PARIS, France (AFP) – by Guy JACKSON Europe’s leaders have vowed no compromise on the terms of their divorce with Britain as a free-falling pound on Friday dramatically underscored the perils ahead for Prime Minister Theresa May’s government. French President Francois Hollande sent one of the strongest warnings yet that Britain will have to pay a heavy price for leaving the European Union, while European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said the bloc must be “unyielding” […]
EU
UKIP ‘at breaking point’ after European Parliament bust-up
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – by Dario THUBURN British UKIP MEP Steven Woolfe is being kept in hospital until Sunday after he collapsed following a bust-up in the European Parliament that threatens to bring down a key driving force behind Brexit. UKIP colleague Nathan Gill said on Friday that Woolfe, favourite to take over from Nigel Farage as party leader, was asked to stay in Strasbourg “for observation in the hospital’s neurological ward for the […]
A costly divorce: Bosses urge clarity over Brexit
BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom (AFP) – by Edouard GUIHAIRE Katherine HADDON “Divorces always cost you a lot of money,” sighed Charlie Mullins, one of many British bosses pushing ministers for more details on life post-Brexit at the Conservative Party’s annual conference. Dressed in an electric blue suit, Mullins is the charismatic founder of Pimlico Plumbers, whose vans are a common sight in the British capital and whose clients reportedly include Richard Branson. Fronting his company’s stall at […]
German central bank chief warns City of London on ‘hard Brexit’
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – British banks risk losing their automatic right to trade in EU states as the country leaves the European Union, Germany’s central bank chief said in an interview out Monday. Jens Weidmann suggested that if Britain left the European Economic Area (EEA) — a group of 31 European Union and other European states which allows them to be part of the single market — it could mean financial services companies moving […]
Dutch say EU’s biggest field is running out of gas
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) – The Groningen natural gas field, the largest in the European Union, is running out of reserves, with an estimated 17 years left before stocks will be depleted, The Netherlands announced on Friday. “Dutch natural gas is nearly finished,” said Peter Hein van Mulligen, chief economist at the country’s Central Statistics Bureau (CBS). “Since natural gas was discovered in 1959 in Groningen, we’ve used up some 80 percent of our reserves. If […]
Belgian police arrest two in anti-terror raids
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) – Belgian authorities on Friday detained two people for questioning following anti-terror raids in the capital Brussels and southeastern Belgium, the federal prosecutor’s office said. Police searched two homes in the Haren and Schaarbeek districts of Brussels and another in the city of Liege in the French-speaking Wallonia region, the office said in a statement. “Two persons were arrested and will be interrogated by the investigators,” it said, adding a judge will decide […]
Juncker vows Brexit won’t kill off EU
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. […]
Foiled Paris terror plot: What we know
PARIS, France (AFP) – Seven people are in custody in France after intelligence services foiled a plot to use a car laden with gas cylinders to carry out an attack in Paris. Anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins said the would-be attackers were guided by the Islamic State group in Syria. French President Francois Hollande said the terror cell behind the plot had been “destroyed”. Here is what we know so far: Car spotted A worker at […]
New Ukraine truce jeopardised by first combat death
KIEV, Ukraine (AFP) – by Olga SHYLENKO Ukraine on Friday reported its first combat death since a new ceasefire with pro-Russian rebels went into effect on September 1 before the new school year. The announcement delivered a worrying signal that one of the most enduring in a series of truces risked collapsing just as tensions between Moscow and Kiev are scaling new hights. “In the past day, as a result of military activities, one of […]
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 […]
Raging temperatures spark wildfires in northern Portugal
Portuguese firefighters on Wednesday (September 7) struggled to control six active wildfires in several parts of the country. In the town of Vila Pouca de Aguiar, at least 15,000 hectares have burned in the last two days, according to local authorities. The fire surrounded villages but firefighters prevented flames from reaching houses. Other districts affected by the fires were Viseu, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Braganca, Vila Real and Faro. Summer forest fires are common in Portugal, […]
Arsonists blamed for Spanish wildfires
JAVEA, Spain (AFP) – Spanish authorities on Tuesday blamed arsonists and record temperatures for wildfires ravaging the eastern coast near the popular resort of Benidorm that have forced 1,400 people to flee. Hundreds of firefighters backed by water-dropping aircraft were battling the largest of several fires which began Sunday near the resort of Javea, up the coast from Benidorm on Spain’s Costa Blanca. Another blaze was raging near the mountain town of Bolulla, about 40 kilometres […]
