Image copyright Brian Lawless Image caption Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan wants to appeal the European Commission decision
The Republic of Ireland"s Cabinet is meeting to discuss the European Commission"s decision that Ireland granted undue tax benefits of up to €13bn (£11bn) to Apple.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said the Irish Government will appeal the ruling.
The Irish Government has said it "disagrees profoundly with the commission"s analysis".
"Ireland did not give favourable tax treatment to Apple," it added.
"Ireland does not do deals with taxpayers. No fine or penalty has been levied against the Irish State.
"This decision has no effect on the 12.5% rate of corporation tax and is not about Ireland"s wider corporation tax regime."
Office "existed on paper"?
The European Commission said Ireland"s tax rulings had allowed Apple to pay substantially less tax than other businesses.
The Irish system had allowed profits to be attributed to a head office that "only existed on paper", said Margrethe Vestager, the European Commissioner for Competition.
Analysis: BBC Ireland Correspondent Shane Harrison
It all comes down to Ireland"s reputation.
The Irish government has been criticised, particularly in the US, for almost being a tax haven similar to the Cayman Islands, something it strongly denies.
But €13bn is a huge amount of money: It would go a long way towards solving the housing crisis in the Republic for example.
Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour are more or less of the view that the government should appeal the ruling.
But Sinn Féin are calling for an independent assessment of whether or not Apple did get unfair treatment, whether it was human error or whether the system colluded to create this situation as the European Commission seems to believe.
It believes the government should not appeal and should spend the money.
The left-wing parties also believe the money should be spend in citizens" interests.
For them, it is a moral issue as to whether or not Apple are being getting unfair treatment given the amount of money ordinary people pay in their taxes.
Thirteen billion euros is approximately equivalent to a quarter of what the Irish government spends per year, and what it spends on health in total.
The Republic"s government is a minority one, with Fine Gael being propped up by independents.
It is not clear whether the Independent Alliance cabinet members will vote to appeal the decision.
Apple itself is appealing against the decision, saying: "The European Commission has launched an effort to rewrite Apple"s history in Europe, ignore Ireland"s tax laws and upend the international tax system in the process.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Apple intends to appeal the European Commission"s ruling demanding it pays €13bn in taxes to Ireland
"The commission"s case is not about how much Apple pays in taxes, it"s about which government collects the money. It will have a profound and harmful effect on investment and job creation in Europe.
"Apple follows the law and pays all of the taxes we owe wherever we operate. We will appeal and we are confident the decision will be overturned."
The appeal will be made first to the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg and then to European Court of Justice.
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil"s finance spokesman Michael McGrath described the Europe Commission"s decision as "remarkable", saying it would have far-reaching consequences.
But many of the issues included by the commission have been addressed through changes in legislation in recent years, he said.
It was vital from Ireland"s perspective that the country"s corporation tax system, which is an essential part of the country"s overall inward investment strategy, was defended, he added.
Apple and Ireland
€13bn
demanded in back taxes. Equal to:
ALL of Ireland"s healthcare budget
66% of its social welfare bill
15 million iPhones
27% of Apple"s 2015 profit
Sources: Apple, HSE, Dept of Social Protection Getty
Sinn Féin"s Finance spokesperson, Pearse Doherty, has called for a public inquiry into what he described as "the illegal State aid given to Apple."
He said that his party would be tabling a motion in the Dáil calling on the Government not to appeal the European Commission"s decision.
Labour leader Brendan Howlin called on Mr Noonan to brief the Opposition on the matter but added that Ireland should appeal the decision along with other States.
Richard Boyd Barrett of AAA-PBP said the Government should pursue Apple for the money which would help resolve the housing crisis.
Committed
Apple chief executive Tim Cook has said the company is committed to Ireland and plans to continue investing.
Media captionMs Vestager said the Irish tax system "allowed profits to be attributed to a head office that only existed on paper."
Mr Cook has published message on the company"s website reiterating the organisation"s commitment to Ireland.
"We plan to continue investing there, growing and serving our customers with the same level of passion and commitment.
He added: "we firmly believe that the facts and the established legal principles upon which the EU was founded will ultimately prevail".
Image copyright RAE Image caption El Diccionario de autoridades fue el fundamento de lo que hoy se conoce como el Diccionario de la lengua española o también como Diccionario de la Real Academia de la Lengua (DRAE).
"Limpia, fija y da esplendor". Con ese lema que parece hoy más propio de un detergente, nació en 1713 la Real Academia Española (RAE).
Y una de sus primeras tareas fue crear un diccionario de la lengua española, un documento que iría luego actualizando y que hoy se sigue utilizando como guía para el buen uso del idioma.
Como institución dedicada a la regularización lingüística de todo el mundo hispanohablante, la RAE incluyó en el repertorio voces procedentes de todos los territorios en los que se hablaba el castellano.
¿Pero cuáles fueron las primeras palabras de América Latina que entraron en él?
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Algunos "americanismos" proceden de las Antillas, el primer territorio al que llegó Cristóbal Colón.
Para responder a esa pregunta BBC Mundo se sumergió en el Diccionario de autoridades, publicado entre 1726 y 1739, fundamento de lo que hoy se conoce como el Diccionario de la lengua española o también como Diccionario de la Real Academia Española (DRAE).
Y con la ayuda de la directora técnica del DRAE, Elena Zamora, seleccionamos los siguientes "americanismos":
1. Palabras procedentes de las Antillas, las primeras tierras a las que llegó Cristóbal Colón.
Caimán: Béstia Amphibia, mui semejante al Crocodílo, de gran cuerpo y longitud, que se cría en las rias de las Indias y en algunas Islas. Es a modo de lagarto, con unas conchas tan fuertes y sólidas, que no las puede passar una bala de arcabúz. Tiene dos carreras de dientes, y debaxo de los brazos unas glándulas como habas, que despiden un olor suave, de que usan los Indios, los quales tienen gran destreza en cogerlos. Pone los huevos en la arena, los que son tan duros, que no se pueden quebrar; pero se empollan con el calor del Sol. Es voz del País.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption La palabra caimán tiene su origen en las islas del Caribe.
Así se describe al animal en el segundo tomo del Diccionario de autoridades, de 1729.
Según informa Zamora, la palabra procede del taíno, una lengua indígena de la familia arahuaco que se habló en las Antillas durante la época de la Conquista española y que actualmente se encuentra extinta.
Cacique: Señor de vassallos, o el Superior en la Província o Pueblo de los Indios: y aunque en muchas partes de las Indias tienen otros nombres, segun sus idiomas, los Españoles los llaman a todos Cacíques, que parece lo tomaron de las Islas de Barlovento, que fueron las primeras que se conquistaron. Es voz Mexicana, que significa Señor.
La palabra también se incluye en el segundo tomo del diccionario de 1729.
El DRAE actualmente la clasifica como de origen taíno.
Patata: Planta que cultivada y sembrada echa una raíz algo mayor de las que llaman Papas, larga y tortuosa: por de dentro es amarilla, y por defuera parda: es mui sabrosa y dulce, y aunque de ella se hacen diversos dulces y almíbares mui delicádos, con especialidád es mas grata al paladar assada, y rociada despues con vino y azúcar. En España se crían muchas en las cercanías de Málaga. Algunos la llaman Patáta, y assi se halla tambien escrito; pero lo común es con b.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Patata es un cruce entre batata, del taíno, y papa, del quéchua.
"La palabra "patata" es un cruce entre batata, con origen en la lengua taína, y "papa", procedente del quechua", la lengua amerindia del imperio incaico y que en la actualidad se habla en Perú, Bolivia y zonas de Colombia, Ecuador, Chile y Argentina, dice Zamora.
2. Palabras procedentes del náhuatl, la lengua del que fuera el imperio azteca y que hoy se habla en diversas zonas de México:
Chocolate: Bebida que se hace de la pasta llamada tambien Chocoláte, que se compóne de cacáo, azúcar, y canéla (à que algúnos suelen añadir vainillas y otros ingredientes) deshaciéndola con el molinillo en el agua correspondiente, dentro de la chocolatéra, y luego se sorbe caliente, ù helado. Su etymología es de la palabra India Chocollat.
En su Historia natural y moral de las Indias de 1590, el jesuita, antropólogo y naturalista José de Acosta ya mencionaba chocolate, del que escribía:
El principál beneficio de este cacáo es un brebaje que hacen, que llaman Chocoláte, que es cosa loca lo que en aquella tierra le precian, y las Españólas hechas à la tierra se mueren por el negro chocoláte.
