News Headlines - 28 June 2017

▽Opposition Labour loses vote on UK austerity, pay cap | Reuters

Britain's opposition Labour Party lost a vote to try to force Theresa May to change her austerity agenda and increase public sector pay on Wednesday, in the first of many expected challenges to the prime minister's ability to govern.
May won by 323 votes to 309 in the first parliamentary vote since she secured the backing of a small Northern Irish party to give her a narrow majority in parliament.

▽Pound jumps on Bank of England Governor's rate rise hint - BBC News

Sterling rose to $1.2936 against the dollar after Mark Carney said that "some removal of monetary stimulus is likely to become necessary"... Mr Carney said it was an issue the Bank "will debate in the coming months".

▽Nicola Sturgeon puts Scottish independence referendum bill on hold - BBC News

The first minister had called for an independence referendum to be held in the autumn of 2018 or spring of 2019... However, she later said it was still "likely" a referendum would be held by 2021.

▽Hong Kong in Beijing's shadow 20 years after handover - Channel NewsAsia

For the past 20 years, Hong Kong has been governed under a "one country, two systems" deal which grants it rights unseen on the mainland, including freedom of speech, an independent judiciary and a partially elected legislature... However, a string of incidents, including the disqualification of two pro-independence lawmakers and alleged abductions by mainland security agents, have sparked concerns the tide is turning.

▽US joins growing calls for China to allow Liu Xiaobo cancer treatment abroad | The Guardian

The US has called for China to completely lift all restrictions on the renowned democracy activist and Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo, as fears mount he is close to death after being diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer.