Royal baby announcement breaks with tradition

Yahoo – AFP, Dario THUBURN, May 6, 2019

In a modern twist, the royal birth was also announced on Instagram, from
the royal couple's official account (AFP Photo/HO)

London (AFP) - Tradition-defying royal couple Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, broke with custom yet again on Monday with the announcement of the birth of their first child.

News of the birth was released on Instagram -- a first in royal history -- in a post on their @sussexroyal account with the couple's crest and the simple phrase: "It's a BOY!"

The post received more than 750,000 likes in under an hour.

The account was only launched in April, breaking a world record by reaching a million followers in under six hours.

Harry has battled to protect his privacy for years.

The 34-year-old's relationship with the media has been fraught ever since the death of his mother Diana in a car crash in Paris 1997 while being chased by paparazzi.

The couple had made it clear last month that they wanted the birth kept private -- in contrast to Harry's brother Prince William and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.

Their three children were all delivered in the private wing of St Mary's Hospital in London and shown off to the world's media and royal fans a short time later.

Instead, the new baby will only be seen later this week to a media pool that will share the images worldwide.

Wish to 'celebrate privately'

"Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private," Buckingham Palace said in a statement in April.

"The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family," it said.

The circumstances of Monday's announcement demonstrated the couple's wish to retain their privacy as much as possible.

Royal officials announced on Monday afternoon that Meghan had gone into labour in the early hours of that morning.

Only half an hour later, a royal statement announced that Meghan had in fact given birth at 5:26am (0426 GMT).

George and Sir John

The announcement was followed up by a video statement by a beaming Harry, standing in front of a stable in Windsor -- a town outside London where the couple now live on the grounds of its famous castle.

The names of two black horses behind him were clearly visible -- George and Sir John, prompting some media to speculate the child's name might be John, who would be cousin to William and Kate's first son George.

"This little thing is absolutely to die for. So I am just over the moon," Harry said, calling the birth "the most amazing experience I can ever possibly imagine".

Harry said the announcement of the name was the "next bit".

"I think we will be seeing you guys in probably two days' time as planned as a family to be able to share it with you guys and so everyone can see the baby," he said.

Neither Harry nor royal officials specified where the birth took place -- at their residence at Frogmore Cottage or in a nearby hospital.

Some British media earlier reported that the couple wanted a home birth, which would re-connect with older tradition.

Queen Elizabeth had all four of her children, including Harry's father Prince Charles, in a royal palace.

Secretive 'hero' blogger rips into Kremlin, one click at a time

Yahoo – AFP, Anna SMOLCHENKO, May 4, 2019

Alexander Gorbunov, the man behind the StalinGulag blog, has emerged as one
 of President Vladimir Putin's sharpest critics (AFP Photo/Alexander NEMENOV)

Moscow (AFP) - He is wheelchair-bound and has limited use of his hands but Alexander Gorbunov, the author of hugely popular social media accounts in Russia, has emerged as one of President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critics.

Diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy and using his right index finger to type, the 27-year-old author of StalinGulag skewers the "hypocrisy" of Putin's system and the everyday injustices ordinary Russians face.

Known for his dry wit and generous use of profanities, StalinGulag has built a near 1.5 million strong army of followers on Twitter and Telegram, with a total media outreach believed to include several million more.

For years the StalinGulag author's identity remained one of Russia's best-kept secrets but Gorbunov blew his cover after authorities began harrassing his 65-year-old mother and 80-year-old father last week.

Gorbunov, an intelligent, soft-spoken man with a goatee, said he and his wife have been on tenterhooks.

"They can easily arrest and put in prison anyone," Gorbunov told AFP in an interview, saying that even a short stint in jail could kill him.

"They don't care."

In an increasing crackdown on dissent, Putin in March signed laws that allow courts to fine and briefly jail people for showing disrespect towards the authorities and to block media for publishing "fake news".

Alexander Gorbunov, now known as a top Russian opposition blogger StalinGulag, 

has a sharp wit and no illusions about his illness and his own future (AFP Photo/

Alexander NEMENOV)

'Damn hero'

Gorbunov, who is a successful self-taught financial trader by day, dreads publicity but this week revealed his identity to BBC and later spoke to AFP after gun-toting police inspected his parents' home in the North Caucasus city of Makhachkala.

His relatives in Moscow have also been intimidated, he says.

"If the authorities are afraid of what I write they are worthless," he said.

Gorbunov's story has stunned Russia.

"This person is a damn hero," said screenwriter Andrew Ryvkin, while author Denis Bilunov called Gorbunov "the person of the year."

In a show of solidarity, Pavel Durov, the self-exiled founder of the Telegram messenger app, verified the StalinGulag account and offered his author help in moving abroad.

Gorbunov said he was heartened by the outpouring of support from Russians who have flooded him with offers of help and money. He has chalked up some 40,000 new followers over the past week.

The blogger insisted he was neither a hero nor an opposition activist. He said he merely puts in writing his thoughts on everything from Russia's foreign policy blunders to the excessive lifestyle of Putin's inner circle.

"What's happening in the country is terrible," Gorbunov said. "Injstice is what angers me the most."

In a 2018 post, he issued a dark warning to his readers.

"Really scary times are coming," he said, urging Russians to look out for each other. "This is the reality and not everyone will get out alive."

Gorbunov lives with his partner of seven years in a comfortable Moscow apartment, employs two drivers and a live-in aide and enjoys an active social life.

He does not want to reveal his income but says he forks out around 400,000 rubles ($6,145) every month just to cover his rent and pay his helpers.

Alexander Gorbunov, the man behind the StalinGulag blog, does not believe he 

will see a change of leadership in his lifetime (AFP Photo/Alexey NIKOLSKY)

He refuses to take any medication, saying his condition is incurable and he had no illusions about his future.

"I don't want to turn my life into a silly battle," he said. "It's a battle I am going to lose."

'Not an optimist'

A lawyer by training, he works more than 10 hours a day, sometimes waking up at night if the market moves. He writes posts for his StalinGulag accounts when the mood strikes him and he needs a short break from work.

He appears to take some of his inspiration from his favourite book, "Journey to the End of the Night" by French novelist Louis-Ferdinand Celine.

The 1932 World War I classic filled with profanities expresses disgust with the hypocrisy of society and laments the misery of human existence.

Gorbunov is fiercely protective of his wife who sometimes holds his hand as he speaks to AFP and helps him drink from a cup. They met seven years ago but refuse to reveal details about their relationship.

His story has generated huge media interest in Russia but Gorbunov hopes the buzz will soon subside. He wants to get on with his life, watch the last season of Game of Thrones and keep trading and writing his blogs.

He travels sometimes but has never been to Europe.

Not that he plans to leave Russia, even though life for people with disabilies here is a relentless daily struggle, saying he wants to be together with his loved ones.

For all his dark humour and keen intelligence, Gorbunov refuses to make any predictions about the future of the country -- or his own.

He has a feeling however that he will not see a change of leadership in his lifetime.

"I am not an optimist in this sense."

Journalist murder sparks push to heal politically-polarised Malta

Yahoo – AFP, Robin MILLARD, October 22, 2017

Flowers and candles were placed at a shrine outside Valletta's Palace of Justice
(AFP Photo/Matthew Mirabelli)

Valletta (AFP) - Citizens mourning the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia are calling for Malta's deeply-ingrained tribal politics to be put aside so the shaken island nation can begin healing its wounds.

The initial shock at Monday's car bomb assassination is now turning into demands for a united front -- with tens of thousands, party allegiance aside, expected at a national rally on Sunday demanding justice for the journalist.

Caruana Galizia's anti-corruption blog shone a light into the murky corners of Maltese politics, rattling the Labour government -- and, more recently, their sworn enemies in the Nationalist opposition.

On Saturday, the government offered an award of 1 million euros ($1.2 million) for information leading to the arrest of those responsible, saying it was "fully committed to solving the murder" and to "bringing those responsible to justice".

"As we are seeing protests develop, we become aware of what has been fought for in terms of maintaining democracy," said Geraldine Spiteri, one of many paying her respects to Caruana Galizia at a growing tribute of flowers, candles and messages in Malta's capital Valletta.

"People in Malta politicise every issue," the lawyer said, citing the "deep-rooted tribal mentality, which is very worrying".

