that "Brexit means Brexit" and that there can be no attempt to reverse the referendum outcome. The shock vote partly reflected discontent with EU rules on freedom of movement that have contributed to record-high immigration - an issue on which May, as interior minister for the past six years, is politically vulnerable. But EU leaders have made clear that free movement is a fundamental principle that goes hand-in-hand with access to the bloc's tariff-free single market, a stance that will hugely complicate May's task in hammering out new terms of trade. "My advice to my successor, who is a brilliant negotiator, is that we should try to be as close to the European Union as we can be for the benefits of trade, cooperation and of security," Cameron told parliament in his last appearance before resigning. Appearing later in Downing Street with his wife Samantha and their three children, he delivered his parting remarks to the nation after six years dominated by the Europe question and the aftermath of the global financial crisis. "It's not been an easy journey and of course we've not got every decision right," he said, "but I do believe that today our country is much stronger." In parliament, Cameron took the opportunity to trumpet his government's achievements in generating one of the fastest growth rates among western economies, chopping the budget deficit, creating 2.5 million jobs and legalising gay marriage. Yet his legacy will be overshadowed by his failed referendum gamble, which he had hoped would keep Britain at the heart of a reformed EU. 'Our Angela Merkel' May is seen by her supporters as a safe pair of hands to steer the country through the disruptive Brexit process. Colleagues describe her as cautious, unflappable and intensely private. "I think around the cabinet table yesterday the feeling was that we have our Angela Merkel," said Jeremy Hunt, health secretary in Cameron's team which met for the last time on Tuesday. "We have an incredibly tough, shrewd, determined and principled person to lead those negotiations for Britain," Hunt told Sky News television. German Chancellor Merkel will be May's most important counterpart on the continent as the process unfolds. Both women are renowned for their firmness, pragmatism and discipline. The new British leader is expected to immediately start putting together a new cabinet, a complex political balancing act in which she will try to satisfy opposing camps in her party. She has said she plans to set up a new government department to lead the process of quitting the EU which would be headed by someone who had campaigned on the Leave side. Financial markets, which had been extremely volatile since the referendum, reacted positively to news on Monday that May would become prime minister earlier than expected. Stock markets traded within sight of their highest levels of the year as the prospect of stimulative economic policy across the developed world eased immediate concerns over the impact of the Brexit vote. Economists predicted in a Reuters poll that the Bank of England would halve its main interest rate to 0.25 percent on Thursday in a pre-emptive strike to try to ward off a recession and reassure markets. (Reuters)

Theresa May curtsies before Queen, arises Britain's Prime Minister

Interior minister&nbsp;Theresa&nbsp;May&nbsp;will become Britain&#39;s prime minister on Wednesday, with the task of steering its withdrawal from the European Union, after rival Andrea Leadsom abruptly terminated her disastrous leadership campaign.

May, 59, will succeed David Cameron, who announced he was stepping down after Britons&nbsp;voted last month to quit the EU. Britain&#39;s planned withdrawal has weakened the 28-nation bloc, created huge uncertainty over trade and investment, and shaken financial markets.

May&nbsp;and Leadsom had been due to contest a ballot of grassroots Conservative party members, with the result to be declared by September&nbsp;9. But Leadsom unexpectedly quit on Monday after a campaign dogged by ill-judged comments about her rival&#39;s lack of children and questions about whether she had exaggerated her CV.

&quot;I am honoured and humbled to have been chosen by the Conservative Party to become its leader,&quot; said&nbsp;May, who favoured remaining in the EU but has made clear there is no going back on the result of the June 23 referendum.

&quot;Brexit means Brexit, and we&#39;re going to make a success of it.&quot;

Earlier, Cameron told reporters in front of his 10 Downing Street residence that he expected to chair his last cabinet meeting on Tuesday and take questions in parliament on Wednesday before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth.

&quot;So we will have a new prime minister in that building behind me by Wednesday evening,&quot; he said.

May&nbsp;will become Britain&#39;s second female prime minister, after Margaret Thatcher.

Her victory means that the complex process of extricating Britain from the EU will be led by someone from the losing side of the acrimonious referendum campaign. She has said Britain needs time to work out its negotiating strategy and should not initiate formal divorce proceedings before the end of the year.

In a speech earlier on Monday in the city of Birmingham,&nbsp;May&nbsp;said there could be no second referendum and no attempt to rejoin the EU by the back door.

&quot;As prime minister, I will make sure that we leave the European Union,&quot; she said.

The White House said US President Barack Obama was confident that the &quot;special relationship&quot; between the United States and Britain would continue after&nbsp;May&nbsp;becomes prime minister.

&nbsp;

Relative Unknown

Leadsom, 53, is a junior energy minister who has never served in cabinet and was barely known to the British public until she emerged as a prominent voice in the successful Leave campaign.

She had been strongly criticised over a newspaper interview in which she appeared to suggest that being a mother meant she had more of a stake in the country&#39;s future than&nbsp;May, who has no children. Some Conservatives said they were disgusted by the remarks, for which Leadsom later apologised, while others said they showed naivety and a lack of judgment.

Leadsom told reporters she was pulling out of the race to avoid nine weeks of campaign uncertainty at a time when strong leadership was needed. She acknowledged that&nbsp;May&nbsp;had secured much greater backing in a vote of Conservative members of parliament last week.

&quot;I have ... concluded that the interests of our country are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong and well supported prime minister,&quot; she said. &quot;I am therefore withdrawing from the leadership election and I wish&nbsp;Theresa&nbsp;May&nbsp;the very greatest success.&quot;

Graham Brady, head of the Conservative party committee in charge of the leadership contest, confirmed that&nbsp;May&nbsp;had been elected with immediate effect.

The pound, which has hit 31-year lows since the referendum on concern about potential damage to the British economy, bounced slightly on the news that the Conservative leadership question would be resolved much sooner than expected.

It was trading around $1.2970, up 0.1 per cent on the day but still down around 13 per cent since the day of the vote. The FTSE 250 index of mid-sized companies rose 3.27 per cent.

&quot;Welcome news we have 1 candidate with overwhelming support to be next PM.&nbsp;Theresa&nbsp;Mayhas strength, integrity &amp; determination to do the job,&quot; finance minister George Osborne tweeted.

&nbsp;

Forging New Role

The 52-to-48 per cent vote to quit the EU after 43 years of membership was a stunning rebuke to Britain&#39;s political leaders and especially Cameron, who had argued that breaking away would bring economic disaster.

Britons ignored his warnings, swayed by the arguments of the Leave campaign that &#39;Brexit&#39; would enable them to regain &#39;independence&#39; from Brussels and clamp down on high immigration, something hard to achieve under EU rules allowing people to live and work anywhere in the bloc.

May&#39;s leadership hopes had appeared at risk of being damaged by her failure, in six years as interior minister, to bring immigration down, and the fact she found herself on the losing side of the referendum campaign.

But her two best-known rivals on the Leave side were felled by political back-stabbing when Justice Secretary Michael Gove brought down former London&nbsp;mayor Boris Johnson and was then punished for his perceived treachery by being eliminated from a ballot of Conservative MPs.

In her speech in Birmingham on Monday,&nbsp;May&nbsp;set out her vision for the economy, calling for &quot;a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few&quot;.

In a pitch for the political centre, she said she would prioritise more house-building, a crackdown on tax evasion by individuals and companies, lower energy costs and a narrowing of the &#39;unhealthy&#39; gap between the pay of employees and corporate bosses.

&quot;Under my leadership, the Conservative Party will put itself completely, absolutely, unequivocally, at the service of ordinary working people ... we will make Britain a country that works for everyone,&quot; she said.

&nbsp;

Labour Disarray

May&#39;s biggest challenge will be to map out the course of Britain&#39;s withdrawal, a process still clouded in uncertainty, and to sort out new terms of trade with the other 27 EU nations.

&quot;We will have difficult negotiations with Britain, it will not be easy,&quot; said German Chancellor Angela Merkel who insisted that Britain would not be able to get free access to the EU&#39;s single market without accepting free movement of people.

European Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said: &quot;We should open the negotiations as quickly as possible in order to limit uncertainty.&quot;

More than 1000 British lawyers said in a letter to Cameron that members of parliament should decide whether Britain leaves the EU because the referendum was not legally binding.

Opposition members of parliament, responding to the impending appointment of&nbsp;May, demanded a general election.

&quot;It is crucial, given the instability caused by the Brexit vote, that the country has a democratically elected prime minister,&quot; Labour party election co-ordinator Jon Trickett said.

Labour too has been thrown into upheaval by the referendum, with leader Jeremy Corbyn widely criticised for failing to make a sufficiently passionate case in favour of staying in the EU.

Minutes before Leadsom&#39;s announcement, Labour lawmaker Angela Eagle launched a leadership challenge to Corbyn.

&quot;Jeremy Corbyn is unable to provide the leadership that this party needs -- I believe I can,&quot; Eagle said.

Corbyn was elected last year with overwhelming support from grassroots Labour activists. He has ignored a vote of no confidence from the party&#39;s lawmakers, saying he has a responsibility to carry out that mandate.

(Reuters)

May, the second woman to become Britain's prime minister, will lead the country post its break off with the EU

Interior minister Theresa May will become Britain's prime minister on Wednesday, with the task of steering its withdrawal from the European Union, after rival Andrea Leadsom abruptly terminated her disastrous leadership campaign. May, 59, will succeed David Cameron, who announced he was stepping down after Britons voted last month to quit the EU. Britain's planned withdrawal has weakened the 28-nation bloc, created huge uncertainty over trade and investment, and shaken financial markets. May and Leadsom had been due to contest a ballot of grassroots Conservative party members, with the result to be declared by September 9. But Leadsom unexpectedly quit on Monday after a campaign dogged by ill-judged comments about her rival's lack of children and questions about whether she had exaggerated her CV. "I am honoured and humbled to have been chosen by the Conservative Party to become its leader," said May, who favoured remaining in the EU but has made clear there is no going back on the result of the June 23 referendum. "Brexit means Brexit, and we're going to make a success of it." Earlier, Cameron told reporters in front of his 10 Downing Street residence that he expected to chair his last cabinet meeting on Tuesday and take questions in parliament on Wednesday before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth. "So we will have a new prime minister in that building behind me by Wednesday evening," he said. May will become Britain's second female prime minister, after Margaret Thatcher. Her victory means that the complex process of extricating Britain from the EU will be led by someone from the losing side of the acrimonious referendum campaign. She has said Britain needs time to work out its negotiating strategy and should not initiate formal divorce proceedings before the end of the year. In a speech earlier on Monday in the city of Birmingham, May said there could be no second referendum and no attempt to rejoin the EU by the back door. "As prime minister, I will make sure that we leave the European Union," she said. The White House said US President Barack Obama was confident that the "special relationship" between the United States and Britain would continue after May becomes prime minister. Relative Unknown Leadsom, 53, is a junior energy minister who has never served in cabinet and was barely known to the British public until she emerged as a prominent voice in the successful Leave campaign. She had been strongly criticised over a newspaper interview in which she appeared to suggest that being a mother meant she had more of a stake in the country's future than May, who has no children. Some Conservatives said they were disgusted by the remarks, for which Leadsom later apologised, while others said they showed naivety and a lack of judgment. Leadsom told reporters she was pulling out of the race to avoid nine weeks of campaign uncertainty at a time when strong leadership was needed. She acknowledged that May had secured much greater backing in a vote of Conservative members of parliament last week. "I have ... concluded that the interests of our country are best served by the immediate appointment of a strong and well supported prime minister," she said. "I am therefore withdrawing from the leadership election and I wish Theresa May the very greatest success." Graham Brady, head of the Conservative party committee in charge of the leadership contest, confirmed that May had been elected with immediate effect. The pound, which has hit 31-year lows since the referendum on concern about potential damage to the British economy, bounced slightly on the news that the Conservative leadership question would be resolved much sooner than expected. It was trading around $1.2970, up 0.1 per cent on the day but still down around 13 per cent since the day of the vote. The FTSE 250 index of mid-sized companies rose 3.27 per cent. "Welcome news we have 1 candidate with overwhelming support to be next PM. Theresa Mayhas strength, integrity & determination to do the job," finance minister George Osborne tweeted. Forging New Role The 52-to-48 per cent vote to quit the EU after 43 years of membership was a stunning rebuke to Britain's political leaders and especially Cameron, who had argued that breaking away would bring economic disaster. Britons ignored his warnings, swayed by the arguments of the Leave campaign that 'Brexit' would enable them to regain 'independence' from Brussels and clamp down on high immigration, something hard to achieve under EU rules allowing people to live and work anywhere in the bloc. May's leadership hopes had appeared at risk of being damaged by her failure, in six years as interior minister, to bring immigration down, and the fact she found herself on the losing side of the referendum campaign. But her two best-known rivals on the Leave side were felled by political back-stabbing when Justice Secretary Michael Gove brought down former London mayor Boris Johnson and was then punished for his perceived treachery by being eliminated from a ballot of Conservative MPs. In her speech in Birmingham on Monday, May set out her vision for the economy, calling for "a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few". In a pitch for the political centre, she said she would prioritise more house-building, a crackdown on tax evasion by individuals and companies, lower energy costs and a narrowing of the 'unhealthy' gap between the pay of employees and corporate bosses. "Under my leadership, the Conservative Party will put itself completely, absolutely, unequivocally, at the service of ordinary working people ... we will make Britain a country that works for everyone," she said. Labour Disarray May's biggest challenge will be to map out the course of Britain's withdrawal, a process still clouded in uncertainty, and to sort out new terms of trade with the other 27 EU nations. "We will have difficult negotiations with Britain, it will not be easy," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel who insisted that Britain would not be able to get free access to the EU's single market without accepting free movement of people. European Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said: "We should open the negotiations as quickly as possible in order to limit uncertainty." More than 1000 British lawyers said in a letter to Cameron that members of parliament should decide whether Britain leaves the EU because the referendum was not legally binding. Opposition members of parliament, responding to the impending appointment of May, demanded a general election. "It is crucial, given the instability caused by the Brexit vote, that the country has a democratically elected prime minister," Labour party election co-ordinator Jon Trickett said. Labour too has been thrown into upheaval by the referendum, with leader Jeremy Corbyn widely criticised for failing to make a sufficiently passionate case in favour of staying in the EU. Minutes before Leadsom's announcement, Labour lawmaker Angela Eagle launched a leadership challenge to Corbyn. "Jeremy Corbyn is unable to provide the leadership that this party needs -- I believe I can," Eagle said. Corbyn was elected last year with overwhelming support from grassroots Labour activists. He has ignored a vote of no confidence from the party's lawmakers, saying he has a responsibility to carry out that mandate. (Reuters)

Theresa May to be Britain's next Prime Minister

Britain&#39;s parliament is to debate a petition signed by more than 4 million members of the public calling for a second referendum on European Union membership, but will not take a decision on whether to re-run last month&#39;s vote. 
 
