Month: August 2022

The junta seized power last year after overthrowing Aung Sung Suu Kyi’s democratically-elected government.

The military has promised to hold “free and fair” elections in the future.

But on Monday it said it needed more time to stabilise the country. Emergency rule gives it more powers to detain people.

Many in Myanmar are sceptical the the military will hold multi-party elections or transfer state power to an elected government.

General Min Aung Hlaing’s regime first extended emergency rule last August and, under the powers granted by the order, he also appointed himself prime minister.

In his remarks reported by state media, he also said the country’s electoral system should be reformed by combining the first past the post system, under which Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won convincingly in the 2020 election, with proportional representation.

The influence of “powerful parties” had drowned out other political voices, he said.

The army – known as the Tatmadaw – launched the coup after alleging there had been massive voter fraud in the 2020 election, in which the NLD got more than 83% of the vote.

International observers said the voting was largely free and fair.

The army arrested Ms Suu Kyi and several ministers from her party. Ms Suu Kyi was moved to solitary confinement in June.

Millions took to the streets in largely peaceful protests calling for the military to relinquish power. The military responded with live fire, water cannons and rubber bullets.

One rights group, the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP), says security forces have killed more than 2,100 people. The military is also accused of detaining thousands of political and civil society opponents.

Last week, the junta executed four democracy activists in the country’s first executions in decades. They included prominent democracy campaigner Ko Jimmy and a former MP and hip-hop artist Phyo Zeya Thaw.

The military government is widely resisted outside the capital Naypyidaw, and there is an active guerrilla front known as the People’s Defence Force (PDF).

Gen Min Aung Hlaing also invited the leaders of Myanmar’s ethnic rebel armies – which have fought each other and the government for decades – for a second round of talks.

Several rebel groups took part in a first round of talks in May but others which are fighting alongside the PDF did not attend.

The McKinney Fire, which started in the northern Siskiyou county on Friday, has already burnt 21,000 hectares (52,500 acres), the state’s fire service said.

At least 2,000 residents as well as trekkers on the Pacific Crest hiking trail have left the area, authorities say. Homes have been destroyed.

It was 0% contained as of Sunday, the emergency service’s latest report said.

A red flag warning indicating the threat of dangerous fire conditions is in place, as California suffers from persistent drought conditions.

A state of emergency was declared in Siskiyou county on Saturday, after homes were destroyed and infrastructure was threatened, state governor Gavin Newsom said.

The fire was “intensified and spread by dry fuels, extreme drought conditions, high temperatures, winds and lightning storms”, he added.

Authorities warn that possible thunderstorms could result in more fires developing in the coming days.

The US Forest Service warned that conditions could be “extremely dangerous for firefighters, as winds can be erratic, and extremely strong, causing the fire to spread in any direction”.

Meteorologist Brad Schaaf told the New York Times, however, that smoke from the McKinney blaze could lower temperatures, which would then counteract some of the dangerous “thunderstorm ingredients”.

The fire is the second major blaze to hit the state in recent days. The Oak Fire, near Yosemite National Park, is still roaring after eight days but has been 67% contained, the fire department Cal Fire said.

California, which is facing serious drought conditions, still has months of its fire season ahead.

Climate change increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires.

The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

The Taliban say one of their soldiers was killed in Sunday’s fighting, which occurred in the border area between Afghanistan’s Nimroz province and Iran’s Hirmand region.

Each country blamed the other for the incident.

There have been several clashes at the border since Taliban militants took over Afghanistan a year ago.

The exact circumstances of the latest skirmish are unclear.

“We have one killed and one wounded,” Nimroz police spokesman Bahram Haqmal told Reuters news agency.

In Iran’s Sistan va Baluchestan province, Hirmand official Maysam Barazandeh was quoted by Fars news agency as saying there had been no casualties on the Iranian side.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency said the fighting broke out after Taliban forces tried to raise their flag “in an area which is not Afghan territory”, leading to an exchange of gunfire lasting “several minutes”.

“Our forces gave the necessary response,” Mr Barazandeh said.

Last month Iran’s foreign ministry reported the death of an Iranian border guard following another incident in the same area.

The motoring group said that out of 13 European nations that have cut tax on petrol, only Luxembourg has done less.

The UK cut fuel duty by 5p a litre in March, but the RAC says this looks “paltry” when compared to elsewhere.

The government says the duty cut will save the average driver £100 a year.

UK petrol prices have hit record highs this year, although they have started to fall back in recent weeks.

Fuel prices have increased sharply because the price for crude oil, which is used to make petrol and diesel, has gone up. Oil prices jumped following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, but they had already been rising as demand rose following the lifting of Covid restrictions.

In the Spring Statement in March, the government announced a 5p-a-litre cut in fuel duty to help motorists, but the RAC said the UK was “languishing near the bottom of the table of the 13 countries that have actually done something to help with the price of fuel”.

It said Germany had taken the equivalent of 25p a litre in tax off per litre of petrol, Italy 21p, Portugal 16p, and both Ireland and the Netherlands had cut duty by nearly 15p.

Other governments have introduced fuel discounts that take effect when motorists are paying at forecourt tills, with Spain cutting prices by about 17p a litre and France 15p.

The RAC said that of 15 European Union countries that have not taken action to cut fuel prices since March, all but six already charged less fuel duty than the UK, even after the 5p-a-litre cut.

