Two more ministers resigned from the UK government on Wednesday, piling further pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson following the departure of his health and finance ministers.
Will Quince, minister for children and families, said he had “no choice but to tender my resignation” while junior transport minister Laura Trott said she was quitting over a loss of “trust” in the government.
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Canadian city of Toronto apologises to Sikh security guards over N95 mask row
The Canadian city of Toronto has apologised to the World Sikh Organization of Canada for any delay’ in reinstating Sikh security guards hired by contracted service providers who may have been terminated over a ‘no-beard’ policy that forced them to choose between their jobs and their faith. A report by the Toronto Sun said over 100 guards had been fired over a rule that requires them to be clean-shaven so they can wear N95 masks.
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Explained: Who could be new UK PM, what is the method and how long will it take?
The prime minister secured a narrow win last month’s confidence vote – that gavBoris Johnson’sim 12 months’ immunity from another. Lawmakers from the ruling Conservative Party are already working to shorten that period. Boris Johnson’s time as UK prime minister, it appears, is nearing its end. What next for Boris Johnson? The simplest would be for the prime minister to decide he has lost the support of his party and resign of his own volition.
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Nadhim Zahawi: Rishi Sunak’s successor whose family fled Saddam Hussein’s regime
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday appointed Nadhim Zahawi as the new chancellor of the exchequer, replacing Rishi Sunak who had earlier resigned from the cabinet in protest against Johnson’s leadership. Zahawi’s appointment also comes at a time when the British government is trying to tackle the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. As a trained chemical engineer, Zahawi went on to work in the oil industry. He backed Brexit in 2016.
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Why property developers in China accepting house payments in watermelons, wheat
Real estate firms in China have now started accepting payments for homes in watermelon, wheat, garlic and several other agricultural produce, Chinese daily The Global Times reported. Realtors in tier-3 and 4 cities are encouraging home buyers to pay part of the house payment with wheat and garlic. Experts say that China’s economy, battered by multiple Covid-19 curbs, has shown slow post-lockdown recovery.
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Homes of 85,000 people at risk, but rain eases around Sydney
Floodwaters had inundated or were threatening the homes of 85,000 people around Sydney on Wednesday as rivers started to recede and the heavy rains tracked north of Australia’s largest city. Emergency responders knocked on doors overnight in the towns of Singleton and Muswellbrook, in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney, to order residents to evacuate, Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said. “For many, it has been a sleepless night,” Cooke said.