"But certain things go beyond that. I am encouraging people to attend on Sunday to show the powers that be, on both sides, that people are concerned."

Maltese politics is split between Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's centre-left Labour Party, and the centre-right Nationalists.

Family party loyalty is strong. Come election time, families can expect personal visits to ensure turnout. With votes pretty much secure, partisan point-scoring can take priority over upholding the tiny Mediterranean islands' democratic institutions.

Caruana Galizia's grisly assassination has added further fuel to the politicians' tribalist bickering.

'Crocodile tears'

Carmelo Pace, a retired factory worker, was a self-confessed "avid" reader of Caruana Galizia's blog.

"I don't support the government, I support the opposition, but they are just pointing fingers at each other," the 74-year-old said, adding that politicians lamenting her loss were shedding "crocodile tears".

Caruana Galizia, 53, made searing allegations of financial corruption against Muscat's inner circle, largely based on the Panama Papers leak, forcing him to call a snap election in June -- which he won comfortably.

She had recently turned her spotlight on Adrian Delia, the new leader of the Nationalist Party, which hitherto had sought to capitalise on her allegations.

Kurt Sansone, online editor of the Malta Today newspaper, said that following her murder, the country's long-running political divisions now had to be addressed.

"The polarisation does not help because our institutions need to be beefed up. This is not a situation that started a few years ago," he told AFP.

"The hope is now that the police and the magistrate can get to the bottom of this. The country needs closure in order for us to move forward."

Newspapers in the European Union's smallest state are running a common front page on Sunday, under the slogan "the pen conquers fear".

Hours after they hit the newsstands, the community-organised national demonstration for justice will march through Valletta's historic streets.

Young generation unsure

"People need to go. It's important. If no-one goes, nothing will change," said Marie, 22, a teaching student.

"Something is definitely wrong in Malta. If people our age do nothing, that means the future will be the same. Let's try and think positive."

At the impromptu memorial to Caruana Galizia, sun-seeking cruise ship tourists photograph the flowers.

Older Maltese sit on the shady benches and debate the aftermath, while younger residents do likewise on their smartphones.

An air of fatalism has swept around online forums where young people have been discussing the murder, leaving the next generation unsureabout where Malta goes from here -- a duty, in a country of only 430,000 people, that will inevitably fall into their hands.

"Unfortunately, especially on social media, a lot of people are saying that this is the end of democracy and freedom of speech," said Robert Napier, president of the University of Malta students' council, who has been trying to bolster undergraduates' morale and resolve.

"No matter how far people are willing to go, nothing should silence our students, who are ultimately the leaders of tomorrow."

Shock at murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia now turning to demands for justice https://t.co/M9ptv7YYsY pic.twitter.com/yjW9NDOKlx

— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 22, 2017

Related Articles:

Slain Malta journalist's sons dismiss reward, tell PM to quit

Thousands rally in Malta to demand justice for murdered journalist #caruanagalizia pic.twitter.com/2FcoNmnqan

— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 23, 2017

Is Weinstein scandal a watershed for French women too?

Yahoo – AFP, Jessica LOPEZ and Clare BYRNE, October 21, 2017

Since the recent allegations against Harvey Weinstein, thousands of women
 have spoken out about their experiences of sexual harassment (AFP Photo/
Yann COATSALIOU)

Paris (AFP) - It took the fall of a US movie mogul to breach the culture of silence around sexual assault and harassment in France, but French feminist Caroline De Haas believes the country has turned a corner.

"There will be a before and an after #balancetonporc," she told AFP.

The #balancetonporc (expose your pig) hashtag is the French variant of the #metoo campaign launched in response to the plethora of abuse allegations that toppled movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

Over the past week, social media accounts in France -- like in the US -- have been awash with accounts of harassment or assault, with tens of thousands of women (and some men) adding their names to the list of alleged victims.

In a country long seen as soft on sexual harassment -- where the predatory style of ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was an open secret before he was brought down by a US assault case brought by a hotel maid -- feminists see the flood of testimonies as a turning point.

"Even if many women didn't share their stories they will certainly have been impacted," Haas said. "They (the accounts) give voice to a legitimate anger that has been contained for too long."

The French campaign was started by US-based French journalist, Sandra Muller, who shared a story on Twitter of a humiliating advance from a top French executive.

