Donald Tusk: 'Real' risk of break-up over EU referendum talks

By BBC News

Negotiations over the UK's EU reform demands are at a "critical moment" and the risk of break-up "is real", EU Council president Donald Tusk has said.

Mr Tusk, who is overseeing the negotiation, urged European leaders to handle the situation "with care".

UK PM David Cameron is seeking a deal at this week's crunch EU summit before holding the UK's referendum.

British bombers strike Islamic State oil fields in Syria

British bombers made their first strikes on Islamic State in Syria on Thursday, hitting oil fields that Prime Minister David Cameron says are being used to fund attacks on the West.

Tornado bombers took off from the RAF Akrotiri air base in Cyprus just hours after British lawmakers voted 397-223 to support Cameron's plan for air strikes, a Reuters witness said. They returned to base safely several hours later.

Jeremy Corbyn wins Labour leadership contest and vows "fightback"

By BBC News

Jeremy Corbyn has promised to lead a Labour "fightback" after being elected the party's new leader by a landslide.

The veteran left-winger got almost 60% of more than 400,000 votes cast, trouncing his rivals Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall.

FTSE 100 posts biggest weekly loss this year

By BBC News

London's FTSE 100 index has recorded its biggest weekly loss this year after poor manufacturing figures in China exacerbated global economic fears.

UK strategy of not attacking Isis in Syria is illogical, says defence secretary

By The Guardian

Britain has taken a step further towards expanding its aerial bombing of Islamic State forces beyond Iraq to targets in Syria after the defence secretary, Michael Fallon, described the current strategy as illogical.

Tory welfare cuts would hit poorest third of UK families, research shows

By The Guardian

The government’s reported package of welfare cuts in next month’s budget, including a £5bn cut to child tax credit, would overwhelmingly hit the poorest third of families in the UK, new research shows.

Election 2015 live: final votes cast as battle for power looms

By The Guardian

Rolling coverage of the results of the UK general election 2015, including the exit poll, the results as they come in, and all the best reaction, comment and analysis

Swedish prosecutors seek to question WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in UK

By CNN

 

Swedish prosecutors have asked Julian Assange's legal representatives whether the WikiLeaks founder would consent to be interviewed in London and have his DNA taken via a swab.

 

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where prosecutors want to question him about 2010 allegations that he raped one woman and sexually molested another.

 

Swedish prosecutors have previously balked at coming to Britain to question Assange.

 

However, a number of the crimes Julian Assange is suspected of will be subject to a statute of limitation in August 2015, according to a statement from Marianne Ny, the director of public prosecutions. "If Assange gives his consent, the prosecutor will promptly submit a request for legal assistance to the British authorities to further continue the investigation," the statement said.

 

A request will also be made to the Ecuadorian authorities for permission to "perform investigative measures" at its London embassy, the statement said. Ecuador granted Assange political asylum in 2012.

 

Assange's defense lawyer, Per E. Samuelsson, said he called Assange on Friday morning with the news from the prosecution authority -- and that in principle they viewed the request positively.

 

"I think I woke him up, but he knew I was calling with news about the case since I called so early," Samuelsson said. "He was, of course, very happy that something is finally happening but he is irritated that it has taken such a long time."

 

This is a step that Assange and his team have been requesting for four years, Samuelsson said.