Category: Politics
Rishi Sunak considers weakening key green policies
Rishi Sunak is considering weakening some of the government’s key green commitments in a major policy shift. It could include delaying a ban on the sales of new petrol and diesel cars and phasing out gas boilers, multiple sources have told. The PM is preparing to set out the changes in a speech in the coming days. Responding to the reported plans, he said the government was committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 but in a “more proportionate way”. The aim of net zero is for the UK to take out of the atmosphere as many greenhouse [Read More…]
Biden to meet Sunak and King during UK visit
The context of this presidential visit can be summarised in two numbers. President Biden was last in the UK three months ago. And this visit is the fifth time in five months Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Biden have met. And you only need one word to describe this trip. Short, just like the last one. President Biden was in Belfast in April en route to the Republic of Ireland for a longer trip. This time, he is en route to the summit of the defence alliance Nato, which is taking place in Vilnius in Lithuania on Tuesday and Wednesday. It [Read More…]
How Xi Jinping made himself unchallengeable
Few foresaw that Xi Jinping would become the most assertive Chinese leader in decades – he is now all but set to secure a historic third term in power. A decade ago little was known about Mr Xi – apart from the fact that he was a “princeling” because his father was one of the country’s revolutionary leaders. His lineage helped him win the support of party elders, which was crucial to ascending power within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as these leaders often wielded political influence even after retirement. “Before his elevation, Xi Jinping was regarded as someone who [Read More…]
Giorgia Meloni: Italy’s far-right wins election and vows to govern for all
Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni has claimed victory in Italy’s election, and is on course to become the country’s first female prime minister. Ms Meloni is widely expected to form Italy’s most right-wing government since World War Two. That will alarm much of Europe as Italy is the EU’s third-biggest economy. However, speaking after the vote, Ms Meloni said her Brothers of Italy party would “govern for everyone” and would not betray people’s trust. “Italians have sent a clear message in favour of a right-wing government led by Brothers of Italy,” she told reporters in Rome, holding up a sign saying [Read More…]
I witnessed Orbán crack down on Hungary’s free press. Here’s my advice to journalists facing similar threats
When you come under attack as a journalist, don’t make yourself the center of the story This is a strange time to be a Hungarian journalist. Working in a small Central European country, we had not been used to getting international attention. In recent years, however, we have often been approached by journalists from developed democracies, including some working for prestigious American outlets, who asked for our advice. They wanted to know if we had any tips on how to handle the rising autocratic and anti-media tendencies in their own countries. They came to us after learning how Hungarian Prime [Read More…]
The 7 most important lines from Joe Biden’s news conference
President Joe Biden held a rare news conference Wednesday afternoon, using the platform to call on Americans to be patient in the fight against Covid-19 and defend his record of success despite middling poll numbers. Biden spoke – on and off – for 112 minutes. I pulled out the seven most important lines from what he said. They’re below. 1. “I didn’t overpromise. I have probably outperformed what anybody thought would happen.” Biden took umbrage at the suggestion that he had bitten off more than he could chew, legislatively speaking. And he took a page from his predecessor’s playbook by bragging [Read More…]
