Chancellor Philip Hammond has rejected reports that the UK could be asked to pay as much as €100bn (£84.5bn) as part of its divorce settlement with the European Union.
The new figure, which is significantly higher than previous estimates, reflects stricter demands by Germany and France, according to analysis by the Financial Times.
But Mr Hammond, speaking at an election event, told Sky News: "I don't recognise this number, I genuinely don't recognise it.
"It's moved by 60% in the space of a few days... What we do know is that we're on the brink of a very tough, complex, lengthy negotiation.
"I'm not remotely surprised people are manoeuvring for opening advantage in that negotiation."
Brexit Secretary David Davis has also asserted Britain "will not be paying €100bn", adding: "We have not seen a number".
"We will do it (negotiate) in the meeting, we will do it properly, we will take our responsibility seriously," he told Good Morning Britain.
:: EU chief warns Brexit won't be quick and painless
Unveiling his draft negotiating mandate in Brussels, the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said he could not put a figure on the settlement but added Britain has to "respect" its financial commitments as a member state.
He said: "Commitments have been made and they have to be honoured.
"I want to reach an agreement on behalf of the 27 (remaining states)... we are not trying to create problems, we are trying to resolve problems."
Mr Barnier added that it would be "explosive" if Brexit caused an EU funding shortage which ended projects across the continent.
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
FBI translator jailed for marrying IS militant she was spying on
Details of an FBI translator who married an Islamic State militant she was meant to be spying on have been revealed in court documents.
Daniela Greene, who had 'top secret' security clearance, told colleagues at the Detroit FBI office that she was travelling to Germany to see her parents for a few weeks in June 2014.
Instead, she flew to Turkey and crossed the border to meet up and marry the IS fighter, identified in reports as Denis Cuspert - a German former rapper who went by the name Deso Dogg.
Cuspert was officially designated a terrorist in 2015 by the US State Department, and is described as an IS recruiter who has targeted German speakers and has appeared in a number of the extremist group's videos - including one in which he holds a severed head.
It is unclear how Cuspert, also known as Abu Talha al Almani, began the relationship with Greene.
Court testimony suggests they may have communicated privately using a Skype account that Greene did not report to her FBI colleagues.
Greene, 38, was born in Czechoslovakia and married a US soldier. She began working at the FBI in 2011 and had no issues on her record until her disappearance three years later.
She married Cuspert on 27 June 2014, immediately after arriving in Syria, according to recently unsealed court documents.
But within days she began to seek a way out of the marriage.
In an email to a friend in July 2014, she wrote: "I really made a mess of things this time."
In a later email she said: "I don't know how long I will last here, but it doesn't matter, it's all a little too late."
She also wrote that she recognised she could be imprisoned for years if she returned to the US.
It was unclear how she escaped from IS territory, but she returned to the US in August and was arrested.
She immediately confessed and co-operated with US prosecutors. She subsequently pleaded guilty to one charge of "making false statements involving international terrorism".
She was jailed for 24 months and was released last year, the court documents show.
Daniela Greene, who had 'top secret' security clearance, told colleagues at the Detroit FBI office that she was travelling to Germany to see her parents for a few weeks in June 2014.
Instead, she flew to Turkey and crossed the border to meet up and marry the IS fighter, identified in reports as Denis Cuspert - a German former rapper who went by the name Deso Dogg.
Cuspert was officially designated a terrorist in 2015 by the US State Department, and is described as an IS recruiter who has targeted German speakers and has appeared in a number of the extremist group's videos - including one in which he holds a severed head.
It is unclear how Cuspert, also known as Abu Talha al Almani, began the relationship with Greene.
Court testimony suggests they may have communicated privately using a Skype account that Greene did not report to her FBI colleagues.
Greene, 38, was born in Czechoslovakia and married a US soldier. She began working at the FBI in 2011 and had no issues on her record until her disappearance three years later.
She married Cuspert on 27 June 2014, immediately after arriving in Syria, according to recently unsealed court documents.
But within days she began to seek a way out of the marriage.
In an email to a friend in July 2014, she wrote: "I really made a mess of things this time."
In a later email she said: "I don't know how long I will last here, but it doesn't matter, it's all a little too late."
She also wrote that she recognised she could be imprisoned for years if she returned to the US.
It was unclear how she escaped from IS territory, but she returned to the US in August and was arrested.
She immediately confessed and co-operated with US prosecutors. She subsequently pleaded guilty to one charge of "making false statements involving international terrorism".
She was jailed for 24 months and was released last year, the court documents show.
Brexit won't be quick and painless
The EU's chief Brexit negotiator has said talks on Britain's exit will not be concluded "quickly and painlessly".
Michel Barnier said it was an "illusion" to think this was the case, as he set out the European Commission's detailed negotiating guidelines for the first phase of withdrawal talks.
He said: "Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly. This is not the case.
"We need sound solutions, we need legal precision and this will take time."
It comes amid reports Britain could be hit with a €100bn (£84.5bn) "divorce bill", a sharp increase on previous estimates of €60bn.
Speaking in Brussels, Mr Barnier said the opening phase would focus on the financial settlement, the status of expatriate citizens and the future border between the UK and EU in Ireland.
The French politician warned the talks would be complex and would have "consequences" for people's lives.
Mr Barnier stressed the so-called divorce bill was not a punishment for the UK leaving, but rather a "settling of accounts" that needed to happen before talks could progress.
"The UK must put a great deal of energy and effort into these three issues over the next weeks and months and that will increase the chances of making a deal," Mr Barnier said.
He said he hoped to be in a position by October or November to reach a view on whether sufficient progress has been made to move to the next phase, involving talks on future trade arrangements.
In order to do this, Mr Barnier said the EU would need "clear commitments", rather than "window dressing" on the three issues.
This will involve things like agreements on issues like the cut-off date for EU citizens to keep rights in the UK, as well as the nature and duration of those rights, and a "specific methodology" for calculating the UK's liabilities, he said.
Agreements reached at this stage should be final, Mr Barnier said, to avoid starting the next phase "in a climate of mistrust and uncertainty".
Michel Barnier said it was an "illusion" to think this was the case, as he set out the European Commission's detailed negotiating guidelines for the first phase of withdrawal talks.
He said: "Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly. This is not the case.
"We need sound solutions, we need legal precision and this will take time."
It comes amid reports Britain could be hit with a €100bn (£84.5bn) "divorce bill", a sharp increase on previous estimates of €60bn.
Speaking in Brussels, Mr Barnier said the opening phase would focus on the financial settlement, the status of expatriate citizens and the future border between the UK and EU in Ireland.
The French politician warned the talks would be complex and would have "consequences" for people's lives.
Mr Barnier stressed the so-called divorce bill was not a punishment for the UK leaving, but rather a "settling of accounts" that needed to happen before talks could progress.
"The UK must put a great deal of energy and effort into these three issues over the next weeks and months and that will increase the chances of making a deal," Mr Barnier said.
He said he hoped to be in a position by October or November to reach a view on whether sufficient progress has been made to move to the next phase, involving talks on future trade arrangements.
In order to do this, Mr Barnier said the EU would need "clear commitments", rather than "window dressing" on the three issues.
This will involve things like agreements on issues like the cut-off date for EU citizens to keep rights in the UK, as well as the nature and duration of those rights, and a "specific methodology" for calculating the UK's liabilities, he said.
Agreements reached at this stage should be final, Mr Barnier said, to avoid starting the next phase "in a climate of mistrust and uncertainty".
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Kate and William 'want £1.3m damages' in topless photos case
William and Kate have reportedly asked for £1.3m (€1.5m) in damages from a French magazine over topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge.
A lawyer for Closer magazine disclosed the level of damages requested as paparazzi photographers appeared in court over the images, which caused outrage when they appeared five years ago.
Cyril Moreau and Dominique Jacovides, two Paris-based agency photographers suspected of taking the pictures, must answer charges of invasion of privacy and complicity at the trial in Nanterre, outside Paris.
Laurence Pieau, Closer's editor in France, Ernesto Mauri, chief executive of the Mondadori group which owns the magazine, also face charges.
Marc Auburtin, former publisher of the La Provence newspaper, which also published the photos, and photographer Valerie Suau, are also among the six people named in the complaint.
William and Kate, who filed the court complaint, did not attend the trial on Tuesday.
A lawyer for the royal couple called for "very large damages" over the long-lens shots taken during the couple's holiday in Provence at a chateau owned by the Queen's nephew, Viscount David Linley.
Closer magazine's lawyer Paul-Albert Iweins said the photos - which were published across Europe but not in the UK - show a "positive image of the couple".
He also denounced an "Anglo-Saxon reasoning of damages and interest" over the case.
A verdict is expected at a later date.
A lawyer for Closer magazine disclosed the level of damages requested as paparazzi photographers appeared in court over the images, which caused outrage when they appeared five years ago.
Cyril Moreau and Dominique Jacovides, two Paris-based agency photographers suspected of taking the pictures, must answer charges of invasion of privacy and complicity at the trial in Nanterre, outside Paris.
Laurence Pieau, Closer's editor in France, Ernesto Mauri, chief executive of the Mondadori group which owns the magazine, also face charges.
Marc Auburtin, former publisher of the La Provence newspaper, which also published the photos, and photographer Valerie Suau, are also among the six people named in the complaint.
William and Kate, who filed the court complaint, did not attend the trial on Tuesday.
A lawyer for the royal couple called for "very large damages" over the long-lens shots taken during the couple's holiday in Provence at a chateau owned by the Queen's nephew, Viscount David Linley.
Closer magazine's lawyer Paul-Albert Iweins said the photos - which were published across Europe but not in the UK - show a "positive image of the couple".
He also denounced an "Anglo-Saxon reasoning of damages and interest" over the case.
A verdict is expected at a later date.
Mexico arrests 'El Chapo' successor Damaso Lopez
A key player in one of the world's most successful drug cartels has been arrested by security forces in Mexico City.
Damaso Lopez, the right-hand man of jailed drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, was captured on Tuesday with the help of the Mexican army.
The former security official is believed to have been involved in a bloody struggle for the Sinaloa drug cartel with the sons of the notorious drug kingpin.
The Sinaloa cartel was destabilised after their former boss Guzman was extradited to the US in January.
Lopez - who is nicknamed 'The Graduate' - was captured in an apartment in a middle-class neighbourhood a few weeks after a video emerged of him eating at a Mexico City restaurant.
Mexican TV showed a convoy of white vehicles driving him through the city to appear before the attorney general.
Officials believe he played a role in orchestrating Guzman's first escape from prison in 2001, before joining the cartel.
Guzman, who was flown to New York to stand trial for drug trafficking the day before Donald Trump became President, was recaptured last year after managing to break out of a maximum-security prison through a mile-long tunnel in his cell.
It was the second time the notorious drug lord had managed to escape from prison in a spectacular fashion.
With Guzman in jail, the Sinaloa cartel has been controlled by Lopez, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada Garcia and Rafael Caro Quintero, and Guzman's son Ivan Archivaldo Guzman.
Damaso Lopez, the right-hand man of jailed drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, was captured on Tuesday with the help of the Mexican army.
The former security official is believed to have been involved in a bloody struggle for the Sinaloa drug cartel with the sons of the notorious drug kingpin.
The Sinaloa cartel was destabilised after their former boss Guzman was extradited to the US in January.
Lopez - who is nicknamed 'The Graduate' - was captured in an apartment in a middle-class neighbourhood a few weeks after a video emerged of him eating at a Mexico City restaurant.
Mexican TV showed a convoy of white vehicles driving him through the city to appear before the attorney general.
Officials believe he played a role in orchestrating Guzman's first escape from prison in 2001, before joining the cartel.
Guzman, who was flown to New York to stand trial for drug trafficking the day before Donald Trump became President, was recaptured last year after managing to break out of a maximum-security prison through a mile-long tunnel in his cell.
