WORLD BRIEFING: May 23, 2024
Trailing the opposition Labour Party by 20 points for months, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has decided sooner is better than later to invite voters back to the polls. While standing in a driving rain in front of 10 Downing Street on Wednesday with the heckling of protesters in the background, he announced thatnational elections would be held on July 4. For embattled leaders with the power to call elections, it’s all about the timing. In Sunak’s case, though his Conservative Party has trailed badly for months, some factors suggest things might only get worse in the fall. More migrant arrivals by boat over the summer will add to his political headaches, particularly if the government’s plan to fly some to Rwanda runs into more legal challenges and delays. He does have some positive economic news to work with.Newly released data from the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday indicated that UK inflation fell to just 2.3% in April, allowing Sunak to say he kept his promise to cut inflation in half during his tenure. Will Sunak’s earlier-than-expected election date help Tories stage a stunning comeback? Not likely, says Eurasia Group’s Mujtaba Rahman. Instead, he forecasts, “Labour will capitalize on the public’s desire for change after 14 years of Tory rule and will win a comfortable majority.” - GZERO Media
At least seven people are dead and 16 wounded in the latest Russian missile strike on Kharkiv Ukraine. Several hit the Vivat printing house, killing at least five workers. The railway infrastructure was also under fire - Suspilne
Iran on Thursday prepared to inter its late president at the holiest site for Shiite Muslims in the Islamic Republic, a final sign of respect for a protégé of Iran’s supreme leader killed in a helicopter crash earlier this week. President Ebrahim Raisi’s burial at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad caps days of processionals through much of Iran, seeking to bolster the country’s theocracy after the crash that killed him, the country’s foreign minister and six others. However, the services have not drawn the same crowds as those who gathered for services for Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020, slain by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. It’s a potential sign of the public’s feelings about Raisi’s presidency during which the government harshly cracked down on all dissent during protests over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, detained for allegedly not wearing her mandatory headscarf to authorities’ liking. - AP
China has started two days of military exercises around Taiwan as 'strong punishment' for the self-ruled island's 'separatist acts.’ The drills come three days after the inauguration of President William Lai, who has been called a ' dangerous troublemaker' by Beijing. China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing's control, but the island sees itself as distinct. Taiwan's defence ministry has condemned the Chinese drills as "irrational provocations.” China has repeatedly rehearsed encircling Taiwan with fighter jets and navy ships over the past year. Taipei reported an uptick in incursions into Taiwanese waters and airspace in the run-up to Lai's inauguration - BBC
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a plea on May 22 for upgraded defense systems to protect Ukrainian cities against guided bombs, which have been used by Russian forces to hit Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Zelensky said the need for improved air defense systems was discussed at a special meeting on Ukrainian arms production and countermeasures against Russian guided aerial bombs.
China is providing Russia with lethal aid for use in its war against Ukraine, the UK Defence Secretary has said. Grant Shapps suggested that British and US intelligence contradicts Beijing’s previous attempts to present itself as a moderating influence on Moscow. Mr Shapps used a speech at the London Defence Conference on Wednesday to reveal China’s collaboration as he argued Nato needs to “wake up” and bolster defence spending alliance-wide.He said: “Today I can reveal that we have evidence that Russia and China are collaborating on combat equipment for use in Ukraine.” Mr Shapps added: “US and British defence intelligence can reveal that lethal aid is now flying from China to Russia and into Ukraine. “That recent visit we saw, the I think 64% increase in trade that we’ve seen between the two countries, reveals that there is actually a much deeper relationship there. - PA
