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☆ UK prime minister’s protection officer arrested over alleged bet on election timing
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A police constable working as part of the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s protection team was arrested this week for allegedly making bets related to the timing of the general election, police told CNN. The officer was arrested on Monday “on suspicion of misconduct in public office,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said Wednesday. The arrest comes days after the Guardian newspaper reported that a close aide of Sunak made a £100 ($127) bet on a July election date before the prime minister had publicly announced the date. Many people in the comments have since reacted by highlighting the news of the police constable’s arrest for allegedly betting on the election. The UK general election will take place on July 4.

Persons: Rishi Sunak’s, “, ”, Sunak, Craig Williams, that’s, Sunak’s Organizations: CNN, UK, Metropolitan Police, Commission, Protection Command, Professional, Guardian, BBC, Met, Sunak’s Conservative Party, Labour, Labour Party Locations: ”, Sunak, Britain

☆ Britain Election Winner’s First Problem: Fix a Stagnant Economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Our economy has truly turned a corner,” Rishi Sunak, Britain’s prime minister, said last week as he introduced his party’s election manifesto, buoyed by recent data showing that Britain’s economy had exited from a recession more strongly than expected in the beginning of the year and that inflation had slowed substantially. Justifying the optimistic mood, data released on Wednesday showed that consumer prices rose 2 percent in May from a year earlier, touching the Bank of England’s target. That was way down from 11.1 percent in October 2022, when Mr. Sunak started his premiership. Polls suggest there is a desire to eject the governing Conservative Party from Downing Street, after 14 years, in next month’s general election. But lawmakers in the opposition Labour Party have already warned that — should they win — they will inherit a hobbled economy with little room for bold changes.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak Organizations: of, National Health Service, Conservative Party, Downing, Labour Party

☆ Just Stop Oil protesters spray Stonehenge with paint
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Caitlin Danaher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A video posted on X by Just Stop Oil shows two of the group’s activists spraying the landmark using fire extinguishers. “The Just Stop Oil protestors demanded the incoming government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030,” the group posted on X. The protesters were a 21-year-old student from Oxford and a 73-year-old man from Birmingham, Just Stop Oil said in a press release. The official Stonehenge X account described the incident as “extremely upsetting.”“Orange powdered paint has been thrown at a number of the stones at Stonehenge. The protesters were a 21-year-old student from Oxford and a 73-year-old man from Birmingham, Just Stop Oil said in a press release.

Persons: ”, Rishi Sunak, Mona Lisa, Van Organizations: CNN — Environmental, Oxford, Wiltshire Police, Police, Heritage, Northern, British, Magna Carta, British Museum Locations: Birmingham, Salisbury, England, London

☆ UK millionaires are fleeing Britain in their thousands
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Mark Thompson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The continuing exodus from the UK — 16,500 millionaires left between 2017 and 2023 — is part of a global mass migration of the rich that appears to be accelerating. The Henley Private Wealth Migration report found that 128,000 millionaires are set to relocate this year, beating last year’s record by 8,000. By contrast, the ranks of the wealthy have grown in the US, Canada, Australia, Germany and France over the same period. “The outflow of high-net-worth individuals already generated by the economic and political context is now being accelerated by policy decisions ahead of the election,” said White. Still, one very rich couple will apparently be staying, whatever the result on July 4.

Persons: Henley, ” Hannah White, —, ” Dominic Volek, Liz Truss, Keir Starmer’s, Rishi Sunak’s, Starmer, Rachel Reeves, ”, White, Akshata Murty, Sunday Times Rich, King Charles, Sunak Organizations: London CNN, Labour, Henley & Partners, Institute for Government, City of, Henley Private Wealth, European Union, Bank of England, Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, Sunday Times Locations: United Kingdom, City of London, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Ukraine, England

☆ Nigel Farage: The US-style migration debate taking over Britain’s election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“It’s a bit like God’s waiting room.”But Clacton is the front line of Britain’s migration debate. The Reform leader uses divisive language on migration, warning supporters of what he calls an "invasion" of asylum seekers. Despite years of tough rhetoric and policies aimed at deterring the arrival of asylum seekers – devised largely to placate Farage’s supporters – Britain’s asylum system is creaking. Laws prevent most asylum seekers from working, so while taxpayers fund their accommodation, they cannot contribute formally to the economy. That could widen even further the chasm in understanding between his voters and Britain’s asylum seekers, experts fear.

