Theresa May tells ministers UK must make success of Brexit

Theresa May has said the UK must focus on the "opportunities" on offer outside the EU as she reiterated there would be no second referendum on Brexit.

The prime minister is meeting cabinet colleagues at Chequers to discuss developments since June's Leave vote.

She told them that the UK would not stay in the EU "by the back door" and she was committed to making a success of Britain's "new role" in the world.

Mrs May has said talks with the rest of the EU will not begin this year.

The meeting at the PM's country residence is being billed as the most significant since the referendum vote in June and comes amid reports of tensions and diverging priorities among key figures in the Cabinet charged with implementing the UK's exit.
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BBC political correspondent Tom Bateman said Mrs May had asked every Cabinet minister before the summer break to identify what were described as the "opportunities" for their departments and they will now be expected to report back.

In comments made at the start of the meeting while cameras were allowed in, Mrs May told ministers that the government was clear that "Brexit means Brexit".

"We will be looking at the next steps that we need to take and we will also be looking at the opportunities that are now open to us as we forge a new role for the UK in the world," she said.

"We must be clear that we are going to make a success of it - that means no second referendum, no attempts to sort of stay in the EU by the back door. That we are actually going to deliver on it."

The prime minister has said the UK government will not trigger Article 50 - the official mechanism for beginning the process of leaving the EU - until the start of 2017 at the earliest.

From that moment, discussions over the terms of the UK's exit will conclude in two years unless all 28 members of the EU agree to extend them.

The UK voted to leave the EU, by a margin of 51.9% to 48.1%, in a referendum on 23 June and Mrs May, who had backed staying in the EU, became prime minister after David Cameron resigned in its aftermath.

Two months on from the vote, the relationship the UK will have with the EU after its exit, in terms of access to the EU internal market and obligations in regard to freedom of movement, remains unclear.

Former Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said there was a "definite fault line" between ministers who believed Brexit was chiefly about ending free movement and those who wanted to see more "flexibility", meaning the UK did not yet have its "ducks in a row" for negotiations.

Mr Swire, who campaigned for Remain, told BBC Radio 4's The World at One: "Until we have a clear idea of what it is that we are trying to achieve... I think we should proceed with great caution."

Wednesday's meeting at the prime minister's country residence is being seen as an opportunity for Mrs May and senior colleagues to talk through many issues involved ahead of this weekend's summit of G20 leaders in China.

The talks are being billed as the most significant since the referendum result and mark an end to the relative lull in proceedings over the summer recess - which ends on Monday.

Mrs May, who has held face-to-face talks with the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Poland and Slovakia since taking office, has said time is needed to determine the UK's strategy as a "sensible and orderly departure" is in the national interest.

But several senior Conservatives have warned against undue delay and said nothing should stand in the way of the UK triggering Article 50 as soon as possible next year.

Ex-Chancellor Lord Lawson, a leading Leave campaigner, said the UK should not try to negotiate a special trade deal with the EU, allowing it to remain within the single market, because it simply wasn't on offer on acceptable terms and would hold the process up.

"As soon as you stop wasting time trying to negotiate the unnegotiable - some special trade deal with the EU - it is possible to have a relatively quick exit," he told BBC Radio 4's Today.

"A prolonged period of uncertainty is bad for the economy and for British business. The sooner this is sorted out the better."

Brexit-backing backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg agreed, telling BBC Radio 4's World at One leaving the EU was "the simple bit" and that trade negotiations could take place afterwards.

Among those round the table with Mrs May are Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and David Davis, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.

Mr Johnson, Mr Fox and Mr Davis are reported to have held private talks last week amid reports of early disagreements over the shape of a future Brexit settlement and departmental responsibility for trade issues.

Former Conservative minister Anna Soubry, who backed the UK remaining in the EU, said it was now up to the "three Brexiteers" to deliver the best deal for the British people.

"Boris Johnson, Liam Fox and David Davis - these are the people that have to show us the progress they have made, what Brexit is beginning to look like, what successes, difficulties or failures they have had," she told Today.
'Nods and winks'

Although she accepted the outcome of the referendum, Ms Soubry said she did not accept the British people had voted, in and of itself, for a cut in immigration or curbs on the right of EU citizens to live and work in the UK and more debate was needed.

Labour's Jon Ashworth said what was needed was a detailed statement on the work that had been done so far rather than brainstorming meetings and "nods and winks" on issues such as immigration.

The SNP, meanwhile, has accused the government of "breathtaking complacency" over a plan for Brexit and "making it up as they go along".

Although MPs will have a say on the timing of talks there was no legal requirement to consult Parliament before Article 50 was activated, No 10 has said.

Chequers, an isolated 16th Century mansion 40 miles north-west of London, has played host to a number of historic occasions in the past 50 years and was one of Margaret Thatcher's favourite locations to conduct high-level meetings and personal diplomacy.

'Severe Turbulence' Injures 16 On Heathrow-Bound Flight

A London-bound flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Ireland after 16 people were injured during "severe and unexpected turbulence".

United Airlines flight UA-880 was diverted mid-flight and made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport at around 6am.

The Boeing 767-300 jet was flying from Houston in Texas to Heathrow.

On its arrival at Shannon Airport, 14 passengers and two crew members were taken to University Limerick Hospital with minor injuries.

In a statement, United Airlines told RTE that the aircraft "experienced severe and unexpected turbulence".

A spokesperson added: "Fourteen customers and two flight attendants have been taken to a local hospital.

"We wish these passengers and crew a quick recovery from their injuries."

