DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ UK asks court to curb powers of COVID inquiry to see WhatsApp messages
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government on Friday asked London's High Court to stop a public inquiry into its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic forcing it to hand over some internal WhatsApp messages. Britain's Cabinet Office refused to provide WhatsApp messages concerning the government's handling of the pandemic and other political issues earlier this month, saying some of the material sought was "unambiguously irrelevant". However, the Cabinet Office has brought a legal challenge over the inquiry's demands, which its lawyer James Eadie told the court was brought "with some considerable reluctance". Eadie added the WhatsApp messages contained references to personal and family information and "comments of a personal nature" about identifiable government figures. But lawyers representing Hallett said the limits the Cabinet Office sought to place on public inquiries' powers to compel the production of documents was "flawed and unworkable".

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, London's, Heather Hallett, Boris Johnson, James Eadie, Eadie, Hallett, Hugo Keith, Johnson, Keith, Mr Johnson, Sam Tobin, Paul Sandle Organizations: British, Thomson

☆ UK government plan to deport migrants to Rwanda is unlawful, court rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/3] Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaking during a press conference as he gives an update on the progress made in the six months since he introduced the Illegal Migration Bill under his plans to "stop the boats", at Western Jet Foil in Dover, Britain. Picture date: Monday June 5, 2023. Yui Mok/Pool via... Read moreLONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - The British government's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful, London's Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday in a judgment that gives a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's pledge to stop migrants from arriving on small boats. The three senior appeal court judges ruled, by a majority, that Rwanda could not be treated as a safe third country. (This story has been corrected to state the ruling is a blow, not a boost, in paragraph 1)Reporting by Michael HoldenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Yui Mok, Rishi Sunak's, Michael Holden Organizations: Western Jet, Thomson Locations: Dover, Britain, British, Rwanda

☆ UK PM Sunak dealt blow as court rules Rwanda deportation plan unlawful
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during the London Defense Conference, at King's College, in central London, on May 23, 2023. The Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday that the British government's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful, dealing a setback to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's campaign to stop migrants crossing the Channel in small boats. Three senior appeal judges ruled by a majority that Rwanda could not be treated as a safe third country. Under a deal struck last year, the government planned to send tens of thousands of asylum seekers who arrive on its shores more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) to the East African country. In December, the High Court ruled the policy was lawful, but that decision was challenged by asylum seekers from several countries such as Syria, Iraq and Iran, along with human rights organizations.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Rishi Sunak's, Ian Burnett, Burnett, Suella Organizations: Britain's, London Defense Conference, King's College, European, of Human Rights, Court, Conservative Party, Home Locations: London, Rwanda, East, Britain, Syria, Iraq, Iran

☆ One in seven Britons faced hunger in 2022, says food bank charity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Peter NichollsSummarySummary Companies 11.3 mln Britons faced hunger in 20223 mln food parcels provided by Trussell Trust in 2022/23 yearIneffective social security system blamedLONDON, June 28 (Reuters) - One in seven people in the United Kingdom faced hunger last year because they did not have enough money, according to a report published on Wednesday by food bank charity the Trussell Trust. Government forecasters estimate UK households are in the midst of the biggest two-year squeeze in living standards since comparable records started in the 1950s. "This consistent upward trajectory exposes that it is weaknesses in the social security system that are driving food bank need, rather than just the pandemic or cost of living crisis," it said. The charity said that 7% of the UK population was supported by charitable food support, including food banks, yet 71% of people facing hunger had not yet accessed any form of charitable food support. Soaring food prices have contributed to the biggest squeeze on living standards in Britain since records began in the 1950s, and prompted questions about who is responsible.

Persons: Jerald, Aryee, Daniel Kennett, Brown, Peter Nicholls, Rishi Sunak's, they've, James Davey, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Volunteers, REUTERS, Trussell Trust, LONDON, Trussell, Department for Work, Soaring, Trade, Thomson Locations: Greenwich, London, Britain, United Kingdom, Scotland

DIRTY BEACHESClean water campaign groups accuse the water companies of failing to invest in infrastructure. She was replaced by two co-chief executives, Chief Finance Officer Alastair Cochran and former Ofwat boss Cathryn Ross, who has been at Thames Water since 2021. Jefferies analysts said Britain's listed water operators Severn Trent (SVT.L), Pennon Group (PNN.L) and United Utilities (UU.L) were better capitalised than Thames Water, but the issues with the largest company meant a "heightened regulatory environment". Daily headlines about rivers and beaches polluted by sewage released by water companies look set to turn water into a major issue at the next general election, expected next year. Thames Water said in its annual report in October that it had not paid a dividend to its shareholders for the last five years.

