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☆ How far does Gulf money go? An Abu Dhabi-backed newspaper buyout attempt is sparking panic in London
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Copies of The Daily Telegraph newspaper on a newsstand in a shop in London, UK, on March 12, 2024 (L), and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan speaking at COP28 on Dec. 1, 2023. More than 100 members of Parliament have signed a letter opposing the buyout of major British newspaper the Telegraph and news magazine, The Spectator, by UAE government-backed investment fund RedBird IMI. Long a favorite of Britain's Conservative Party, ownership of the 168-year old daily is not just about profit, but about power. The deal would ultimately see the Telegraph, which is valued at a reported £600 million, come under full Emirati ownership. Lawmakers have been scrambling to introduce a new law that would enable Parliament to veto buyouts of news outlets by foreign governments.

Persons: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Nahyan, Britain's, Long, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Barclay, Lucy Frazer Organizations: Daily Telegraph, UAE, COP28, United Arab Emirates, United Emirates, British, Telegraph, The, IMI, Britain's Conservative Party, Lloyds Bank, State for Culture, Media, Sport Locations: London, DUBAI, United Arab, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE

☆ U.K. Moves to Bar Foreign State Ownership of Newspapers, a Blow to Telegraph Bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An audacious effort by the American media executive Jeff Zucker and his Emirati backers to acquire London’s Daily Telegraph appeared to be on life support on Wednesday after the British government advanced legislation that would bar foreign state ownership of newspapers and newsmagazines. The move by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would torpedo Mr. Zucker’s bid in its current form, which relies heavily on financing from investment partners in the United Arab Emirates. The use of Emirati funds caused an uproar in Westminster over foreign influence in the British media, given the outsize importance of The Telegraph and its sister publication, The Spectator, to Mr. Sunak’s Conservative Party. Mr. Zucker’s media venture company, RedBird IMI, can now try to salvage its bid for the publications by finding new investors and diluting the Emiratis’ majority stake to a level allowed under the government’s proposed rules. His representatives had no immediate comment on Wednesday.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Rishi Sunak, Zucker’s, Zucker, Rupert Murdoch Organizations: London’s Daily Telegraph, United, United Arab Emirates, Telegraph, Spectator, Sunak’s Conservative Party, RedBird IMI, CNN Locations: United Arab, Westminster, Britain

☆ U.K. Conservative Party Under Fire Over Donor’s Alleged Racist Remarks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s governing Conservative Party was under pressure Tuesday to return more than 10 million pounds to a donor who reportedly said that Diane Abbott, a prominent lawmaker, “should be shot,” and that looking at her made him “want to hate all Black women.”According to an investigation by The Guardian newspaper, Frank Hester, a health care technology entrepreneur, made the comments in 2019, at a meeting held at the offices of his company, The Phoenix Partnership. He has apologized but has not confirmed the Guardian’s account of what he said. Mr. Hester said on Monday that he “accepts that he was rude about Diane Abbot in a private meeting several years ago but his criticism had nothing to do with her gender nor color of skin,” in a statement released by his firm that misspelled her last name. The statement added that he had called Ms. Abbott twice “to try to apologize directly for the hurt he has caused her, and is deeply sorry for his remarks,” and that he wished “to make it clear that he regards racism as a poison which has no place in public life.”

Persons: Diane Abbott, Frank Hester, Hester, “, Diane Abbot, Abbott, ” Organizations: Conservative Party, The Guardian, The Phoenix Partnership

☆ Former British PM Theresa May to stand down at next election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former British Prime Minister Theresa May will not stand for re-election to parliament, she said on Friday, becoming the latest member of the governing Conservative Party to signal their departure from frontline politics later this year. May became prime minister in 2016 after then-leader David Cameron quit in the wake of Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union. She was selected by her Conservative Party peers to implement the unprecedented decision, for which her predecessor had left no blueprint. May told her local newspaper, the Maidenhead Advertiser, that since stepping down as prime minister she had spent an increasing amount of time on global issues, such as seeking to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking. Since leaving office she has remained a member of parliament for her constituency in south-east England.