Cacao: Voz Indiana. Fruta menor que almendra, aunque mas gruessa y redonda: la cáscara delicada, algo fría y húmeda, que tostada y molida en la piedra, hecha a este fin, es el principal material para fabricar el chocolate. En algunas partes de las Indias sirve de moneda para pagar los picos y restos de las cantidades mayores, y acabalar las partidas.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Cacao y chocolate, ambas palabras proceden del náhuatl.
Así como a su derivado, José de Acosta también le hizo mención al cacao en su Historia natural y moral de las Indias:
El cacáo es una fruta menor que almendras y mas gruessa, la qual tostada no tiene mal sabor.
Tomate: Mata pequeña, que echa unos tallos felpudos, ramosos, è inclinados à la tierra, vestidos de mucha hoja, adentada, puntiaguda, y tierna. El fruto es redondo, chato, y desigual, liso, y lustroso, de color verde, que con el sol se vuelve encarnado, dividido por dedentro en casquillos con sus fibras, donde tiene la simiente. Su uso es mui freqüente para salsa de la comida.
Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption "El fruto es redondo, chato, y desigual, liso, y lustroso, de color verde, que con el sol se vuelve encarnado", dice el Diccionario de autoridades sobre el tomate.
El tomo VI del Diccionario de autoridades cita este verso de Pantaleón de Ribera (1600-1629) que menciona la voz:
Salió la sangre inocente,
bermeja como un tomate,
carmesí como un pimiento,
colorada como un lacre.
3. Palabras que existían en España pero que en América Latina se usaban con otro significado:
Los expertos de la época también consideraron americanismos a palabras que, aunque ya se utilizaban en España, adquirieron un significado totalmente distinto en América Latina. Y así están recogidas en el Diccionario de autoridades.
Pepita: La simienta de algunas frutas y legumbres: como del melón, de la calabaza, de la pera, manzana, &c. Distinguense de las otras semillas, en que son planas y más largas.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Según el Diccionario de autoridades, pepita es lo que "llaman en Indias a unos pedazos de oro".
Ese era, según el Diccionario de autoridades, el significado de la palabra en España, pero no en Latinoamérica:
Llaman en Indias a unos pedazos de oro.
Frutilla: Se llama en el Perú la que en Castilla se llama fresa.
Mientras, según el Diccionario de autoridades, en España la "frutilla" es la fruta pequeña.
Gallinaza: Ave que se cría en las Indias Occidentales, lo que hoy se llama gallinazo.
En aquel entonces gallinaza era en "Castilla" el excremento o estiércol de las gallinas que se usaba luego como abono en las huertas.
Desacuerdo
De las 37.600 entradas de este diccionario, un 3,7% venían de dialectos, y de ese grupo entre un 8 y un 12% procedían del español de América.
Aurora Salvador, doctora en filología hispánica por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, contabilizó 127 en un análisis realizado en 1985.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Algunos "americanismos" que recoge el Diccionario de autoridades tienen su origen en la lengua taína, la que se hablaba en las Antillas durante la Conquista española.
Un año antes, el colombiano y doctor en filología Jesús Gútemberg Bohórquez había registrado 168 y para Luz Fernández Gordillo, doctora en lingüística y literatura hispánica por El Colegio de México, hay un total de 171.
"Todos los cómputos son correctos e incorrectos, según se mire", le explica a BBC Mundo Elena Zamora, directora técnica del DRAE.
Según Zamora, el desacuerdo se debe a los criterios que emplea cada experto a la hora de considerar qué era o no un "americanismo".
"Algunos estudiosos no consideran como tal, por ejemplo, el término atole — Bebida que usan mucho los mexicanos —, porque para entonces ya se utilizaba en España", le cuenta a BBC Mundo.
Image copyright RAE Image caption El tronco de todos los diccionarios posteriores es el del Diccionario de autoridades de 1726, recuerda Elena Zamora, directora técnica del DRAE.
Porcentaje creciente
Una crítica muy frecuente que se le ha hecho al diccionario de la RAE es ser hispanocentrista.
Con la aparición de las primeras academias americanas — la primera fue la Academia Colombiana de la Lengua, fundada en 1871 — la cuota de "americanismos" incluidos en las nuevas versiones del diccionario aumentó de forma considerable.
Y más aún con la Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (ASALE), conformada en México en 1951 e integrada por las 23 academias de la lengua española existentes en el mundo.
"Ahora mismo se está decidiendo cómo será el nuevo diccionario, pero se tiene claro que deberá funcionar en pie de igualdad", asegura.
"Que no sea la Real Academia Española la que decida qué voces se aceptan y cuáles no, sino que lo hagan todas por igual".
Este artículo es parte de la versión digital del Hay Festival Querétaro, un encuentro deescritores y pensadores que se realiza en esa ciudad mexicana entre el 1 y 4 de septiembre de 2016.
Sigue toda la información relacionada con el Hay Festival
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Both suspects played out a number of scenes under police direction.
A British man and his Australian girlfriend have re-enacted the circumstances surrounding the death of a police officer on a beach in Bali.
David James Taylor and Sara Connor were arrested in Bali early this month.
Both have been named as suspects, and could face up to 15 years in jail. They deny murdering Wayan Sudarsa.
The pair were brought to Kuta beach by police to reconstruct the incident, wearing orange prison clothing and name signs around their necks.
They re-enacted a fight between Mr Taylor and Mr Sudarsa, through a number of scenes dictated by police, as photographers called for clearer views.
Mr Taylor also mimed an attack with a broken bottle. Police say a beer bottle found near the scene might be the murder weapon.
Ms Connor also acted out climbing on the back of the prone police officer, holding a walkie-talkie.
Ms Connor"s lawyer told Australian media that she was forced to re-enact scenes she said never took place. The couple have reportedly been kept apart during their time under arrest.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption David James Taylor and Sara Connor were brought to the scene by police
Mr Taylor, 33, who performs as DJ Nutzo, and Ms Connor, 45, have not been charged over the 17 August death. Under Indonesian law, police have 120 days to build their case.
Police said the couple"s blood was found near the crime scene, in their hotel room and on Mr Taylor"s scooter.
"He [Taylor] found an old cell phone, he hit the guy"s head on the back maybe twice. There is a bottle and an old phone," Mr Sihombing told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"They found on their clothes and trousers a stain of blood and hair, that"s why they tried to get rid of them by burning their clothes."
Mr Taylor"s lawyer, Erick Sihombing, previously told Australian media his client had confessed to hitting the police officer during an argument over Ms Connor"s missing handbag.
Ms Connor"s legal team said she was not involved in the incident. She had reportedly gone to Bali to meet Mr Taylor after he was unable to renew a tourist visa for Australia.
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.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Bombs containing chlorine were dropped on the rebel-held town of Sarmin in March 2015
Russia has said it does not accept the findings of a UN-led investigation that concluded Syria"s government had used chemical weapons against civilians.
A report said last week that chlorine had been used by President Bashar al-Assad"s forces on two occasions.
But Russia, a close ally of Mr Assad, told the UN Security Council a number of questions still had to be clarified.
The UK and France, which back the rebellion against the president, called for sanctions to be imposed on Syria.
A September 2013 resolution states that the Security Council will impose measures under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which permits military action, in the event of "any use of chemical weapons by anyone" in Syria.
The resolution, which endorsed the destruction of Syria"s declared stockpile of chemical weapons, was adopted a month after hundreds of people were killed when shells filled with the nerve agent sarin were fired at rebel-held suburbs of Damascus.
Western powers said only government forces could have carried out the attack, but Mr Assad and Russia blamed rebels.
"No fingerprints"
In August 2015, following further deadly chemical attacks on rebel-held areas, the Security Council established a Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) to identify those responsible.
The international team of inspectors looked into nine cases in seven towns and determined that the Syrian air force was behind two attacks involving chlorine – in Talmanes on 21 April 2014 and Sarmin on 16 March 2015 – and that jihadist militants from Islamic State (IS) carried out one attack involving sulphur mustard.
Image copyright AFP Image caption The Syrian government has denied that it was behind the chemical attack on Sarmin
Chlorine is a "dual-use chemical". It has many legitimate industrial functions, but its use as a weapon is banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). If high concentrations of the chemical enter the lungs it can cause death.
