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☆ In Global Elections, Strongmen Are Taken Down a Notch
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In India, a powerful leader wins another term but sees his party’s majority vanish. In South Africa, the governing party is humbled by voters for the first time since the end of apartheid. In Britain, a populist insurgent barges into an election that is shaping up to be a crushing defeat for the long-ruling Conservatives. If there is a common thread halfway through this global year of elections, it is a desire by voters to send a strong signal to the powers that be — if not quite a wholesale housecleaning, then a defiant shake-up of the status quo. For years, populist and strongmen leaders have chipped away at democratic institutions, sowing doubts about the legitimacy of elections, while social media has swamped voters with disinformation and conspiracy theories.

Persons: Claudia Sheinbaum, Andrés Manuel López Obrador Locations: India, South Africa, Britain, Mexico

☆ As Challenges Pile Up, a Spate of Summitry Spotlights Western Resolve
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Western leaders are embarking on an extraordinary stretch of summitry this week, which could give them a chance to project unity to adversaries who increasingly view the West as something to be defied, disregarded or even repudiated. On one level, D-Day and NATO are inspiring bookends: the first, a nostalgic commemoration of the Allied victory over Nazi tyranny; the second, a 75th birthday party for the alliance that grew out of the ashes of World War II. In between, there is a Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland and a Group of 7 leaders’ summit in Italy. Yet beneath the pride and pomp, there will be nagging doubts, not least about the direction of American politics. President Biden will travel to France and Italy (he is expected to skip the Switzerland forum), but he is squeezing in the diplomacy amid an election-year battle against former President Donald J. Trump, whose victory in November would call into question the very survival of the alliance that Western leaders are spending so much time celebrating.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump Organizations: NATO Locations: Normandy, Washington, Ukraine, Gaza, China, United States, Switzerland, ’, Italy, France

☆ Buying a home in retirement: Here’s what it takes for retirees to get a mortgage
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Lenders’ chief focus will be on your ability to repay your mortgage with your various sources of non-paycheck income. “When you qualify for a mortgage, it’s all based on your income,” said Melissa Cohn, regional vice president at William Raveis Mortgage. That ratio falls to between 43% and 45% if you’re taking out a jumbo loan, she added. What you should consider before taking out a mortgageEven before seeking a mortgage, get a good grasp on your expected monthly income and expenses in retirement. To get the truest reading on what makes financial sense, compare mortgage expenses to your investment returns on an after-tax basis, Stork noted.

Persons: ”, Jim Stork, homebuyers, you’ve, Melissa Cohn, we’ll, Fannie Mae, ” Cohn, Cohn, Mark Luscombe, Cohen, Lori Trawinski, Trawinski, you’re, Stork, ” Stork Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Association of Realtors, William, Mortgage, Social Security, Wolters, Kluwer, Accounting, AARP Locations: New York, Illinois, Florida

☆ Ignore Nvidia's '2000-like valuation' and ride the market's AI-driven momentum by making these 8 hot investments, according to a rally-calling professional trader
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Ironically, Salama sympathizes with Nvidia skeptics about the company's valuation, which he said is in "nosebleed territory." Stocks will shatter expectations — and recordsLike AI-focused companies, US stocks aren't cheap but can continue to charge higher. Other investments to consider are companies tied to AI champion Nvidia, including server builder Super Micro Computer (SMCI) and venerable computer company Dell (DELL). AdvertisementOutside AI, Salama is incredibly bullish about bitcoin (BTC) during its mammoth rally and companies tied to cryptocurrencies, including Coinbase (COIN) and Robinhood (HOOD).

