tv BBC News BBC News February 5, 2023 4:00pm-4:30pm GMT
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this is bbc news, welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories... iranian state television says the country's supreme leader has pardoned thousands of prisoners, including many who'd taken part in recent anti—government demonstrations. the former uk prime minister, liz truss, blames what she's calls a "powerful economic establishment" for the failure of her tax—cutting agenda and the downfall of her premiership. the us continues to search for the wreckage of a chinese balloon, suspected of spying, which was brought down by an american fighter jet yesterday. the former president of pakistan, general pervez musharraf, has died at the age of 79, following a long illness.
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iranian state television says that the supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei has pardoned a large number of prisoners linked to protests. iranian media outlets say that a letter from the head of the judiciary said that a number of people, especially the young, had committed wrongful actions and crimes because of incitement and propaganda by the enemy. taraneh stone, from the bbc�*s persian service, joins me now. thank you for coming in. talk us through, first of all, what we know about what has happened here. figs through, first of all, what we know about what has happened here. as you mentioned, about what has happened here. as you mentioned. the _ about what has happened here. as you mentioned, the supreme _ about what has happened here. as you mentioned, the supreme leader - about what has happened here. as you mentioned, the supreme leader has . mentioned, the supreme leader has agreed to pardon and commute sentences of tens of people who are imprisoned or who are waiting for
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sentences. the letter from the judiciary said that a considerable number of people who were arrested and imprisoned in relation to the recent protests are among these people. but, there is a long list of conditions for these people to be pardoned. one of those conditions is that they should not be linked to any spying activities, they should not be linked to any charges of corruption or waging war against god. as you can see, these are quite ambiguous charges as well, and people have been charged with these accusations for setting fire on bins on the street, or merely processing. these are quite ambiguous charges. they are also, one of the conditions, these people have to show remorse, and they have to
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provide a written promise that they will not participate in the protests or take similar action again. that is what has raised some concerns among social media users and people listening to the news today who have said that this can potentially be problematic, and can potentially be a long process. it may even be impossible for some to be pardoned or released. just impossible for some to be pardoned or released-— or released. just remind us about where we are _ or released. just remind us about where we are on _ or released. just remind us about where we are on the _ or released. just remind us about where we are on the protests. - or released. just remind us about| where we are on the protests. we have been covering this for a long time, what stage are we act now? we can see time, what stage are we act now? - can see that streets are slightly calmer. we can see scattered protests every now and again, especially since we are getting closer to the 44th anniversary of the islamic revolution. people have been taking to the streets. it is a bit calmer, but as i say, the situation is nowhere near normal just yet. it is far from normal,
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situation is nowhere near normal just yet. it is farfrom normal, and it is never going to get back to the situation prior to the protests. thank you very much for coming in and talking to us. i'm joined by dr haideh moghissi in toronto. she's the founder of the iranian national union of women and member of its first executive and editorial boards, before leaving iran in 1984. dr moghissi is now a professor at york university. thank you very much for coming on the programme. thank you very much for coming on the programme-— thank you very much for coming on the programme. thank you for having me on. we the programme. thank you for having me on- we just _ the programme. thank you for having me on. we just heard _ the programme. thank you for having me on. we just heard a _ the programme. thank you for having me on. we just heard a brief - the programme. thank you for having | me on. we just heard a brief summary me on. we 'ust heard a brief summary about what me on. we just heard a brief summary about what we — me on. we just heard a brief summary about what we know _ me on. we just heard a brief summary about what we know about _ me on. we just heard a brief summary about what we know about what - me on. we just heard a brief summary about what we know about what has i about what we know about what has happened today, and also a reminder of the background to the protests in iran, and that statement that things are certainly not normal, which is an understatement. what is your take on where we stand now? the an understatement. what is your take on where we stand now?— on where we stand now? the practice of ayatollah — on where we stand now? the practice of ayatollah how _ on where we stand now? the practice of ayatollah how many _ on where we stand now? the practice of ayatollah how many pardoning - on where we stand now? the practice of ayatollah how many pardoning a i of ayatollah how many pardoning a number of prisoners on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1979 revolution is not new. mostly
