EU supporters parade through London in 'March for Europe'

July 02, 2016

LONDON (AP) — Thousands of European Union supporters are singing, dancing and marching through the streets of London to protest the United Kingdom's vote to leave the EU. Saturday's 2-mile (3-kilometer) "March for Europe" from Hyde Park to Parliament was organized on social media. Many of the marchers say they expect lawmakers to block any moves to leave the 28-nation bloc, a move backed by 52 percent of voters in the June 23 referendum.

One organizer, comedian Mark Thomas, says British lawmakers should not legislate for an exit based on a result driven by anti-EU campaigners' exaggerations and distortions on immigration and EU spending.

Thomas said: "We would accept the result of the referendum if it was fought on a level playing field. But it was full of misinformation."

Wales votes 'leave' despite millions in EU support

July 01, 2016

BRYNMAWR, Wales (AP) — The modern highway connecting Brynmawr to other former coal-mining towns in South Wales was partly funded by the European Union, replacing a three-lane road known for deadly accidents. Other EU funds have been used to improve railway lines, open museums and regenerate dreary town centers shattered by the decline of heavy industry.

But none of that impresses John Thompson, a retired truck driver who recalls the days when the area in Blaneau Gwent county was bustling with life, and the coal mines and steelworks provided thousands of jobs.

"We have seen no benefit up here at all," the 70-year-old says outside a cafe serving instant coffee and bacon rolls. Besides, he notes, the EU doesn't just hand out the money: "They tell us how to spend it. That's not democracy."

Even though Wales receives hundreds of millions annually in EU funding, more than half of the Welsh electorate voted in last week's referendum for Britain to leave the EU. Puzzling many analysts, the "leave" vote was strongest in deprived post-industrial areas that have arguably benefited the most from EU support.

"Wales has shot itself in the foot," says Ed Poole, lecturer in politics at Cardiff University. "Wales has been one of the biggest net beneficiaries of being in the European Union." A study he co-authored before the vote estimated that Wales receives a net annual benefit of 245 million pounds (now $326 million) from the EU budget — 79 pounds ($105) a head. That compares with a net contribution of 151 pounds per head for all of the United Kingdom.

Maybe some voters didn't fully understand the role of EU funds in supporting their communities, Poole says. Maybe, he says, they chose to ignore it. It's not yet clear when the money will go away or what, if anything, might replace it — the negotiations over specifics of Britain's divorce from the EU are expected to take years.

"There may be a sense of disconnect from some of the projects and whether they have a real impact on people's lives," he says. "I do think that this has been an opportunity perhaps to reflect a deep sense of grievance of how the general political processes have been working."

South Wales is a pleasant landscape of lush green hills with small towns in the valleys featuring rows of two-story brick homes that look quaint at first glance but have a certain sadness to them on further inspection. Town centers are quiet, mostly just a few stores and pubs with Welsh flags fluttering in the windows and, here and there, a "vote leave" banner.

Connor Morris, 18, who is in a training program to become a mechanic, said all of his friends voted to leave the EU. He said he's concerned about immigrants, though there aren't many in Brynmawr. "I don't really know a lot about it. I just voted out," he says, smoking an e-cigarette.

Besides a few factories, there is little work in the towns themselves, so people commute to Cardiff or other big cities. Left in town during the day are mostly older people. About 80 million pounds in EU funds were used to build the 8-kilometer (5-mile) stretch of highway west of Brynmawr. Signs next to the road remind drivers of where the money came from.

Similar signs in neighboring Ebbw Vale explain the EU's role in building a modern hospital, train station and learning center that now occupy the grounds of the former steelworks that once employed more than 10,000 people.

"Leave" campaigners say many of the EU projects are gimmicky and haven't led to tangible improvements. Also, they consider the EU money to be British money to begin with, since overall Britain contributes more money than it gets back from the EU.

"So people actually used the opportunity of the referendum to say: 'Whoa, stop the car, I want to get out,'" says Welsh Conservative leader Andrew R.T. Davis, who voted for Britain to leave the EU. "The way this car is being driven we're going to hit a brick wall."

The "leave" side's strongest support in Wales was in the low-income county that includes both Brynmawr and Ebbw Vale, where 62 percent voted to quit the EU. By contrast, the Welsh capital of Cardiff voted 60 percent "remain."