Persons: Theresa May, David Cameron, May's Organizations: British, Conservative Party, European Union, Maidenhead Advertiser, Brexit Locations: England

☆ Britain Is Cutting Taxes Again. Why Now?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This year, Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor of the Exchequer, had to consider another priority: the upcoming general election. And so on Wednesday, Mr. Hunt announced that he would cut taxes for nearly 30 million workers. It will save the typical employee about 900 pounds ($1,145) a year, Mr. Hunt said. That’s because the tax cuts announced by the Conservative Party are smaller and, crucially, offset partly by some other tax increases. And Mr. Hunt didn’t announce much additional spending.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Liz Truss, Hunt didn’t Organizations: National Insurance, Conservative Party

☆ Premarket: Investors are obsessed with this AI stock you may never have heard of
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Nvidia isn’t the only stock capturing the attention of AI enthusiasts these days. Nvidia closed above a $2 trillion market cap on March 1, joining an elite cohort including Apple and Microsoft. Supermicro’s stock gained even more momentum in January, after the company reported second-quarter results that blew past expectations and raised its full-year revenue forecast. Supermicro’s stock was one of the most popular names bought by Charles Schwab clients in February, according to the firm’s latest trading activity index. New York Community Bank gets $1 billion ‘lifeline’Beleaguered regional lender New York Community Bank is receiving a more than $1 billion equity investment, reports my colleague Elisabeth Buchwald.

Persons: Charles Schwab, ChatGPT, “, ”, Supermicro, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Elisabeth Buchwald, Steven Mnuchin’s, NYCB, ” David Chiaverini, Joseph Otting, Alessandro DiNello, DiNello, Read, Jeremy Hunt, Hanna Ziady, Hunt, ” Hunt, Rishi Sunak’s Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Micro, Devices, Federal Reserve, Victoria Bills, Banrion Capital Management, Bank of America, Goldman, New York Community Bank, New, Community Bank, Liberty Strategic Capital, Citadel Global, Street Journal, Wedbush Securities, CNN, Bank of England, International Monetary Fund, Hunt’s Conservative Party, Labour Party Locations: New York, San Jose, United States, Hudson Bay, NYCB

☆ CNBC Daily Open: U.S. services activity moderates
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Overnight, U.S. markets were dragged lower by sharp declines in major tech stocks. China growth pushChina may need to resort to an old tactic to hit its ambitious growth target this year. AI adoption rateA global survey found AI adoption rate for businesses is yet to match the hype around the technology.

Persons: Hong, Dow, Bitcoin, Wang Dan, Jeremy Hunt, Paul Meeks Organizations: CNBC, CSI, Nikkei, Nasdaq, Apple, Hang Seng Bank, Finance, Conservative Party, Nvidia, Veteran, CNBC Pro Locations: Hong Kong, Asia, China, Beijing

☆ UK government to deliver crucial pre-election budget announcements with economy in recession
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Economists expect Hunt to use a small modest windfall to deliver tax cuts as he looks to woo the electorate, with the main opposition Labour Party leading by more than 20 points across all national polls. Yet the chancellor is navigating the constraints of fragile public finances and a stagnant economy that entered a shallow technical recession at the end of 2023. Inflation has fallen faster than anticipated and market expectations for interest rates are well below where they were prior to Hunt's Autumn Statement in November, but many British households are still feeling the cost of living squeeze, while public services remain extremely stretched. The Treasury pre-announced plans over the weekend to deliver up to £1.8 billion ($2.3 billion) worth of benefits by boosting public sector productivity, including releasing police time for more frontline work. Hunt is under pressure from within his own party to deliver tax cuts, a move the International Monetary Fund warned against in January, given the country's spending needs on public services.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt Organizations: LONDON, Finance, Budget, Conservative Party, Labour Party, National Insurance, Treasury, International Monetary Fund Locations: London

☆ UK Budget: Jeremy Hunt set to cut taxes for workers as election looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

A cut to national insurance — a levy paid by people who work — costing around £10 billion ($12.7 billion) is likely, according to multiple UK media reports. But soaring government debt, crumbling public services and a lackluster economy leave the chancellor with very little room for further substantial giveaways. Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesOther so-called “unprotected” areas of the national budget, such as social care and the police force, are also at risk. “That seems unlikely when public services are creaking,” they added. OBR chair Richard Hughes said in January that the government had provided no detailed breakdown of departmental spending plans beyond March next year, giving only headline figures.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak’s, Hunt, ”, Laura Kuenssberg, Jeff, Christopher Furlong, “, Richard Hughes, ” Hughes Organizations: London CNN —, Bank of England, Treasury, “ Conservatives, ” Hunt’s Conservative Party, Labour Party, Reuters, Office, National Statistics, Local Government Association, House, National Health Service, Capital Economics, ” Locations: Ukraine, Birmingham, England