At a meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday, US permanent representative Samantha Power called the JIM report a "landmark" and called for swift action.
"It is the first official independent confirmation of what many of us… have presented substantial evidence of for a long time, and that is a pattern of chemical weapons use by the Syrian regime," she said.
But Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin insisted it was too early to discuss sanctions.
"Clearly there is a smoking gun. We know that chlorine most likely has been used – that was already the finding of the fact-finding mission before – but there are no fingerprints on the gun," he said.
Syria"s permanent representative Bashar Jaafari dismissed the report"s conclusions, saying they were "totally based on statements made by witnesses presented by the terrorist armed groups" and "lack any physical evidence".
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Viajar en medio del lujo tiene su precio
Volar en clase ejecutiva nunca será del todo una ganga. Eso de viajar con champagne en mano, descansando en asientos de cuero fino y saltando la fila de los demás mortales en los aeropuertos, tiene su precio.
Pero la buena noticia es que ese precio está cayendo.
A la par con lo que ocurre en el resto de la industria aeronáutica global, el servicio de lujo de las aerolíneas está empezando a pasarle a los consumidores los menores costos de operación de sus aviones.
Los menores precios del combustible y otros factores hacen que las aerolíneas puedan volar más barato que hace un año. Y los resultados finalmente se están empezando a ver en muchas tarifas.
Incluso en las de clase ejecutiva o "business class", un segmento del mercado en el que las aerolíneas suelen ser implacables a la hora de cobrar, pues suelen representar una parte importante de las ganancias de estas empresas.
El medio estadounidense qz.com cita datos del sitio de comparación de precios Kayak, en el que la tarifa en clase ejecutiva para los vuelos entre Nueva York y Londres había caído en 37% en los primeros ocho meses de 2016 comparado con el mismo periodo el año anterior.
Cuáles son las 10 mejores aerolíneas del mundo (y cuántas vuelan a América Latina)
La devaluación
Nuevamente, no es que la clase ejecutiva se haya vuelto "popular".
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Las tarifas de los vuelos han disminuido.
Con todo y el descuento, la tarifa media para ese vuelo es de US$2.006, según Kayak.
Con el añadido que para muchos viajeros de países de América Latina y otras regiones del mundo, la ventaja de esas tarifas más baratas en dólares puede verse neutralizada por la devaluación que han sufrido sus monedas frente a la divisa estadounidense.
No obstante, no deja de ser notorio que en apenas un año, ese símbolo de estatus universal que es un boleto de avión en "business class" sea una tercera parte más barato que antes.
Cuatro cosas que cambian con el nuevo acuerdo aéreo entre México y Estados Unidos
Los de abajo
¿Y que pasa con los que al entrar a la cabina de avión, pasamos de largo por los asientos más lujosos rumbo a la clase económica?
La industria global de las aerolíneas
3.500 millones Número estimado de pasajeros en todo el mundo en 2015.
7.000 millones Número proyectado de viajeros en todo el mundo en 2034.
2029 Año en que se espera que China sobrepase a Estados Unidos como el mayor mercado mundial de la aviación.
Fuente: IATA AFP
Para las mayorías también hay buenas noticias.
La empresa estadounidense de investigación de mercados Hopper anticipa que las tarifas internas en Estados Unidos caerán en un 8% entre septiembre y noviembre de este año.
Un resultado que sin duda variará de país a país, pero que igualmente refleja una tendencia global.
Las aerolíneas estadounidenses que permiten tener sexo en las alturas
Más competencia
Las aerolíneas están ofreciendo descuentos a viajeros al contar con combustible más barato y una creciente competencia.
Image copyright AFP Image caption ¿Cuánto estás dispuesto a pagar por viajar cómodo?
Esta competencia está llegando con particular fuerza en el sector de la clase ejecutiva.
Están entrando nuevas compañías que se especializan en ofrecer una cabina completa de lujo para todos sus pasajeros, como la firma JetSmarter.
Otras ofrecen privilegios añadidos para los consentidos pasajeros que doblan a la izquierda cuando se suben al avión.
Delta, una de las grandes aerolíneas estadounidenses, anunció también este mes planes para un nuevo servicio de clase ejecutiva en la que los pasajeros viajan en cabinas personales con puertas, ofreciendo la privacidad que algunos asocian con los jets privados.
Mientras que en el otro extremo del espectro, la aerolínea de bajo costo Norwegian estuvo ofreciendo en agosto vuelos trasatlánticos entre Nueva York y Estocolmo a US$139 por trayecto.
Dicha pasajera
¿Persistirá esta época feliz para los viajeros?
"El tiempo lo dirá, por supuesto. Seguirá habiendo descuentos agresivos en mercados donde compiten las aerolíneas de ultra bajo costo, donde existen riesgos de viaje (zika, conflicto) y las economías globales están débiles", le dice a BBC Mundo el consultor de la industria de aviación estadounidense Robert Mann.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Muchas aerolíneas obtienen gran parte de sus utilidades por vender boletos en clase ejecutiva.
Pero el experto cree que para muchos ejecutivos de las grandes aerolíneas, los recortes en la capacidad de las empresas que se han venido implementando a lo largo del año están empezando a tener efecto en reequilibrar la oferta y la demanda.
Y luego de varios meses por el suelo, los precios del petróleo han empezado a repuntar ligeramente, por lo que uno de los costos básicos de la industria aérea puede estar otra vez en tendencia ascendente.
Además, en otras ocasiones, la llegada de nuevos competidores con tarifas agresivamente bajas eventualmente lleva a que algunas de las firmas se retiren de sus mercados por no poder subsistir en guerras de precios.
Cosa que podría ocurrir en el mercado de las aerolíneas en clase ejecutiva.
En un futuro las tarifas de los boletos pueden estar apuntando nuevamente a un punto de equilibrio más alto.
Por lo que si siempre ha soñado con tomar ese vuelo en "business class", por todo lo alto, este puede ser el momento.
Image copyright AP Image caption Children trying to reach Italy rescued from the Mediterranean
Human rights researchers are warning of a "devastating" lack of information for families of migrants thought to have drowned in the Mediterranean.
More than 6,600 refugees drowned in the Mediterranean in 2015 and the first half of this year.
But a report by UK academics warns that most bodies remain unidentified and their families are left not knowing if missing relatives are dead or alive.
This is an "invisible catastrophe", said report author Dr Simon Robins.
"This is devastating for their families back home," said Dr Robins, senior research fellow at the Centre for Applied Human Rights at the University of York.
Image copyright AP Image caption Refugee families rescued off the coast of Libya this week
"They likened it to a form of torture where they are caught between hope and despair, not knowing whether they would ever see their loved one again, not knowing if they should give up hope and focus on the rest of their lives.
"More than anything these people want to know if their loved one is alive or dead. If they are dead, they want to bring their relative home and have them buried visibly in their community."
Researchers from the Mediterranean Missing Project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, spent a year in Italy and Greece examining how information about dead migrants was gathered.
Image copyright AFP Image caption A sinking ship in a picture from an EU rescue operation – up to 30 people had drowned
Dr Robins says that only a minority of the bodies are identified – and many more migrants will have been lost and never found at sea.
When bodies are identified it is usually by relatives coming to where bodies are kept before burial, he says.
This means that families without any way of travelling to Europe might never get the chance to see if their loved ones are among the bodies which have washed up.
The report, from the University of York, City University London and the International Organisation for Migration, calls for a more systematic approach to gathering data about those who have drowned.
Interviews with families from Syria, Iraq and Tunisia with missing relatives:
"I don"t feel anything, anymore. My feelings are dead. I was waiting for a phone call, I was sure he was still alive. Do you want me to tell you the truth? Actually, I don"t know anything about him. I don"t know if he passed away or is still alive."
"We often fight. He is convinced that our son is dead. My other children are convinced that he is alive… I even asked them not to change their phone number; you never know if my son would try to contact one of us."
"I try somehow to explain to them that he is in Italy and he will come back. They know, however, that their father is gone, but I try to make them wait. I found no words to say to them… I myself have not heard from him."
"I tell them that as long as I"m breathing, I"ll keep looking for my son until my last breath. I"ll never give up!"
"Another man got in touch with me saying he knows where my husband is, but it turned out he was a liar and was after money and tried to threaten me."
"Some people said they saw her in Izmir in Turkey, while others said she was seen in Limbach in Germany… there was a family from Damascus with them on the boat, perhaps she left with them… Others posted on Facebook that she was seen in Izmir, we contacted them, but they deleted their post later."
