Emmy Awards: “The Crown” wins big in Los Angeles
It was a big night for Netflix in this year’s 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, witha total of 44 Emmy wins, tying an all-time record for a single year. Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth, and Josh O’Connor won lead actor for his role as Prince Charles; Josh O’Connor for Outstanding Performers in a Drama Series; Tobias Menzies and Gillian Anderson – Best Supporting Characters; Jessica Hobbs Best Director; and Peter Morgan Best Screenplay. “Ted Lasso” won seven awards, including the Emmy for best comedy series while Jason Sudeikis won the award for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his same hit show. “The Queen’s Gambit” won the Emmy for outstanding limited series. Scott Frank won the Emmy for directing for a limited or anthology series or movie for “The Queen’s Gambit”. “Hamilton” won an Emmy in the outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) category.
Johnson: our love for France is inextricable
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stressed last night the “immense importance” of the relationship between the UK and France, and London’s “inextricable” love for Paris, in the face of French fury over the announcement of a strategic partnership between Washington, Canberra and London. The UK and France have “a very friendly relationship” and of “immense importance,” Johnson told reporters aboard the plane en route to New York, according to the British news agency Press Association. “This partnership absolutely does not want to be zero-sum, it does not want to be exclusionary,” said Johnson during the trip that will lead him to participate in the UN general assembly and to meet American President Joe Biden at the White House. “It is something of which no one has to worry and especially not our French friends.” Australia’s decision to cancel the purchase of French conventional-propelled submarines, worth €56 billion, in favour of US nuclear-powered ones has sparked outrage in Paris. President Emmanuel Macron recalled the French ambassadors to Canberra and Washington, in an unprecedented gesture. He will meet with his US counterpart Biden “in the next few days”, according to government spokesman Gabriel Attal.
Putin’s party heads for victory amid vote fraud claims
President Putin’s United Russia Party looks set for a majority in the country’s parliamentary election, after a vote dogged by allegations of fraud. An exit poll predicted a resounding victory for the ruling party. In its initial set of results, the Central Electoral Commission said that with 50% of votes counted, United Russia had received more than 46%, followed by the Communist Party with 21%. The Kremlin’s most vocal critics were barred from running in the election, and there have been numerous reports of ballot stuffing and forced voting. The election commission rejected the claims. The partial results show that despite Mr Putin’s party easily retaining its majority in parliament, it lost around one-fifth of its support. In 2016, the party won 54% of the vote. The Communists saw their support grow by 8%.
Hungary’s opposition primary elections suffer cyber attack
The first opposition primary elections in Hungary, in search of a candidate to challenge Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have been extended until September 28, after a cyber attack blocked the system. Voting in the districts was suspended yesterday only two hours after the platforms opened. The leaders of the opposition parties, who for the first time in the history of Hungary united in a common anti-Orban front, blamed the government for the attack. “They are afraid that masses of people will want to express their opinion,” they said. Fidesz, the premier’s party, responded by calling the opposition “incompetent”. The main pro-government newspaper Magyar Nemzet wrote that the elections were marked by “absolute amateurism” and “enormous organisational problems”.
