EU leaders send message of unity, hope as UK departs

BRUSSELS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Top European Union (EU) leaders sent a message of unity and hope on the day of the United Kingdom's departure, vowing that a smaller bloc would not translate into a weaker one. Presidents Charles Michel, David Sassoli and Ursula von der Leyen, respectively of the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission, stood together on Friday morning to deliver remarks meant to elicit optimism and energy on the day when they lose one of the bloc's most important economic, political and military powerhouses. "We stand at a new departure for...