Tragedy in Venice, and a VAR blunder
| | | Hello. A major historical precedent has been set in the US, with Kevin McCarthy becoming the first-ever House of Representatives Speaker to lose a no-confidence vote. Anthony Zurcher and Sam Cabral document how Mr McCarthy lost the political fight of his life. We also have the latest about a deadly bus crash in Venice. And there's audio recording that will feel relatable to anyone who's ever had a bad day at work - but infuriate football fans, especially Liverpool supporters. |
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| | Top of the agenda | US navigates uncharted waters | | There is no clear successor to oversee the House Republican majority. Credit: Reuters |
| Kevin McCarthy's apparent confidence in the lead up to a vote that would decide his political fate as US House of Representatives Speaker turned out to be misplaced. The deal he struck with his party members to secure that role in the first place, which allowed for any one member of Congress to force a vote to oust him, came back to haunt him as eight Republicans turned against him. That, alongside Democrats joining the vote against Mr McCarthy, gave a final tally of 216-210 in favour of removal. Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, a hardline Republican who put forward the bid to oust Mr McCarthy, showed whoever seeks the role that they'll have to win his support first. But his plan lacked a critical element: a candidate to replace Mr McCarthy. With just over 40 days to agree on a deal to avoid another potential government shutdown, time is of the essence. But what lies ahead is in uncharted waters. | | |
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| | | | AT THE SCENE | Nagorno-Karabakh | The aftermath of a light-speed defeat | Nearly 120,000 Armenians, virtually the entire population, have now left Nagorno-Karabakh over the past two weeks. They rushed to flee before experiencing life under the rule of Azerbaijan, an autocratic state with which the Armenians have a long history of violent conflict. | | Joel Gunter, senior reporter |
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| At an Armenian outpost high in the mountains of Nagorno-Karabakh, a half-full cooking pot sat next to a half-eaten plate of food. There was a half-smoked cigarette and half a bread roll. These remnants testified to the speed with which the Armenians had lost control two weeks earlier, during a lightning-fast military operation by Azerbaijan. Along the Lachin corridor - the only route out of the region to Armenia - abandoned cars and possessions still litter the roadway, having broken down or run out of fuel in the miles-long queue to leave. |
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| | Beyond the headlines | Portrait of an author | | Khalifa "retained a childlike quality of innocence and wonderment," Sinjab writes. Credit: AFP |
| The passing of renowned Syrian author Khaled Khalifa has shocked the community at home and abroad. Lina Sinjab shares her memories of the writer, a "larger-than-life personality". | | |
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| | Something different | An unlikely remote working hub | A scenic town at the base of the Pirin Mountains is popular with digital nomads. | |
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| | And finally... | Football fans would spend hours discussing whether a goal was offside or not. VAR technology was meant to help avoid such controversy, but a disputed Liverpool goal in a match against Tottenham has revealed the fallibility of the system. In a recently released audio recording, match officials can be heard discussing the decision, complimenting themselves on its execution, before finally realising that they made the wrong call. |
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