Brexit rebels
Reuters, London
Prime Minister Theresa May’s control of the Brexit process will undergo its stiffest parliamentary test yet on Wednesday, when she faces a showdown with rebels in her party over the laws that will take Britain out of the European Union.
May’s government is trying to pass a bill through parliament that will repeal the 1972 legislation binding Britain to the EU and copy existing EU law into domestic law to ensure legal continuity after ‘Exit Day’ on March 29, 2019.
Poland’s new PM says no change in govt goals
AFP, Warsaw
Polish lawmakers on Tuesday approved the cabinet of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who promised to maintain the previous administration’s focus on social welfare but barely mentioned the issues that have put Warsaw at odds with the European Union.
The Western-educated ex-banker was tapped by the governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party to take over as prime minister, notably to mend ties with Brussels.
55 injured in quake in Kerman, Iran
Xinhua, Tehran
At least 55 people were injured following the earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale that jolted Hojadk city in Iran’s Kerman Province Wednesday morning, state IRIB TV reported.
The epicenter of the tremor, which took place at the 1:11 a.m. local time (2141 GMT), was determined at the depth of 10 km, 30.8372 degrees north latitude and 57.2731 degrees east longitude.
US wants $250m cut to UN budget
AFP, United Nations
The United States is seeking a $250 million cut to the core budget of the United Nations for 2018-2019, on top of $200 million in savings already proposed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, diplomats said Tuesday.
The budget is under negotiations in a General Assembly committee which is expected to adopt it before the end of December.
UN envoy wants to prevent war: DPRK
AFP, United Nations
A senior UN official returning from Pyongyang said Tuesday that North Korean officials had told him it was important to prevent war but offered no concrete proposal for talks.
“They agreed that it was important to prevent war,” Jeffrey Feltman, the UN’s political affairs chief, told reporters after briefing the Security Council on his trip.
Russia asks UN to send arms to C. Africa
AFP, United Nations
Russia has asked the UN Security Council for permission to supply light arms and ammunition to the struggling armed forces of the Central African Republic beginning next week, according to a request obtained by AFP on Tuesday.
The move has raised concerns from France which has questioned Russia’s plan, notably over the storage of the weaponry, according to a Security Council diplomat who declined to be named.
