UK House of Commons backs controversial migration bill
British lawmakers have approved a sweeping bill that will dramatically curb migrants’ ability to seek asylum in the U.K. Members of the House of Commons voted by 289 to 230 Wednesday to back the Illegal Migration Bill, despite critics’ allegations that it breaks international law.
UK Treasury chief in position of power as PM Truss struggles
As British Prime Minister Liz Truss struggles to retain her authority, one man is seen to be in the real position of power to restore order and credibility to the Conservative government and limit the damage caused by Truss’ economic plans.
UK government faces new boozy scandal as deputy whip quits
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government is dealing with another boozy scandal after the deputy chief whip resigned and then was suspended by the Conservative Party after a drunken incident in which he reportedly groped two men at an event.
Doubts hang over UK's Johnson though bid to oust him fails
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson scrambled to patch up his tattered authority after surviving a no-confidence vote that exposed his shrinking support in a fractured Conservative Party and raised serious doubts about how long he can stay in office.
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Theresa May rebukes Boris Johnson as UK welcomes Biden era
FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 14, 2019 file photo, Britain's former Prime Minister Theresa May walks through the Commons Members Lobby in Parliament, London. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the start of a new U.K.-U.S. chapter on Wednesday Jan. 20, 2021, under incoming U.S. President Joe Biden, even as his predecessor Theresa May accused Johnson of abandoning the U.K.s moral leadership in the world during the tumultuous Trump era. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, pool, file)LONDON – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the start of a new U.K.-U.S. chapter on Wednesday under incoming U.S. President Joe Biden, even as his predecessor Theresa May accused Johnson of “abandoning” the U.K.’s moral leadership in the world during the tumultuous Trump era. Since Biden won the U.S. election in November, Johnson has tried to shake off criticism that he became too close to outgoing President Donald Trump. Johnson has congratulated Biden and noted that they share priorities, including combating climate change and bolstering international institutions.
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Leaders like UK’s Johnson who wooed Trump face tricky reset
But after a mob of Trump supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Johnson has changed his tune. But after a mob of Trump supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Johnson has changed his tune. Critics say Johnson took his courting of Trump too far, and got little in return. Like Trump, Johnson has engaged in populist stunts, exaggerated promises and, at times, racist and inflammatory language. Like Trump, Netanyahu frequently rails against the media and belittles opponents with language seen as racist or incendiary.
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Timeline of events in Britain's exit from the European Union
July 13: Following a Conservative Party leadership contest, Home Secretary Theresa May becomes prime minister. June 8: A general election called by May to bolster her party’s representation in Parliament to help with the Brexit negotiations backfires. Her Conservative Party loses its majority and continues in a weakened state as a minority government. Jan. 15, 2019: The Brexit deal comes back to Parliament, where it is overwhelmingly defeated on a 432-202 vote. Sept. 3: Rebel Conservative Party lawmakers vote against the government in protest of Johnson’s strategy.
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EXPLAINER: For UK and EU, Brexit has become a messy divorce
When Britons voted for Brexit in 2016, they were promised a smooth transition to a new economic relationship with the European Union. But I also did divorces as a lawyer, and it’s always difficult.”The messy EU-U.K. divorce has been years in the making. “Brexit was a mandate to leave the European Union. May eventually resigned in defeat after her Brexit deal was rejected by Parliament three times. For British Brexit supporters, controlling the nation’s waters is essential.
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UK's Johnson to head to Brussels amid Brexit talks deadlock
Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, came time and again to negotiate a Brexit deal, only to see it repeatedly rejected by her own Parliament, ending her top-level career. Johnson will be hoping for a quick in-and-out that leaves his reputation intact and his country on course for a free trade deal with its biggest economic partner. Johnson and von der Leyen spoke by phone Monday for the second time in 48 hours, as their negotiators were stuck in gridlocked trade talks. Officials on both sides said there were also major differences over the legal oversight of any trade deal and European boats’ access to U.K. waters. While both Britain and the EU say they want a trade deal, trust and goodwill are strained after months of testy negotiations.
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AP Explains: Why are UK and EU still arguing over Brexit?
Her successor, Johnson, secured his own withdrawal agreement with the EU in October 2019, allowing for the U.K. to leave on Jan. 31. The two sides are hoping to agree a free trade deal with no tariffs and no quotas. So it is demanding strict legal guarantees on the governance of any trade deal. The EU fears Britain will slash social and environmental standards and pump state money into U.K. industries, becoming a low-regulation economic rival on the bloc’s doorstep. As well as the economic impact, a no-deal exit would endanger everything from U.K. police forces’ access to EU crime databases to U.K.-EU cooperation in science.
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Lives Lost: London rabbi worked to end community's isolation
“He served as a bridge in a broader sense,″ said Chaya Spitz, a protege of Pinter's and CEO of an umbrella organization for Orthodox Jewish charities. For instance, students aren’t taught about human reproduction because the Orthodox community believes the topic is one best handled at home. While some in his Jewish community considered him a dangerous modernist, many in the broader society saw him as a crazy extremist, Cohen said. After seeing the situation for himself, Pinter went back to London and raised 5,000 pounds ($6,500) for the migrants. “When he died I thought, ‘That’s Rabbi Pinter, at least he could look at his wife and say that he did his homework,’″ Glasman said.
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EU to UK: stop playing 'games' with Brexit trade talks
(Aris Oikonomou, Pool via AP)BRUSSELS – The European Union is pleading with Britain to stop playing “games" as time is running out to clinch a free trade deal over the next month. A transition period now runs until Dec 31, during which time both sides are negotiating a trade agreement to replace the open and unfettered economic relations that are currently in place. The EU has repeatedly expressed its exasperation at what it sees as British stubbornness and refusal to compromise on some key points. The EU has not explicitly said what action it would take but EU Vice President Maros Sefcovic indicated it would stay within the rules of dispute settlement set out in the withdrawal agreement. “I would like to underscore that the EU believes in calm, constructive cooperation through the channels created by the withdrawal agreement," Sefcovic said.