More Than 1,280 Business Leaders Urge Remain

Remain campaigners are claiming a coup after winning the backing of 1,285 business leaders on the final day of the EU referendum campaign.

The firms, employing 1.75 million people in large, medium and small businesses, have written an open letter saying Britain's economy is better off in Europe.

They include 51 FTSE-100 companies and 910 smaller firms, from salt makers in Anglesey and dairy farmers in Devon to printers in Antrim and whisky distilleries in the Scottish Highlands.

And the top backers include Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, Sir Charles Dunstone, of Carphone Warehouse, Jacqueline Gold, of Anne Summers, and Cobra beer baron Lord Bilimoria.

In their letter, first revealed by Sky News City Editor Mark Kleinman earlier this month, the business leaders write: "We know our firms are stronger in Europe.

"Our reasons are straightforward: businesses and their employees benefit massively from being able to trade inside the world's largest single market without barriers.

"As business people, we are always looking to the future – and a future inside the European Union is where we see more opportunities for investment, growth and new jobs."

They continue: "We know that Britain leaving the EU would mean having to re-establish terms of trade from scratch with our home market of 500 million consumers. That wouldn't just hurt exporters but the hundreds of thousands of small and medium firms who do business with them.

"Even those that want Britain to leave say that, in the short term, Brexit would lead to economic uncertainty and would put jobs at risk. Smaller businesses and the people they employ are particularly vulnerable to any economic shock which could follow a vote to leave the EU.

"Britain leaving the EU would mean uncertainty for our firms, less trade with Europe and fewer jobs. Britain remaining in the EU would mean the opposite – more certainty, more trade and more jobs.

"EU membership is good for business and good for British jobs. That's why, on June 23rd, we back Britain remaining in the EU."

Remain campaigners claim the big show of support from UK businesses puts to bed the claim of Leave campaigners that business is split on the Europe issue.

In the letter they say: "Businesses and their employees benefit massively from being able to trade inside the world's largest single market."

the Leave campaign lacks an economic plan for Britain. Leaving the EU, they say, could cause an "economic shock" that would hurt British businesses.

:: Time To Decide: A special programme on the eve of the EU referendum with Dermot Murnaghan tonight from 10pm

Former Vice President Jailed For Murder And Rape

The former vice-president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been sentenced to 18 years in jail for numerous acts of murder, rape and pillage.

Jean-Pierre Bemba, who was one of four VPs in a transitional government between 2003 and 2006, was accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of carrying out a range of crimes in neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR).

Before taking up his government role, he was the commander of the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) and was asked in 2002 and 2003 to send troops into CAR.

The President of CAR at the time, Ange-Felix Patasse, wanted the troops to help him out during a civil war.

In March, Bemba became the first person to be convicted by the court of crimes of sexual violence in war, as well as the first to be held directly responsible for crimes carried out by those under his command.

The court heard how his militia carried out mass murder, widespread rape and looting to "traumatise and terrorise" people in the CAR.

Prosecutor Petra Kneuer told a preliminary hearing he chose "rape as his main method", the Guardian reported.

Prosecutors told the court that Bemba: "Knew that the troops were committing crimes and did not take all necessary and reasonable measures within his power to prevent or repress their commission."

One victim had described how, while still a virgin, she had been raped in front of her father while other soldiers held the father at gunpoint.

During the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) 1998-2002 civil war, Bemba's MLC controlled large parts of the country's north-east.

At least 2.7 million people are thought to have died as an indirect consequence of the war, studies have claimed.

The transition government Bemba was a member of was part of a peace process that paved the way for later elections.

ICC presiding judge Sylvia Steiner ruled that the former militia leader had failed to exercise control over his private army, which went on to carry out "sadistic" crimes of "particular cruelty."

She said that "after the attacks, some parents found their daughters lying on the ground crying and bleeding" from inside, and that victims had been "particularly defenceless".

In sentencing, judge Steiner gave him credit for the eight years he has already spent in ICC detention since his arrest in Belgium in May 2008.

The MLC is still a large opposition party in CAR and Bemba retains significant support in the West. He is able to appeal his conviction and sentence.

Eve Bazaiba, secretary general of Bemba's MLC party, criticised the court's ruling, saying:  "We will continue and we will never cease denouncing the selective justice of the ICC."

Signs Of Possible N Korea Missile Launch: Reports

North Korea is showing signs of attempting to conduct a new ballistic missile launch, according to reports.

Unidentified sources said there were indications of a possible launch, Japanese media outlets, including Kyodo and public broadcaster NHK, reported.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, citing an unnamed government source, said North Korea appeared to have moved an intermediate-range Musudan missile to its east coast, but there appeared to be no signs of an imminent launch.

North Korea is understood to have failed all four previous attempts to test fire a Musudan missile, which has an estimated range between 2,500 and 4,000km (1,550 to 2,500 miles).

It failed three attempts in April and another in May.

Japan's military remains on high alert, a government source told Reuters. Local media reported that Japan's navy and anti-missile batteries have been ordered to shoot down any projectile heading for its territory.