☆ In Britain, Shockwaves From Israel-Hamas War Are Jolting Domestic Politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Inside Britain’s Parliament, lawmakers jeered, booed, and stormed out of the House of Commons to protest the speaker’s handling of a vote calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. The chaotic scenes in London last week captured how Israel’s war in Gaza is reverberating far beyond the Middle East. In Britain, political parties and the public are not actually that divided over how to respond to Gaza; a solid majority back a cease-fire. The governing Conservative Party seized on anti-Israel comments made by a Labour Party parliamentary candidate to accuse Labour of failing to stamp out a legacy of anti-Semitism in its ranks. Labour pointed to disparaging comments by a Tory lawmaker about London’s Muslim mayor as evidence of simmering Islamophobia among Conservatives.

Persons: jeered, Big Ben Organizations: Conservative Party, Labour Party, Labour Locations: Gaza, Israel, London, United States, Europe, Muslim, Britain

☆ Opinion: Donald Trump defeats Nikki Haley in South Carolina. She should continue fighting
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Opinion Geoff Duncan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Immediately after the polls closed on Saturday night, CNN projected that the former South Carolina governor had come up short to Trump. During the fourth quarter of 2023, Haley out-raised Trump, $24 million to $19 million. In January 2024, as the rest of the GOP field winnowed, Haley’s fundraising again bested Trump’s, $9.8 million to $8.8 million. To her credit, Haley has taken dead aim at both Trump and Putin, accusing the former of emboldening the latter. During the 2016 South Carolina primary, there were still six serious candidates in the GOP race.

Persons: Geoff Duncan, CNN — Nikki Haley’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Haley, Trump’s, Haley —, Joe Biden, Time, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Putin, “ Vladimir Putin, there’s Organizations: CNN, GOP, America’s Conservative Party, South, Trump, ABC, White, Republican, PBS, Marist, NATO Locations: South Carolina, Egypt, Mexico, Hungary, Turkey, month’s, Hampshire, Russia, Carolina

☆ Britain's Rwanda Asylum Plan Raises Deep Concerns: UN Rights Chief
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA (Reuters) - Britain's revived plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda would drastically strip back courts' ability to scrutinise decisions and risks dealing a "serious blow to human rights", the United Nations rights chief said on Monday. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is pushing legislation through parliament that would declare Rwanda a safe country for asylum seekers despite misgivings from some lawmakers, who have attacked the plan as unethical and unworkable. Under the proposals, asylum seekers who arrive on England's southern coast in small, inflatable boats would be sent to Rwanda to live. More than 1,300 asylum seekers have arrived in Britain on small boats so far this year. (Reporting by Emma Farge; Additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill in London; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Persons: Britain's, Rishi Sunak, Volker Turk, Turk, Sunak, Emma Farge, Andrew MacAskill, Nick Macfie Organizations: United Nations, Conservative Party Locations: GENEVA, Rwanda, Britain, London

☆ Rishi Sunak Back in Hot Seat After Losses, but His Ouster Is Unlikely
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Mark Landler | Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain could find himself in a familiar predicament after his Conservative Party went down to defeat in parliamentary elections in two districts on Thursday: isolated, embattled and the subject of whispered plotting by restive Tories bent on pushing him out for a new leader. The crushing loss of two seats in once-reliable Conservative areas capped another dismal week for Mr. Sunak. Economic data confirmed on Thursday that Britain had fallen into recession at the end of last year, undermining one of the prime minister’s five core pledges — that he would recharge the country’s growth. Yet the scheming against Mr. Sunak, analysts said, is no more likely to go anywhere than it has during his previous leadership crises. However desperate the political straits of the Conservatives, they would find it hard, at this late stage, to replace their languishing prime minister with someone else.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson — Organizations: Conservative Party, Conservatives, Conservative Locations: Britain