While petrol prices have begun to fall in recent weeks as wholesale costs decline, the RAC says UK’s average price of 186p a litre makes it the joint second most expensive country behind Finland (190p) and level with Denmark (186p).

“This analysis lays bare an uncomfortable truth for the UK government – that compared to other European countries, it’s pretty much done the least to support drivers through the current period of record high fuel prices,” said RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams.

“UK pump prices might be finally starting to fall, but the reductions so far are too little and too late, given the massive wholesale price drops retailers have been benefiting from for nearly two months.

“Drivers, many of whom depend heavily on their vehicles, need more help and they need it now.”

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Williams said that tax accounted for about 45% of the cost of a litre of petrol, through fuel duty and VAT.

“This is why we wanted the government to go further to lower the prices for drivers because it clearly has the scope and of course it’s benefitting incredibly from the VAT take because the higher the wholesale price goes the more the chancellor collects.”

He added that those driving in Europe on holiday this summer could be “pleasantly surprised when they come to fill up” as many fuel prices will “far lower” than in the UK.

A government spokesperson said: “We’re helping households now through a £37bn package of support – protecting eight million of the most vulnerable families with direct payments of £1,200 this year, and providing additional payments to pensioners and disabled people.

“We also introduced our biggest ever cut to fuel duty, saving the average UK car driver around £100, van driver around £200 and haulier over £1,500. This is in addition to saving the typical employee over £330 a year through our National Insurance cut and allowing people on universal credit to keep £1,000 more of what they earn.”

Earlier this year the government asked the UK’s competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), to investigate the fuel market amid concerns the 5p cut in fuel duty was not being passed on to consumers.

The CMA found the cut had been passed on to motorists, but it said it would investigate petrol and diesel pricing after it found “cause for concern in some parts” of the industry, particularly a sharp rise in prices once fuel had been processed by oil refineries.

This would amount to a 20% tax reduction, he said – the “largest cut to income tax in 30 years”.

But supporters of his Tory rival Liz Truss have accused the ex-chancellor of flip-flopping on the issue and said that people cannot wait for tax cuts.

Conservative Party members will start receiving ballot papers later.

The winner of the leadership contest will be announced on 5 September.

Mr Sunak said the policy is part of his “radical” tax vision, but it builds on his previously-announced 1p cut to income tax in April 2024.

He said he will take a further 3p off by the end of the next parliament, which could be as late as December 2029.

Supporters of Ms Truss said she would “cut taxes in seven weeks, not seven years”.

Ms Truss has pledged to scrap April’s National Insurance rise, cancel a planned corporation tax rise and temporarily suspend green levies on energy bills.

In announcing his latest tax policy, Mr Sunak emphasised the need to control inflation before cutting taxes.

“Firstly I will never get taxes down in a way that just puts inflation up. Secondly I will never make promises I can’t pay for. And thirdly I will always be honest about the challenges we face,” Mr Sunak said.

“Because winning this leadership contest without levelling with people about what lies ahead would not only be dishonest, it would be an act of self-sabotage that condemns our party to defeat at the next general election and consigns us to a long period in opposition.”

Taxes have dominated the Tory leadership race, with the candidates clashing during the debates.

Last week, Ms Truss said tax rises brought in by Mr Sunak would lead to a recession.

Mr Sunak told the foreign secretary that her tax cut plan would “tip millions of people into misery” and cost the Conservatives the next election.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke, who worked closely with Mr Sunak but is now backing Ms Truss, said: “We cannot afford to wait to help families, they need support now. Liz will cut taxes in seven weeks, not seven years.”

A source in Truss’ camp said: “It’s welcome that Rishi has performed another U-turn on cutting tax, it’s only a shame he didn’t do this as chancellor when he repeatedly raised taxes.

“He has also made it conditional on getting growth first – knowing full well that his corporation tax rises are contractionary.

“The public and Conservative Party members can see through these flip flops and U-turns.”

As ballot papers start dropping through the letterboxes of Conservative members, it’s widely accepted that Liz Truss is ahead.

She had some significant, high-profile endorsements at the weekend to add to her sense of momentum.

But Rishi Sunak’s team are adamant they are still in the race. Tory MPs I’ve spoken to in recent days highlight that many members are still making their minds up.

Mr Sunak has been on the back foot when it comes to tax policy. His pitch for caution has been too pessimistic, his critics say.

He will be hoping that his pledge today will do something to address that.

He wants to be seen as an instinctive low tax Tory – who will reduce them when it’s safe to do so.

But he is facing criticism from some who think he is changing plans to reflect the debate.

He was criticised last week for announcing cuts to VAT on fuel – which he didn’t introduce when he was chancellor.

Sources close to Liz Truss accuse him of “flip-flopping” again today on tax.

More MPs have revealed who they are supporting in the leadership contest.

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, who replaced Mr Sunak in No 11 when the leadership hopeful resigned from Boris Johnson’s cabinet last month, is backing Ms Truss.

Mr Zahawi – who put himself forward for the top job before crashing out at an early stage – said “we need a ‘booster’ attitude to the economy, not a ‘doomster’ one”.

“We are in a national economic emergency, and we need more than words. We need delivery, and Liz will be the delivery prime minister,” Mr Zahawi wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

Meanwhile, Damian Green, chair of the One Nation Conservatives group of Tory MPs, told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour that he is supporting Mr Sunak.

“Rishi can actually conjure up a solution which makes a real difference to the lives of millions of people and that’s what I think we need in the next prime minister,” Mr Green said.