The event will take place on September 5 in parliament&#39;s second debating chamber, Westminster Hall. 
 
Since Britain voted by 52 to 48 per cent to leave the bloc, many people, including some lawmakers, have called for another referendum to be held. 
 
But Theresa May, who will take over from David Cameron as prime minister on Wednesday, has ruled out a second vote, saying &quot;Brexit means Brexit&quot;. 
 
Parliament&#39;s petitions committee said it had decided to put the issue forward for a debate due to the large number of signatures. It stressed it was not supporting the call for another referendum. 
 
The petition, which was posted online before the June 23 referendum, said the government should hold another referendum if the support for Leave or Remain was less than 60 per cent in a turnout of under 75 per cent of eligible voters. 
 
&quot;The debate will allow members of parliament to put forward a range of views on behalf of their constituents. At the end of the debate, a government minister will respond to the points raised,&quot; the committee said in a statement. 
 
It added: &quot;A debate in Westminster Hall does not have the power to change the law, and won&rsquo;t end with the House of Commons deciding whether or not to have a second referendum.&quot; 
 
The committee also pointed out that the petition called for the referendum rules to be changed, which it was now too late to do. 
 
Parliament is required to consider for debate all petitions that attract more than 100,000 signatures. 
 
(Reuters)

Parliament stressed it will not take a decision or support the call for another referendum. To-be PM Theresa May also ruled out second vote

Britain's parliament is to debate a petition signed by more than 4 million members of the public calling for a second referendum on European Union membership, but will not take a decision on whether to re-run last month's vote. The event will take place on September 5 in parliament's second debating chamber, Westminster Hall. Since Britain voted by 52 to 48 per cent to leave the bloc, many people, including some lawmakers, have called for another referendum to be held. But Theresa May, who will take over from David Cameron as prime minister on Wednesday, has ruled out a second vote, saying "Brexit means Brexit". Parliament's petitions committee said it had decided to put the issue forward for a debate due to the large number of signatures. It stressed it was not supporting the call for another referendum. The petition, which was posted online before the June 23 referendum, said the government should hold another referendum if the support for Leave or Remain was less than 60 per cent in a turnout of under 75 per cent of eligible voters. "The debate will allow members of parliament to put forward a range of views on behalf of their constituents. At the end of the debate, a government minister will respond to the points raised," the committee said in a statement. It added: "A debate in Westminster Hall does not have the power to change the law, and won’t end with the House of Commons deciding whether or not to have a second referendum." The committee also pointed out that the petition called for the referendum rules to be changed, which it was now too late to do. Parliament is required to consider for debate all petitions that attract more than 100,000 signatures. (Reuters)

British parliament to debate petition calling for second EU referendum

Andrea Leadsom, a candidate to be Britain&#39;s next prime minister, is facing fresh allegations that she exaggerated her role working in financial services after putting that experience at the centre of her campaign to be the next leader. 
 
Leadsom said she had given a full account of her past jobs as some of her career credentials were called into doubt by former colleagues. 
 
After a ballot of lawmakers of the governing Conservative party on Thursday, Leadsom and interior minister Theresa May emerged as the two candidates to be prime minister. The result of the contest is expected to be decided by grass roots members by September 9. 
 
Before entering parliament in 2010 she spent a decade working at Barclays Bank and Invesco Perpetual, one of the country&#39;s biggest retail fund managers. 
 
Leadsom has often referred to her 25 years of experience in finance, recounting how she spent the weekend helping Eddie George, the late governor of the Bank of England, calming the fears of bankers after the merchant bank Barings collapsed. 
 
However, Peter Norris, the chief executive of Barings at the time, said he could not remember her playing a role in the failed attempt to rescue the bank, one of the biggest financial crises in modern British history. 
 
&quot;I was there the weekend of Barings&#39; collapse. I presented to all the banks in a room with Eddie George and I have absolutely no recollection of her at all,&quot; he told Reuters. 
 
&quot;She may have had a relationship with Barings but I do not recall her being involved in any way surrounding the collapse that weekend.&quot; 
 
A spokesman for Leadsom did not respond to Reuters&#39; request for comment on her role in the Barings rescue. 
 
&#39;In the thick of it&#39; 
 
In a blog in 2009, Leadsom wrote that over the weekend that Barings collapsed, she was &quot;in the thick of it&quot; as the Bank of England governor attempted to reassure markets and prevent a run on the banks. 
 