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, Jeremy Hunt, Sarah Bentley, Alastair Cochran, Cathryn Ross, Alix, Ofwat, Australia's Macquarie, Sarah Young, Paul Sandle, Radhika Anilkumar, David Evans, Mark Potter Organizations: Company, British, Sky News, Conservatives, Thames, Times, Ontario, China Investment Corp, Water, Alix Partners, Daily Telegraph, Jefferies, Trent, Pennon, United Utilities, Environment Agency, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: England, Wales, Britain, Thames

☆ UK holds crisis talks as top water supplier seeks cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Engineers from a Thames Water leak hunting team unloads equipment from their van during a night shift in London, UK, on Wednesday, May 2, 2023. The chief executive of Britain's biggest water supplier stepped down with immediate effect on Tuesday. The British government has held emergency talks over the fate of the country's biggest water supplier, Thames Water, and said it is ready for any outcome, including temporary state ownership, as the company buckles under huge debts. "We need to make sure that Thames Water as an entity survives," business and trade minister Kemi Badenoch told Sky News. Ofwat said it had been in ongoing talks with Thames Water about the need for a credible plan to turn the business around.

Persons: Rebecca Pow, Rishi Sunak's, Pow, Kemi Badenoch, Ofwat Organizations: Engineers, Thames, Conservatives, Sky News, Water Locations: London, England, Wales

☆ UK court to rule if plan to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoLONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - London's Court of Appeal will rule on Thursday if a British plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful, in a verdict that could make or break Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's pledge to stop migrants from arriving by boat. Under a deal struck last year, Britain's government plans to send tens of thousands of asylum seekers who arrive on its shores more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) to the East African country. In December, the High Court in London ruled the policy was lawful, but that decision is being challenged by asylum seekers from several countries along with human rights organisations. If the judges rule the plan is lawful, a government official said the flights could begin later this year if the courts reject any applications for further legal challenges. Sunak sees the deportation plan as central to deterring asylum seekers arriving from Europe.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Leon Neal, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, Andrew MacAskill, John Stonestreet Organizations: European, of Human Rights, Court, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Scottish National Party, Thomson Locations: ENGLAND, Downing, London, United Kingdom, London's, British, Rwanda, East, Britain, Europe, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, France

☆ Boris Johnson's rules breach over newspaper job shows need for reform - UK ethics body
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Sachin Ravikumar | Thomson Reuters | Sachin Ravikumar Is A Correspondent For Reuters In London Covering General News Across The Uk. Over Nine Years At Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 27 (Reuters) - Former British prime minister Boris Johnson committed a "clear and unambiguous" breach of rules when he took up a job as a newspaper columnist this month, an ethics body said, calling for reform of a system it said was outdated and ineffective. The committee had already said Johnson had breached the rules by failing to give it proper notice. It went further on Tuesday, calling the breach "unambiguous" and saying it showed the need for reform because current rules only offer guidance and lack clarity in areas such as sanctions. It is up to the government to decide what sanctions, if any, Johnson would face for the breach. In his broader criticism of the existing system, Pickles also said new areas of corruption were not monitored because they weren't envisaged when the rules were created.

Persons: Boris Johnson, Johnson, Eric Pickles, Rishi Sunak's, Lord Pickles, COVID, Pickles, Sachin Ravikumar, Elizabeth Piper, William James Our Organizations: Daily Mail, Business, Thomson Locations: British

☆ UK estimates cost of deporting each asylum seeker to Rwanda will be 169,000 pounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The government sees the plan as central to deterring asylum seekers arriving in small boats from France. In an economic impact assessment published on Monday, the government said the cost of deporting each individual to Rwanda would include an average 105,000-pound payment to Rwanda for hosting each asylum seeker, 22,000 pounds for the flight and escorting, and 18,000 pounds for processing and legal costs. Home Secretary (interior minister) Suella Braverman said these costs must be considered alongside the impact of deterring others trying to reach Britain and the rising cost of housing asylum seekers. Unless action is taken, Braverman said that the cost of housing asylum seekers will rise to 11 billion pounds a year, up from about 3.6 billion pounds currently. "The economic impact assessment clearly shows that doing nothing is not an option," she said.