In Port Talbot, 57 percent voted "leave" despite warnings from some analysts that losing access to the EU's single market could have devastating consequences for the city's steelworks. In Pontypridd, a town climbing up misty hillsides north of Cardiff, Jenny Hughes said her education consultancy firm lost three potential contracts the day after the referendum as European partners pulled out. She is furious at neighbors who voted for leaving the EU, and says many of them did so for reasons that have little to do with the bloc.

"You've got the racist brigades. You've got the ones who want Britain to be the way it was. And you have those who are sticking it to the government," she says. Eddie Cullen, a digger operator in the small town of Hengoad, might belong to the middle category. He says the sense of community was shattered when the town's Penallta coal mine closed in 1991. In its heyday it employed 3,000 people.

Cullen, 59, recalls the noise it used to make: the clatter of drams packed with coal being raised from the shaft. His grandfather worked down there; so did his father. Now the mine is silent and overgrown with weeds. The shafts have been filled and the winding towers above them are rusting away. The enormous engine hall is gutted, its windows sealed and sprayed with graffiti.

None of that can reasonably be blamed on the EU, and yet when Cullen says people have "had enough" he is directing his frustration at Brussels, not the market forces or British governments that killed off coal mining.

"People just want to be British again," Cullen says, a Jack Russell Terrier pulling on a leash in his hand. "Have their identity back. Not be run by Europe."

5 candidates in leadership race for UK's Conservative Party

June 30, 2016

LONDON (AP) — There are five candidates competing for the position of leader of Britain's Conservative Party. The winner, to be announced September 9, will become prime minister and is expected to lead negotiations to take Britain out of the European Union. Here are brief descriptions of the candidates:

THERESA MAY

Home Secretary Theresa May did not support leaving the EU during the referendum campaign, staying largely out of the fray while backing the "remain" side, but she said Thursday she is now committed to Brexit. As home secretary, she has played a central role in shaping and implementing security and counter-terrorism policies. The Home Office that she runs is also charged with maintaining Britain's border security and has other far-ranging responsibilities. She has served in the post since 2010 and entered Parliament in 1997.

May, 59, is a vicar's daughter who came up through Conservative Party ranks, working behind the scenes at her local Conservative Association before becoming a city councilor in a London borough. Her position within the party was helped when she served as its chairman in 2002 and 2003. Stressing her extensive experience near the top of government, her campaign has launched with the slogan "Theresa May is ready to be prime minister from day one."

MICHAEL GOVE

Justice Secretary Michael Gove helped ex-London mayor Boris Johnson lead the successful referendum campaign to take Britain out of the EU. His last-minute announcement Thursday that he was joining the Conservative leadership race indicates growing support for his candidacy in Parliament. He earlier served a controversial tenure as Education Secretary. Gove, 48, enjoyed a close friendship with Prime Minister David Cameron before they split over the referendum.

Gove was born and brought up in Scotland. His father ran a fish-processing business and his mother worked as a university lab assistant and at a school for the deaf. Gove worked first in journalism, including a stint at the Times newspaper, and built a reputation with extensive TV and radio appearances. He entered Parliament in 2005 and was made Education Secretary after the Conservatives' election victory in 2010. His reform plan made many enemies, however, and he was reassigned after four years.

Gove mostly campaigned in Johnson's shadow during the referendum on the EU but his popularity within the party appears to have played an important role in Johnson's decision not to seek the leadership.

STEPHEN CRABB

The 43-year-old Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb does not enjoy a large national profile but he is well known among the Conservative Party lawmakers who will choose which two leadership candidates are put before the party as a whole. He has emphasized his working-class roots, having been raised by a single mother in a social housing complex in Wales. He draws a contrast between himself and other Conservative lawmakers who have elite educational backgrounds.

Crabb said when he announced his candidacy that he wants to deliver "on the expectations of the 17 million people" who voted to take Britain out of the EU, in part by making establishing control over immigration. He earlier served as Welsh Secretary.

LIAM FOX

The former defense secretary Liam Fox challenged for the party leadership in 2005 but lost out to Cameron, who eventually led the Conservatives back to power. He resigned from his defense post in 2011 because of a controversy surrounding the actions of close friend Adam Werritty, who took on an unofficial role as adviser. Despite have no official role at the Ministry of Defense and no security clearance, he traveled with Fox on numerous official trips.

