There is little standing in the way of Boris Johnson becoming Britain’s next prime minister.
Why it matters: Johnson is a brash Brexiteer who has vowed to take the U.K. out of the EU without a deal if one can’t be reached by October. He’s often praised for his charisma and criticized for his lack of substance on policy and penchant for provocative rhetoric. He also has a friend in the Oval Office.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday accused Iran of being responsible for attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and a string of other incidents, saying the regime was engaged in "an unacceptable campaign of escalating tensions."
Why it matters: Fears that the U.S. was on course for war with Iran had been reduced in recent days, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe traveling to Tehran on a Trump-endorsed mission to reduce tensions. But Pompeo's tone was hawkish today in declaring Iran "a clear threat to international peace and security."
U.S. politics have teed up twin reckonings — one a sudden threat against the gargantuan power accumulated by Big Tech, and the second a challenge to the decades-long rise of China.
What's happening: The two, launched one after the other, appear to be on a collision course, potentially jeopardizing one or both of the risky U.S. attempts to police the market at home and maintain geopolitical primacy abroad.
Police scuffled with protesters as Hong Kong authorities shut government offices as hundreds demonstrated against plans to extradite citizens to mainland China Thursday, Reuters reports — a day after the worst violence in the territory for decades.
Details: Reuters journalists on the scene said protest numbers swelled at one stage to thousands around the legislature — where scores of people were injured in Wednesday's clashes — as demonstrators tried to stop police from removing face masks and food. The mass protests have forced legislators to delay debate on the extradition bill, which Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam backs.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said in a Twitter post a powerful cyber attack that struck the encrypted messaging app on Wednesday came mostly from Chinese IP addresses and "coincided in time with protests in Hong Kong."
Why it matters: It suggests China may have been trying to disrupt huge demonstrations in Hong Kong against a bill that would expose Hongkongers to extradition to the mainland. Protesters in the territory have used apps including Telegram to organize themselves during rallies, The Next Web notes.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe begins two days of meetings with Iranian officials in Tehran on Wednesday — seeking "a frank exchange of views" and following up on a proposal to mediate for the U.S. that President Trump cautiously welcomed in May.
Protesters in Hong Kong braved pepper spray and rubber bullets to successfully delay debate on a controversial bill that would expose Hongkongers to extradition to mainland China.
Why it matters: A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 but retained a high degree of autonomy — including the freedom to protest and an independent judiciary. Hong Kong residents worry that’s all crumbling as the Chinese Communist Party tightens its grip.
President Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn has hired Sidney Powell, a former federal prosecutor, as his new counsel, Powell confirmed in a statement to Axios. The Hill first reported Powell was joining Flynn's legal team.
The backdrop: A court filing released last week revealed that Flynn had fired his attorneys, Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony, who cut Flynn's plea deal with Robert Mueller in 2017. A source familiar with the matter told Axios Flynn fired them because he felt they had not pushed aggressively enough to get exculpatory evidence during the plea negotiations.
Demonstrators protesting a proposed extradition bill have been clashing with Hong Kong police, fending off rubber bullets, tear gas and high-pressure water hoses well into Wednesday night, AP and Reuters report.
What's new: As of 10 p.m. local time, the Hong Kong government has confirmed 72 injuries, including 21 police officers, BBC reports.
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