Image copyright AP Image caption Belongings of migrants gathered in a rescue off Libya this weekend
Dr Robins said researchers saw personal objects – such as credit cards, watches and even a passport – that had washed ashore on beaches but had not been gathered to help identify those who might have been lost in the Mediterranean.
Local authorities have been "overwhelmed" by the tide of migration, says the report, and this has put pressure on attempts to identify the dead and inform their relatives.
"There is a policy vacuum around the problem, marked by minimal co-operation among different state agencies, a lack of effective investigation, and little effort to contact the families of the missing," says the report.
Image copyright AP Image caption The grave of an unidentified migrant drowned at sea and buried in Turkey
In Italy, there has been a special commissioner for missing persons created, which, Dr Robins says, has been very effective in investigating shipwrecks.
But Dr Robins says this work does not extend far enough and that in Greece there is even greater need for a more co-ordinated approach.
There have been efforts to gather DNA material from those who have drowned, but Dr Robins says this needs to be more systematic, so that families would be able to seek a match for a lost relative.
The wave of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean is still continuing, with 6,500 rescued on Monday between Libya and Italy.
Image copyright AP Image caption Turkish police remove the body of a migrant from a beach
The report also calls for a more thorough approach to interviewing survivors rescued from the Mediterranean, because they might have information about the identities of those who have drowned.
The lack of centralised information means there is no straightforward point of contact for families looking for lost relatives.
Dr Robins says there needs to be a much greater outreach effort to find these families, who have been "marginalised" by the lack of information.
These families are the hidden victims of the migration crisis, says the report.
Image copyright AP Image caption A love letter found with a Syrian woman whose body was found on the coast of Libya
Researchers interviewed 84 families from Syria, Iraq and Tunisia whose families disappeared trying to cross the Mediterranean and who are "living every day with uncertainty".
Without any confirmation of death, families face a traumatic wait, with some believing relatives are still alive and being kept in detention, unable to make contact.
Without any official information, they rely on scraps of news brought back from people who had travelled with their missing relative, or from people smugglers.
"There is a huge emptiness," said one of the families interviewed.
Sixteen people have been injured after turbulence prompted a transatlantic flight to make an emergency landing in the Republic of Ireland.
Fourteen passengers and two crew members were taken to hospital from Shannon Airport at about 06:00 BST.
The United Airlines flight was travelling from Houston, Texas, to London Heathrow.
The emergency landing followed "unexpected turbulence", said the airline.
"The aircraft diverted to Shannon Airport in Ireland where it was met by medical personnel," said a statement.
The injured passengers and crew were taken to hospital in Limerick.
"United Airlines is providing care and support to customers and crew of flight UA-880 which experienced severe and unexpected turbulence during a flight from Houston to London Heathrow today," said the airline.
Image copyright Brian Lawless Image caption Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan wants to appeal the European Commission decision
The Republic of Ireland"s Cabinet will meet later to discuss the European Commission"s decision that Ireland granted undue tax benefits of up to €13bn (£11bn) to Apple.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said the Irish Government will appeal the ruling.
The Irish Government has said it "disagrees profoundly with the commission"s analysis".
"Ireland did not give favourable tax treatment to Apple," it added.
"Ireland does not do deals with taxpayers. No fine or penalty has been levied against the Irish State.
"This decision has no effect on the 12.5% rate of corporation tax and is not about Ireland"s wider corporation tax regime."
Analysis: BBC Ireland Correspondent Shane Harrison
It all comes down to Ireland"s reputation.
The Irish government has been criticised, particularly in the US, for almost being a tax haven similar to the Cayman Islands, something it strongly denies.
But €13bn is a huge amount of money: It would go a long way towards solving the housing crisis in the Republic for example.
Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour are more or less of the view that the government should appeal the ruling.
But Sinn Féin are calling for an independent assessment of whether or not Apple did get unfair treatment, whether it was human error or whether the system colluded to create this situation as the European Commission seems to believe.
It believes the government should not appeal and should spend the money.
The left-wing parties also believe the money should be spend in citizens" interests.
For them, it is a moral issue as to whether or not Apple are being getting unfair treatment given the amount of money ordinary people pay in their taxes.
Thirteen billion euros is approximately equivalent to a quarter of what the Irish government spends per year, and what it spends on health in total, says the BBC"s Shane Harrison in Dublin.
The Republic"s government is a minority one, with Fine Gael being propped up by independents.
It is not clear however how the Independent Alliance members of the cabinet will vote on whether to appeal the decision or not, adds our correspondent.
Apple itself is appealing against the decision, saying: "The European Commission has launched an effort to rewrite Apple"s history in Europe, ignore Ireland"s tax laws and upend the international tax system in the process.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Apple intends to appeal the European Commission"s ruling demanding it pays €13bn in taxes to Ireland
"The commission"s case is not about how much Apple pays in taxes, it"s about which government collects the money. It will have a profound and harmful effect on investment and job creation in Europe.
"Apple follows the law and pays all of the taxes we owe wherever we operate. We will appeal and we are confident the decision will be overturned."
The appeal will be made first to the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg and then to European Court of Justice.
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil"s finance spokesman Michael McGrath described the Europe Commission"s decision as "remarkable", saying it would have far-reaching consequences.
But many of the issues included by the commission have been addressed through changes in legislation in recent years, he said.
It was vital from Ireland"s perspective that the country"s corporation tax system, which is an essential part of the country"s overall inward investment strategy, was defended, he added.
Apple and Ireland
€13bn
demanded in back taxes. Equal to:
ALL of Ireland"s healthcare budget
66% of its social welfare bill
15 million iPhones
27% of Apple"s 2015 profit
Sources: Apple, HSE, Dept of Social Protection Getty
Sinn Féin"s Finance spokesperson, Pearse Doherty, has called for a public inquiry into what he described as "the illegal State aid given to Apple."
He said that his party would be tabling a motion in the Dáil calling on the Government not to appeal the European Commission"s decision.
Labour leader Brendan Howlin called on Mr Noonan to brief the Opposition on the matter but added that Ireland should appeal the decision along with other States.
Richard Boyd Barrett of AAA-PBP said the Government should pursue Apple for the money which would help resolve the housing crisis.
Committed
Apple chief executive Tim Cook has said the company is committed to Ireland and plans to continue investing.
Media captionMs Vestager said the Irish tax system "allowed profits to be attributed to a head office that only existed on paper."
Mr Cook has published message on the company"s website reiterating the organisation"s commitment to Ireland.
"We plan to continue investing there, growing and serving our customers with the same level of passion and commitment.
He added: "we firmly believe that the facts and the established legal principles upon which the EU was founded will ultimately prevail".
Media captionMany teenage girls say that there is added pressure to look good on social media
Girls in Britain are becoming more miserable, suggests the Children"s Society"s annual report.
Among 10 to 15-year-old girls, the charity"s report says 14% are unhappy with their lives as a whole, and 34% with their appearance.
Researchers were told of girls feeling ugly or worthless.
The figures for England, Wales and Scotland for 2013-14 represent a sharp rise in unhappiness on five years before.
By contrast the study found that boys" sense of happiness remained stable.
Appearance worries
The charity"s annual Good Childhood Report, now in its 11th year, draws its findings on teenagers" happiness from the Understanding Society Survey which gathers data on 40,000 households across the UK.
Children"s Society and University of York researchers examined responses on the wellbeing of 10 to 15-year-olds.
They found that between 2009-10 and 2013-14 on average 11% of both boys and girls said they were unhappy.
But the latest available figures, for 2013-14, showed the proportion of girls saying they were unhappy had risen to 14%.
Lucy Capron from the Children"s Society told BBC Radio 5 Live: "This isn"t something which can be explained away by hormones or just the natural course of growing up, actually this is something that we need to take seriously and we need to address."
The proportion of girls reporting being worried about their looks rose from 30% for the period as a whole, to 34% in the year 2013-14 – while the proportion of boys unhappy with their appearance remained unchanged at 20%.
Under pressure: Teens speak out
Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Girls spend more time on social media which has links to poorer mental health, the report notes
Three girls tell BBC Radio 5 Live how they feel.
Megan, 12, said: "The only time that I"m not happy is if people are judging me or being mean and things like that. With people at school, they post things [on social media] and they try and make everyone think that they are perfect.