French feminist Caroline De Haas believes France has turned a corner in
standing up to sexual assault and harassment (AFP Photo/JOEL SAGET)

"You have big breasts. You are my type of woman. I will make you orgasm all night," she quoted him as saying in a tweet urging others to also out tormentors or aggressors.

Similar stories of harassment or abuse -- on the street, on public transport, at work -- flooded in immediately.

One woman described an "old man in his 70s who undressed me with his eyes in the metro".

Another noted that "the saddest thing, in fact, is that we all have similar anecdotes".

Christine Bard, a professor of feminist history at Angers University in western France, described the outpouring as unprecedented.

"All these women, from all over, saying the same thing, breaks the silence and the individual logic which makes you think you're the only one afraid," she said.

Over half of the French women surveyed for an Odoxa-Dentsu poll published Friday -- 53 percent -- said they had been victims of sexual assault or harassment.

Rape reporting 'explosion'

While the French film industry has so far avoided being caught up in the fallout from the Weinstein scandal, the host of a French TV talent show has been taken off air over allegations of misconduct involving a leading jury member.

M6 broadcaster said it had decided to pull France's answer to "America's Got Talent" after several women came forward with allegations of harassment or assault against Canadian impresario Gilbert Rozon.

The chauvinistic world of French politics has also been thrust back into the spotlight.

This week, the daughter of a former conservative minister accused an elderly former Socialist minister of having sexually assaulted her at the Paris Opera -- allegations he denied.

Calls to the French Collective against Rape hotline have "exploded", the group's

 head Emmanuelle Piet said (AFP Photo/ALAIN JOCARD)

An MP in President Emmanuel Macron's party is facing claims of harassment by his former parliamentary assistant, Franceinfo radio reported Friday, while a member of the greater Paris regional council has been excluded by his party after claims made by two female associates.

In a sign of the momentum behind the campaign, the government has announced plans for tougher sanctions against offenders.

Gender Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa said she aimed to introduce on-the-spot fines for the harassment of women on the street by early 2018 -- after a taskforce comes up with a definition of harassment.

"Today, all too often, people don't complain because they don't dare," Macron said on Sunday.

French associations for the victims of sexual assault have meanwhile reported a sharp rise in calls since #balancetonporc went viral. Emmanuelle Piet, head of the French Collective against Rape said the group's hotline had "exploded".

Feminists like De Haas hope that many of the women who shared their stories will dare to show their faces at a November 25 rally to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The Odoxa poll showed most women -- and a small majority of men -- supporting the #balancetonporc hashtag.

But a sizeable minority -- 38 percent of women and 47 percent of men -- said they feared it would serve as a conduit for "unverified complaints that can lead to all sorts of abuses".

And as with other social media campaigns that mobilise millions online, the proof of its effectiveness will be in whether it succeeds in changing behaviour in the real world.

Slain Malta journalist's sons dismiss reward, tell PM to quit

Yahoo – AFP, Robin MILLARD, October 19, 2017

Matthew Caruana Galizia (C) and Peter Caruana Galizia (2ndL), son and husband
of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and policemen walk past the wreckage of the car
bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia (AFP Photo/STR)

Valletta (AFP) - The sons of a murdered Maltese journalist on Thursday dismissed Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's offer of a reward to help find her killers and called for him to quit.

Muscat has ruled out quitting and has vowed to bring those responsible for killing a reporter he has described as his "greatest adversary" to justice, with the help of FBI investigators.

On Wednesday Muscat told parliament that the government would put up a "substantial and unprecedented reward," for information leading to a conviction over Monday's car bomb killing of anti-corruption campaigner Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Her sons revealed that the government was putting up a million euros, but said they would not bow to pressure to endorse the idea.

"We are not interested in a criminal conviction only for the people in government who stood to gain from our mother's murder to turn around and say that justice has been served," they said.

"The Prime Minister asked for our endorsement. This is how he can get it: show political responsibility and resign."

Caruana Galizia had used her widely-read blog to highlight numerous cases of suspected corruption, including several scandals implicating Muscat's inner circle which had left her facing a string of legal suits.

