Kevin McCarthy faces uphill battle to become House Speaker - Financial Times

Kevin McCarthy was in the fight of his political life on Tuesday after he looked set to lose an initial vote to be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, putting him on course to become the first majority party leader to falter in the early ballot in a century.

With the ballots still being tallied on Tuesday afternoon, at least 15 Republicans had voted against McCarthy’s speakership bid, making it mathematically impossible for him to clinch the 218 votes required to seize the Speaker’s gavel unless lawmakers switch sides.

Subsequent ballots were expected on Tuesday afternoon, though it remained unclear whether McCarthy would be able to improve his numbers and achieve the simple majority required to become Speaker. The House is constitutionally required to elect a Speaker and cannot start governing until one is selected.

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill ahead of the vote after what he described as an “intense” meeting on Tuesday morning, McCarthy lashed out at Republican lawmakers who have so far refused to endorse his bid to become the Speaker of the House, accusing them of putting personal interests ahead of their party and the country.

“There [are] times that we are going to have to argue with our own members, if they are looking at positions only for themselves, not for the country,” McCarthy said just an hour before the House was due hold a vote to elect a new Speaker. “We are not empowering certain members over others.”

McCarthy, a 57-year-old congressman from California, is the House’s top-ranking Republican, and had long been touted as the most likely successor to Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House who is ceding the gavel after her party lost its majority in last year’s midterm elections.

While the vast majority of House Republicans have supported McCarthy’s bid, a vocal minority have threatened to his scupper his ambitions by voting against him after a relatively disappointing performance in November’s midterm elections.

While the GOP eked out enough wins to take back control of the lower chamber of Congress, the “red wave” McCarthy predicted did not materialise. At the same time, Democrats expanded their majority in the Senate, the upper chamber of Congress, after flipping a seat in Pennsylvania.

All 435 members of the House of Representatives participate in the vote for Speaker, the first order of business for a new Congress. A Speaker needs a simple majority, or at least 218 votes if the entire House is in attendance, to be elected.

McCarthy’s relationship with Donald Trump has had its ups and downs © David McNew/Getty Images

McCarthy has for months struggled to shore up support amid opposition from various factions within the Republican caucus, including ultraconservatives and lawmakers who are unflinchingly loyal to former president Donald Trump.

McCarthy’s relationship with Trump has over the years oscillated between unabashed public displays of loyalty — Trump has frequently referred to the congressman as “my Kevin” — and acrimony. McCarthy reportedly said “I’ve had it with this guy” after the January 6 2021 attack on the US Capitol, before posing for smiling photos with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort just weeks later. Trump last year endorsed McCarthy’s bid for Speaker.

In recent weeks, McCarthy has sought to bolster his standing within the party by brokering deals intended to satisfy the demands of various dissenters.

At the weekend, he rolled out a package of proposed rules to change House procedure. But on Sunday night, a group of nine Republican lawmakers published an open letter saying the changes did not go far enough. They want further concessions that would make it easier to call a no-confidence vote in any future Speaker.

Many on Capitol Hill are braced for the possibility that the process could drag on for days, until McCarthy is able to build enough support or ultimately steps aside in favour of another candidate. While his deputy, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, has supported his boss’s bid, he is seen as the most likely alternative to secure 218 votes if McCarthy fails.

Democratic House leaders have so far rejected any suggestion that they would move to help McCarthy, or coalesce their support around an alternative Republican candidate. Many Democratic lawmakers appeared to revel in their party’s relative unity on Tuesday, with some openly mocking the Republicans’ discord. Ted Lieu, the congressman from California, posted an image on Twitter in which he was holding a bag of popcorn.

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2023-01-03 17:25:08Z
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Ken Block: Rally driver and YouTuber killed in snowmobile accident - BBC

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By Sam Cabral

BBC News

American motorsport legend and YouTube star Ken Block has died in a snowmobile accident in Utah at the age of 55.

A competitive rally driver in series such as Rally America and Global Rallycross, he earned wide renown later in life for his "Gymkhana" video series on YouTube.

The 10-part series, in which he performed daring racing feats, earned him nearly two million subscribers.

Block also co-founded the skate-wear clothing brand DC Shoes.

Hoonigan Industries, another clothing company he owned, confirmed its founder's passing in a statement on Instagram on Monday.

"Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed."

Block was riding a snowmobile up a steep slope in Wasatch County, Utah, when the vehicle upended, landing on top of him, the local sheriff's office wrote on Facebook.

He was pronounced dead at the scene from the injuries he sustained.

The news of his death emerged a day after US actor Jeremy Renner sustained serious injuries while using a snow plough to clear snow outside his home in Nevada.

• Jeremy Renner still in intensive care after surgery

The sheriff's office in Utah said that Block had been riding with a group but was alone when the crash occurred.

A competitive rally driver since 2005, Block was Rally America's Rookie of the Year in his first season and went on to win rallycross medals at the X Games and podium finishes at the World Rallycross Championship.

He also competed in other actions sports, including motocross, skateboarding and snowboarding.

But Block found a second wind on YouTube, where millions watched him navigate dangerous tracks and obstacle courses in a range of vehicles.

He was featured twice on the BBC's Top Gear programme, as well as in four EA Sports racing video games.

The BBC apologised after Block and Top Gear host Matt LeBlanc performed doughnuts that created black tyre marks near the Cenotaph during a 2016 episode. The footage was never aired.

The American Rally Association said it was "gutted" at the news of Block's passing.

"He was a massive influence on everything he touched, including the global world of rallying," it said in a statement on Facebook.

Fellow racers also paid tribute to Block, with former British Formula One world champion Jenson Button calling him "a talent that did so much for our sport".

Nascar Xfinity Series driver Ryan Vargas said watching Block's videos "shaped my personality and interest in cars".

Block is survived by his wife, Lucy, and three children.

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2023-01-03 10:18:14Z
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EU offers free Covid-19 vaccines to China to help curb outbreak - Financial Times

The EU has offered free Covid-19 vaccines to China to help Beijing contain a mass outbreak of the illness following its decision to end strict nationwide pandemic-related restrictions.

The offer was made in recent days ahead of a meeting of EU health ministry officials on Tuesday, said European Commission officials, speaking under the condition of anonymity. The initiative is part of efforts by health commissioner Stella Kyriakides to arrange a European response to the prospect of a wave of infections after Beijing ditched its so-called “zero Covid” policy.

“Commissioner Kyriakides has reached out to her Chinese counterparts to offer solidarity and support, including public health expertise as well as through variant-adapted EU vaccine donations,” said one official. Beijing has yet to respond to the offer, the person added.

China has relied on its domestically produced Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines and has yet to deploy western vaccines using mRNA technology at large scale. The World Health Organization on December 21 said China’s current vaccination coverage was insufficient.

Its domestic vaccines require three doses to prevent severe illness in vulnerable people.

Two doses only provided 50 per cent protection for people over 60, Dr Mike Ryan, WHO head of health emergencies, told a press conference.

“That’s just not adequate protection in a population as large as the population of China. In such a large population, with so many people in a vulnerable setting, with that coverage, we really have to focus on vaccination.”

Only 40 per cent of over-80s have had three doses, according to WHO data.

By contrast, in the EU, 83 per cent of the adult population is fully vaccinated and more than 1.7bn doses have been delivered. Contracts have been concluded with eight vaccine developers, providing as many as 4.2bn doses.

However EU member states have surplus stocks due to large orders of vaccines under long-term contracts with manufacturers. These could be shipped to China, the EU officials said.

Kyriakides is seeking a meeting with pharmaceutical companies to adjust the contracts within the next few weeks after complaints from member states that they are spending money on drugs that are destroyed.

Meanwhile some EU countries have insisted that travellers arriving from China after January 8, when restrictions are lifted, must provide evidence of a negative Covid test or of their vaccination status.

France, Spain and Italy have all said they would bring in controls as they fear the spread of as yet unidentified new variants. However, Kyriakides has called for co-ordinated action. Member state officials last week opted not to call for China-specific measures since coronavirus is now endemic in the EU. They meet again on Tuesday and there is a meeting of the Integrated Political Crisis Response emergency mechanism on Wednesday.

China’s mission to the EU insisted on Sunday that the country had good vaccination coverage. “More than 3.4bn Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered on the Chinese mainland, with over 90 per cent of the population fully vaccinated and over 92 per cent of the population received at least one dose,” it said.

