Uncategorized

British lawmakers on Tuesday (Jan 15) resoundingly rejected the Brexit deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May with the European Union, leaving the country lurching towards its March 29 deadline of withdrawal from the regional bloc with still no deal in place. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn swiftly tabled a vote of no confidence after the deal was rejected 432-202 in a parliamentary vote, a defeat he called catastrophic and the biggest for any British government since the 1920s. The motion of no confidence will be debated and voted upon on Wednesday, said Mrs May after the defeat. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker responded to the outcome of the vote, writing on Twitter: “I take note with regret of the outcome of the vote in the House of Commons this evening. I urge the UK to clarify its intentions as soon as possible. Time is almost up.” Mrs May said that the house had spoken and the government would listen, but added: “It is clear that the … [Read more...] about Vote of no confidence tabled after British MPs resoundingly reject May’s Brexit deal 432 to 202

LONDON/WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - A Saudi royal adviser fired over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi continues to wield influence in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's inner circle, according to Western, Arab and Saudi sources with links to the royal court. Saud al-Qahtani was dismissed as a top aide to the de facto Saudi leader in late October, after overseeing the operation to kill Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by giving orders via Skype, according to regional intelligence sources. A senior Saudi official at the time called his removal "a political decision... based on dereliction of duty and participation in the sequence of events" that led to the murder. Weeks later, the US Treasury sanctioned Qahtani for his role. But six sources told Reuters that Qahtani remains active on behalf of the royal court. Two of them said he has kept in touch with the crown prince, while three others said he has continued to instruct a small group of Saudi journalists on what to … [Read more...] about Saudi aide fired over Jamal Khashoggi murder still wields influence, say sources

SINGAPORE - In a bid to combat content piracy and support broadcast partners, the English Premier League (EPL) opened its first international office in Singapore on Monday. Located in Tanjong Pagar, the office will be the league's Asia-Pacific base to protect its copyrights as well as to promote the competition. … [Read more...] about Football: English Premier League sets up Asia-Pacific office in Singapore

COLOMBO (REUTERS) - Sri Lanka is considering an offer from Bank of China for a loan of US$300 million (S$406 million), which could be raised to US$1 billion (S$1.35 billion), to help it meet repayments in coming months, junior finance minister Eran Wickramaratne told Reuters on Tuesday (Jan 15). He also confirmed that Sri Lanka had started negotiations to increase the amount of a swap deal with India's central bank to US$1 billion, up from a previously negotiated US$400 million. A series of credit rating downgrades amid a political crisis have made it harder for Sri Lanka to borrow as it faces record high repayments of US$5.9 billion this year, US$2.6 billion of which fall due in the first three months. "It's extremely difficult to tap the international market due to tight conditions and rating downgrades," said Wickramaratne, who is the state minister of finance. "A government subcommittee will assess and negotiate on the tenure, size, and the price of this loan (with Bank of China). … [Read more...] about Sri Lanka says has $406 mln loan offer from Bank of China, may increase to $1.35 bln

AL-AIN, United Arab Emirates (AFP) - Tom Rogic's injury-time thunderbolt settled an Asian Cup thriller on Tuesday (Jan 15) as defending champions Australia beat Syria 3-2 to reach the last 16 and knock out their war-torn rivals. The result meant the holders finished second in Group B behind Jordan, whose simultaneous 0-0 draw with Palestine gave the Palestinians hope of qualifying as one of the best third-placed teams. Syria, vocally backed by thousands of their fans in Al Ain, twice fought back from a goal behind before Rogic slammed home the winner in the third minute of injury time. Injury-hit Australia, with only six outfield players on the bench, needed just a draw to go through as they kicked off at the same time as Jordan against Palestine. Syria looked an early threat before Australia started to get a grip on the game and Hibernian striker Jamie Maclaren flashed a header just wide. There was drama on the half-hour when a Syrian free-kick bounced through a packed penalty area … [Read more...] about Football: Late winner as Aussies down Syria to go through to Asian Cup last 16