Responding to allegations she had exaggerated her experience working in finance, Leadsom told the BBC on Thursday that the criticism was &quot;ridiculous&quot; and her experience is &quot;all absolutely true&quot;. 
 
In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, Leadsom spoke about her past &quot;running enormous teams, small teams,&quot; running a start up business and being part of a huge bank. 
 
But Reuters spoke to five former Invesco colleagues, including four in senior management positions, who said Leadsom did not have a prominent role or manage client money. 
 
Fellow Leave campaigner and former London Mayor Boris Johnson, who is backing Leadsom after deciding not to run himself as the party&#39;s leader, said she has a &quot;better understanding of finance than almost anyone in parliament&quot;. 
 
Lawmaker Bernard Jenkin, another backer, said her position at a &quot;large investment firm where she was responsible for managing hundreds of people and billions of pounds&quot; made her suitable for the role. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Leadsom said on her CV published by her spokesman after critics questioned her credentials she worked at Invesco Perpetual between 1999 and 2009, and was Senior Investment Officer and Head of Corporate Governance. Invesco declined to say what these roles involved. Typically in the UK financial industry, a senior investment officer manages client money. 
 
The five former Invesco employees said she did not manage a large team or look after client money. 
 
&quot;Everybody I&#39;ve spoken to who does remember her says her CV doesn&#39;t match her role,&quot; said one of the sources. 
 
Responsibility 
 
The Financial Services Register in the UK is a directory, started in 2001, that lists people in financial services companies who carry out a &quot;controlled function&quot;, which usually involves managing money, advising people on financial matters or holding a senior management role. 
 
According to the register, Leadsom was an approved person for dealing with client money at Invesco Perpetual from December 2001 to February 2002. But there is no record of her on the register anytime after that. 
 
That does not indicate she was not employed by the fund but suggests she was not in a position with large responsibility for managing client money or in senior management. 
 
Invesco confirmed that Leadsom worked there between 1999 and 2009 but declined to comment further on what her roles involved. 
 
One of the former Invesco colleagues, Robert Stephens, said he contacted her last week after seeing her Wikipedia entry which sourced the 2013 edition of Who&#39;s Who, a well known biographical compilation of influential figures, as saying that she had been listed as Chief Investment Officer at Invesco. 
 
A Chief Investment Officer at a fund would usually have broad responsibility for looking after investor money and setting its investment strategy. 
 
Clarification 
 
Stephens says he is an open supporter of Britain remaining in the EU. He said that, beyond his position on the referendum, he was angered by Leadsom&#39;s claims about her financial career. 
 
Stephens said he approached Leadsom to clarify her role at the company. 
 
Leadsom has subsequently corrected the Wikipedia entry. Stephens said she denied to him that she had written the passage. 
 
Stephens and three sources said her work included assisting the then chief investment officer Bob Yerbury. Stephens said this included negotiating salaries for fund managers and working on special projects for him. &nbsp; 
 
Yerbury could not be reached for comment. 
 
&quot;People are being seduced into thinking oh wonderful 25 years in the City. She got to the top of the City,&quot; Stephens, who worked as a global investment specialist at Invesco Perpetual at the same time between 1999 and 2009, told Reuters. 
 
&quot;It assigns to her understanding of the way the financial world works which simply aren&#39;t so. The question is why she feels it necessary to self aggrandize herself in that way.&quot; 
 
Before Invesco Leadsom worked at Barclays from 1987 to 1997 where she says on her publicly released CV that her roles included &quot;managing investment banks business&quot; and &quot;deputy financial institutions director&quot;. 
 
A source at Barclays bank said there had been emails sent around different departments in the investment bank in recent days trying to confirm her roles there. 
 
Barclays confirmed the dates she worked at the bank but declined to comment further. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Some of Leadsom&#39;s supporters say the criticism from Stephens is uncalled for, even if there are questions about her career history.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I think most people are realistic to know when you write a CV, you don&#39;t write it so that people don&#39;t employ you ... you always make the most of it,&quot; said Anne Marie Morris, a conservative lawmaker, who was part of the same intake as Leadsom at the 2010 election and is one of her supporters.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The reality was that she wasn&#39;t making the tea, she was engaged in very serious deals and negotiations with very serious people.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Ex colleagues have alleged she exaggerated her role working in financial services, which she'd put at the centre of her PM campaign

