DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Middle-class Americans are falling behind
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Middle-class income growth has lagged behind that of the upper class since 1970, according to a Pew Research Center report published May 31. There are signs that middle-class Americans are dialing back their spending. Fast food joints, a mainstay dining destination for middle-income consumers, are leaning into discounts to placate frustrated diners. Kohl’s that same month reported weak first-quarter results, underlining how middle-income consumers are pulling back spending on non-essential clothing and discretionary merchandise at department stores. Economic growth has been anemic in recent years, squeezing living standards and starving public services of funds.

Persons: ”, Jennifer Jones Austin, Thomas Kingsbury, Narendra Modi, Diksha Madhok, Peeyush Mittal, Modi, ” Shilan Shah, ” Read, Hanna Ziady, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Tony Blair, Starmer Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Pew Research, Living Coalition, Data, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Matthews Asia, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Capital Economics, Conservative Party of, European Union, Labour Party, National Health Service, Labour, Conservative Party Locations: New York, India’s, India, United Kingdom, China, San Francisco, Beijing, Washington, Ukraine

☆ UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was fact-checked by his own government before election debate with Keir Starmer
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“Independent Treasury officials have costed Labour’s policies and they amount to a £2,000 tax rise for every working family,” Sunak said. The Conservative Party leader later repeated the claim. But Bowler’s letter could undermine Sunak’s claim to lead with integrity — a pledge made when he became prime minister in October 2022 — as he battles a high-stakes election. In a statement Wednesday, Labour said Sunak had “lied eleven times to the British people” about the party’s tax plans. During the debate Tuesday, Starmer dismissed the £2,000 ($2,560) figure as “nonsense” and said it was based on “pretend” Labour policies.

Persons: Rishi Sunak’s, “, ” Sunak, Keir Starmer, James Bowler, Darren Jones, Bowler, ”, Sunak, —, Starmer, Luke McGee Organizations: London CNN, Treasury, Labour Party, Labour, National Health Service, Independent Treasury, Conservative Party, senior Labour Party, Conservative, Civil Service, Tories, CNN

☆ Trump ally Nigel Farage's return could be an 'extinction event' for the Conservatives ahead of UK election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Honorary President of the Britain's right-wing populist party Reform UK and newly appointed leader Nigel Farage speaks during a campaign meeting, on June 3, 2024, ahead of the UK general election of July 4. Nigel Farage on June 3, 2024 said he would stand as a candidate for the anti-immigration Reform UK party at the UK general election next month, after initially ruling out running. LONDON — The shock return of Brexit figurehead Nigel Farage to the political fray could be the final nail in the coffin for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservative Party ahead of its almost certain defeat in the upcoming U.K. elections. But, critically, it threatens to deprive key votes from the Conservatives, who are already trailing opposition Labour in the polls by a dramatic margin. "Even if Reform don't win seats, they'll drain key votes away from the Conservatives," Olivia O'Sullivan, director of Chatham House's U.K. in the World programme, told CNBC over the phone.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Rishi Sunak's, Farage, Donald Trump, —, Olivia O'Sullivan, Tony Blair's, Keir Starmer, Tony Travers Organizations: Reform UK, UK, Conservative Party, U.S, Reform, Brexit Party, Conservatives, Labour, Chatham House's, CNBC, London School of Economics, Party Locations: Clacton, England

☆ 'You name it, Labour will tax it': UK PM Sunak attacks main rival as he languishes in election polls
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (left), leader of the incumbent Conservatives, and opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer of the Labour Party. The politicians traded barbs in their first head-to-head debate on Tuesday ahead of the July 4 General Election. "I'm clear that I'm going to keep cutting people's taxes as we now are ... Mark my words, Labour will raise your taxes, it's in their DNA. You name it, Labour will tax it," Sunak said. Labour leader Keir Starmer said the £2,000 calculation was "based on made-up Labour policies."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Starmer, Liz Truss, Julie Etchingham Organizations: Conservatives, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Labour, Conservative, ITV News

