British MPs on Monday selected veteran Labour lawmaker Lindsay Hoyle to be parliament's new speaker, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-mps-vote-on-new-speaker-after-bercows-departure-259774">replacing John Bercow</a> in a role once little-noticed but now reshaped by the fractious turmoil over Brexit.

Hoyle, a Labour MP for 22 years and Bercow's deputy since 2010, beat out six other contenders in a protracted day of voting in the House of Commons, winning the support of 325 of 540 members of parliament in a fourth and final round of votes.

Bercow, whose shouts of "Order! Order!" have rung out across the famous chamber since June 2009, stood down on Thursday, having enraged the ruling Conservatives with a series of decisions they saw as trying to stymie Brexit.

The 56-year-old vehemently denied ever taking sides in the parliamentary tumult over Britain's stalled withdrawal from the European Union but earned praise from pro-Europeans and a global following with his rulings and outsized personality.

Hoyle, the favourite to fill his shoes ahead of Monday's vote, won the first three rounds of voting,&nbsp;knocking out political heavyweight Harriet Harman, the longest-serving female MP,&nbsp;but each time fell short of the required absolute majority.

But in the last round of voting which pitted him against fellow Labour MP Chris Bryant, he finally garnered 60 per cent of lawmakers' votes.

"It's about the challenges ahead for me and this chamber," Hoyle told MPs after being dragged to the speaker's elevated green chair, in keeping with parliamentary tradition.

"We've got to make sure that tarnish is polished away," he added, in reference to recent rancour in the House of Commons largely over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-boris-johnson-rejects-calls-for-no-deal-brexit-in-election-pitch-259559">Brexit</a>.

Welcoming him to the role, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Over the years I have observed that you have many good qualities."

Johnson added Hoyle would bring his "signature kindness and reasonableness to our proceedings."

However, Hoyle will not have too long to get comfortable as parliament will be dissolved late Tuesday for the December 12 election, after which he will return to sit in the speaker's green chair.

The new speaker will now give up his party affiliation while rival parties are traditionally not expected to field a candidate to contest his seat in elections.

Chosing a new speaker has been an unremarkable event in the past, but Bercow became a key player in the chaotic process of Britain's exit from the European Union.

With the Commons divided over how, when and even if Brexit should happen, Bercow oversaw more than three years of crucial debates that defined the course of Brexit.

His supporters say he has empowered ordinary MPs by granting time for emergency debates and amendments, which had the effect of pressuring or even tying ministers' hands.

But critics accused him of subverting centuries of parliamentary tradition with the aim of frustrating Brexit.

Bercow, who was a Conservative MP before he took on the politically neutral role of speaker, has also been accused of failing to tackle a culture of bullying.

Last week, Johnson paid guarded tribute, likening Bercow's glare to a "trademark Tony Montana scowl", after Al Pacino's character in the 1983 film "Scarface".

Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn praised Bercow's modernising reforms, which included increasing staff diversity, boosting public access to parliament and switching from traditional robes to suits.

But it was his colourful personality and eccentric performances in parliament that gave him an international profile.

A social media mash-up by German television of footage of Bercow calming rowdy MPs has been seen more than a million times. A Belgian newspaper called him "irreplaceable".

If Johnson succeeds in his goal of winning a majority in the December election,&nbsp;as opinion polls suggest,&nbsp;the next speaker's job could be fairly straightforward as chair of debates.

But if he fails and there is another minority government, the new arrival will have to arbitrate between yet another group of divided MPs.

As a veteran Labour MP and as Bercow's deputy Hoyle has often sat in the speaker's chair in his place, when his distinctive Lancashire accent would grace the Commons.

The 62-year-old is as unimpressed as his predecessor by the shouting and braying from MPs, once chastising Scottish Nationalists for humming the EU anthem "Ode to Joy" in the chamber.

Hoyle pledged in an interview published in the Sunday Times,&nbsp;in which he introduced his parrot "Boris",&nbsp;to repair what he claims has become a "toxic parliament".

"I don't want the abuse of each other and I think we have got to close that down quickly and make sure it is a calmer place to be," he said.

Bryant, an openly gay former Church of England vicar, was a surprise finalist in the contest, winning 213 of the 540 votes in the last round.

British MPs on Monday selected veteran Labour lawmaker Lindsay Hoyle to be parliament's new speaker, replacing John Bercow in a role once little-noticed but now reshaped by the fractious turmoil over Brexit.

British MPs on Monday selected veteran Labour lawmaker Lindsay Hoyle to be parliament's new speaker, replacing John Bercow in a role once little-noticed but now reshaped by the fractious turmoil over Brexit. Hoyle, a Labour MP for 22 years and Bercow's deputy since 2010, beat out six other contenders in a protracted day of voting in the House of Commons, winning the support of 325 of 540 members of parliament in a fourth and final round of votes. Bercow, whose shouts of "Order! Order!" have rung out across the famous chamber since June 2009, stood down on Thursday, having enraged the ruling Conservatives with a series of decisions they saw as trying to stymie Brexit. The 56-year-old vehemently denied ever taking sides in the parliamentary tumult over Britain's stalled withdrawal from the European Union but earned praise from pro-Europeans and a global following with his rulings and outsized personality. Hoyle, the favourite to fill his shoes ahead of Monday's vote, won the first three rounds of voting, knocking out political heavyweight Harriet Harman, the longest-serving female MP, but each time fell short of the required absolute majority. But in the last round of voting which pitted him against fellow Labour MP Chris Bryant, he finally garnered 60 per cent of lawmakers' votes. "It's about the challenges ahead for me and this chamber," Hoyle told MPs after being dragged to the speaker's elevated green chair, in keeping with parliamentary tradition. "We've got to make sure that tarnish is polished away," he added, in reference to recent rancour in the House of Commons largely over Brexit. Welcoming him to the role, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Over the years I have observed that you have many good qualities." Johnson added Hoyle would bring his "signature kindness and reasonableness to our proceedings." However, Hoyle will not have too long to get comfortable as parliament will be dissolved late Tuesday for the December 12 election, after which he will return to sit in the speaker's green chair. The new speaker will now give up his party affiliation while rival parties are traditionally not expected to field a candidate to contest his seat in elections. Chosing a new speaker has been an unremarkable event in the past, but Bercow became a key player in the chaotic process of Britain's exit from the European Union. With the Commons divided over how, when and even if Brexit should happen, Bercow oversaw more than three years of crucial debates that defined the course of Brexit. His supporters say he has empowered ordinary MPs by granting time for emergency debates and amendments, which had the effect of pressuring or even tying ministers' hands. But critics accused him of subverting centuries of parliamentary tradition with the aim of frustrating Brexit. Bercow, who was a Conservative MP before he took on the politically neutral role of speaker, has also been accused of failing to tackle a culture of bullying. Last week, Johnson paid guarded tribute, likening Bercow's glare to a "trademark Tony Montana scowl", after Al Pacino's character in the 1983 film "Scarface". Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn praised Bercow's modernising reforms, which included increasing staff diversity, boosting public access to parliament and switching from traditional robes to suits. But it was his colourful personality and eccentric performances in parliament that gave him an international profile. A social media mash-up by German television of footage of Bercow calming rowdy MPs has been seen more than a million times. A Belgian newspaper called him "irreplaceable". If Johnson succeeds in his goal of winning a majority in the December election, as opinion polls suggest, the next speaker's job could be fairly straightforward as chair of debates. But if he fails and there is another minority government, the new arrival will have to arbitrate between yet another group of divided MPs. As a veteran Labour MP and as Bercow's deputy Hoyle has often sat in the speaker's chair in his place, when his distinctive Lancashire accent would grace the Commons. The 62-year-old is as unimpressed as his predecessor by the shouting and braying from MPs, once chastising Scottish Nationalists for humming the EU anthem "Ode to Joy" in the chamber. Hoyle pledged in an interview published in the Sunday Times, in which he introduced his parrot "Boris", to repair what he claims has become a "toxic parliament". "I don't want the abuse of each other and I think we have got to close that down quickly and make sure it is a calmer place to be," he said. Bryant, an openly gay former Church of England vicar, was a surprise finalist in the contest, winning 213 of the 540 votes in the last round.

British MPs choose Lindsay Hoyle as parliament speaker to replace Bercow

Britain is following standard procedure by not publishing a parliamentary select committee report on alleged Russian meddling in British politics until after the election, one of Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-presses-election-rival-jeremy-corbyn-to-explain-brexit-stance-260104">Boris Johnson's</a> most senior ministers said.

The report by parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee has cleared security service clearance but has not yet cleared approval by Johnson's Downing Street office and so will not be published before the December&nbsp;12 election.

When asked if the government was sitting on the report, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove told the BBC,&nbsp;"Absolutely not".

"It's always the case with select committee reports, particularly when they deal with sensitive issues, that there is a process through which they have to go before they are published and a response is issued," Gove said.

"This is no different from the standard procedure," he said, adding that it was going through the "same process as ever".

Dominic Grieve, the chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, has said there is no legitimate reason for delaying the publication of the report.

"We continue to be very disappointed by the failure of the government to publish this report and to provide any explanation as to why it should not be published. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-boris-johnson-rejects-calls-for-no-deal-brexit-in-election-pitch-259559">Explanations</a> currently advanced that the timing is too short are entirely disingenuous and grossly misleading," Grieve told the BBC.

Britain is following standard procedure by not publishing a parliamentary select committee report on alleged Russian meddling in British politics until after the election, one of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's most senior ministers said.

Britain is following standard procedure by not publishing a parliamentary select committee report on alleged Russian meddling in British politics until after the election, one of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's most senior ministers said. The report by parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee has cleared security service clearance but has not yet cleared approval by Johnson's Downing Street office and so will not be published before the December 12 election. When asked if the government was sitting on the report, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove told the BBC, "Absolutely not". "It's always the case with select committee reports, particularly when they deal with sensitive issues, that there is a process through which they have to go before they are published and a response is issued," Gove said. "This is no different from the standard procedure," he said, adding that it was going through the "same process as ever". Dominic Grieve, the chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, has said there is no legitimate reason for delaying the publication of the report. "We continue to be very disappointed by the failure of the government to publish this report and to provide any explanation as to why it should not be published. Explanations currently advanced that the timing is too short are entirely disingenuous and grossly misleading," Grieve told the BBC.

UK delays publishing report on Russia poll meddling, calls it 'standard procedure'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his failure to deliver <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-boris-johnson-rejects-calls-for-no-deal-brexit-in-election-pitch-259559">Brexit</a> last week as he had promised was a "matter of deep regret", but his deal remained to only way to get Britain out of the bloc.

"The only way out of the EU now, the only way to get Brexit done, is to go with the deal that we've got," he told Sky News in an interview at the start of his campaign for next month's election.

On the day Britain was supposed to have left the European Union, voters instead faced the start of an election campaign, with opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pledging to overthrow a "rigged system" he said was run by billionaires and tax dodgers.

After failing to deliver&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;by the October&nbsp;31 deadline, Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the December&nbsp;12 election to break what he cast as a political paralysis that had thwarted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdom-defends-brexit-deal-after-trumps-trade-warning-259275">Britain's departure</a> and undermined confidence in the economy.

Opinion polls suggest the election is Johnson's to lose. His Conservative Party is leading Labour by 15 to 17 percentage points, according to Ipsos Mori and YouGov. Yet the overshadowing issue of&nbsp;Brexit, which has divided both major parties and their voters, could confound conventional calculations.

While&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;frames the election, with Labour pledging to hold a second referendum on it, it is being fought by two of the most unconventional British politicians of recent years who offer starkly different visions for the world's fifth-largest economy.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his failure to deliver Brexit last week as he had promised was a "matter of deep regret", but his deal remained to only way to get Britain out of the bloc.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his failure to deliver Brexit last week as he had promised was a "matter of deep regret", but his deal remained to only way to get Britain out of the bloc. "The only way out of the EU now, the only way to get Brexit done, is to go with the deal that we've got," he told Sky News in an interview at the start of his campaign for next month's election. On the day Britain was supposed to have left the European Union, voters instead faced the start of an election campaign, with opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pledging to overthrow a "rigged system" he said was run by billionaires and tax dodgers. After failing to deliver Brexit by the October 31 deadline, Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the December 12 election to break what he cast as a political paralysis that had thwarted Britain's departure and undermined confidence in the economy. Opinion polls suggest the election is Johnson's to lose. His Conservative Party is leading Labour by 15 to 17 percentage points, according to Ipsos Mori and YouGov. Yet the overshadowing issue of Brexit, which has divided both major parties and their voters, could confound conventional calculations. While Brexit frames the election, with Labour pledging to hold a second referendum on it, it is being fought by two of the most unconventional British politicians of recent years who offer starkly different visions for the world's fifth-largest economy.

United Kingdom PM Johnson says his deal is only way to get Brexit done

Detectives probing the deaths of 39 Asian migrants in a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/driver-charged-over-deaths-of-39-people-in-uk-lorry-police-258313">refrigerated truck</a> in southeast England renewed on Friday their appeal for two brothers in the haulage business to help with the investigation.

Essex Police said they wanted to speak to Ronan and Christopher Hughes from Northern Ireland in connection with the discovery of the bodies at an industrial estate in Grays, near London, last month.

Detective Chief Inspector Dan Stoten said on a visit to Belfast that officers had already spoken to Ronan Hughes by telephone but needed to talk to him again in person.

"Talking to Ronan and Christopher is crucial to our investigation and the sooner we can make this happen the sooner we can progress and continue with our investigation," he said.

The Hughes brothers, aged 40 and 34, are from the Armagh region of Northern Ireland and have links across the island of Ireland to the road haulage and shipping business, said Stoten.

"We urge anyone who has been in contact with them or has any information about where they are to get in contact with us," he added.

Stoten revealed that police in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-chinas-embassy-urges-uk-police-to-find-out-the-truth-about-39-bodies-discovered-in-truck-258039">Northern Ireland stopped a lorry</a> believed to be connected to the brothers but no arrests were made.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old driver of the refrigerated lorry who is from Northern Ireland was remanded in custody when he appeared in court last week charged with manslaughter, money laundering and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.

Three other people have been arrested and released on police bail.

The victims,&nbsp;eight women and 31 men, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-uk-police-arrest-man-and-woman-for-human-trafficking-over-truck-deaths-258160">were found in a truck that entered Britain</a> on a ferry from Belgium. Several Vietnamese families fear their relatives are among the dead.

Post-mortem examinations are being carried out but no formal cause of death or identification have been released.

Detectives probing the deaths of 39 Asian migrants in a refrigerated truck in southeast England renewed on Friday their appeal for two brothers in the haulage business to help with the investigation.