Persons: ” Danny Botterell, Nigel Farage, BEN STANSALL, Donald Trump, Nigel, ” Botterell, “, Farage, ” Farage, –, Rob Picheta, CNN Britain’s, Rishi Sunak’s, ” Zoe Gardner, “ Farage, “ They’ll, ”, Louise Brockwell, Danny Botterell, David Cameron –, Europe –, Sunak, Cameron, Farage’s, ted Britain’s, France –, ” Gardner, Masood, they’re, ” Masood, Brexit, Douglas Carswell, ” Carswell, ” “ There’s, Carswell, Bob Brace, Farage's, hasn’t, Jack, can’t, you’re, Bridget Tyril, Roy Whitehead, Keir Starmer, “ It’s, they’ve, Karen French, “ I’ve, He’s, James Johnson, Theresa May’s, pollster, Queen Elizabeth II, restauranter Dean Coles, Jehosh, Gardner Organizations: England CNN —, Seagulls, CNN, Getty, Clacton, Labour, Brexit Party, Tories, Jays, Sky News, Times, Home Office, Conservative, UKIP, EU, Brexit, Mississippi Center for Public, John, People, Trump, Downing, Partners, “, Conservatives Locations: Clacton, England, Clacton Pier, Europe, ”, London, “, AFP, United States, Britain, Westminster, India, France, Bibby Stockholm, Kent, Afghanistan, UAE, Essex, Jaywick, It’s France, Netherlands, Germany

☆ The leaders at this year's G7 summit look weaker than ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe G7 summit has long been a showcase of global leadership and power. But 2024's group of leaders appears to be one of the weakest that has attended the summit for some time. French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the G7 summit. 'Brittle at best'Payne argued that some of the G7 leaders aren't outright weak; rather, they face circumstances that threaten their authority. And right now, the domestic foundations of most of the G7 leaders are brittle at best," he added.

Persons: —, Inderjeet Parmar, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz's, Rishi Sunak, Giorgia Meloni, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Antonio Masiello, Andrew Payne, Payne, Donald Trump, Hunter Biden's, Parmar, aren't Organizations: Service, Business, Politico, City University of London, EU, Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, White House Locations: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Italian, Ukraine

☆ Weakened Leaders of the West Gather in Italy to Discuss an Unruly World
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Mark Landler | Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy convenes the leaders of the Group of 7 countries on Thursday at a luxury resort hotel overlooking the Adriatic Sea, she might be forgiven for thinking her guests are seeking a refuge. Britain’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is three weeks away from an election in which his Conservative Party is expected to be swept out of power. President Emmanuel Macron of France has called a snap parliamentary election after his party suffered heavy losses to the far right in European elections. Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany and his Social Democratic Party were humbled in those elections as well, while President Biden is in a dogfight with his predecessor, former President Donald J. Trump. Even Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan faces rising unrest within his Liberal Democratic Party and may lose his job this autumn.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, bode, Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz of Germany, Biden, Donald J, Trump, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Conservative Party, Social Democratic Party, Liberal Democratic Party Locations: Italy, Ukraine, France, Japan

☆ G7 leaders huddle in Italy, escaping political peril at home
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Rarely has the yearly gathering of the world’s leading economies been so overshadowed by the political vulnerabilities of nearly all its members. She emerged as the only European G7 leader bolstered by last week’s European Parliament elections. “I am proud that Italy will present itself to the G7, to Europe with the strongest government of all. The leaders of France and Germany are contending with very different sets of political circumstances. Whether it is Trump at the G7 table next year or Biden is among the great unknowable questions hanging over the gathering.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, don’t, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Biden, –, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, “, Josh Lipsky, Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Trump, Brothers, ” Meloni, Rishi Sunak, Canada’s Justin Trudeau —, Japan’s Fumio Kishida, who’s Organizations: CNN, Parliamentary, National Assembly, “, Ukraine, GeoEconomics, Atlantic Council, Italian, United, Conservative Political, Conference, Reuters, Trump Locations: Italy, Puglia, France, United Kingdom, United States, Paris, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, it’s, China, India, Brazil, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Europe, Germany, Britain, Sicily, haggling, Quebec, Biarritz