☆ Rival U.K. Political Leaders Clash in Bad-Tempered Election Debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The two contenders to become Britain’s next prime minister clashed angrily over tax, immigration and health policy on Tuesday in a televised debate that at times descended into ill-tempered exchanges as the political rivals talked over each other. The confrontation came exactly a month before a pivotal general election that will determine whether the opposition Labour Party can capitalize on its strong lead in opinion polls and end 14 turbulent years of Conservative-led government during which the party has had five different prime ministers. Almost as soon as the debate started, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed that his opponent, the Labour leader Keir Starmer, would raise taxes on Britons by 2,000 pounds a year if he won the election, repeating the claim numerous times. “Absolute garbage,” Mr. Starmer eventually responded. The Labour Party said that the figure was based on faulty assumptions, and Jonathan Ashworth, a senior party lawmaker, claimed in an interview with Sky News after the debate that Mr. Sunak was lying.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Mr, Starmer, Jonathan Ashworth, Sunak Organizations: Labour Party, Conservative, Labour, Sky News

☆ UK general election: Why the economy is the key issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Sunak will likely point to falling inflation and a strengthening economy as proof that his plan to “restore economic stability” is working. Here’s what data shows has happened to wages, living standards, the value of the pound, house prices and waiting times for medical treatment on the NHS. “Poor income growth has been an unfortunate feature of economic life in the UK over the last 15 years. On average, households now spend more than 29% of their after-tax income on rent, up from 24% in 2010, according to Zoopla, a property company. NHS waiting lists have grown steadily since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, contributing to worker shortages in the UK.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Tony Blair, Sunak, YouGov, Labour Party Keir Starmer, Jeff J Mitchell, Alastair Grant, Tom Waters, “, —, Nick Ridpath, Liz Truss, “ Brexit, Clare Lombardelli, Brexit Organizations: London CNN, Conservative Party of, European Union, Labour Party, Labour, National Health Service, Conservatives, Britain's, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Conservative, Bank of England, Office, National Statistics, NHS Locations: Ukraine, United Kingdom, “, United States, Germany, Britain, England

☆ Rob Burrow, rugby league star and inspirational fundraiser, dies from motor neuron disease at age 41
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Former rugby league star Rob Burrow, whose quiet strength and relentless campaigning captured the hearts of many Britons after he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND), has died aged 41, his former team Leeds Rhinos announced on Sunday. Rob Burrow became a Leeds Rhinos legend during his rugby league career. “Rob Burrow had a huge heart. Kevin Sinfield carries Rob Burrow across the marathon finish line. Rob Burrow, wife Lindsey (who ran the half marathon), daughters Macy and Maya and Kevin Sinfield, who ran the full marathon, all pose for a picture after the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon.

Persons: Rob Burrow, Lindsey, Kevin Sinfield, Burrow, Daniel L Smith, Prince William, Sinfield, “, “ Rob Burrow, ’ Catherine, Jackson, Macy, ”, Danny Lawson, Shields, Maya, MND ”, ” Burrow, Burrow’s, ” Sinfield, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Starmer, Rob, Sunak Organizations: CNN — Former, Leeds Rhinos, MND, league, Rugby League, England, Super, League, Marathon, Headingley Rugby Stadium, Headingley, British, Labour Party Locations: Leeds, England, British, Lindsey, Britain

☆ Brexit figurehead and Trump ally Nigel Farage to run in UK election after U-turn
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, during a news conference in London, UK, on Monday, June 3, 2024. LONDON — British politician and media personality Nigel Farage, best known for leading the Brexit campaign, announced Monday he would run in the U.K.'s general election next month. Farage had said he would not stand as a parliamentary candidate for his Reform party in order to focus on supporting Donald Trump's U.S. presidential campaign. Farage previously led the UK Independence Party, which rose to prominence in the 2010s on a platform of quitting the European Union, reducing immigration and opposing multiculturalism. This later became the right-wing populist Reform Party under a new leader, while Farage stepped away from politics and focused on media commentary.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Farage, Donald Trump's, —, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer Organizations: Reform, LONDON, UK Independence Party, European Union, UKIP, Brexit Party, Party, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Labour Locations: London, British

☆ Ukraine could soon fire Western-supplied missiles at targets in Russia. But don't expect that to tilt the war in its favor.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Advertisement"The military logic of allowing Ukraine to use weapons against targets in Russia is straightforward," he said, but "there are structural limits, which Ukraine is now facing." AdvertisementOn Tuesday, France said Ukraine should be allowed to use Western weapons to hit targets in Russia — but only sites that Russia is using to launch attacks on Ukraine. Related storiesThree unnamed officials told Politico on Thursday that Ukraine can now use US-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia. AdvertisementUkraine could also struggle to develop the intelligence needed to find and quickly strike targets farther inside Russia. Advertisement"This does not mean that allowing Ukraine to hit targets in Russia will not help — but it is clearly not a silver bullet to win the war," he said.

