International News
Sunak’s Conservatives Suffer Defeat, Lose Three Seats In Key Uk Vote
During a set of special elections, the governing Conservative Party, led by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, faced setbacks as they lost two strategically significant parliamentary seats.
However, they managed to avert a complete defeat by successfully retaining former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s seat in suburban London.
Despite facing tough competition, the main opposition Labour Party and the centrist Liberal Democrats achieved remarkable victories, overturning massive Conservative majorities to secure one seat each. Nonetheless, the Conservatives found consolation in their close-fought triumph in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, located in the western part of London.
“No one expected us to win here,” Sunak told reporters on Friday. “Westminster has been acting like the next election is a done deal, the Labour Party has been acting like it’s a done deal. The people of Uxbridge just told all of them that it is not.”
Still, the results of Thursday’s elections, if replicated at a likely general election next year, would see Labour emerge as the biggest single party, possibly with a sizeable overall majority.
Despite holding onto Johnson’s former seat by just 495 votes, the three election results show the Conservatives losing ground across a broad range of voters: suburban Londoners, small-town dwellers in the north of England and rural residents in the southwest.
Sunak headed straight off to the scene of his party’s sole electoral success and noted that governments often find midterm elections difficult.
“The message I take away is that we’ve got to double down, stick to our plan and deliver for people,” he said in a cafe in Ruislip.
Labour’s leader Keir Starmer is also heading off to Selby and Ainsty in northern England, where 25-year-old candidate Keir Mather managed to secure the party’s second largest swing at a special election since 1945.
“This is a historic result that shows that people are looking at Labour and seeing a changed party that is focused entirely on the priorities of working people with an ambitious, practical plan to deliver,” Starmer said after the result was announced.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats took Somerton and Frome in southwest England on a similarly large swing away from the Conservatives.
“The people of Somerton and Frome have spoken for the rest of the country who are fed up with Rishi Sunak’s out-of-touch Conservative government,” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said.
What is clear about those two elections was that voters from both opposition parties clearly backed the party most likely to defeat the Conservative candidate.
Facing this level of tactical voting, the defeats will likely leave many Conservative lawmakers rattled before the likely national vote next year.
The defeats do not mean a change of government, since the Conservatives still have a majority in the House of Commons.
There is conjecture that Sunak, who must call a general election by January 2025, may try to reshuffle his administration shortly in light of those defeats.
The focus will be largely on Labour leader Starmer, who has been circumspect in outlining his proposals for government, while Sunak considers his choices.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, shaking the region and sending tremors as far as Thailand and China.
The quake’s epicenter was located in the Sagaing region, near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, home to around one million people and renowned for its historic temple complexes.
Panic erupted as buildings swayed and dust filled the air.
READ ALSO: Powerful 6.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits China, Dozens Killed
In Mandalay, videos shared online showed terrified residents rushing out of residential towers while traffic came to a sudden halt.
Reports indicate that a major bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River collapsed into the water in a cloud of dust and debris.
The quake was felt as far as Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, where video footage showed a partially constructed building in Chatuchak Park crumbling to the ground.
Thai authorities reported that 43 people were trapped in the wreckage, while seven others sustained injuries.
In Chiang Mai, a resident described feeling the tremors for about ten seconds before fleeing into the streets.
In Myanmar’s commercial hub, Yangon—about 380 miles from the epicenter—residents also experienced the powerful shaking.
One resident recalled, “We felt the quake for about a minute, then ran out of the building.
It was very sudden and very strong.” Another noted that phone networks in the city, home to around 8 million people, briefly went down but were later restored.
Myanmar, one of Asia’s poorest nations, is already grappling with the effects of a brutal civil war sparked by a military coup over four years ago.
The conflict has devastated the economy, and the country remains ill-equipped to handle a major natural disaster of this scale.
The Sagaing region, where the earthquake struck, is a war zone with multiple factions—including the ruling junta, pro-military militias, and rebel groups—fighting for control.
The ongoing violence has made travel by road or river extremely dangerous, posing significant challenges to delivering emergency aid and assessing the full extent of the damage.
Tremors were also felt in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, underscoring the quake’s intensity.
Authorities across the region are now assessing the situation, with emergency teams mobilizing in both Myanmar and Thailand.
Han Jong-hee, co-CEO of Samsung Electronics and a driving force behind the company’s dominance in the global television market, has died of a heart attack at the age of 63, the company confirmed on Tuesday.
“He died from cardiac arrest today,” a Samsung spokesperson stated, adding that Han is survived by his wife and three children.
Having joined the company in 1988, Han played a significant role in shaping Samsung’s television business.
READ MORE: Samsung Reports Worst Quarterly Profits In 14 Years
His leadership was instrumental in the launch and success of the company’s high-end LED TVs, which helped establish Samsung as a global leader in the industry.
“Han was central in the unveiling of Samsung’s world-class LED TVs,” the company noted in a biography published earlier this month. “His numerous other innovations enabled the company to continually demonstrate its technology leadership.”
His efforts ensured that Samsung maintained its position as a dominant force in the global television market.
Han’s death comes at a time when Samsung Electronics is grappling with challenges in the AI chip sector.
The company has been facing difficulties in meeting Nvidia’s standards, while its South Korean competitor, SK Hynix, has emerged as the leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips for Nvidia’s AI processors.
Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently underscored the urgency of the situation, urging Samsung to adopt a “do-or-die” approach to overcome the growing challenges in the AI industry.
Last October, the company acknowledged it was facing a “crisis,” citing concerns over its “fundamental technological competitiveness and the future of the company.”
Pope Francis will on Sunday be discharged from Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he has been receiving treatment since February 14 for breathing difficulties and pneumonia.
The 88-year-old pontiff will return to his residence at Saint Martha’s House in the Vatican, where doctors have advised that he undergo “a long convalescence… of at least two months.”
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Dr. Sergio Alfieri explained that while the pope’s health is improving, further recovery is best achieved at home.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis’ Condition Improving, Says Vatican
“Further progress will take place at his home, because a hospital — even if this seems strange — is the worst place to recover because it’s where one can contract more infections,” Alfieri said.
Dr. Luca Carbone, another physician at Gemelli, added that there are positive signs in the pope’s condition. “We hope that he will soon be able to resume his normal activities,” he stated.
Before leaving the hospital, Pope Francis is expected to greet the public and offer a blessing from a hospital balcony after the Angelus prayers on Sunday, marking his first appearance in weeks.
Speculation about a possible resignation has been circulating due to the pope’s prolonged absence from public duties, but Vatican officials have firmly denied such claims.
When asked if the topic had been discussed, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin was clear in his response: “No, no, no, absolutely not.”
The pope, who had part of a lung removed in his youth, has received an outpouring of prayers and well-wishes from Catholics worldwide.
Supporters have been gathering outside Gemelli hospital, leaving flowers, candles, and messages of encouragement.
His hospitalization, the longest of his papacy has led to questions about how Easter celebrations will be handled in his absence.
However, Vatican officials remain optimistic about his gradual return to his duties in the coming weeks.
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