Detectives probing the deaths of 39 Asian migrants in a refrigerated truck in southeast England renewed on Friday their appeal for two brothers in the haulage business to help with the investigation. Essex Police said they wanted to speak to Ronan and Christopher Hughes from Northern Ireland in connection with the discovery of the bodies at an industrial estate in Grays, near London, last month. Detective Chief Inspector Dan Stoten said on a visit to Belfast that officers had already spoken to Ronan Hughes by telephone but needed to talk to him again in person. "Talking to Ronan and Christopher is crucial to our investigation and the sooner we can make this happen the sooner we can progress and continue with our investigation," he said. The Hughes brothers, aged 40 and 34, are from the Armagh region of Northern Ireland and have links across the island of Ireland to the road haulage and shipping business, said Stoten. "We urge anyone who has been in contact with them or has any information about where they are to get in contact with us," he added. Stoten revealed that police in Northern Ireland stopped a lorry believed to be connected to the brothers but no arrests were made. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old driver of the refrigerated lorry who is from Northern Ireland was remanded in custody when he appeared in court last week charged with manslaughter, money laundering and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. Three other people have been arrested and released on police bail. The victims, eight women and 31 men, were found in a truck that entered Britain on a ferry from Belgium. Several Vietnamese families fear their relatives are among the dead. Post-mortem examinations are being carried out but no formal cause of death or identification have been released.

United Kingdom police step up appeals over migrant lorry deaths

No Brexit, no worry: Britain kicks off election campaign

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office has defended his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-wades-into-uk-election-with-attack-on-opposition-leader-and-brexit-warning-259176">Brexit deal with the European Union</a>, after US President Donald Trump warned it would make it impossible for the two nations to strike a future trade agreement.

The president, whose impeachment in the US has moved a stage closer following a key vote in Congress, waded into the British election campaign on Thursday to criticise Johnson's divorce terms with the European bloc.

"This deal... you can't do it, you can't trade. We can't make a trade deal with the UK," he said.

But a Downing Street spokesman later said the deal would allow the UK to strike "our own free trade deals around the world from which every part of the UK will benefit".

Trump's comments appear at odds with his previous pledge in September that he was working closely with Johnson to strike a "magnificent trade deal" once Britain left the EU.

The US president also launched a stinging attack on the country's main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn and urged Johnson to unite with eurosceptic hardliner Nigel Farage, a key figure in the 2016 referendum on European Union membership.

"Corbyn would be so bad for your country," Trump told Farage during a phone interview broadcast on his talk show on British radio station LBC.

"He'd take you in such a bad way. He'd take you into such bad places."

"I'd like to see you and Boris get together... I think it'd be a great thing," Trump added.

Farage, whose new Brexit Party is campaigning for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-spins-towards-christmas-election-in-bid-to-break-brexit-deadlock-258700">Britain to leave the EU</a> without any deal in place, has urged Johnson to form an electoral alliance but has so far been rebuffed.&nbsp;

He is due to launch his party's election campaign on Friday.

'Trump trying to interfere'

Within minutes of the interview airing, Corbyn shot back on Twitter that "Trump is trying to interfere in Britain's election to get his friend Boris Johnson elected".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-election-campaign-kicks-off-on-no-brexit-day-259143">Johnson agreed new divorce terms</a> with the bloc's leaders earlier this month, ahead of the country's scheduled departure on Thursday. &nbsp;

But he was unable to push the plan through parliament and instead opted to hold a snap pre-Christmas election, blaming his Labour rivals for the latest Brexit delay and promising to now take the country out by a new January 31 deadline.

"If you vote for us and we get our programme through, which we will...&nbsp;we can be out, at the absolute latest, by January next year," Johnson said during a campaign stop Thursday at a hospital.

The Conservative leader is riding high in opinion polls going into the December 12 vote that will be Britain's third in four years.&nbsp;

But he risks a backlash over his unkept "do or die" promise to deliver Brexit on October 31 -- and has again set himself up for another potential fall by promising to meet the next deadline.

Pro-EU campaigners and business executives have breathed a sigh of relief that Britain avoided a Halloween Brexit nightmare that could have seen it crash out of the EU after 46 years without a plan.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office has defended his Brexit deal with the European Union, after US President Donald Trump warned it would make it impossible for the two nations to strike a future trade agreement.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office has defended his Brexit deal with the European Union, after US President Donald Trump warned it would make it impossible for the two nations to strike a future trade agreement. The president, whose impeachment in the US has moved a stage closer following a key vote in Congress, waded into the British election campaign on Thursday to criticise Johnson's divorce terms with the European bloc. "This deal... you can't do it, you can't trade. We can't make a trade deal with the UK," he said. But a Downing Street spokesman later said the deal would allow the UK to strike "our own free trade deals around the world from which every part of the UK will benefit". Trump's comments appear at odds with his previous pledge in September that he was working closely with Johnson to strike a "magnificent trade deal" once Britain left the EU. The US president also launched a stinging attack on the country's main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn and urged Johnson to unite with eurosceptic hardliner Nigel Farage, a key figure in the 2016 referendum on European Union membership. "Corbyn would be so bad for your country," Trump told Farage during a phone interview broadcast on his talk show on British radio station LBC. "He'd take you in such a bad way. He'd take you into such bad places." "I'd like to see you and Boris get together... I think it'd be a great thing," Trump added. Farage, whose new Brexit Party is campaigning for Britain to leave the EU without any deal in place, has urged Johnson to form an electoral alliance but has so far been rebuffed. He is due to launch his party's election campaign on Friday. 'Trump trying to interfere' Within minutes of the interview airing, Corbyn shot back on Twitter that "Trump is trying to interfere in Britain's election to get his friend Boris Johnson elected". Johnson agreed new divorce terms with the bloc's leaders earlier this month, ahead of the country's scheduled departure on Thursday. But he was unable to push the plan through parliament and instead opted to hold a snap pre-Christmas election, blaming his Labour rivals for the latest Brexit delay and promising to now take the country out by a new January 31 deadline. "If you vote for us and we get our programme through, which we will... we can be out, at the absolute latest, by January next year," Johnson said during a campaign stop Thursday at a hospital. The Conservative leader is riding high in opinion polls going into the December 12 vote that will be Britain's third in four years. But he risks a backlash over his unkept "do or die" promise to deliver Brexit on October 31 -- and has again set himself up for another potential fall by promising to meet the next deadline. Pro-EU campaigners and business executives have breathed a sigh of relief that Britain avoided a Halloween Brexit nightmare that could have seen it crash out of the EU after 46 years without a plan.

United Kingdom defends Brexit deal after Trump's trade warning

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, kicks off his election campaign on Thursday with a vow to take on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-spins-towards-christmas-election-in-bid-to-break-brexit-deadlock-258700">Britain's "rigged system"</a>, which he said was run by a privileged elite of tax dodgers, billionaire owners and bad bosses.

On the day Britain was supposed to leave the European Union, both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his main opponent, Corbyn, are on Thursday pitching their starkly different visions for world's fifth-largest economy ahead of a December&nbsp;12 election.

In a sweeping challenge to the Western capitalist consensus, Corbyn said the election was a once-in-a-generation chance to overthrow what he cast as a corrupt elite which profited by exploiting workers, lying to the public and polluting the environment.

"This election is a once-in-a-generation chance to transform our country, take on the vested interests holding people back and ensure that no community is left behind," Corbyn, a 70-year-old veteran socialist campaigner, said in remarks released by his party.

Corbyn named prominent billionaires such as landowner Hugh Grosvenor, Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley, Ineos CEO Jim Ratcliffe, hedge fund manager Crispin Odey and U.S. media tycoon Rupert Murdoch as representatives of Britain's "rigged system".

He proposes nationalisation of rail, mail and water services and much higher taxes on the bankers who have made London the pre-eminent international financial capital.

The first December election in Britain since 1923 will be one of the hardest to call in years. Brexit has variously fatigued, enthused and enraged swathes of voters while eroding loyalties to the two major parties.

A five-year flurry of two historic referendums rises.

UK under threat

Johnson, who has failed to deliver on his "do or die" promise that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">Britain would leave the EU on October 31</a>, is pitching the election as a chance to get Brexit done, and he will accuse Corbyn of threatening the United Kingdom's future.

Johnson says Labour's plan to hold another referendum on Britain's membership of the bloc, and the possibility of Labour agreeing to another referendum on Scottish independence, risk ripping the United Kingdom apart.

"Today should have been the day that Brexit was delivered and we finally left the EU," Johnson said in pre-prepared remarks provided by his office.&nbsp;

"But, despite the great new deal I agreed with the EU, Jeremy Corbyn refused to allow that to happen – insisting upon more dither, more delay and more uncertainty for families and business."

Johnson, who was hailed by the US&nbsp;president as Britain's Donald Trump, will visit a school, hospital and police unit to argue that Britain needs to deliver Brexit so it can move on and focus on investing in public services.

The Conservatives are ahead of Labour by an average of about 10 percentage points in polls this month, indicating a majority in the 650-seat parliament for Johnson, though pollsters admit their models are imperfect with turnout a key variable.

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, kicks off his election campaign on Thursday with a vow to take on Britain's "rigged system", which he said was run by a privileged elite of tax dodgers, billionaire owners and bad bosses.

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, kicks off his election campaign on Thursday with a vow to take on Britain's "rigged system", which he said was run by a privileged elite of tax dodgers, billionaire owners and bad bosses. On the day Britain was supposed to leave the European Union, both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his main opponent, Corbyn, are on Thursday pitching their starkly different visions for world's fifth-largest economy ahead of a December 12 election. In a sweeping challenge to the Western capitalist consensus, Corbyn said the election was a once-in-a-generation chance to overthrow what he cast as a corrupt elite which profited by exploiting workers, lying to the public and polluting the environment. "This election is a once-in-a-generation chance to transform our country, take on the vested interests holding people back and ensure that no community is left behind," Corbyn, a 70-year-old veteran socialist campaigner, said in remarks released by his party. Corbyn named prominent billionaires such as landowner Hugh Grosvenor, Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley, Ineos CEO Jim Ratcliffe, hedge fund manager Crispin Odey and U.S. media tycoon Rupert Murdoch as representatives of Britain's "rigged system". He proposes nationalisation of rail, mail and water services and much higher taxes on the bankers who have made London the pre-eminent international financial capital. The first December election in Britain since 1923 will be one of the hardest to call in years. Brexit has variously fatigued, enthused and enraged swathes of voters while eroding loyalties to the two major parties. A five-year flurry of two historic referendums rises. UK under threat Johnson, who has failed to deliver on his "do or die" promise that Britain would leave the EU on October 31, is pitching the election as a chance to get Brexit done, and he will accuse Corbyn of threatening the United Kingdom's future. Johnson says Labour's plan to hold another referendum on Britain's membership of the bloc, and the possibility of Labour agreeing to another referendum on Scottish independence, risk ripping the United Kingdom apart. "Today should have been the day that Brexit was delivered and we finally left the EU," Johnson said in pre-prepared remarks provided by his office. "But, despite the great new deal I agreed with the EU, Jeremy Corbyn refused to allow that to happen – insisting upon more dither, more delay and more uncertainty for families and business." Johnson, who was hailed by the US president as Britain's Donald Trump, will visit a school, hospital and police unit to argue that Britain needs to deliver Brexit so it can move on and focus on investing in public services. The Conservatives are ahead of Labour by an average of about 10 percentage points in polls this month, indicating a majority in the 650-seat parliament for Johnson, though pollsters admit their models are imperfect with turnout a key variable.

United Kingdom election campaign begins with Corbyn's attack on 'rigged system'

Britain was on course for a December election Tuesday after the main opposition Labour party said it would support Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan, although a date has not yet been fixed.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said, "I have consistently said that we are ready for an election and our support is subject to a 'no deal' Brexit being off the table."

He said the decision by EU leaders on Monday to delay Brexit to January 31 meant that "for the next three months, our condition of taking No Deal off the table has now been met.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-election-johnson-makes-fresh-bid-to-break-the-deadlock-258648">Brexit election? Johnson makes fresh bid to break the deadlock</a>

"We will now launch the most ambitious and radical campaign for real change our country has ever seen," he said in a statement.

Johnson has called for an election on December 12 but Labour and other opposition parties are pushing for a date nearer to December 9.

"It will be a December election," a Labour party source told AFP.

The prime minister will on Tuesday bring forward a bill to legislate for the snap poll, which is expected to pass parliament in the next few days.

Britain was on course for a December election Tuesday after the main opposition Labour party said it would support Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan, although a date has not yet been fixed.

Britain was on course for a December election Tuesday after the main opposition Labour party said it would support Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan, although a date has not yet been fixed. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said, "I have consistently said that we are ready for an election and our support is subject to a 'no deal' Brexit being off the table." He said the decision by EU leaders on Monday to delay Brexit to January 31 meant that "for the next three months, our condition of taking No Deal off the table has now been met. Also read: Brexit election? Johnson makes fresh bid to break the deadlock "We will now launch the most ambitious and radical campaign for real change our country has ever seen," he said in a statement. Johnson has called for an election on December 12 but Labour and other opposition parties are pushing for a date nearer to December 9. "It will be a December election," a Labour party source told AFP. The prime minister will on Tuesday bring forward a bill to legislate for the snap poll, which is expected to pass parliament in the next few days.

UK's opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn agrees to December election

Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a fresh bid for an election to break the Brexit deadlock on Tuesday after nearly three-and-a-half years of wrangling in parliament that has left <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/european-union-agrees-in-principle-to-extend-brexit-258217">Britain's exit </a>from the European Union in turmoil.

As the European Union finalises a third delay to the divorce that was originally supposed to take place on March 29, the United Kingdom, its parliament and its voters remain divided on how or indeed if to go ahead with Brexit.

Johnson, who had promised to deliver Brexit on October&nbsp;31, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/johnson-adamant-on-brexit-deadline-despite-delay-request-257170">"do or die"</a>, has repeatedly demanded an election to end what he casts as a nightmare paralysis that is sapping public trust by preventing any Brexit outcome at all.

After parliament refused Johnson his third demand for an election on Monday, he will try to force a bill through parliament on Tuesday that calls for a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-pm-boris-johnson-calls-for-the-elections-on-12th-december-258032">December&nbsp;12 election</a>. It needs a simple majority in parliament.

"We will not allow this paralysis to continue and, one way or another, we must proceed straight to an election," Johnson told parliament on Monday. "This House cannot any longer keep this country hostage."