Persons: —, Keir Giles, should've, Alexander Libman, Vladimir Putin, hadn't, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Giles, John Hardie Organizations: Service, Business, Chatham House's, Eurasia Programme, Free University of Berlin, NATO, Politico, Times, Russia's, Foundation for, Defense of Democracies, Ukraine, New York Times, EU, intel Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Chatham House's Russia, Eurasia, Kharkiv, Ukraine's, France, Ukrainian, London, Russian

☆ History shows how a UK election can impact the country's stock market
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Labour leader Tony Blair arriving in Downing Street after his election victory with crowds waving flags in the background, 2nd May 1997. The more domestically-oriented FTSE 250 has tended to outperform the FTSE 100 following elections, with stronger outperformance following Labour victories, it said. Leon Neal | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesAccording to Capital Economics, the U.K. stock market has faltered on five occasions under past Labour governments. Higgins also observed that the relative performance of U.K. stocks has "generally been underwhelming since 2010," when the Conservatives took office. Three could be attributed to the "unsustainability of fixed exchange rate regimes" between the 1930s and 1970s, one to the Great Financial Crisis, and the fifth to the 1976 Debt Crisis, he said.

Persons: Tony Blair, Jeff, Rishi Sunak, Rachel Reeves, Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner, Leon Neal, John Higgins, Higgins, Labour's, Keir Starmer, Reeves, Venkatakrishnan, Liz Truss, Sunak Organizations: BBC News, Current Affairs, Labour Party, Labour, Conservative Party, Citi, Conservative, Centre, Getty, Capital Economics, Conservatives, Shadow, Economic, Barclays, C.S, CNBC Locations: Downing, Purfleet, United Kingdom, Davos

☆ Why UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called an election he’s expected to lose
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —When British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday that the United Kingdom would hold a general election on July 4, many observers wondered: why now? British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivers a speech calling for a general election, outside 10 Downing Street, in London on May 22. Their time in office didn’t begin formidably. In 2010, after 13 years of Labour rule, David Cameron won the general election but didn’t win a majority in parliament. Eventually, the Conservative Party had enough of the chaos and put Sunak in charge as a safe pair of hands.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Sunak, Maja Smiejkowska, he’s, we’ve, ’ ” Sunak, didn’t, David Cameron, Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Henry Nicholls, Liz Truss, –, Starmer Organizations: London CNN, British, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Labour, International Monetary Fund, CNN, IMF, Liberal Democrats, Conservative, Vale, Glamorgan Brewery, Getty Locations: United Kingdom, London, Downing, Glamorgan, Barry, Wales, AFP, Rwanda, Sunak

☆ UK election 2024: Everything you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Rishi Sunak’s rival for power is Labour leader Keir Starmer, who is heavily favored to become Britain’s new prime minister in July. Labour leader Keir Starmer -- the frontrunner in the election -- launches his campaign in Gillingham on Thursday. Given Labour’s standing in the polls, Starmer is more equipped to take the fight to other groups. In the UK, voters don’t elect a prime minister directly. But this is a formal role only; the King won’t contradict his prime minister or overrule the results of an election.

Persons: CNN —, Rishi Sunak, We’ll, Keir Starmer, Sunak, Downing, Maja Smiejkowska, – Sunak, Boris Johnson’s, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Stefan Rousseau, Jeremy Corbyn, Theresa May, Sunak hasn’t, –, Starmer, Henry Nicholls, Rishi Sunak’s, Gareth Fuller, Reform Party –, David Cameron, King Charles III, won’t Organizations: CNN, CNN — Britain’s, Labour, Reuters, Sunak’s Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Conservative, Party, Getty, European Union, Reform Party, Scottish National Party, Green Party, National Health Service Locations: Westminster, Rwanda, England, AFP, Gillingham, Gaza

☆ Shock summer election in Britain predicted to deliver 'historic' result
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement in the rain outside 10 Downing Street, announcing the UK general election will take place on 4 July in London, United Kingdom on May 22, 2024. News of the vote came as a surprise to the public, the media and much of Sunak's own party. 'As good as it gets'Bronwen Maddox, director of Chatham House think tank, said the election date had shocked many Conservatives who thought it would be held nearer to the U.S. election in November. Market bets on an interest rate cut in the summer fell as a result, and it now looks unlikely the central bank will cut on June 20, its last meeting before the election. So if that translates to a general election as well, then that Labour landslide is looking much less certain."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Price, Bronwen Maddox, I'm, Maddox, Rachel Reeves, Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner, Leon Neal, James, Hannah Bunting, CNBC's, Tony Blair, John Major, Bunting, we've Organizations: British, Anadolu, Getty, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, Downing, Bank of England, Chatham House, CNBC, Bank of England's, Labour, Centre, University of Exeter Locations: London, United Kingdom, U.K, Europe, Gaza, Rwanda, Purfleet

☆ Opinion: Rishi Sunak’s election looks like a final gasp
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Opinion Holly Thomas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

For those outside the Westminster bubble, the announcement felt less like a starting pistol than a final gasp. But unlike Sunak, who with his wife Akshata Murty is worth an estimated £651 million ($828 million), most of us can’t afford it. The British economy never fully recovered from the 2008 recession and, consciously or not, most people still feel the sting every day. As Sam Knight recently noted in the New Yorker, the average British worker is estimated to be £14,000 ($17,800) worse off per year now than they would be if earnings had risen at pre-crisis rates. Her disastrous mini-budget wiped £30 billion off the UK economy that autumn, according to independent think tank Resolution Foundation, and sent interest rates rocketing.

Persons: Holly Thomas, Katie Couric, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Tony Blair, Akshata Murty, Sam Knight, Brexit, Liz Truss, It’s, there’s, —, Boris Johnson, Johnson, who’d, that’s, Blair Organizations: Katie Couric Media, CNN, London CNN —, Conservative, Westminster, Labour, British Medical Association, BMA, Commission, Yorker, Evening, Office, National Statistics, Tory, Foundation Locations: London, Westminster, England, British, Europe, Rwanda

☆ UK general election: PM Rishi Sunak calls surprise July vote as his party seeks to defy dire polls
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a snap general election for July 4 in a statement outside Downing Street on Wednesday evening, as his Conservative Party faces an uphill struggle to extend its 14 years in power. But a fall in inflation rates, announced earlier Wednesday, provided the backdrop for his announcement. The move will be welcomed by the buoyant Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, which is soaring in the opinion polls and has sought to present itself as a reformed and moderate group that is ready for power. Sunak walks back inside on Wednesday after announcing the July 4 date for the election. But Johnson’s premiership collapsed after a string of scandals, paving the way for his then-finance minister Sunak to emerge as a frontrunner for the leadership.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Downing, King Charles III of, “, ” Sunak, Keir Starmer, Buckingham, Queen’s, Starmer, ”, Carl Court, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, —, Theresa May —, King Charles III Organizations: London CNN —, Conservative Party, Conservative, Labour Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Party, Scottish National Party, European Union, Tories Locations: Britain, Buckingham Palace, Ukraine, Downing, Sunak, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Britain’s

☆ Britain’s election campaign hasn’t started yet, but the mudslinging is well underway
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He lost two general elections as Labour leader in campaigns that focused heavily on his views regarding national security. The context for Sunak’s attack on Starmer is that the UK will vote in a general election at some point this year. “Of course Rishi doesn’t believe that Starmer himself is a threat to national security,” a senior Conservative told CNN. It’s just ridiculous and it clearly winds him up when we point it out.”No one knows for sure when the election campaign proper will start. Until then, Britain is braced for months of mudslinging between Sunak and Starmer.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Sunak, Starmer, –, Jeremy Corbyn, Corbyn, Toby Melville, Rishi doesn’t, ”, ” David Gauke, ” Gauke, ” Starmer, “, ” Keir Starmer, Leon Neal, cynically, won’t, It’s Organizations: CNN, British, Labour Party, Labour, PM, NATO, Conservative, Conservative Party, “ Locations: Britain, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Rwanda, Gaza, Sunak

☆ Rishi Sunak has a new target: Sex education
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ben Birchall/PA‘Utterly disgraceful’The new draft guidance from the government, published Thursday, takes aim at the way sex and relationships are taught to English children in both primary and secondary schools. Under the new approach, children can’t be taught sex education before the age of nine, while “explicit discussion of sexual activity” will be delayed until children are 13. Gender identity, or the fact that people can change gender, is meanwhile “highly contested and should not be taught” at all, according to the Department of Education. But education specialists worry that school pupils have become the latest victim of that push. “But when a political ideology comes into it, it becomes more difficult for the whole of the education world to move behind it,” he added.

