Europe

Sink-or-swim showdown beckons for Italy’s fractious coalition

Editorial Bureau July 21, 2019

ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s fractious coalition partners are gearing up for a showdown this week that is likely to determine if the government will collapse, triggering autumn elections, or survive to the end of the year. The far-right League and anti-system 5-Star Movement have been

Asia

In direct challenge, black-clad protesters deface Beijing’s Hong Kong office

Editorial Bureau July 21, 2019

HONG KONG  – Thousands of protesters descended on China’s representative office in Hong Kong on Sunday, as anger over an extradition bill morphs into a fresh front against what many see as a broader erosion of freedoms by the city’s political masters in Beijing. Millions have rallied over the past two months in an unprecedented […]

UK

Future relationship with EU can be changed, Ireland’s Coveney tells new UK PM

Editorial Bureau July 21, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – The European Union would be willing to change parts of the political declaration, or agreement on a future relationship with Britain, when the new British prime minister is elected, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said on Sunday. Repeating a warning to the new prime minister, likely to be former London mayor Boris […]

UK

Britain’s new PM must focus on getting small firms ready for no deal – Brexit minister

Editorial Bureau July 21, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s new prime minister will have to work to help smaller companies prepare for a possible no-deal Brexit, Brexit minister Stephen Barclay said on Sunday, describing the sector’s preparations as less advanced. “There is a difference between the preparation of many large firms and the current position of many of the smaller,

UK

Hammond to quit over no-deal Brexit if Johnson becomes PM

Editorial Bureau July 21, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Sunday he would resign if Boris Johnson became prime minister because he felt unable to support a leader happy to take the country out of the European Union without a deal. Hammond’s decision underlines the strength of feeling in parliament against a no-deal Brexit, which […]

USA

Astronauts hailed as heroes 50 years after historic moon landing

Editorial Bureau July 21, 2019

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – Capping a week of celebrations over the historic Apollo 11 mission, Vice President Mike Pence joined astronaut Buzz Aldrin on Saturday at the launch pad in Florida that sent the moonwalker and his two crew mates to space for humankind’s first steps on the lunar surface 50 years ago. Pence […]

Europe

Zelenskiy’s party in spotlight as Ukraine holds snap parliament election

Editorial Bureau July 21, 2019

KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainians started to vote in a snap parliamentary election on Sunday that could consolidate the power of new President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and hand the novice politician a stronger mandate for driving change in the war-scarred nation. A comedian with no prior policymaking experience, Zelenskiy caused a political earthquake by winning a landslide

Asia

Pacifist constitution reform at stake as Japan goes to polls

Editorial Bureau July 21, 2019

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling bloc was forecast to win a solid majority in an upper house election on Sunday that could determine whether his dream of revising the post-war, U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution can be kept alive. Media surveys show Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner on […]

UK

Irish, EU governments sound out Johnson to avoid no-deal Brexit – Sunday Times

Editorial Bureau July 21, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – Ahead of Boris Johnson’s likely election next week as Britain’s prime minister, EU countries are secretly wooing him in a bid to thrash out a new Brexit plan that would avoid a no-deal disaster, the Sunday Times newspaper reported. Senior Irish politicians and diplomats have held talks with two of Johnson’s cabinet […]

UK

British Airways suspends flights to Cairo for seven days

Editorial Bureau July 21, 2019

CAIRO (Reuters) – British Airways and Lufthansa abruptly suspended flights to Cairo from Saturday over security concerns, but giving no details about what may have prompted the move. “We constantly review our security arrangements at all our airports around the world, and have suspended flights to Cairo for seven days as a precaution to allow […]