Liz Truss resigns as UK Prime Minister

Published

5 months ago

October 21, 2022

Costa Haritos

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has resigned after 45 days in the role

British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation as UK prime minister in a statement outside Downing Street.

Truss becomes Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, after taking over from Boris Johnson 45 days ago.

“I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected,” she said.

Truss notified King Charles III of her resignation—a role he has held himself for 42 days.

There will be Conservative leadership election within the next week to elect the new UK prime minister.

“I will remain as Prime Minister until a successor has been chosen,” Truss said.

The embattled leader met with the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs earlier in the day, after more of her own Tory colleagues called for her to stand down.

It also follows Home Secretary Suella Braverman handing in her resignation.

Troubled Truss

Liz Truss has become the UK’s shortest-serving prime minister.

She rose to the top job after a Conservative Party ballot, in which she beat former Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

At the time, the Conservatives were embroiled in a string of scandals.

This includes the ‘PartyGate’ fiasco in which her predecessor flouted Covid-19 lockdown restrictions while hosting parties at Downing Street.

Two days after she was sworn in by the late Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch herself passed away.

Truss’ tenure was met with a 10 day mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II, and an ambitious economic agenda.

Outside Downing Street, Truss said she came into office at a time of “great economic and international instability”.

However, she said her government delivered on energy bills and cutting national insurance.

She added there was a vision for a “low tax high growth economy”.

The UK’s economic uncertainty was worsened by the so-called ‘mini-budget’, which saw the UK pound fall to a record low.

As the economic woes continued, she sacked her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.

The pound rose somewhat after Truss’ announcement before settling back at around $1.12.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded a general election “now” following Truss’ resignation as prime minister.

The prime minister had appeared in the House of Commons a day earlier, where she said she was a “fighter, not a quitter”.

Israeli soldiers use water cannons to stop protestors from breaking into PM’s house

Published

3 hours ago

March 27, 2023

ticker NEWS

Dramatic scenes in Israel as protestors take to the streets demanding a controversial judicial reform plan be scrapped

Dramatic scenes are unfolding in Israel following news the nation’s leader Benjamin Netanyahu has fired his defence minister.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday after Gallant called for a halt to a controversial judicial reform plan.

Gallant, a lawmaker from Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party, broke ranks on Saturday by publicly urging Netanyahu to suspend the legislation.

He said, “The growing rift in our society is penetrating the Israel Defense Forces and security agencies. This poses a clear, immediate, and tangible threat to the security of the state. I will not allow this.”

His dismissal marks the largest public fracture in Netanyahu’s coalition government over the proposed reforms that have sparked mass protests and even dissent from some in the nation’s revered military.

Others in Netanyahu’s party have begun to waver: A top lawmaker echoed the defense chief’s call to pause the contested judicial overhaul on Sunday.

Dissent from the premier’s own party and cabinet has compounded months of unprecedented mass protests by Israelis who fear the package of reforms could endanger court independence.

Netanyahu, who is on trial on graft charges that he denies, says the overhaul will balance out the branches of government.

A key bill effectively giving his religious-nationalist coalition more control over the appointment of judges is expected to be brought for ratification this week in the Knesset, where he and his allies wield 64 out of 120 seats.

But how – or even if – that as-yet-unscheduled vote will proceed has been thrown into question by Likud dissenters. #trending #featured

Business

Brace for impact: Passenger activates emergency slide on Delta flight

Published

3 hours ago

March 27, 2023

ticker NEWS

Passenger activates emergency slide on a Delta Air flight bound for Seattle

A scary situation for those passengers onboard Delta Air Flight 1714 after a passenger activated one of the aircraft’s emergency slides.

An individual has been arrested after opening one of the plane’s doors and exiting via the emergency exit slide as the crew prepared for takeoff from Los Angeles to Seattle.

The incident on the Delta flight took place around 10:40 a.m. local time on Saturday, while the plane was stationary at LA’s international airport.

The Boeing 737 was on the runway holding to taxi for takeoff when the passenger exited the aircraft.

The individual was initially detained by Delta staff before being arrested by local law enforcement.

The Federal Aviation Administration says customers are being reaccommodated on a new aircraft – apologising for any inconvenience and delay. #trending #featured