No Brexit deal better than ‘bad deal’: May

Putin pension reform OK’d

NEW YORK, Sept 26 (Agencies): Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated her stance on Tuesday that no deal on the UK’s planned European Union withdrawal was better than a bad deal that may threaten Britain’s sovereignty.

Speaking to reporters on her way to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, May said she did not agree with an alternative to her proposal suggested by detractors from her party, after the EU rejected her offer.

Asked if she was “bluffing” when she said no deal is better than a bad deal with the EU, May told the BBC: “No. What we issued yesterday was some more technical notices to help businesses and others who would need to prepare in a ‘no deal’ situation for doing that. That’s the right, sensible approach.”

May also said on Tuesday it would not be in Britain’s national interest to hold another general election just as she is negotiating the terms of Britain’s exit from the European Union.

British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn rallied his Labour Party on Wednesday, calling for a clampdown on unfettered capitalism and a huge investment in public services as he tried to refocus attention on domestic policies after an annual conference dominated by Brexit.

Corbyn said in his keynote speech that “the old way of running things isn’t working anymore,” and argued that his socialist ideas represent “the new political mainstream.”

A veteran left-winger who was the surprise winner of Labour’s 2015 leadership contest, Corbyn favors a brand of openly socialist politics that was banished during the centrist, “New Labour” years of then Prime Minister Tony Blair.

May

Queen’s window enveiled:

Westminster Abbey, the site of royal coronations, weddings, burials and resting place for famous Britons, on Wednesday unveiled a new stained glass window honouring Queen Elizabeth which artist David Hockney designed on an Ipad.

“The Queen’s Window” transforms a previously plain glass window into a colourful rural scene inspired by Hockney’s native Yorkshire and featuring hawthorn blossom.

The 81-year-old Hockney, known for his brightly coloured pop artwork, depictions of swimming pools, portraits and landscapes, was tasked with designing “something symbolic or representational of the subject”.

“The subject reflects the queen as a countrywoman and her widespread delight in, and yearning for, the countryside,” the abbey said in a statement

Merkel’s veteran ally ousted:

German politicians and media questioned how long Angela Merkel could carry on as chancellor on Wednesday after her conservatives ditched a long-standing ally as head of the parliamentary party, defying her wishes and dealing a blow to her waning authority.

The upset, before an Oct 14 election in Bavaria in which her CSU conservative allies face heavy losses, follows the third crisis in as many months for her loveless coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD).

“Can Merkel Still be Chancellor?” splashed topselling Bild with a photo of the 64-old pulling a grim face.

SPD lawmaker Thomas Oppermann tweeted it was an “uprising against Merkel” and Free Democrat Alexander Graf Lambsdorff said it was “the beginning of the end of the grand coalition”.

House OKs Putin pension reform:

Russian parliament’s lower house passed a controversial pension reform bill Wednesday, after President Vladimir Putin announced concessions to try to dampen widespread public anger over plans to raise the state retirement age.

The bill, which still has to go through the formality of a third reading and senate hearing, would see Russian men retire at 65 instead of 60 and has sparked rare national protest, with tens of thousands rallying across Russia in recent months.

The lower house passed the controversial legislation in a key second reading, with 326 votes for, 59 against and one abstention. Parliament’s lower house, the State Duma, earlier in the day approved Putin’s proposed amendments to the reform, raising the state pension age for women by five years to 60, instead of eight years to 63 originally proposed.

2 try to supply IS with drones:

Two people were arrested in Copenhagen on Wednesday and charged with attempting to supply Islamic State with drones, which the organization has used to carry out attacks, police said.

The two were arrested after police and Danish security and intelligence services carried out raids in Copenhagen, the police said in a statement.

The two persons are suspected of being members of a broader network that ships drones and other supplies to Islamic State from Denmark for use in combat, the police said. The police did not release their names or any details about them.

Sub killer’s life sentence upheld:

A Danish appeals court on Wednesday upheld a life sentence handed down by a lower court against Peter Madsen for the 2017 murder of a Swedish journalist aboard his homemade submarine.

Madsen, 47, had asked the Copenhagen appeals court to reduce his life term, but did not appeal the district court’s April 25 guilty verdict for the murder of 30-year-old Kim Wall.

Morocco navy opens fire:

A migrant has been killed after Morocco’s navy opened fire on a boat carrying her and more than two dozen others, a human rights group said Wednesday.

The 22-year-victim, who was studying law, died before reaching a hospital, said Mohamed Benaissa, the head of Morocco’s Northern Observatory for Human Rights. Three other migrants were wounded in Tuesday’s confrontation, he said.