☆ Live Updates: U.S. to Sign 10-Year Pact With Ukraine as G7 Leaders Meet
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( David E. Sanger | Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Mr. Biden and Mr. Zelensky will meet on Thursday and sign a security agreement, said Jake Sullivan, Mr. Biden’s national security adviser. Mr. Biden faces the hurdle of convincing his allies, starting with Mr. Zelensky, that the United States plans to stay in the fight with Ukraine, no matter what happens in November. Mr. Biden told Mr. Zelensky last week, in France, that “I apologize for the weeks of not knowing what was going to pass,” and put the onus on Republicans in Congress. During a trip to Normandy last week, Mr. Biden appeared to have persuaded France, one of the last holdouts, to support the deal. “The administration has been quick to get aid to Ukraine once Congress moved, and that’s to its credit,” he said.

Persons: Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr, Zelensky, Jake Sullivan, “, ” Mr, Sullivan, we’ll, ”, Vladimir Putin, Pope Francis, Donald J, Trump, Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Biden’s, Vladimir V, Putin, Claudia Greco, John E . Herbst, Evelyn Farkas, Barack Obama, Ms, Farkas, ” Alan Rappeport Organizations: Ukraine, U.S, Kremlin, Group, Air Force, “, hobble, NATO, Mr, Reuters, European, World Bank, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council, United, McCain Institute, Arizona State University Locations: Ukraine, United States, Italy, Israel, Russia, hobble Russia, Europe, France, Congress, Savelletri, Normandy, Belgium’s, U.S, Eurasia

☆ ‘Just Disillusioned’: How U.K. Conservatives Lost a New Heartland
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Amid the drab parkas and pullovers was a figure in a striking red coat: Natalie Fleet, the Labour Party’s candidate for Parliament, wearing her party’s campaign color. She turned up late, having hiked up in heels. But she mixed easily, chatting with a 17-year-old high school student, Georgia Haslam, about her desire to get more young women engaged in politics. “It was reassuring to hear someone like her say, ‘I understand you,’” Ms. Haslam said afterward. “If you’re not from a city, if you’re not wealthy, it’s not clear that these politicians really care about you.”Ms. Fleet is on track to win back the parliamentary district of Bolsover for Labour, which in 2019 it lost to the Conservatives for the first time in almost 70 years.

Persons: pullovers, Natalie Fleet, Georgia Haslam, ’, Ms, Haslam, you’re, it’s, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Labour, Conservatives, Conservative Locations: England’s East Midlands, Bolsover, France, London

☆ UK's Rishi Sunak announces election pledges, looking to bounce back from D-Day gaffe
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attends a Conservative party rally, after he called for a general election, in London, Britain, May 22, 2024. LONDON — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak released his Conservative Party's official election manifesto on Tuesday, announcing help for first-time home buyers and promising more tax cuts. The pledges come as the Conservatives look set for a drubbing to the rival Labour party at the July 4 General Election, while Sunak has personally come under fire several times during the campaign. Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer are both forefronting economic growth, the cost of living and taxes in their campaign messaging. Polls have for some time been pointing toward a Labour victory in a General Election after the Conservatives' ratings tanked following a series of scandals under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's tenure.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Insurance —, Keir Starmer, Boris Johnson's Organizations: British, Conservative, LONDON, Labour, Insurance, Conservatives Locations: London, Britain, France

☆ Why the far-right surge in European elections could be an omen for Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

US voters don’t take direction from foreigners, and American presidential elections, which play out state by state, are far different from those for the European Union. Another lesson of the European elections is that in an age of inflation, incumbents are vulnerable to a disgruntled electorate. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are smarting from their rebuke in European elections that rewarded far-right parties that echo the continent’s dark past. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s low approval ratings mean he might not even lead his Liberal Party into elections due by the end of next year. Macron, who heads a centrist party that was routed in the European elections, may be betting that the higher turnout in legislative elections could reverse the trend.

