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Merkel’s party suffers rout in Berlin in migrant policy backlash

By Michael Nienaber and Madeline Chambers BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party suffered its second electoral blow in two weeks on Sunday, slumping to its lowest level since 1990 in a Berlin state vote that rejected her open-door refugee policy. Voters turned to the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD), which with 12.9 percent of the vote will enter its 10th regional assembly among the country's 16 states. Merkel's Christian Democrats were routed in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern two weeks ago, triggering calls from the CSU for her to toughen up her migrant policy.

European safety agency moves toward toughening up pilot screening

The European Commission will propose laws to toughen screening for new pilots by the end of this year after aviation safety authorities called for stricter medical requirements. Among the proposals put forward by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Tuesday were a comprehensive mental health assessment during initial screening, as well as drug and alcohol checks. Directly after the 2015 crash, EASA introduced a rule requiring two crew members to be in the cockpit at all times.

Shire on a roll as U.S. approves keenly awaited eye drug

Shire has won U.S. approval for its most important new medicine, a treatment for dry eyes, in a fresh boost for the company which completed its $32 billion acquisition of U.S. rare diseases specialist Baxalta last month. The Dublin-based drugmaker has been a big stock market winner following Britain's decision to leave the European Union, benefiting from the strength of the dollar against sterling and investor demand for defensive sectors like pharmaceuticals. Shire shares — already up a fifth since the UK referendum on June 23 — gained another 4 percent on Tuesday on news the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved lifitegrast eye drops for treating signs and symptoms of dry eye disease.

Gove pledges extra money for health service if becomes PM

LONDON (Reuters) – Leading Brexit campaigner Michael Gove pledged an extra 100 million pounds per week for Britain's National Health Service (NHS) by 2020 should he become the next prime minister. The justice secretary in Prime Minister David Cameron's government, Gove was a leading figure in the official Vote Leave campaign ahead of the June 23 referendum that saw Britain vote to quit the European Union, prompting Cameron to resign. He made the NHS pledge in a speech on Friday setting out his stall in the race to succeed Cameron. …

UK’s Cameron warns health services, pensions could face cuts post-Brexit

Pensions and the publicly funded National Health Service could face cuts if Britons vote to leave the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron told a Sunday newspaper, seeking to win support from some of the most pro-Brexit members of the public. Polls, which show Britons are evenly divided ahead of a June 23 referendum on EU membership, also indicate the elderly are among the most likely to turn out on polling day and are also among the most eurosceptic voters.

Futures gain after rally, indexes set for strong week

U.S. stock index futures climbed on Friday, adding to a sharp rally in the previous session that returned the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to positive territory for the year and putting major indexes on track to break a three-week streak of declines. Thursday's advance came after the European Central Bank detailed a bond-buying program to boost the region's sagging economy and fight deflation.