Meanwhile, the legislation enacting Johnson's Brexit deal has been put on hold, pending an election, Jacob Rees-Mogg, who oversees the government's legislative agenda in the House of Commons, said.

The first Christmas election in Britain since 1923 would be highly unpredictable: Brexit has variously fatigued and enraged swathes of voters while eroding traditional loyalties to the two major parties, Conservative and Labour.

Ultimately, voters would have a choice between an emboldened Johnson pushing for his Brexit deal or a socialist government under Jeremy Corbyn renegotiating the deal before a referendum.

If no party wins conclusively, the Brexit deadlock will continue.

While almost all British politicians agree that an election is needed, Johnson's opponents want to inflict maximum political damage by preventing his last-minute deal from being ratified before the poll.

Johnson, in turn, is trying to shift the blame for failing to deliver Brexit by October&nbsp;31 on to parliament.

Such is the lack of trust in parliament that lawmakers are squabbling about almost everything from the sequencing of Brexit to the date of the election.

Behind the bickering, though, Johnson is closer to an election than he has ever been in his tumultuous 3-month premiership.

Two opposition parties, the Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party, want an election on December&nbsp;9.

"We won't accept any jiggery-pokery from the prime minister," Ian Blackford, the Scottish National Party's Westminster leader, said. "Our vote certainly can't be taken for granted."

Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said on Monday he would "consider carefully" legislation which locked in an election date.

Johnson's Conservatives are ahead of Labour by an average of about 10 percentage points in polls this month, though pollsters underestimated the support for Brexit in 2016 and admit that the models they use are wilting beside the Brexit furnace.

When Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, bet on a snap election in 2017, she lost her slender majority - a failure that ultimately prevented her from ratifying her Brexit deal and so sank her political career.

In the June 23, 2016 referendum, 17.4 million voters, or 51.9 percent, backed leaving the EU while 16.1 million, or 48.1 percent, voted to remain.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a fresh bid for an election to break the Brexit deadlock on Tuesday after nearly three-and-a-half years of wrangling in parliament that has left Britain's exit from the European Union in turmoil.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a fresh bid for an election to break the Brexit deadlock on Tuesday after nearly three-and-a-half years of wrangling in parliament that has left Britain's exit from the European Union in turmoil. As the European Union finalises a third delay to the divorce that was originally supposed to take place on March 29, the United Kingdom, its parliament and its voters remain divided on how or indeed if to go ahead with Brexit. Johnson, who had promised to deliver Brexit on October 31, "do or die", has repeatedly demanded an election to end what he casts as a nightmare paralysis that is sapping public trust by preventing any Brexit outcome at all. After parliament refused Johnson his third demand for an election on Monday, he will try to force a bill through parliament on Tuesday that calls for a December 12 election. It needs a simple majority in parliament. "We will not allow this paralysis to continue and, one way or another, we must proceed straight to an election," Johnson told parliament on Monday. "This House cannot any longer keep this country hostage." Meanwhile, the legislation enacting Johnson's Brexit deal has been put on hold, pending an election, Jacob Rees-Mogg, who oversees the government's legislative agenda in the House of Commons, said. The first Christmas election in Britain since 1923 would be highly unpredictable: Brexit has variously fatigued and enraged swathes of voters while eroding traditional loyalties to the two major parties, Conservative and Labour. Ultimately, voters would have a choice between an emboldened Johnson pushing for his Brexit deal or a socialist government under Jeremy Corbyn renegotiating the deal before a referendum. If no party wins conclusively, the Brexit deadlock will continue. While almost all British politicians agree that an election is needed, Johnson's opponents want to inflict maximum political damage by preventing his last-minute deal from being ratified before the poll. Johnson, in turn, is trying to shift the blame for failing to deliver Brexit by October 31 on to parliament. Such is the lack of trust in parliament that lawmakers are squabbling about almost everything from the sequencing of Brexit to the date of the election. Behind the bickering, though, Johnson is closer to an election than he has ever been in his tumultuous 3-month premiership. Two opposition parties, the Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party, want an election on December 9. "We won't accept any jiggery-pokery from the prime minister," Ian Blackford, the Scottish National Party's Westminster leader, said. "Our vote certainly can't be taken for granted." Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said on Monday he would "consider carefully" legislation which locked in an election date. Johnson's Conservatives are ahead of Labour by an average of about 10 percentage points in polls this month, though pollsters underestimated the support for Brexit in 2016 and admit that the models they use are wilting beside the Brexit furnace. When Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, bet on a snap election in 2017, she lost her slender majority - a failure that ultimately prevented her from ratifying her Brexit deal and so sank her political career. In the June 23, 2016 referendum, 17.4 million voters, or 51.9 percent, backed leaving the EU while 16.1 million, or 48.1 percent, voted to remain.

Brexit election? Boris Johnson makes fresh bid to break the deadlock

Prince Charles, heir-to-the-British throne, will make an official visit to India next month with a focus on sustainable markets, climate change and social finance, his office said on Monday.

Charles, 70, will arrive in New Delhi for the two-day visit on Wednesday, November&nbsp;13.

It will be Charles' 10th official visit to India. His last was as part of a joint tour with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to Brunei, India, Singapore and Malaysia in November 2017.

More details about the visit, made at the request of the Foreign Office based on the government’s priorities, will be announced in due course, his Clarence House official added. Britain has been keen to secure a trade deal with India after it <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/european-union-agrees-in-principle-to-extend-brexit-258217">leaves the European Union.</a>

The announcement also comes a week after Charles's son William and his wife Kate completed a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kate-middleton-prince-william-wrap-up-pakistan-tour-with-a-thank-you-post-257469">four-day trip</a> to India's neighbour Pakistan.

Prince Charles, heir-to-the-British throne, will make an official visit to India next month with a focus on sustainable markets, climate change and social finance, his office said on Monday.

Prince Charles, heir-to-the-British throne, will make an official visit to India next month with a focus on sustainable markets, climate change and social finance, his office said on Monday. Charles, 70, will arrive in New Delhi for the two-day visit on Wednesday, November 13. It will be Charles' 10th official visit to India. His last was as part of a joint tour with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to Brunei, India, Singapore and Malaysia in November 2017. More details about the visit, made at the request of the Foreign Office based on the government’s priorities, will be announced in due course, his Clarence House official added. Britain has been keen to secure a trade deal with India after it leaves the European Union. The announcement also comes a week after Charles's son William and his wife Kate completed a four-day trip to India's neighbour Pakistan.

Prince Charles to visit India next month for second time in two years

Britain has sent dossiers to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/majority-of-39-uk-truck-victims-likely-from-vietnam-priest-258278">Vietnam</a>, seeking its assistance in identifying four of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/39-bodies-found-near-london-in-truck-container-uk-police-257701">39 people found dead</a> in a truck container outside London last week, the government of the southeast Asian nation said on Monday.

Lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 25, is set to appear in court charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences, including conspiracy to traffic people, after the bodies were found last week in Grays, about 32 km (20 miles) east of London.

British police have said very few of the victims were carrying official identification and that they hope to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photographs from friends and relatives.

Vietnam`s government website quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son as saying the Ministry of Public Security had received files for four people from Britain, seeking "verification coordination".

Son told reporters, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is developing dossiers of possible victims, but until now there have been no grounds to confirm Vietnamese nationals are among the victims."

Police had initially said the dead were believed to be Chinese, but it later emerged that many were from Vietnam, where communities have been plunged into despair in the belief their missing loved ones are dead.

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China`s embassy in Vietnam was in close contact with the Vietnamese government about the case, but did not elaborate.

China is also asking Britain to provide more information so as to ascertain the victims` identities, he added.

In Britain, police said a man was arrested in Dublin on Saturday. 
"A man arrested by the Garda at Dublin port on Saturday, 26 October, is a person of interest in our murder investigation," Essex Police said.

Three people arrested in connection with the investigation had been released on bail, British police said on Sunday. All three had been questioned on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people.

About 70 per cent of Vietnamese trafficking cases in Britain between 2009 and 2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail salons, the British government said last year.

The suspected victims in the most recent incident hail from Vietnam`s northern rice-growing areas of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, two of the communist-ruled nation`s poorest provinces.

Nghe An was identified as home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a US-based anti-trafficking organisation.

The other province, Ha Tinh, was ravaged by one of Vietnam`s worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan`s Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating fishing and tourism there.

Britain has sent dossiers to Vietnam, seeking its assistance in identifying four of the 39 people found dead in a truck container outside London last week, the government of the southeast Asian nation said on Monday.

Britain has sent dossiers to Vietnam, seeking its assistance in identifying four of the 39 people found dead in a truck container outside London last week, the government of the southeast Asian nation said on Monday. Lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 25, is set to appear in court charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences, including conspiracy to traffic people, after the bodies were found last week in Grays, about 32 km (20 miles) east of London. British police have said very few of the victims were carrying official identification and that they hope to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photographs from friends and relatives. Vietnam`s government website quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son as saying the Ministry of Public Security had received files for four people from Britain, seeking "verification coordination". Son told reporters, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is developing dossiers of possible victims, but until now there have been no grounds to confirm Vietnamese nationals are among the victims." Police had initially said the dead were believed to be Chinese, but it later emerged that many were from Vietnam, where communities have been plunged into despair in the belief their missing loved ones are dead. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China`s embassy in Vietnam was in close contact with the Vietnamese government about the case, but did not elaborate. China is also asking Britain to provide more information so as to ascertain the victims` identities, he added. In Britain, police said a man was arrested in Dublin on Saturday. "A man arrested by the Garda at Dublin port on Saturday, 26 October, is a person of interest in our murder investigation," Essex Police said. Three people arrested in connection with the investigation had been released on bail, British police said on Sunday. All three had been questioned on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people. About 70 per cent of Vietnamese trafficking cases in Britain between 2009 and 2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail salons, the British government said last year. The suspected victims in the most recent incident hail from Vietnam`s northern rice-growing areas of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, two of the communist-ruled nation`s poorest provinces. Nghe An was identified as home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a US-based anti-trafficking organisation. The other province, Ha Tinh, was ravaged by one of Vietnam`s worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan`s Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating fishing and tourism there.

Vietnam says UK seeks help to identify four truck victims

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is unlikely to play again until December due to an ankle injury, manager <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-united-will-reinforce-squad-in-january-says-ole-gunnar-solskjaer-256463">Ole Gunnar Solskjaer</a> has said.

France international Pogba last featured for United in their 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal on September&nbsp;30.

"I don't think we'll see Paul before December. He'll be out for a while," Solskjaer told reporters after his team's 3-1 win at Norwich City on Sunday.

"He needs time to fully recover. I don't think he'll be back, maybe for Sheffield United after the international break, but probably it will be December before we can see him.

"I'm not a doctor but there is an injury there that needs healing. It's his ankle."

Solskjaer's assessment rules Pogba out of Manchester United's next four matches in all competitions at a minimum, with the club not scheduled to play Sheffield United until November&nbsp;24.

United have several other injured players, including Luke Shaw, Eric Bailly, Diogo Dalot and Nemanja Matic, although forward Anthony Martial made a scoring return against Norwich on his first Premier League start since August.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-manchester-united-end-away-day-misery-despite-penalty-woe-258417">The win</a> lifted United, who are next in League Cup action against Chelsea on Wednesday, up to seventh in the table.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is unlikely to play again until December due to an ankle injury, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said. France international Pogba last featured for United in their 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal on September 30.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is unlikely to play again until December due to an ankle injury, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said. France international Pogba last featured for United in their 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal on September 30. "I don't think we'll see Paul before December. He'll be out for a while," Solskjaer told reporters after his team's 3-1 win at Norwich City on Sunday. "He needs time to fully recover. I don't think he'll be back, maybe for Sheffield United after the international break, but probably it will be December before we can see him. "I'm not a doctor but there is an injury there that needs healing. It's his ankle." Solskjaer's assessment rules Pogba out of Manchester United's next four matches in all competitions at a minimum, with the club not scheduled to play Sheffield United until November 24. United have several other injured players, including Luke Shaw, Eric Bailly, Diogo Dalot and Nemanja Matic, although forward Anthony Martial made a scoring return against Norwich on his first Premier League start since August. The win lifted United, who are next in League Cup action against Chelsea on Wednesday, up to seventh in the table.

Manchester United's Pogba out until December with ankle injury

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/39-bodies-found-near-london-in-truck-container-uk-police-257701">39 people found dead</a> in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country.

The bodies were discovered on Wednesday after emergency services were alerted to people in a truck container on an industrial site in Grays, about 32 km&nbsp;east of central London.

British police said on Saturday that they had charged one man, 25-year-old Maurice Robinson of Craigavon in Northern Ireland, with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences including conspiracy to traffic people.

Police initially believed the dead were Chinese, but Beijing said the nationalities had not been confirmed and on Saturday a senior British police officer in charge of identification asked for help from Britain's Vietnamese community.

Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, the two countries' embassies have said. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered government officials to help establish the identities of the victims and look into cases of Vietnamese citizens sent abroad illegally.

Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam, a Catholic priest in the remote town of Yen Thanh in northern-central Vietnam's Nghe An province, 300 km&nbsp;south of Hanoi, said he believed most of the dead were likely from Vietnam. He told Reuters he was liaising with family members.

"The whole district is covered in sorrow," Nam said, as prayers for the dead rang out over loudspeakers throughout the misty, rain-soaked town on Saturday. "This is a catastrophe for our community."

On Saturday evening, Nam led around 500 worshippers in prayers for the dead as they held lit candles in the modest, white-walled church in Yen Thanh.

"We are here to pray for justice and peace, and for the victims of society. We pray for the 39 people who lost their lives on the way to the UK. They are people coming from central Vietnam, our land," Nam said.

Nam said families had told him they knew relatives were travelling to Britain at the time the container truck was travelling, and had been unable to contact their loved ones.

The British police officer in charge of identifying the victims, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore, said very few were carrying official identification and that he hoped to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photos from friends and relatives.

Police have found more than 500 items within the truck including bags, clothing and mobile phones that need to be assessed. Once a preliminary identification has been made, liaison officers will be deployed to support families.

Apart from the man charged, who will appear in court on Monday for an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-chinas-embassy-urges-uk-police-to-find-out-the-truth-about-39-bodies-discovered-in-truck-258039">initial hearing</a>, three other people are under arrest in Britain on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking. A fourth person is under arrest in Dublin.

Watch - Essex: 39 bodies found in a lorry, police interrogate 25-year-old driver

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/essex39-bodies-found-in-a-tanker-police-interrogate-25-year-old-driver-257991/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
'Beautiful day'

&nbsp;

In Yen Thanh, Nghe An province, dozens of worried relatives of 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung gathered in the family's small courtyard home where her distraught mother has been unable to rise from her bed.