Daphne Caruana Galizia had used her widely read blog to highlight numerous 

cases of suspected corruption (AFP Photo/Matthew Mirabelli)

Her sons, Matthew, Andrew and Paul, said Muscat should resign because he had worked to "cripple our mother financially and dehumanise her so brutally and effectively that she no longer felt safe walking down the street.

"And before resigning he can make his last act in government the replacement of the Police Commissioner and Attorney General with public servants who won’t be afraid to act on evidence against him and those he protects."

Muscat called and won an early election in June after the late journalist said she had evidence that his wife Michelle was the beneficiary of a secret Panama bank account.

Caruana Galizia, 53, alleged the account was used to stash kickbacks from Azerbaijan's ruling family linked to an Azeri bank gaining a licence to operate in Malta.

Muscat asked a magistrate to investigate the claims and has vowed to quit if any link is established between him and hidden offshore accounts.

The investigation, which the opposition has derided as rigged, is ongoing.

The journalist's killing has caused shock around the world and prompted much soul-searching in Malta over whether the country is becoming a cesspit of corruption against the backdrop of an economic boom which some see as having allowed both organised crime and a kickbacks culture to flourish.

Fuming over Brexit, youth help swing UK vote

Yahoo – AFP, Deborah COLE, June 9, 2017

One poll suggested 56 percent of under-35s voted in Britain's general election,
with more than a third of those voting for the first time (AFP Photo/Ben STANSALL)

London (AFP) - A surge in youth turnout fuelled by last year's shock Brexit vote played a pivotal role in stripping British Prime Minister Theresa May of her parliamentary majority, observers said Friday.

An energising campaign by Labour's firebrand leader Jeremy Corbyn and simmering anger among many voters over uncertain plans to leave the European Union sent young Britons streaming to the ballot box.

Corbyn, a 68-year-old staunch leftist, harnessed popular anti-establishment sentiment to lead Labour to beat expectations and gain an estimated 29 seats in the House of Commons.

After a campaign marked by rallies that had the buoyant mood of music festivals, Corbyn said his success was built on hope for change.

"Politics isn't going back into the box where it was before," he told cheering supporters.

"What's happened is people have said they've had quite enough of austerity politics... and not giving our young people a chance they deserve in our society."

Some 56 percent of under-35s voted, according to an exit poll for NME magazine, which recently splashed Corbyn's face across its cover.

They showed overwhelming support for Labour, at 60 percent, with 36 percent of them being first-time voters, according to the survey among 1,354 voters.

Jeremy Corbyn's campaign drew comparisons with that of US Senator 

Bernie Sanders' presidential run last year (AFP Photo/JON SUPER)

Half cited Brexit as the "main factor" in their decision to cast a ballot.

While an official breakdown of voting patterns was still outstanding, official data showed a spike in both youth registrations ahead of the vote as well as turnout in districts with large numbers of younger voters on election day.

By contrast, only 45 percent of British voters aged 18 to 34 voted in 2015, compared to 84 percent of over-55s, which the OECD has called the biggest gap in the Western world.

A year later, a failure to drum up the youth vote was blamed for turning the Brexit referendum in Leave's favour.

"The movement of Remainers and young voters towards Labour explains why the Conservatives have lost their overall majority," political scientist John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde said Friday.

Remainers 'revenge'

Commentators said Corbyn had successfully presented himself as a true alternative to politics-as-usual.

They credited his idealism and folksy charisma, a savvy social media presence, and a parade of celebrity supporters including singer Lily Allen and comic Ricky Gervais with drumming up "Corbynmania" among the young.

He drew comparisons with US leftist senator Bernie Sanders' ability to whip up youth support in his ultimately unsuccessful presidential bid last year.

"Jeremy Corbyn appeals to a generation of young people who feel they have never known an honest, decent politician," wrote Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett in the Guardian.

"Last night's result shows youngsters have gained some revenge, with claims Theresa May's 'hard Brexit' mandate has been destroyed," pro-Labour tabloid Daily Mirror said.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is credited with energising younger and first-time 

voters (AFP Photo/Isabel INFANTES)

The Economist cited a deep generational schism in Britain pitting uncertain young voters against baby boomers they accuse of selfishness and insincerity in politics.

Corbyn targeted specific youth issues in his campaign, including pledging to cut university tuition fees, lower the voting age and improve the employment rights of interns.

