LONDON (The Guardian) - The Conservative MP arrested on suspicion of rape and other offences has been bailed, as Liz Truss said she was worried that there were once again “appalling” accusations against a parliamentarian. The MP was arrested on Tuesday after being accused of rape and sexual assault offences spanning seven years between 2002 and 2009. Scotland Yard said the unnamed man in his 50s was also detained on suspicion of indecent assault, abuse of position of trust and misconduct in public office. The MP has not been suspended by the Conservative party but Chris Heaton-Harris, the chief whip, asked him to stay away from parliament.

 

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MNILA (Reuters) - Philippines president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Wednesday said his country’s ties with China will expand and “shift to a higher gear” when he takes power, signalling intent to advance outgoing leader Rodrigo Duterte’s pro-Beijing agenda. Marcos, who won last week’s election by a landslide, said he held “very substantial” talks by phone on Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who assured him of support for his “independent foreign policy”, and agreed to hold more comprehensive discussions. The 64-year-old son and namesake of the notorious former dictator said Xi also acknowledged his late father’s role in opening diplomatic relations between China and former U.S. colony the Philippines.

 

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WASHINGTON (AFP) – U.S. firearms makers produced over 139 million guns for the commercial market over the two decades from 2000, including 11.3 million in 2020 alone, according to a new government report. Another 71 million firearms were imported in the same period -- compared to just 7.5 million exported -- underscoring how the country is literally swimming in personal weapons that have stoked a surge in gun violence, murders and suicides, according to the Justice Department report.

 

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PARIS (AFP)- A group of Malian officers attempted a coup last week with the help of a Western state, the government in Bamako announced. While the military government did not name the alleged foreign culprit. “A small group of anti-progressive Malian officers and non-commissioned officers attempted a coup on the night of May 11-12, 2022,” Government Spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga said on national TV. “These soldiers were supported by a Western state. The attempt failed thanks to the vigilance and professionalism of Mali’s defense and security forces,” he added. The government denounced the “outrageous attack on state security, the purpose of which is to hinder — or even annihilate — the substantial efforts to secure our country and return to a constitutional order that guarantees peace and stability” in Mali, but offered few details of the alleged plot. 

 

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LONDON (The Guardian) - UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has claimed the East-West relationship between Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been “undermined” by the Northern Ireland protocol, as she confirmed plans to table legislation that would scrap parts of the agreement. The foreign secretary, who is also responsible for Brexit, set out plans for the move in a statement in the House of Commons. The bill is not expected to be published for several weeks, but if enacted could spark a trade war with the EU. Truss said the government’s first priority was to uphold the Good Friday agreement, which she said was “under strain”. “The Northern Ireland protocol does not have the support necessary in one part of the community in Northern Ireland,” she said, referring to opposition from the Democratic Unionist party.