US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, backed United Kingdom&#39;s assessment that suggests Russia&#39;s involvement in alleged nerve attack in the UK. Tillerson lashed out at Russia &nbsp;calling it &ldquo;an irresponsible force of instability in the world.&rdquo;

Tillerson said the United States had &quot;full confidence&quot; in Britain&#39;s assessment that Russia was likely responsible.

&quot;We agree that those responsible - both those who committed the crime and those who ordered it - must face appropriately serious consequences,&quot; he noted in a statement.&nbsp;

Tillerson also expressed solidarity with the UK over the matter.&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the incident and stated the possibility of Russia&#39;s involvement in the attack.&nbsp;

May, on Monday, said it was &quot;highly likely&quot; that Moscow was responsible for the poisoning in England of Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter using a military-grade nerve agent.

&quot;Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom,&quot; she said, calling the attack a &quot;reckless and despicable act&quot;.

The Russian government has denied the allegations.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The Russian government has denied the allegations.

US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, backed United Kingdom's assessment that suggests Russia's involvement in alleged nerve attack in the UK. Tillerson lashed out at Russia calling it “an irresponsible force of instability in the world.” Tillerson said the United States had "full confidence" in Britain's assessment that Russia was likely responsible. "We agree that those responsible - both those who committed the crime and those who ordered it - must face appropriately serious consequences," he noted in a statement. Tillerson also expressed solidarity with the UK over the matter. British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the incident and stated the possibility of Russia's involvement in the attack. May, on Monday, said it was "highly likely" that Moscow was responsible for the poisoning in England of Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter using a military-grade nerve agent. "Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom," she said, calling the attack a "reckless and despicable act". The Russian government has denied the allegations. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia was likely responsible for UK nerve agent attack: Rex Tillerson

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday it was &quot;highly likely&quot; that Moscow was responsible for the poisoning in England of Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter using a military-grade nerve agent.

May told parliament that either the Russian state was directly responsible for the poisoning or it had allowed the nerve agent to get into the hands of others. London has given Russia until the end of Tuesday to explain its use.

British officials had identified the substance as being part of the Novichok group of nerve agents that were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s and 1980s, May said.

Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, have been in hospital in critical condition since being found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the city of Salisbury on March 4.

&quot;Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom,&quot; she said, calling the attack a &quot;reckless and despicable act&quot;.

Russia&#39;s foreign ministry hit back immediately, saying May&#39;s comments were a &quot;circus show&quot; and part of a political information campaign against Russia.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States had &quot;full confidence&quot; in Britain&#39;s assessment that Russia was likely responsible.

&quot;We agree that those responsible - both those who committed the crime and those who ordered it - must face appropriately serious consequences,&quot; Tillerson said in a statement.&nbsp;

Earlier, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the United States stood by America&#39;s &quot;closest ally,&quot; but she stopped short of blaming Russia for the attack.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the use of any nerve agent was &quot;horrendous and completely unacceptable&quot; and &quot;this incident is of great concern to NATO&quot;.

Relations between Britain and Russia have been strained since the murder in London of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.&nbsp;

On Monday, May said the latest poisoning took place &quot;against a backdrop of a well-established pattern of Russian state aggression&quot; and that Britain was ready to take &quot;much more extensive measures&quot; against Russia than in the past.&nbsp;

Russia&#39;s ambassador to London has been summoned to explain to British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson how the nerve agent came to have been used. &quot;On Wednesday we will consider in detail the response from the Russian state,&quot; May said.

Novichok agents are believed to be five to 10 times more lethal than the more commonly known VX and Sarin gases. They cause a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to death by asphyxiation, University of Reading pharmacology professor Gary Stephens said.

Russian tv: World cup spoiler plot

Russian President Vladimir Putin brushed off a question about the affair while visiting a grain centre in southern Russia, saying British authorities should first &quot;get to the bottom of things&quot;, the BBC&#39;s Moscow correspondent wrote on Twitter.

Russian state TV accused Britain of poisoning Skripal as part of a special operation designed to spoil Russia&#39;s hosting of soccer&#39;s World Cup this summer.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Skripal worked for British intelligence and the attack happened in Britain so it was not a matter for the Russian government.

A British policeman who was one of the first to attend to the stricken spy was also affected by the nerve agent. He is now conscious in serious but stable condition, police said.

Skripal is a former colonel in Russia&#39;s GRU military intelligence who was convicted of passing secrets to Britain&#39;s MI6 intelligence agency and later exchanged in a spy swap.

The chairman of the British parliament&#39;s foreign affairs committee, Tom Tugendhat, said Russia&#39;s so-called oligarchs, who have amassed fortunes during Putin&#39;s 18-year rule, should be denied entry to the luxuries of London and the West.

The British capital has been dubbed &quot;Londongrad&quot; due to the large quantities of Russian money that have poured in since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

May said last year that Putin was seeking to undermine the West and the international order by meddling in elections, and promised to ensure corrupt money did not flow into Britain from Russia.

A British public inquiry found the 2006 killing of Litvinenko had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy - a former KGB bodyguard who later became a member of the Russian parliament.

Cordons remained in place in the centre of Salisbury and some police investigators wore full chemical and biological suits. The army was later deployed to help remove items from the scene.&nbsp;

Health officials said there was no wider risk to public health.

Jenny Harries, deputy medical director at Public Health England, suggested members of the public who had visited the same restaurant and pub as Skripal and his daughter on March 4 should wash their clothes, clean phones and bags with baby wipes and wash items such as jewellery and spectacles with warm water and detergent. 
&nbsp;

British officials had identified the substance as being part of the Novichok group of nerve agents that were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s, May noted

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday it was "highly likely" that Moscow was responsible for the poisoning in England of Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter using a military-grade nerve agent. May told parliament that either the Russian state was directly responsible for the poisoning or it had allowed the nerve agent to get into the hands of others. London has given Russia until the end of Tuesday to explain its use. British officials had identified the substance as being part of the Novichok group of nerve agents that were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s and 1980s, May said. Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, have been in hospital in critical condition since being found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the city of Salisbury on March 4. "Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom," she said, calling the attack a "reckless and despicable act". Russia's foreign ministry hit back immediately, saying May's comments were a "circus show" and part of a political information campaign against Russia. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States had "full confidence" in Britain's assessment that Russia was likely responsible. "We agree that those responsible - both those who committed the crime and those who ordered it - must face appropriately serious consequences," Tillerson said in a statement. Earlier, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the United States stood by America's "closest ally," but she stopped short of blaming Russia for the attack. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the use of any nerve agent was "horrendous and completely unacceptable" and "this incident is of great concern to NATO". Relations between Britain and Russia have been strained since the murder in London of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210. On Monday, May said the latest poisoning took place "against a backdrop of a well-established pattern of Russian state aggression" and that Britain was ready to take "much more extensive measures" against Russia than in the past. Russia's ambassador to London has been summoned to explain to British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson how the nerve agent came to have been used. "On Wednesday we will consider in detail the response from the Russian state," May said. Novichok agents are believed to be five to 10 times more lethal than the more commonly known VX and Sarin gases. They cause a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to death by asphyxiation, University of Reading pharmacology professor Gary Stephens said. Russian tv: World cup spoiler plot Russian President Vladimir Putin brushed off a question about the affair while visiting a grain centre in southern Russia, saying British authorities should first "get to the bottom of things", the BBC's Moscow correspondent wrote on Twitter. Russian state TV accused Britain of poisoning Skripal as part of a special operation designed to spoil Russia's hosting of soccer's World Cup this summer. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Skripal worked for British intelligence and the attack happened in Britain so it was not a matter for the Russian government. A British policeman who was one of the first to attend to the stricken spy was also affected by the nerve agent. He is now conscious in serious but stable condition, police said. Skripal is a former colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence who was convicted of passing secrets to Britain's MI6 intelligence agency and later exchanged in a spy swap. The chairman of the British parliament's foreign affairs committee, Tom Tugendhat, said Russia's so-called oligarchs, who have amassed fortunes during Putin's 18-year rule, should be denied entry to the luxuries of London and the West. The British capital has been dubbed "Londongrad" due to the large quantities of Russian money that have poured in since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. May said last year that Putin was seeking to undermine the West and the international order by meddling in elections, and promised to ensure corrupt money did not flow into Britain from Russia. A British public inquiry found the 2006 killing of Litvinenko had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy - a former KGB bodyguard who later became a member of the Russian parliament. Cordons remained in place in the centre of Salisbury and some police investigators wore full chemical and biological suits. The army was later deployed to help remove items from the scene. Health officials said there was no wider risk to public health. Jenny Harries, deputy medical director at Public Health England, suggested members of the public who had visited the same restaurant and pub as Skripal and his daughter on March 4 should wash their clothes, clean phones and bags with baby wipes and wash items such as jewellery and spectacles with warm water and detergent.

UK's May says 'highly likely' Russia behind nerve attack on spy

British Prime Minister Theresa May will chair a meeting of her national security team Monday after weekend confirmation that traces of a nerve agent used in the attempted murder of a Russian former double agent were found in a pub and a restaurant he visited.

May and senior ministers will receive an update on the investigation into the March 4 attack on Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia, as pressure mounts in Britain for answers over the incident.

The Times reported that the prime minister is on the brink of publicly declaring Russia&#39;s involvement, possibly following the national security council meeting.

She is considering a raft of &quot;hard line&quot; responses, with diplomatic expulsions and rescinding the visas of Kremlin-linked residents among the possible measures, the paper said.

The Russian pair were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, southwest England, and remain in a critical but stable condition in hospital. Authorities have yet to confirm the precise substance involved in the attack.

Sally Davies, England&#39;s chief medical officer, revealed Sunday that up to 500 people who may have come into minimal contact with the nerve agent should wash their clothes and belongings as a precaution.

The advice was aimed at locals who visited The Mill pub and Zizzi&#39;s restaurant that the targeted duo visited prior to falling ill.

&quot;There has been some trace contamination by the nerve agent,&quot; Davies said. &quot;I am confident this has not harmed the health of anyone who was in The Mill pub or Zizzi&#39;s.&quot;

The BBC reported a table at the restaurant was so contaminated that it had to be destroyed.

Davies added that pub and restaurant-goers last Sunday or Monday should wash clothing in the washing machine, while dry clean-only clothes should be put inside two tied plastic bags and safely stored while awaiting further advice.

She also gave detailed instructions for cleaning items such as mobile phones, handbags, jewellery and eyeglasses.The advice, given a week after the incident, surprised residents repeatedly reassured they were in no danger.

Steve Cooper, who was in the pub around the same time as Skripal, told the BBC he was &quot;concerned&quot;.

The risk to public health remained low and the advice was precautionary, Public Health England said.

&quot;It is possible, but unlikely, that any of the substance which has come into contact with clothing or belongings could still be present in minute amounts,&quot; PHE said in a statement.

&quot;Over time, repeated skin contact with contaminated items may pose a small risk to health.&quot;

Nick Bailey, one of the first police officers on the scene after Skripal and his daughter fell ill, is in hospital but conscious, local police have said.

Alastair Hay, an environmental toxicology professor at Leeds University, said the advice on cleaning clothes and possessions would provide an &quot;extra guarantee of safety&quot;.

&quot;If no one has had physical symptoms suggestive of nerve agent contact by now it is unlikely that they are a risk,&quot; he said.

&quot;Nerve agents vary in their rate of environmental breakdown. Sarin is one of those that degrades more rapidly whereas VX is more persistent.&quot;

Meanwhile, Britain&#39;s armed forces are expected to continue assisting police in the probe Monday.

Around 180 troops, including chemical warfare experts, have been deployed in Salisbury after investigators requested expert assistance.

Interior Minister Amber Rudd has said police were examining more than 200 pieces of evidence, had identified more than 240 witnesses, and were ploughing through security camera footage.

The Telegraph reported that experts were testing the substance to ascertain if it was produced in Russia. Skripal came to Britain in 2010 as part of a spy swap. He was a former colonel in Russia&#39;s military intelligence who was jailed in his country for betraying agents to Britain&#39;s MI6 secret service.

Britain&#39;s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been pointing the finger at Moscow.

A public inquiry into the 2006 radiation poisoning death of Russian secret service defector Alexander Litvinenko concluded in 2016 that the killing in London had &quot;probably&quot; been carried out with the approval of President Vladimir Putin.

Litvinenko&#39;s widow Marina said it seemed that Britain was unable to protect those to whom it offered political asylum.

She revealed a 2016 letter from Theresa May, now Britain&#39;s prime minister, saying that &quot;we will take every step to protect the UK and its people from such a crime ever being repeated&quot;.

&quot;We can see nothing was done,&quot; she told Sky News television. 
&nbsp;

The Russian pair were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, southwest England, and remain in a critical but stable condition in hospital

British Prime Minister Theresa May will chair a meeting of her national security team Monday after weekend confirmation that traces of a nerve agent used in the attempted murder of a Russian former double agent were found in a pub and a restaurant he visited. May and senior ministers will receive an update on the investigation into the March 4 attack on Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia, as pressure mounts in Britain for answers over the incident. The Times reported that the prime minister is on the brink of publicly declaring Russia's involvement, possibly following the national security council meeting. She is considering a raft of "hard line" responses, with diplomatic expulsions and rescinding the visas of Kremlin-linked residents among the possible measures, the paper said. The Russian pair were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, southwest England, and remain in a critical but stable condition in hospital. Authorities have yet to confirm the precise substance involved in the attack. Sally Davies, England's chief medical officer, revealed Sunday that up to 500 people who may have come into minimal contact with the nerve agent should wash their clothes and belongings as a precaution. The advice was aimed at locals who visited The Mill pub and Zizzi's restaurant that the targeted duo visited prior to falling ill. "There has been some trace contamination by the nerve agent," Davies said. "I am confident this has not harmed the health of anyone who was in The Mill pub or Zizzi's." The BBC reported a table at the restaurant was so contaminated that it had to be destroyed. Davies added that pub and restaurant-goers last Sunday or Monday should wash clothing in the washing machine, while dry clean-only clothes should be put inside two tied plastic bags and safely stored while awaiting further advice. She also gave detailed instructions for cleaning items such as mobile phones, handbags, jewellery and eyeglasses.The advice, given a week after the incident, surprised residents repeatedly reassured they were in no danger. Steve Cooper, who was in the pub around the same time as Skripal, told the BBC he was "concerned". The risk to public health remained low and the advice was precautionary, Public Health England said. "It is possible, but unlikely, that any of the substance which has come into contact with clothing or belongings could still be present in minute amounts," PHE said in a statement. "Over time, repeated skin contact with contaminated items may pose a small risk to health." Nick Bailey, one of the first police officers on the scene after Skripal and his daughter fell ill, is in hospital but conscious, local police have said. Alastair Hay, an environmental toxicology professor at Leeds University, said the advice on cleaning clothes and possessions would provide an "extra guarantee of safety". "If no one has had physical symptoms suggestive of nerve agent contact by now it is unlikely that they are a risk," he said. "Nerve agents vary in their rate of environmental breakdown. Sarin is one of those that degrades more rapidly whereas VX is more persistent." Meanwhile, Britain's armed forces are expected to continue assisting police in the probe Monday. Around 180 troops, including chemical warfare experts, have been deployed in Salisbury after investigators requested expert assistance. Interior Minister Amber Rudd has said police were examining more than 200 pieces of evidence, had identified more than 240 witnesses, and were ploughing through security camera footage. The Telegraph reported that experts were testing the substance to ascertain if it was produced in Russia. Skripal came to Britain in 2010 as part of a spy swap. He was a former colonel in Russia's military intelligence who was jailed in his country for betraying agents to Britain's MI6 secret service. Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been pointing the finger at Moscow. A public inquiry into the 2006 radiation poisoning death of Russian secret service defector Alexander Litvinenko concluded in 2016 that the killing in London had "probably" been carried out with the approval of President Vladimir Putin. Litvinenko's widow Marina said it seemed that Britain was unable to protect those to whom it offered political asylum. She revealed a 2016 letter from Theresa May, now Britain's prime minister, saying that "we will take every step to protect the UK and its people from such a crime ever being repeated". "We can see nothing was done," she told Sky News television.

UK national security chiefs to meet as pressure over spy probe mounts

The Russian former double-agent who collapsed in a British town alongside his daughter was targeted with a nerve agent, while a responding policeman has also been hospitalised, police said Wednesday.

&quot;This is being treated as a major incident involving attempted murder by administration of a nerve agent&quot;, Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Mark Rowley told reporters.

Scientific tests by government experts have identified the specific nerve agent used, &quot;which will help identify the source&quot; police said, but Rowley declined to reveal the exact substance.

Sergei Skripal, 66, who moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap, is in a critical condition in the hospital along with his daughter Yulia after they collapsed on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southwestern English city of Salisbury on Sunday.

&quot;Sadly, in addition, a police officer, who was one of the first to attend the scene is now also in a serious condition in hospital,&quot; said Rowley.

Britain&#39;s Sky News, quoting sources, reported late Wednesday that all three victims are in a coma.

Other emergency services personnel who treated the pair required medical treatment at the time but have not been admitted to hospital. Interior minister Amber Rudd called for &quot;cool heads&quot; over the poisoning, which is already being linked with Russia by British politicians and the media.

She is expected to make a statement in parliament on Thursday.

Police say they are keeping an open mind about what happened, but Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has alluded to Russia.

He noted the &quot;echoes&quot; with the 2006 poisoning in London of former Russian spy and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko, which Britain has blamed on Russia.

Moscow accused British politicians and journalists of whipping up anti-Russian sentiment, with Kremlin foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova telling reporters the story &quot;was straight away used to boost an anti-Russian campaign in the media&quot;.

Zakharova earlier said Johnson`s comments were &quot;wild&quot;.

Meanwhile, hundreds of counter-terrorism detectives are working &quot;around the clock&quot; to create a timeline of the victims&#39;&nbsp;movements, with &quot;many hours&quot; of CCTV under review, police said.

Investigators believe Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter were in Salisbury city centre for several hours before they were found slumped on a bench.

They reportedly had lunch at a pizza restaurant, Zizzi, and visited a pub in Salisbury before being discovered outside the shopping centre, where onlookers said they appeared &quot;out of it&quot;.

An anonymous witness who was in the pub, which has been closed by police, told the BBC on Wednesday that Skripal was there behaving erratically and at one point shouting loudly.

Rowley appealed for information from those in Salisbury on Sunday.

&quot;Your memory of that afternoon and your movements alone could help us with missing pieces of the investigation,&quot; he said.

The Times newspaper reported police are probing whether Skripal&#39;s daughter, who arrived in Britain from Moscow last week with &quot;gifts from friends&quot;, may have brought the nerve agent into the country.

The paper previously said investigators would also examine the 2012 death of Skripal&#39;s wife from cancer, and that of his 44-year-old son last year in St Petersburg, reportedly from liver problems. Prime Minister Theresa May was updated on the case at a meeting of her national security council on Tuesday but has declined to publicly comment on the ongoing investigation.

However, she confirmed the government might consider a boycott by British officials and dignitaries of the 2018 football World Cup in Russia if it were found to have been involved.

&quot;Depending on what comes out in relation to the investigation... it might be appropriate for the government to look at whether ministers and other dignitaries should attend the World Cup in Russia,&quot; she said Wednesday.

The possible boycott -- which would not include players -- was first raised by Johnson on Tuesday when he told MPs that he was not pointing fingers for Skripal&#39;s collapse but made several references to Russia.

He warned Britain would respond &quot;appropriately and robustly&quot; if a government was found responsible.

Multiple British media outlets reported Wednesday that Prince William would now not attend this summer&#39;s football World Cup in Russia, citing royal sources. 
The prince has attended recent tournaments in his role as president of the English Football Association.

Kensington Palace, his residence, did not respond to a request for comment.

Skripal was a former colonel in Russian military intelligence who was jailed in his country for betraying agents to Britain&#39;s MI6 secret service.

He was pardoned before being flown to Britain as part of a high-profile spy swap involving Russia and the United States in 2010.

Scientific tests by government experts have identified the specific nerve agent used

The Russian former double-agent who collapsed in a British town alongside his daughter was targeted with a nerve agent, while a responding policeman has also been hospitalised, police said Wednesday. "This is being treated as a major incident involving attempted murder by administration of a nerve agent", Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Mark Rowley told reporters. Scientific tests by government experts have identified the specific nerve agent used, "which will help identify the source" police said, but Rowley declined to reveal the exact substance. Sergei Skripal, 66, who moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap, is in a critical condition in the hospital along with his daughter Yulia after they collapsed on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southwestern English city of Salisbury on Sunday. "Sadly, in addition, a police officer, who was one of the first to attend the scene is now also in a serious condition in hospital," said Rowley. Britain's Sky News, quoting sources, reported late Wednesday that all three victims are in a coma. Other emergency services personnel who treated the pair required medical treatment at the time but have not been admitted to hospital. Interior minister Amber Rudd called for "cool heads" over the poisoning, which is already being linked with Russia by British politicians and the media. She is expected to make a statement in parliament on Thursday. Police say they are keeping an open mind about what happened, but Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has alluded to Russia. He noted the "echoes" with the 2006 poisoning in London of former Russian spy and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko, which Britain has blamed on Russia. Moscow accused British politicians and journalists of whipping up anti-Russian sentiment, with Kremlin foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova telling reporters the story "was straight away used to boost an anti-Russian campaign in the media". Zakharova earlier said Johnson`s comments were "wild". Meanwhile, hundreds of counter-terrorism detectives are working "around the clock" to create a timeline of the victims' movements, with "many hours" of CCTV under review, police said. Investigators believe Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter were in Salisbury city centre for several hours before they were found slumped on a bench. They reportedly had lunch at a pizza restaurant, Zizzi, and visited a pub in Salisbury before being discovered outside the shopping centre, where onlookers said they appeared "out of it". An anonymous witness who was in the pub, which has been closed by police, told the BBC on Wednesday that Skripal was there behaving erratically and at one point shouting loudly. Rowley appealed for information from those in Salisbury on Sunday. "Your memory of that afternoon and your movements alone could help us with missing pieces of the investigation," he said. The Times newspaper reported police are probing whether Skripal's daughter, who arrived in Britain from Moscow last week with "gifts from friends", may have brought the nerve agent into the country. The paper previously said investigators would also examine the 2012 death of Skripal's wife from cancer, and that of his 44-year-old son last year in St Petersburg, reportedly from liver problems. Prime Minister Theresa May was updated on the case at a meeting of her national security council on Tuesday but has declined to publicly comment on the ongoing investigation. However, she confirmed the government might consider a boycott by British officials and dignitaries of the 2018 football World Cup in Russia if it were found to have been involved. "Depending on what comes out in relation to the investigation... it might be appropriate for the government to look at whether ministers and other dignitaries should attend the World Cup in Russia," she said Wednesday. The possible boycott -- which would not include players -- was first raised by Johnson on Tuesday when he told MPs that he was not pointing fingers for Skripal's collapse but made several references to Russia. He warned Britain would respond "appropriately and robustly" if a government was found responsible. Multiple British media outlets reported Wednesday that Prince William would now not attend this summer's football World Cup in Russia, citing royal sources. The prince has attended recent tournaments in his role as president of the English Football Association. Kensington Palace, his residence, did not respond to a request for comment. Skripal was a former colonel in Russian military intelligence who was jailed in his country for betraying agents to Britain's MI6 secret service. He was pardoned before being flown to Britain as part of a high-profile spy swap involving Russia and the United States in 2010.

UK police confirm Russian ex-spy, daughter hit by nerve agent

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned on Tuesday that Britain would respond &quot;robustly&quot; if it emerged that a state was behind the &quot;disturbing&quot; collapse of a former Russian double agent in England.

Johnson confirmed to MPs that Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on Sunday, adding: &quot;Should evidence emerge that implies state responsibility then Her Majesty&#39;s government will respond appropriately and robustly.&quot;

Johnson confirmed to MPs that Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned on Tuesday that Britain would respond "robustly" if it emerged that a state was behind the "disturbing" collapse of a former Russian double agent in England. Johnson confirmed to MPs that Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on Sunday, adding: "Should evidence emerge that implies state responsibility then Her Majesty's government will respond appropriately and robustly."

UK says would respond 'robustly' if a state behind ex-spy collapse

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

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

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

EU-UK committee to oversee Irish border deal

Scotland&rsquo;s devolved government will shortly introduce its own, alternative Brexit bill, increasing pressure on the UK government over legislation needed to pass in Britain&rsquo;s national parliament.

The &ldquo;continuity bill&rdquo;, to be announced on Tuesday afternoon in the Scottish parliament by Brexit minister Mike Russell.&nbsp;

It will be introduced at Holyrood as a stop-gap solution if MSPs do not give consent to the UK bill and will aim to ensure stability of devolved law once Britain leaves the EU.&nbsp;

Russel said that there is still a possibility of a good deal to be agreed with Westminster, but has rejected the current offer from UK ministers.

Prime Minister Theresa May&rsquo;s government on Monday indicated that it would go no further in offering concessions to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, who are concerned that they will lose powers in a constitutional realignment after Britain leaves the European Union.

The United Kingdom&rsquo;s devolved nations do not have a veto on Brexit legislation, but ignoring their wishes risks worsening already strained relations, stoking nationalism in Scotland, and further complicating the already-difficult withdrawal process.

&ldquo;I will not sign up to something that effectively undermines the whole foundation on which devolution is built,&rdquo; Nicola Sturgeon, whose party supports independence for Scotland, told BBC radio. As things stand, her government could not recommend consent for the bill, she said.

Cabinet minister David Lidington said on Monday that most currently devolved powers would now automatically stay in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, the devolved nations&rsquo; capitals, after Britain leaves the European Union.

But the British government would make exceptions if it believed that would damage the UK as a whole, he said, comments that raised hackles in Scotland and appeared to overturn progress made between the sides last week.

The British government needs a deal before the summer in order to pass the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill in Britain&rsquo;s national parliament. The bill will formally sever the UK&rsquo;s ties to the EU and &ldquo;copy and paste&rdquo; EU legislation into British law.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The “continuity bill”, to be announced on Tuesday afternoon in the Scottish parliament by Brexit minister Mike Russell

Scotland’s devolved government will shortly introduce its own, alternative Brexit bill, increasing pressure on the UK government over legislation needed to pass in Britain’s national parliament. The “continuity bill”, to be announced on Tuesday afternoon in the Scottish parliament by Brexit minister Mike Russell. It will be introduced at Holyrood as a stop-gap solution if MSPs do not give consent to the UK bill and will aim to ensure stability of devolved law once Britain leaves the EU. Russel said that there is still a possibility of a good deal to be agreed with Westminster, but has rejected the current offer from UK ministers. Prime Minister Theresa May’s government on Monday indicated that it would go no further in offering concessions to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, who are concerned that they will lose powers in a constitutional realignment after Britain leaves the European Union. The United Kingdom’s devolved nations do not have a veto on Brexit legislation, but ignoring their wishes risks worsening already strained relations, stoking nationalism in Scotland, and further complicating the already-difficult withdrawal process. “I will not sign up to something that effectively undermines the whole foundation on which devolution is built,” Nicola Sturgeon, whose party supports independence for Scotland, told BBC radio. As things stand, her government could not recommend consent for the bill, she said. Cabinet minister David Lidington said on Monday that most currently devolved powers would now automatically stay in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, the devolved nations’ capitals, after Britain leaves the European Union. But the British government would make exceptions if it believed that would damage the UK as a whole, he said, comments that raised hackles in Scotland and appeared to overturn progress made between the sides last week. The British government needs a deal before the summer in order to pass the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill in Britain’s national parliament. The bill will formally sever the UK’s ties to the EU and “copy and paste” EU legislation into British law. (With inputs from Reuters)

Scotland to introduce 'continuity bill' as alternative Brexit bill

Russia vetoed Monday a UN draft resolution presented by Britain and strongly backed by the United States that would have pressured Iran over its failure to block supplies of missiles to Yemen`s Huthi rebels.

Britain had sought to include in the measure renewing sanctions on Yemen an expression of &quot;particular concern&quot; from the Security Council over a UN report that found Iran had violated the 2015 arms embargo on Yemen.

The report by a UN panel of experts in January concluded that Iran was in violation after determining that missiles fired by the Huthis at Saudi Arabia last year were made in Iran.

The text, which was backed by France, other European countries and Kuwait, won 11 favorable votes at the 15-member Security Council but was blocked by Russia`s veto.&nbsp;

China and Kazakhstan abstained, while Bolivia also voted against the measure.

Nine votes and no vetoes from the five permanent council members -- Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States -- are required to adopt resolutions at the Security Council.

After hours of negotiations in a bid to reach a compromise, Russia made clear it had strong reservations about the findings of the UN report and would not support a draft resolution that mentioned them.

&quot;We cannot concur with uncorroborated conclusions and evidence which requires verification and discussions within the sanctions committee,&quot; Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council.

While the report found that Tehran had violated the embargo by failing to block the shipments, the experts said they were unable to identify the supplier.

Nebenzia warned that taking aim at Iran could have had &quot;dangerous destabilising ramifications&quot; in the Middle East by exacerbating tensions between Shiites and Sunnis.

After the veto, the council unanimously adopted a Russian-drafted measure that extended for one year the sanctions regime against Yemen, but that text made no mention of Iran.Iran has repeatedly denied arming the Huthis in Yemen, despite claims by the United States and Saudi Arabia that the evidence of an arms connection is irrefutable.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley released a statement accusing Russia of shielding Iran and warned the United States would consider other ways to take action against Tehran.

&quot;Today, Russia protected the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Iran,&quot; said Haley, who was traveling to Honduras.

&quot;If Russia is going to use its veto to block action against Iran`s dangerous and destabilizing conduct, then the United States and our partners will need to take actions against Iran that the Russians cannot block.&quot;

Haley has taken a hawkish stance on Iran, accusing Tehran of sowing instability in the Middle East and failing to live up to its commitments under the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Russia, which has traditionally friendly relations with Iran, is providing military support along with Tehran to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad`s forces.

Iran`s mission to the United Nations charged that the United States and Britain had pushed an &quot;unwarranted draft resolution&quot; to advance an anti-Iran political agenda.

Iran &quot;categorically rejects allegations regarding arms transfer to Yemen,&quot; said a statement from the mission that described the draft resolution as an attempt to &quot;distract&quot; the world`s attention from the &quot;catastrophic humanitarian situation&quot; in Yemen.

A Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen`s government has been fighting the Huthis since 2015 in a war that has led to what the United Nations describes as the world`s worst humanitarian crisis.

An alarming 17 million people in Yemen -- 60 per cent of the total population -- are in need of food aid, of whom seven million are on the brink of famine because of the conflict, according to the United Nations.

After hours of negotiations in a bid to reach a compromise, Russia made clear it had strong reservations about the findings of the UN report and would not support a draft resolution that mentioned them

Russia vetoed Monday a UN draft resolution presented by Britain and strongly backed by the United States that would have pressured Iran over its failure to block supplies of missiles to Yemen`s Huthi rebels. Britain had sought to include in the measure renewing sanctions on Yemen an expression of "particular concern" from the Security Council over a UN report that found Iran had violated the 2015 arms embargo on Yemen. The report by a UN panel of experts in January concluded that Iran was in violation after determining that missiles fired by the Huthis at Saudi Arabia last year were made in Iran. The text, which was backed by France, other European countries and Kuwait, won 11 favorable votes at the 15-member Security Council but was blocked by Russia`s veto. China and Kazakhstan abstained, while Bolivia also voted against the measure. Nine votes and no vetoes from the five permanent council members -- Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States -- are required to adopt resolutions at the Security Council. After hours of negotiations in a bid to reach a compromise, Russia made clear it had strong reservations about the findings of the UN report and would not support a draft resolution that mentioned them. "We cannot concur with uncorroborated conclusions and evidence which requires verification and discussions within the sanctions committee," Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council. While the report found that Tehran had violated the embargo by failing to block the shipments, the experts said they were unable to identify the supplier. Nebenzia warned that taking aim at Iran could have had "dangerous destabilising ramifications" in the Middle East by exacerbating tensions between Shiites and Sunnis. After the veto, the council unanimously adopted a Russian-drafted measure that extended for one year the sanctions regime against Yemen, but that text made no mention of Iran.Iran has repeatedly denied arming the Huthis in Yemen, despite claims by the United States and Saudi Arabia that the evidence of an arms connection is irrefutable. US Ambassador Nikki Haley released a statement accusing Russia of shielding Iran and warned the United States would consider other ways to take action against Tehran. "Today, Russia protected the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Iran," said Haley, who was traveling to Honduras. "If Russia is going to use its veto to block action against Iran`s dangerous and destabilizing conduct, then the United States and our partners will need to take actions against Iran that the Russians cannot block." Haley has taken a hawkish stance on Iran, accusing Tehran of sowing instability in the Middle East and failing to live up to its commitments under the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. Russia, which has traditionally friendly relations with Iran, is providing military support along with Tehran to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad`s forces. Iran`s mission to the United Nations charged that the United States and Britain had pushed an "unwarranted draft resolution" to advance an anti-Iran political agenda. Iran "categorically rejects allegations regarding arms transfer to Yemen," said a statement from the mission that described the draft resolution as an attempt to "distract" the world`s attention from the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Yemen. A Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen`s government has been fighting the Huthis since 2015 in a war that has led to what the United Nations describes as the world`s worst humanitarian crisis. An alarming 17 million people in Yemen -- 60 per cent of the total population -- are in need of food aid, of whom seven million are on the brink of famine because of the conflict, according to the United Nations.

Russia vetoes Western bid at UN to pressure Iran over Yemen

Sri Lanka&#39;s Army Chief Lt Gen Mahesh Senanayake today said the country&#39;s defence attache in the UK was recalled for his own safety after he was filmed making &quot;throat cutting gestures&quot; to Tamil protesters outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London earlier this month.

British politicians had demanded action against Brigadier Priyanka Fernando for openly making a death threat at the demonstrators.

Fernando, who was serving as the military attache in the Sri Lankan mission in London, caused controversy when he made throat cutting gestures to Tamil demonstrators opposite the mission in London on February 4.

&quot;As the commander of the army, I have to take responsibility for his safety. When he serves in another country his security cannot be guaranteed. So I wanted him to return,&quot; Senanayake said in the northern town of Vavuniya.

Fernando returned home on Thursday.

He had been suspended by the foreign ministry immediately after the incident however President Maithripala Sirisena ordered his reinstatement.

The incident was used by the opposition to win votes in the February 10 local council election where the government suffered a massive defeat against the new party of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The incident embarrassed Sri Lankan authorities who have promised reconciliation after decades of civil war that ended in 2009, when Sri Lankan troops crushed the Tamil separatist LTTE and killed its top leaders.&nbsp;

British politicians had demanded action against Brigadier Priyanka Fernando for openly making a death threat at the demonstrators.

Sri Lanka's Army Chief Lt Gen Mahesh Senanayake today said the country's defence attache in the UK was recalled for his own safety after he was filmed making "throat cutting gestures" to Tamil protesters outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London earlier this month. British politicians had demanded action against Brigadier Priyanka Fernando for openly making a death threat at the demonstrators. Fernando, who was serving as the military attache in the Sri Lankan mission in London, caused controversy when he made throat cutting gestures to Tamil demonstrators opposite the mission in London on February 4. "As the commander of the army, I have to take responsibility for his safety. When he serves in another country his security cannot be guaranteed. So I wanted him to return," Senanayake said in the northern town of Vavuniya. Fernando returned home on Thursday. He had been suspended by the foreign ministry immediately after the incident however President Maithripala Sirisena ordered his reinstatement. The incident was used by the opposition to win votes in the February 10 local council election where the government suffered a massive defeat against the new party of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. The incident embarrassed Sri Lankan authorities who have promised reconciliation after decades of civil war that ended in 2009, when Sri Lankan troops crushed the Tamil separatist LTTE and killed its top leaders.

Sri Lanka army chief says attache recalled from UK for own safety

Oxfam, one of the UK&rsquo;s largest and best known charities, is currently entangled in a scandal following revelations that senior staff members engaged in sexual misconduct during the 2010 Haiti earthquake recovery effort and had hired prostitutes while working in Chad in 2006. The report revealed that aid workers held sex parties, turning a villa rented by Oxfam into a makeshift brothel, with senior officers allegedly attempting to cover up the behavior.

Roland van Hauwermeiren, the man at the heart of the scandal, was head of operations in both Chad and then Haiti, resigning from that last position in 2011 following an internal investigation by Oxfam. Since the story broke, four staff members have been fired, and three others have resigned, including Oxfam&rsquo;s deputy chief executive, Penny Lawrence, who was the organisation&rsquo;s program director at the time of the Haiti earthquake.

While alarming that Oxfam, or any NGO for that matter, would cover up such distressing acts, what is of equal concern is that van Hauwermeiren, who admitted to the claims of his involvement in the Haiti scandal while disputing the exact allegations against him, had, in 2004, left his position with the Merlin charity in Liberia amid reports of using prostitutes. The question of why he was allowed to pursue another job working with vulnerable populations is confounding: How did an aid worker whose career objective is to provide support for people living in poverty get the opportunity to exploit them on more than one occasion? The answer lies within the broken system of the global aid industry and leads to questions of who is monitoring the charities that the public tends to perceive as moral leaders.

NGOs are built around public trust. It is vital to their missions to prove they are using donated funds appropriately, reporting to charity watchdogs annually and showing full transparency in their financial statements. But it seems as though those same standards may not be required when it comes to employees&rsquo; conduct while on the job. Oxfam aid workers not only took advantage of their positions of power while working in Haiti, but their abhorrent actions have not been met by any punitive measures. In its most basic, they got away with exploiting the same people they set out to help.

Haiti and its people have faced exploitation for hundreds of years. Once one of the richest nations under French rule, France refused to recognize the nation&rsquo;s independence following the Haitian Revolution of 1804. It finally did so in 1825, and then only under the condition that the Haitian government agrees to pay compensation in the amount of roughly 150 million golden francs &mdash; 10 times Haiti&rsquo;s annual revenue then, or about $17 billion in today&rsquo;s money &mdash; to French landowners for the loss of plantations and slaves.

At the same time, the United States government placed an embargo against the island, refusing to acknowledge the newly independent nation, even though up until that point the US had been selling more goods to Haiti than any other country in Latin America. In 1915, fearful that a politically unstable Haiti would not be able to repay its debts, the US occupied the island, remaining for 20 years.&nbsp;

In the 1950s, Haiti came under the dictatorial rule of by Fran&ccedil;ois &ldquo;Papa Doc&rdquo; Duvalier, whose son, Jean-Claude, would remain in power until 1986. By this point the country had been be plagued by decades of political corruption, its land stripped of natural resources and tens of thousands of citizens thought to oppose the government had been killed. By the time the January 2010 earthquake hit, Haiti was already relying heavily on foreign aid, which accounted for 30-40% of its government&rsquo;s budget.

Haitians aren&rsquo;t the only ones being exploited by foreign aid workers, and Oxfam is not the only organisation that has confirmed that staff members have engaged in sexual misconduct in recent years either. Save the Children, the British Red Cross, Christian Aid and the UN have all published reports of both inappropriate and criminal sexual behavior by staff.

More than ever, now is the time to change how the global aid system is monitored and how inappropriate behavior is handled. If something is not done now, beyond being a public-relations nightmare, Oxfam and other big NGOs are at risk of losing out on funding. With something this explosive, everyone loses. Stories such as these reinforce negative stereotypes of the countries where the disgraceful behavior took place, it harms individuals who were taken advantage of and it shakes the public&rsquo;s faith in the non-profit sector.

Scandals such as these do more than just give a few NGOs a bad reputation: They put a mark on all of them. The big players at the top have the means to bounce back from bad publicity, but smaller charities don&rsquo;t have that luxury. If faith in aid organisations as a whole is undermined, and enough supporters back away from a cause, then smaller charities risk folding completely. If there aren&rsquo;t changes in accountability within the global aid system, in the end those of us who work to deliver humanitarian assistance with ethical and moral standards risk losing our ability to do so, which only hurts those we set out to help in the first place.

this <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/latin_america/oxfam-haiti-chad-sex-scandal-news-headlines-41321/">article</a> has been origivally publihsed in the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">Fair Observer</a>.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Faith in aid organisations is undermined ever since Oxfam, one of the UK’s largest and best-known charities, has been trolled for the sex scandal.

Oxfam, one of the UK’s largest and best known charities, is currently entangled in a scandal following revelations that senior staff members engaged in sexual misconduct during the 2010 Haiti earthquake recovery effort and had hired prostitutes while working in Chad in 2006. The report revealed that aid workers held sex parties, turning a villa rented by Oxfam into a makeshift brothel, with senior officers allegedly attempting to cover up the behavior. Roland van Hauwermeiren, the man at the heart of the scandal, was head of operations in both Chad and then Haiti, resigning from that last position in 2011 following an internal investigation by Oxfam. Since the story broke, four staff members have been fired, and three others have resigned, including Oxfam’s deputy chief executive, Penny Lawrence, who was the organisation’s program director at the time of the Haiti earthquake. While alarming that Oxfam, or any NGO for that matter, would cover up such distressing acts, what is of equal concern is that van Hauwermeiren, who admitted to the claims of his involvement in the Haiti scandal while disputing the exact allegations against him, had, in 2004, left his position with the Merlin charity in Liberia amid reports of using prostitutes. The question of why he was allowed to pursue another job working with vulnerable populations is confounding: How did an aid worker whose career objective is to provide support for people living in poverty get the opportunity to exploit them on more than one occasion? The answer lies within the broken system of the global aid industry and leads to questions of who is monitoring the charities that the public tends to perceive as moral leaders. NGOs are built around public trust. It is vital to their missions to prove they are using donated funds appropriately, reporting to charity watchdogs annually and showing full transparency in their financial statements. But it seems as though those same standards may not be required when it comes to employees’ conduct while on the job. Oxfam aid workers not only took advantage of their positions of power while working in Haiti, but their abhorrent actions have not been met by any punitive measures. In its most basic, they got away with exploiting the same people they set out to help. Haiti and its people have faced exploitation for hundreds of years. Once one of the richest nations under French rule, France refused to recognize the nation’s independence following the Haitian Revolution of 1804. It finally did so in 1825, and then only under the condition that the Haitian government agrees to pay compensation in the amount of roughly 150 million golden francs — 10 times Haiti’s annual revenue then, or about $17 billion in today’s money — to French landowners for the loss of plantations and slaves. At the same time, the United States government placed an embargo against the island, refusing to acknowledge the newly independent nation, even though up until that point the US had been selling more goods to Haiti than any other country in Latin America. In 1915, fearful that a politically unstable Haiti would not be able to repay its debts, the US occupied the island, remaining for 20 years. In the 1950s, Haiti came under the dictatorial rule of by François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, whose son, Jean-Claude, would remain in power until 1986. By this point the country had been be plagued by decades of political corruption, its land stripped of natural resources and tens of thousands of citizens thought to oppose the government had been killed. By the time the January 2010 earthquake hit, Haiti was already relying heavily on foreign aid, which accounted for 30-40% of its government’s budget. Haitians aren’t the only ones being exploited by foreign aid workers, and Oxfam is not the only organisation that has confirmed that staff members have engaged in sexual misconduct in recent years either. Save the Children, the British Red Cross, Christian Aid and the UN have all published reports of both inappropriate and criminal sexual behavior by staff. More than ever, now is the time to change how the global aid system is monitored and how inappropriate behavior is handled. If something is not done now, beyond being a public-relations nightmare, Oxfam and other big NGOs are at risk of losing out on funding. With something this explosive, everyone loses. Stories such as these reinforce negative stereotypes of the countries where the disgraceful behavior took place, it harms individuals who were taken advantage of and it shakes the public’s faith in the non-profit sector. Scandals such as these do more than just give a few NGOs a bad reputation: They put a mark on all of them. The big players at the top have the means to bounce back from bad publicity, but smaller charities don’t have that luxury. If faith in aid organisations as a whole is undermined, and enough supporters back away from a cause, then smaller charities risk folding completely. If there aren’t changes in accountability within the global aid system, in the end those of us who work to deliver humanitarian assistance with ethical and moral standards risk losing our ability to do so, which only hurts those we set out to help in the first place. this article has been origivally publihsed in the Fair Observer. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Who is monitoring Oxfam, the organisation that the public perceives as a moral leader?

Indian agencies, the Zee Group has learnt, are scrutinising at least three companies and their directors in Hong Kong, to try and verify if the companies are genuine overseas importers or part of the network of shell companies that Nirav Modi used to carry out his scam.&nbsp;

Sources told the Zee Group that Nirav Modi&#39;s firms Solar Exports and Diamonds 4 US imported diamonds from a few Hong Kong-based companies. The firms received hundreds of crores of rupees on the basis of Letters of Understanding (LoU) issued by Punjab National Bank. The Hong Kong branches of Allahabad Bank and Axis Bank made the payments to &nbsp;the firms.&nbsp;

The three firms. the sources said, are Aura Gems, Sino Traders, and Sunshine Gems. All three of them are based out of Hong Kong.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pnbs-overzealousness-shut-the-doors-on-ability-to-clear-the-dues-nirav-modi-33415" target="_blank">PNB&#39;s &#39;overzealousness&#39; shut door on ability to clear dues, Nirav Modi said in letter to bank</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/full-text-of-nirav-modis-letter-to-pnb-33448" target="_blank">Full text of Nirav Modi&#39;s letter to PNB</a>

Over the last one year, Nirav Modi had allegedly started transferring his money through multiple layers, while making transactions at inflated prices. Some of those transactions are thought to have been with fictitious companies which are now being scrutinised by the agencies.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The agencies are closely monitoring transactions between India and five countries &mdash;&nbsp;the US, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, and China. 
&nbsp; 
The agencies suspect funds were routed to different cities worldwide.&nbsp;The&nbsp;funds were first transferred from India to Macau, Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. They were then transferred to London. &nbsp;And from London, the funds were moved to Hawaii, Las Vegas, and New York before being moving to Modi&#39;s Swiss accounts. 
&nbsp; 
Sometime in December 2017, somebody from PNB &mdash; other than the two&nbsp;main accused &mdash; tipped Nirav Modi off about the meeting held by top PNB officials and that a complaint was to be filed with the CBI.

Indian agencies are trying to verify if the companies are genuine overseas exporters or part of the network of shell companies Nirav Modi used to carry out his scam

Indian agencies, the Zee Group has learnt, are scrutinising at least three companies and their directors in Hong Kong, to try and verify if the companies are genuine overseas importers or part of the network of shell companies that Nirav Modi used to carry out his scam. Sources told the Zee Group that Nirav Modi's firms Solar Exports and Diamonds 4 US imported diamonds from a few Hong Kong-based companies. The firms received hundreds of crores of rupees on the basis of Letters of Understanding (LoU) issued by Punjab National Bank. The Hong Kong branches of Allahabad Bank and Axis Bank made the payments to the firms. The three firms. the sources said, are Aura Gems, Sino Traders, and Sunshine Gems. All three of them are based out of Hong Kong. Also read: PNB's 'overzealousness' shut door on ability to clear dues, Nirav Modi said in letter to bank Also read: Full text of Nirav Modi's letter to PNB Over the last one year, Nirav Modi had allegedly started transferring his money through multiple layers, while making transactions at inflated prices. Some of those transactions are thought to have been with fictitious companies which are now being scrutinised by the agencies. The agencies are closely monitoring transactions between India and five countries — the US, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, and China. The agencies suspect funds were routed to different cities worldwide. The funds were first transferred from India to Macau, Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. They were then transferred to London. And from London, the funds were moved to Hawaii, Las Vegas, and New York before being moving to Modi's Swiss accounts. Sometime in December 2017, somebody from PNB — other than the two main accused — tipped Nirav Modi off about the meeting held by top PNB officials and that a complaint was to be filed with the CBI.