Andrea Leadsom, a candidate to be Britain's next prime minister, is facing fresh allegations that she exaggerated her role working in financial services after putting that experience at the centre of her campaign to be the next leader. Leadsom said she had given a full account of her past jobs as some of her career credentials were called into doubt by former colleagues. After a ballot of lawmakers of the governing Conservative party on Thursday, Leadsom and interior minister Theresa May emerged as the two candidates to be prime minister. The result of the contest is expected to be decided by grass roots members by September 9. Before entering parliament in 2010 she spent a decade working at Barclays Bank and Invesco Perpetual, one of the country's biggest retail fund managers. Leadsom has often referred to her 25 years of experience in finance, recounting how she spent the weekend helping Eddie George, the late governor of the Bank of England, calming the fears of bankers after the merchant bank Barings collapsed. However, Peter Norris, the chief executive of Barings at the time, said he could not remember her playing a role in the failed attempt to rescue the bank, one of the biggest financial crises in modern British history. "I was there the weekend of Barings' collapse. I presented to all the banks in a room with Eddie George and I have absolutely no recollection of her at all," he told Reuters. "She may have had a relationship with Barings but I do not recall her being involved in any way surrounding the collapse that weekend." A spokesman for Leadsom did not respond to Reuters' request for comment on her role in the Barings rescue. 'In the thick of it' In a blog in 2009, Leadsom wrote that over the weekend that Barings collapsed, she was "in the thick of it" as the Bank of England governor attempted to reassure markets and prevent a run on the banks. Responding to allegations she had exaggerated her experience working in finance, Leadsom told the BBC on Thursday that the criticism was "ridiculous" and her experience is "all absolutely true". In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, Leadsom spoke about her past "running enormous teams, small teams," running a start up business and being part of a huge bank. But Reuters spoke to five former Invesco colleagues, including four in senior management positions, who said Leadsom did not have a prominent role or manage client money. Fellow Leave campaigner and former London Mayor Boris Johnson, who is backing Leadsom after deciding not to run himself as the party's leader, said she has a "better understanding of finance than almost anyone in parliament". Lawmaker Bernard Jenkin, another backer, said her position at a "large investment firm where she was responsible for managing hundreds of people and billions of pounds" made her suitable for the role. Leadsom said on her CV published by her spokesman after critics questioned her credentials she worked at Invesco Perpetual between 1999 and 2009, and was Senior Investment Officer and Head of Corporate Governance. Invesco declined to say what these roles involved. Typically in the UK financial industry, a senior investment officer manages client money. The five former Invesco employees said she did not manage a large team or look after client money. "Everybody I've spoken to who does remember her says her CV doesn't match her role," said one of the sources. Responsibility The Financial Services Register in the UK is a directory, started in 2001, that lists people in financial services companies who carry out a "controlled function", which usually involves managing money, advising people on financial matters or holding a senior management role. According to the register, Leadsom was an approved person for dealing with client money at Invesco Perpetual from December 2001 to February 2002. But there is no record of her on the register anytime after that. That does not indicate she was not employed by the fund but suggests she was not in a position with large responsibility for managing client money or in senior management. Invesco confirmed that Leadsom worked there between 1999 and 2009 but declined to comment further on what her roles involved. One of the former Invesco colleagues, Robert Stephens, said he contacted her last week after seeing her Wikipedia entry which sourced the 2013 edition of Who's Who, a well known biographical compilation of influential figures, as saying that she had been listed as Chief Investment Officer at Invesco. A Chief Investment Officer at a fund would usually have broad responsibility for looking after investor money and setting its investment strategy. Clarification Stephens says he is an open supporter of Britain remaining in the EU. He said that, beyond his position on the referendum, he was angered by Leadsom's claims about her financial career. Stephens said he approached Leadsom to clarify her role at the company. Leadsom has subsequently corrected the Wikipedia entry. Stephens said she denied to him that she had written the passage. Stephens and three sources said her work included assisting the then chief investment officer Bob Yerbury. Stephens said this included negotiating salaries for fund managers and working on special projects for him. Yerbury could not be reached for comment. "People are being seduced into thinking oh wonderful 25 years in the City. She got to the top of the City," Stephens, who worked as a global investment specialist at Invesco Perpetual at the same time between 1999 and 2009, told Reuters. "It assigns to her understanding of the way the financial world works which simply aren't so. The question is why she feels it necessary to self aggrandize herself in that way." Before Invesco Leadsom worked at Barclays from 1987 to 1997 where she says on her publicly released CV that her roles included "managing investment banks business" and "deputy financial institutions director". A source at Barclays bank said there had been emails sent around different departments in the investment bank in recent days trying to confirm her roles there. Barclays confirmed the dates she worked at the bank but declined to comment further. Some of Leadsom's supporters say the criticism from Stephens is uncalled for, even if there are questions about her career history. "I think most people are realistic to know when you write a CV, you don't write it so that people don't employ you ... you always make the most of it," said Anne Marie Morris, a conservative lawmaker, who was part of the same intake as Leadsom at the 2010 election and is one of her supporters. "The reality was that she wasn't making the tea, she was engaged in very serious deals and negotiations with very serious people." (Reuters)

Leadsom's career credentials come under scrutiny

Interior minister Theresa May opened up a strong lead on Tuesday in what is now a three-horse race to become Britain&#39;s next Prime Minister, but the first stage of voting was overshadowed by post-Brexit carnage for property investors and the Pound. 
 
In symptoms of market concern about the economic impact of leaving the European Union, sterling hit new 31-year lows and three funds investing in British property said they were suspending trading because too many people were rushing to withdraw their money at once. 
 
