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Boris Johnson Wins Party Vote to Become UK Prime Minister

The former British foreign secretary will become the country’s new prime minister after being elected as Conservative Party leader by a 2-1 margin over current Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. One of the primary advocates for leaving the European Union, Johnson has pledged to make a new deal with EU leaders — unlike the one which outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated and saw thrice rejected by Parliament.

How is he expected to begin? Johnson will face a fight in Brussels, where a newly elected European Commission president isn’t eager to compromise, as well as further resistance in London, where lawmakers seem no closer to agreement on a divorce deal.

Shots Fired as South Korean, Russian Jets Face Off

Seoul says its fighter jets fired hundreds of warning shots today after a Russian military plane entered South Korean airspace twice in an unprecedented provocation. Military officials said the country’s air defense identification zone was first penetrated by two Russian bombers and a support aircraft, which then veered into South Korea’s territorial airspace near the Dokdo islets in the Sea of Japan, which are claimed by both Seoul and Tokyo. Earlier, Chinese and Russian warplanes reportedly entered the defense zone.

What’s next? South Korean defense officials say they plan to register formal protests with China and Russia, which described the flights as having taken place over “neutral” waters.

Trump, Democrats Reach Deal on Budget

President Donald Trump struck a rare bipartisan deal last night on budget legislation that would avoid a rancorous government shutdown this fall. The accord, approved by congressional leadership but still subject to floor votes, increases spending limits by $320 billion and permits more borrowing until 2021. Trump tweeted that it was a “real compromise” with “no poison pills,” while Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the deal’s increase in non-defense spending.

Who’s against it? Conservatives decried the deal’s heavy borrowing, while some Democrats complained that it empowered Trump to shift funding, including to bankroll his signature border wall.

Read OZY’s accounting of the president’s successes.

Apple, Intel Reportedly Near $1B Mobile Chip Deal

Apple would pick up patents and staff in the agreement to acquire the dominant processor manufacturer’s smartphone-modem chip business. The deal, which would hand the iPhone maker greater control over key hardware in its popular devices, could be finalized by next week. It would also allow Intel to shed a unit that’s believed to be losing as much as $1 billion per year. 

What does this mean for iPhones? Apple, which is planning to launch 5G-ready devices in 2020, is keen to produce its own modems after a royalties fight with current supplier Qualcomm.

Check out OZY’s profile of the lawyer leading the charge against Apple.

Also Important...

Demonstrators demanding that Puerto Rico’s governor resign were met with tear gas yesterday as they approached the executive’s mansion. Under new rules, U.S. immigration authorities can bypass the courts for more deportations, so long as undocumented immigrants can’t prove they’ve been in the country for more than two years. And while hosting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday, President Trump offered to mediate the long-running conflict between Islamabad and New Delhi over control of Kashmir.

#OZYfact: Some 240 Venezuelan doctors are practicing in Chile — many addressing acute staffing shortages in exchange for a haven from chaos back home. Read more on OZY.

OZY is hiring! We’re looking for an innovative senior graphic designer to help our marketing campaigns go viral. Check out our jobs page and read the description here.

Is Turkey Deporting Syrians to the Conflict Zone?

Since last week, Ankara has reportedly rounded up some 1,000 Syrians and deported them to Idlib province — Syria’s last rebel-held area, hit hard by a recent regime offensive. Police, deployed in areas of Istanbul where Syrians typically live, began conducting hundreds of stop-and-search checks, arresting those without legal papers on them. The city’s also relocating about 5,000 other refugees to the Turkish regions where they’re registered. 

How are Syrians reacting? Many refugees are hiding, with some setting up social media groups to share tips about avoiding Turkish authorities. 

Don’t miss this OZY feature about the refugee ripple effect.

Congo Health Minister Quits Over Ebola Crisis

Oly Ilunga Kalenga, who’s run the Democratic Republic of Congo’s health ministry since 2017, has quit after being sidelined in the country’s desperate fight against Ebola. The disease has killed more than 1,700 in history’s second-worst outbreak, but Kalenga has come under fire for casting doubts over the effectiveness of a U.S.-made vaccine. His resignation follows President Félix Tshisekedi’s creation of a multidisciplinary Ebola task force reporting directly to him — which Kalenga predicted would lead to “harm and confusion.”

Will this new group help? With violence and suspicion impeding containment efforts, one expert welcomed the “bold decision,” which puts a top DRC microbiologist in charge.

Report: Huawei Building North Korea's Wireless Network

According to leaked documents obtained by the Washington Post, the Chinese telecommunications giant is secretly building the Hermit Kingdom’s wireless network. Blacklisted by Washington over national security concerns, Huawei reportedly cooperated with Chinese state-owned company Panda International Information Technology to disguise its operations in North Korea for at least the past eight years.

What will the rest of the world say? The news could further complicate attempts to get Huawei’s coveted 5G tech onto Western mobile networks, while also throwing another wrench into Washington’s denuclearization talks with Pyongyang.

Celeb Photographer Under Fire for Nude Demands

Marcus Hyde is accused of trying to bribe Los Angeles-based model Sunnaya Nash with a free photo shoot if she provided nude pictures. Screenshots of an alleged text exchange via Instagram, since removed for bullying, appear to show the 33-year-old photographer making the offer, supposedly worth $2,000. Hyde, who’s worked with top celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Childish Gambino and Ariana Grande, hasn’t responded to the allegation.

Will he survive this scandal? Grande took to her Instagram account to slam such behavior and offer her support — but stopped short of naming the accused.

Read OZY’s feature about the women fighting discrimination in Bollywood.

As Bullpens Lag, Starters Could Bring Relief

Starting pitchers in Major League Baseball have seen better days. That’s because today’s orthodoxy puts them on the mound for just a few innings, followed by relievers and closers that keep batters guessing. But as OZY reports, that could change: For the first time since 1969, relief pitchers have a higher earned run average (4.49) than their starting colleagues (4.48).

What accounts for this change? For one, batters are hitting more home runs, which boosts the ERAs of players throwing more pitches. But relievers don’t have as many great pitches as starters, possibly explaining that phenomenon, too.