PNB scam: 3 Hong Kong companies under scanner, say sources

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

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

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

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

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pnb-scam-this-is-how-nirav-modi-planned-his-safe-exit-from-india-33071" target="_blank">This is how Nirav Modi planned his safe exit from India</a>

A lookout notice was issued by the CBI against jeweller Nirav Modi and his associates last month in the&nbsp; <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pnb-scam-how-punjab-national-bank-fell-victim-to-countrys-biggest-bank-fraud-33009" target="_blank">PNB banking fraud&nbsp;</a>case but by then they had escaped from India.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/former-allahabad-bank-director-says-he-resigned-as-he-was-pressurised-to-give-loan-to-gitanjali-gems-33085" target="_blank">Resigned as I was </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/former-allahabad-bank-director-says-he-resigned-as-he-was-pressurised-to-give-loan-to-gitanjali-gems-33085" target="_blank">pressurised</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/former-allahabad-bank-director-says-he-resigned-as-he-was-pressurised-to-give-loan-to-gitanjali-gems-33085" target="_blank"> to give loan to Gitanjali Gems: Former Allahabad Bank director</a>

Even as the skeletons tumble out of closet in the Rs 11300 crore PNB scam, former Allahabad Bank director revealed that he resigned from his post after he was pressurised to give a loan to Gitanjali Gems.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/passports-of-nirav-modi-mehul-choksi-suspended-mea-gives-one-week-to-respond-33087" target="_blank">Passports of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi suspended, MEA gives one week to respond</a>

The external affairs ministry on Friday suspended with immediate effect the passports of diamantaire Nirav Modi and his business partner Mehul Choksi for four weeks.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia-33091" target="_blank">Pakistan to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia</a>

In a major policy shift, Pakistan has decided to deploy troops in&nbsp;<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saudi-Arabia" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Saudi Arabia-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saudi-Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a>under bilateral security cooperation with the kingdom which is involved in the ongoing civil war in neighbouring Yemen. 
The&nbsp;<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pakistan-Army" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Pakistan Army-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pakistan-Army">Pakistan Army</a>&nbsp;announced the decision after a meeting between Army Chief General&nbsp;<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Qamar-Javed-Bajwa" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Qamar Javed Bajwa-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Qamar-Javed-Bajwa">Qamar Javed Bajwa</a>&nbsp;and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf&nbsp;<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saeed-Al-Maliki" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Saeed Al-Maliki-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saeed-Al-Maliki">Saeed Al-Maliki</a>, at army headquarters in Rawalpindi yesterday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-theresa-may-heads-to-berlin-to-face-tough-german-line-on-brexit-33083" target="_blank">UK PM Theresa May heads to Berlin to face tough German line on Brexit</a>

British Prime Minister Theresa May travels to Berlin on Friday to meet German leader Angela Merkel, hoping to overcome near-deadlock in her attempts to negotiate a Brexit deal with the European Union.

This is how Nirav Modi planned his safe exit from India A lookout notice was issued by the CBI against jeweller Nirav Modi and his associates last month in the PNB banking fraud case but by then they had escaped from India. Resigned as I was pressurised to give loan to Gitanjali Gems: Former Allahabad Bank director Even as the skeletons tumble out of closet in the Rs 11300 crore PNB scam, former Allahabad Bank director revealed that he resigned from his post after he was pressurised to give a loan to Gitanjali Gems. Passports of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi suspended, MEA gives one week to respond The external affairs ministry on Friday suspended with immediate effect the passports of diamantaire Nirav Modi and his business partner Mehul Choksi for four weeks. Pakistan to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia In a major policy shift, Pakistan has decided to deploy troops in Saudi Arabiaunder bilateral security cooperation with the kingdom which is involved in the ongoing civil war in neighbouring Yemen. The Pakistan Army announced the decision after a meeting between Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Al-Maliki, at army headquarters in Rawalpindi yesterday. UK PM Theresa May heads to Berlin to face tough German line on Brexit British Prime Minister Theresa May travels to Berlin on Friday to meet German leader Angela Merkel, hoping to overcome near-deadlock in her attempts to negotiate a Brexit deal with the European Union.

WION Evening News brief, February 16, 2018

The London High Court on Tuesday increased absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya&#39;s weekly living allowance by &pound;13,325, approximately Rs 16 Lakh in India.&nbsp;

The court in its order hiked the allowance from &pound;5,000 (Rs 4.5 lakh) to &pound;18,325 (Rs 16 lakh).

However, the order did not revoke the freeze order on his global assets. &nbsp;

After the hike, Mallya&#39;s weekly allowance equates to the average annual salary of a British school leaver.&nbsp;

&ldquo;If he is used to a luxury lifestyle then the court will not suddenly make him live on &pound;200 (Rs 17,000) a week,&rdquo; said Sarosh Zaiwalla, senior partner at Zaiwalla &amp; Co. LLP London.&nbsp;

&ldquo;He is entitled to legal expenses on top. The judge considers his style of living to reach a fair result,&rdquo; he added.

Meanwhile, the 62-year-old has applied to have the freeze order against his global assets discharged and the registration of the judgment of the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in Bengaluru dated January 19, 2017 with the English courts, set aside.&nbsp;

A hearing is set to take place at the high court on April 16 and 17.&nbsp;

The DRT judgment, which 13 Indian banks registered with the English courts under the Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act of 1933 last November, states Mallya owes banks Rs 9,853 crore as of November 22, 2017.&nbsp;

The freeze order is an interim measure until that judgment is enforced.

Earlier this week, Mallya lost another legal battle linked to his now- defunct Kingfisher Airlines after the UK High Court awarded Singapore-based BOC Aviation an estimated $90 million in claims.

The allowance has been increased by £13,325

The London High Court on Tuesday increased absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya's weekly living allowance by £13,325, approximately Rs 16 Lakh in India. The court in its order hiked the allowance from £5,000 (Rs 4.5 lakh) to £18,325 (Rs 16 lakh). However, the order did not revoke the freeze order on his global assets. After the hike, Mallya's weekly allowance equates to the average annual salary of a British school leaver. “If he is used to a luxury lifestyle then the court will not suddenly make him live on £200 (Rs 17,000) a week,” said Sarosh Zaiwalla, senior partner at Zaiwalla & Co. LLP London. “He is entitled to legal expenses on top. The judge considers his style of living to reach a fair result,” he added. Meanwhile, the 62-year-old has applied to have the freeze order against his global assets discharged and the registration of the judgment of the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in Bengaluru dated January 19, 2017 with the English courts, set aside. A hearing is set to take place at the high court on April 16 and 17. The DRT judgment, which 13 Indian banks registered with the English courts under the Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act of 1933 last November, states Mallya owes banks Rs 9,853 crore as of November 22, 2017. The freeze order is an interim measure until that judgment is enforced. Earlier this week, Mallya lost another legal battle linked to his now- defunct Kingfisher Airlines after the UK High Court awarded Singapore-based BOC Aviation an estimated $90 million in claims.

Vijay Mallya's weekly living allowance increased from Rs 4.5 lakh to 16 lakh

Britain would struggle to match Russian military capabilities on the battlefield and risks falling further behind potential adversaries without more investment, the head of the army will warn Monday.

In a rare public speech, Chief of the General Staff Nick Carter is expected to say that Russia is building increasingly aggressive and expeditionary forces while it has already demonstrated the use of superior long-range missiles in Syria.

Last year Moscow also initiated simulated attacks across northern Europe, from Kaliningrad to Lithuania, Carter will outline in an afternoon speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London.

&quot;The time to address these threats is now -- we cannot afford to sit back,&quot; he is expected to say, according to the Ministry of Defence.

&quot;Our ability to pre-empt or respond to threats will be eroded if we don&#39;t keep up with our adversaries.

&quot;We must take notice of what is going on around us or our ability to take action will be massively constrained.&nbsp;

&quot;Speed of decision making, speed of deployment and modern capability are essential if we wish to provide realistic deterrence.&quot;

The stark comments, rare for a serving defence chief, will be delivered in a speech focused on &quot;the increasingly real threats that pose a risk to the UK`s way of life,&quot; according to RUSI.

They come as years of austerity and public sector funding cuts have left Britain&#39;s armed forces strained and finance minister Philip Hammond under pressure to act.

Defence minister Gavin Williamson, who only took over the role in November after his predecessor Michael Fallon stepped down over a sexual harassment scandal, is reportedly calling for increased funding.

Carter&#39;s expected remarks will add to the pressure on Hammond to bow to those demands.

&quot;State-based competition is now being employed in more novel and increasingly integrated ways and we must be ready to deal with them,&quot; the general is set to tell an invited audience at RUSI.&nbsp;

&quot;The threats we face are not thousands of miles away but are now on Europe&#39;s doorstep -- we have seen how cyber warfare can be both waged on the battlefield and to disrupt normal people&#39;s lives -- we in the UK are not immune from that.&quot;

Carter&#39;s anticipated warning follows similar comments from retired defence chiefs in recent months.&nbsp;

Sir Richard Barrons, until last year the head of Britain&#39;s Joint Forces Command which prepares for future conflicts, called for the defence budget to be raised to ensure the country&#39;s armed forces could adequately protect against potential attacks from China or Russia.

Last year Moscow also initiated simulated attacks across northern Europe

Britain would struggle to match Russian military capabilities on the battlefield and risks falling further behind potential adversaries without more investment, the head of the army will warn Monday. In a rare public speech, Chief of the General Staff Nick Carter is expected to say that Russia is building increasingly aggressive and expeditionary forces while it has already demonstrated the use of superior long-range missiles in Syria. Last year Moscow also initiated simulated attacks across northern Europe, from Kaliningrad to Lithuania, Carter will outline in an afternoon speech at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London. "The time to address these threats is now -- we cannot afford to sit back," he is expected to say, according to the Ministry of Defence. "Our ability to pre-empt or respond to threats will be eroded if we don't keep up with our adversaries. "We must take notice of what is going on around us or our ability to take action will be massively constrained. "Speed of decision making, speed of deployment and modern capability are essential if we wish to provide realistic deterrence." The stark comments, rare for a serving defence chief, will be delivered in a speech focused on "the increasingly real threats that pose a risk to the UK`s way of life," according to RUSI. They come as years of austerity and public sector funding cuts have left Britain's armed forces strained and finance minister Philip Hammond under pressure to act. Defence minister Gavin Williamson, who only took over the role in November after his predecessor Michael Fallon stepped down over a sexual harassment scandal, is reportedly calling for increased funding. Carter's expected remarks will add to the pressure on Hammond to bow to those demands. "State-based competition is now being employed in more novel and increasingly integrated ways and we must be ready to deal with them," the general is set to tell an invited audience at RUSI. "The threats we face are not thousands of miles away but are now on Europe's doorstep -- we have seen how cyber warfare can be both waged on the battlefield and to disrupt normal people's lives -- we in the UK are not immune from that." Carter's anticipated warning follows similar comments from retired defence chiefs in recent months. Sir Richard Barrons, until last year the head of Britain's Joint Forces Command which prepares for future conflicts, called for the defence budget to be raised to ensure the country's armed forces could adequately protect against potential attacks from China or Russia.

UK not keeping up with Russia threat, head of army to warn

One of the first robotic assistants to be used by a UK store was fired after a week because it was found to put off customers.

Fabio was initially welcomed by staff when he began work at the upmarket Margiotta store in Edinburgh last week.

Developed by academics at Heriot-Watt University and filmed by BBC&#39;s &#39;Robots and Us&#39;, Fabio greeted shoppers with cheerful high fives and offered food samples.

Its software being connected to the internet meant it had access to an unlimited amount of information, which it used to respond to questions.

&quot;An issue we had was the movement limitations of the robot. It was not able to move around the shop and direct customers to the items they were looking for,&quot; said Luisa Margiotta, the manager of the family-owned chain.

&quot;Unfortunately, Fabio didn&#39;t perform as well as we had hoped. People seemed to be actually avoiding him,&quot; she noted.

Dr Oliver Lemon, Director of the Interaction Lab at Heriot-Watt University, was moved by the staff&#39;s reaction to his team&#39;s creation.

&quot;One of the things we didn&#39;t expect was the people working in the shop became quite attached to it. When we had to pack it up and put it back in the box, one of them started crying because they had become emotionally attached to it,&quot; said Dr Lemon.

He said Fabio was a prototype and over the next two years his team will have a robot which will work efficiently in a shopping centre.

&quot;It&#39;s going to help people find their way around. The same technology could be used for airports and even hospitals,&quot; he added.

However, his team insists that robots will never fully replace humans because there are some human judgements robots will never be able to make but they will replace some functions.

Fabio, the robot, was initially welcomed by staff when he began work at the upmarket Margiotta store in Edinburgh last week.