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however ordinary prisoners have been released. now, something we don't know is how many of the political prisoners are included in these thousands that the previous speaker mentioned, it is very ambiguous are not clear. i think the more important question that we should ask is why the regime has decided, actually, to release this number of political prisoners. i must say that despite the fact the regime brags about having suppress the uprising, and basically streets are calm, but anyone who has been following iranian politics in the last while
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nose that this calm is temporary, because we have had this experience in 2009, protests against... sorry, iforgot. ihla in 2009, protests against... sorry, iforaot. ., , .,, ., ~ in 2009, protests against... sorry, iforaot. ., , i forgot. no problem, take your time. 2009, — i forgot. no problem, take your time. 2009, 2017, _ i forgot. no problem, take your time. 2009, 2017, 2018, - i forgot. no problem, take your time. 2009, 2017, 2018, we . i forgot. no problem, take your. time. 2009, 2017, 2018, we have i forgot. no problem, take your- time. 2009, 2017, 2018, we have had u-irisins time. 2009, 2017, 2018, we have had uprisings which _ time. 2009, 2017, 2018, we have had uprisings which have _ time. 2009, 2017, 2018, we have had uprisings which have been _ uprisings which have been suppressed, with thousands killed, more thousands arrested. however, it never actually died out completely. they have been many, many small and large protests basically since the islamic revolution was established under ayatollah khamenei. what i
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want to stress is that the why the regime is doing it is because it knows its unpopularity very well. the uprising has done enormous damage to the regime's reputation internationally, and more so internally. internationally, and more so internallii-_ internationally, and more so internall . �* . . , ., internally. i'm afraid we must leave it there, thank _ internally. i'm afraid we must leave it there, thank you _ internally. i'm afraid we must leave it there, thank you very _ internally. i'm afraid we must leave it there, thank you very much - internally. i'm afraid we must leave it there, thank you very much for i it there, thank you very much for coming on the programme. the uk government and the health unions remain far apart on the eve of the biggest health workers strike so far in england. both sides remain deadlocked as nurses, paramedics and physiotherapists are among those set to walk out this week. our political correspondent helen catt has more. nurses, physiotherapists and ambulance staff have already held a series of strikes. the coming days will see more staff on picket lines in england as the nhs faces its biggest
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strike so far. a resolution still looks remote. one union which represents ambulance staff said talks about pay simply weren't happening. i can categorically say to you, we are in no talks at any level whatsoever with the government about pay in the nhs. what do we want? fair pay. unite members who work in the ambulance service in wales will also walk out tomorrow. four other health unions in wales have postponed their planned action after the labour—run welsh government offered them an extra 3%. a source in the uk government said unite had been represented at a meeting of several health unions with the health secretary earlier this year but acknowledged it had not met the union since, although it had met others. the government insists the door remains open. the business secretary said he didn't think the action was necessary. i don't think we need to be having these strikes at all. the reality is, as i've said, overi million nhs workers got a pay rise last year when there wasn't one on offer. there's a pay rise on the table this year. the government has urged the unions to call off this week's strike action and get back round the table, but pressure has been growing over the weekend on ministers to be
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the ones to unblock talks. it is the government's responsibility. they can sort this. you know, the unions have said, even before this started at christmas, if you meet us to discuss pay, we'll call this off. 0k. we have seen, when proper negotiations take place, about pay, not everything else, they can stop it. as it stands, though, things remain at an impasse. helen catt, bbc news. the former prime minister, liz truss, has blamed what she's called a "powerful economic establishment" — and a lack of support from the conservative party — for her downfall in number ten. she was forced to quit after her package of tax cuts caused panic in the markets and the pound dropped to a record low. earlier, david gauke, former conservative mp and cabinet member gave us his view.