It said Chinese tourists did not pose any threat, pointing out that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control considered Covid-19 screenings and other measures on travellers from China “unjustified”.

“Tourist destinations across the world can’t wait to welcome Chinese tourists as cross-border travel searches soar in China,” China’s mission to the EU added.

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2023-01-03 01:30:59Z
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Two Britons among four killed in Australian helicopter collision near Sea World theme park - Sky News

Two Britons were among four killed after two helicopters collided mid-air near a marine theme park in the Australian state of Queensland.

An FCDO spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of two British nationals who died in Australia and are in contact with the local authorities."

The collision occurred on the Gold Coast at around 2pm local time, when the park would have been filled with families enjoying school summer holidays.

Initial information suggested one of the helicopters had been taking off and the other had been landing when they collided, Queensland Police Acting Inspector Gary Worrell said.

Members of the public were among those first on the scene, with a sandbank making it difficult for emergency service workers to access the site of the crash.

"Members of the public and police tried to remove the people and they commenced first aid and tried to help these people to safety," said Inspector Worrell.

Janey Shearman, from Queensland Ambulance Service, said 13 people had been on the two helicopters.

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The three people critically injured were suffering from "multi-system trauma", while six people with minor injuries - mainly from the impact of the glass - were also taken to hospital.

Sea World Helicopters, a separate company from the theme park, expressed its condolences, saying it was "devastated" by what had happened and was co-operating in an investigation opened by authorities exploring the cause of the crash.

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A statement read: "We and the entire flying community are devastated by what has happened and our sincere condolences go to all those involved and especially the loved ones and family of the deceased."

A witness named John described to Melbourne radio station 3AW that there was a "massive, massive bang" and staff at the theme part moved swiftly to close off areas closest to the crash.

"It was just huge. I'm not sure if it was the propellers or whatever hitting against each other. But there was this poor lady and her son near the helipad in tears."

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the accident was an "unthinkable tragedy".

She said: "My deepest sympathies are with each of the families and everyone affected by this terrible accident."

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2023-01-02 21:47:12Z
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Four dead after two helicopters collide in mid-air near Sea World theme park in Australia - Sky News

Two helicopters have collided near a marine theme park in the Australian state of Queensland, killing four people and leaving three others critically injured.

The mid-air collision, just outside Sea World on the Gold Coast, happened at around 2pm local time when the park would have been busy with families enjoying the summer school holidays.

Initial information suggested one of the helicopters had been taking off and the other had been landing when they collided, Queensland Police Acting Inspector Gary Worrell said.

Image: The wreckage of one of the helicopters involved in the collision. Pic: AP

He thanked members of the public who were among the first on the scene, adding that the location - a sandbank - had made access difficult.

"One airframe had the windscreen removed and it has landed safely on the island, the other airframe had crashed and it was upside down," Mr Worrell said.

"Members of the public and police tried to remove the people and they commenced first aid and tried to help these people to safety."

Image: Emergency crews at the scene of the helicopter crash. Pic: AP

Janey Shearman, from Queensland Ambulance Service, said 13 people had been on the two helicopters.

The three people critically injured were suffering from "multi-system trauma", while six people with minor injuries - mainly from the impact of the glass - were also taken to hospital.

Footage of the crash showed a helicopter shortly after take-off being clipped by another aircraft flying over the water.

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Sea World Helicopters, a separate company from the theme park, expressed its condolences and said it was co-operating with the authorities handling the crash investigation.

Image: The crash happened near Sea World on the Gold Coast in Queensland. File pic

"We and the entire flying community are devastated by what has happened and our sincere condolences go to all those involved and especially the loved ones and family of the deceased," the statement said.

The company did not confirm if it operated one or both helicopters involved in the crash, saying it would not comment further because of the investigation.

A witness named John told Melbourne radio station 3AW that patrons at Sea World heard the crash, and staff moved swiftly to close off areas closest to the crash.

"There was a massive, massive bang," he said. "It was just huge.

"I'm not sure if it was the propellers or whatever hitting against each other. But there was this poor lady and her son near the helipad in tears."

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the accident was an "unthinkable tragedy".

"My deepest sympathies are with each of the families and everyone affected by this terrible accident," she said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said an investigation into the cause of the crash was under way.