"Sometimes it makes me feel – not annoyed – but I don"t want to look at it any more because they just do it all the time and it gets on your nerves."
Natalia, 15, said: "Everywhere you look it"s like, celebrities: thin, blonde or – perfect teeth, perfect hair, perfect eyes, perfect eyebrows. And it"s just crazy and I just feel like I should look like that – even though I know it"s all like fake, or a lot of it is anyway.
"I have these days when I"m like, I don"t care what people think but then somebody will say something and it will just hit me again and I"ll feel worse but I don"t know, it"s hard to explain why it bothers me so much sometimes."
Caitlyn, 12, said: "I am happy most of the time, but then when it comes to my friends going: "Ah I look really beautiful in this outfit" and everything, I just feel like, no, I can"t do that – I can"t pull it off.
"When I"m obviously looking through my Facebook and looking at some of the posts, all you can see is pictures of celebrities and my friends looking beautiful in selfies and everything, and then there"s just me, like, I can"t get away from any of it."
While teenage angst is nothing new, Ms Capron said: "What"s new and what the Children"s Society have unveiled is the scale of the problem – particularly the fact that the gap between boys and girls is getting wider and that"s something that we should be worried about."
The reasons for the deteriorating picture for girls are not clear says the charity – but the report finds that emotional bullying, such as name-calling, is twice as common as physical bullying among boys.
The report also suggests that girls are more likely to spend extended periods on social media which has been linked to a higher risk of mental ill health.
Ms Capron said relationships, and the way they are played out on social media, are big drivers in a young person"s life.
"Some other research has shown that girls are spending a lot more time on social media – up to three hours a night in some cases – and we need to make sure that"s done in a safe way," she said.
Body shape
In another study, childcare professionals have published evidence that children could be worrying about being fat or ugly at a younger age, with girls particularly affected.
The Professional Association of Childcare and Early Years says staff have noticed children as young as three being worried about their appearance.
Overall, nursery staff, childminders and nannies looking after under-10s in England, reported hearing children:
expressing unhappiness with parts of their bodies and with their body size
describing themselves or another child as fat
saying they feel ugly or less good looking than someone else
refusing food for fear it will make them fat
The risk is that these views could prompt eating disturbances and depression later in life, according to Middlesex University child development lecturer, Dr Jacqueline Harding.
She suggested that media images and adults chatting about diets could lead to negative body images in children.
Parents can help boost body confidence, for example by praising children for acts of kindness rather than for their looks, she advised.
The association is calling for more support and government guidance on these issues.
As a Children"s Society report suggests girls are becoming more miserable, one group of girls at a dance school talk about the pressure to look good on social media.Original Article
A unicyclist has been performing stunts on top of a chimney in Romania that is 250m high – one of the tallest structures in the city of Targu Jiu.Original Article
China"s two biggest cities have banned the use of electric scooters and segways on public roads because of safety concerns.
Beijing and Shanghai traffic authorities this week started issuing verbal warnings and fines of 10 yuan ($1.50) to those who broke the rules.
Modified bicycles, scooters and segways have been growing in popularity in China as a way to beat traffic jams.
However, many do not have proper brakes or lights, and can exceed speed limits.
Electric scooters and segways are supposed to have a maximum speed of 20km/h, but the Beijing Consumers" Association found that most of them are able to exceed that.
China"s third-largest city Guangzhou is also reportedly considering a ban on electric scooters.
There are no national safety standards for such vehicles, which do not fall in the category of either motor vehicles or non-motorised ones according to Chinese law.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Analysts say that since he came to power Kim Jong-un has not held back from purging extremely high-ranking officials suspected of disloyalty
South Korean government officials have said that North Korea executed one of its highest ranking ministers last month.
Seoul"s unification ministry said Kim Yong-jin was one of Pyongyang"s vice premiers and in charge of education.
Officials did not explain how they got the information. Seoul"s record on reporting such developments is patchy.
In May, a North Korean military chief said to have been executed was found to be alive and attending official events.
Ri Yong-gil was widely reported to have been executed in February but when he made an appearance at North Korea"s party congress it highlighted just how difficult it is to get accurate information from the North.
The unification ministry, the government department which manages relations with the North is, along with the spy agency, the South"s primary source of information about Pyongyang.
The unification ministry also said a prominent minister responsible for intelligence and inter-Korean relations, Kim Yong-chol, had been sent for re-education along with another official, named as Choi Hwi, for a month in mid-July.
Might this "execution" be confirmed ?
North Korea itself very rarely provides confirmation of such reports. The last execution Pyongyang released official information about is thought to be the notorious purge of Kim Jong-un"s own uncle, Chang Song-thaek in 2013.
The strongest confirmation is usually that an executed official simply disappears from media reports.
If this report turns out to be untrue, Kim Yong-jin may well appear in public or be listed as in attendance at a major public event in Pyongyang.
Another clue to his fate might emerge if North Korea announces a replacement vice premier. Again, this does not necessarily mean he has been executed.
Ri Yong-gil was replaced as military chief but turned up months later, albeit with an apparent demotion.
Who are Kim Yong-jin and Kim Yong-chol?
Both have held high office and were mentioned in official statements and despatches from Pyongyang.
While less is known about Kim Yong-jin, Kim Yong-chol has often been seen alongside Kim Jong-un in photographs and is thought to be close to him. At the party congress in May he was named as head of national intelligence.
Experts say that North Korean officials are frequently sent for re-education, a process that can sometimes be seen as "corporate training" with some emerging from re-education with higher office while others are demoted.
Why are we hearing about this now?
The statement from the unification ministry comes a day after an unconfirmed report in a South Korean newspaper said two different high-ranking officials in the departments of education and agriculture had been executed.
It also comes shortly after the high profile defection of a UK-based North Korean diplomat to Seoul.
It is clear that there are reasons to be insecure at the top of North Korea"s political establishment – Kim Jong-un went through four defence ministers in four years.
If Mr Kim"s execution is confirmed, it would be just the latest in a series of purges and executions of top officials that Kim Jong-un has enacted since he came to power in 2011.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption El caso más sonoro de Chris Brown con la justicia ocurrió en 2009 cuando fue detenido y sentenciado por atacar a su entonces pareja, la cantante Rihanna.
El cantante Chris Brown fue arrestado este martes en su casa a las afueras de Los Ángeles, California, bajo sospecha de "asalto con un arma letal" después de que una mujer le dijera a la policía que el rapero la amenazó con una pistola.
Las autoridades informaron que agentes de policía trasladaron a Brown desde su residencia en Tarzana, una zona residencial del noroeste de Los Ángeles, al centro de la ciudad para ser formalmente imputado.
La decisión se produjo tras varias horas de tensión en las que los agentes registraron la vivienda del cantante en busca del arma con la que supuestamente amenazó a su denunciante.
La operación de registro se puso en marcha después de que las autoridades recibieran una llamada en la que una mujer aseguraba que el rapero le apuntó con una pistola tras una discusión.
La mujer abandonó la casa y entonces llamó a la policía.
Image copyright AP Image caption La policía estuvo unas horas registrando la vivienda de Chris Brown.
La mujer, la reina de la belleza californiana Baylee Curran, le dijo al periódico Los Angeles Times que Brown le apuntó con un arma después de que ella elogió las joyas de un amigo del rapero.
Curran le explicó al diario que ella y una amiga fueron a casa de Brown con un socio el lunes por la tarde.
Comentarios de ambos en Instagram
"Si alguien te apunta con un arma a la cabeza, ¿qué haces? Llamas a la policía", escribió Curran en su cuenta de la red social Instagram.
Brown, que permaneció dentro de la vivienda rodeada por los agentes hasta que las autoridades consiguieron la autorización para entrar, publicó varios vídeos en su perfil de Instagram en los que aseguró no haber hecho nada.
En uno de ellos exclamó: "Buena suerte. Cuando consigan la orden judicial o lo que necesiten, van a entrar directamente aquí y no van a ver nada, idiotas".
En otro comentario, el cantante expresó su apoyo al movimiento Black Lives Matter (las vidas de ciudadanos negros importan) contra la brutalidad policial: "Son la peor pandilla del mundo: la policía".
Image copyright AP Image caption Chris Brown criticó a la policía en distintos videos que compartió en la red Instagram.
Choques con la justicia
En los últimos años, Chris Brown ha tenido varios problemas con la ley.
En 2009 fue declarado culpable de agredir y proferir amenazas de muerte contra la cantante Rihanna, que entonces era su pareja.