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i think it is a pretty unconvincing case, to be honest. the fact is that the government pursued a fiscal strategy, a tax and spend policy that did not have credibility. the markets took fright, interest rates rose accordingly. the pound fell, and the uk faced a real problem, a market crisis. that was a consequence of a reckless approach to the public finances. i don't think there is really an indication for a liz truss that she properly recognises that, or recognises the errors that she made and her chancellor made in pursuing a policy that undermined market confidence. and there have been, since she left, and today they have come back, jokes about the idea of a left—wing blob, or whatever, in the various economic bodies around the uk blocking this. is there something actually more
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nuanced and subtle here? would liz truss have any argument in saying that the thing she wanted to change and move, just could not? there may have been some aspects of what she wanted to do, some planning that could have been economically beneficial over time. what we saw in the mini budget was a set of tax cuts that put the uk's public finances on an unsustainable path. united states navy and coastguard vessels are working to recover the wreckage of a chinese observation balloon that was shot down off the coast of south carolina on saturday. the debris came down in shallow water and is said to be spread over a wide area. a pentagon official said the recovery would enable us analysts to examine sensitive chinese equipment. china continues to insist it was a stray civilian weather
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observation airship. police say they've spoken to a woman they'd described as a key witnes regarding the disappearance of nicola bulley. officers said last night they were trying to trace the woman, who'd been seen pushing a pram in st michael's on wyre, in lancashire, close to where nicola bulley was last seen. detectives said the woman had come forward "very quickly". pakistan's former president, general pervez musharraf, has died following a long illness. he was 79 years old. president musharraf seized power in a bloodless military coup in 1999, serving in office for 7 years from 2001. at the time of his death he had been living in exile in dubai, receiving medical treatment. i'm joined now by dr madiha afzal fellow in the foreign policy programme at the brookings institution, a think tank based in washington. thank you very much for coming on the programme. thank you very much for coming on the programme-— thank you very much for coming on
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the programme. thanks for having me. we have been — the programme. thanks for having me. we have been hearing _ the programme. thanks for having me. we have been hearing reflections - the programme. thanks for having me. we have been hearing reflections and l we have been hearing reflections and analysis over the last few hours about the complicated legacy he leaves. how do you try and sum it up? i leaves. how do you try and sum it u . ? ., ,., , ., up? i would say that pervez musharraf's _ up? i would say that pervez musharraf's initial - up? i would say that pervez musharraf's initial years - up? i would say that pervez musharraf's initial years in l up? i would say that pervez - musharraf's initial years in power were seen by many pakistanis as a period of relative prosperity, even liberalism. it was irrevocably marred by the last years he was in power, and ultimately his legacy will undoubtedly be seen as negative in pakistan. he left in economically in pakistan. he left in economically in 2000 and eight —— in 2008, and one of things you can point to is that it was during his time that the pakistani taliban and terrorist group began its insurgency, and ultimately after musharraf lacked power, killed tens of thousands of pakistanis, and is researching again. she —— he is considered to
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have our negative legacy for his handling of the blotches than insurgency, and ultimately his time insurgency, and ultimately his time in power really exposed the problems of a military dictatorship in pakistan. it has left many pakistanis with a deep distaste for the military throughout the country. lets pick up on exactly that point there, because the role of the military are so crucial in the country. where do you think it stands right now? the military, ultimately. _ stands right now? the military, ultimately, is _ stands right now? the military, ultimately, is the _ stands right now? the military, ultimately, is the most - stands right now? the military, i ultimately, is the most dominant force in pakistan, in pakistani politics, running things behind the scenes. it essentially runs foreign policy and domestic policy. pakistan has had elections in 2008, 2013, 2018, and is set to have another one this year. it is a country with a
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flawed democracy, but a democracy with a military in power behind—the—scenes which does not even contemplate any more directly ruling the country. just even contemplate any more directly ruling the country.— ruling the country. just briefly, lookini ruling the country. just briefly, looking forward, _ ruling the country. just briefly, looking forward, given - ruling the country. just briefly, looking forward, given what. ruling the country. just briefly, | looking forward, given what you ruling the country. just briefly, - looking forward, given what you have just said about the role of democracy and the military, how do you see the immediate future of the country? you see the immediate future of the count ? ., ~ , ., , you see the immediate future of the count? , ., ,,, you see the immediate future of the count? ,,, _ you see the immediate future of the count ? ,,, ,, country? pakistan is beset by crises riiht now. country? pakistan is beset by crises right now. there _ country? pakistan is beset by crises right now. there is _ country? pakistan is beset by crises right now. there is an _ country? pakistan is beset by crises right now. there is an economic - right now. there is an economic crisis, a political crisis, a flooding catastrophe. it is a troubled time for the country. i do see the democratic process continuing, despite the military dominating things like the scenes, the democratic process continuing, and on a note of optimism, that'll be what ultimately leads the country to a better future. be what ultimately leads the country to a betterfuture. titer? to a better future. very interesting, _ to a better future. very interesting, thank - to a better future. very interesting, thank you | to a better future. very l interesting, thank you for to a better future. very - interesting, thank you for coming to a better future. very interesting, thank you for coming on the programme. it's now time for sport and for a full round—up, from the bbc sport centre, here's
