London, United Kingdom | AFP | New British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday vowed to fix the errors made by his predecessor Liz Truss while warning of “difficult” decisions ahead. Speaking on the steps of Downing Street after being appointed premier by King Charles III, Sunak spoke of Truss’s “noble” aims but said some “mistakes” had been made. “Right now our country is facing a profound economic crisis, the aftermath of Covid still lingers, […]
Europe
Norway arrests suspected Russian undercover spy
Oslo, Norway | AFP | Norway’s counter-espionage service PST said on Tuesday it had arrested a suspected Russian spy masquerading as a Brazilian academic. The suspect was detained on Monday morning as he was making his way to his job at Tromso university, in northern Norway, public broadcaster NRK said. “We think he’s working undercover for the Russian authorities,” PST deputy director Hedvig Moe told broadcaster TV2. “An undercover agent is someone who gathers information, […]
Rishi Sunak triumphs to become UK’s new prime minister
by Joe Jackson and Helen Rowe Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s incoming prime minister Rishi Sunak vowed Monday to bring “stability and unity” at a time of economic crisis, after he was named the beleaguered Conservatives’ new leader. Sunak, 42, a Hindu, will be the UK’s first prime minister of color following the implosion of Liz Truss’s premiership after just 44 days. Truss will hold a final cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning […]
NATO warns Russia against ‘dirty bomb’ pretext
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Russia must not escalate the conflict in Ukraine with false claims that Kyiv is planning to unleash a so-called “dirty bomb”, the head of NATO warned Monday. Jens Stoltenberg weighed in following Moscow’s repeated allegations that Ukraine could deploy such a weapon, sparking fears Russia could use one and blame Kyiv. The head of the US-led military alliance said he had spoken with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and Britain’s Defense Secretary […]
Russian TV presenter apologises for calls to burn Ukrainian children
Moscow, Russia | AFP | A presenter with state-funded Russian television channel RT apologised on Monday after being suspended for calling for the burning of Ukrainian children. “I apologise to everyone who was stunned by this. I apologise to Margarita, to everyone who found these comments wild, unthinkable,” Anton Krasovsky, a 47-year-old pro-Kremlin pundit under Western sanctions, said on Telegram. Margarita Simonyan, the chief editor of RT, formerly called Russia Today, during the night from […]
Rishi Sunak to become Britain’s new prime minister
London, United Kingdom | AFP | by Joe Jackson and Helen Rowe Former finance minister Rishi Sunak on Monday won the battle for leader of Britain’s Conservative party and will become the country’s first prime minister of colour. Penny Mordaunt, the last rival left after Boris Johnson dramatically pulled out, failed to secure the necessary 100 nominations from her fellow MPs. “Rishi Sunak is therefore elected as leader of the Conservative party,” senior backbencher […]
URGENT: Rishi Sunak to be UK’s new PM
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British politician Rishi Sunak was Monday elected Conservative leader and will become the next prime minister, after rival Penny Mordaunt failed to secure the necessary 100 nominations from her fellow MPs. “Rishi Sunak is therefore elected as leader of the Conservative Party,” senior backbencher Graham Brady said, as Mordaunt vowed her “full support” for the former finance minister. jit/am/rox © Agence France-Presse
UK’s Sunak poised to become PM as Johnson quits leadership race
by Joe JACKSON Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British Conservative Rishi Sunak was on Monday poised to become prime minister and the country’s first leader of color, after the dramatic decision by Boris Johnson to abandon an audacious political comeback. Just weeks after failing in a first attempt to lead the ruling Tories, Sunak could cap a stunning reversal in fortunes by winning the leadership as early as Monday afternoon, following ex-premier Johnson’s […]
Ukraine slams Russia’s ‘dirty bomb’ claims as ‘dangerous’ lies
by Dmytro Gorshkov Agence France-Presse KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine slammed Russia on Sunday for alleging Kyiv was planning to use a radioactive bomb in its own territory, calling the claims “dangerous” lies and prompting Western allies to warn Moscow against using any pretext for escalating the conflict. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke with his British, French and Turkish counterparts to convey “concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a ‘dirty […]
Two pilots dead after Russian jet crashes into building in Siberia
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Two pilots were killed after a Russian jet conducting a test flight crashed Sunday into a two-storey building in the city of Irkutsk in southern Siberia, the regional governor said. The incident comes days after a military jet crashed into a block of flats in the Russian town of Yeysk, killing more than a dozen people, including children. “A Su category plane hit a two-storey building in Irkutsk on Przhevalskogo […]
Far-right Meloni takes over as Italy’s first woman PM
Rome, Italy (AFP) by Alice Ritchie and Clement Melki Giorgia Meloni officially took over Sunday as Italy’s first woman prime minister at the helm of the country’s most right-wing government since World War II. Four weeks after her post-fascist Brothers of Italy party won general elections, Meloni joined outgoing premier Mario Draghi for a handover ceremony at Chigi Palace, the prime minister’s seat in Rome. After almost 90 minutes of private talks, the pair […]
Former PM Johnson returns to UK as Sunak qualifies for PM race
London, United Kingdom | AFP | by Joe JACKSON Former prime minister Boris Johnson on Saturday returned to Britain from a holiday to launch an audacious political comeback, as Conservative leadership rival Rishi Sunak reached the minimum threshold to contest the UK’s top job. Johnson cut short a Caribbean trip to join the seemingly three-person race to replace outgoing leader Liz Truss, with allies telling British media he was “up for it”. The divisive 58-year-old […]