Failure to engage

Many young voters expressed surprise at their own ability to swing the election given that most opinion polls predicted a decisive May victory.

"I thought she was going to win it. I had heard a lot of people going for her, so I was like, Labour aren't going to get in now, but I'm pleased because Labour have a chance now," said Jemma Bell, 23, told AFP in Wakefield, northern England.

"I know a lot of people that didn't vote last year and I think now they've realised that we could actually go to crap, in a sense, if they don't vote," she added, referring to last June's Brexit referendum.

Gus McKay, a 38-year-old Conservative voter at Euston station in central London, said he was "frustrated" May had failed to connect with younger voters.

"She didn't do enough to engage. Younger people want to engage more with their politicians. It looks like Corbyn did a better job."

Winners and losers in the UK general election, including composition of the incoming parliament #GE2017 pic.twitter.com/5rZbiD1bBS

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 9, 2017

Related Article:

British press blasts May after poll 'mayhem'

Outrage as Trump targets London mayor over attacks

Yahoo – AFP, Brian KNOWLTON, June 4, 2017

Donald Trump poured scorn on London Mayor Sadiq Khan's attempt to reassure
 the public after three assailants smashed a van into pedestrians on London
Bridge then attacked revelers with knives (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)

Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump lashed out Sunday at London's mayor Sadiq Khan, accusing him of downplaying the threat of terrorism a day after knife-wielding men mowed down and stabbed revelers in the British capital.

London's mayor swiftly shot down the US president's remarks, made in a series of overnight tweets, as critics accused Trump of exploiting a terror attack for political gain -- and not for the first time.

A spokesman said Khan "has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump's ill-informed tweet."

Trump poured scorn on Khan's attempt to reassure the public after three assailants smashed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge then attacked revelers with knives.

"At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is 'no reason to be alarmed!'" the US president said in one tweet.

Trump said the attack showed it was time to "stop being politically correct and get down to the business of security for our people," after tweeting the night before -- as the scenes of panic in London were still unfolding -- that it underscored the need for his contested "travel ban" on several Muslim-majority nations.

Khan, in an interview with BBC just hours after the attack, had said, "My message to Londoners and visitors to our great city is to be calm and vigilant today. You will see an increased police presence today, including armed officers and uniformed officers. There is no reason to be alarmed by this."

Responding Sunday to Trump's criticism, a Khan spokesman issued a pointed statement saying that the mayor -- busy coordinating a response to the attack even while reassuring Londoners and visitors -- had "more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump's ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks."

The acting US ambassador to Britain, Lew Lukens, threw his support behind Khan in a series of tweets which also praised the "extraordinary" response from Londoners and emergency services.

"I commend the strong leadership of the @MayorofLondon as he leads the city forward after this heinous attack," he said, quoted on the US embassy's Twitter account.

'Nasty & unbecoming'

The attack in central London came just weeks after a suicide bombing at a concert in Manchester left 22 dead, and it recalled an attack in March when a man drove a car into pedestrians near the seat of Parliament, killing five.

It was not the first time Trump has been accused of using a terror attack to make a political point, and with Londoners still in shock Sunday, the president's tweets drew angry responses on both sides of the Atlantic.

David Lammy, a Labor Party member of Parliament, tweeted: "Cheap nasty & unbecoming of a national leader. Sort of thing that makes me want to quit politics on a day like this. Evil everywhere we look."

In the United States, former vice president Al Gore told CNN that "I don't think that a major terrorist attack like this is the time to criticize a mayor who is trying to organize his city's response to this attack."

Regarding Trump's plug for his contested travel ban -- which has been blocked by the courts -- Cecillia Wang, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, tweeted, "We need to be outraged when the president exploits a terrible violent crime to push his discriminatory and illegal policy."

Last June, after the deadly shooting attack on a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Trump had tweeted: "Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don't want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!"

That tweet drew angry rebukes from critics saying that the immediate aftermath of an attack that left 49 people dead was not a time for a president to be "basking in congratulations."