☆ Labour opposition deals another historic blow to UK PM Rishi Sunak with by-election defeats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Winning candidate Gen Kitchen said the result was a "stunning victory for the Labour Party and must send a message from Northamptonshire to Downing Street." LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservative Party suffered another double by-election defeat on Thursday, as the opposition Labour Party's momentum shows no sign of slowing. The double defeat of Thursday was the latest in a string of unfavorable by-election results for the ruling party in what were previously considered safe seats. "I was very pleased last night to see that we were clearly getting Tory switchers, in other words people who hadn't voted for the Labour Party before, coming out last night and voting for the Labour Party in a by-election." The Labour Party maintains a lead of more than 20 points over the Conservatives in all national polling, with a general election due no later than January 2025.

Persons: Kitchen, Peter Bone, —, Rishi Sunak's, Helen Harrison, Gen Kitchen, Chris Skidmore, Damien Egan, Keir Starmer, Tory switchers, hadn't, Boris Johnson, Robert Ford Organizations: Labour, Labour Party, Downing, Conservative, Conservatives, LONDON, Conservative Party, Kettering Leisure Village, Tamworth, Liberal Democrats, BBC, University of Manchester, CNBC Locations: Northamptonshire, Wellingborough , Northamptonshire, KETTERING, England, Wellingborough, Kettering, Kettering , England, Kingswood , South Gloucestershire, North, Kingswood, Mid Bedfordshire, West Midlands, Selby, Ainsty, Somerton, Frome

☆ Problems mount for UK PM Rishi Sunak as his party suffers heavy defeat in two parliamentary elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing difficult questions after his governing Conservative Party lost two seats in parliament on Thursday. The Conservative Party traditionally beats Labour on issues like economics and immigration. Of particular concern to Conservatives is the rise of Reform UK, the new party of Nigel Farage. As leader of both the UK Independence Party and the Brexit Party, he forced the Conservatives into increasingly right-wing positions. He is honorary president of Reform UK but still has a habit of forcing issues onto the news agenda.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, –, Nigel Farage, Farage, David Cameron, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, isn’t Organizations: London CNN, British, Conservative Party, Labour, Reform UK, Conservatives, UK Independence Party, Brexit Party, UKIP, EU, Conservative, Reform, Sunak Locations: England, France, Israel

☆ Conservatives Suffer Setback in Parliamentary Election in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Stephen Castle | Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Britain’s governing Conservative Party has lost the first of two parliamentary elections in a new blow to its embattled leader, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose future has been questioned by critics within his fractious political party. The Conservatives were defeated in Kingswood, near Bristol, by 8,675 to 11,176 votes, losing a seat that the party had previously held. Votes were cast Thursday to replace two Conservative lawmakers who had quit Parliament, with the first set of results announced early Friday morning. With a general election expected later this year, the result is likely to compound Mr. Sunak’s difficulties at a time when the British economy is shrinking, interest rates are high, and Britain’s health service seems to be in a state of almost permanent crisis. Opinion polls show his party trailing the opposition Labour Party by double-digit margins.

Persons: Rishi Sunak Organizations: Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party Locations: Kingswood, Bristol, British

The quarterly decline followed a 0.1% fall in the previous three-month period and highlights how the economy has been hobbled by high interest rates that have been raised to reduce inflation. A recession is officially defined as two straight quarters of economic decline. Being in recession is hardly the ideal backdrop for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he mulls when to call the election. Higher interest rates help cool the economy by making it more expensive to borrow, thereby bearing down on spending. Though interest rates appear to have peaked, the central bank has expressed caution about cutting interest rates too soon as lower borrowing rates may bolster spending and put renewed upward pressure on prices.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, ”, Hunt, Rachel Reeves, James Smith Organizations: Conservative Party, National Statistics, Labour Party . Treasury, Treasury, Labour, Conservatives, Bank of England Locations: Britain

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Former Illinois lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate William “Sam” McCann abruptly pleaded guilty on Thursday to nine felony counts of wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, halting his federal corruption trial over misusing up to $550,000 in campaign contributions. The seven counts of wire fraud and single count of money laundering each carry a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. But a complex set of advisory guidelines before Lawless, who set sentencing for June 20, will likely yield a far shorter term. “Are you pleading guilty because you are in fact guilty?” Lawless asked. McCann's trial was repeatedly delayed.

