STRASBOURG, France (AFP) – by Clément ZAMPA with Danny KEMP in Brussels European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday issued a rallying cry for unity after Brexit, saying the EU is not in danger of splitting up but must fight “galloping populism”. In his annual State of the Union speech, Juncker unveiled plans including a European Union defence headquarters in a bid to find common ground after a year of crisis and division in the bloc. […]
Tag: European Union
Southern nations gear up for EU future showdown
ATHENS, Greece (AFP) – by John HADOULIS Sabine WIBAUX Southern EU leaders on Friday sought to close ranks on migration, extremism and austerity with the bloc’s future on the line, and ahead of a showdown with hardliners next week. Bringing together the members worst hit by the EU’s twin recession and refugee crises, the mini-summit will focus on “protecting borders, fostering growth, fighting against immigration… and acting together against terrorism,” French President Francois Hollande said at the […]
Irish cabinet agrees to appeal Apple ruling
DUBLIN, Ireland (AFP) – by Douglas DALBY Ireland’s fragile minority government agreed Friday to recommend an appeal against the EU’s tax ruling on Apple but said it was recalling parliament early to debate the issue. The deal overcomes a split in cabinet surrounding the 13 billion euros ($15 billion) plus interest that the EU says Apple owes in back taxes, putting Ireland at the centre of a row between Europe and the United States. Apple […]
UK to seek ‘unique’ deal to leave EU: PM’s spokesman
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Britain will seek a “unique” deal on leaving the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May’s Downing Street office said Wednesday, after ministers held their first Brexit talks since the summer break. The government wants to control immigration from the EU while retaining strong trading ties, despite warnings from other nations that single market access is incompatible with limits on the free movement of people. Britain voted to leave the EU […]
Apple hit with record EU tax bill
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) – by Danny KEMP The EU ordered tech giant Apple on Tuesday to pay a record 13 billion euros in back taxes in Ireland, a move Washington warned could damage hugely important transatlantic economic ties. Brussels said Apple, the world’s most valuable company, avoided virtually all tax on its business in the bloc by illegal arrangements with Dublin which gave the company an unfair advantage over competitors. Apple and the Irish government […]
Multi-billion Apple windfall puts Ireland in unusual bind
DUBLIN, Ireland (AFP) – by Douglas DALBY The European Commission’s demand for Apple to pay Ireland some 13 billion euros in back taxes has put the country in the strange position of refusing the windfall for fear of scaring away valuable investment. Rather than welcoming the cash — equivalent to around five percent of its gross domestic product — the government has vowed to appeal the ruling, fearing an ever greatest cost to its […]
Big three leaders insist EU not finished after Brexit
ABOARD the GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI aircraft carrier, Italy (AFP) – by Hervé ASQUIN Ella IDE The leaders of France, Germany and Italy insisted Monday that Britain’s decision to quit the European Union would not kill the bloc. Speaking aboard an aircraft carrier anchored off the Italian island of Ventotene, one of the cradles of the dream of a united, integrated Europe, the leaders vowed to relaunch the European project in the wake of the Brexit shock. […]
Johnson says Britain not abandoning ‘leading role’ in Europe
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) –New British foreign minister and top Brexit backer Boris Johnson pledged Monday Britain would continue to play a leading role in Europe as he met his European Union peers for the first time. “We have to give effect to the will of the people and leave the European Union but… we are not going in any way to abandon our leading role in European participation,” Johnson said. He said he had had […]
Asian shares near eight-month peak on hopes of BoE rate cuts
TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — Asian shares held near eight-month high on Thursday (July 14) as investors bet the Bank of England will cut rates in a pre-emptive strike to ward off a recession following the country’s decision to leave the European Union. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also called for fiscal stimulus, expected to reach about two percent of GDP, following his election victory on Sunday (10). Japan’s benchmark Nikkei opened at 16,242.20 up 10.77 […]
Theresa May prepares to take over as Brexit PM
by Dario THUBURN LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British Prime Minister David Cameron steps down on Wednesday and Theresa May prepares to take his place following a momentous referendum to leave the European Union that has sent shockwaves around the world. Cameron will hold his final weekly question and answer session in parliament before tendering his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. The monarch will then call on May to form a government […]
Cameron steps down, leaving legacy of failure
by Katherine HADDON LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — David Cameron’s political epitaph was carved in stone when he resigned the morning after Britons voted to quit the European Union. Cameron had staged the referendum to try to unite his Conservative party, where right-wing eurosceptics were agitating to leave the 28-nation bloc. His expectation was that he would win the June 23 vote handily and then push ahead with social reforms to crown his second term […]
Theresa May to become Britain’s next PM Wednesday
by Katherine HADDON LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Theresa May on Wednesday will become the prime minister who leads Britain into talks to quit the European Union, after her last rival in the bid to succeed David Cameron pulled out. May became the only contender after Andrea Leadsom — who had stirred a storm for suggesting she was more qualified to be premier because she had children — abruptly quit the race on Monday. Cameron […]