Brown sentenciado por golpear a Rihanna
Posteriormente violó su libertad condicional al agredir a una persona en la ciudad de Washington en 2013, un incidente por el que fue condenado a un año de cárcel.
Two of more than 500 ordinary Sierra Leoneans who volunteered to bury Ebola victims, describe how their lives have been changed by the epidemic.Original Article
Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Girls" levels of happiness deteriorated in the five years to 2014, suggests the research
Girls in Britain are becoming more miserable, suggests the Children"s Society"s annual report.
Among 10 to 15-year-old girls, the charity"s report says 14% are unhappy with their lives as a whole, and 34% with their appearance.
Researchers were told of girls feeling ugly or worthless.
The figures for England, Wales and Scotland for 2013-14 represent a sharp rise in unhappiness on five years before.
By contrast the study found that boys" sense of happiness remained stable.
Appearance worries
The charity"s annual Good Childhood Report, now in its 11th year, draws its findings on teenagers" happiness from the Understanding Society Survey which gathers data on 40,000 households across the UK.
Children"s Society and University of York researchers examined responses on the wellbeing of 10 to 15-year-olds.
They found that between 2009-10 and 2013-14 on average 11% of both boys and girls said they were unhappy.
But the latest available figures, for 2013-14, showed the proportion of girls saying they were unhappy had risen to 14%.
The proportion of girls reporting being worried about their looks rose from 30% for the period as a whole, to 34% in the year 2013-14 – while the proportion of boys unhappy with their appearance remained unchanged at 20%.
"It is desperately worrying that so many of our young people are suffering rather than thriving," said Children"s Society chief executive Matthew Reed.
"Girls are having a particularly tough time and it"s clear that concerted action is needed to tackle this problem."
Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Girls spend more time on social media which has links to poorer mental health, the report notes
The reasons for the deteriorating picture for girls are not clear says the charity – but the report finds that emotional bullying, such as name-calling, is twice as common as physical bullying among boys.
The report also suggests that girls are more likely to spend extended periods on social media which has been linked to a higher risk of mental ill health.
One girl suggested that girls are subject to a greater range of pressures.
"Girls feel pressured by boys that they should look a particular way and that leads girls into depression or low self-esteem," said one.
"There are so many pressures from your friends, from your family," said another.
Body shape
In another study, childcare professionals have published evidence that children could be worrying about being fat or ugly at a younger age, with girls particularly affected.
The Professional Association of Childcare and Early Years says staff have noticed children as young as three being worried about their appearance.
Overall, nursery staff, childminders and nannies looking after under-10s in England, reported hearing children:
expressing unhappiness with parts of their bodies and with their body size
describing themselves or another child as fat
saying they feel ugly or less good looking than someone else
refusing food for fear it will make them fat
The risk is that these views could prompt eating disturbances and depression later in life, according to Middlesex University child development lecturer, Dr Jacqueline Harding.
She suggested that media images and adults chatting about diets could lead to negative body images in children.
Parents can help boost body confidence, for example by praising children for acts of kindness rather than for their looks, she advised.
The association is calling for more support and government guidance on these issues.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Chequers talks are being billed as the most significant since the referendum result
Theresa May is to chair a meeting of her cabinet at Chequers to discuss the UK"s approach to leaving the EU and its objectives in future negotiations.
The prime minister and senior ministers will gather together to debate the way forward amid reports of tensions and diverging priorities among key figures.
Those present will include David Davis, Boris Johnson and Liam Fox, each of whose departments is focused on Brexit.
Mrs May has said talks with the rest of the EU will not begin this year.
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 she will now expect them to report back.
Brexit Watch: At-a-glance briefing
Brexit: The hard graft begins
Image copyright AP Image caption Boris Johnson will be among the ministers present at the "away day"
The prime minister has said the UK government will not trigger Article 50 – the official mechanism for beginning the process of separation – 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 became prime minister in its aftermath, has insisted that "Brexit will mean Brexit".
But 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.
"Orderly departure"
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.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Hard negotiations with Germany and other EU nations lie ahead for Mrs May
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.
Among those round the table with Mrs May will be Chancellor Philip Hammond, 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.
Speaking on Tuesday, a No 10 spokesman said the government"s focus was on establishing the UK"s negotiating position and priorities with regard to the EU.
Although MPs would have a say on the timing of talks there was no legal requirement to consult Parliament before Article 50 was activated, he said.
Downing Street has also confirmed that Mrs May will not hold a second referendum or an early general election to give voters the chance to sign off on any deal struck between the UK and the EU.
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.
Image copyright AP Image caption Mr Trump has called Mexican migrants "criminals" and "rapists" during his campaign
US Republican candidate Donald Trump is to visit Mexico on Wednesday, hours before he details measures against illegal immigration in a speech.
Mr Trump tweeted that he was looking forward to meeting President Enrique Pena Nieto, who has invited both him and Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Mr Pena Nieto said dialogue would help "protect Mexicans wherever they are".
Mr Trump has condemned Mexican migrants during his campaign and vowed to build a wall between the two countries.
He will visit Mexico in between a fundraising event in California and his immigration speech in Phoenix, Arizona, on Wednesday night.
Why Mexicans are troubled by Donald Trump
Donald Trump"s Hispanic voter "doomsday"
The Republican has seen his poll ratings slip since the party conventions last month.
Both nationally and in key states, he trails Mrs Clinton, who enjoys particularly strong support among minorities.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Pena Nieto said protecting Mexicans was his priority
The Mexican president said he had invited both candidates for talks and would meet Trump in private on Wednesday.
"I believe in dialogue to protect Mexican interests in the world and, principally, to protect Mexicans wherever they are," he said.
Mrs Clinton"s campaign has not yet said if she will travel to Mexico.
Analysis – Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America Reporter
Image copyright AFP Image caption Papier-mache pinatas of Mr Trump have proven popular among Mexicans
Mr Trump going to Mexico is a bold move. It shows he is willing to confront a nation he has mocked in the past. It may make him – dare I say? – look statesmanlike. And if Pena Nieto slams him afterwards, it could end up working to Mr Trump"s benefit.
There is no better way to get conservatives to rally around a candidacy than to have a foreign leader cast aspersions on the nominee.
One risk is that Mr Trump might say or do something controversial while there, although this likely will be a very tightly controlled meeting.
Another is that Mr Trump"s base, the voters who cheered as he called undocumented Mexican immigrants "rapists" and "drug dealers", will consider this visit consorting with the enemy.
The stakes were already considerable for Mr Trump"s immigration speech on Wednesday night. They just got higher.
Mr Pena Nieto has previously accused Mr Trump of hurting US-Mexico relations and compared the Republican"s rhetoric to that of German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Mr Trump has threatened to stop cash sent home by Mexicans based in the US until the country pays for the wall.
BBC Mexico Correspondent Katy Watson says the prospect has worried many Mexicans who rely on remittances from their families who live in the US.
Mr Trump blames Mexico for the disappearance of jobs from the US, with companies choosing to locate south of the border to take advantage of cheaper labour costs.
In June he expressed anger after a leading golf tournament was moved from one of his courses to Mexico, accusing the PGA Tour of putting "profit ahead of thousands of American jobs".
Mexico is "ripping off the US more than almost any other nation", he said in February last year.
"Mexico continues to make billions on not only our bad trade deals but also relies heavily on the billions of dollars in remittances sent from illegal immigrants in the United States," – from his immigration plan
…and what Mexico has said about Trump
Mr Pena Nieto spoke out against Mr Trump"s "strident rhetoric" in March, adding: "That"s how Mussolini got in, that"s how Hitler got in, they took advantage of a situation, a problem perhaps, which humanity was going through at the time, after an economic crisis."
His predecessor, Felipe Calderon, insisted: "Mexican people, we are not going to pay any single cent for such a stupid wall."
After Mr Trump vowed to reclaim all remittances derived from illegal wages, Mr Calderon"s predecessor Vicente Fox, told the BBC: "Is Trump going to steal the money? How can any human being think like that? It"s incredible."
Media captionWhat do Mexicans think of Donald Trump and his wall?
Image copyright AP Image caption La imágenes ya no aparecen con la misma frecuencia, pero el éxodo de migrantes no se ha detenido.
Frágiles embarcaciones desbordadas de gente, náufragos desesperados, cadáveres de niños depositados por la corriente en las playas…
Cuando parece que el mundo está a punto de olvidarlos, impactantes imágenes regresan para recordarnos la tragedia de los migrantes en el Mediterráneo.