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, Suella Braverman, Braverman, Andrew MacAskill, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Conservative, Labour Party, Home, Labour, Scottish National Party, European, of Human, Court, Thomson Locations: Rwanda, France, Britain, London, Syria, Sudan, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam

☆ White House says Biden spoke with leaders of France, Germany and UK amid developments in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Jasper Ward | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom on Saturday as mutinous Russian mercenaries barrelled towards Moscow after seizing a southern city overnight, the White House said. "The leaders discussed the situation in Russia. Biden was briefed about the unfolding situation in Russia by his national security team on Saturday morning, the White House said, adding that the president will continue to be briefed throughout the day. A spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that during the conversation, the four leaders had reaffirmed their commitment to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary. The move by Wagner Group mercenaries presents Russian President Vladimir Putin with the first serious challenge to his grip on power in his 23-year rule.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Olaf Scholz, Rishi Sunak's, Antony Blinken, Vladimir Putin, Jasper Ward, Andreas Rinke, David Milliken, Daniel Wallis, Frances Kerry Organizations: Ukraine, British, Wagner Group, Jasper, Thomson Locations: France, Germany, United Kingdom, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Lab crunch: British science has nowhere to go
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Kate Holton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Property consultants Bidwells put demand for lab space in Cambridge at 1.19 million square feet (110,000 square metres) - but only 7,000 sq ft are available. That has led to an explosion in venture capital, with much of it coming from the United States. Michael Chen moved to Cambridge from the United States in 2012 to do a doctorate in chemistry. She leads a joint venture between Oxford University and Legal & General (LGEN.L) to build lab space and homes. Pioneer Group, which provides funding and lab space in Britain, said action was needed now to address the "crazy" demand.

Persons: Zoe, Toby Melville OXFORD, Ros Deegan, Catherine Elton, Bidwells, Elton, Deegan, Diarmuid O'Brien, Rishi Sunak's, Gordon Sanghera, Michael Chen, Artem Korolev, Anna Strongman, Strongman, Glenn Crocker, Alistair Cory, Qkine's Elton, Kate Holton, Toby Melville, David Clarke Organizations: University of Oxford, Science, REUTERS, European Union, Therapeutics, McKinsey, Oxford, Cambridge Enterprise, U.S, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Reuters, Company, Cambridge, PACE, Laboratory, Oxford University, Legal, Thomson Locations: Kidlington, Oxford, Britain, England, Cambridge, United States, London, U.S, France, Boston, North America, Europe, Asia, China

☆ UK grocery inflation edges lower for third straight month -Kantar
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Market researcher Kantar said annual grocery inflation was 16.5% in the four weeks to June 11, down from 17.2% in its May data set. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's key pledge to halve inflation in 2023 has been undermined by persistently high food inflation. "Price rises are now being compared to the increasing rate of grocery inflation seen last summer, which means that it should continue to fall in the coming months," he said. Market leader Tesco (TSCO.L) said on Friday food inflation was starting to ease and it was hopeful it would moderate through the year. The Kantar data for June provides the most up to date snapshot of UK grocery inflation.

Persons: Kantar, Rishi Sunak's, Fraser McKevitt, Price, James Davey, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Reading, Bank of England, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Thomson

☆ Britain's M&S the latest supermarket to cut prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies M&S cuts prices of 70 products, holds prices of 150Morrisons cuts prices of 47 productsMoves follow other reductions across sectorBank of England keeping close eye on food inflationLONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - Marks & Spencer (MKS.L) on Monday became the latest supermarket group in Britain to cut food prices, adding to signs that a surge in inflation is set to abate. M&S cut the price of 70 staple products, such as beef mince, Greek style yoghurt, salmon fillets, chickpeas and tortilla wraps, by between 3% and 25%. Also on Monday, Morrisons, Britain's fifth largest supermarket group, said it was cutting the prices of 47 products by an average of over 25%. On Friday, market leader Tesco (TSCO.L), said Britain's food inflation has peaked. EXPLAINER-Why is UK food inflation so stubbornly high?