If confirmed, it would be North Korea's latest attempt to intimidate its neighbours with its ongoing nuclear weapons programme said to have the ultimate aim of developing a missile that could reach the US.

North Korean missiles have flown over Japanese territory in the past, and Japan's government has deployed the anti-missile batteries in Tokyo and other parts of the country in response.

Defence officials in Tokyo declined to comment on the latest reports, but did not deny them.

A South Korean defence ministry official told Reuters it could not confirm the reports, but said its military was watching the North's activities closely.

Relations between Pyongyang, its neighbours and the West have worsened following the isolated state's repeated nuclear tests and long-range rocket launches.

In January, the White House cast doubt on North Korea's claim to have conducted its first "successful" test of a miniature hydrogen bomb.

Pyongyang said the detonation was a "historic" event, but White House press secretary Josh Earnest said US analysis was "not consistent" with the claim.

Annan hits out at African leaders over ICC

Ex-UN chief Kofi Annan has hit out at Africa leaders for their attitude to the International Criminal Court (ICC), in an interview in the British Financial Times newspaper.

The Ghanaian diplomat rejected accusations that the ICC was an anti-African institution following threats from African countries to withdraw from the court:

I remind the Africans that it’s wrong for them to say that only African leaders are put into the dock… [they] shouldn’t pretend that they were the first.”

Mr Annan said he was sure that Africans wanted their leaders to be held to account:

They want justice if they can get it from their own courts and, if not, an international court.”

His remarks come after the ICC decision to "terminate" charges against Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto earlier this year. Charges were dropped against the Kenyan President Uhuru in 2014 – both had denied involvement in ethnic violence that followed the elections in December 2007.

The names of key suspects involved in that violence were handed over to the ICC by Mr Annan, who brokered a power-sharing deal to end the violence, and proceedings against them began after Kenya failed to set up a local court to try them.

Mr Annan also criticised the ICC for not doing enough to protect witnesses from intimidation, the FT reports, and questioned the decision to allow Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto to remain free while the case proceeded:

The president and vice-president were the ones in the dock and so they put lots of effort and resources into fighting the case."

Becks Backs In: Star Puts Cross In Remain Box

David Beckham has announced he will be voting to stay in the European Union, saying "together as a people we are strong".

In a statement posted on Facebook, the football star says he was "privileged" to play and live in European cities where he and his family were welcomed.

And he says that while Manchester United was a team of great young British players, it was "a better and more successful team" because of the Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, Irish captain Roy Keane and France's Eric Cantona.

:: EU Fairytales, Let Sky's Economics Editor Ed Conway Tell You A Story

Beckham said: "We live in a vibrant and connected world where together as a people we are strong.

"For our children and their children we should be facing the problems of the world together and not alone.

"For these reasons I am voting to Remain."

In the post Beckham, who lived and played in Milan, Paris and Madrid, says he is "passionate" about his country and "whatever the result of Thursday's referendum, we will always be Great".

As campaigning reaches its endgame and after bitter recriminations from both sides, Beckham urges: "Each side has the right to their opinion and that should always be respected whatever the outcome of the European referendum."

:: Why The 'God Particle' Would Survive Brexit

Leave.EU has been using a poster with a picture of Beckham's wife Victoria and a quote from her to advance their case for Brexit.

The campaign has used a comment she made 20 years ago saying: "The euro bureaucrats are destroying every bit of national identity and individuality.

We must keep our national individuality."

However, after her husband announced he was for 'In', Victoria Beckham tweeted to say she was proud of him with the hashtag #remain and a Union Flag.

It comes after the Premier League boss Richard Scudamore backed Remain, saying all 20 clubs in the league wanted the UK to stay in too.

He said: "Nobody bears the scars more than me of having to go and negotiate in Brussels and try and organise things a little bit in our interests in terms of the European machine.

"Ultimately you can't break away, you can't just pull out, you have to get in and negotiate and try and organise and try and influence."

Leave campaigner Michael Gove countered, telling Sky News that Vote Leave had the backing of former England defender Sol Campbell and winger John Barnes. 

In April, Campbell argued in an article in the Mail On Sunday: "The Premier League is in danger of becoming a free-for-all because, along with the star players, we are seeing teams load up with too many mediocre overseas footballers, especially from Europe, crowding out young English and British talent.

"Because of European rules on freedom of movement, it is virtually impossible for us to get a proper grip on the situation."

Cameron Was Warned On Immigration Four Years Ago

id Cameron was warned four years ago that the Government would not be able to meet its immigration promises while Britain remained in the European Union.

The Prime Minister's former policy adviser Steve Hilton says civil servants told the Prime Minister "directly and explicitly" that the pledge to reduce migration to the tens of thousands would fail.

Mr Hilton said that Mr Cameron had restated his commitment to the now famous target in the 2015 general election even though he "had been told (it) was undeliverable".