Persons: CNN —, Donald Trump’s, Hillary Clinton’s, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, he’ll, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Justin Trudeau’s, Rishi Sunak, Macron, Le Pen, Jordan Bardella, Le Pen’s, ” He’s, ” Organizations: CNN, European Union, Canadian, Liberal Party, British, Conservative, “ Make, GOP, Labour Party, Trump, National Rally, Paris Locations: Britain, Europe, Italy, Poland, Normandy, EU

☆ UK tech bosses urge focus on AI skills and growth in high-stakes election — no matter who wins
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Pa Images | Getty ImagesLONDON — British technology executives and entrepreneurs want the next government to focus on promoting skills around the development and use of artificial intelligence and growth-oriented fiscal measures. Upskilling in an AI ageOne thing U.K. tech executives are pushing for is fostering innovation in artificial intelligence and cultivating citizens' grasp on AI-centric skills — across multiple generations. Last month, dozens of business executives, entrepreneurs, and investors signed an open letter stating their support for Labour in the upcoming election. Leon Neal | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesSignatories included several influential names in the world of U.K. tech: Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, Founders Forum co-founder Jonathan Goodwin, and Atom Bank CEO Mark Mullen. Tech bosses CNBC spoke with found themselves unable to point to specific policies and plans from either of the main political parties.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer, Keir Starmer, Zahra, Salesforce, Einstein, Astro, Matthew Houlihan, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner, Leon Neal, Jimmy Wales, Jonathan Goodwin, Mark Mullen, Sunak, Liz Truss, Jeremy Hunt, Danny Lawson, Rishi Khosla, Khosla Organizations: Conservatives, Labour Party, LONDON, it's, Labour, CNBC, Innovation, Cisco, coy, Centre, Getty, Founders Forum, Atom Bank, BAE Systems, Tech Locations: Downing, Salesforce's, Europe, Purfleet, United Kingdom, Ukraine, British, Barrow, Furness, England

☆ UK unemployment nears three-year high, wage growth firm as election looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A staff wanted sign in the window of a restaurant in the Soho district of London, U.K., on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. LONDON — U.K. unemployment unexpectedly rose to its highest level in two and a half years, data showed Tuesday, amid a heated general election campaign in which the economy is a key battleground. Simultaneous strong wage growth divided opinions from market-watchers mulling the timing of an interest rate cut from the Bank of England. While market pricing on Tuesday suggested next to no chance of a rate cut at the BOE's June meeting, and a 36% shot in August, that probability rises to nearly 60% for the September deliberations. Consultancy Capital Economics said that, while the stickiness of wage growth would be a "lingering concern" for the BOE, the rate should soon be on a "firm downward path" as unemployment rises.

Persons: Richard Carter, Cheviot, BOE, Capital's, Ruth Gregory, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Sunak, We've, it's, Starmer Organizations: LONDON, Bank of England, National Statistics, Reuters, Consultancy Capital Economics, Conservative Party, Labour, Conservatives Locations: Soho, London

☆ Michael Mosley likely died soon after becoming unwell, Greek police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Eleni Giokos | Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —British TV personality and health guru Michael Mosley may have died shortly after becoming unwell while walking alone on the Greek island of Symi, local police told CNN on Monday. ET) on Wednesday, the day he went missing, Greek police spokeswoman Konstantia Dimoglidou told CNN. A direction sign on a rocky path in the hills of Pedi, a small fishing village in Symi, pointing toward Agia Marina, where the body of TV doctor and columnist Michael Mosley was discovered. Yui Mok/PAAn initial autopsy concluded that Mosley died from natural causes and that there were no injuries on his body that could have caused his death, the BBC reported. The position in which his body was found suggests he was sitting at the time of his death, Dimoglidou said.