Persons: Spencer, Rishi Sunak's, Kantar, James Davey, Kylie MacLellan, Susan Fenton Organizations: Bank of England, Morrisons, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Thomson Locations: Britain

☆ British supermarket Morrisons cuts prices of nearly 50 products
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - British supermarket Morrisons said on Monday it was cutting the prices of 47 products by an average of over 25%, in another sign that a surge in inflation might be set to abate. Morrisons, Britain's fifth largest supermarket group, said products subject to the latest price cuts included beef mince, ham, tomatoes, spinach and wholemeal pittas. On Friday, market leader Tesco (TSCO.L), said Britain's food inflation has peaked. 2 Sainsbury's (SBRY.L) reduced the price of toilet paper, and upmarket grocer Waitrose reduced the price of over 200 products. EXPLAINER-Why is UK food inflation so stubbornly high?

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, Kantar, James Davey, Alistair Bell Organizations: British, Morrisons, Bank of England, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Thomson

"We do believe that we're past the peak inflation," CEO Ken Murphy told reporters. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's key economic pledge to halve inflation in 2023 has been undermined by persistent high food inflation, which was running at over 19% in April, according to the most recent official data. Murphy warned though that while some commodity prices were coming down, higher labour costs which are feeding into inflation are likely to stick. Tesco has said it expects prices to rise in 2023 but with the rate of inflation declining through the year. Reporting by James Davey and Sarah Young; editing by Kate Holton and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ken Murphy, Rishi Sunak's, Murphy, James Davey, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Jason Neely Organizations: Tesco, Britain's, Aldi, Thomson

☆ US and UK back new 'Atlantic Declaration' for economic cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON/LONDON, June 8 (Reuters) - Britain and the United States backed a new "Atlantic Declaration" on Thursday for greater cooperation on pressing economic challenges in areas like clean energy, critical minerals and artificial intelligence. The joint declaration described the partnership as the "first of its kind" in covering the broad spectrum of the two countries' economic, technological, commercial and trade relations. Under the plan, Britain and the United States will strengthen their supply chains, develop technologies of the future and invest in one another's industries, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office said. The two nations will also begin negotiations on a critical minerals agreement, which would allow some UK firms to access tax credits available under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. Britain and the United States will also co-operate on telecoms technology including 5G and 6G and quantum technologies, the Atlantic Declaration said.

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, Joe Biden, Biden, Trevor Hunnicutt, Alistair Smout, Sachin Ravikumar, William Schomberg, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, United, British, Britain, Sunak, U.S, Thomson Locations: LONDON, Britain, United States, Washington, U.S

☆ UK government says it is meeting with food bosses over high prices — but denies it will impose caps
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The government is reportedly in discussions with supermarkets over voluntary price caps on some items. "The government is not considering imposing price caps. Any scheme to help bring down food prices for consumers would be voluntary," a government spokesperson told CNBC by email. "We know the pressure households are under with rising costs and while inflation is coming down, food prices remain stubbornly high. That's why the prime minister and the chancellor have been meeting with the food sector to see what more can be done."

☆ UK govt to ask supermarkets to cap prices of basic food items - Telegraph
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 28 (Reuters) - The British government is looking at plans to have retailers cap the prices of basic food items such as bread and milk, the Telegraph reported, as the cost of such essentials continued to rise in the double digits. However, asked about such price controls, health minister Steve Barclay told BBC TV it was "not my understanding" on Sunday. 10 Office is in talks with supermarkets on a deal similar to one in France where major retailers charge the "lowest possible amount", the Telegraph reported on Saturday. Major supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury's have announced price cuts on some food items in recent weeks. High food prices are a direct result of the soaring cost of energy, transport, and labour, as well as higher prices paid to food manufacturers and farmers," BRC's Andrew Opie said.

