The U.K.'s Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow said Tuesday that he will not allow Prime Minister Boris Johnson to suspend Parliament in order to force through a no-deal Brexit at the end of October, the Telegraph reports.
"The one thing I feel strongly about is that the House of Commons must have its way. If there is an attempt to circumvent, to bypass or - God forbid! - to close down Parliament; that is anathema to me and I will fight it with every bone in my body to stop that happening. We cannot have a situation in which Parliament is shut down — we are a democratic society."
President Trump tweeted Tuesday afternoon that he had been informed by U.S. intelligence that "the Chinese Government is moving troops to the Border with Hong Kong," adding, "Everyone should be calm and safe!"
Why it matters: There are fears of a crackdown from Beijing on the protestors, who clashed Tuesday with police while occupying Hong Kong's international airport. It had been publicly reported that Chinese armed police had massed in Shenzhen, a city near Hong Kong on the Chinese mainland. Trump has until now taken a hands-off approach to the escalating situation in Hong Kong, suggesting that President Xi Jinping should handle the "riots" as he sees fit.
All signs point to a decades-long cold war with China, one reshaping global alliances, politics and economies.
Why it matters: The trade war is but a very small skirmish in a much bigger and wider battle for global dominance. It’s easier to see this cold war turn hot than turn off. And, for the first time, you can see the possibility of China and America decoupling — creating two distinct, rival global systems and power structures.
The Trump administration supports a no-deal Brexit and Britain is "first in line" for a trade deal with the U.S., National Security Adviser John Bolton told reporters after meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the BBC reports.
"To be clear, in the Trump administration, Britain's constantly at the front of the trade queue, or line as we say. We want to move very quickly. We wish we could have moved further along in this with the prior government."
At least 7 people, many or all of them scientists, were killed last week when a missile test resulted in an explosion near Russia’s Arctic coast, per the NYT. Little has been confirmed publicly about the explosion, except that it released radiation.
Between the lines: “The reference to radiation was striking — tests of missile engines don’t involve radiation. Well, with one exception: Last year, Russia announced it had tested a cruise missile powered by a nuclear reactor. ... NATO calls it the SSC-X-9 Skyfall,” Jeffrey Lewis writes for Foreign Policy.
The world’s two most powerful authoritarian states have been unable to quell pro-democracy demonstrations that have now spanned several weeks and drawn global attention.
The latest: Flights out of Hong Kong were canceled today after protesters flooded into the airport, while Moscow witnessed its largest protests in seven years over the weekend. Video of police battering demonstrators has emerged from both cities. Broader crackdowns now seem likely, particularly in Hong Kong.
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