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chetan. we'll start in the premier league where manchester city have the chance to close the gap at the top of the table as they travel to north london to take on tottenham. city are looking to make up ground after the leaders arsenal were beaten at everton. a win for manchester city later would put them just two points from top spot. the game sees two of the leagues best strikers harry kane the game sees two of the league's best strikers harry kane and erling haaland go head to head. harry kane remains one of the better strikers i've seen in my life, not even winning, it doesn't matter. managers win the title, but sometimes good managers don't win titles, sometimes it happens. tottenham will be happy to have him, we are extremely happy to have this young player like erling who is going to give us many many good years. tottenham head coach antonio conte is set to miss the game following surgery to remove his gall bladder. assistant cristian stellini, who's ready to deputise, says the situation isn't ideal but they'll have to
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adapt. we have to accept the situation. maybe be more antonio has to accept the situation. i think it is not easy to be not here with us, but the world is more important than anything. world is more important than an hini. , , ., anything. kick-off is 'ust over ten minutes away h anything. kick-off is 'ust over ten minutes away in _ anything. kick-off isjust over ten minutes away in north _ anything. kick-off isjust over ten minutes away in north london, i anything. kick-off isjust over ten minutes away in north london, at nottingham forest have moved six points clear of the relegation zone beating leeds united at the city ground, brennanjohnson with the only goal of the game. and a surprise result in spain, the champions real madrid have been beaten 1—0 at mid table mallorca which means barcelona have the chance to open up an eight point lead at the top of la liga if they beat
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struggling sevilla later. australia's mens cricket team are hoping their success on their tours to pakistan and sri lanka in the past year will be a great platform to deliver a first series win in india in nearly two decades. the team are now in nagpur ahead of their first test on thursday. coach andrew macdonald says their lack of success in india won't be playing on their minds. the group that we have got now, here at training, it shouldn't inherit the past performances of previous australian teams. that goes for the successful tours as well, in 20011. it feels that we are well prepared, and i think pat alluded to the fact that we played pakistan, sri lanka and indiana 12 month period. the fact that we have three subcontinent tours in 12 months is really good to build on, and this isjust a continuation of the journey for this team. we have players in there who
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have had the experience before, so we feel we are really well under pat's captaincy to take on challenges ahead. that's all the sport for now. the opening week of the six nations continues, it is getting exciting in italy, where france lead by 22—21 stop have more for you later, but is all your sport for now. a british family are to travel to grenada later this month to apologise publicly for their ancestors' ownership of more than 1000 african slaves. the trevelyans owned six sugar plantations on the caribbean island in the nineteenth century. the family includes the bbc�*s new york correspondent, laura trevelyan, who says she is paying reparations by donating a £100,000 fund. azadeh moshiri reports.
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how do you make up for centuries of oppression? that is a question countries like britain and the united states are still trying to answer. bbc presenter laura trevelyan is confronting her ancestors' own role in the slave trade. across the caribbean, there are calls for reparations. after she learned her family was listed on a database of slave owners, ms trevelyan visited grenada to face her ancestors' painful legacy. when i went to grenada and i saw for myself the plantations where slaves were punished, when i saw the instruments of torture that were used to restrain them, when i looked at the neck braces, at the manacles, at this system of dehumanisation that my family had profited from as absentee slave owners of the sugar plantations, i felt ashamed. the trevelyan family has decided to apologise. in a public letter, they write...
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they go on... five times great—grandfather... ms trevelyan explained the impact her family's actions still have today. poverty is rife. there's a lot of obesity, of hypertension, of ill—health, which is linked to slavery, health experts, feel, health experts feel, because of decades of poor diet, stress. and so some people could see what you are doing and argue, you know what, this is a drop in the bucket. yes, i completely understand that this can seem like a very inadequate gesture, that our family received the equivalent
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of about £3 million in compensation when slavery was abolished. we got that money in 18311. so for me to be giving £100,000, almost 200 years later, for a fund that is going to look at economic development in grenada and the eastern caribbean, may be that seems like it is really inadequate, but i hope that we are setting an example by apologising for what our ancestors did. later this month, the trevelyans will return to grenada, and they will attend a public forum organised by its national reparations commission. that is where the island will continue to reflect on what it has lost after centuries of colonisation and enslavement. azadeh moshiri, bbc news. i should just underline that one of my colleagues were speaking in a personal capacity and not a
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professional capacity. let's go to barbados now where we can speak to david comissiong. he's the deputy chairperson of the national task force on reparations. thank you very much a coming on the programme. mi; thank you very much a coming on the programme-— thank you very much a coming on the programme. my pleasure, is pleasure to be here. what— programme. my pleasure, is pleasure to be here. what you _ programme. my pleasure, is pleasure to be here. what you make _ programme. my pleasure, is pleasure to be here. what you make of- programme. my pleasure, is pleasure to be here. what you make of what i to be here. what you make of what the treveliian _ to be here. what you make of what the trevelyan family _ to be here. what you make of what the trevelyan family is _ to be here. what you make of what the trevelyan family is doing - to be here. what you make of whatj the trevelyan family is doing here? we applaud it. we welcome it. her family is doing the right thing, and they are doing it in the right way. not only are they apologising, being willing to make a reparations gesture, but they are doing it in collaboration with the reparations commission. also, very important, they are calling on both the british government and the british royal family to do likewise, to acknowledge their involvement in enslavement, and to negotiate on a
