Theresa May is on the brink of a no confidence vote after Conservative MPs reject her Brexit deal
Theresa May has had another bruising day with multiple Conservative MPs submitting letters of no confidence in her. The number of MPs who have gone public with their letters was 22 at the time of the writing.
businessinsider.com
North Korea says it's testing 'cutting-edge' weapons
North Korea is developing and testing modern strategic weapons, state media outlets announced on Friday.North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un "inspected the testing of a newly developed high-tech tactical weapon at the Academy of National Defense Science," the state broadcaster said.The weapon was not described, but the test was reportedly successful.
dw.com
Israel set for early elections after cabinet breaks up, source says
Israel is due to hold elections early next year after the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, lost his defence minister and talks broke down in his coalition government on Friday, a source close to the cabinet told the Guardian.Netanyahu had met the education minister, Naftali Bennett, who wanted the defence ministry post in the rightwing government, but the meeting ended with a decision by cabinet members to hold national polls, which were previously due in November 2019.
theguardian.com
Urban ranching: A socialist commune's response to Venezuela's crisis
A socialist commune has drawn the ire of its neighbors in a wealthy area of Caracas with an unusual response to the hyperinflation and food shortages afflicting Venezuela: turning its backyard into an urban cattle pasture.The leaders of the Apacuana commune, devotees of socialist President Nicolas Maduro, drove six hours to purchase 11 450-kilo (992-lb) cows. They set them to graze behind their 2,000-square meter (21,528 square-foot) home, donated by the state-owned telecommunications company two years ago.
reuters.com
US to cut Africom troops amid focus on Russia and China
The US is cutting hundreds of troops in Africa as it focuses on countering threats from Russia and China.Around 700 counter-terrorism troops will be removed over the next few years, the Department of Defense said.About 7,200 US soldiers are currently based in dozens of African countries including Nigeria and Libya.
bbc.com
Facebook hires former British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg
Facebook’s decision to appoint former British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg as its vice-president of Global Affairs and Communications epitomises the integration of the social media giants and the capitalist state apparatus in every country.After reportedly extensive discussions with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Clegg claimed to be impressed by the company’s recognition that it “is on a journey which brings new responsibilities not only to the users of Facebook’s apps but to society at large. I hope I will be able to play a role in helping to navigate that journey.”
wsws.org
Trump privately asking aides if Pence is loyal: report
President Trump has privately asked aides about his vice president Mike Pence's loyalty, the New York Times reported Friday.Trump reportedly questioned Pence's allegiance so many times that many of his advisers are alarmed, as those kinds of inquiries tend to indicate that he is irritated with someone.
outline.com
==Bottles, chili paste thrown as Sri Lanka parliament descends into farce
Sri Lanka’s parliament descended into chaos for a second day on Friday as lawmakers supporting newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa threw books, chili paste and water bottles at the speaker to try to disrupt a second no-confidence motion.The vote went ahead anyway and for a second time lawmakers gave Rajapaksa and his new government the thumbs down, potentially strengthening the hand of Wickremesinghe, who is seeking to return as prime minister.. ..
reuters.com