by Dario Thuburn LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Prime Minister Theresa May won endorsement from US President-elect Donald Trump over her Brexit course but sterling plunged on Monday on fears that Britain could be on a collision course with its EU allies. Trump said Britain leaving the EU would “end up as a great thing” and promised to work for a trade deal with post-Brexit Britain “quickly and done properly”, speaking in an interview […]
Tag: EU
Britain’s EU ambassador quits before Brexit trigger
by Robin MILLARD with Danny KEMP in Brussels Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Britain’s ambassador to the European Union resigned on Tuesday, adding uncertainty to the Brexit process less than three months before the UK is due to trigger its departure negotiations. Ivan Rogers, a highly-regarded diplomat who had been due to end his four-year stint in October, stepped down as London prepares to invoke Article 50, which starts a two-year countdown to […]
EU presses Russia on Syria and Ukraine
by Danny Kemp Agence France Presse BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — European Union leaders piled pressure on Russia on Thursday, urging the Kremlin to protect civilians in Syria while taking steps to save a historic cooperation pact with Ukraine and extending sanctions against Moscow. At the final summit of one of the most turbulent years in the EU’s six-decade history, the bloc’s 28 leaders also discussed preparations for Britain to become the first nation to […]
Brexit deal needed by October 2018, says EU negotiator
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) – by Danny KEMP Britain must broker its deal to leave the EU by October 2018, the bloc’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Tuesday, warning that time for talks was running out. Frenchman Barnier added that an interim deal to soften the blow of Britain’s departure was “difficult to imagine” unless it quickly told Brussels what it wanted from a Brexit deal. Despite the tight new timeline Prime Minister Theresa […]
Eurosceptics delight as Italy’s Renzi quits
ROME, Italy (AFP) – by Ella IDE Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi prepared to hand in his resignation Monday after suffering a ruinous referendum defeat cheered by populist leaders but sparking fresh jitters in Europe. “My experience of government finishes here,” said a downcast Renzi after acknowledging a defeat of almost 60-40 percent over his constitutional reform bid, which threw the future of one of the eurozone’s biggest economies into turmoil. Renzi, 41, will meet […]
Far-right loner jailed for life in murder of British MP
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – by Edouard GUIHAIRE James PHEBY A far-right extremist was sentenced on Wednesday to life imprisonment without the possibility of release for murdering British MP Jo Cox a week before Britain’s EU referendum in a “politically motivated” attack. “Because she was a member of parliament your crime has an additional dimension that calls for particular punishment,” judge Alan Wilkie told Thomas Mair, 53, as he issued the rare “whole life term” […]
EU split on defence plans after Trump win
by Bryan McManus BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) – Sharp differences surfaced Monday as EU foreign ministers debated ambitious plans to boost the bloc’s military role, amid fears Donald Trump’s election jeopardises Washington’s historic security guarantee. US president-elect Trump has shocked Europe by casting doubt over US commitments to NATO unless European allies increase defence spending, sparking calls for the European Union to press ahead on its own. Britain has long opposed any such plans as […]
EU, Canada sign long-delayed trade deal
CANADA (AFP) –Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Union leaders finally sign a landmark trade deal seven years in the making, after it was nearly being torpedoed by a small region of Belgium. https://youtu.be/Kxa1WWKW8ws
Remaining Jungle migrants relocated after two days in limbo
CALAIS, France (AFP) – by Gina DOGGETT and Baptiste BECQUART Most of the migrants left wandering the Calais “Jungle” as it was being demolished were relocated Friday, including dozens of minors over whom France and Britain had traded barbs. After being left to fend for themselves for two days in the deserted burnt-out shantytown, around 100 stragglers boarded buses for shelters around the country. Around 50 minors, mostly Sudanese, were taken to a centre for […]
EU threatens Russia with sanctions over Syria
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) – by Danny KEMP European Union leaders warned Russia at a summit on Thursday that they will consider sanctions over its role in the Syrian conflict if Moscow does not stop “crimes” in the devastated city of Aleppo. As the bloc’s 28 leaders met in Brussels for a crucial discussion on their future strategy to deal with Moscow, EU President Donald Tusk said they should “keep all options open, including sanctions.” French President Francois […]
Belgian minister’s twitter feed hacked, amid trade deal tensions
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — The twitter account of Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders was hacked on Tuesday, his ministry said, just hours after EU ministers failed to agree on a trade deal with Canada due to opposition by Belgium. “The personal twitter account of MFA Didier Reynders was hacked. The recent messages that are published on this account are not his,” the Belgian ministry of foreign affairs said in a tweet. The posting by Reynders […]
Germany to impose strict welfare curbs for EU immigrants
BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – The German government on Wednesday approved a new law to curb social benefits for EU citizens who arrive in the country without a job, as it responds to pressure to get tough on migrants. Under the draft legislation, which still needs to go through parliament, EU nationals who have never worked in Germany will have to wait five years before they can claim benefits. The strict new measure comes after a […]





