Asia/Oceania

Julie Bishop has resigned as Australian Foreign Affairs Minister as a leaked WhatsApp thread revealed why the former deputy received so few votes in Friday’s leadership vote. Bishop said in a statement that she will remain on the back bench “as a strong voice for Western Australia”. According to PerthNow, Bishop is expected to leave Parliament at the next election. Bishop received only 11 votes from her Liberal Party colleagues when she put up her hand to become prime minister. The thread between

senior Liberal MPs, broadcast on ABC’s Insiders, showed Bishop was a victim of cruel tactics. The messages appear to show politicians were encouraged not to vote for Bishop in the party room ballot even if they wanted to. Leaked screenshots from the group allege Mathias Cormann, whose support of Peter Dutton was pivotal in securing the leadership spill, had secured votes for Bishop in order to keep Scott Morrison out of the race. But the conversation between Morrison supporters shows politicians were encouraged to vote for Morrison over Bishop in the first round.

Police in northeastern China have detained the owner of a resort hotel where a fire killed 19 people and injured 23 others. The public security bureau of Harbin said it was questioning the legal representative of the Beilong Hot Spring Leisure Hotel on suspicion of negligence.