Fox, 54, has been a strong backer of getting Britain out of the EU. He said when he announced his candidacy for leader that he would not favor remaining part of the single European market if that means accepting the EU's freedom of movement principle. To do so, he said, would be to betray the Britons who voted for Brexit.

ANDREA LEADSOM

Energy and Climate Change Minister Andrea Leadsom campaigned strongly in favor of leaving the European Union. She called Brexit her "absolute priority" and a focal point of her race for the party leadership. The 53-year-old had a long career in the banking and finance industry before entering Parliament in 2010 when the election brought Cameron and the Conservatives to power.

She told constituents before the Brexit referendum that Britain has a much brighter future outside the EU and could forge new and sensible trading arrangements with EU countries. She says Britain is well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities available now that the decision to leave has been made.

Austrian court overturns presidential election, orders rerun

July 01, 2016

VIENNA (AP) — In a move that could turn into the next blow to the EU after Britain's exit vote, Austria's highest court on Friday ordered a rerun of the country's presidential election. The landmark decision gives a right-wing candidate the chance to turn his narrow defeat into victory.

Unprecedented in Austria's post-war history, the court ruling also appeared to be unique within the European Union and is looming large in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the 28-nation bloc. The decision, announced by Constitutional Court chief judge Gerhart Holzinger, represents a victory for the right-wing Freedom Party, which had challenged the May 22 runoff on claims of widespread irregularities. It comes just a week before independent politician Alexander Van der Bellen was to be sworn in as president and 40 days after he was declared the winner of the vote.

But it also has wider implications. With Britain's impending departure from the EU, a chance by Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer to turn his loss into a win would boost not only his party but also far-right and nationalist movements elsewhere in Europe who are all lobbying for a weaker EU or an outright exit from the bloc.

Those parties had hailed Hofer's strong showing in May as proof of a surge in anti-EU sentiment. Several wasted no time in responding to Friday's court decision. Marine LePen of France's far-right National Front called it "very good news for patriots."

"After the happy victory of Brexit in Britain ... Austria also has a chance to find the path to freedom and national pride," she said in a statement. "France's turn will be next!" The leader of Italy's euroskeptic, right-wing Northern League party, Matteo Salvini, also linked the outcome in Austria to Britain's decision to leave the EU.

"Let's hope the winds of European freedom and normality arrive here as well," Salvini said in a Facebook video post. Austrian referendums are decided by parliament and not by the president and are restricted to only a few issues, with an EU exit not among them. Still, a win by Hofer could increase pressure for a popular vote on that topic.

Interviewed after last week's exit vote in Britain, Hofer said he could see the need for such a referendum in Austria within a year if the EU "develops into a centralistic union instead of returning to the original basic values."

Founded by former members of the Nazi party, the Freedom Party has sought over the past few decades to shed its far-right image and appeal to the political middle but still counts the far-right fringe among its supporters.

Hofer was leading after the polls closed in May, but final results after a count of absentee ballots put Van der Bellen ahead by only a little more than 30,000 votes. The final count gave Van der Bellen 50.3 percent of the vote, compared with 49.7 percent for Hofer.

The Freedom Party insisted the law had been contravened in one way or another in most of the 117 electoral districts. The court ruled broadly with Freedom Party claims that absentee ballots were sorted before electoral commission officials arrived; that some officials stayed away during absentee vote counts but signed documents saying they were present; and that some ballot envelopes were opened without authorization.

Holzinger also spoke of the possibility of individuals voting twice and of potential violations by the Interior Ministry, which released partial results under a publishing embargo to media, pollsters and other institutions.

The judge said the court had no other choice but to call for a rerun, noting that the irregularities potentially affected nearly 78,000 votes — more than twice the margin separating the two candidates.

He acknowledged that opting for a new vote instead of a recount represented a "rigorous measure." But he said this was necessary "in the interest of the legality of the elections, which represent one of the foundations of the state ... in a democratic republic."

He emphasized that the irregularities did not point to willful cheating, saying testimony from witnesses led to no indication that of any "manipulation" of the results. Holzinger also said the investigation suggested that previous Austrian national elections also were beset by similar problems that had remained hidden until now.