May won 165 votes in a first ballot of Conservative members of parliament and Andrea Leadsom, a junior energy minister, won 66, increasing the likelihood that Britain will get only its second woman Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher. Justice secretary Michael Gove was third on 48. 
 
Former defence minister Liam Fox won the fewest votes, 16, and was eliminated from the battle to replace David Cameron, who has said he will step down after Britons voted in a June 23 referendum to break away from the EU. 
 
Soon afterwards, work and pensions minister Stephen Crabb, who placed fourth with 34 votes, said he was pulling out and throwing his &quot;wholehearted support&quot; behind May. Fox said he would also back her.&nbsp; 
 
May, 59, said: &quot;There is a big job before us: to unite our party and the country, to negotiate the best possible deal as we leave the EU, and to make Britain work for everyone.&nbsp;I am the only candidate capable of delivering these three things as Prime Minister, and tonight it is clear that I am also the only one capable of drawing support from the whole of the Conservative Party.&quot; 
 
&#39;No coronation&#39; 
 
The drawn-out selection process will ultimately be decided by about 150,000 Conservative Party members in September, once MPs have whittled the field down to two candidates. 
 
Given strong eurosceptic sentiment among grassroots Conservatives, Leadsom, 53, and Gove, 48, remain in contention. Both were leading voices in the victorious Leave campaign, while May favoured remaining inside the 28-nation EU. 
 
Leadsom backer Stewart Jackson told Sky News: &quot;This shows she&#39;s ready to go all the way, there isn&#39;t going to be a coronation&quot; of May. 
 
In the meantime, signs are multiplying that concern about the impact of Brexit on trade, investment and business confidence is starting to hit the economy. 
 
The 4.4-billion-Pound ($5.7 billion) Property Portfolio run by M&amp;G Investments, the fund arm of insurer Prudential, was the latest to suspend business on Tuesday afternoon. Insurer Aviva&#39;s fund arm had earlier stopped trading in its 1.8-billion-Pound UK Property Trust, while Standard Life Investments suspended a 2.9-billion-Pound fund late on Monday. 
 
Shares plunged in other property-related funds, and asset managers and insurers were also hit. 
 
The Pound, which has borne the brunt of market concern about potential damage to the economy, plumbed new 31-year lows and is now down more than 12 per cent since the referendum.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There is evidence that some risks have begun to crystallise. The current outlook for UK financial stability is challenging,&quot; the Bank of England said, announcing measures to encourage banks to keep lending. 
 
In a possible blow to London&#39;s financial centre, Germany&#39;s Deutsche Boerse signalled on Tuesday that the headquarters of a European giant to be created from its merger with the London Stock Exchange Group may now have to be outside the United Kingdom. 
 
Voters were bombarded in the run-up to the referendum with warnings from Cameron and a host of financial institutions and think tanks that Brexit would plunge Britain into a self-inflicted recession by jeopardising its access to the EU&#39;s tariff-free single market. 
 
The Leave campaign derided such arguments as &#39;Project Fear&#39;, arguing Britain would prosper by regaining &#39;independence&#39; from Brussels and freeing itself to set its own laws, clinch its own trade deals and set a cap on immigration - something it cannot do under EU rules allowing free movement throughout the bloc. 
 
&#39;Bloody difficult woman&#39; 
 
Whoever wins the Conservative leadership and the keys to 10 Downing Street will have to stabilise the economy and unify a party that was deeply split by the referendum campaign. 
 
The victor will also need to decide when to initiate divorce proceedings with the EU, and how to extricate Britain from 43 years of membership while trying to negotiate favourable terms of trade. 
 
The most seasoned candidates in the field are May and Gove, who stunned colleagues and commentators alike when he abruptly withdrew his support for former London mayor Boris Johnson last week, effectively forcing him from the race. Leadsom entered parliament only six years ago after a long career in financial services, and has never served in the cabinet. 
 
Gove and Leadsom have both argued forcefully that the next prime minister should come from the winning side in the referendum, which would disqualify May. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve managed to bring people together across the Conservative Party behind a hopeful and optimistic message of change, and I hope that I&#39;ll be able to take that message to the country,&quot; Gove said. 
 
In unguarded comments earlier on Tuesday, caught on camera and broadcast by Sky News, former Conservative minister Ken Clarke made disparaging remarks about all three contenders, saying that with Gove as Prime Minister &quot;we would go to war with at least three countries at once&quot;. 
 
He described May as &quot;a bloody difficult woman&quot;, but no more difficult than Thatcher, in whose cabinet he served. He added that she was &quot;good&quot;, but lacking in foreign policy experience. 
 
Of Leadsom, Clarke said: &quot;She does have experience in the city...She is not one of the tiny band of lunatics who think we can have a sort of glorious economic future outside the (EU) single market. So long as she understands that she&#39;s not to deliver on some of the extremely stupid things she&#39;s been saying.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

The victor will need to decide when to pull out of the EU, and how to favourably extricate Britain after 43 years of membership

Interior minister Theresa May opened up a strong lead on Tuesday in what is now a three-horse race to become Britain's next Prime Minister, but the first stage of voting was overshadowed by post-Brexit carnage for property investors and the Pound. In symptoms of market concern about the economic impact of leaving the European Union, sterling hit new 31-year lows and three funds investing in British property said they were suspending trading because too many people were rushing to withdraw their money at once. May won 165 votes in a first ballot of Conservative members of parliament and Andrea Leadsom, a junior energy minister, won 66, increasing the likelihood that Britain will get only its second woman Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher. Justice secretary Michael Gove was third on 48. Former defence minister Liam Fox won the fewest votes, 16, and was eliminated from the battle to replace David Cameron, who has said he will step down after Britons voted in a June 23 referendum to break away from the EU. Soon afterwards, work and pensions minister Stephen Crabb, who placed fourth with 34 votes, said he was pulling out and throwing his "wholehearted support" behind May. Fox said he would also back her. May, 59, said: "There is a big job before us: to unite our party and the country, to negotiate the best possible deal as we leave the EU, and to make Britain work for everyone. I am the only candidate capable of delivering these three things as Prime Minister, and tonight it is clear that I am also the only one capable of drawing support from the whole of the Conservative Party." 'No coronation' The drawn-out selection process will ultimately be decided by about 150,000 Conservative Party members in September, once MPs have whittled the field down to two candidates. Given strong eurosceptic sentiment among grassroots Conservatives, Leadsom, 53, and Gove, 48, remain in contention. Both were leading voices in the victorious Leave campaign, while May favoured remaining inside the 28-nation EU. Leadsom backer Stewart Jackson told Sky News: "This shows she's ready to go all the way, there isn't going to be a coronation" of May. In the meantime, signs are multiplying that concern about the impact of Brexit on trade, investment and business confidence is starting to hit the economy. The 4.4-billion-Pound ($5.7 billion) Property Portfolio run by M&G Investments, the fund arm of insurer Prudential, was the latest to suspend business on Tuesday afternoon. Insurer Aviva's fund arm had earlier stopped trading in its 1.8-billion-Pound UK Property Trust, while Standard Life Investments suspended a 2.9-billion-Pound fund late on Monday. Shares plunged in other property-related funds, and asset managers and insurers were also hit. The Pound, which has borne the brunt of market concern about potential damage to the economy, plumbed new 31-year lows and is now down more than 12 per cent since the referendum. "There is evidence that some risks have begun to crystallise. The current outlook for UK financial stability is challenging," the Bank of England said, announcing measures to encourage banks to keep lending. In a possible blow to London's financial centre, Germany's Deutsche Boerse signalled on Tuesday that the headquarters of a European giant to be created from its merger with the London Stock Exchange Group may now have to be outside the United Kingdom. Voters were bombarded in the run-up to the referendum with warnings from Cameron and a host of financial institutions and think tanks that Brexit would plunge Britain into a self-inflicted recession by jeopardising its access to the EU's tariff-free single market. The Leave campaign derided such arguments as 'Project Fear', arguing Britain would prosper by regaining 'independence' from Brussels and freeing itself to set its own laws, clinch its own trade deals and set a cap on immigration - something it cannot do under EU rules allowing free movement throughout the bloc. 'Bloody difficult woman' Whoever wins the Conservative leadership and the keys to 10 Downing Street will have to stabilise the economy and unify a party that was deeply split by the referendum campaign. The victor will also need to decide when to initiate divorce proceedings with the EU, and how to extricate Britain from 43 years of membership while trying to negotiate favourable terms of trade. The most seasoned candidates in the field are May and Gove, who stunned colleagues and commentators alike when he abruptly withdrew his support for former London mayor Boris Johnson last week, effectively forcing him from the race. Leadsom entered parliament only six years ago after a long career in financial services, and has never served in the cabinet. Gove and Leadsom have both argued forcefully that the next prime minister should come from the winning side in the referendum, which would disqualify May. "I've managed to bring people together across the Conservative Party behind a hopeful and optimistic message of change, and I hope that I'll be able to take that message to the country," Gove said. In unguarded comments earlier on Tuesday, caught on camera and broadcast by Sky News, former Conservative minister Ken Clarke made disparaging remarks about all three contenders, saying that with Gove as Prime Minister "we would go to war with at least three countries at once". He described May as "a bloody difficult woman", but no more difficult than Thatcher, in whose cabinet he served. He added that she was "good", but lacking in foreign policy experience. Of Leadsom, Clarke said: "She does have experience in the city...She is not one of the tiny band of lunatics who think we can have a sort of glorious economic future outside the (EU) single market. So long as she understands that she's not to deliver on some of the extremely stupid things she's been saying." (Reuters)

May leads three-horse PM race as Brexit hits Pound and property

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