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VOA news. I'm Christopher Cruise reporting.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has survived a no-confidence vote. The vote was 200 to 117. She retained her job and prevent(ed) another leadership challenge for a year. "This has been a long and challenging day. But, at the end of it, I'm pleased to have received the backing of my colleagues in tonight's ballot. Whilst I am grateful for that support, a significant number of colleagues did cast a vote against me, and I've listened to what they said." In a closed meeting with Conservative lawmakers before the vote began, May said she would step down as Britain's leader before the anticipated election in 2022, a move that might have helped win over some lawmakers who were undecided [about going] going into the secret ballot. President Trump's former longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been sentenced to prison. Associated Press correspondent Warren Levinson reports. Michael Cohen declared it was "blind loyalty" to Donald Trump that led him to "take a path of darkness instead of light" before a federal judge sentenced him to three years in prison. "I felt it was my duty," Cohen said, "to cover up his dirty deeds." "As a lawyer, you should have known better," Judge William Pauley told Cohen before sentencing him to less than the four to five years the sentencing guidelines called for. Cohen, who choked up near the end of his statement, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, lying to Congress about Trump business in Russia and arranging illegal hush money payments on Trump's behalf. Cohen worked for Trump for 12 years, once bragged he would "take a bullet" for the president. China said Wednesday a former Canadian diplomat to China who was arrested in Beijing Monday was detained on charges of jeopardizing China's national security. Michael Kovrig was detained less than a week after Canada angered the Chinese government when it announced the arrest of Chinese telecom executive Meng Wanzhou. This is VOA news. More suspected Iranian-made weapons have been found in Yemen, that from a U.N. report that will be discussed Wednesday by the Security Council. The Gulf monarchies and the United States accuse Iran of supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen and see this as justification for the military campaign they have been waging in Yemen since 2015. Iran supports the rebels politically but denies supplying them with arms. The U.S. Senate is expected to support a resolution to end U.S. support for Saudi Arabia's military campaign in Yemen. VOA's Senate correspondent Michael Bowman reports. Passage of the resolution would constitute a historic rebuke of a longtime U.S. ally, spurred by mounting anger on Capitol Hill regarding the Khashoggi killing, as well as Saudi Arabia's actions in Yemen. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal spoke with VOA. "There needs to be an end to the United States complicity in ongoing bombing of civilians and killing of children, in effect, war crimes." A Senate vote is expected to go forward despite the reservations of Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "We also want to preserve a 70-year partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and we want to ensure that it continues to serve American interests and stabilizes a dangerous and critical region." French police continue hunting for a man who opened fire in the eastern city of Strasbourg, killing at least two people and wounding more than 12 others. Correspondent Lisa Bryant reports for VOA from Paris that France has ramped up security and heightened its state of alert. Holiday festivities in the ancient city of Strasbourg took a grim turn Tuesday night as a gunman opened fire on the annual Christmas market and at French soldiers and police. People ran screaming for shelter and authorities tightened border controls with nearby Germany. Paris Prosecutor Remy Heitz has identified the suspect as 29-year-old Cherif C., a Strasbourg native who had more than two dozen criminal convictions in France, Germany and Switzerland and has served multiple sentences. Heitz said he was radicalized and had proselytized in jail. He said the suspect, whom media identify as Cherif Chekatt, had cried "Allahu Akbar" as he was shooting and also wielded a knife. The top story of the hour, the British prime minister, Theresa May, has survived a no-confidence vote to retain her job - the vote by her Conservative Party 200 to 117. Ian Lavery, the chair of the main opposition Labor Party, said in a statement that "May's weakness and failure has completely immobilized the government at this critical time for the country." You can find more on these and other late breaking and developing stories, from around the world, around the clock, at voanews.com and on the VOA news mobile app. I'm Christopher Cruise, VOA news. |