"She said she was in France and on the way to the UK, where she has friends and relatives," said Nhung's cousin, Hoang Thi Linh.

"We are waiting and hoping it's not her among the victims, but it's very likely. We pray for her every day. There were two people from my village travelling in that group".

In comments under a photo uploaded to Nhung's Facebook account on Monday, two days before the doomed truck was discovered, one friend asked how her journey was going.

"Not good," Nhung replied. "Almost spring," she said, using a term in Vietnamese meaning she had almost reached her destination.

Other photos on her account show her sightseeing in Brussels on October 18.

"Such a beautiful day," Nhung posted.

Another person who may have died is Nguyen Dinh Tu, who had been working illegally in Romania, and Germany, where he lost his job.

A few months ago, he asked his wife Hoang Thi Thuong to help him raise 11,000 pounds to cover the cost of an illicit trip from Germany to the United Kingdom.

"I lost contact with him on October 21," Thuong told Reuters. "I have a big debt to pay, no hope, and no energy to do anything".

Tu's father said relatives in the United Kingdom had told him that Tu was inside the truck, and had been planning to pick him up.

"They were supposed to pick him up at the drop-off point but they called and said Tu was in that truck," Tu's father, Nguyen Dinh Sat, told Reuters.

"I haven't heard anything from my son". 
 
Parents 'can't breathe'

How the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/majority-of-39-uk-truck-victims-likely-from-vietnam-priest-258278">victims came to be in the truck</a> is not yet known.

Some 70 per cent&nbsp;of Vietnamese trafficking cases in the United Kingdom between 2009-2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail bars, according to a British government report last year.

"Women and girls from rural areas are also considered more susceptible to trafficking," the report said.

British police sought to reassure anyone living in Britain illegally that they would not be investigated if they came forward to help with the identification.

"If you come to us, we will do all we can to put our arm around you and take you through this process, and establish as quickly as possible whether or not we have your loved involved in this tragic incident, and try and reunite you," Pasmore said.

Nghe An is one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, and home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a U.S.-based anti-trafficking organisation.

Other victims are believed to come from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, Father Nam said. In the first eight months of this year, 41,790 people left Ha Tinh looking for work elsewhere, including overseas, according to state media.

The province was ravaged by one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating local fishing and tourism industries.

Another suspected victim from Ha Tinh, 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain.

"That girl who said in her message that she couldn't breathe in the truck? Her parents can't breathe here at home," Nam said.

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country.

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country. The bodies were discovered on Wednesday after emergency services were alerted to people in a truck container on an industrial site in Grays, about 32 km east of central London. British police said on Saturday that they had charged one man, 25-year-old Maurice Robinson of Craigavon in Northern Ireland, with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences including conspiracy to traffic people. Police initially believed the dead were Chinese, but Beijing said the nationalities had not been confirmed and on Saturday a senior British police officer in charge of identification asked for help from Britain's Vietnamese community. Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, the two countries' embassies have said. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered government officials to help establish the identities of the victims and look into cases of Vietnamese citizens sent abroad illegally. Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam, a Catholic priest in the remote town of Yen Thanh in northern-central Vietnam's Nghe An province, 300 km south of Hanoi, said he believed most of the dead were likely from Vietnam. He told Reuters he was liaising with family members. "The whole district is covered in sorrow," Nam said, as prayers for the dead rang out over loudspeakers throughout the misty, rain-soaked town on Saturday. "This is a catastrophe for our community." On Saturday evening, Nam led around 500 worshippers in prayers for the dead as they held lit candles in the modest, white-walled church in Yen Thanh. "We are here to pray for justice and peace, and for the victims of society. We pray for the 39 people who lost their lives on the way to the UK. They are people coming from central Vietnam, our land," Nam said. Nam said families had told him they knew relatives were travelling to Britain at the time the container truck was travelling, and had been unable to contact their loved ones. The British police officer in charge of identifying the victims, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore, said very few were carrying official identification and that he hoped to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photos from friends and relatives. Police have found more than 500 items within the truck including bags, clothing and mobile phones that need to be assessed. Once a preliminary identification has been made, liaison officers will be deployed to support families. Apart from the man charged, who will appear in court on Monday for an initial hearing, three other people are under arrest in Britain on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking. A fourth person is under arrest in Dublin. Watch - Essex: 39 bodies found in a lorry, police interrogate 25-year-old driver 'Beautiful day' In Yen Thanh, Nghe An province, dozens of worried relatives of 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung gathered in the family's small courtyard home where her distraught mother has been unable to rise from her bed. "She said she was in France and on the way to the UK, where she has friends and relatives," said Nhung's cousin, Hoang Thi Linh. "We are waiting and hoping it's not her among the victims, but it's very likely. We pray for her every day. There were two people from my village travelling in that group". In comments under a photo uploaded to Nhung's Facebook account on Monday, two days before the doomed truck was discovered, one friend asked how her journey was going. "Not good," Nhung replied. "Almost spring," she said, using a term in Vietnamese meaning she had almost reached her destination. Other photos on her account show her sightseeing in Brussels on October 18. "Such a beautiful day," Nhung posted. Another person who may have died is Nguyen Dinh Tu, who had been working illegally in Romania, and Germany, where he lost his job. A few months ago, he asked his wife Hoang Thi Thuong to help him raise 11,000 pounds to cover the cost of an illicit trip from Germany to the United Kingdom. "I lost contact with him on October 21," Thuong told Reuters. "I have a big debt to pay, no hope, and no energy to do anything". Tu's father said relatives in the United Kingdom had told him that Tu was inside the truck, and had been planning to pick him up. "They were supposed to pick him up at the drop-off point but they called and said Tu was in that truck," Tu's father, Nguyen Dinh Sat, told Reuters. "I haven't heard anything from my son". Parents 'can't breathe' How the victims came to be in the truck is not yet known. Some 70 per cent of Vietnamese trafficking cases in the United Kingdom between 2009-2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail bars, according to a British government report last year. "Women and girls from rural areas are also considered more susceptible to trafficking," the report said. British police sought to reassure anyone living in Britain illegally that they would not be investigated if they came forward to help with the identification. "If you come to us, we will do all we can to put our arm around you and take you through this process, and establish as quickly as possible whether or not we have your loved involved in this tragic incident, and try and reunite you," Pasmore said. Nghe An is one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, and home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a U.S.-based anti-trafficking organisation. Other victims are believed to come from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, Father Nam said. In the first eight months of this year, 41,790 people left Ha Tinh looking for work elsewhere, including overseas, according to state media. The province was ravaged by one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating local fishing and tourism industries. Another suspected victim from Ha Tinh, 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain. "That girl who said in her message that she couldn't breathe in the truck? Her parents can't breathe here at home," Nam said.

Rural Vietnamese mourn loved ones feared dead in back of British truck

The leaders of two British opposition parties unveiled a plan Saturday to give Prime Minister Boris Johnson the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdom-prime-minister-boris-johnson-says-he-wants-early-election-on-december-12-258016">snap election</a> he wants, but only if EU leaders delay Brexit until January.

Johnson has tried twice to call an early election to break the deadlock in the House of Commons over Britain's departure from the European Union and will try again in a vote on Monday.

But he needs the support of opposition MPs and they have refused to back a poll until the risk of a disorderly "no-deal" Brexit on October 31 is completely removed.

Johnson was forced by law to ask EU leaders last weekend to delay Brexit after MPs refused to back the divorce terms he struck with Brussels.

EU leaders are expected to decide on Monday or early Tuesday whether to grant the three-month delay requested or to set another date.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Liberal Democrats, who between them have 54 MPs in the 650-seat Commons, said that a three-month delay to end-January would see them put forward plans for an early election on Tuesday.

"If that meaningful extension is secured we will then work together to bring forward an election this year," said SNP leader Ian Blackford.

He and Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson have laid out their offer in a letter to European Council president Donald Tusk.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-prime-minister-boris-johnson-prepares-fresh-brexit-push-257303">Johnson has proposed</a> an election on December 12, but only if parliament ratifies his Brexit deal before then.

The SNP and Lib Dems,&nbsp;who both strongly oppose Brexit,&nbsp;want an election on December 9.

Johnson late Saturday accused MPs of holding Britain "hostage" by refusing to back an election or a Brexit deal.

"Millions of businesses and people cannot plan their futures, this paralysis is causing real damage and the country must move on in 2020," he said in a statement.

The leaders of two British opposition parties unveiled a plan Saturday to give Prime Minister Boris Johnson the snap election he wants, but only if EU leaders delay Brexit until January.

The leaders of two British opposition parties unveiled a plan Saturday to give Prime Minister Boris Johnson the snap election he wants, but only if EU leaders delay Brexit until January. Johnson has tried twice to call an early election to break the deadlock in the House of Commons over Britain's departure from the European Union and will try again in a vote on Monday. But he needs the support of opposition MPs and they have refused to back a poll until the risk of a disorderly "no-deal" Brexit on October 31 is completely removed. Johnson was forced by law to ask EU leaders last weekend to delay Brexit after MPs refused to back the divorce terms he struck with Brussels. EU leaders are expected to decide on Monday or early Tuesday whether to grant the three-month delay requested or to set another date. The Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Liberal Democrats, who between them have 54 MPs in the 650-seat Commons, said that a three-month delay to end-January would see them put forward plans for an early election on Tuesday. "If that meaningful extension is secured we will then work together to bring forward an election this year," said SNP leader Ian Blackford. He and Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson have laid out their offer in a letter to European Council president Donald Tusk. Johnson has proposed an election on December 12, but only if parliament ratifies his Brexit deal before then. The SNP and Lib Dems, who both strongly oppose Brexit, want an election on December 9. Johnson late Saturday accused MPs of holding Britain "hostage" by refusing to back an election or a Brexit deal. "Millions of businesses and people cannot plan their futures, this paralysis is causing real damage and the country must move on in 2020," he said in a statement.

United Kingdom opposition parties outline election plan

Police investigating the deaths of 39 people in a truck near London said they <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-uk-police-arrest-man-and-woman-for-human-trafficking-over-truck-deaths-258160">had arrested three more suspects</a> on Friday on suspicion of human trafficking amid signs that some of the dead may be&nbsp;Vietnamese.

As forensic experts began the process of identifying the victims, the&nbsp;Vietnamese embassy in London said families from the southeast Asian country had got in touch about missing relatives. There were growing concerns at least 10 of the victims could have been from&nbsp;Vietnam.

Hoa Nghiem from Human Rights Space, a civic network based in&nbsp;Vietnam, said that Pham Thi Tra My, 26, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain.

"I’m sorry, mum and dad. My path abroad was not a success. I love you both so much. I can’t breathe. I'm from Nghen Town, Can Loc District, Ha Tinh,&nbsp;Vietnam&nbsp;... I am sorry, Mom," the message said, according to Hoa who told Reuters it had come from Tra My's family.

She said Tra My had gone to China and was planning to reach England via France and that the organisation was getting more alerts about possible&nbsp;Vietnamese victims in the refrigerated trunk, which was found in the early hours of Wednesday.

Police have said they believe the dead were Chinese but Beijing said the nationalities had not yet been confirmed. Chinese and&nbsp;Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, their respective embassies said.

"We owe it to those who have died to get this investigation right and speculation is not helpful," Essex Police's Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills told reporters. "It may in fact hinder our investigation and its progress."

She said they would not give any more details about the identities or nationalities of the victims until the formal identification process was complete.

Her officers were still questioning the 25-year-old truck driver on suspicion of murder following the discovery of the bodies in the back of his truck.

He has not been formally identified but a source familiar with the investigation named him as Mo Robinson from the Portadown area of Northern Ireland.

On Friday, police also arrested a man and woman, both aged 38, in Warrington, northwest England, and a 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland at London's Stansted Airport. They are suspected of conspiracy to traffic people and manslaughter.

The victims - 31 men and eight women - are being moved to a hospital mortuary from a secure location at docks near the industrial estate in Grays about 20 miles (30 km) east of London where the bodies were found.

Post-mortem examinations were beginning to determine how exactly they died while the lengthy process of identifying the deceased was underway.

VietHome, an organisation for the&nbsp;Vietnamese community in Britain, said it had received news from 10 families that their relatives were missing.

For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in trucks, often from the European mainland. In 2000, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck at the port of Dover. 
 
Watch: Essex Lorry death case: 3 more suspects in UK police custody

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/essex-lorry-death-case-3-more-suspects-in-uk-police-custody-258215/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Britain 'has not fulfilled responsibility'

"We hope that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-uk-points-to-belgium-258064">British side</a> can as soon as possible confirm and verify the identities of the victims, ascertain what happened and severely punish criminals involved in the case," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing.

China's Global Times, which is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said in a Friday editorial that Britain should bear some responsibility for the deaths.

"It is clear that Britain and relevant European countries have not fulfilled their responsibility to protect these people from such a death," the widely read tabloid said.

It added that Britain appeared not to have learned its lesson from the Dover incident two decades ago.

The police investigation is focussed on the movement of the trailer prior to its arrival at Purfleet docks near Grays little more than an hour before the bodies were found, and on who was behind the suspected human trafficking.

Irish company Global Trailer Rentals said it owned the trailer and had rented it out on October&nbsp;15. The firm said it was unaware of what it was to be used for.

The refrigeration unit had travelled to Britain from Zeebrugge in Belgium and the town's chairman, Dirk de Fauw, said he believed the victims died in the trailer before it arrived in the Belgian port.

The Times newspaper reported that GPS data showed the container had arrived at the Belgian port at 2.49 p.m. local time on Tuesday before later making the 10-hour sea crossing to Britain.

Police said the cab unit of the truck was driven over from Dublin on Sunday, crossing the Irish Sea by ship and entering Britain in North Wales. It picked up the trailer in Purfleet shortly after midnight on Wednesday.

Figures last year from the UK's National Crime Agency, which targets serious and organised crime, showed&nbsp;Vietnamese nationals were the third most commonly reported victims of modern slavery or trafficking in Britain, although it did not have statistics about those entering the country illegally.

Police investigating the deaths of 39 people in a truck near London said they had arrested three more suspects on Friday on suspicion of human trafficking amid signs that some of the dead may be Vietnamese.

