Belgium foreign office

Liz Truss has accused the civil service of having a “woke culture that strays into antisemitism”, sparking an angry backlash in Whitehall. The Foreign Secretary made the remarks in a press release on Friday, which outlined her plans to protect the British Jewish community . She pledged to “boost links between the UK and Israel” including by securing a free trade deal between the two countries. The Tory leadership frontrunner also made a vow to “protect British Jewry from creeping antisemitism and wokeism”. Referring to the civil service , she said: “Every organisation has its culture, but it’s not fixed, it can be changed. “That’s what ministerial leadership is about: it’s about making sure that the policies we represent, the values we stand for, are reflected in what we do. “I’ve been very clear with our officials about the positions we take on Israel, and that will continue if I become prime minister.” ‘Insulting and abhorrent’ Her remarks prompted a furious … [Read more...] about Liz Truss accuses the civil service of ‘wokeism that strays into antisemitism’

Rob Lawrie faced an impossible decision while volunteering in the refugee and migrant camp in the northern French city of Calais known as "the Jungle" late last month. Lawrie, 49, a British ex-soldier, visited the the sprawling site several times in September and October to help residents build temporary shelters to replace their flimsy tents as the winter months drew nearer. On his first trip he met Bahar Ahmadi, a 4-year-old Afghan girl living in the camp with her father. On his seventh or eighth trip, he tried to take her to the U.K. "I formed a very strong bond with her and a strong relationship with her father," Lawrie told Newsweek by phone. "Her father asked me on several occasions to try and get her to [their] family, who happen to live five miles from where I live," in Leeds, northern England. Ahmadi and her father have lived in the Jungle for four months, while her mother and 18-month-old brother are still in Afghanistan, says Lawrie. Nearly a quarter of the 700,000 … [Read more...] about British Volunteer Could Face Five Years in Prison for Smuggling Afghan Girl From Calais

Joe Biden was elected president in 2020 for one main reason: he wasn’t Donald Trump. Nobody in the Democratic Party was especially wild about his candidacy. He galvanised no particular base. What campaign he ran was flat and devoid of excitement. The sole idea was that he was an unexciting figure who could glide through the campaign without incident, get into office and ensure that the Republic was not led by Trump. It worked, of course. But while not being Trump may be a virtue for a campaign, it turns out not to be enough to be a successful president. This week, after days spent denying that America was technically in recession, Biden had a rare foreign policy success to announce. After a mere quarter of a century of searching, America’s intelligence agencies had finally caught up with Ayman al-Zawahiri , the head of al-Qaeda. Biden’s announcement of Zawahiri’s demise by drone strike was given with the same solemnity and import with which Barack Obama announced the killing … [Read more...] about Joe Biden has just made his most dangerous blunder yet

In the aftermath of the ISIS attacks in Paris, 31 governors—all Republican but one—and all Republican presidential candidates have embraced a controversial policy of rejecting Syrian refugees or establishing a religious test for their admission. Setting aside the morality of these positions, the governors cannot legally prevent these refugees from reaching their states. Both the governors and candidates, however, are simply missing the central point in combating terror. As the attacks in Paris highlighted, the real security lesson is not about refugees coming into the country, but rather a far more troubling group—those who aspire to go abroad to join ISIS in Syria. All identified participants in the Paris attack were European Union nationals. The suspected ringleader of the attack left Belgium in 2014 to join ISIS in Syria, and the attack was reportedly planned there. Among the other attack suspects, at least three were French nationals reported to have traveled to Syria in … [Read more...] about It’s Radicalized Americans We Need to Worry About. Refugees, Not So Much

By Susan Ninan Published 25 June Share close Share page Copy link About sharing In August, Mahabalipuram, a small town in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, will serve as the unlikely venue for a Russia-Ukraine battle. Representatives of more than 180 countries will vote - at the sidelines of the upcoming Chess Olympiad, which India is hosting - to choose the chief of The International Chess Federation (FIDE), the apex body for global chess. The frontrunner is Arkady Dvorkovich - current president of FIDE and former deputy prime minister of Russia - who is seeking a second term in office. Going up against him is Ukrainian Grandmaster Andrii Baryshpolets, who announced his candidacy in late May. There are two other candidates in the fray for the top post - Bachar Kouatly, who is currently vice-president of FIDE, and Inalbek Cheripov from Belgium. The Indian … [Read more...] about Chess: Russia and Ukraine face off in India amid war