:: How To Divorce The EU

Net migration to the UK was revealed last month to have hit 333,000 over the previous 12 months, well above Mr Cameron's aim of being fewer than 100,000.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Leave campaigner Mr Hilton said: "We were told, directly and explicitly, that it was impossible for the Government to meet its immigration target as long as we remained members of the EU which, of course, insists on the free movement of people within it.

"You don't need to sit in a 'stock take' meeting at No 10 Downing Street to see the obvious truth: our immigration system is completely broken and, as long as we're in the EU, our elected governments are powerless to fix it."

A spokesman for Number 10 said Mr Cameron "doesn't recognise the claims" made by Mr Hilton.

The Office of National Statistics notes that net migration had fallen by a quarter in 2012 – the year the former guru claims the advice was given - from 242,000 to 183,000.

His comments come as Economists for Brexit suggested that unskilled migrants were costing British taxpayers £6.6bn a year - a claim instantly dismissed by Remain as "baseless".

Meanwhile, billionaire currency speculator George Soros has warned a vote for the UK to leave will see the pound plunge by more than 15%, bringing a Black Friday more dramatic than when Britain crashed out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism in the 1990s.

Mr Soros reportedly made £1bn off a £10bn bet against the pound when Britain left the ERM but he says most people post-Brexit would be left "considerably poorer".

The country would not have the benefits of a devalued pound to fall back on and, with the country's finances more fragile and with interest rates at record lows, the Bank of England would also be limited in what it could do to help.

He said: "Too many believe that a vote to leave will have no effect on their personal financial positions. This is wishful thinking.

"If Britain leaves the EU, it will have at least one very clear and immediate effect that will touch every household: the value of the pound would decline precipitously.

"A vote to leave the EU would also have an immediate and dramatic impact on financial markets, investment, prices and jobs."

The most recent polls still show a tight race, with research for The Daily Telegraph having the In camp seven points ahead, with 53% of the vote among those who intend to have their say on Thursday.

But the Orb International study shows that, when all voters are considered, the Remain camp's lead falls to 49%, compared with Leave's 47%.

:: Time To Decide: A special programme on the eve of the EU referendum with Dermot Murnaghan on Wednesday from 10pm

:: In Or Out: Get all the results and reaction from the EU referendum from 9.30pm on Thursday

Here’s The Average Net Worth of Millennials

While American media is rife with stories about millionaire (and billionaire) teenagers and 30 Under 30 lists, the data shows that the Mark Zuckerbergs (worth almost $50 billion) and Evan Spiegels (worth $2 billion) of the world have little in common with their millennial brethren.

Financial website The College Investor estimated the average net worth (or assets minus liabilities) for several cohorts of millennials. Not surprisingly, the liabilities here are, primarily, student loan debt. As The College Investor points out, the average debt burden for students has almost doubled within the millennial generation. Graduates in the Class of 2016 are saddled with $37,172 in student loan debt, on average, while those in the Class of 2003 had an average of $18,271 to pay back upon graduation. That makes a big difference.

If you’re a millennial and you want to be better than average you should aim for $10,400+ to your name, according to the research. That’s slightly more realistic than aiming for a Zuckerberg-level bank account (though MONEY has plenty of savings and investing tipsto help you maximize yours).

The College Investor estimates Generation Y’s net worth by age breaks down like so: detract

AVERAGE NET WORTH
35 (Class of 2003)	$20,236
34 (Class of 2004)	$17,351
33 (Class of 2005)	$13,599
32 (Class of 2006)	$9,896
31 (Class of 2007)	$6,036
30 (Class of 2008)	$2,093
29 (Class of 2009)	-$1,989
28 (Class of 2010)	-$6,043
27 (Class of 2011)	-$10,168
26 (Class of 2012)	-$14,447
25 (Class of 2013)	-$18,988
24 (Class of 2014)	-$23,704
23 (Class of 2015)	-$28,706
22 (Class of 2016)	-$33,984

But isn’t this low? Not really. Millennials, roughly between the ages of 18 and 35, may just be starting college, or have graduated over a decade ago. Some entered the job market in the midst of the Great Recession, while others missed it completely. Some are starting families and buying houses, and others are renting textbooks. It’s a massive cohort, and making sweeping generalizations isn’t particularly helpful. The site attempted to take pay, debt, and savings rates into account when making the calculations.

For reference, here are the average starting salaries for millennials over the years, according to NACE.

AGE	AVERAGE STARTING SALARY
35 (Class of 2003)	$40,818
34 (Class of 2004)	$43,124
33 (Class of 2005)	$41,376
32 (Class of 2006)	$42,881
31 (Class of 2007)	$43,094
30 (Class of 2008)	$42,414
29 (Class of 2009)	$41,546
28 (Class of 2010)	$40,766
27 (Class of 2011)	$41,701
26 (Class of 2012)	$44,259
25 (Class of 2013)	$45,327
24 (Class of 2014)	$48,127
23 (Class of 2015)	$50,561
22 (Class of 2016)	$51,100 (estimated)