Britain's new Conservative leader Liz Truss on Monday vowed "bold" action to confront a biting economic crisis as she was confirmed as successor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson after a gruelling party contest.
The foreign secretary also resisted pressure for a politically perilous early election to confirm her new mandate, vowing to "deliver a great victory for the Conservative party in 2024". - AFP
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Israel army says 'high possibility' Israeli soldier killed Shireen Abu Akleh
The Israeli army said Monday there was a "high possibility" that Palestinian-American reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead by an Israeli soldier who mistook her for a militant.
"There is a high possibility that Ms Abu Akleh was accidentally hit by IDF (Israel Defense Forces) gunfire that was fired toward suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen," said the army's final investigation report into her May 11 death.
The acknowledgement comes after months in which the army insisted it was impossible to determine the source of the deadly shot the killed the celebrated Al Jazeera journalist in the occupied West Bank, saying it could have been militant fire.
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UPDATE: Ousted Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday called for the ruling Conservative party to rally around his successor Liz Truss, as she takes over as UK's PM.
The Brexit figurehead said he backed her plans to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and address inequality. "Now is the time for all Conservatives to get behind her 100 percent," he tweeted.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday congratulated Liz Truss on her victory in the race to be leader of the Conservative party and the United Kingdom's next prime minister.
"I am looking forward to our cooperation in these challenging times. The UK and Germany will continue to work closely together - as partners and friends," Scholz said on Twitter.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Liz Truss Monday on winning her Conservative Party's nomination to be the next British premier.
"Congratulations @trussliz for being chosen to be the next PM of the UK. Confident that under your leadership, the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will be further strengthened. Wish you the very best for your new role and responsibilities," Modi tweeted.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Liz Truss on being named Britain's next prime minister Monday, but said London and Brussels must work "in full respect of our agreements".
Truss, the outgoing British foreign minister, has warned that she will push ahead to pass proposed UK legislation to tear up part of Britain's Brexit deal with the European Union. - AFP
BREAKING NEWS: Liz Truss defeated Rishi Sunak and has become the fourth UK Prime Minister in six years.
In her victory speech, Truss promised to deliver on the promises she made in the last two months during the campaign for the top job in the UK.
She succeeded Boris Johnson, who resigned on July 7.
Truss, 47, said on Monday she has heard the people’s pleas during the campaign as they battle high energy prices.
She said this was the first phase of the revival of the Conservative Party as it will deliver a victory in the 2024 elections.
Truss is expected to announce her new Cabinet in the next few days.
𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝘼𝙉𝙉𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘾𝙀𝘿: @TrussLiz has been elected as the Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party 👇 pic.twitter.com/kbY2fp5z4X
— Conservatives (@Conservatives) September 5, 2022
Kremlin on next UK prime minister: no hope of anything positive
The Kremlin said on Monday that there was little hope of anything positive from the next British prime minister as the leadership contest had been dominated by anti-Russian rhetoric.
“I don't think we can hope for anything positive,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Britain's next prime minister is set to be announced later today, following a weeks long party leadership contest between British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, a former finance minister.
(Source: Reuters News)
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France hopes for new start with UK if Truss becomes prime minister
France hopes for a new start in relations with the United Kingdom if Foreign Secretary Liz Truss becomes the new Prime Minister, France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Monday.
"The United Kingdom is a friend of France. If Truss is elected as a new leader, we will hope for a new start to UK-France relations.
"They deserve it, because due to the UK's position on European matters we are yet to fully live up to the role that both our countries should play," the French minister told RTL radio.
Along with UK's former finance minister Rishi Sunak, Truss is one of the two final candidates in the premiership election race, which came after outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation on July 7.
Truss has polled well among Tory members and is expected to beat Sunak to the UK's top job. The voting ended on Friday, September 2, and the final winner will be announced later on Monday.
(Source: Sputnik News)
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Britain's Truss expected to be named Conservative leader, new PM
Liz Truss is expected to be named leader of the governing Conservative Party and Britain's next prime minister on Monday, poised to take power at a time when the country faces a cost of living crisis, industrial unrest and a recession.
After weeks of an often bad-tempered and divisive party leadership contest that pitted Truss against Rishi Sunak, a former finance minister, Monday's announcement will trigger the beginning of a handover from Boris Johnson.
Johnson was forced to announce his resignation in July after months of scandal and he will travel to Scotland to meet Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday to officially tender his resignation. His successor will follow him and be asked to form a government.
(Source: Reuters News)
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UK PM race: Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss? Conservative Party to announce result today
The UK is set to announce its new Prime Minister on Monday, after a six-week long head-to-head competition between Indian-origin former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, to elect the new leader of the Conservative Party who will replace the outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
47-year-old Liz Truss aims to become the third female prime minister of the UK while her opponent Rishi Sunak, 42 will make history by becoming the first Indian-origin Prime Minister, if he prevails. All eyes are on the results now, which will be announced by the Conservative party today via mail-in ballot.
However, Truss who is widely expected to take over from Boris Johnson as the next British prime minister seems to have less fan following.
According to the latest YouGov survey, the citizens of Britain are split on whether Liz Truss would be a better PM than Boris Johnson but tend to think Truss would be worse than every other PM back to Thatcher.
The two contenders have gone through a postal ballot of all the Conservative members, numbering around 160,000 Tory electorate to replace the UK outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson.
(Source: Asian News International)
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UK's business minister says Truss will aim to get to 2.5% trend growth
Britain's business minister Kwasi Kwarteng believes Liz Truss will make it her aim to get to 2.5% trend growth, if appointed as the prime minister, he wrote in Financial Times on Sunday.
Truss, who is the front-runner to become the next prime minister, will be "fiscally responsible" and will work to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio over time, he added.
(Source: Reuters News)