Hong Kong legislature vetoes China-backed electoral reform plan
Hong Kong’s legislature on Thursday vetoed a China-backed electoral reform package criticized by opposition lawmakers and activists as undemocratic, Reuters said. The Legislative Council’s move is expected to ease for now the prospect of fresh mass protests in the financial hub. The rejection will likely appease some activists who had demanded a veto. “Today 28 legco members voted against the wishes of the majority of Hong Kong people, and denied them the democratic right to elect the chief executive in the next election,”said the city’s current leader, Leung Chun-ying.
Danish PM concedes defeat
Danish PM concedes defeat
Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has conceded the Social Democrat Party’s defeat to center-right rivals Thursday’s parliamentary elections and announced she is stepping down as the party’s head. Thorning-Schmidt, who has been in power since 2011, also said that the government is to be dissolved. Meanwhile, opposition leader Lars Lokke Rasmussen of the Liberal party said early Friday morning that the right wing now has “an opportunity” to form a new government. Rasmussen offered himself as the head of the new government.
Denmark’s right wing opposition bloc appears poised for a narrow victory in Thursday’s parliamentary elections. With 99 percent of the votes counted, Lars Loekke Rasmussen’s center right coalition is projected to win 90 seats in the 179 member assembly, according to national broadcaster DR, giving it the narrowest of majorities. During the campaign, opposition parties promised to rein in spending, while the incumbent Helle Thorning-Schmidt claimed she would be able to boost the welfare budget.
Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and India have started negotiations over the free trade zone agreement and signed a framework agreement at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg.
“The two regions are big, anything done together should naturally lead to bigger outcomes,” said Indian Minister of State for Commerce Nirmala Sitharaman.
The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Trade minister Andrei Slepnev said the country was ready for a similar deal with Iran soon.
“I think that in general this whole complex of measures forms a clear picture of our priorities for cooperation with partners in the Asian region, which now have the highest growth rate, and generally support the global economy,” he said.Trade between Russia and India fell to $9.5 billion in 2014 compared to $10.1 billion a year earlier, according to the data from Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development.
On May 29 Vietnam became the first country to sign a free trade agreement with the EEU. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev then said that around 40 countries were holding talks on some kind of agreement with the union.
The Eurasian Economic Union was established in 2014 based on the Custom Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Armenia became a member of the trade bloc shortly after it was formed. Kyrgyzstan is currently undergoing ratification procedures to join the EEU while Tajikistan is considering membership.RTnews
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