One of the first robotic assistants to be used by a UK store was fired after a week because it was found to put off customers. Fabio was initially welcomed by staff when he began work at the upmarket Margiotta store in Edinburgh last week. Developed by academics at Heriot-Watt University and filmed by BBC's 'Robots and Us', Fabio greeted shoppers with cheerful high fives and offered food samples. Its software being connected to the internet meant it had access to an unlimited amount of information, which it used to respond to questions. "An issue we had was the movement limitations of the robot. It was not able to move around the shop and direct customers to the items they were looking for," said Luisa Margiotta, the manager of the family-owned chain. "Unfortunately, Fabio didn't perform as well as we had hoped. People seemed to be actually avoiding him," she noted. Dr Oliver Lemon, Director of the Interaction Lab at Heriot-Watt University, was moved by the staff's reaction to his team's creation. "One of the things we didn't expect was the people working in the shop became quite attached to it. When we had to pack it up and put it back in the box, one of them started crying because they had become emotionally attached to it," said Dr Lemon. He said Fabio was a prototype and over the next two years his team will have a robot which will work efficiently in a shopping centre. "It's going to help people find their way around. The same technology could be used for airports and even hospitals," he added. However, his team insists that robots will never fully replace humans because there are some human judgements robots will never be able to make but they will replace some functions.

Robot fired after putting off customers at UK store

An Indian-origin school principal, who was forced to withdraw a ban on wearing of hijab by young girls after vitriolic abuse on social media, today received crucial support of a UK minister who said bullying or intimidation of school staff was completely unacceptable.

Schools that try to ban hijabs or fasting will receive government support if they face a backlash, the minister has pledged.

Lord Theodore Agnew, Minister for schools systems, faith and counter-extremism in education, also said that schools in the country were completely within their right to make decisions on how to run their institutions in the best interests of their pupils.

Neena Lall, an Indian-origin principal of the St Stephen&#39;s Primary School in east London,&nbsp;had publicly apologised to parents at the school after facing backlash and criticism on social media and&nbsp;calling the decision a &ldquo;huge error in judgment&rdquo;.

Lall blamed the media for inflammatory reporting of the hijab ban last month, which staff members said was to help the youngest girls move freely in PE lessons and outdoor learning.

The school&rsquo;s decision provoked controversy after it was reported as an effort to aid integration. The school swiftly backtracked a week later, overturning the ban on criticism from parents and local councilors over a lack of consultation.

Later, she withdrew the decision.&nbsp;

A governor at the school, Arif Qawi, resigned amid the stiff opposition and had urged the UK government to spell out school uniform policies more clearly. The minister also threw his support behind schools in the country that want to impose a ban on wearing of hijab or religious fasting by very young pupils.

&quot;They are completely within their right to make decisions on how to run their schools in the best interests of their pupils&nbsp;in line with the law and in discussion with parents, of course, and we back their right to do so,&quot; Agnew wrote in &#39;The Times&#39; in reference to Lall.

&quot;St Stephen&#39;s Primary School in east London has been at the centre of media attention after its ban on young pupils wearing the hijab and?fasting during Ramadan. I have seen the vitriolic abuse on social media after this decision and read of the intimidation of staff, resulting in the resignation of the chairman of governors...I wanted to send out a clear message: bullying or intimidation of school staff is completely unacceptable,&quot; he wrote.

The minister responsible for counter-extremism in the Department for Education said the government would not allow a &quot;culture of fear and intimidation to pass through the school gates&quot; and that any opposition to decisions by a school&#39;s governing body should manifest itself in the form of sensible, informed discussion and not hateful online reaction.&quot;

&quot;School leaders must have the right to set?school?uniform policies in a way that they see fit, in order to promote cohesion,&quot; Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, had said. 
Under the UK&#39;s Department for Education guidelines, uniform policy is a matter for individual head-teachers and their governing bodies. But Agnew offered the government&#39;s support to individual schools that may find themselves in a bind.

&quot;We want to do all we can to help schools on sensitive issues, such as those thrown up by this case, and we will be working closely with school leaders and sector organisations on how we can support them,&quot; the minister said.

He also warned schools in the country against &quot;promoting religious ideologies that undermine British values&quot; and said the government was prepared to take action against any form of discrimination in the classroom.

&nbsp;

(With PTI inputs)

Lord Theodore Agnew, Minister for schools systems, faith and counter-extremism in education, also said that schools in the country were completely within their right to make decisions on how to run their institutions in the best interests of their pupils

An Indian-origin school principal, who was forced to withdraw a ban on wearing of hijab by young girls after vitriolic abuse on social media, today received crucial support of a UK minister who said bullying or intimidation of school staff was completely unacceptable. Schools that try to ban hijabs or fasting will receive government support if they face a backlash, the minister has pledged. Lord Theodore Agnew, Minister for schools systems, faith and counter-extremism in education, also said that schools in the country were completely within their right to make decisions on how to run their institutions in the best interests of their pupils. Neena Lall, an Indian-origin principal of the St Stephen's Primary School in east London, had publicly apologised to parents at the school after facing backlash and criticism on social media and calling the decision a “huge error in judgment”. Lall blamed the media for inflammatory reporting of the hijab ban last month, which staff members said was to help the youngest girls move freely in PE lessons and outdoor learning. The school’s decision provoked controversy after it was reported as an effort to aid integration. The school swiftly backtracked a week later, overturning the ban on criticism from parents and local councilors over a lack of consultation. Later, she withdrew the decision. A governor at the school, Arif Qawi, resigned amid the stiff opposition and had urged the UK government to spell out school uniform policies more clearly. The minister also threw his support behind schools in the country that want to impose a ban on wearing of hijab or religious fasting by very young pupils. "They are completely within their right to make decisions on how to run their schools in the best interests of their pupils in line with the law and in discussion with parents, of course, and we back their right to do so," Agnew wrote in 'The Times' in reference to Lall. "St Stephen's Primary School in east London has been at the centre of media attention after its ban on young pupils wearing the hijab and?fasting during Ramadan. I have seen the vitriolic abuse on social media after this decision and read of the intimidation of staff, resulting in the resignation of the chairman of governors...I wanted to send out a clear message: bullying or intimidation of school staff is completely unacceptable," he wrote. The minister responsible for counter-extremism in the Department for Education said the government would not allow a "culture of fear and intimidation to pass through the school gates" and that any opposition to decisions by a school's governing body should manifest itself in the form of sensible, informed discussion and not hateful online reaction." "School leaders must have the right to set?school?uniform policies in a way that they see fit, in order to promote cohesion," Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, had said. Under the UK's Department for Education guidelines, uniform policy is a matter for individual head-teachers and their governing bodies. But Agnew offered the government's support to individual schools that may find themselves in a bind. "We want to do all we can to help schools on sensitive issues, such as those thrown up by this case, and we will be working closely with school leaders and sector organisations on how we can support them," the minister said. He also warned schools in the country against "promoting religious ideologies that undermine British values" and said the government was prepared to take action against any form of discrimination in the classroom. (With PTI inputs)

UK minister backs Indian-origin school principal to ban hijab in schools

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hope-palestine-will-soon-become-a-free-country-pm-modi-in-palestine-32412">Hope Palestine will soon become a free country: PM Modi</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in Palestine&#39;s Ramallah, the headquarters of the Palestine National Authority, as a part of his three-nation tour. The Indian PM and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas signed six memoranda of understanding (MOUs) that includes the setting up of a USD 30 million super speciality hospital in Beit Sahur.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-arrives-in-palestine-on-a-historic-visit-32399">&#39;Historic visit&#39;, tweets PM Modi in Palestine</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in Ramallah on the first leg of his three-nation tour. Soon after his arrival, the prime minister tweeted that the &quot;historic visit&quot; would improve bilateral ties between the two countries.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/charges-made-by-tdp-members-a-propaganda-says-narasimha-rao-32413">Charges made by TDP members a &#39;propaganda&#39;, says BJP</a>

The BJP today dismissed as &quot;propaganda&quot; claims that the Centre has not done much for Andhra Pradesh&#39;s development, and asked its ally TDP to sort out its issues with the government &quot;amicably&quot;. At a press conference, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao and state party president and Visakhapatnam MP K Hari Babu presented a list of institutions, projects and funds sanctioned for the state by the NDA government and asserted that the Centre has taken utmost care of the state.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/8-yr-old-indian-origin-schoolgirl-enters-uks-mathletics-hall-of-fame-32419">8-yr-old Indian-origin schoolgirl enters UK&#39;s Mathletics Hall of Fame</a>

An eight-year-old Indian-origin school girl has entered the UK&#39;s Mathletics Hall of Fame, an online mathematics-based competitive tool aimed at primary school pupils. Sohini Roy Chowdhury competed with pupils from across Britain and other countries to also make it into the top 100 World Hall of Fame after solving mathematical puzzles with speed and accuracy.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/four-injured-as-jaish-militants-attack-army-camp-32387">Two Army men killed, 6 injured as militants attack Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir</a>

Two Army men were killed and six others sustained injuries in a pre-dawn attack by a group of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists at Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu city, officials said. One of the terrorists has been killed.

Hope Palestine will soon become a free country: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in Palestine's Ramallah, the headquarters of the Palestine National Authority, as a part of his three-nation tour. The Indian PM and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas signed six memoranda of understanding (MOUs) that includes the setting up of a USD 30 million super speciality hospital in Beit Sahur. 'Historic visit', tweets PM Modi in Palestine Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in Ramallah on the first leg of his three-nation tour. Soon after his arrival, the prime minister tweeted that the "historic visit" would improve bilateral ties between the two countries. Charges made by TDP members a 'propaganda', says BJP The BJP today dismissed as "propaganda" claims that the Centre has not done much for Andhra Pradesh's development, and asked its ally TDP to sort out its issues with the government "amicably". At a press conference, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao and state party president and Visakhapatnam MP K Hari Babu presented a list of institutions, projects and funds sanctioned for the state by the NDA government and asserted that the Centre has taken utmost care of the state. 8-yr-old Indian-origin schoolgirl enters UK's Mathletics Hall of Fame An eight-year-old Indian-origin school girl has entered the UK's Mathletics Hall of Fame, an online mathematics-based competitive tool aimed at primary school pupils. Sohini Roy Chowdhury competed with pupils from across Britain and other countries to also make it into the top 100 World Hall of Fame after solving mathematical puzzles with speed and accuracy. Two Army men killed, 6 injured as militants attack Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir Two Army men were killed and six others sustained injuries in a pre-dawn attack by a group of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists at Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu city, officials said. One of the terrorists has been killed.

WION Evening News Brief, February 10, 2018

A British court on Tuesday rejected a legal attempt by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to have a warrant for his arrest quashed.

Assange, 46, has been holed up inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London for more than five years because he fears extradition to the United States.

If he were to leave, he would face arrest by British police for skipping bail in June 2012 by seeking refuge in the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden to face an allegation of rape, which he denied.

The Swedish case has since been dropped but in the eyes of the British authorities, Assange remains in breach of his bail conditions.

Assange has said he feared Sweden would hand him over to the United States to face prosecution over WikiLeaks&#39; publication of a large trove of classified military and diplomatic documents - one of the largest information leaks in US&nbsp;history.

His lawyer told a hearing at London&#39;s Westminster Magistrates&#39; Court last week that the UK arrest warrant issued for breaching bail conditions should be dropped because Swedish prosecutors had dropped their investigation and withdrawn their bid to have him extradited.

However, the court announced on Tuesday his application had been rejected.

&quot;I am not persuaded that the warrant should be withdrawn,&quot; said judge Emma Arbuthnot, the chief magistrate of England and Wales.

After the decision, Assange&rsquo;s lawyer Mark Summers asked her to consider whether it would be in the public interest to continue pursuing his client for breach of bail conditions.

Arbuthnot said normally such issues would only be considered if somebody were brought to court to explain their failure to surrender to bail.

