Truss Takes Reins as UK Prime Minister |
Former Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has become (NYT) the third female prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK) after winning an election within the ruling Conservative Party. She faces challenges including Britain’s worst inflation in forty years, possible fuel shortages this winter, and a dispute with Northern Ireland over Brexit trade rules.
As Truss campaigned for party leadership in recent days, she promised to keep taxes lower than her opponent, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. Her team has reportedly proposed a plan (Bloomberg) to freeze energy bills for UK households as one of her first measures. Truss’s policy positions have sometimes changed (The Economist) over the years; she initially supported the UK staying in the European Union and later reversed her position.
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“With an election due in 2024, markets jittery, and the real prospect of unrest over bills this winter, much will come down to the energy crisis. Unless Truss can tackle this wisely and effectively, she may never get the chance to move on to the longer-term tasks,” the Financial Times’ editorial board writes.
“Although [Truss] is unlikely to win the hearts of Britain’s voters, she will at least avoid alienating them with a careless habit of scandal. She might not be the [former Prime Minister Margaret] Thatcher she aspires to be. But, by dint of determination and sound political instinct, she might still surprise,” CFR’s Sebastian Mallaby writes for the Washington Post. |
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China Cuts Foreign Reserve Requirements Amid Strain From Lockdowns |
China lowered the amount (SCMP) of foreign exchange reserves that banks must hold in an effort to stop a slide in its currency. Ongoing lockdowns have affected (CNN) more than three hundred million people since August 20. Indonesia: Hundreds of people nationwide demonstrated against (AP) a 30 percent hike in fuel prices, the government’s first such increase in eight years. |
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Russian Embassy in Kabul Bombed |
Two staffers and four civilians were killed (TOLOnews) in the suicide bombing, which was the first assault (NYT) on a diplomatic mission in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power last year. The Islamic State in Khorasan claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan: Amid nationwide floods, engineers are draining (The National) the country’s largest lake and letting the water flow over certain villages to prevent flooding of more populated towns. |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Israeli Military Says ‘High Probability’ Its Soldiers Accidentally Killed Journalist |
An unnamed official told reporters that the military identified a soldier (Times of Israel) who had “with very high likelihood” shot Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the West Bank in May due to having “misidentified” her. The military said it will not open a criminal investigation. Palestinian territories: The UN Human Rights Office condemned the execution of five prisoners by Hamas, the armed group that governs the Gaza Strip. |
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UN Warns of Famine as Somalia Faces Historic Drought |
The United Nations warned that the threshold for famine has already been reached (NYT) in parts of Somalia, which is suffering its worst drought in four decades.
This Backgrounder looks at the global problem of water stress.
Angola: The Constitutional Court rejected a challenge (Bloomberg) to the country’s recent election results, paving the way for President João Lourenço to be sworn in for a second term. |
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Putin Lays Out ‘Russian World’ Foreign Policy Doctrine |
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Chile’s President Holds Talks With Congress After New Constitution Rejected |
President Gabriel Boric met with leaders of Chile’s congress (AP) yesterday to chart a path forward after voters rejected a new draft constitution by a margin of 24 percentage points on Sunday.
Canada: Police said one suspect in the stabbings that killed ten people in Saskatchewan Province on Sunday was found dead (CBC), while another is still at large.
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California Moves to Regulate Fast Food Industry |
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill (NYT) to create a council on wages and safety standards in the fast food industry. The industry’s minimum wage is expected to increase to as much as $22 per hour, compared to $15.50 in other industries. |
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Council on Foreign Relations |
58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 |
1777 F Street, NW — Washington, DC 20006 |
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