Government officials also sought to cast the decision not as a failure but a victory for strong democratic institutions, including one tongue-in-cheek comment. "Sometimes, a re-vote is not the worst thing in the world. If someone in the UK needs the phone-number of our Supreme Court: +43-1-531220," tweeted Martin Weiss, Austria's ambassador to Israel.

But Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache suggested that the count was marred not by "sloppiness but massive legal irregularities." "Because of these illegalities, anything could have happened," he told reporters.

Parliament now has to decide on a re-run date, expected in September or October. Until then, Austria's presidency will be run jointly by the three parliamentary presidents — one of whom is Hofer — once Heinz Fischer, the current president, steps down next week.

Austria's flawed election has increased mistrust in the Interior Ministry and other government institutions and that, said political scientist Kathrin Stainer-Haemmerle, "is a sentiment which first and foremost benefits" Hofer.

Hofer and the other co-presidents from the governing center-left coalition said they would restrict themselves to the essentials and avoid high-profile representational functions during their interim terms. Hofer personally promised to avoid any effort to exploit his position.

"I will prove that I will act in a non-partisan way," he said. Lothar Lockl, who ran Van der Bellen's campaign, said the court decision must be respected. He urged everyone to vote in the new runoff and called on Van der Bellen's supporters to rally behind him.

Associated Press writers Nicole Winfield in Rome, Elaine Ganley in Paris and AP video journalist Philipp Jenne in Vienna contributed.

Netanyahu lauds benefits of normalizing ties with Turkey

June 27, 2016

ROME (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that his nation's agreement with Turkey to normalize ties will have "immense" implications for the Israeli economy. The Israel-Turkey reconciliation deal, which is to be officially announced later in the day, is meant to end a bitter six-year rift between the Mideast powers. News of the deal first emerged on Sunday, and an Israeli official confirmed the details of the deal to The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.

Speaking in Rome during talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome, Netanyahu said Monday the agreement is an important step, alluding to the development of Israel's offshore natural gas reserves.

"I use that word advisedly, immense implications for the Israeli economy, and I mean positive immense implications," the Israeli prime minister said. As Netanyahu and Kerry met for the second time in as many days, the U.S. top diplomat welcomed the agreement and congratulated Netanyahu. He said the U.S. has been working on the rapprochement for several years, and called it a "positive step."

Israel and Turkey were former close allies, but relations imploded in 2010 following an Israeli naval raid that killed nine Turkish activists, including a dual American citizen, who were on a ship trying to breach Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Following the incident, Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel and greatly scaled back military and economy ties. The move toward rapprochement comes amid Turkey's deepening isolation in the region, following a deterioration of ties with Russia and Egypt as well as the turmoil in neighboring Syria.

An Israeli official said the impending deal would include $20 million in Israeli compensation for families of those killed in the raid, an end to all Turkish claims against Israeli military personnel and the state of Israel over the raid, and the mutual restoration of ambassadors.

A senior Turkish official said that under the agreement, Turkey would deliver aid to Gaza and engage in infrastructure investments to construct residential buildings and a hospital, and to address energy and water shortages in Gaza.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan briefed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the deal, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said on Monday. Officials from Erdogan's office said Abbas expressed his "satisfaction" over the deal.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to speak publicly about the matter.

Associated Press writer Daniel Estrin in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Duterte sworn in as president of Philippines

June 30, 2016

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Rodrigo Duterte was sworn in Thursday as president of the Philippines, with some hoping his maverick style will energize the country but others fearing he will undercut one of Asia's liveliest democracies amid threats to kill criminals en masse.

The 71-year-old former prosecutor and longtime mayor of southern Davao city won a resounding victory in May's elections in his first foray into national politics. Duterte, who begins a six-year term as president, captured attention with promises to cleanse the poor Southeast Asian nation of criminals and government crooks within six months — an audacious pledge that was welcomed by many crime-weary Filipinos but alarmed human rights watchdogs and the influential Roman Catholic church.

Shortly after Duterte's election win, policemen launched an anti-drug crackdown under his name, leaving dozens of mostly poor drug-dealing suspects dead in gunfights with police or in mysterious circumstances.

Days before his swearing in, Duterte was threatening criminals with death if they wouldn't reform. "If you destroy my country, I will kill you," he said in a warning to criminals in a speech during the last flag-raising ceremony he presided as mayor in Davao city this week.

