May calls for unity
Having survived a vote of no confidence in her government, British prime minister Theresa May on Wednesday evening called for MPs to “work constructively together” to break the deadlock on Brexit. The confidence vote was won by 325 to 306 in favour of the government, a stark contrast to Tuesday’s massive defeat of the EU withdrawal bill. But opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has declined talks with May until she rules out a no-deal Brexit, the BBC reports. May has dismissed staying in the customs union, a move which would split her own Conservative party The Guardian reports.
Businesses call for people’s vote
A letter signed by 172 major British business leaders calls for Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn to support a second referendum, says The Guardian. The letter, whose signatories include architect Norman Foster, will be published in The Times today. It says the only viable way to stop a “chaotic crash-out from the EU” is to ask the people “whether they still want to leave the EU.” The Guardian also reports that the Confederation of British Industry has separately warned that the UK is now like a “supertanker heading for the rocks”.
Tsipras scrapes through
Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras also survived a confidence vote on Wednesday, Deutsche Welle and The Guardian report. The vote came after his coalition split over a deal with Macedonia on changing its name and allowing it to negotiate membership of Nato and the EU. Tsipras managed to get the minimum 151 votes in the 300-seat parliament. He said the result was “a vote of confidence in stability” and he has pledged to put the ratification of the agreement with Macedonia on the agenda.
China pumps up economy
CNBC reports that the Chinese central bank has injected the equivalent of $83 billion into its banking system, citing accelerated decline in total liquidity because of the peak of the tax period. It is the record amount of money injected into the system in one day, CNBC says. But on Wednesday, the yield on the 10-year Chinese government bond fell below 3.1% to its lowest in more than two years.
Pelosi asks Trump to delay State of Union
Democratic speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has asked President Donald Trump to reschedule his State of the Union speech as the US government shutdown continues, Reuters reports. The annual speech is scheduled for 29 January, but Pelosi cites security issues in calling for a delay--critical departments within the secret service and department of homeland security are hamstrung by furloughs, she says.
Amazon hiring as Apple slows recruitment
Despite the prospect of government restrictions tightening its market access, Amazon is on a hiring spree in India, CNBC reports. With 660 open positions in Bengaluru and 450 vacancies in Hyderabad, India has two of the five non-U.S. markets with the most Amazon job openings, But CNBC also reports, via Bloomberg, that Apple is set to slow hiring for some divisions amid disappointing iPhone sales.
US set to complete nuclear treaty withdrawal
The United States looks more likely than ever to leave the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty on 2 February after the failure of a meeting with a Russian delegation in Geneva. The 1987 INF agreement has kept nuclear missiles out of Europe for three decades, The Guardian says.
Turkey seeks NBA star arrest
The Turkish authorities have issued an international arrest warrant for New York Nicks basketball player Enes Kanter. They accuse him of having links with armed groups behind the 2016 failed coup. The BBC says Kanter, whose Turkish passport was cancelled in 2017, of refusing to travel to London with the team because he feared he could be killed by Turkish spies.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts