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Britain Tag

Posted by Mary Chastain on May 19, 2017 5 Comments
Five years ago, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange sought refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy in London after Sweden launched a rape investigation against him. Today, Swedish officials have dropped the investigation. From The Local Sweden:
In a statement on its website, the Swedish prosecution authority said that the "Director of Public Prosecution, Ms Marianne Ny, has today decided to discontinue the investigation regarding suspected rape (lesser degree) by Julian Assange".

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on May 18, 2017 30 Comments

In a rare move, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has threatened the British government with "consequences" if it were to restrict immigration from the EU member states after the country formally breaks away from the union. “If the British government says that free movement of people is no longer valid, that will have its price," German Chancellor said. "Merkel threatens the Brits," reported the leading German newspaper, Die Welt.

If Britain were to put a cap on the number of EU immigrants allowed into the country, "we would have to think about what obstacle we create from the European side," Merkel warned. German Chancellor's latest threats came in the backdrop of recent reports that British Prime Minister Theresa May was planning to end the open immigration from the EU countries, once Britain leaves the union following the Brexit negotiations.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on May 16, 2017 10 Comments
The latest polls suggest that UK’s Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn might be leading his party to a historic defeat in next month's general election. The Conservatives, under the leadership of Prime Minister Theresa May, "are set to become the biggest party in almost every area of Britain including traditional Labour strongholds," British newspaper The Sun reported on Monday. Labour has already been battered in local elections held earlier this month, “losing hundreds of seats and the control of stronghold councils defended by Labour for decades” -- as the British newspaper Independent described it. Sensing an impending electoral drubbing, Corbyn admitted that his party faces "challenge on historic scale" in this general election.

Posted by Mary Chastain on April 18, 2017 11 Comments
British Prime Minister Theresa May stunned many British politicians on Tuesday morning when she called for a snap election on June 8 as a way to help her negotiate through the Brexit process with the European Union. May had said before that she would not hold a general election, but opposition from within the government over Brexit negotiations forced her hand. The London Times reported:
“The country is coming together but Westminster is not,” she said.

Posted by Mary Chastain on March 30, 2017 8 Comments
Back in October, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande warned British Prime Minister Theresa May that the United Kingdom might face a tough time leaving the European Union. Those warnings have come to fruition a day after the UK delivered the official Brexit letter to the EU. Merkel and Hollande demanded to May "that Brexit negotiations must deal with how Britain will leave the bloc" before the countries even think about future negotiations.

Posted by Mary Chastain on March 29, 2017 10 Comments
The divorce between the United Kingdom and the European Union has officially begun. Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May signed the letter to EU Council President Donald Tusk to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which allows a member to leave the union. Wednesday morning, British Ambassador to the EU Sir Tim Burrow handed the letter to Tusk. The UK now has two years to leave the EU.

Posted by Mary Chastain on March 24, 2017 2 Comments
The U.K. police announced it made two "significant arrests" on Friday in connection with the terrorist attack that killed four people and injured 40 more. Top counterterror office Mark Rowley explained, but did not provide many details:
The latest arrests were a man and a woman detained early Friday in Manchester, northwest England. Police believe Masood acted alone but Rowley said police were trying to determine whether others "encouraged, supported or directed him."

Posted by Mary Chastain on March 23, 2017 14 Comments
Yesterday, a man in an SUV mowed people down on Westminster Bridge before he drove into the perimeter fence at Parliament. The man exited the car and stabbed a police officer before other officers shot him down. Overall, four people died, including the assailant and American Kurt Cochran. Today, the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility while British officials arrested seven or eight in six raids across London and Birmingham. The authorities have identified the attacker as Khalid Masood, 52-years-old.

Posted by Mary Chastain on March 22, 2017 16 Comments
Four people have died, including a policeman and the attacker, in London outside of Parliament in the terrorist attacks that left 20 people injured. From Fox News:
Police said a vehicle mowed down pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge, leaving more than a dozen with injuries described as catastrophic. Around the same time Wednesday, a knife-wielding attacker stabbed a police officer and was shot on the grounds outside Britain's Parliament, sending the compound into lockdown

Posted by Mary Chastain on March 21, 2017 10 Comments
The Department of Homeland Security has banned electronics larger than a smart phone on flights from eight countries: Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Officials said the ban comes from intelligence about terrorism risks:
“We’re concerned about ongoing interest in targeting commercial aviation,” a DHS official said. The official cited terrorist attacks on airports in Brussels and Istanbul as part of a pattern or attacks that justified the ban
Some people have lashed out at President Donald Trump, thinking its another slap in the face towards Muslims. However, the United Kingdom has also adopted this same rule and Canada may follow.

Posted by Mary Chastain on March 13, 2017 10 Comments
As Brexit looms around the United Kingdom, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced she may ask for approval to have another independence referendum. From CNN:
Sturgeon said it was clear that the UK was heading for a "hard Brexit" to the detriment of Scotland, and that Scottish voters deserved a choice of remaining in the European Union as part of an independent nation.

Posted by Mary Chastain on February 13, 2017 0 Comments
Uh oh. UK Parliament Speaker John Bercow has found himself in deeper water after he revealed to students that he voted for the UK to remain in the European Union on the Brexit vote. From The Telegraph:
His fresh comments appear to breach the convention that Speakers of the House of Commons do not allow themselves to be drawn into political debate.

Posted by Mary Chastain on February 13, 2017 22 Comments
So I've kept an eye on the UK parliament ever since Speaker John Bercow announced he did not want President Donald Trump to speak to parliament on his UK visit. At least 163 Members of Parliament (MPs) signed a petition to keep Trump from speaking at Westminster Hall. Well, due to the ruckus, reports have emerged that Trump's visit may occur at the end of summer when parliament is not in session. This means Trump can "avoid a formal snub."

Posted by Mary Chastain on February 06, 2017 31 Comments
UK House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has announced he does not want President Donald Trump to speak at Parliament during a state visit. Bercow does not want any Members of Parliament (MP) to face backlash over the president's speech. So if Trump does make a speech, he may have to give it at the Royal Gallery instead of Westminster Hall, which was built in the 11th century. The Royal Gallery came into completion "800 years later and currently covered in scaffolding." British Prime Minister Theresa May invited Trump when she met with him last week at the White House.
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