The flight had 207 passengers and 13 crew members on board.

Frankfurt Airport Security Scare Causes Travel Disruption

A security scare at one of Europe's busiest airports has caused travel disruption across the continent.

Parts of Frankfurt airport's Terminal 1 were evacuated after a passenger entered the airside area without fully completing a security check, the hub's operator said.

"The federal police therefore cleared Piers A and A+ and passengers will undergo the security check again," Fraport told Reuters.

German police said it was unclear whether the person who entered the secure area did so intentionally and whether they were carrying any forbidden items.

A spokeswoman said nothing suspicious had been found after the evacuation and that officers were interrogating an individual about the security breach.

Frankfurt airport said on Twitter that it would resume operations at 11.30am (BST), while European air traffic controller Eurocontrol said there would be no arrivals before 1pm.

Passengers took to social media to express their frustration at the delays.

Esports commentator James Carrol tweeted: "Departure terminal Z completely shut down at Frankfurt Airport. Im gonna have a huge delay :'( Seems like a security reason."

Frankfurt is Europe's third busiest airport in terms of passenger numbers, behind Charles de Gaulle in Paris and Heathrow in London.

Nigerian economy slips into recession

Nigeria has slipped into recession, with the latest growth figures showing the economy contracted by 2.06% between April and June.

The country has now seen two consecutive quarters of declining growth, the usual definition of recession.

Its vital oil industry has been hit by weaker global prices, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Crude oil sales account for 70% of government income.

The price of oil has fallen from highs of about $112 a barrel in 2014 to below $50 at the moment.

Outside the oil industry, the figures show the fall in the Nigerian currency, the naira, has hurt the economy. It was allowed to float freely in June to help kick-start the economy, but critics argued it should have been done earlier.

Nigeria, which vies with South Africa for the mantle of Africa's biggest economy, is also battling an inflation rate at an 11-year high of 17.1% in July.

"A lot of Nigeria's current predicament could have been avoided," said Kevin Daly from Aberdeen Asset Management.

"The country is so reliant on oil precisely because its leaders haven't diversified the economy.

"More recently, they have tried, and failed, to prop up the naira, which has had a ruinous effect on the country's foreign exchange reserves and any reputation it might have had of being fiscally responsible."
Analysis: Martin Patience, BBC Nigeria correspondent

This economic recession comes as no surprise to millions of Nigerians. Many say they've never known it so tough.

The slump in global oil prices has hit Nigeria hard. The government depends on oil sales for about 70% of its revenues.

But critics say government policies made a bad situation even worse. The decision to delay devaluing Nigeria's currency meant many businesses struggled to get foreign currency to pay for imports, which had a cooling effect on the entire economy.

Following enormous pressure, the government changed tack this summer, allowing the naira to float.

That's led to a spike in inflation, but the hope is that it will attract foreign investors. The government also says the country needs to import less: it wants to see more products made in Nigeria.

Rapper Chris Brown Held On Suspicion Of Assault After Standoff

US singer Chris Brown has been arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after a daylong standoff with police.

The rapper had refused to leave his LA home for several hours after a woman called 911 before dawn on Tuesday and reportedly claimed that he had pointed a gun at her face.

Baylee Curran said Brown and another man had become angry when she admired a diamond necklace - telling the LA Times she was chased out of the house and had to hide under a nearby car with a friend.

Brown had posted a series of videos on Instagram declaring his innocence - and in one clip, waved a cigarette around and declared that police would find nothing inside his home once they obtained a search warrant.

Police have since performed a lengthy search of his expansive home, and about six people have been escorted from the property for questioning.

In a statement outside the star's home, Lieutenant Chris Ramirez of the Los Angeles Police Department said: "He is being transported to robbery homicide, where he will be arrested for assault with a deadly weapon."

On Instagram, the rapper had denied reports that he had barricaded himself inside his house.

He also accused the police of "defacing my name and my character and my integrity" - and insisted he had done nothing wrong.

Brown has been in repeated legal trouble since he was convicted in 2009 for assaulting his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, which led to him spending six years on probation.

Singer Chris Brown spent six years on probation after pleading guilty to assaulting Rihanna in 2009

The Grammy-winning performer was forced to postpone a UK tour in 2010 after he was denied a visa, and was also refused entry into Canada six months ago.

In 2013, he was charged with assault after striking a man outside a hotel in Washington DC.

Brown was ordered to attend a rehabilitation centre as a result, but was then kicked out of the facility for breaking its rules.

After completing a series of court-ordered anger management classes, Brown was also accused of throwing a brick at his mother's car.

Last year, he was given 28 days to convince officials he should be given a visa for his Australian tour after the country's women's minister urged the government to refuse entry to Brown on grounds of "character".

Facebook Founder puts Nigeria on Technological Map

This is my first trip to sub-Saharan Africa. I'll be meeting with developers and entrepreneurs, and learning about the startup ecosystem in Nigeria. The energy here is amazing and I'm excited to learn as much as I can.

Our first stop is the Co-creation Hub Nigeria (CcHUB) in Yaba. I got to talk to kids at a summer coding camp and entrepreneurs who come to CcHub to build and launch their apps. I'm looking forward to meeting more people.

Facebook Founder visit Nigeria

Express Wi-Fi empowers entrepreneurs to build a business by providing their community with access to the internet. Facebook designed the technology, and local internet providers add the connectivity. Express Wi-Fi is part of our Internet.org initiative.

This week, we're launching a satellite into space to enable more entrepreneurs across Africa to sell Express Wi-Fi and more people to access reliable internet.