It was the second time the notorious drug lord had managed to escape from prison in a spectacular fashion.
With Guzman in jail, the Sinaloa cartel has been controlled by Lopez, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada Garcia and Rafael Caro Quintero, and Guzman's son Ivan Archivaldo Guzman.
IS suicide attack on Syrian refugee camp leaves at least 32 dead
At least 32 people have been killed by Islamic State militants who attacked a refugee camp in northeast Syria near the border with Iraq.
The extremists launched the deadly pre-dawn suicide raid on a makeshift encampment that is home to around 300 families waiting to cross into territory held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
:: Charities struggling to help injured Syrian children
It is warned the number of dead could rise because some of the estimated 30 wounded are in a critical condition, while others are unaccounted for.
Heavy clashes between the SDF and militants followed the raid.
"At least five suicide attackers blew themselves up outside and inside a camp for Iraqi refugees and displaced Syrians in Hasakeh province," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The remote and desolate border region has become a favoured destination for civilians fleeing IS, many from neighbouring Deir Ezzor province, where the jihadists remain strong.
But across Syria, IS is under severe pressure from an alliance of coalition forces, while in Iraq, the terror group's territory has largely shrunk to western Mosul.
Supported by US-led air forces, the SDF has been fighting the jihadists for months across northern Syria and is now closing in on their base in Raqqa.
It recently captured most of the strategically important town of Tabqa, located on a supply route about 35 miles (55km) west of the city.
More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began during the Arab Spring in March 2011.
The UNHCR estimates 4.9 million Syrians have fled the country during the six-year conflict, with many more displaced internally.
The extremists launched the deadly pre-dawn suicide raid on a makeshift encampment that is home to around 300 families waiting to cross into territory held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
:: Charities struggling to help injured Syrian children
It is warned the number of dead could rise because some of the estimated 30 wounded are in a critical condition, while others are unaccounted for.
Heavy clashes between the SDF and militants followed the raid.
"At least five suicide attackers blew themselves up outside and inside a camp for Iraqi refugees and displaced Syrians in Hasakeh province," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The remote and desolate border region has become a favoured destination for civilians fleeing IS, many from neighbouring Deir Ezzor province, where the jihadists remain strong.
But across Syria, IS is under severe pressure from an alliance of coalition forces, while in Iraq, the terror group's territory has largely shrunk to western Mosul.
Supported by US-led air forces, the SDF has been fighting the jihadists for months across northern Syria and is now closing in on their base in Raqqa.
It recently captured most of the strategically important town of Tabqa, located on a supply route about 35 miles (55km) west of the city.
More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began during the Arab Spring in March 2011.
The UNHCR estimates 4.9 million Syrians have fled the country during the six-year conflict, with many more displaced internally.
'Oldest human' dies in Indonesia 'aged 146'
The Indonesian man who claimed to be 146 years old - the longest living human ever - has died in his village in Central Java.
According to his papers, Sodimedjo, also known as Mbah Ghoto (grandpa Ghoto), was born in December 1870.
But Indonesia only started recording births in 1900 - and there have been mistakes before.
Yet officials told the BBC his papers were valid, based on documents he provided and interviews with him.
He was taken to hospital on 12 April because of deteriorating health. Six days later he insisted on checking out to return home.
"Since he came back from the hospital, he only ate spoonfuls of porridge and drank very little," his grandson Suyanto told the BBC.
"It only lasted a couple of days. From that moment on to his death, he refused to eat and drink."
According to his papers, Sodimedjo, also known as Mbah Ghoto (grandpa Ghoto), was born in December 1870.
But Indonesia only started recording births in 1900 - and there have been mistakes before.
Yet officials told the BBC his papers were valid, based on documents he provided and interviews with him.
He was taken to hospital on 12 April because of deteriorating health. Six days later he insisted on checking out to return home.
"Since he came back from the hospital, he only ate spoonfuls of porridge and drank very little," his grandson Suyanto told the BBC.
"It only lasted a couple of days. From that moment on to his death, he refused to eat and drink."
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