Summers replied: &ldquo;There are exceptional circumstances.&rdquo;

Assange, 46, has been holed up inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London for more than five years because he fears extradition to the United States

A British court on Tuesday rejected a legal attempt by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to have a warrant for his arrest quashed. Assange, 46, has been holed up inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London for more than five years because he fears extradition to the United States. If he were to leave, he would face arrest by British police for skipping bail in June 2012 by seeking refuge in the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden to face an allegation of rape, which he denied. The Swedish case has since been dropped but in the eyes of the British authorities, Assange remains in breach of his bail conditions. Assange has said he feared Sweden would hand him over to the United States to face prosecution over WikiLeaks' publication of a large trove of classified military and diplomatic documents - one of the largest information leaks in US history. His lawyer told a hearing at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court last week that the UK arrest warrant issued for breaching bail conditions should be dropped because Swedish prosecutors had dropped their investigation and withdrawn their bid to have him extradited. However, the court announced on Tuesday his application had been rejected. "I am not persuaded that the warrant should be withdrawn," said judge Emma Arbuthnot, the chief magistrate of England and Wales. After the decision, Assange’s lawyer Mark Summers asked her to consider whether it would be in the public interest to continue pursuing his client for breach of bail conditions. Arbuthnot said normally such issues would only be considered if somebody were brought to court to explain their failure to surrender to bail. Summers replied: “There are exceptional circumstances.”

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange loses bid to have UK arrest warrant dropped

By Syed Muntasir<a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/Syed%20Muntasir%20Mamun">&nbsp;</a>Mamun &amp;&nbsp; Yashasvi Nain*&nbsp;

Ahead of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), scheduled to take place in London in April, old debates have come alive over the relevance and importance of the Commonwealth of Nations and its involvement in world affairs. As alternative to the European Union post Brexit, the United Kingdom sees the Commonwealth as a global trading and international affairs network. In the absence of China, the organization provides a platform to demonstrate the credibility of aspiring global leaders like India.

A visit by Prince Charles in November 2017 to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the summit to discuss&nbsp;India&rsquo;s role in the organization&nbsp;shows the importance Britain bestows upon India&rsquo;s strategic ambit. Subsequent visits from Tim Hitchens, chief executive of the Commonwealth Summit Unit, and Patricia Scotland, the Commonwealth secretary general, further reinforced this position.

Trade statistics&nbsp;from 2016&nbsp;show that the&nbsp;UK imports from the Indian subcontinent,&nbsp;which encompasses India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, totalled &pound;15.2 ($21) billion, and&nbsp;exports &pound;7.7 ($10) billion. Within the rest of the Commonwealth there is a marked propensity for an Indo-centric focus in trade. For instance, trade between India and South Africa now stands at around $20 billion, and between India and Nigeria at around $10 billion. Adding up trading configurations between other African and South Asian countries would definitely prove what is more obviously felt than said &mdash; that the trading heart of the old empire is still evolving.

In 2016, during the&nbsp;House of Commons debate, former Defense Minister Lord Archie Hamilton asserted that the limitations in the&nbsp;EU competence clause&nbsp;is the biggest obstacle in the UK-India trade, and that after Brexit its removal will boost bilateral trade between the two countries. India is seen as a preferred partner by the UK for obvious reasons. According to the joint statement released after the India-UK Summit in New Delhi in November 2016,&nbsp;India was the third largest investor in the UK&nbsp;and the second largest international job creator: Indian companies having created over 110,000 jobs in Britain. Furthermore, India is also considered a key target market, with recent forecasts by the London Chamber of Commerce suggesting that a deal could&nbsp;boost UK exports to the country by 50%. Furthermore, if one considers trade statistics,&nbsp;Brexit doesn&rsquo;t appear to have much of an effect&nbsp; on India-UK trade.

As per the&nbsp;House of Commons briefing paper on migration&nbsp;issued in October 2017, in 2015 43% people immigrating to the UK were nationals of other EU countries, while 44% came from outside the European Union. Around&nbsp;17% of all migrants are from three countries alone: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The Indian subcontinent is by far the most strategic region driving the dynamics of the Commonwealth. What happens here is more relevant to the future of both the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth as a whole.

COINCIDENCE OR GOOD TIMING?

Britain&rsquo;s triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty following the June 23, 2016, referendum came almost a year after the Malta CHOGM of 2015. The 2018 London CHOGM comes almost one year ahead of Britain&rsquo;s final departure from the EU on March 29, 2019. In the absence of a clear government strategy, the EU referendum decidedly put the UK on a rough, and apparently unstable, path of destiny. But it does not have to be that way. While the immediate aftershock of the referendum was that of a freefalling pound, which remained at a historic 10% low against the US dollar and at 15% against the euro, it seems that the immediacy of the doomsday predictions were balanced with a steadier economic growth (1.8% in 2016), second only to Germany&rsquo;s 1.9% in the G7. The&nbsp;UK economy has continued to grow&nbsp;at almost the same rate in 2017. Crucial negotiations centering around what Brexit would mean in reality are still in the making.

With this backdrop, CHOGM 2018 opens a window of opportunity for both the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth cousins to essentially rebuild the Commonwealth in such a manner as to transform both in ways hitherto unimagined. The Commonwealth, thanks to a combined economy of more than $10 trillion and an&nbsp;annual growth in excess of 4%,&nbsp;provides a perfect platform for achieving these aims and is probably one of the best alternatives to manage a post-Brexit scenario for Britain.

The UK, thanks to historic and institutionalized connections with its former colonies, is better positioned as a ring leader, capable of successfully integrating international trade &mdash; particularly the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking new markets &mdash; into a global trade regime than most other countries, except maybe the United States. It would be wise to not forget that the Commonwealth can boast the fact that half of the&nbsp;top 20 global emerging cities&nbsp;are located within its jurisdiction and that average&nbsp;trade costs between Commonwealth countries will be lowered by 19%.

As a strategic recourse to the systemic uncertainties and instabilities caused by Brexit, the United Kingdom can now act strategically and utilize its position as the chair of the Commonwealth to create a system that&nbsp;will assist member states in integrating more fully into a fairer and more equitable global trading regime. Opening markets and by ensuring mobility of productive factors across a fair, value-based ecosystem will help UK SMEs and financial institutions to enter new markets and boost innovation, growth and job creation.

THE ROADMAP

There are talks going on to host a&nbsp;Commonwealth trade hub in India&nbsp;to promote commerce and investment across the organization. But it is high time that the Commonwealth leadership wakes up to the fact that the systems that govern the prospects of individual prosperity ought not to be only economic in nature. Rather, prosperity is the ability of the state system to enable the individual to live with pride and human dignity. Access to nutrition, shelter, health, education and an otherwise decent living is all part of the prosperity that we understand.

If the UK wants to make the Commonwealth more relevant under its leadership, it must focus on the following areas that will play an important role in making the idea of the Commonwealth work for the people of the Commonwealth. First on the list is employment. With the desire to be connected to the global networks of talent and productivity, everyone is both wary and eager for employment, not only in the service industry, but also as entrepreneurs. The Commonwealth could be a platform that gives structural support for building and connecting markets for both. For instance, more than half of the small nations within the Commonwealth (31 out of 52) are&nbsp;Small Island Developing States, where development is being adversely affected by their remote locations.

This leads to the second point, connectivity: People want to travel and connect. This is a rising vector of an inalienable right in the global consciousness. The Indian subcontinent is well connected to global networks, but attention is needed for upgrading the existing land-based transport infrastructure such as roads and railways, among the Commonwealth countries. It will not only affect social development but will also give much needed structures for an economic boost in the region. Also, post-Brexit, the UK will not be bound by the&nbsp;free movement of workers laws, and there is an opportunity to ease visa restrictions to fill the skill gap from the Commonwealth countries. At the very least, visas for students and professionals from the Commonwealth looking for job in the UK could be fast-tracked.

Third, power and energy: Both people and institutions are energy-hungry. At this moment, countries in the Indian subcontinent depend on a&nbsp;single source&nbsp;to provide more than 50% of total their individual electricity generation. Thus, India produces 67.9% of the region&rsquo;s coal, Nepal nearly 100% of the subcontinent&rsquo;s hydropower, Bangladesh provides 91.5% of its natural gas and Sri Lanka 50% of its oil. Sustainable, eco-friendly, affordable and accessible energy needs have to be met if systemic balances are to be achieved in the long run.

Fourth, technology: Any institution that wants to be relevant to the people and, consequently, draw mandates for representing them, ought to carry with itself a tangible promise of technology. This doesn&rsquo;t mean the internet alone, but also applications and system support to develop ideas with solid financial underwriting.

Fifth, ecological sustainability: With 1.7 billion people, the Indian subcontinent has more people than the whole of Europe and both Americas combined. Unfortunately, that does not translate into wealth. More people are going hungry in South Asia than in Africa. There is substantial inequality in the region, especially when it comes to food supply.&nbsp;It is also vulnerable to the impact of&nbsp;global warming and climate change. Preventing the creation of more climate refugees should be a priority for the Commonwealth, with many of its small island nations particularly affected by rising sea levels. Hence, comprehensive measures and plans for the future need to be laid out, and Britain can lead the way with sustainable development and technological advancement to tackle the environmental crisis.

Sixth, a safer world and a safer Commonwealth:&nbsp;Attacks on civil liberties, free speech and restrictions on civil society&nbsp;are growing across the Indian subcontinent. Based on basic human freedoms, rights and the rule of law, a society free from fear and persecution should be a steady goal throughout the Commonwealth. The organization should work harder to enforce the practical realizations of the core values of human rights enshrined in its charter.&nbsp;The Commonwealth as an institution has been rather successful in setting democratic, legal and human rights standards for the world to follow. But it is time that the Commonwealth wakes up to the desires of the ambitious young minds of its member states and takes cognizance of the need to both contribute and belong.

BALL IN ST. JAMES&rsquo; COURT

It is impossible for the governments to do everything. There has to be a partnership between the private and the public sectors to optimize the resources and possibilities available at our disposal. Instilling a component of trust among the nations party to such a grand design is crucial in this regard. The Commonwealth leadership must demonstrate a determined and forward-looking approach to bringing peace and prosperity to the Indian subcontinent, which, despite its glorious past, remains the least integrated in the world. The&nbsp;Commonwealth Charter&nbsp;has already taken note of civil society. It is time that innovation &mdash; both as an idea and a platform &mdash; is taken as an operational pivot.

Brexit is looming ever larger. New negotiations and new priorities are being conceptualized. This is the best time for the United Kingdom to repackage the Commonwealth as an organization &ldquo;for the members, by the members and of the members.&rdquo; The seed of a plausible sense of ownership among member states &mdash; in particular for the imagination of the youth &mdash; needs to be sown, and it should not be perceived as if benefiting just the UK or a handful of prosperous countries. Existential issues central to the people of the Commonwealth need to be addressed. Learning from the Indian subcontinent and what is happening there, and reflecting the substance of that learning across the plethora of&nbsp;platforms&nbsp;and institutions that the Commonwealth provides, could help create a mechanism that can solve problems for the long term.

There was an ancient proverb, &ldquo;You are, therefore, I am; and since I am, therefore, you are.&rdquo; The best network is not a cartel of petrochemicals and weapons. Rather, it is the network of intelligent minds working together.

&nbsp;

*&nbsp;Yashasvi Nain&nbsp;is an international lawyer for humanitarian justice and inclusive development.&nbsp;

This<a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/united-kingdom-brexit-indian-subcontinent-commonwealth-news-analysis-53219/"> article </a>is originally published in the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/">Fair Observer</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Commonwealth, thanks to a combined economy of more than $10 trillion and an annual growth in excess of 4%, provides a perfect platform for achieving growth aims and is probably one of the best alternatives to manage a post-Brexit scenario for Britain.