Published 10 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing An Italian man has been rescued from a collapsed tunnel near the Vatican - and police suspect he could have been burrowing his way into a bank. He is now recovering in hospital after firefighters spent eight hours digging him out from under a road. But he may now need to dig himself out of further trouble, as police have arrested him and a second man for damage to public property. Officers believe he may have been part of a gang trying to break into a bank. Two other men were arrested for "resisting a public official" after trying to escape from the site, Rai News reports. Three of the four men managed to escape before the tunnel collapsed, leaving the final man trapped six metres below. "We are still investigating, we do not exclude that they are thieves, it is one of the theories," a police spokesman … [Read more...] about Suspected bank robber rescued from tunnel near Vatican

N orway has drawn up plans to ration electricity exports in a move that has heightened fears of energy shortages in the UK and Europe this winter. The government in Oslo on Monday announced new rules limiting the sale of power to foreign countries as heatwaves threaten Norway’s hydroelectric power generation. Experts said the restrictions threatened the UK’s plan to draw power from Norway this winter via the North Sea Link - leaving electricity supplies more stretched and risking even higher bills for consumers. The National Grid has already revealed that the UK is set to be more dependent than ever on the Continent for power, with interconnectors expected to provide up to 5.7 gigawatts of electricity at peak times. About one quarter of that total – or 1.4 gigawatts – is set to come from Norway. Kathryn Porter, an energy consultant at Watt-Logic, said the proposed restrictions “put at risk the ability of Britain to import from Norway this winter”. “National Grid ESO needs to … [Read more...] about Norway threatens to ration electricity in fresh blow for UK and European energy supplies

The refugees making life-threatening journeys across the Mediterranean and through Europe have a new hero—German Chancellor Angela Merkel. While Europe has largely flailed in the face of the greatest such crisis since the end of World War II, Merkel has provided rare leadership. The most powerful country in Europe expects to take in 800,000 people this year, four times as many as it did in 2014. Instead of tightening border controls and insisting the country has no room for more refugees, as some governments have done, the German government has made it clear that it will welcome large numbers of the people fleeing the conflict in Syria and other troubled parts of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Asylum seekers have taken to calling the German leader "Mama Merkel." The chancellor's most significant move in the crisis was her government's announcement on August 24 that it would no longer apply the Dublin Protocol to Syrian refugees. Under the protocol, refugees are tested to see … [Read more...] about How 'Mama Merkel' Became Europe's Conscience

GETTING ready to jet off abroad? Do not forget to take a travel-friendly spending card, which can save you enough for an extra meal, round of drinks or day out. A typical debit card charges around £6 to withdraw 250 euros at a cash machine and about £2.50 when spending 100 euros in a shop or restaurant – fees that can quickly add up during your stay. But the best cards offer near-perfect exchange rates and fee-free cash-machine withdrawals. Here Harriet Cooke goes through the different options available, depending on the type of holidaymaker you are. FUSS-FREE TRAVELLER THE best travel debit cards have no spending or ATM fees overseas, so you can use them as if you are popping to the shops at home. It will mean opening a new bank account but you can do this alongside your main account and transfer money across if you do not want to switch. Read More on Cards CASH IN Martin Lewis explains how to bag £170 free cash with easy … [Read more...] about How to find the best holiday money for your summer break

Sky News will hold a TV debate with the Tory leadership candidates vying to replace Boris Johnson. The live debate is scheduled for 8pm on Tuesday 19 July and will be hosted by Kay Burley. The contenders, gathered at the Sky News studios in west London, will face questions from a virtual studio audience. Who will be the next PM? The five candidates who remain John Ryley, head of Sky News, said: "There has never been a more important time to reinvigorate the trust of voters in the office of the prime minister. Advertisement "This live TV debate on Sky News gives the candidates a chance to reconnect with millions by debating the major issues facing Britain. "It presents a unique opportunity to re-engage a disillusioned electorate." More on Conservatives Truss shifts focus to policing as Sunak promises to whittle Whitehall down to fund winter support Truss pledges to 'immediately' reverse NI hike in emergency budget - as Sunak … [Read more...] about Sky News to host Tory leadership debate