Police investigating the deaths of 39 people in a truck near London said they had arrested three more suspects on Friday on suspicion of human trafficking amid signs that some of the dead may be Vietnamese. As forensic experts began the process of identifying the victims, the Vietnamese embassy in London said families from the southeast Asian country had got in touch about missing relatives. There were growing concerns at least 10 of the victims could have been from Vietnam. Hoa Nghiem from Human Rights Space, a civic network based in Vietnam, said that Pham Thi Tra My, 26, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain. "I’m sorry, mum and dad. My path abroad was not a success. I love you both so much. I can’t breathe. I'm from Nghen Town, Can Loc District, Ha Tinh, Vietnam ... I am sorry, Mom," the message said, according to Hoa who told Reuters it had come from Tra My's family. She said Tra My had gone to China and was planning to reach England via France and that the organisation was getting more alerts about possible Vietnamese victims in the refrigerated trunk, which was found in the early hours of Wednesday. Police have said they believe the dead were Chinese but Beijing said the nationalities had not yet been confirmed. Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, their respective embassies said. "We owe it to those who have died to get this investigation right and speculation is not helpful," Essex Police's Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills told reporters. "It may in fact hinder our investigation and its progress." She said they would not give any more details about the identities or nationalities of the victims until the formal identification process was complete. Her officers were still questioning the 25-year-old truck driver on suspicion of murder following the discovery of the bodies in the back of his truck. He has not been formally identified but a source familiar with the investigation named him as Mo Robinson from the Portadown area of Northern Ireland. On Friday, police also arrested a man and woman, both aged 38, in Warrington, northwest England, and a 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland at London's Stansted Airport. They are suspected of conspiracy to traffic people and manslaughter. The victims - 31 men and eight women - are being moved to a hospital mortuary from a secure location at docks near the industrial estate in Grays about 20 miles (30 km) east of London where the bodies were found. Post-mortem examinations were beginning to determine how exactly they died while the lengthy process of identifying the deceased was underway. VietHome, an organisation for the Vietnamese community in Britain, said it had received news from 10 families that their relatives were missing. For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in trucks, often from the European mainland. In 2000, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck at the port of Dover. Watch: Essex Lorry death case: 3 more suspects in UK police custody Britain 'has not fulfilled responsibility' "We hope that the British side can as soon as possible confirm and verify the identities of the victims, ascertain what happened and severely punish criminals involved in the case," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing. China's Global Times, which is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said in a Friday editorial that Britain should bear some responsibility for the deaths. "It is clear that Britain and relevant European countries have not fulfilled their responsibility to protect these people from such a death," the widely read tabloid said. It added that Britain appeared not to have learned its lesson from the Dover incident two decades ago. The police investigation is focussed on the movement of the trailer prior to its arrival at Purfleet docks near Grays little more than an hour before the bodies were found, and on who was behind the suspected human trafficking. Irish company Global Trailer Rentals said it owned the trailer and had rented it out on October 15. The firm said it was unaware of what it was to be used for. The refrigeration unit had travelled to Britain from Zeebrugge in Belgium and the town's chairman, Dirk de Fauw, said he believed the victims died in the trailer before it arrived in the Belgian port. The Times newspaper reported that GPS data showed the container had arrived at the Belgian port at 2.49 p.m. local time on Tuesday before later making the 10-hour sea crossing to Britain. Police said the cab unit of the truck was driven over from Dublin on Sunday, crossing the Irish Sea by ship and entering Britain in North Wales. It picked up the trailer in Purfleet shortly after midnight on Wednesday. Figures last year from the UK's National Crime Agency, which targets serious and organised crime, showed Vietnamese nationals were the third most commonly reported victims of modern slavery or trafficking in Britain, although it did not have statistics about those entering the country illegally.

Vietnamese may be among who were found dead in lorry, UK police make three more arrests

British police investigating the deaths of 39 people in a refrigerated truck said Saturday they had charged a driver arrested at the scene with manslaughter and people trafficking.

British police investigating the deaths of 39 people in a refrigerated truck said Saturday they had charged a driver arrested at the scene with manslaughter and people trafficking. Maurice Robinson, 25, from Northern Ireland, faces "39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering", police said. Robinson was arrested shortly after the bodies were discovered in the truck at Purfleet on the River Thames estuary, after arriving on a ferry from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge early on Wednesday. He will appear in court on Monday, Essex police said. Three other people have been arrested in Britain in connection with the investigation, on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and manslaughter. They remain in custody. They include a 38-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman from Warrington in northwest England, reportedly a couple. She is said to be the legal owner of the truck. A 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland is also being held. On Saturday, Irish police announced another arrest at Dublin port, of a man in his early 20s from Northern Ireland.

Driver charged over deaths of 39 people in UK lorry, say police

The majority of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London were likely from Vietnam, a community leader from the rural, rice-growing community where many of the victims are believed to have come from told on Saturday.

The majority of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London were likely from Vietnam, a community leader from the rural, rice-growing community where many of the victims are believed to have come from told on Saturday. The discovery of the bodies - 38 adults and one teenager - was made on Wednesday after emergency services were alerted to people in a truck container on an industrial site in Grays, about 32km (20 miles) east of central London. Police have said they believe the dead were Chinese but Beijing said the nationalities had not yet been confirmed. Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, their respective embassies have said. Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam, a catholic priest in the remote town of Yen Thanh in northern-central Vietnam's Nghe An province, 300km (180 miles) south of Hanoi, said he was liaising with family members of the victims. "The whole district is covered in sorrow," Nam said, as prayers for the dead rang out over loudspeakers throughout the misty, rain-soaked town on Saturday. "I'm still collecting contact details for all the victim's families, and will hold a ceremony to pray for them tonight." "This is a catastrophe for our community." Nam said families told him they knew relatives were travelling to the UK at the time and had been unable to contact their loved ones. Vietnam's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday that it had instructed its London embassy to assist British police with the identification of victims. The ministry did not respond to a request for further comment regarding the nationalities of the dead. Essex Police declined to elaborate as to how they first identified the dead as Chinese. 'Beautiful day' In Yen Thanh, Nghe An province, dozens of worried relatives of 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung gathered in the family's small courtyard home where her worried mother has been unable to rise from her bed. "She said she was in France and on the way to the UK, where she has friends and relatives," said Nhung's cousin, Hoang Thi Linh. "We are waiting and hoping it's not her among the victims, but it's very likely. We pray for her every day. There were two people from my village travelling in that group". In comments under a photo uploaded to Nhung's Facebook account on Monday, two days before the doomed truck was discovered, one friend asked how her journey was going. "Not good," Nhung replied. "Almost spring," she said, using a term in Vietnamese meaning she had almost reached her destination. Other photos on her account show her sightseeing in Brussels on Oct. 18. "Such a beautiful day," Nhung posted. Nghe An is one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, and home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a U.S.-based anti-trafficking organisation. Other victims are believed to come from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, Nam said, where in the first eight months of this year, 41,790 people left looking for work elsewhere, including overseas, according to state media. The province was ravaged by one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating local fishing and tourism industries and sparking widespread protests. Another suspected victim from Ha Tinh, 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain. "That girl who said in her message that she couldn't breathe in the truck? Her parents can't breathe here at home," Nam said.

Majority of 39 UK truck victims likely from Vietnam: Priest

UK authorities have been able to ascertain that the trailer that contained 39 people who were later found dead in Essex had arrived in Purfleet on the river Thames from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.

Officials have long since pointed blame to organised crime syndicates within Belgium with Zeebrugge highlighted as a key embarking point for "clandestine arrivals" in a 2016 UK border force threat assessment.

The container found at an industrial park in grays in the early hours of Wednesday. Is thought to have been brought into Zeebrugge the afternoon before - and then arriving in Purfleet at around midnight.

Purfleet was also identified back in 2016 as one of the less busy UK Ports. Favoured by criminal smuggling gangs, forced to pursue alternatives due to improved controls and security in France.

The head of the Zeebrugge port has said that they couldn't detect the 39 people when they went through the Belgian port.

police have sought time to interrogate the suspect… on suspicion of murdering the 39 Chinese nationals - eight women and 31 men… the police at the moment have requested the media not to disclose his identity

Essex police have said that it was the largest murder investigation in the force's history.

formal identification of the 39 people believed to be Chinese nationals. Could be a lengthy process with due post-mortems of each of the deceased only after which can their identities be then revealed.

china's ambassador to the UK &nbsp;Liu Xiaoming tweeted that the embassy had read the reports of the deaths "with heavy hearts" and was in close contact with British police.

Meanwhile, police officers signed a book of condolences for the Chinese victims at the Thurrock council in Essex.

For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in trucks. Often from the European mainland in 2000, the biggest such tragedy yet, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck in at the port of Dover.

Belgium's federal prosecutors, who handle cases of terrorism and organised crime, said on Thursday they had opened an investigation into the transport.

UK authorities have been able to ascertain that the trailer that contained 39 people who were later found dead in Essex had arrived in Purfleet on the river Thames from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.

UK authorities have been able to ascertain that the trailer that contained 39 people who were later found dead in Essex had arrived in Purfleet on the river Thames from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. Officials have long since pointed blame to organised crime syndicates within Belgium with Zeebrugge highlighted as a key embarking point for "clandestine arrivals" in a 2016 UK border force threat assessment. The container found at an industrial park in grays in the early hours of Wednesday. Is thought to have been brought into Zeebrugge the afternoon before - and then arriving in Purfleet at around midnight. Purfleet was also identified back in 2016 as one of the less busy UK Ports. Favoured by criminal smuggling gangs, forced to pursue alternatives due to improved controls and security in France. The head of the Zeebrugge port has said that they couldn't detect the 39 people when they went through the Belgian port. police have sought time to interrogate the suspect… on suspicion of murdering the 39 Chinese nationals - eight women and 31 men… the police at the moment have requested the media not to disclose his identity Essex police have said that it was the largest murder investigation in the force's history. formal identification of the 39 people believed to be Chinese nationals. Could be a lengthy process with due post-mortems of each of the deceased only after which can their identities be then revealed. china's ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming tweeted that the embassy had read the reports of the deaths "with heavy hearts" and was in close contact with British police. Meanwhile, police officers signed a book of condolences for the Chinese victims at the Thurrock council in Essex. For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in trucks. Often from the European mainland in 2000, the biggest such tragedy yet, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck in at the port of Dover. Belgium's federal prosecutors, who handle cases of terrorism and organised crime, said on Thursday they had opened an investigation into the transport.

Essex lorry deaths: UK points to Belgium

British police have yet to confirm that the 39 people found dead in a truck near London were Chinese nationals, the Chinese embassy in London said Friday.

A Chinese consular official travelled to Essex on Thursday, a day after emergency workers discovered the bodies inside the refrigerated container of a vehicle parked in an industrial area.

Police in the UK has said, "all are believed to be Chinese nationals". The truck had arrived on a ferry from Belgium.

"British police said they were verifying the identity of the victims and could not confirm whether they were Chinese," a Chinese embassy spokesperson said on its website.

The Chinese consular official, Tong Xuejun, told state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday that he had met with British police.

"We will urge the British police to further find out the truth. We will keep the media informed... of the latest progress of the incident," Tong said.

The local police force, who have arrested the truck's driver on suspicion of murder, said eight of the dead were women and 31 were men.

It is Britain's largest murder probe in more than a decade.

The deaths echoed the discovery of 58 Chinese immigrants hidden in a Dutch truck in the English port of Dover in 2000. Only two survived.

British police have yet to confirm that the 39 people found dead in a truck near London were Chinese nationals, the Chinese embassy in London said Friday. A Chinese consular official travelled to Essex on Thursday, a day after emergency workers discovered the bodies inside the refrigerated container of a vehicle parked in an industrial area.

British police have yet to confirm that the 39 people found dead in a truck near London were Chinese nationals, the Chinese embassy in London said Friday. A Chinese consular official travelled to Essex on Thursday, a day after emergency workers discovered the bodies inside the refrigerated container of a vehicle parked in an industrial area. Police in the UK has said, "all are believed to be Chinese nationals". The truck had arrived on a ferry from Belgium. "British police said they were verifying the identity of the victims and could not confirm whether they were Chinese," a Chinese embassy spokesperson said on its website. The Chinese consular official, Tong Xuejun, told state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday that he had met with British police. "We will urge the British police to further find out the truth. We will keep the media informed... of the latest progress of the incident," Tong said. The local police force, who have arrested the truck's driver on suspicion of murder, said eight of the dead were women and 31 were men. It is Britain's largest murder probe in more than a decade. The deaths echoed the discovery of 58 Chinese immigrants hidden in a Dutch truck in the English port of Dover in 2000. Only two survived.

China says no confirmation yet on UK truck victims' nationality

Police investigating the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/a-journey-to-death-in-a-container-what-we-know-about-chinese-victims-so-far-258094">deaths of 39 people</a>, believed to be Chinese nationals, found in a truck near London said they had arrested two people on Friday on suspicion of human trafficking and continued to quiz the driver as a murder suspect.

As China called on Britain to seek <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-chinas-embassy-urges-uk-police-to-find-out-the-truth-about-39-bodies-discovered-in-truck-258039">"severe punishment" </a>for those involved in the deaths, police said they had detained a man and a woman, both aged 38, in Warrington, northwest England, on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and of 39 counts of manslaughter

The 25-year-old truck driver from Northern Ireland remains in custody after being arrested following the grim discovery of the bodies in the back of his refrigerated truck on an industrial estate near London in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

He has not been formally identified but a source familiar with the investigation named him as Mo Robinson from the Portadown area of the British province. Detectives will decide later whether to charge him with an offence, release him or ask a court for more time to quiz him.

Late on Thursday, British authorities moved 11 of the victims - 31 men and eight women - to a hospital mortuary from a secure location at docks near to the industrial estate in Grays about 20 miles&nbsp;east of London where the bodies were found.

Post-mortem examinations were beginning to determine how exactly they died while forensic experts sought to identify the deceased, which police warned would be a lengthy process.

The Chinese Embassy in London said it had sent a team to Essex, and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said police had not yet been able to verify the nationalities of the deceased.

"We hope that the British side can as soon as possible confirm and verify the identities of the victims, ascertain what happened and severely punish criminals involved in the case," she told a daily news briefing.

For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in trucks, often from the European mainland. In 2000, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck at the port of Dover.

China's Global Times, which is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said in a Friday editorial that Britain should bear some responsibility for the deaths.

Police investigating the deaths of 39 people, believed to be Chinese nationals, found in a truck near London said they had arrested two people on Friday on suspicion of human trafficking and continued to quiz the driver as a murder suspect.

Police investigating the deaths of 39 people, believed to be Chinese nationals, found in a truck near London said they had arrested two people on Friday on suspicion of human trafficking and continued to quiz the driver as a murder suspect. As China called on Britain to seek "severe punishment" for those involved in the deaths, police said they had detained a man and a woman, both aged 38, in Warrington, northwest England, on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and of 39 counts of manslaughter The 25-year-old truck driver from Northern Ireland remains in custody after being arrested following the grim discovery of the bodies in the back of his refrigerated truck on an industrial estate near London in the early hours of Wednesday morning. He has not been formally identified but a source familiar with the investigation named him as Mo Robinson from the Portadown area of the British province. Detectives will decide later whether to charge him with an offence, release him or ask a court for more time to quiz him. Late on Thursday, British authorities moved 11 of the victims - 31 men and eight women - to a hospital mortuary from a secure location at docks near to the industrial estate in Grays about 20 miles east of London where the bodies were found. Post-mortem examinations were beginning to determine how exactly they died while forensic experts sought to identify the deceased, which police warned would be a lengthy process. The Chinese Embassy in London said it had sent a team to Essex, and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said police had not yet been able to verify the nationalities of the deceased. "We hope that the British side can as soon as possible confirm and verify the identities of the victims, ascertain what happened and severely punish criminals involved in the case," she told a daily news briefing. For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in trucks, often from the European mainland. In 2000, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck at the port of Dover. China's Global Times, which is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said in a Friday editorial that Britain should bear some responsibility for the deaths.

Essex lorry deaths: UK police arrest man and woman for human trafficking over truck deaths

The European Union looked set on Friday to delay a decision on Britain's request for a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-sends-unsigned-letter-seeking-brexit-delay-256989">Brexit extension</a> to give time for Britain's parliament to decide on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call for an election.

"I'd be surprised if we land today," said an EU official before ambassadors to the 27 other EU member states went into a meeting to discuss postponing Britain's departure from the bloc, less than a week before the current deadline of October&nbsp;31.

Separately, a senior EU official said the 27 may agree in principle to a delay but set no new date until after parliament's vote on Monday on whether to have a snap election on December&nbsp;12.

Johnson admitted on Thursday that he would not meet his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/johnson-adamant-on-brexit-deadline-despite-delay-request-257170">"do or die" deadline</a> of October&nbsp;31 and demanded a pre-Christmas poll to end what he cast as the "nightmare" of the Brexit crisis.

EU envoys to Brussels were due to discuss the length of a third delay to Brexit on Friday, though officials said they would be reluctant to set a date because it could dictate the direction of political events in London.

According to a draft decision by the 27, which was seen by Reuters on Thursday evening, a delay would be granted "with the view to allowing for the finalisation of the ratification" of the divorce agreement sealed with Johnson last week.

The draft text left the new Brexit date blank, but said the split could take place earlier if ratification was completed earlier - an idea known as "flextension", an amalgamation of the words "flexible" and "extension".

An EU official explained: "It's basically between a three-month flextension or a two-tier one."

Under the first idea, Britain would leave on Jan. 31, three months after the current departure date, but earlier if it and the EU raify an agreement before that. The second one would include a second specific date when Britain could leave.

Johnson won the leadership of the ruling Conservative Party to become prime minister in a minority government by staking his career on getting Brexit done by October&nbsp;31, but after parliament rejected his proposed legislative timetable on Tuesday he will fail to do that.

Brexit was initially supposed to have taken place on March 29 but Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, was forced to delay twice as parliament defeated her Brexit deal by margins of between 58 and 230 votes earlier this year. Her failure cost May her job.

Johnson said in a letter to opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday he would give parliament more time to approve his Brexit deal by Nov. 6 but lawmakers must on Monday back a December election, Johnson's third attempt to try to force a snap vote.

"Prolonging this paralysis into 2020 would have dangerous consequences," he said. "If I win a majority in this election, we will then ratify the great new deal that I have negotiated, get Brexit done in January and the country will move on."

Corbyn said he would wait to see what the EU decides on a Brexit delay before deciding which way to vote on Monday, repeating that he could only back an election when the risk of Johnson taking Britain out of the EU without a deal to smooth the transition was off the table.

It is not clear how Corbyn would respond if the EU makes no decision on a date on Friday.

The European Union looked set on Friday to delay a decision on Britain's request for a Brexit extension to give time for Britain's parliament to decide on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call for an election.

The European Union looked set on Friday to delay a decision on Britain's request for a Brexit extension to give time for Britain's parliament to decide on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call for an election. "I'd be surprised if we land today," said an EU official before ambassadors to the 27 other EU member states went into a meeting to discuss postponing Britain's departure from the bloc, less than a week before the current deadline of October 31. Separately, a senior EU official said the 27 may agree in principle to a delay but set no new date until after parliament's vote on Monday on whether to have a snap election on December 12. Johnson admitted on Thursday that he would not meet his "do or die" deadline of October 31 and demanded a pre-Christmas poll to end what he cast as the "nightmare" of the Brexit crisis. EU envoys to Brussels were due to discuss the length of a third delay to Brexit on Friday, though officials said they would be reluctant to set a date because it could dictate the direction of political events in London. According to a draft decision by the 27, which was seen by Reuters on Thursday evening, a delay would be granted "with the view to allowing for the finalisation of the ratification" of the divorce agreement sealed with Johnson last week. The draft text left the new Brexit date blank, but said the split could take place earlier if ratification was completed earlier - an idea known as "flextension", an amalgamation of the words "flexible" and "extension". An EU official explained: "It's basically between a three-month flextension or a two-tier one." Under the first idea, Britain would leave on Jan. 31, three months after the current departure date, but earlier if it and the EU raify an agreement before that. The second one would include a second specific date when Britain could leave. Johnson won the leadership of the ruling Conservative Party to become prime minister in a minority government by staking his career on getting Brexit done by October 31, but after parliament rejected his proposed legislative timetable on Tuesday he will fail to do that. Brexit was initially supposed to have taken place on March 29 but Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, was forced to delay twice as parliament defeated her Brexit deal by margins of between 58 and 230 votes earlier this year. Her failure cost May her job. Johnson said in a letter to opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday he would give parliament more time to approve his Brexit deal by Nov. 6 but lawmakers must on Monday back a December election, Johnson's third attempt to try to force a snap vote. "Prolonging this paralysis into 2020 would have dangerous consequences," he said. "If I win a majority in this election, we will then ratify the great new deal that I have negotiated, get Brexit done in January and the country will move on." Corbyn said he would wait to see what the EU decides on a Brexit delay before deciding which way to vote on Monday, repeating that he could only back an election when the risk of Johnson taking Britain out of the EU without a deal to smooth the transition was off the table. It is not clear how Corbyn would respond if the EU makes no decision on a date on Friday.

EU likely to shelve Brexit delay as Britain squabbles over election

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday he would give parliament more time to scrutinise his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-delay-looms-after-uk-mps-demand-more-time-to-debate-deal-257603">Brexit plan</a> if it agrees to hold a snap general election on December 12.

He said if MPs really wanted more time to study his deal, "they can have it, but they have to agree on a general election on December 12", Johnson said in televised remarks.

EU member states on Wednesday delayed a decision on whether to grant Britain a three-month&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;extension, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson said if the deadline is deferred to the end of January he would call an election by Christmas.

Johnson is opposed to delaying <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-brexit-vote-eu-says-done-all-in-our-power-for-orderly-departure-257542">Britain's exit</a> from the European Union a third time.&nbsp;

But lawmakers on Tuesday also gave their support "in principle" for the agreement. It marked the first time the House of Commons had backed any Brexit proposal since the 2016 EU referendum.

The EU is expected to agree the length of a Brexit deadline extension on Friday.

At parliament's behest, Johnson has formally submitted a request for a three-month delay.

Johnson said Thursday that the only way to achieve a breakthrough in the process was for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-go-for-general-elections-if-parliament-refuses-to-allow-brexit-to-happen-johnson-257576">parliament to vote in favour of holding a general election</a>.

"The way to get Brexit done is, I think, to be reasonable with parliament and say if they genuinely want more time to study this excellent deal, they can have it,&nbsp;but they have to agree on a general election on December 12," he said.

Watch: EU considers Brexit extension, Boris Johnson battles to save deal

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/eu-considers-brexit-extension-boris-johnson-battles-to-save-deal-257370/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"It's time, frankly, that the opposition summoned up the nerve to submit themselves to the judgement of our collective boss, which is the people of the UK."

Johnson must win the support of two-thirds of MPs in the House of Commons to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-next-after-uk-parliaments-votes-on-brexit-deal-257608">hold early polls</a> under current election rules.

The government could also try a different legal route that only requires a simple majority of 50 percent plus one vote.

But such a proposal would be amendable and allow the opposition to either change the date or make the vote conditional on other issues.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday he would give parliament more time to scrutinise his Brexit plan if it agrees to hold a snap general election on December 12.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday he would give parliament more time to scrutinise his Brexit plan if it agrees to hold a snap general election on December 12. He said if MPs really wanted more time to study his deal, "they can have it, but they have to agree on a general election on December 12", Johnson said in televised remarks. EU member states on Wednesday delayed a decision on whether to grant Britain a three-month Brexit extension, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson said if the deadline is deferred to the end of January he would call an election by Christmas. Johnson is opposed to delaying Britain's exit from the European Union a third time. But lawmakers on Tuesday also gave their support "in principle" for the agreement. It marked the first time the House of Commons had backed any Brexit proposal since the 2016 EU referendum. The EU is expected to agree the length of a Brexit deadline extension on Friday. At parliament's behest, Johnson has formally submitted a request for a three-month delay. Johnson said Thursday that the only way to achieve a breakthrough in the process was for parliament to vote in favour of holding a general election. "The way to get Brexit done is, I think, to be reasonable with parliament and say if they genuinely want more time to study this excellent deal, they can have it, but they have to agree on a general election on December 12," he said. Watch: EU considers Brexit extension, Boris Johnson battles to save deal "It's time, frankly, that the opposition summoned up the nerve to submit themselves to the judgement of our collective boss, which is the people of the UK." Johnson must win the support of two-thirds of MPs in the House of Commons to hold early polls under current election rules. The government could also try a different legal route that only requires a simple majority of 50 percent plus one vote. But such a proposal would be amendable and allow the opposition to either change the date or make the vote conditional on other issues.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he wants early election on December 12

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/39-bodies-found-near-london-in-truck-container-uk-police-257701">39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London</a> were Chinese, ITV News reported on Thursday, as police questioned the driver of the vehicle who was detained on suspicion of murder.

Paramedics and police found the bodies of 38 adults and one teenager early on Wednesday in a truck container on an industrial estate at Grays, about 32 km&nbsp;east of the British capital.

Police have not yet identified the victims but ITV reported that they were all Chinese. Essex Police said they could not confirm the report and there was no immediate comment from the Chinese foreign ministry or from China's London embassy.

Detectives were continuing to question the truck driver, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland. A source familiar with the investigation said he was Mo Robinson from Portadown in the British province and the BBC reported that police had raided two houses in Northern Ireland as part of the investigation.

For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in the back of trucks, often seeking to reach the United Kingdom from the European mainland.

Watch: 39 bodies found in a lorry container in Essex

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/39-bodies-found-in-a-lorry-container-in-essex-257727/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In Britain's biggest illegal immigrant tragedy, the bodies of 58 Chinese people were found crammed into a tomato truck at the southern port of Dover in 2000. The vehicle had begun its journey in Zeebrugge.

In the latest incident, the container arrived at Purfleet docks in Essex, southern England, having also travelled from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.

The red cab unit was believed to have come from Ireland. It had "Ireland" emblazoned on the windscreen along with the message "The Ultimate Dream".

The grim discovery of the bodies was made at 1.40 am&nbsp;just over an hour after the container arrived in Britain

"It is hard to put ourselves in the shoes of those emergency services... as they were asked to open that container and to expose the appalling crime that had taken place," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

The vehicle has been moved to a secure site at nearby Tilbury Docks where the bodies can be recovered and further forensic work was undertaken to begin what police said would be the lengthy process of identifying the victims.

The National Crime Agency said it was assisting the investigation and working to "urgently identify and take action against any organised crime groups who have played a role in causing these deaths."

Shaun Sawyer, the national spokesman for British police on human trafficking, said many thousands of people were seeking to come to the United Kingdom. While they were able to rescue many of those smuggled into the country, Britain was perceived by organised crime as a potentially easy target for traffickers.

"You can't turn the United Kingdom into a fortress. We have to accept that we have permeable borders," he told BBC radio.

The 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London were Chinese, ITV News reported on Thursday, as police questioned the driver of the vehicle who was detained on suspicion of murder.

The 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London were Chinese, ITV News reported on Thursday, as police questioned the driver of the vehicle who was detained on suspicion of murder. Paramedics and police found the bodies of 38 adults and one teenager early on Wednesday in a truck container on an industrial estate at Grays, about 32 km east of the British capital. Police have not yet identified the victims but ITV reported that they were all Chinese. Essex Police said they could not confirm the report and there was no immediate comment from the Chinese foreign ministry or from China's London embassy. Detectives were continuing to question the truck driver, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland. A source familiar with the investigation said he was Mo Robinson from Portadown in the British province and the BBC reported that police had raided two houses in Northern Ireland as part of the investigation. For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in the back of trucks, often seeking to reach the United Kingdom from the European mainland. Watch: 39 bodies found in a lorry container in Essex In Britain's biggest illegal immigrant tragedy, the bodies of 58 Chinese people were found crammed into a tomato truck at the southern port of Dover in 2000. The vehicle had begun its journey in Zeebrugge. In the latest incident, the container arrived at Purfleet docks in Essex, southern England, having also travelled from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. The red cab unit was believed to have come from Ireland. It had "Ireland" emblazoned on the windscreen along with the message "The Ultimate Dream". The grim discovery of the bodies was made at 1.40 am just over an hour after the container arrived in Britain "It is hard to put ourselves in the shoes of those emergency services... as they were asked to open that container and to expose the appalling crime that had taken place," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. The vehicle has been moved to a secure site at nearby Tilbury Docks where the bodies can be recovered and further forensic work was undertaken to begin what police said would be the lengthy process of identifying the victims. The National Crime Agency said it was assisting the investigation and working to "urgently identify and take action against any organised crime groups who have played a role in causing these deaths." Shaun Sawyer, the national spokesman for British police on human trafficking, said many thousands of people were seeking to come to the United Kingdom. While they were able to rescue many of those smuggled into the country, Britain was perceived by organised crime as a potentially easy target for traffickers. "You can't turn the United Kingdom into a fortress. We have to accept that we have permeable borders," he told BBC radio.

Bodies found in container truck in UK were Chinese nationals: Report

English 15-year-old Josh Hill on Wednesday became the youngest player ever to win an Official World Golf Ranking event with a two-stroke triumph at the Al Ain Open.

