Bloomberg Boris Johnson sought to draw a line under the controversy that’s been threatening his leadership, though the scale of a mutiny against the British prime minister suggests his days may be numbered. The deep discontent within his Conservative Party was laid bare, when 211 Tory MPs backed Johnson in a confidence motion — but 148 voted against him. The ...
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China fabricated quotes from diplomats on Xinjiang: US
Bloomberg The US hit back at China over a social media post claiming American officials in Guangzhou downplayed allegations of human rights abuses, saying the behaviour puts Washington’s envoys at risk. A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Beijing said that China should “stop attributing false statements to US officials or taking other actions that might subject our diplomats ...
Read More »Rajapaksa vows to finish term, not to stand for re-election
Bloomberg President Gotabaya Rajapaksa vowed to finish the remaining two years in his term despite monthslong street protests calling for his ouster, but won’t stand for re-election as he focuses on fixing a financial mess that tipped Sri Lanka into its worst-ever economic crisis. “I can’t go as a failed president,†Rajapaksa said in a wide-ranging interview at his ...
Read More »Johnson faces UK Tory leadership vote as party anger boils over
Bloomberg Boris Johnson will face a leadership vote in his ruling Conservative Party, after a series of missteps and scandals became too much for scores of Tory Members of Parliament. Senior Conservative MP Graham Brady said the threshold of at least 54 MPs — 15% of the Conservative total — has been met to trigger a confidence vote in Johnson, ...
Read More »Ukraine cautious as Turkey, Russia push Black Sea grain deal
Bloomberg Turkey and Russia have reached a tentative deal to restart shipments of Ukraine’s agricultural products from a key Black Sea port, but Kyiv remains skeptical of the proposed pact, according to people familiar with the discussions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has offered military help to clear mines off the coast of Odesa and escort grain ships but ...
Read More »Estonia PM Kallas needs new allies to keep power
Bloomberg Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, known for her fierce criticism of Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine, is fighting to stay in power after she dismantled her ruling coalition, saying it lacked unity to face the dangers of Russia. Kallas’s best chance lies with clinching a deal with the smallest opposition party in parliament — the conservative Pro ...
Read More »Jan 6 hearings aim to catch US’ attention with ‘TV debut’
Bloomberg The televised hearings that begin into the deadly attack on the US Capitol will need to produce show-stopping moments to grab a divided, distracted America that has largely moved on. It’s a tall order. At their best, congressional hearings capture the public’s imagination, reveal scoundrels, lead to landmark reforms, and even make stars of questioners and witnesses. But ...
Read More »Russia strikes Kyiv for first time since April
Bloomberg Several explosions took place in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday with no casualties reported, Kyiv authorities said, while air defense forces shot down another Russian missile in the region. Kyiv was last struck around the end of April. The situation in the eastern Luhansk region, where Russian troops continue to storm the city of Sievierodonetsk, remains “extremely difficult,†Governor ...
Read More »Johnson takes Tories to heavy loss in ‘election’
Bloomberg Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party is heading for a thumping defeat in this month’s special election in Wakefield, according to a poll published in the Sunday Times, a result that would heighten speculation over the prime minister’s long-term future. According to a JL Partners survey of 501 adults in Wakefield, the main opposition Labour Party has 48% support. Wakefield in ...
Read More »Colombia’s Gustavo Petro retakes lead in presidential race
Bloomberg Leftist candidate Gustavo Petro retook the lead in Colombia’s presidential election race, according to a Centro Nacional de Consultoria poll published by Semana magazine. Petro had 44.9% support compared to 41% for construction magnate Rodolfo Hernandez, the survey found. The poll of 2,172 people was conducted between May 31 and June 2 and has a margin of error of ...
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