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reparations package. just enslavement, and to negotiate on a reparations package.— reparations package. just underline wh that is reparations package. just underline why that is so _ reparations package. just underline why that is so important _ reparations package. just underline why that is so important and - why that is so important and significant. why that is so important and significant-— why that is so important and siinificant. ., �* ., �*, significant. europe and britain's development — significant. europe and britain's development was _ significant. europe and britain's development was purchased - significant. europe and britain's development was purchased at | significant. europe and britain's i development was purchased at the price of the systematic underdevelopment of places like anita and barbados and the british caribbean territories —— grenada. our ancestors were enslaved, they did not get to enjoy or keep the fruits of their labour. all of those fruits of their labour. all of those fruits of their labour. all of those fruits of labour were siphoned off to british families, british companies, and ultimately to the capitals of britain and europe. the reparations plane is saying that because of that history, we now have a fundamental right to development,
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and the countries which developed at our expense have a corresponding duty to facilitate that development. ultimately, a reparations target is the british government. the british government is the institution that links the present with the past. we welcome families like the trevelyan family, we welcome the gesture made by the church commissioners of the church of england earlier this month, and the other individuals' families, but ultimately, the target must be the british government. i am afraid we do — must be the british government. i am afraid we do have _ must be the british government. i am afraid we do have to _ must be the british government. i am afraid we do have to leave it there, as we are right at the end of our programme. like you very much for coming on and talking through not only those issues raised by the actions of the trevelyan family, but also the wider context for what has been happening there. we really appreciate your time. thank you very much. that isjust appreciate your time. thank you very much. that is just about it for me
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for this half hour. if you are online, you can get me thereto on twitter stop this is bbc news. hello again. well, for most of us, it's been a glorious afternoon. plenty of sunshine around, and quite a contrast to yesterday's blanket of cloud that was across the whole of the uk. contrast that with today's satellite picture, you can see the extent of the day's sunshine, just really the far north of scotland that's had some thicker cloud to deal with through recent hours. and this is what the sunshine has been looking like in northumberland. bit of high cloud here, making the sunshine hazy, but a fine afternoon nevertheless. however, it has been quite a bit cooler. temperatures yesterday in northern scotland reached 12 degrees celsius in kinloss. today, well, around about four degrees celsius lower. but i think for most of us we'd take that change, given that there's been a lot more sunshine around. overnight tonight, high pressure stays across england and wales, and so that will keep the skies clear. for scotland and northern ireland, some thicker cloud working in here will prevent
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a frost for many. just a few patches of frost in rural areas for east scotland, but the frost will be extensive across england and wales, i think in the countryside temperatures could get down to as low as minus five or so. so a cold start to the day tomorrow. but again, plenty of sunshine in the forecast across england and wales. scotland and northern ireland do have some thicker cloud and there might be an odd bit of drizzle first thing in the morning, but essentially a lot of dry weather and it will probably try to brighten up. some of the day's highest temperatures tomorrow will be across the north, ten in both belfast and glasgow. fortuesday, again, it's the largely dry day, but i think there's a much greater chance of seeing some extensive and dense patches of mist and fog, some of that lingering into the afternoon across southern parts of england and wales where the weather could be really quite chilly. away from that, though, some brighter weather pushing into western scotland, perhaps a few spots of drizzle crossing northern ireland and moving into northern england for a time. now, wednesday, the winds start to pick up again. and so that should mean the mist and fog is less extensive and probably will be quicker to clear. there'll be a few bright or sunny spells breaking through, particularly to the east
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of high ground. temperatures, well, around about average for england, wales, but still mild for scotland and for northern ireland. however, towards the end of the week we get this cold front moving its way southwards. that's going to bring a change to sunnier weather. but with showers across northern areas and those showers in lerwick will fall wintry for a time. we are expecting a bit of snow across some of the higher scottish mountains. that's it for now. bye— bye.
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this is bbc news. the headlines. iranian state television says the country's supreme leader has pardoned thousands of prisoners, including many who took part in recent anti—government demonstrations. some human rights groups believe 20,000 people have been detained over the protests since mid—september. the former uk prime minister, liz truss, blames what she calls a "powerful economic establishment" for the failure of her tax—cutting agenda. the country's shortest serving prime minister says she wasn't given a �*realistic chance' to implement her plans. the united states is trying to find the wreckage of a chinese surveillance balloon, which it shot down over the atlantic on saturday. beijing has accused the us of an over—reaction.
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