Persons: Rishi Sunak’s, “, –, Sunak’s, Pepe Di’lasio, ”, ” Di’lasio, Ben Birchall, can’t, ” Paul Whiteman, Di’lasio, Sam Freedman, Britain’s, Gillian Keegan, Keir Starmer, Jane Barlow, Sunak, Brianna Ghey, ” Whiteman, Keegan, it’s, we’ve, we’re Organizations: CNN, Association of School and College Leaders, Department of Education, National Association of Head Teachers, Institute, Government, The Sun, Labour, BBC Locations: England’s, England, Starmer

☆ Labour's Sadiq Khan wins re-election as London mayor
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan hopes to convince U.S. tech firms to invest more in London. Sadiq Khan was re-elected as London's mayor, final results showed on Saturday, helping to cement the Labour Party's commanding lead over the governing Conservatives in local elections ahead of Britain's national vote later this year. For Labour, London is the latest of a number of councils and mayoralties it has won in the local elections, which took place on Thursday, inflicting heavy losses on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives. Opinion polls predict that Labour will win the next national election, propelling its leader Keir Starmer to power and ending 14 years of Conservative government in Britain. Khan, 53, who became the first Muslim mayor of the British capital in 2016, has pledged to build more social housing and work with a future national Labour government to boost police capacity.

Persons: London Sadiq Khan, Sadiq Khan, Rishi Sunak's, It's, Khan, Susan Hall, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak Organizations: U.S, Labour, Conservatives, Tory, Conservative, Labour Party, Labour government Locations: London, Britain

☆ Sadiq Khan wins third term as London mayor, Labour sources say, capping strong showing for opposition in English elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Sadiq Khan has won a third term as London’s mayor, Labour Party sources claimed on Saturday, capping a round of local elections across England that confirmed the political supremacy of the main opposition party. Sunak has resisted calls to outline when he will hold that vote, and Labour leads opinion polls by a huge margin. Keir Starmer’s opposition party won control of eight councils, and also stormed to victory on Thursday in a Westminster by-election in Blackpool. In particular the loss of Oldham council, a north-west English town, where around a quarter of the population is Muslim. If his victory is confirmed, Khan would become the first mayor of London to serve a third term since the post was created in 2000.

Persons: CNN — Sadiq Khan, Khan, Susan Hall, Rishi Sunak, –, Sunak, Keir Starmer’s, Yvette Cooper, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, Labour Party, Conservative, England, Labour, Conservatives, Tories, BBC Locations: England, West Midlands, Tees, Westminster, Blackpool, Gaza, Oldham, London

☆ Britain’s Conservatives suffer heavy losses in a sign that Rishi Sunak is in real trouble
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Britain’s governing Conservative Party suffered heavy losses in local elections, a sign that they could be in real trouble when the country holds a general election at some point later this year. It also means that if a general election were held tomorrow, the opposition Labour Party would almost certainly win power. What these results don’t tell us is when the general election will take place. Conservatives are divided on when they think Sunak should bite the ballot bullet. Others think Sunak should look toward the end of the year, as it allows the most time for things to improve.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Sunak, Rwanda –, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Johnson, Truss Organizations: CNN, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Conservative, Labour, Reform, Conservatives Locations: Rwanda

New Labour Party MP for Blackpool South, Chris Webb (C) reacts as his win is announced at the count centre in Blackpool, north-west England on May 3, 2024, during the Blackpool South by-election. The opposition Labour Party won a Blackpool South by-election, taking the seat from the Conservatives. The Reform UK party, founded by Brexit proponent Nigel Farage, came in third. Labour leader Keir Starmer posted on the social media platform X that the "swing towards Labour in Blackpool South is historic." Angela Richardson, deputy chair of the Conservative Party, told the BBC the result "was not unexpected," especially given the circumstances that sparked the by-election.

Persons: Chris Webb, Rishi Sunak's, David Jones, Nigel Farage, Scott Benton's, Keir Starmer, Angela Richardson Organizations: New Labour Party, Blackpool South, Blackpool, LONDON, Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party, Labour Party, Conservatives, New Labour, Conservative, Reform UK, Labour, Conservative Party Locations: Blackpool, England, Britain

☆ England’s Local Elections and Their Wider Significance, Explained
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Megan Specia | More About Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Voters in England and Wales will cast ballots for mayors, council members and police commissioners on Thursday. And while the elections will, of course, focus on local issues like garbage collection and public safety, this vote is expected to have broader significance. Local elections, by their nature, are about who leads communities and ensures the delivery of certain public services. The Conservatives face a fierce challenge from the opposition Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer. About one-third of England’s council seats are being contested on Thursday, and 10 mayoral seats in major English metro areas, home to about a third of Britain’s population, are also up for election.

