All About: May's team, Maldives president, Iran's Khamenei blames, Tanzanian ferry

The newspaper said that two senior members of May's Downing Street political team began "wargaming" an autumn vote to win public backing for a new plan after her Brexit proposals were criticised at a summit in Salzburg last week.

 

UK PM May's team draw up contingency plans for November election

British Prime Minister Theresa May's aides have begun contingency planning for a snap election in November to save both Brexit and her job, the Sunday Times reported. The newspaper said that two senior members of May's Downing Street political team began "wargaming" an autumn vote to win public backing for a new plan after her Brexit proposals were criticised at a summit in Salzburg last week.

Maldives president expected to cement grip on power in election

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen is expected to cement his grip on power in an election on Sunday that opposition and international groups have criticised for a lack of transparency and the suppression of dissent. The Indian Ocean nation of 400,000 people has become a theatre of rivalry between its traditional partner India and China, which has backed Yameen's infrastructure drive, as well as the United States and European nations concerned about Beijing's increasing influence.

Survivor pulled from capsized Tanzanian ferry as death toll reaches 218

Divers rescued a man from the wreck of an overcrowded Tanzanian ferry on Saturday, two days after it capsized on Lake Victoria killing at least two people. Bodies continued to float to the surface around the vessel, which initial estimates suggested had been carrying more than 300 people. State broadcaster TBC said late on Saturday the death toll had reached 218.

Exclusive: Ecuador attempted to give Assange diplomat post in Russia - document

Ecuador in 2017 gave Wikileaks founder Julian Assange a diplomatic post in Russia but rescinded it after Britain refused to give him diplomatic immunity, according to an Ecuadorean government document seen by Reuters. The aborted effort suggests Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno had engaged Moscow to resolve the situation of Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy for six years to avoid arrest by British authorities on charges of skipping bail.

Iran's Khamenei blames Gulf Arab states for military parade attack

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused U.S.-backed Gulf Arab states of carrying out a shooting attack on a military parade that killed 25 people, almost half of the members of the country's elite Revolutionary Guards. Khamenei ordered security forces to bring to justice those responsible for one of the worst assaults ever against the Revolutionary Guards, the most powerful military force in the country, which answers to him.

U.S. says won't hesitate to impose sanctions over fuel to North Korea

The U.S. State Department said on Saturday that Washington would not wait to impose sanctions on any shippers helping to get fuel to North Korea, in an apparent warning to Russia days after the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations accused Moscow of cheating on the measures. North Korea continues to employ tactics to evade U.N. sanctions, Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswoman, said in a statement, adding that U.N. member states are required to prohibit ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum fuel to the hermit country.

China summons U.S. ambassador to protest sanctions over Russia military equipment

China's foreign ministry on Saturday summoned the U.S. ambassador in Beijing to protest Washington's decision to sanction a Chinese military agency and its director for purchasing Russian fighter jets and an advanced surface-to-air missile system. Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang summoned Ambassador Terry Branstad to lodge "stern representations" and protest the sanctions, the foreign ministry said.

Labour will challenge UK PM May on her Brexit deal, Corbyn says

British opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Saturday his party would challenge Prime Minister Theresa May on any Brexit deal she can strike with Brussels and called for a national election if the deal fell short. Britain said on Saturday it would not "capitulate" to European Union demands in Brexit talks and again urged the bloc to engage with its proposals after May had said that Brexit talks with the EU had hit an impasse.

May vows to hold nerve after Brexit talks hit impasse

Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain would not flinch in an impasse with the European Union about its departure from the bloc, as French and German ministers suggested the next move in the negotiations should come from London. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday demanded new proposals and respect from European Union leaders, saying after a summit in Austria that talks had hit an impasse and, in a prominent eurosceptic Sunday newspaper, she stuck to her guns.

Hundreds of thousands without power in Ottawa after tornado hits

Hundreds of thousands of people were stranded without power in and around the Canadian capital Ottawa on Saturday after a tornado touched down twice, destroying some houses and ripping the roofs off others. At the same time, high winds also battered the region and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said it could be days before electricity was fully restored. At least six people were injured.