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2023-01-02 07:04:08Z
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Pope Benedict XVI: Lying in state at the Vatican begins - BBC

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By Aleem Maqbool in the Vatican and Elsa Maishman in London

BBC News

Tens of thousands of people are expected to pay their respects to former Pope Benedict XVI at his lying in state in the Vatican.

He died on New Year's Eve at the age of 95, almost a decade after he stood down because of ill health.

Pope Francis will preside over Thursday's funeral - the first time a Pope will be buried by his successor.

As dawn broke over the Vatican, a queue was already forming at the edge of St Peter's Square.

At the very front was Father Alfredo Elnar, 30, from the Philippines. He said he had studied and admired the theological writings of the former pontiff, and spoke of an emptiness since his death.

A little further back, Sister Marianna Patricevic, a nun from Croatia, talked of how grateful she was for all the late pope had done - saying there was not a subject she studied at university where they did not discuss his views.

Father Richard Kunst, visiting from the US, said when he passes the Pope's body, he would pray for him - but also for a miracle to help a friend at home who is dying of cancer.

Benedict XVI became the first Pope to resign in 600 years in 2013, citing ailing health.

His body will be displayed for three days in an open casket at St Peter's Basilica, with people allowed to pay their respects until 7pm each evening.

Vatican press office

The funeral will take place in St Peter's Square, before the Pope Emeritus is laid to rest in the tombs beneath the Basilica.

The Vatican released pictures of the body on Sunday, dressed in red papal mourning robes and wearing a gold-trimmed mitre.

Tributes have poured in from around the world, and the funeral is expected to draw crowds of thousands.

The last papal funeral, that of Pope John Paul II in 2005, was one of the largest Christian gatherings in history, and drew an estimated four million people to Rome.

Benedict asked that the funeral be marked by simplicity, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists.

Details of the guest list have not been released, but the Vatican has said that it will include delegations from Italy and Benedict's native Germany.

Pope Francis paid tribute to his "dearest" predecessor after his death.

US President Joe Biden lauded the former Pope's "lifetime of devotion to the Church", while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed him as "a great man whom history will not forget".

In Brazil - the largest Catholic nation in the world - incoming President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he wished "comfort to the faithful and admirers of the Holy Father".

Pope Benedict was a controversial figure, and some have criticised him for failing to tackle allegations of clerical sexual abuse.

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2023-01-02 09:07:17Z
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Russia-Ukraine war: Drone attacks continue on Kyiv and eastern Ukraine - BBC

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By Elsa Maishman

BBC News

Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv on Sunday night as the latest wave of drone and missile strikes from Russia continued.

An attack which began shortly before midnight targeted critical infrastructure, Kyiv regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba said.

One man in Kyiv was injured by debris from a destroyed Russian drone, the capital's mayor said.

The attacks have continued for several days over the New Year period.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said 400 Russian soldiers had been killed in on New Year's Eve in Makiivka, in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region.

In a rare move, pro-Russian authorities admitted to casualties. But Russia refused to confirm the number of deaths, and the BBC is unable to verify this.

It comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky wished for victory and a "return to normal" for Ukraine in 2023.

In a new year address on Russian TV, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would fight to protest its sovereignty and independence.

• Ukraine's survival needs long-term support - Nato
• NYE in Putin’s Russia - nothing is normal
• Five ways Ukraine war could go in 2023

Kyiv's military issued a warning of the latest attacks just after 01:00 (23:00 GMT) on Monday.

"Air attack on Kyiv... Air alert is on in the capital," it announced on the Telegram social media site.

Serhiy Popko, the city's military administration head, told people to stay in shelters.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported an explosion in Kyiv's northeastern Desnyanskyi district and said emergency services were attending.

"An injured 19-year-old man was hospitalised in the Desnyanskyi district of the capital," he said.

Mr Kuleba said the weapons were Iranian-made Shahed drones, adding that they were "targeting critical infrastructure facilities".

"The main thing now is to stay calm and stay in shelters until the alarm is off," he said.

It comes after a barrage of attacks on New Year's Eve, which killed at least one person in Kyiv.

Russia has been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure for several months, destroying power stations and plunging millions into darkness during the country's freezing winter.

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2023-01-02 02:14:39Z
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