Persons: Rishi Sunak’s, Keir Starmer Organizations: Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, Labour Locations: England, Wales

☆ Trump meets with foreign leaders looking to boost their relationships with GOP leader ahead of election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Alayna Treene | Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In recent weeks, Trump, seizing the role of both an erstwhile diplomat and ascending opposition party leader, has extended welcomes to a series of foreign leaders at his homes in Florida and New York. It’s not unusual for foreign leaders to meet with the leader of the party that doesn’t control the White House – especially one with a serious chance of becoming commander in chief. Biden and his top envoys have also met and spoken with opposition leaders, something that has been a longstanding practice for US officials. Last week, Trump met with Poland’s Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed NATO spending over dinner. Trump, both while president and during his 2024 campaign, has called on NATO countries to spend more on defense.

Persons: Donald Trump, hasn’t, Trump, Andrzej Duda, David Cameron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Taro Aso, It’s, Sen, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Biden, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Antony Blinken, Keir Starmer, Joe Biden, “ They’re, he’s, “, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Biden, ”, Kim Jong Un, ” Trump, Brian Hughes, Viktor Orban, Putin, Javier Milei, Orban, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, Aso, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Lindsey Graham, Salman, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Poland’s Duda, Duda, meanwhile, Cameron, Karen Pierce, Cameron’s, Pierce didn’t, Queen Elizabeth II Organizations: CNN, Air Force, British, Saudi Crown, Middle East, Republican, UK Labour Party, US State Department, Biden, Trump, NATO, Conservative Political, Japanese, White, Liberal Democratic Party, Saudi, New York Times, South Carolina Republican, Hamas, The New York Times, Trump Tower, Republicans, Democrats, UK Locations: House, huddling, Florida, New York, Lago, Manhattan, Japan, China, North Korea, Berlin, United Kingdom, Israel, Poland, Belarus, Munich, Europe, America, Ukraine, Korean, United States, Palm, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, American, Russia, British, Washington

☆ State-backed cyberattacks, AI deepfakes, and more: Experts reveal UK election cyber threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

State actors have since made routine attacks in various countries to manipulate the outcome of elections, according to cyber experts. "Right now, generative AI can be used for harm or for good and so we see both applications every day increasingly adopted," Meyers told CNBC. "This democratic process is extremely fragile," Meyers told CNBC. "You can train those voice AI models very easily ... through exposure to social [media]," Holmes told CNBC in an interview. It's just one example of many deepfakes that have cybersecurity experts worried about what's to come as the U.K. approaches elections later this year.

Persons: Andrew Brookes, Rishi Sunak, Todd McKinnon, Okta's McKinnon, We're, Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike, Meyers, Dan Holmes, Holmes, Keir Starmer, what's Organizations: Getty, Britain, CNBC, British, U.S, APT, New Zealand, Labour Party, Local, Facebook, Meta, Google Locations: Russian, Moscow, London, Wuhan, U.S, Australia, New, China, cybersecurity, Russia, Iran

☆ Basking in his Russian election win, Putin talks about political nemesis Alexei Navalny's 'sad' death for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin was upbeat after winning a fifth term in power in Russia's presidential election over the weekend. He chose the moment to make his first public remarks on the death of his political nemesis, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, mentioning his name for the first time in years. Navalny's family and supporters accused Putin of ordering Navalny's death. He also used the moment to make his first public comments on Navalny's death, and mentioning his most vocal critic's name for the first time in public in years. Putin won Russian presidential election with 87.97% of the vote, first official results showed Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny, Putin, Natalia Kolesnikova, —, Laudator Ursula von der Leyen, Bambi, NBC's Keir Simmons, Navalny, Mr Navalny, Navalny's, Maria Pevchikh, airbrushing Organizations: Afp, Getty, Navalny, European Commission, Bavaria Film Studios, NBC, Russian, Moscow Times, Putin's, Ukraine, Reuters, Commission, Anadolu Locations: Russia, Moscow, U.S

Search resuls for: "Keir"

25 mentions found