Vice President Leni Robredo, a human rights lawyer who comes from a rival political party, was sworn in earlier in a separate ceremony. Vice presidents are separately elected in the Philippines, and in a sign of Duterte's go-it-alone style, he has not met her since the May 9 vote.

In a country long ruled by wealthy political clans, Duterte rose from middle-class roots. He built a reputation on the campaign trail with profanity-laced speeches, sex jokes and curses that sideswiped even the widely revered pope and the United Nations.

His brash style has been likened to that of presumptive U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, although he detests the comparison and says the American billionaire is a bigot and he's not.

Duterte is the first president to come from the country's volatile south, homeland of minority Muslims and scene of a decades-long Muslim separatist insurgency, where he said his central Philippine-based family migrated in search of better opportunities.

Who will take Spain's crown? Euro 2016 down to final 4 teams

July 04, 2016

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — The European Championship semifinals promise mouth-watering matchups as the last four teams battle for a berth in the July 10 final and a chance to succeed two-time winner Spain.

In Lyon on Wednesday, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal takes on a Welsh team featuring his Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale. A day later in Marseille, world champion Germany, fresh from a nerve-rattling penalty shootout win against Italy, looks to add the European title against host France which is coming off a morale-boosting 5-2 win against Iceland.

Here are a few snapshots of the final four:

PORTUGAL

Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal is a regular feature in the latter stages of the European Championship, having reached the semifinals at four of the last five tournaments.

But the team has never triumphed overall, its best coming back in 2004 when as host it lost the final to Greece.

Ronaldo, who played in that match, will become the first player to appear in three European Championship semifinals.

His form at Euro 2016 has been inconsistent to say the least and he will likely have to improve if Portugal is going to win its first major competition.

Ronaldo has only truly shone in only one match, with a memorable pair of goals in the 3-3 draw with Hungary.

In his team's penalty shootout win over Poland in the quarterfinal, Ronaldo was so out of touch that he swung and missed at two clear chances in front of goal. But he has the flair and talent to produce a touch of match-winning magic at any time and the semifinal might be the stage he has been waiting for.

Portugal defensive midfielder William Carvalho is suspended after picking up two yellow cards.

WALES

Alongside Iceland, Wales has been the surprise package of Euro 2016, reaching its first major semifinal.

Unlike Iceland, Chris Coleman's team does boast an undisputed superstar in the form of the world's most expensive player, Bale.

Though Bale's three goals helped his team through the group stage, the team has shown itself to be anything but a one-man show. That depth could give Wales an edge against a rock-solid Portugal defense featuring another Madrid star, Pepe.

The Welsh will be missing a key midfielder in Aaron Ramsey after the Arsenal star drew his second yellow card of the tournament in the 3-1 quarterfinal defeat of Belgium.

GERMANY

Germany is looking to add a fourth European title, and its first in 20 years, to its world crown.

But first it will have to get past a France side that's found its scoring touch in Marseille on Thursday. It will also have to overcome injuries and a suspension to reach the tournament decider next Sunday at the Stade de France in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis.

Joachim Loew's team has been rock-solid in defense, conceding just one goal so far — Leonardo Bonucci's 78th-minute equalizer from the penalty spot for Italy in the quarterfinal.

But Germany will be weakened against France; Mats Hummels is out through suspension and Mario Gomez has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament. Midfielders Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger are also injury worries.

One new concern may center on Germany's penalty-taking, one of its historic strengths. Though it beat Italy on penalties in the quarterfinal, German players failed to convert three from the spot, more than they had ever done before in the history of penalty shootouts.

FRANCE

In Antoine Griezmann, France has Euro 2016's top scorer. Dimitri Payet is not far behind.

Griezmann lifted his tournament tally to four as France ruthlessly dismantled Iceland at the Stade de France on Sunday night; Payet netted his third goal of the tournament with another clinical finish as France gave Iceland a nightmare ending to its fairytale Euro 2016.

Suddenly, the host's confidence has shot up before it faces a German team whose ranks have been depleted in attack and defense.

France still appears vulnerable in defense, conceding twice against Iceland, although they came at a time when the result wasn't in any doubt and French players may understandably have been focusing on the upcoming semifinal in Marseille.

France has no suspensions or injury worries and, seeking its third European title, will also get a boost from the fanatical fans at the Stade Velodrome, where Didier Deschamps starred as a player and coach.