Las impactantes imágenes de los 6.500 migrantes rescatados en un mismo día en aguas del Mediterráneo
Pero, aunque el éxodo continúa,poco parece quedar ya de la ola de solidaridad alguna vez generada por visiones e historias como la del pequeño Alan.
La foto de Alan, el niño ahogado que aviva la polémica sobre la crisis migratoria en Europa
Ahmed ben Tahar Galai, sin embargo, está dispuesto a seguir dando batalla.
Y a eso va al Hay Festival de Querétaro, que se celebra en México esta semana.
Aunque el vicepresidente de la Liga Tunecina de Derechos Humanos –una de las cuatro organizaciones del Cuarteto para el Diálogo Nacional en Túnez reconocidas el año pasado con el Nobel de la paz– asegura que no va a darle lecciones a nadie.
Image copyright AFP Image caption La Liga Tunecina de los Derechos Humanos, a la que pertenece Galai, fue galardonada con el Nobel de la paz el año pasado junto a los otros tres miembros del Cuarteto para el Diálogo Nacional en Túnez.
Al Cuarteto se le acredita haber evitado que Túnez se precipitara en el mismo abismo que Libia ,Yemen o Siria luego de lo que se conoció como "la primavera árabe", y para Galai su trabajo es un buen ejemplo de la importancia del diálogo y el consenso.
"Pero no me gusta usar la palabra lecciones. Se puede sensibilizar sobre una experiencia, pero no se pueden exportar lecciones", le dice a BBC Mundo en vísperas del festival.
Lo que no significa que el activista tunecino se muerda la lengua al abordar el tema de los migrantes.
Image copyright Cortesía Ahmed ben Tahar Galai Image caption Tahar Galai es uno de los invitados a la primera edición del Hay festival de Querétaro.
–Usted va al Hay Querétaro para hablar de migración en general y de la crisis de los migrantes de Medio Oriente que tratan de entrar a la Unión Europea. ¿Qué tiene que decirle a los latinoamericanos sobre el tema?
Hay mucho que decir sobre el tema, porque hay que sensibilizar a todo el mundo sobre este problema, que es muy actual, muy urgente y muy dramático: por causa de lo que pasa en el mundo -de las guerras, las privaciones y la pobreza- hay mucha gente que se está viendo obligada a abandonar sus países. Y la mayoría lo hace por vías anormales, como inmigrantes clandestinos, lo que implica mucho drama y mucho sufrimiento.
Image copyright AFP Image caption "Hay mucha gente que se está viendo obligada a abandonar sus países", dice Galai.
Por eso, una de las cosas que voy a decir es que ese es un problema que hay que abordar desde una óptica de derechos humanos, no desde la seguridad o desde el rechazo. Porque incluso si uno rechaza a esas pobres gentes, que están muriendo en las costas o están siendo colocados en centros de detención, eso no resuelve los problemas, solamente los agrava.
Y también voy a denunciar la política de hipocresía de ciertos países, especialmente de la Unión Europea: hay muchos tunecinos, libio, sirios, mucha gente que tiene que emigrar contra su voluntad y están encontrando las puertas de Europa cerradas, muriendo a las puertas de Europa. Y, para mientras, la UE tiene un acuerdo con Turquía que es un verdadero regateo de los derechos humanos.
En resumen voy a insistir sobe la necesidad de un enfoque humanitario y no de seguridad, de políticas más humanas y más transparentes por parte de países que en realidad tienen la posibilidad de atender a esos migrantes. Porque si uno compara el costo social e incluso financiero, el número de migrantes a Europa no es un número extraordinario que no sería difícil de manejar.
Nosotros en Túnez, después de la revolución, cuando estábamos en una situación muy difícil, recibimos más de un millón de migrantes y refugiados subsaharianos que huían de la guerra en Libia. La misma población les abrió las puertas a pesar de los problemas económicos. Así que lo que hace falta (en Europa) es voluntad política, un enfoque basado en los derechos humanos.
–¿Y qué cree que explica la actitud europea?
Europa está muy condicionada por sus intereses económicos. Es fundamentalmente por causa de la economía, aunque también por el tema de la seguridad.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Para Galai, el cierre de las fronteras europeas no es la solución.
Es verdad que los estados tienen también la necesidad, y el derecho, de pensar en la seguridad de su población, especialmente ahora con el aumento del terrorismo y los actos violentos en todo el mundo. Y nosotros no estamos en contra de eso: por supuesto que los estados deben protegerse de ese mal, de ese terrible fantasma que ataca no se sabe cuándo y no se sabe dónde.
Europa, sin embargo, tiene una agencia de seguridad militar y policial para proteger las fronteras de Europa -Frontex- que agrava las cosas, que está armada pero no resuelve el problema, porque a pesar de las barreras la gente igual tiene que abandonar sus países.
Además Europa podría repartirse a esa gente, a repartir el esfuerzo y el costo entre sus miembros, y buscar soluciones con otros países, en lugar de obligar a estados como Túnez, por ejemplo, o antes Libia, en la época de Gadafi, a jugar a los policías y a hacer su propio trabajo militar, mientras ella se presenta como un adalid de los derechos humanos.
No son sino lágrimas de cocodrilo, de hipocresía social, de hipocresía política".
Ahmed ben Tahar Galai
Como yo digo en mis conferencias y seminarios en Europa, incluso delante de dirigentes europeos, cuando miles de personas que van en busca del edén europeo mueren a las puertas de ese edén, y ellos lloran por esas muertes, las suyas no son sino lágrimas de cocodrilo, de hipocresía social, hipocresía política.
Hay que acabar con esa hipocresía.
–¿Y en qué consiste exactamente esa hipocresía?
¿Qué es la hipocresía? Hipocresía es mostrarse como uno no es de verdad, es actuar de una forma y decir lo contrario. Y la Unión Europea es la gran proponente de los derechos humanos: ahí está la Corte Europea de Derechos Humanos, la Convención Europea de los Derechos Humanos, los grandes textos europeos, los filósofos de la ilustración, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Hobbes… Europa tiene una gran historia en materia de derechos humanos y una gran cultura humanista y de derechos humanos que es verdadera y a la que uno se apega, pues se trata de valores universales.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Galai dice que va a denunciar la política de hipocresía de ciertos países, especialmente de la Unión Europea, en contra de los migrantes.
Ahora, Europa se presenta como humanitaria, pero no lo es en los hechos, pues la política que aplica actualmente en el caso de la migración -con el pretexto de su seguridad interna, de su tranquilidad interna- va contra los mismo principios de Europa. Y por eso que yo digo que se trata de un discurso hipócrita.
Hay, por ejemplo, declaraciones documentadas como las de un comisario europeo que dijo "Vamos a cerrar las puertas de Europa a los refugiados, a los migrantes". Y yo digo: no. No pueden cerrar las puertas, porque incluso si las cierran la gente las va a saltar, y eso sólo va a causar más muertos. Es mejor adaptar la política hacia una política social, pensar en cómo administrar ese flujo.
Además la migración le ha aportado muchas cosas positivas a Europa y al mundo. El ser humano ha migrado siempre, es un movimiento inevitable, el hombre es un gran migrante que desde que esta sobre tierra migra en la búsqueda de otras culturas, de otras gentes y de otros horizontes: de trabajo, de ocio, de placer…
Entonces convirtamos eso en una oportunidad para crecer, para el enriquecimiento mutuo y no construyamos muros, construyamos puentes y pasarelas que permitan a nuestros jóvenes partir y conocer al mundo.
El ser humano ha migrado siempre, es un movimiento inevitable".
Ahmed ben Tahar Galai
Además, yo creo que eso, la educación la interculturalidad, es lo único que puede ayudarnos a superar los peores males a los que estamos enfrentados hoy, y en particular el terrorismo, porque es algo que parte de la falta de confianza en el otro, de la intolerancia. Y la intolerancia parte de esa política que mete a toda la gente en la misma casilla restringida.
Ahora, no estoy ofreciendo excusas para los terroristas, al contrario, creo que hay que combatirlos todos juntos. Pero creo que una política intercultural, educativa, abierta, integrada y humanista es lo que nos puede salvar y salvar al hombre del marasmo en el que estamos.