#UPDATE London Mayor Sadiq Khan accused President Donald Trump of seeking to divide communities in Britain https://t.co/kdrt4sRQpk pic.twitter.com/b9Tw21dDFL

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 5, 2017

May calls for June 8 election before Brexit talks

Yahoo – AFP, Dario Thuburn and Alice Ritchie, April 18, 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May makes an announcement to the media
outside 10 Downing Street in central London on April 18, 2017 (AFP Photo/
Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS)

London (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May called Tuesday for a snap election on June 8, in a shock move as she seeks to bolster her position before tough talks on leaving the EU.

May is apparently aiming to cash in on her 20-point lead over the main opposition Labour party to increase her majority and give her a stronger hand in the Brexit battles with Brussels ahead.

Britain started the formal process of leaving the EU last month, but negotiations are not due to begin for weeks -- giving the prime minister a narrow window for a lightning election campaign.

"We need a general election and we need one now," May said in a dramatic announcement outside her Downing Street office that caught the whole country off-guard.

"We have at this moment a one-off chance to get this done while the European Union agrees its negotiating position and before the detailed talks begin," she said.

Not another one!

The U-turn caps a tumultuous few years in British politics that has seen two historic referendums -- one on Brexit, one on Scottish independence -- and a prime ministerial resignation.

An early election would be the fourth big vote in four years and there are signs that the British public is beginning to suffer from election fatigue.

In a BBC video widely shared on social media, a woman called Brenda told her interviewer in Bristol when asked about the election: "Not another one! Oh for God's sake. I can't stand this!"

MPs will vote on the move on Wednesday and May needs two-thirds of lawmakers to support her but Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has already said he is behind the plan.

"We look forward to showing how Labour will stand up for the people of Britain," said Corbyn, a veteran socialist who became leader in 2015 and has strong support in the party's leftist grassroots but has struggled to secure wider appeal.

And recent opinion polls over Easter weekend showed the size of the challenge ahead of him.

The Conservatives polled at 38 percent to 46 percent, while Labour stood at 23 percent to 29 percent, according to the polls by YouGov, ComRes and Opinium.

'Game playing'

May explained her policy U-turn with an attack on her domestic political opponents, many of whom support Britain's continued membership of Europe's single market, accusing them of "game-playing" over Brexit.

"I have concluded that the only way to guarantee certainty and stability for the years ahead is to hold this election and seek your support for the decisions I must take," May said.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party which has 54 of 59 Scottish seats in the Commons, said May was making a "huge political miscalculation".

But in a boost to May, the IMF also on Tuesday significantly raised its forecast for Britain's growth in 2017 to 2.0 percent from a previous estimate of 1.5 percent.

The pound, which has fallen because of the Brexit vote and plunged ahead of May's announcement Tuesday, rose sharply against the euro and the dollar after it.

Stocks instead suffered their worst fall since the Brexit vote last June, since the rising value of the pound hits multinationals.

EU leaders except Britain's PM Theresa May will hold a summit on April 29 to 

map out the strategy for negotiating Britain's departure from the bloc in 2019

(AFP Photo/Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS)

New battles loom

European Council President Donald Trump tweeted that he had had a "good phone call" with May following her announcement.

He then likened the latest twist in British politics to a movie by Alfred Hitchcock, often referred to as the "Master of Suspense".

"It was Hitchcock who directed Brexit: first an earthquake and then the tension rises".

The Brexit negotiations themselves are not expected to start until June at the earliest -- and Brussels said this timetable would not change.

The European Commission has said it wants the exit talks to be concluded by October 2018 at the latest, to allow time for the deal to be ratified.

But while May secured the parliament's support to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty last month, eurosceptics and europhiles alike are gearing up for further battles over the details of the negotiations.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a statement that "hopefully" the new elections "will lead to more clarity and predictability in the negotiations with the European Union".

One European source said Tuesday that May would be better placed to enter the negotiations -- and give "concessions" -- if she had a stronger hand.

"We have some hope that this will lead to a strong leader in London that can negotiate with us with strong backing by the electorate," said another.

The other 27 EU leaders are set to hold a summit on April 29 where they will agree on a strategy for negotiating Britain's expected departure in 2019.

#UPDATE Germany hopes UK election will bring 'clarity' to Brexit talks https://t.co/HWrFlNzfYh #Brexit #GE17 pic.twitter.com/x13vvkiG70

— AFP news agency (@AFP) April 18, 2017