☆ German carmakers call for post-Brexit rules to be postponed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, May 18 (Reuters) - Germany's powerful auto industry association is urging the European Union and Britain to postpone post-Brexit rules it says would hamper the transition to electric vehicles, potentially boosting the hand of UK-based carmakers calling for the same. Under the trade deal agreed when Britain left the EU, 45% of the value of an electric vehicle (EV) sold in the EU must come from Britain or the EU from 2024 to avoid tariffs. Tariffs both on exports to Britain and imports from it would be "a significant competitive disadvantage for the European car industry in relation to its Asian competitors in the so important UK market", it said. "We hope to be able to come to a resolution with the EU on this," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson told reporters on Wednesday. Reporting by Christoph Steitz Writing by Sarah Marsh Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Zelenskyy has been banned from speaking at the Eurovision Song Contest because broadcasters fear he would politicize the event
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Major European broadcasters have blocked Zelenskyy from speaking at Eurovision this weekend. A spokesperson for Zelenskyy denied that he had asked to speak at the event, AP reported. "The Eurovision Song Contest is an international entertainment show and governed by strict rules and principles which have been established since its creation. "We believe that this is the best way to reflect and celebrate Ukraine's Eurovision Song Contest win and show we are united by music during these hard times," the broadcasting union said, according to AP. Both the Oscars in March and the Toronto Film Festival in September denied Zelenskyy's requests to speak.

☆ Britain ditches commitment to remove all EU laws by the end of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 10 (Reuters) - Britain no longer intends to remove all European Union laws by the end of 2023 and instead will amend the retained EU law (REUL) bill to clarify the laws it intends to revoke this year, the government said. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said in January the government would not extend an end-of-year deadline to replace all the European Union laws that were retained after Britain left the bloc in 2020. But on Wednesday, business and trade minister Kemi Badenoch said that rather than automatically revoking almost all retained EU law, the government would amend the bill to propose to revoke only about 600 out of around 4,000 retained EU laws. "Today the Government is tabling an amendment... which will replace the current sunset in the Bill with a list of the retained EU laws that we intend to revoke under the Bill at the end of 2023," Badenoch said in a ministerial statement. Badenoch said that 1,000 EU laws had already been revoked or reformed since Britain left the EU in 2020, and a financial services bill would revoke a further 500 pieces of retained law.

☆ Jill Biden visits UK's Downing Street ahead of King Charles' coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Akshata Murty, the wife of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with U.S. first lady Jill Biden at Downing Street in London, Britain May 5, 2023. REUTERS/Peter NichollsLONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - U.S. First Lady Jill Biden met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty at Downing Street on Friday as she visited London to represent the United States at King Charles' coronation. Jill Biden, 71, will visit a local school on Friday afternoon along with Murty before meeting staff at the U.S. embassy and King Charles at a reception in Buckingham Palace. U.S. President Joe Biden has faced some criticism, notably from his predecessor and potential 2024 election rival Donald Trump, for skipping Charles' coronation. Biden visited Belfast and Ireland last month to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace pact.

☆ Rishi Sunak’s party just took a pounding in UK local elections. The road to recovery is steep
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And they made grim viewing for a man hoping to lead his Conservative Party back to power in just over a year’s time at the next UK general election. With nearly three-quarters of results declared by late afternoon on Friday, the Conservatives had shed 35 local authorities and more than 600 councilors. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party suffered a drubbing at local elections. They are downplaying the local elections and pointing out that Labour would still need a swing bigger than Tony Blair achieved in 1997 to win a majority of just one seat. The Conservative Party has developed a taste for regicide since 2016.

☆ UK Conservatives suffering 'terrible' night with local election losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Peter CziborraLONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives were facing a bleak set of local election results with voters punishing his party over political scandals, sluggish economic growth and high inflation, early results showed on Friday. The Conservative Party suffered a net loss of 144 seats on local councils that were up for re-election, the early results showed. Johnny Mercer, a member of parliament for the area, said it had been a "terrible" night for the Conservatives. The Labour leader Keir Starmer visited Plymouth and Stoke-on-Trent during local election campaigning as the party threw resources into winning back control of the councils. The last time most of these local election seats were contested was in 2019 when the Conservatives lost more 1,300 seats, shortly before the then prime minister Theresa May was forced to resign, which had been expected to help limit the losses in these elections.

☆ Morning Bid: Apple comforts as payrolls loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Apple upped its dividend and authorized another $90 billion share repurchase program, same as a year ago. Apple's stock has outperformed most of Wall Street in 2023, up 28% year-to-date. After a torrid 2022, that narrow index is up 35% so far this year - far outstripping the Nasdaq 100's (.NDX) 18% gain and accounting for the bulk of the more modest 6% rise in the S&P500 <.S&P500>. And after three hefty daily retreats in a row for the S&P500 this week, futures are up 0.4% ahead of Friday's open. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Search resuls for: "Rishi Sunak's"

25 mentions found