UK PM Boris Johnson “very capable”:Trump
Reuters, London
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he did not want to interfere in Britain’s election, but that he thought current Prime Minister Boris Johnson was very capable and would do a good job.
“I think Boris is very capable and I think he’ll do a good job,” Trump said in London, where he is attending a meeting of NATO leaders. Trump also reaffirmed his support for Brexit – the central objective of Johnson’s election campaign. Britain holds its election on Dec. 12.
Sri Lanka suspends parliament ahead of snap polls
AFP, Colombo
Sri Lanka’s new president suspended parliament for a month from Tuesday ahead of snap elections he wants to call in March to consolidate his sweeping victory.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, elected president last month in a landslide, issued a proclamation overnight proroguing the legislature and said a new session will begin from January 3. Rajapaksa, 70, is hoping to ride a wave of popularity by calling an election six months before the current parliament’s five-year term expires in August.
Iran rejects as ‘lies’ unrest death tolls given abroad
AFP, Tehran
Iran on Tuesday rejected as “utter lies” unofficial casualty figures given for street violence that erupted last month during demonstrations against a shock decision to hike fuel prices.
Protests erupted in Iran on November 15 after the announcement that petrol prices were going up by as much as 200 percent with immediate effect.
Jimmy Carter again hospitalized
AFP, Washington
Former US president Jimmy Carter has been hospitalized for treatment of a urinary tract infection, the Carter Center said Monday – the latest in a series of health issues for the 95-year-old Democrat. Carter “was admitted to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia, this past weekend,” his center said in a statement.