–Pero ¿comprende usted la ansiedad que existe en las capitales europeas por causa de este tema? ¿La sensación de que esta ola migratoria está fortaleciendo a la extrema derecha y puede explicar fenómenos como el Brexit?
Es verdad que es un dilema bastante importante, y que Europa hoy necesita urgentemente luchar contra el terrorismo y encontrar soluciones. Pero las verdaderas soluciones no son inmediatas: las verdaderas soluciones son a largo plazo y tampoco pueden ser unilaterales.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Los ataques terroristas han llevado a muchos a pedir el cierre de las fronteras.
Para empezar, hay que detener todo lo que suena a guerra. Y estoy consciente de que lo digo puede sonar idealista, porque desgraciadamente estamos atrapados en una dinámica infernal de violencia, guerra y sangre. Pero creo que hay que pensar y reflexionar sobre varios ejes: cómo detener las fuentes de la guerra, cómo detener las fuentes del armamento…
Y también hay que pensar en cómo enfrentar la crisis económica, reconocer que actualmente hay muchos intercambios desiguales entre los países. Es por eso es que hay migrantes económicos que, por ejemplo, en el caso de Túnez, abandonan el país en los barcos de la muerte para morir en la ruta a Lampedusa, en las costas italianas.
Sobre ese tema hay posibles soluciones concertadas entre el norte y el sur, sobre como permitir a los países del sur de salir de sus crisis, conseguir un desarrollo. Porque la pobreza se explica también por el pasado, que también explica la actual prosperidad europea. La pobreza actual no sólo se explica por las malas políticas actuales. La colonización francesa en Túnez, en Argelia, la colonización italiana en Libia, por ejemplo, también ayudaron a que el mundo desarrollado sea más desarrollado, y a que los países pobres sean pobres.
Para mí lo de Irak es un crimen de guerra, un crimen contra la humanidad".
Ahmed ben Tahar Galai
Y ahí está también el caso de Irak, que es un buen ejemplo de cómo una política internacional impulsada por las grandes potencias -una política a corto plazo, una política basada sobre intereses económicos como el petróleo- convirtió a esa cuna de la civilización que era Irak y Mesopotamia en un infierno de violencia.
Tony Blair admitió recientemente que eso había sido un error, aunque para mí es realmente un crimen de guerra, un crimen contra la humanidad. Y yo no digo que el terrorismo venga exclusivamente de ahí, pero ciertamente un vínculo entre ese crimen, ese "error" de la política internacional de EE.UU. y sus aliados, con lo que está pasando hoy en el mundo.
–Pero más allá de las causas y responsabilidades originales, hay mucha gente que siente que actores como el auto denominado Estado Islámico no son actores racionales, que con ellos no se puede negociar. ¿Qué le diría esa gente?
Efectivamente, no son racionales. Y lo primero sería hacer patente toda mi solidaridad para las víctimas de su violencia, sean quien sean, estén donde estén. Todos todos seres humanos y tenemos derechos a vivir en paz. Pero también les diría: pónganse en el lugar de…
Image copyright AFP Image caption ¿Es posible dialogar con entidades como el autodenominado Estado Islámico?
Es verdad que es difícil argumentar en este contexto de miedo, violencia, sufrimiento y muerte, pero les diría que la política de encerramiento solo va a agravar la situación. Y les diría que es verdad que las políticas internas deben privilegiar la paz interna, pero que no pueden perder de vista la paz internacional.
Las políticas belicosas no son las que van a salvar el mundo. Hay que pensar de forma global, darse cuenta de que todos estamos en el mismo barco, que si hay un problema aquí se va a reflejar también en otras partes. Y no hay que pensar solo en la propia pequeña comodidad, que es por supuesto legítima, ni pensar que el encerramiento es la solución.
También les diría que si la gente emigra no es porque quieren quitarle comodidad a los europeos, sino porque la situación los obliga. Y que los mismo europeos también migraron: acuérdense de los momentos de guerra y sufrimiento después de las guerras mundiales, que esperemos no regresen nunca, cuando hubo un gran movimiento migratorio de europeos. No fueron las puertas cerradas las que trajeron la solución, sino el Plan Marshall, la apertura misma de las fronteras europeas.
Y les diría que si construyen muros solamente van a agravar el sufrimiento de otros, y eso, lamentablemente, va a tener repercusiones también para ellos. Hay que pensar de forma global, de forma universal; ponerse en los pies de la gente que sufre y no darles más excusas a la gente que viene a hacer daño, que además son la minoría, individuos vinculados a una dinámica particular.
No hay que castigar a toda la población musulmana, o árabe, o africana o del mundo en desarrollo y hacerlos a todos responsables de ese tipo de acto. Nosotros somos los primeros a condenarlos y en hacer patente nuestra solidaridad, pero también condenamos la política de encerramiento que no hace sino agravar la situación a escala mundial.
–¿Pero qué pueden hacer los latinoamericanos, que tal vez se sienten alejados de esos debates y por lo tanto de la posibilidad de ser parte de la solución?
En realidad no están tan alejados, todos somos partes de la aldea global. Nosotros conocemos y leemos a Borges, a Fuentes, a García Márquez, conocemos a Zapata y ellos conocen a nuestros autores. Y hay una fibra que nos une que es la del humanismo, la humanidad.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption La migración también es un problema de América Latina.
Todos somos seres humanos. Y yo siempre digo que los seres humanos somos como los huevos de Pascua: sin importar los colores diferentes de su cáscara -que serían las diferentes culturas- si uno quiebra un huevo de Pascua por dentro siempre va a encontrar la misma yema de huevo, que es el ser humano en su indivisibilidad.
Nuestros hermanos y camaradas latinoamericanos, ya seas de México, Chile, Perú o Guatemala, en realidad no están tan lejos. Es verdad que no tenemos lazos económicos o diplomáticos particularmente estrechos, pero tenemos vínculos humanos, vínculos universales.
–¿Pueden hacer más allá de sentirse solidarios?
Los gobiernos pueden presionar diplomáticamente o impulsar políticas que sirvan de ejemplo a otros países. Y la población misma, a través de las organizaciones humanitarias y de la sociedad civil, también puede tomar posiciones y fortalecer la solidaridad internacional. Incluso un pequeño comunicado de apoyo puede resultar muy útil.
Image copyright Cortesía Ahmed ben Tahar Galai Image caption Ahmed ben Tahar Galai se declara "optisimista".
Nosotros, por ejemplo, siempre nos mostramos solidarios con las víctimas de violencia política, con las victimas de la represión a la libertad de expresión. Eso hace bien y demuestra que los seres humanos somos más fuerte que el oscurantismo, que el encerramiento.
Pero, además, no hay que olvidar que allá también hay migrantes, que el problema que existe entre Europa y África es el mismo problema que existe entre México y Estados Unidos. Es verdad que a veces se manifiesta de forma diferente, pero el sufrimiento del mexicano que migra clandestinamente a EE.UU. y enfrenta los problemas de la política migratoria de EE.UU., en esencia es el mismo problema que enfrentan los libios, los somalíes, los congoleses que van a Europa y tienen que lidiar con su política migratoria.
Estamos unidos por ese sufrimiento, deberíamos unirnos en la solidaridad.
–¿Y es usted optimista, ve el futuro con optimismo?
No puedo sino ser optimista, como corresponde a un activista de los derechos humanos. Para ser revolucionario, luchar a favor de la reforma y de la justicia hay que ser optimista, hay que creer en el futuro. Porque si uno no cree en el futuro no tiene sentido luchar.
Se pueden encontrar soluciones. Ese es el mensaje que hay que darle al mundo entero. Cómo dice un poema árabe, si no hubiera esperanza, ninguna mujer criaría a sus hijos. Entonces, soy optimista, aunque tal vez debería decir mejor que soy "optisimista", una hermosa metáfora que mezcla los términos optimismo y pesimismo, que tomo prestada del escritor palestino Emile Habibi.
Este artículo es parte de la versión digital del Hay Festival Querétaro, un encuentro deescritores y pensadores que se realiza en esa ciudad mexicana entre el 1 y 4 de septiembre de 2016.
Sigue toda la información relacionada con el Hay Festival
Image copyright Brian Lawless
Image copyright RAE
Image copyright Reuters
Image copyright AFP 
Image copyright Reuters
Image copyright Getty Images
Image copyright AP
Image copyright Brian Lawless
Image copyright Getty Images 
Image copyright Getty Images
Image copyright Thinkstock
Image copyright AP
Image copyright AP