Persons: Michael Mosley, Mosley, Konstantia Dimoglidou, Yui Mok, Dimoglidou, Lefteris Papakalodoukas, Papakalodoukas, Mosley’s, Clare Bailey, “, ”, Tom Watson, Mosley “, Rishi Sunak Organizations: CNN, Police, BBC, Associated Press, Daily Mail, British, PA Media Locations: British, Symi, Nikolaos, Pedi, Agia Marina, Britain

☆ 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

☆ 2 war experts say British armor has the same production flaw that contributed to Nazi Germany's downfall
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This was the same problem that partially brought Nazi Germany to its knees, wrote Hamish de Bretton-Gordon and James Holland in a commentary published on Wednesday by The Telegraph. They recalled how Nazi Germany had obsessed over the quality of its tanks, chiefly the King Tiger, but meanwhile only managed to produce less than 500 of them. AdvertisementIn total, Nazi Germany built just under 50,000 tanks during the war, while the US built over 100,000. The sheer numbers made a difference in World War II, and they'll make a difference now, de Bretton-Gordon and Holland wrote. Russia's mass-production gameIn June 2023, de Bretton-Gordon praised British armor for its quality in his commentary on the war in Ukraine.

Persons: —, Hamish de Bretton, Gordon, James Holland, de Bretton, Holland, that's, King Tiger, Sherman, Bretton, Rishi Sunak, Volodymyr Zelenskuy, Andrew Matthews, what's, laud Organizations: Service, British Army, The Telegraph, Business, CBRN, Nuclear Regiment, Gordon, Soviet Union, Challenger, UK Defense, 1st Royal Tank Regiment, Russia's Locations: Britain, Nazi Germany, Holland, Germany, Soviet Union, Kursk, Lulworth , Dorset, England, Ukraine, Russia, China, British, Moscow

☆ UK's populist right-wing party surges in popularity on Brexiteer Nigel Farage's return
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage walks to speak to supporters as he launches his election candidacy at Clacton Pier on June 4, 2024 in Clacton-on-Sea, England. Labour is expected to win 40% of votes to the Conservatives' 19% and Reform's 17%, the online polling showed. Farage's surprise return as Reform leader on Monday dealt a deadly blow to the party, threatening to steal a significant share of votes on the right. In the 2019 election, his then-Brexit Party agreed not to field candidates in hundreds of seats to safeguard a Conservative win. The announcement hurts Sunak's earlier efforts to win right-wing votes by hardening the Tories' stance on migration and the U.K.'s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Rishi Sunak's, Farage, — Organizations: Clacton Pier, Reform, Sky News, Labour, Conservatives, Conservative, Brexit, Tories, Brexit Party, European, Human Rights Locations: Clacton, England, London

☆ 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

☆ Biden to meet with Zelensky in Normandy and at next week’s G7, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while he is in Normandy, France, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. CNN previously reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not extended an invitation, according to a French presidential source. Sullivan added that Biden is also expected to meet with Zelensky during the G7 in Italy next week. “In the course of a little more than a week, the president will have two substantive engagements with President Zelensky,” Sullivan said. The two leaders last met in person when Zelensky was in Washington, DC, in December 2023 to make an in-person plea for military and economic aid.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Jake Sullivan, “, Zelensky, ” Sullivan, Biden, Rishi Sunak, Justin Trudeau, Vladimir Putin, Sullivan, ”, Janet Yellen’s, Emmanuel Macron, CNN’s Jack Forrest, Joshua Berlinger, Simone McCarthy, Brad Lendon, Eric Cheung Organizations: CNN, White House, Ukraine, Air Force, British, Canadian, Zelensky, “, Russia, US, US Army Rangers, Biden, NATO Locations: Normandy, France, he’s, he’ll, Ukraine, Europe, Italy, Washington , DC, Kharkiv, “, United States, Germany, Biden’s, Pointe du Hoc

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ '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

☆ Nigel Farage enters UK election race, in more bad news for Sunak’s Conservatives
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Christian Edwards | Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

While that might not be enough to win Reform more than a few seats, it could contribute to the Conservatives losing dozens more seats to Labour. The Conservatives’ Farage problem will not fade soon. As well as becoming leader, Farage announced he is “coming back for the next five years.”“We already know that the Conservative Party will be in opposition. The weaker the Conservative Party is after the election, the more heat Farage can put on them. There are as many in the Conservative Party who find Farage appalling as there are who’d like to see him join the party.

Persons: Nigel Farage, ”, Farage, Rishi Sunak, Donald Trump, “, I’ve, It’s, Farage’s, Sunak Organizations: London CNN, Conservative Party, European Union, Reform, Independence Party, UKIP, Conservatives, Labour Party, Labour, Tories, Conservative Locations: Clacton, Manhattan, London, Rwanda

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