London vents fury at May

[Balance of Power]( From [Bloomberg Politics]( [FOLLOW US [Facebook Share]]([Twitter Share]( [SUBSCRIBE [Subscribe]](  Grenfell Tower is rapidly becoming a symbol for many Londoners of everything that is wrong with their country and their government. The death toll from Wednesday’s inferno is already at 17 and police say it could exceed 100. As [Charlotte Ryan reports](, anger is palpable. Locals are directing their fury at what they see as an uncaring Conservative government that ignores the poor and failed to deliver on a promise to tighten fire regulations in tower blocks. That impression was magnified yesterday when Theresa May avoided locals during a visit to the site. Her team said she didn’t want to get in the way of the emergency services. But the contrast with opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, who showed up an hour later to hug and console victims, was stark. These are dangerous times for Britain’s prime minister. Voters are cynical about politicians — but leaders are also expected to capture the public mood during national tragedies. Moments like this define how they are perceived for years, as George W. Bush discovered after Hurricane Katrina. May’s personal authority was already draining away after last week’s disastrous election. If she gets Grenfell Tower wrong, her party could decide it’s time for a new leader after all.  Debris hangs from the blackened exterior of Grenfell Tower on June 15, 2017. Photographer: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe Global Headlines [Islamic State leader may be dead]( | Russia is investigating reports that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed near the group's headquarters in Raqqa, Syria during a bombing raid by its forces. The process could take a while and his possible demise has been reported at least twice in the past. If confirmed, his death would be hugely symbolic at a time when Islamic State is suffering multiple defeats on the battleground. But it won’t end the group’s ability to inspire Manchester-style attacks across the world. [Turning up the heat on Trump]( | Congressional Republicans warned Donald Trump not to try to fire special counsel Robert Mueller after the president lashed out at reports that he has become a focus of the Russia investigation. Muller also is examining the finances and business dealings of Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser Jared Kushner, according to the Washington Post. [Explaining Brexit]( | The U.K. will finally sit down with the EU next week to negotiate Brexit. After last week’s election, everything about Britain’s position seems to be in flux -- no one knows yet if May will opt for a “hard” Brexit outside the single market or a softer “Norway option.” But what do these terms even mean? Simon Kennedy [explains it all]( in a comprehensive Q&A today. [The way forward in Qatar]( | Qatar is showing few signs of capitulating to the economic and diplomatic blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates nearly two weeks ago. As both sides dig in, our [Middle East team looks at]( four possible outcomes, ranging from a relatively painless settlement to a Saudi-led invasion of Qatar. [Cuba clampdown]( | Trump plans to announce later today that American citizens and U.S. companies will be banned from doing business with Cuba’s military. The rollback of the Obama-era thaw in relations would also put new restrictions on where Americans can spend their money. [Putin holds court]( | The Russian president was in full father-of-the-nation form on his annual televised call-in show Thursday. Between promises of Kremlin largesse, Putin spoke on topics ranging from his grandchildren (turns out he has two) to time travel (he’d like to meet Peter the Great). Some hints of reality slipped through as a feed of apparently uncensored SMS queries ran across a TV screen in the studio. “All Russia believes you have sat on the throne too long,” read one. [And finally...](  Xi Jinping has become the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation. But there’s one area where success is eluding him - the soccer field. As a huge fan of the sport, Xi has thrown vast resources into transforming the country into a world beater. So far he has little to show for it. Hopes for a berth in next year’s World Cup were all but dashed this week when China gave up a goal in the final minute of a qualifying match to finish with a 2-2 tie against war-torn Syria.  Wu Lei of China and Ahmad Alsaleh of Syria compete for the ball during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier Group. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images   Need to know every detail of what's happening in the federal government? Try Bloomberg Government. 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