Persons: William “ Sam ” McCann, McCann, Colleen Lawless, Jason Vincent, Lawless, ” Lawless, he’s, “, Timothy Bass, McCann's, “ God's, McCann didn't, Vincent, Instagram, Michael Madigan, ’ ” McCann, I’m, ’ Organizations: Ill, Former Illinois, U.S, Conservative Party of Illinois, International Union of Operating Engineers, FBI, IRS Locations: SPRINGFIELD, Springfield, ”, St, Louis

☆ The U.K. Labour Party’s Worst Enemy Might Be Itself
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Mark Landler | Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

These days, the only thing that can stop the Labour Party, it seems, is the Labour Party. For more than a year, the leader of Britain’s main opposition party, Keir Starmer, has sat on a double-digit lead in the polls over the Conservative Party. “The question is, can he come back next week fighting?”Labour still holds a double-digit lead over the Conservatives in polls. It could swiftly regain its stride with victories in two parliamentary by-elections on Thursday, both of which it is expected to win. But Labour’s setbacks are a reminder that with a general election still at least a few months away, Mr. Starmer cannot take anything for granted.

Persons: Britain’s, Keir Starmer, Starmer, “ Keir, ”, John McTernan, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Labour Party, Conservative Party, Manchester soccer, Britain’s Premier League, Labour, Conservative Locations: Israel, Man

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A fiery debate over public health and personal rights gripped Puerto Rico this week, intensifying Wednesday when legislators clashed with medical experts. The debate began earlier this month after the administrator of Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives announced the mandatory use of face masks, following various COVID-19 cases reported in the seaside Capitol building. Later that day a judge ordered that, in the meantime, the island’s House of Representatives should not “prohibit, prevent or interfere” with Burgos’ right to attend meetings. Last November, Puerto Rico’s government also declared a flu epidemic. The bill was submitted by Burgos, member of a small conservative party, and four other legislators who represent Puerto Rico’s two biggest political parties.

Persons: Lisie Burgos, ”, Burgos, Carlos Díaz Vélez, Waleska Crespo, “, Carlos Pérez Toro Organizations: JUAN, Burgos ’, Representatives, Puerto Rico’s, Puerto Rico’s Association of Surgeons Locations: Puerto Rico, Rico’s, Puerto, Burgos

Democrat Tom Suozzi flipped a New York congressional seat blue Tuesday night, narrowing the GOP's already razor-thin majority in the House and boosting the spirits of Democrats fretting about President Joe Biden's strength in the fall elections. A centrist Democrat, Suozzi was seeking to get back the job he had before he left to run, unsuccessfully, for the gubernatorial nomination in 2022. Suozzi also faced an electorate unhappy with Biden in general and, in particular, the influx of immigrants over the border. A little-known Nassau County legislator, Pilip is a registered Democrat who was running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines. Democrats also scored a big win in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, retaining control of the state House with Jim Prokopiak's unexpectedly lopsided victory over Republican Candace Cabanas.

Persons: Tom Suozzi, Joe Biden's, Republican Mazi Pilip, ” Suozzi, ”, Biden, Donald Trump, Alejandro Mayorkas, impeaching, – Suozzi, Democratic Sen, Claire McCaskill, Suozzi, George Santos –, Santos, –, Grace Meng, Pilip, Jim Prokopiak's, Republican Candace Cabanas Organizations: Associated Press, Suozzi, Republican, Nassau, Nassau County Republican, Congressional, Republicans, Homeland, Democratic, MSNBC, Democrat, –, Democratic New York Rep, Conservative Party, Nassau County Republicans, Democrats Locations: York, Nassau County, Israel, Gaza, New, New York, impeaching Mayorkas, Pennsylvania

Vying to replace him are former U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, the Democratic nominee, and Nassau County legislator Mazi Pilip, the nominee for both the Republican and Conservative parties. He has held other elected office on Long Island dating back to the mid-1990s, first as mayor of Glen Cove and later as Nassau County executive. Pilip is an Ethiopian-born former Israeli paratrooper who has served in the Nassau County legislature since her election in 2021. Here’s a look at what to expect on election night:SPECIAL ELECTION DAYThe special election in New York’s third congressional district will be held Tuesday. On Tuesday, the shortest, most direct path to victory would be to win in Nassau County.