By Syed Muntasir Mamun & Yashasvi Nain* Ahead of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), scheduled to take place in London in April, old debates have come alive over the relevance and importance of the Commonwealth of Nations and its involvement in world affairs. As alternative to the European Union post Brexit, the United Kingdom sees the Commonwealth as a global trading and international affairs network. In the absence of China, the organization provides a platform to demonstrate the credibility of aspiring global leaders like India. A visit by Prince Charles in November 2017 to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the summit to discuss India’s role in the organization shows the importance Britain bestows upon India’s strategic ambit. Subsequent visits from Tim Hitchens, chief executive of the Commonwealth Summit Unit, and Patricia Scotland, the Commonwealth secretary general, further reinforced this position. Trade statistics from 2016 show that the UK imports from the Indian subcontinent, which encompasses India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, totalled £15.2 ($21) billion, and exports £7.7 ($10) billion. Within the rest of the Commonwealth there is a marked propensity for an Indo-centric focus in trade. For instance, trade between India and South Africa now stands at around $20 billion, and between India and Nigeria at around $10 billion. Adding up trading configurations between other African and South Asian countries would definitely prove what is more obviously felt than said — that the trading heart of the old empire is still evolving. In 2016, during the House of Commons debate, former Defense Minister Lord Archie Hamilton asserted that the limitations in the EU competence clause is the biggest obstacle in the UK-India trade, and that after Brexit its removal will boost bilateral trade between the two countries. India is seen as a preferred partner by the UK for obvious reasons. According to the joint statement released after the India-UK Summit in New Delhi in November 2016, India was the third largest investor in the UK and the second largest international job creator: Indian companies having created over 110,000 jobs in Britain. Furthermore, India is also considered a key target market, with recent forecasts by the London Chamber of Commerce suggesting that a deal could boost UK exports to the country by 50%. Furthermore, if one considers trade statistics, Brexit doesn’t appear to have much of an effect on India-UK trade. As per the House of Commons briefing paper on migration issued in October 2017, in 2015 43% people immigrating to the UK were nationals of other EU countries, while 44% came from outside the European Union. Around 17% of all migrants are from three countries alone: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Indian subcontinent is by far the most strategic region driving the dynamics of the Commonwealth. What happens here is more relevant to the future of both the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth as a whole. COINCIDENCE OR GOOD TIMING? Britain’s triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty following the June 23, 2016, referendum came almost a year after the Malta CHOGM of 2015. The 2018 London CHOGM comes almost one year ahead of Britain’s final departure from the EU on March 29, 2019. In the absence of a clear government strategy, the EU referendum decidedly put the UK on a rough, and apparently unstable, path of destiny. But it does not have to be that way. While the immediate aftershock of the referendum was that of a freefalling pound, which remained at a historic 10% low against the US dollar and at 15% against the euro, it seems that the immediacy of the doomsday predictions were balanced with a steadier economic growth (1.8% in 2016), second only to Germany’s 1.9% in the G7. The UK economy has continued to grow at almost the same rate in 2017. Crucial negotiations centering around what Brexit would mean in reality are still in the making. With this backdrop, CHOGM 2018 opens a window of opportunity for both the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth cousins to essentially rebuild the Commonwealth in such a manner as to transform both in ways hitherto unimagined. The Commonwealth, thanks to a combined economy of more than $10 trillion and an annual growth in excess of 4%, provides a perfect platform for achieving these aims and is probably one of the best alternatives to manage a post-Brexit scenario for Britain. The UK, thanks to historic and institutionalized connections with its former colonies, is better positioned as a ring leader, capable of successfully integrating international trade — particularly the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking new markets — into a global trade regime than most other countries, except maybe the United States. It would be wise to not forget that the Commonwealth can boast the fact that half of the top 20 global emerging cities are located within its jurisdiction and that average trade costs between Commonwealth countries will be lowered by 19%. As a strategic recourse to the systemic uncertainties and instabilities caused by Brexit, the United Kingdom can now act strategically and utilize its position as the chair of the Commonwealth to create a system that will assist member states in integrating more fully into a fairer and more equitable global trading regime. Opening markets and by ensuring mobility of productive factors across a fair, value-based ecosystem will help UK SMEs and financial institutions to enter new markets and boost innovation, growth and job creation. THE ROADMAP There are talks going on to host a Commonwealth trade hub in India to promote commerce and investment across the organization. But it is high time that the Commonwealth leadership wakes up to the fact that the systems that govern the prospects of individual prosperity ought not to be only economic in nature. Rather, prosperity is the ability of the state system to enable the individual to live with pride and human dignity. Access to nutrition, shelter, health, education and an otherwise decent living is all part of the prosperity that we understand. If the UK wants to make the Commonwealth more relevant under its leadership, it must focus on the following areas that will play an important role in making the idea of the Commonwealth work for the people of the Commonwealth. First on the list is employment. With the desire to be connected to the global networks of talent and productivity, everyone is both wary and eager for employment, not only in the service industry, but also as entrepreneurs. The Commonwealth could be a platform that gives structural support for building and connecting markets for both. For instance, more than half of the small nations within the Commonwealth (31 out of 52) are Small Island Developing States, where development is being adversely affected by their remote locations. This leads to the second point, connectivity: People want to travel and connect. This is a rising vector of an inalienable right in the global consciousness. The Indian subcontinent is well connected to global networks, but attention is needed for upgrading the existing land-based transport infrastructure such as roads and railways, among the Commonwealth countries. It will not only affect social development but will also give much needed structures for an economic boost in the region. Also, post-Brexit, the UK will not be bound by the free movement of workers laws, and there is an opportunity to ease visa restrictions to fill the skill gap from the Commonwealth countries. At the very least, visas for students and professionals from the Commonwealth looking for job in the UK could be fast-tracked. Third, power and energy: Both people and institutions are energy-hungry. At this moment, countries in the Indian subcontinent depend on a single source to provide more than 50% of total their individual electricity generation. Thus, India produces 67.9% of the region’s coal, Nepal nearly 100% of the subcontinent’s hydropower, Bangladesh provides 91.5% of its natural gas and Sri Lanka 50% of its oil. Sustainable, eco-friendly, affordable and accessible energy needs have to be met if systemic balances are to be achieved in the long run. Fourth, technology: Any institution that wants to be relevant to the people and, consequently, draw mandates for representing them, ought to carry with itself a tangible promise of technology. This doesn’t mean the internet alone, but also applications and system support to develop ideas with solid financial underwriting. Fifth, ecological sustainability: With 1.7 billion people, the Indian subcontinent has more people than the whole of Europe and both Americas combined. Unfortunately, that does not translate into wealth. More people are going hungry in South Asia than in Africa. There is substantial inequality in the region, especially when it comes to food supply. It is also vulnerable to the impact of global warming and climate change. Preventing the creation of more climate refugees should be a priority for the Commonwealth, with many of its small island nations particularly affected by rising sea levels. Hence, comprehensive measures and plans for the future need to be laid out, and Britain can lead the way with sustainable development and technological advancement to tackle the environmental crisis. Sixth, a safer world and a safer Commonwealth: Attacks on civil liberties, free speech and restrictions on civil society are growing across the Indian subcontinent. Based on basic human freedoms, rights and the rule of law, a society free from fear and persecution should be a steady goal throughout the Commonwealth. The organization should work harder to enforce the practical realizations of the core values of human rights enshrined in its charter. The Commonwealth as an institution has been rather successful in setting democratic, legal and human rights standards for the world to follow. But it is time that the Commonwealth wakes up to the desires of the ambitious young minds of its member states and takes cognizance of the need to both contribute and belong. BALL IN ST. JAMES’ COURT It is impossible for the governments to do everything. There has to be a partnership between the private and the public sectors to optimize the resources and possibilities available at our disposal. Instilling a component of trust among the nations party to such a grand design is crucial in this regard. The Commonwealth leadership must demonstrate a determined and forward-looking approach to bringing peace and prosperity to the Indian subcontinent, which, despite its glorious past, remains the least integrated in the world. The Commonwealth Charter has already taken note of civil society. It is time that innovation — both as an idea and a platform — is taken as an operational pivot. Brexit is looming ever larger. New negotiations and new priorities are being conceptualized. This is the best time for the United Kingdom to repackage the Commonwealth as an organization “for the members, by the members and of the members.” The seed of a plausible sense of ownership among member states — in particular for the imagination of the youth — needs to be sown, and it should not be perceived as if benefiting just the UK or a handful of prosperous countries. Existential issues central to the people of the Commonwealth need to be addressed. Learning from the Indian subcontinent and what is happening there, and reflecting the substance of that learning across the plethora of platforms and institutions that the Commonwealth provides, could help create a mechanism that can solve problems for the long term. There was an ancient proverb, “You are, therefore, I am; and since I am, therefore, you are.” The best network is not a cartel of petrochemicals and weapons. Rather, it is the network of intelligent minds working together. * Yashasvi Nain is an international lawyer for humanitarian justice and inclusive development. This article is originally published in the Fair Observer (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Post Brexit, Indian subcontinent can be vital role for the UK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the European Union over their treatment during any transition period.

Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe.

The European Union has warned Britain that it must accept all decisions of the trading bloc and that its citizens should be able to secure full residence rights during the two-year transition period after it leaves the bloc.

But May has suggested EU citizens coming to Britain after March next year will be treated differently.

&quot;People who had come to the UK when we were a member of the EU had set up certain expectations - they made a life choice and set up a certain expectation,&quot; May told reporters on her way to China.

&quot;I&#39;m clear there`s a difference between those people who came prior to us leaving and those who will come when they know the UK is no longer a member of the EU.&quot;

This is one potential obstacle Britain and the EU will need to resolve to reach a transitional deal, which will give the two sides time to prepare for the far-reaching impact of the end of 46 years of union.

Many Brexit backers are voicing concern that the referendum result may be betrayed with the plan to change little of the current relationship immediately after Britain formally leaves on March 29, 2019.

But May dismissed some of those concerns.

&quot;They did not vote for nothing to change when we come out of the EU,&quot; she said. &quot;What we`re doing now is doing the job that the British people asked the government to do which is to deliver on Brexit.&quot;

&nbsp;

Theresa May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights

Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the European Union over their treatment during any transition period. Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe. The European Union has warned Britain that it must accept all decisions of the trading bloc and that its citizens should be able to secure full residence rights during the two-year transition period after it leaves the bloc. But May has suggested EU citizens coming to Britain after March next year will be treated differently. "People who had come to the UK when we were a member of the EU had set up certain expectations - they made a life choice and set up a certain expectation," May told reporters on her way to China. "I'm clear there`s a difference between those people who came prior to us leaving and those who will come when they know the UK is no longer a member of the EU." This is one potential obstacle Britain and the EU will need to resolve to reach a transitional deal, which will give the two sides time to prepare for the far-reaching impact of the end of 46 years of union. Many Brexit backers are voicing concern that the referendum result may be betrayed with the plan to change little of the current relationship immediately after Britain formally leaves on March 29, 2019. But May dismissed some of those concerns. "They did not vote for nothing to change when we come out of the EU," she said. "What we`re doing now is doing the job that the British people asked the government to do which is to deliver on Brexit."

UK and EU set for clash over citizens' rights during transition

International Development Minister and former Conservative MP Lord Bates submitted his resignation after he got late to the chamber.&nbsp;

Bates was meant to be in the House of Lords chamber for the oral questions at 15:00 GMT.

He admitted that he was &quot;thoroughly ashamed&quot; for not being able to arrive on time and was, therefore, offering his resignation to the Prime Minister.&nbsp;

&quot;I wonder if you permit me to offer my sincere apologies to Baroness Lister for my discourtesy in not being in my place to answer her question on a very important matter,&quot; Lord Bates said shortly after arriving at his place.

Bates was urged by his peers not to go saying that just an apology would have been sufficient.&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Theresa May has rejected Bates&#39; resignation calling it &quot;unnecessary.&quot;

May&#39;s spokesperson lauded Bates as a hard-working and diligent minister &quot;who takes his responsibilities to Parliament seriously&quot;.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

 
&nbsp;

Bates was urged by his peers not to go saying that just an apology would have been sufficient

International Development Minister and former Conservative MP Lord Bates submitted his resignation after he got late to the chamber. Bates was meant to be in the House of Lords chamber for the oral questions at 15:00 GMT. He admitted that he was "thoroughly ashamed" for not being able to arrive on time and was, therefore, offering his resignation to the Prime Minister. "I wonder if you permit me to offer my sincere apologies to Baroness Lister for my discourtesy in not being in my place to answer her question on a very important matter," Lord Bates said shortly after arriving at his place. Bates was urged by his peers not to go saying that just an apology would have been sufficient. British Prime Minister Theresa May has rejected Bates' resignation calling it "unnecessary." May's spokesperson lauded Bates as a hard-working and diligent minister "who takes his responsibilities to Parliament seriously". (With inputs from ANI)

British minister resigns for arriving late

Uk, News on Uk, stories on Uk, articles on Uk, Uk stories at Wion, Uk news, Uk latest news