Hill shot a final-round eight-under-par 62 to finish on 17-under par 193 in the tournament which forms part of the MENA Tour.

At 15 years, six months and 27 days old, Hill broke the existing record of Ryo Ishikawa as the youngest winner of an official OWGR event.&nbsp;

The Japanese player was 15 years and eight months when he won the KSB Cup in May 2007.

"I am shocked. If you had told me during the summer that I will be winning a MENA Tour title against professionals and become the youngest ever winner of an OWGR event, I would have laughed at the notion. I guess hard work pays," said Hill.

English 15-year-old Josh Hill on Wednesday became the youngest player ever to win an Official World Golf Ranking event with a two-stroke triumph at the Al Ain Open.

English 15-year-old Josh Hill on Wednesday became the youngest player ever to win an Official World Golf Ranking event with a two-stroke triumph at the Al Ain Open. Hill shot a final-round eight-under-par 62 to finish on 17-under par 193 in the tournament which forms part of the MENA Tour. At 15 years, six months and 27 days old, Hill broke the existing record of Ryo Ishikawa as the youngest winner of an official OWGR event. The Japanese player was 15 years and eight months when he won the KSB Cup in May 2007. "I am shocked. If you had told me during the summer that I will be winning a MENA Tour title against professionals and become the youngest ever winner of an OWGR event, I would have laughed at the notion. I guess hard work pays," said Hill.

British teenage golfer Josh Hill, 15, makes golf history as youngest winner

British police said 39 bodies were found near London Wednesday in the container of a truck thought to have come from Bulgaria.

Essex Police said the people were all pronounced dead at the scene in an industrial park in Grays, east of London. Early indications suggest the victims are 38 adults and one teenager.

A 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

"This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives," Essex Police chief superintendent Andrew Mariner said in a statement.

"Our enquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened."

The police said they were alerted by the ambulance service shortly before 1:40 am (0040 GMT) following the discovery of a truck container with people inside at the Waterglade Industrial Park.

"We are in the process of identifying the victims. However I anticipate that this could be a lengthy process," said Mariner.

"We believe the lorry is from Bulgaria," said Mariner.

He said it was thought the truck entered Britain on Saturday at Holyhead on the northwest tip of Wales -- one of the main ports for ferries from Ireland.

"We have arrested the lorry driver in connection with the incident who remains in police custody as our enquiries continue."

British police said 39 bodies were found near London Wednesday in the container of a truck thought to have come from Bulgaria. Essex Police said the people were all pronounced dead at the scene in an industrial park in Grays, east of London.

British police said 39 bodies were found near London Wednesday in the container of a truck thought to have come from Bulgaria. Essex Police said the people were all pronounced dead at the scene in an industrial park in Grays, east of London. Early indications suggest the victims are 38 adults and one teenager. A 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland has been arrested on suspicion of murder. "This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives," Essex Police chief superintendent Andrew Mariner said in a statement. "Our enquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened." The police said they were alerted by the ambulance service shortly before 1:40 am (0040 GMT) following the discovery of a truck container with people inside at the Waterglade Industrial Park. "We are in the process of identifying the victims. However I anticipate that this could be a lengthy process," said Mariner. "We believe the lorry is from Bulgaria," said Mariner. He said it was thought the truck entered Britain on Saturday at Holyhead on the northwest tip of Wales -- one of the main ports for ferries from Ireland. "We have arrested the lorry driver in connection with the incident who remains in police custody as our enquiries continue."

39 bodies found near London in truck container: UK police

Britain said Tuesday it was ending a nearly four-year suspension of flights to Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh that followed the bombing of a Russian airliner claimed by the Islamic State group.

"The UK has been clear that flights to Sharm el-Sheikh should resume when the security situation allows," British minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Andrew Murrison, said in a statement released by the embassy.

"I am pleased that today we can announce the lifting of the current restrictions."

Britain said Tuesday it was ending a nearly four-year suspension of flights to Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh that followed the bombing of a Russian airliner claimed by the Islamic State group.

Britain said Tuesday it was ending a nearly four-year suspension of flights to Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh that followed the bombing of a Russian airliner claimed by the Islamic State group. "The UK has been clear that flights to Sharm el-Sheikh should resume when the security situation allows," British minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Andrew Murrison, said in a statement released by the embassy. "I am pleased that today we can announce the lifting of the current restrictions."

UK lifts flight ban to Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh: Embassy

The British pound fell Tuesday awaiting key Brexit votes on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-prime-minister-boris-johnson-prepares-fresh-brexit-push-257303"> withdrawal agreement bill</a>.

Europe and Asian stock markets rose on growing expectations that China and the United States will sign a partial trade deal next month, dealers said.

Sterling fell further from Monday's five-month peaks, struck after parliament forced Johnson to request <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-sends-unsigned-letter-seeking-brexit-delay-256989">another extension</a> to Britain's scheduled exit from the European Union.

The pound switched hands at $1.2936 Tuesday, down from $1.2960 late in New York on Monday.

Sterling had earlier Monday spiked $1.3013, the highest level since May.&nbsp;

Johnson published his hotly-awaited withdrawal agreement bill (WAB) late on Monday, with just over a week to go until Brexit on October 31.

"The Brexit saga rumbles on today as MPs debate and vote on the WAB in what is likely to be the first of a few excruciating and long sessions in parliament," said Oanda analyst Craig Erlam.

Johnson faces two crucial Brexit votes that could decide if he still has a reasonable shot at securing his EU divorce by next week's deadline.

Firstly, the Conservative leader hopes parliament gives initial support to a Brexit bill that translates the revised withdrawal agreement he struck with Brussels last week into UK law.

Secondly, he also hopes the lower House of Commons will vote in favour of a speedy timescale to pass the entire legislation in just three days.

The rapid timetable, a big ask for a 110-page text designed to unwind 46 years of intricate EU-UK ties,&nbsp;has sparked outcry from opposition lawmakers.

"The main events of the day will likely come this evening, after the stock market here in London has closed, with parliament set for two key votes on Brexit," said XTB analyst David Cheetham.

Even if the withdrawal bill "passes there’s a fair chance that a vote on the timetable shortly afterwards will fail.

"Several MPs have already voiced their displeasure at the lack of time to scrutinise the bill," he added.

At the same time, Johnson has been forced by parliament to request a three-month extension that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/eu-considers-brexit-extension-boris-johnson-battles-to-save-deal-257370">European leaders will consider</a> once they get a clearer picture of this week's parliamentary votes.

Elsewhere Tuesday, global stock markets gained on modest gains on easing trade war concerns.

US President Donald Trump reinforced hopes Monday that he and Xi Jinping will be able to put pen to paper on a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-phase-1-china-trade-pact-on-track-for-november-257404"> mini pact</a>, saying China had already started promised purchases of farm goods, and that the first part of a wider commitment was almost complete.

"We'll be able to, we think, sign a completed document with China on phase one," Trump said at the White House, adding they would then move on to the next phases.

Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said efforts were being made for it to be ready when the leaders meet at the APEC summit next month in Chile.

Trump's economics adviser Larry Kudlow indicated tariffs planned to go into effect in December could be cancelled if the talks go well.

The British pound fell Tuesday awaiting key Brexit votes on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's withdrawal agreement bill. Europe and Asian stock markets rose on growing expectations that China and the United States will sign a partial trade deal next month, dealers said.

The British pound fell Tuesday awaiting key Brexit votes on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's withdrawal agreement bill. Europe and Asian stock markets rose on growing expectations that China and the United States will sign a partial trade deal next month, dealers said. Sterling fell further from Monday's five-month peaks, struck after parliament forced Johnson to request another extension to Britain's scheduled exit from the European Union. The pound switched hands at $1.2936 Tuesday, down from $1.2960 late in New York on Monday. Sterling had earlier Monday spiked $1.3013, the highest level since May. Johnson published his hotly-awaited withdrawal agreement bill (WAB) late on Monday, with just over a week to go until Brexit on October 31. "The Brexit saga rumbles on today as MPs debate and vote on the WAB in what is likely to be the first of a few excruciating and long sessions in parliament," said Oanda analyst Craig Erlam. Johnson faces two crucial Brexit votes that could decide if he still has a reasonable shot at securing his EU divorce by next week's deadline. Firstly, the Conservative leader hopes parliament gives initial support to a Brexit bill that translates the revised withdrawal agreement he struck with Brussels last week into UK law. Secondly, he also hopes the lower House of Commons will vote in favour of a speedy timescale to pass the entire legislation in just three days. The rapid timetable, a big ask for a 110-page text designed to unwind 46 years of intricate EU-UK ties, has sparked outcry from opposition lawmakers. "The main events of the day will likely come this evening, after the stock market here in London has closed, with parliament set for two key votes on Brexit," said XTB analyst David Cheetham. Even if the withdrawal bill "passes there’s a fair chance that a vote on the timetable shortly afterwards will fail. "Several MPs have already voiced their displeasure at the lack of time to scrutinise the bill," he added. At the same time, Johnson has been forced by parliament to request a three-month extension that European leaders will consider once they get a clearer picture of this week's parliamentary votes. Elsewhere Tuesday, global stock markets gained on modest gains on easing trade war concerns. US President Donald Trump reinforced hopes Monday that he and Xi Jinping will be able to put pen to paper on a mini pact, saying China had already started promised purchases of farm goods, and that the first part of a wider commitment was almost complete. "We'll be able to, we think, sign a completed document with China on phase one," Trump said at the White House, adding they would then move on to the next phases. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said efforts were being made for it to be ready when the leaders meet at the APEC summit next month in Chile. Trump's economics adviser Larry Kudlow indicated tariffs planned to go into effect in December could be cancelled if the talks go well.

British pound falls ahead of Brexit vote

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted Tuesday the EU had done "all in our power" to ensure an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-parliament-speaker-john-bercow-blocks-holding-of-new-vote-on-brexit-deal-257365">orderly Brexit</a>, but said the bloc would await British parliamentary approval for a new divorce deal before ratifying it. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Expressing regret that Britain planned to leave the EU on October 31, Juncker said: "At least we can look ourselves in the eyes and say that we have done all in our power to make sure that this departure is orderly."&nbsp;

"We need now to watch events in Westminster very closely. It's not possible, not imaginable that this parliament will ratify the agreement before Westminster will have ratified the agreement," he told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is desperately trying to secure a break from Brussels that severs many of the island nation's economic and political ties with Europe after 46 years of EU membership.

Lawmakers in Britain, meeting on a Saturday for the first time in 37 years, voted to demand that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-prime-minister-boris-johnson-prepares-fresh-brexit-push-257303">Johnson delay Brexit</a> while they further consider his newly-agreed EU divorce agreement.

The government's new strategy is to get parliament Tuesday to approve an accompanying package of legislation that needs ratifying for Brexit to take effect.

Britain has been struggling to agree on how to leave the EU ever since narrowly backing Brexit in a 2016 referendum.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted Tuesday the EU had done "all in our power" to ensure an orderly Brexit, but said the bloc would await British parliamentary approval for a new divorce deal before ratifying it.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker insisted Tuesday the EU had done "all in our power" to ensure an orderly Brexit, but said the bloc would await British parliamentary approval for a new divorce deal before ratifying it. Expressing regret that Britain planned to leave the EU on October 31, Juncker said: "At least we can look ourselves in the eyes and say that we have done all in our power to make sure that this departure is orderly." "We need now to watch events in Westminster very closely. It's not possible, not imaginable that this parliament will ratify the agreement before Westminster will have ratified the agreement," he told the European Parliament in Strasbourg. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is desperately trying to secure a break from Brussels that severs many of the island nation's economic and political ties with Europe after 46 years of EU membership. Lawmakers in Britain, meeting on a Saturday for the first time in 37 years, voted to demand that Johnson delay Brexit while they further consider his newly-agreed EU divorce agreement. The government's new strategy is to get parliament Tuesday to approve an accompanying package of legislation that needs ratifying for Brexit to take effect. Britain has been struggling to agree on how to leave the EU ever since narrowly backing Brexit in a 2016 referendum.

European Union 'have done all in our power' for orderly Brexit: Juncker

Gold prices were little changed on Monday as investors waited for more clarity on US-China trade negotiations, and Brexit after British parliamentarians delayed a crucial vote on the divorce deal.

Spot gold was flat at $1,490.03 per ounce as of 0519 GMT. US&nbsp;gold futures dipped slightly to $1,493.50.

Asian shares edged higher, limiting bullion's gains, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.2 per cent.

"The markets are quite long, and people are worried about the trade war. Investors are waiting for pullbacks in gold to step in again," AxiTrader market strategist Stephen Innes said.

"What has been supportive for gold are recessionary fears, and provided that remains in the headlines, it is a significant reason to stay long gold. Right now, there is no major catalyst to drive it any direction."

The long-standing Sino-US&nbsp;trade war has taken a toll on economies around the world with Japan's exports down for a 10th straight month, South Korean exports plunging 19.5 per cent&nbsp;in October, and Thai exports missing expectations.

In China, new home prices grew at a steady pace in September, a relief for policymakers who remain wary of high debt and bubble risk, and are refraining from stimulating the sector as the economy cools.

Providing little comfort to market sentiment, British Lawmakers on Saturday voted to withhold a decision on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's deal, a move that forced him to seek from the EU the third postponement of Britain's departure from the bloc.

The vote for an extension dealt a blow to optimism that a deal agreed last week would ensure Brexit happens with little economic disruption.

Spot gold looks neutral in a range of $1,479-$1,502 per ounce, and an escape could suggest a direction, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said.

Among other precious metals, silver rose 0.2 per cent&nbsp;to $17.57 per ounce, and platinum rose 0.4 per cent&nbsp;to $892.64.

Meanwhile, palladium gained 0.9 per cent&nbsp;to $1,770.07 an ounce, slightly lower than a high of $1,783.21 it struck on Thursday.

"Sell rates for palladium reached the highest level since January. This suggests the recent rally has been driven by fundamentals, rather than speculative interest," ANZ Bank said in a note.

"And with the market likely to remain tight for the foreseeable future, we believe there is plenty more upside for (palladium) prices."

Gold prices were little changed on Monday as investors waited for more clarity on US-China trade negotiations, and Brexit after British parliamentarians delayed a crucial vote on the divorce deal.

Gold prices were little changed on Monday as investors waited for more clarity on US-China trade negotiations, and Brexit after British parliamentarians delayed a crucial vote on the divorce deal. Spot gold was flat at $1,490.03 per ounce as of 0519 GMT. US gold futures dipped slightly to $1,493.50. Asian shares edged higher, limiting bullion's gains, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.2 per cent. "The markets are quite long, and people are worried about the trade war. Investors are waiting for pullbacks in gold to step in again," AxiTrader market strategist Stephen Innes said. "What has been supportive for gold are recessionary fears, and provided that remains in the headlines, it is a significant reason to stay long gold. Right now, there is no major catalyst to drive it any direction." The long-standing Sino-US trade war has taken a toll on economies around the world with Japan's exports down for a 10th straight month, South Korean exports plunging 19.5 per cent in October, and Thai exports missing expectations. In China, new home prices grew at a steady pace in September, a relief for policymakers who remain wary of high debt and bubble risk, and are refraining from stimulating the sector as the economy cools. Providing little comfort to market sentiment, British Lawmakers on Saturday voted to withhold a decision on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's deal, a move that forced him to seek from the EU the third postponement of Britain's departure from the bloc. The vote for an extension dealt a blow to optimism that a deal agreed last week would ensure Brexit happens with little economic disruption. Spot gold looks neutral in a range of $1,479-$1,502 per ounce, and an escape could suggest a direction, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said. Among other precious metals, silver rose 0.2 per cent to $17.57 per ounce, and platinum rose 0.4 per cent to $892.64. Meanwhile, palladium gained 0.9 per cent to $1,770.07 an ounce, slightly lower than a high of $1,783.21 it struck on Thursday. "Sell rates for palladium reached the highest level since January. This suggests the recent rally has been driven by fundamentals, rather than speculative interest," ANZ Bank said in a note. "And with the market likely to remain tight for the foreseeable future, we believe there is plenty more upside for (palladium) prices."

Gold flat as markets eye trade talk cues, Brexit deal

Russian&nbsp;hackers&nbsp;piggy-backed on an&nbsp;Iranian&nbsp;cyber-espionage&nbsp;operation&nbsp;to attack government and industry organizations in dozens of countries while masquerading as attackers from the Islamic Republic, British and US&nbsp;officials&nbsp;said on Monday.

The&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;group, known as "Turla" and accused by Estonian and Czech authorities of operating on behalf of Russia's FSB security service, has used&nbsp;Iranian&nbsp;tools and computer infrastructure to successfully hack into organizations in at least 20 different countries over the last 18 months, British security&nbsp;officials&nbsp;said.

The&nbsp;hacking&nbsp;campaign, the extent of which has not been previously revealed, was most active in the Middle East but also targeted organizations in Britain, they said.

Paul Chichester, a senior official at Britain's GCHQ intelligence agency, said the&nbsp;operation&nbsp;shows state-backed&nbsp;hackers&nbsp;are working in a "very crowded space" and developing new attacks and methods to better cover their tracks.

In a statement accompanying a joint advisory with the US&nbsp;National Security Agency (NSA), GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre said it wanted to raise industry awareness about the activity and make attacks more difficult for its adversaries.

"We want to send a clear message that even when cyber actors seek to mask their identity, our capabilities will ultimately identify them," said Chichester, who serves as the NCSC's director of&nbsp;operations.

Officials&nbsp;in Russia and Iran did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent on Sunday. Moscow and Tehran have both repeatedly denied Western allegations over&nbsp;hacking.

Western&nbsp;officials&nbsp;rank Russia and Iran as two of the most dangerous threats in cyberspace, alongside China and North Korea, with both governments accused of conducting&nbsp;hacking&nbsp;operations against countries around the world.

Intelligence&nbsp;officials&nbsp;said there was no evidence of collusion between Turla and its&nbsp;Iranian&nbsp;victim, a&nbsp;hacking&nbsp;group&nbsp;known as "APT34" which cybersecurity researchers at firms including FireEye FEYE.O&nbsp;say&nbsp;works for the&nbsp;Iranian&nbsp;government.

Rather, the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;hackers&nbsp;infiltrated the&nbsp;Iranian&nbsp;group's infrastructure in order to "masquerade as an adversary which victims would expect to target them," said GCHQ's Chichester.

Turla's actions show the dangers of wrongly attributing cyberattacks, British&nbsp;officials&nbsp;said but added that they were not aware of any public incidents that had been incorrectly blamed on Iran as a result of the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;operation.

The United States and its Western allies have also used foreign cyberattacks to facilitate their own&nbsp;spying&nbsp;operations, a practice referred to as "fourth party collection," according to documents released by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden and reporting by German magazine Der Spiegel.

GCHQ declined to comment on Western&nbsp;operations.

By gaining access to the&nbsp;Iranian&nbsp;infrastructure, Turla was able to use APT34's "command and control" systems to deploy its own malicious code, GCHQ and the NSA said in a public advisory.

The&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;group&nbsp;was also able to access the networks of existing APT34 victims and even access the code needed to build its own "Iranian"&nbsp;hacking&nbsp;tools.

Russian hackers piggy-backed on an Iranian cyber-espionage operation to attack government and industry organizations in dozens of countries while masquerading as attackers from the Islamic Republic, British and US officials said on Monday.

Russian hackers piggy-backed on an Iranian cyber-espionage operation to attack government and industry organizations in dozens of countries while masquerading as attackers from the Islamic Republic, British and US officials said on Monday. The Russian group, known as "Turla" and accused by Estonian and Czech authorities of operating on behalf of Russia's FSB security service, has used Iranian tools and computer infrastructure to successfully hack into organizations in at least 20 different countries over the last 18 months, British security officials said. The hacking campaign, the extent of which has not been previously revealed, was most active in the Middle East but also targeted organizations in Britain, they said. Paul Chichester, a senior official at Britain's GCHQ intelligence agency, said the operation shows state-backed hackers are working in a "very crowded space" and developing new attacks and methods to better cover their tracks. In a statement accompanying a joint advisory with the US National Security Agency (NSA), GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre said it wanted to raise industry awareness about the activity and make attacks more difficult for its adversaries. "We want to send a clear message that even when cyber actors seek to mask their identity, our capabilities will ultimately identify them," said Chichester, who serves as the NCSC's director of operations. Officials in Russia and Iran did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent on Sunday. Moscow and Tehran have both repeatedly denied Western allegations over hacking. Western officials rank Russia and Iran as two of the most dangerous threats in cyberspace, alongside China and North Korea, with both governments accused of conducting hacking operations against countries around the world. Intelligence officials said there was no evidence of collusion between Turla and its Iranian victim, a hacking group known as "APT34" which cybersecurity researchers at firms including FireEye FEYE.O say works for the Iranian government. Rather, the Russian hackers infiltrated the Iranian group's infrastructure in order to "masquerade as an adversary which victims would expect to target them," said GCHQ's Chichester. Turla's actions show the dangers of wrongly attributing cyberattacks, British officials said but added that they were not aware of any public incidents that had been incorrectly blamed on Iran as a result of the Russian operation. The United States and its Western allies have also used foreign cyberattacks to facilitate their own spying operations, a practice referred to as "fourth party collection," according to documents released by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden and reporting by German magazine Der Spiegel. GCHQ declined to comment on Western operations. By gaining access to the Iranian infrastructure, Turla was able to use APT34's "command and control" systems to deploy its own malicious code, GCHQ and the NSA said in a public advisory. The Russian group was also able to access the networks of existing APT34 victims and even access the code needed to build its own "Iranian" hacking tools.

Hacking the hackers: Russian group hijacked Iranian spying operation, officials say

A&nbsp;defiant British government has doubled down, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-moves-to-ratify-brexit-accord-despite-delay-request-257074">insisting it will leave the European Union in 11 days</a> despite parliament's forcing a reluctant prime minister to request another delay.

On a day of high drama on Saturday, MPs in the House of Commons passed up the chance to decide on the revised withdrawal agreement that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had negotiated with the European Union.

That defeat leaves Johnson under mounting pressure to find a way out of paralysing impasse on when and how Britain would leave the EU after the country narrowly voted to exit in a 2016 referendum.

Johnson has reluctantly sent European Council President Donald Tusk a letter legally imposed on him by parliament requesting an extension, but refused to sign it.

The Conservative leader sent a second, signed letter insisting he was not seeking an extension to the Brexit deadline, which has already been postponed twice, warning that "a further extension would damage the interests of the UK and our EU partners".

Having failed to back a divorce deal, which Johnson had secured on Thursday, MPs triggered a law requiring him to write to EU leaders asking to delay Brexit to avoid the risk that Britain crashes out in less than a fortnight.

Senior cabinet minister Michael Gove, the government's Brexit planning chief, was nonetheless adamant that Britain would leave the EU on schedule.

"Yes. We are going to leave on October 31. We have the means and the ability to do so," he told Sky News.

Although Sterling fell on Monday, losses were limited by hopes the country can eventually avoid crashing out of the EU without a divorce agreement in place.

"We can say it (the pound) is holding firm, which shows hopes (for avoiding no-deal Brexit) have not been dashed," Shinichiro Kadota, exchange strategist at Barclays Securities in Japan, told AFP.

EU 'fed up': Raab

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-sends-unsigned-letter-seeking-brexit-delay-256989">The government will bring forward this week the domestic legislation</a> needed to implement the divorce deal, with a first vote as soon as Tuesday.

Separately, it is seeking a new yes-or-no vote on approving the deal on Monday, although this may fall foul of parliamentary procedure.

Commons Speaker John Bercow will rule on whether Johnson can hold a "meaningful vote" on the deal.

"If we get the legislation through then there is no extension. October 31 is within sight," said Gove.

He said it was dangerous to assume that the 27 other EU leaders would grant an extension.

More than three years on from the June 2016 vote to leave the EU, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that from his conversations with other EU capitals, "they are fed up with this now, and we are fed up with it".

The Labour main opposition has lambasted Johnson's deal as a "sellout" and voted for the delay.

However, senior figures hinted Sunday that they could let it go through, subject to amendments including a second referendum pitting a divorce deal against remaining in the bloc after all.

"What we are trying to achieve is that this deal in particular, but any deal, is put up against Remain in a referendum," the party's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer told the BBC.

"And we will have to see tactically how we get there."

Europe mulls response

Brussels officials pressed on with plans to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-mulls-johnsons-reluctant-brexit-delay-request-257025">ratify the divorce deal as European leaders</a> considered Johnson's delay request.

Ambassadors and senior officials from the other 27 member states met Sunday.

"The EU is keeping all options open and has therefore initiated the ratification process so that it can be handed over to the European Parliament on Monday," an EU diplomat told AFP.

"The EU will probably pursue this strategy until there is clarity on the British side," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Tusk will spend a "few days" canvassing member state leaders, and diplomats said this would mean the British parliament will have to vote on Brexit again before hearing their decision on the October 31 departure.

MPs voted by 322 votes to 306 on Saturday to support former Conservative MP Oliver Letwin's amendment to buy extra time.

Letwin said he would now switch and vote for the deal. Former interior minister Amber Rudd said the same, meaning Johnson is just a few votes short.

"We appear to have now the numbers to get this through," said Raab.

The Brexit date has already been pushed back twice from March 29, to the fury of those who wanted to abandon Britain's European project after nearly 50 years.

A defiant British government has doubled down, insisting it will leave the European Union in 11 days despite parliament's forcing a reluctant prime minister to request another delay.

A defiant British government has doubled down, insisting it will leave the European Union in 11 days despite parliament's forcing a reluctant prime minister to request another delay. On a day of high drama on Saturday, MPs in the House of Commons passed up the chance to decide on the revised withdrawal agreement that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had negotiated with the European Union. That defeat leaves Johnson under mounting pressure to find a way out of paralysing impasse on when and how Britain would leave the EU after the country narrowly voted to exit in a 2016 referendum. Johnson has reluctantly sent European Council President Donald Tusk a letter legally imposed on him by parliament requesting an extension, but refused to sign it. The Conservative leader sent a second, signed letter insisting he was not seeking an extension to the Brexit deadline, which has already been postponed twice, warning that "a further extension would damage the interests of the UK and our EU partners". Having failed to back a divorce deal, which Johnson had secured on Thursday, MPs triggered a law requiring him to write to EU leaders asking to delay Brexit to avoid the risk that Britain crashes out in less than a fortnight. Senior cabinet minister Michael Gove, the government's Brexit planning chief, was nonetheless adamant that Britain would leave the EU on schedule. "Yes. We are going to leave on October 31. We have the means and the ability to do so," he told Sky News. Although Sterling fell on Monday, losses were limited by hopes the country can eventually avoid crashing out of the EU without a divorce agreement in place. "We can say it (the pound) is holding firm, which shows hopes (for avoiding no-deal Brexit) have not been dashed," Shinichiro Kadota, exchange strategist at Barclays Securities in Japan, told AFP. EU 'fed up': Raab The government will bring forward this week the domestic legislation needed to implement the divorce deal, with a first vote as soon as Tuesday. Separately, it is seeking a new yes-or-no vote on approving the deal on Monday, although this may fall foul of parliamentary procedure. Commons Speaker John Bercow will rule on whether Johnson can hold a "meaningful vote" on the deal. "If we get the legislation through then there is no extension. October 31 is within sight," said Gove. He said it was dangerous to assume that the 27 other EU leaders would grant an extension. More than three years on from the June 2016 vote to leave the EU, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that from his conversations with other EU capitals, "they are fed up with this now, and we are fed up with it". The Labour main opposition has lambasted Johnson's deal as a "sellout" and voted for the delay. However, senior figures hinted Sunday that they could let it go through, subject to amendments including a second referendum pitting a divorce deal against remaining in the bloc after all. "What we are trying to achieve is that this deal in particular, but any deal, is put up against Remain in a referendum," the party's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer told the BBC. "And we will have to see tactically how we get there." Europe mulls response Brussels officials pressed on with plans to ratify the divorce deal as European leaders considered Johnson's delay request. Ambassadors and senior officials from the other 27 member states met Sunday. "The EU is keeping all options open and has therefore initiated the ratification process so that it can be handed over to the European Parliament on Monday," an EU diplomat told AFP. "The EU will probably pursue this strategy until there is clarity on the British side," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Tusk will spend a "few days" canvassing member state leaders, and diplomats said this would mean the British parliament will have to vote on Brexit again before hearing their decision on the October 31 departure. MPs voted by 322 votes to 306 on Saturday to support former Conservative MP Oliver Letwin's amendment to buy extra time. Letwin said he would now switch and vote for the deal. Former interior minister Amber Rudd said the same, meaning Johnson is just a few votes short. "We appear to have now the numbers to get this through," said Raab. The Brexit date has already been pushed back twice from March 29, to the fury of those who wanted to abandon Britain's European project after nearly 50 years.

Johnson adamant on Brexit deadline, despite delay request

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