Persons: Republican George Santos ’, Santos, Tom Suozzi, Mazi Pilip, Suozzi, Pilip, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Robert Zimmerman, Lee Zeldin, Kathy Hochul, Zeldin, it’s, Rhonda Shafner Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican, New, U.S, Representative, U.S . Rep, Democratic, Conservative, Democrats, U.S . House, Republicans, Press, WHO, Suozzi, Democratic Gov, Pilip, AP, Queens Locations: Nassau County, Congress, Long, Glen Cove, Ethiopian, Nassau, U.S, New, New York, District, Queens

☆ John Bruton Dies at 76; Negotiated for Peace as Irish Prime Minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Alan Cowell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

John Bruton, a former Irish prime minister who led an alliance known as the Rainbow Coalition and played a central role with Britain in an effort to secure peace in Northern Ireland after decades of strife, died on Tuesday in Dublin. His family said his death, in a hospital, followed a long illness; they did not specify the cause. Feted in death across the political spectrum in Britain and Ireland, Mr. Bruton had a long career in the center-right Fine Gael party. He was his country’s prime minister, or Taoiseach (pronounced TEE-shack) in Irish, from 1994 to 1997, a time when Britain was led by Prime Minister John Major of the Conservative Party. The governments in Dublin and London had long acknowledged that they each played a major role in navigating the treacherous sectarian and political divisions of warring Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.

Persons: John Bruton, Bruton, John Major Organizations: Rainbow Coalition, Britain, Fine Gael, Conservative Party Locations: Irish, Northern Ireland, Dublin, European, Washington, Britain, Ireland, London

☆ Dysfunctional Week Exposes the Fissures, Fractures and Fault Lines Across the GOP
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Lauren Camera | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

“The Republican Party is not really a conservative party anymore – it’s a populist party,” he says. “What are the incentives for conservatives to take these positions?” asks Joshua Huder, senior fellow at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. “This Republican Party is spiraling out of control. Last week, the RNC reported its lowest fundraising totals in 10 years, entering 2024 with just $8 million in cash on hand. Prosecutors are seeking $370 million – a loss that has the potential to ruin him financially ahead of the November election.

Persons: Donald Trump, “, Trump, ”, David Barker, –, Mike Johnson, Alejandro Mayorkas, Johnson couldn’t, Joshua Huder, Georgetown University’s, Johnson, Sen, Chris Murphy, it's Donald Trump –, who’s, Mitch McConnell’s, – Sen, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of, Mitch ” trended, intraparty, Mitch McConnell, ” Huder, I’m, Ronna McDaniel, isn’t, Joe Biden Organizations: Republican National Committee, Republican, Republican Party, American University, Center, Congressional, Presidential, Republicans, Homeland, Israel, Georgetown, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public, Senate, Connecticut Democrat, RNC, South Carolina, U.S ., Trump, Capitol, Prosecutors Locations: Connecticut, Ted Cruz of Texas, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, underperformed, Washington, Manhattan

☆ London Police Launch Manhunt After Chemical Attack Leaves Several Injured
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) - British police have launched a manhunt for a suspect who injured several people by throwing a corrosive chemical on them, with political attention focusing on his status as someone who had been granted asylum after a conviction for sexual assault. Three other women and one man who came to their aid suffered minor burns injuries and five police officers who responded were also injured. "Wednesday's attack on a mother and her two children in Clapham was appalling," Britain's interior minister James Cleverly said in a statement on Friday. A source familiar with the case told Reuters that Ezedi had been granted asylum in Britain and had a previous conviction for sexual assault. Police said it was reported that Ezedi had thrown a child to the ground and that the chemical used in the attack was alkaline.

Persons: Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, James, Ezedi, Rishi Sunak, David Johnston, Robert Jenrick, Sachin Ravikumar, Andrew MacAskill, Gareth Jones Organizations: British, London's Metropolitan Police, Reuters, Police, BBC, Sunak's Conservative Party Locations: Clapham, London, Britain, Afghanistan, Rwanda

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