Persons: —, Leon Cooperman, Cooperman, that's, John Salama, Salama, Salama's, doesn't, OpenAI Organizations: Service, Nvidia, Business, Trading, Microsoft, Apple, Micro, Dell, Coinbase Locations: bitcoin

☆ Sometimes U.S. and U.K. Politics Seem in Lock Step. Not This Year.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Conservative British prime minister sets the date for a long-awaited vote in the early summer and the United States follows with a momentous presidential election a few months later. It happened in 2016, when Britons voted for Brexit and Americans elected Donald J. Trump, and now it’s happening again. Political soothsayers might be tempted to study the results of Britain’s July 4 general election for clues about how the United States might vote on Nov. 5. “We’re just in a very different place politically than the U.S. right now,” said Robert Ford, a professor of politics at the University of Manchester. The Conservatives have been in power for 14 years, he noted, Brexit has faded as a political issue, and there is no British equivalent of Mr. Trump.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Trump’s, Joseph R, Biden, “ We’re, ”, Robert Ford, Brexit Organizations: Conservative, Brexit, European Union, Labour Party, Conservatives, Democratic, Republican, University of Manchester Locations: Conservative British, United States, U.S

☆ ‘It sucks for all of us.’ Charles Barkley says the quiet part aloud as TNT’s NBA future in doubt
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The situation at Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT network “sucks, plain and simple,” Charles Barkley bluntly said Thursday. Barkley, who said he feels “so bad for the people” he works with, laid blame at the feet of the “clowns” atop WBD. Wall Street has responded quite negatively to the possibility WBD, which has built a programming slate around the NBA, could lose the rights to air the games. And TNT has built a programming slate around the NBA games, most notably the highly rated “Inside the NBA” show. Losing the rights to NBA games could throw aspects of that business partnership into question.

Persons: ” Charles Barkley, NBA ”, Dan Patrick, ”, Barkley, ” Barkley, David Zaslav’s, Adam Silver, Turner, Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, WBD, “, Shaw, ” Shaw, Joe Flint, Amol Sharma, Isabella Simonetti, Zaslav, Venu, That’s, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Wiedenfels, ” Wiedenfels, there’s, you’ve Organizations: CNN, Warner Bros, TNT, NBA, Turner, Comcast, WSJ, WBD, NCAA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, College Football, ESPN —, Disney, Fox Corp, Morgan’s Technology, Media & Communications Locations: WBD

☆ Sunak Says U.K. Won’t Send Asylum Seekers to Rwanda Before Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In calling a general election, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain cast himself this week as a leader with a clear plan. That did not include carrying an umbrella during his remarks in front of 10 Downing Street, where Mr. Sunak was drenched in a spring shower that yielded a flood of snarky headlines. “Drowning Street,” said the tabloid City A.M. “Drown & out,” cried The Daily Mirror. Mr. Sunak signaled that his government’s signature political project — putting asylum seekers on one-way flights to Rwanda — would not be set in motion before voters went to the polls on July 4. Speaking to the BBC, Mr. Sunak cited the Rwanda policy to draw a sharp contrast with the opposition Labour Party, which he accused of having no plan to stop asylum seekers who make hazardous crossings of the English Channel in small boats.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, ”, “, Rwanda — Organizations: Downing, Daily Telegraph, BBC, Labour Party Locations: Rwanda

☆ Nigel Farage to Skip U.K. Election So He Can Focus on Helping Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Mark Landler | More About Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Nigel Farage, the broadcaster and populist politician who championed Brexit, said on Thursday that he would not run for a seat in the British Parliament in a general election on July 4, preferring to focus on helping former President Donald J. Trump recapture the White House in November. Mr. Farage’s announcement is likely to be a modest relief for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party, since Mr. Farage’s current party, Reform UK, is viewed as a significant threat to the Conservatives from the right. But Mr. Farage said he would “do my bit” to help Reform, which plans to field a slate of candidates in the election, running on an anti-immigration message. “Important though the general election is,” Mr. Farage posted on social media, “the contest in the United States of America on Nov. 5 has huge global significance. Mr. Trump once suggested that the British government appoint Mr. Farage as ambassador to Washington.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Brexit, Donald J, Trump, Rishi Sunak, Farage, ” Mr, Mr Organizations: House, Mr, Conservative Party, Reform, Conservatives Locations: United States, America, U.S.A, British, Palm Beach, Mar, Washington

☆ Sunak Announces U.K. Elections for July 4, Months Earlier Than Expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain on Wednesday called a snap general election for July 4, throwing the fate of his embattled Conservative Party to a restless British public that appears eager for change after 14 years of Conservative government. But the Tories have discarded four prime ministers in eight years, lurching through the serial chaos of Brexit, the coronavirus pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis. With the opposition Labour Party ahead in most polls by double digits for the last 18 months, a Conservative defeat has come to assume an air of inevitability. “Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future,” Mr. Sunak said as pelting rain drenched his suit jacket. The choice for voters, he said, was to “build on the future you’ve made or risk going back to square one.”

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak’s, Barack Obama, ” Mr, Sunak, ” Organizations: Conservative Party, Conservative, Downing, Labour Party Locations: British, Britain

☆ Prince Harry Cannot Include Rupert Murdoch in Lawsuit, Court Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prince Harry was dealt a setback in his long-running legal campaign against Britain’s tabloids on Tuesday after a high court rejected a bid to draw Rupert Murdoch into allegations about how Mr. Murdoch’s London papers dug up personal details about him and later concealed or destroyed evidence of it. Justice Timothy Fancourt ruled that lawyers for Harry and about 40 other plaintiffs could not amend their complaint against News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, to include Mr. Murdoch, the 93-year-old media mogul who controls the company, as well as other senior News Group executives. “There is a desire on the part of those running the litigation on the claimants’ side to shoot at ‘trophy’ targets, whether those are political issues or high-profile individuals,” Justice Fancourt declared in the 284-page ruling. “This cannot become an end in itself. That rules out allegations of actions targeted at his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, or his wife, Meghan.

Persons: Prince Harry, Rupert Murdoch, Murdoch’s, Timothy Fancourt, Harry, Murdoch, Fancourt, ”, Harry’s, Diana, Princess of Wales, Meghan Organizations: News Group Newspapers, The, News Group Locations: Murdoch’s London

☆ US and Philippine Marines train in seizing and defending key terrain near Taiwan's south coast in a show of force against China
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Drew F. Lawrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

They were operating in Northern Luzon and the Batanes Islands, Philippine territory north of the mainland — key terrain for a potential conflict with China. The mission, known as maritime key terrain security operations, or MKTSO, was practice for that conflict, but had real-world implications. It was a show of force headed by elements of the Marine Corps ' newest Pacific-oriented unit: the Marine littoral regiment, or MLR. AdvertisementUS Marines prepare to load onto a UH-60 Black Hawk for the maritime key terrain security operations event at Paredes Air Station, Philippines. Malia SparksThose units were joined by a rifle company, also a joint-nation element, with the ability to seize and defend key terrain in the event of conflict.

Persons: —, Army Chinooks, Cpl, Malia Sparks, Maj, Robert Patterson, Military.com, Mark Lenzi, Lenzi, Patterson, Marine corporals Organizations: Service, Marine Corps, Business, Philippine Marines, Army, UH, Paredes Air, US Marine Corps, Philippine Marine, US Army UH, 3rd, Combat, Marines, Enhanced, US Army CH, Marine, United Locations: Taiwan, Northern Luzon, Philippine, China, Philippines, Itbayat, United States

☆ Kari Lake wants to look forward as abortion keeps dominating the conversation in Arizona
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Arit John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

For Arizona Republicans, the resurgence of the state’s Civil War-era abortion ban was a political catastrophe that threatened to tip competitive races toward Democrats. In March 2022, in the midst of the midterm election and months before the US Supreme Court’s June Dobbs decision ended federal protections for abortion, Arizona Republican Gov. A handful of prominent Senate Republicans have visited Arizona to fundraise and campaign with her. To cut all that in half, at least we’re going in the right direction.”A political mistakeAs Democrats focus on abortion, Lake has focused on the border, crime and the economy. During her last campaign Lake famously alienated the wing of the party loyal to the late Sen. John McCain.

Persons: Kari Lake, Ruben Gallego, “, Kari Lake’s, Hannah Goss, she’s, Trump, She’s, ”, Arizonans, Stan Barnes, Dobbs, Doug Ducey, Katie Hobbs, Timmaraju, Hobbs, Gallego, adjourns, Joe Biden’s, Lake hasn’t, litigating, –, Arizona Sen, Jon Kyl, Karrin Taylor Robson –, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, South Dakota Sen, John Thune, Lake, Alex, Andorra Nicoll, Fitzgerald swaddled, Fitz, ” Alex Nicoll, We’ve, Brandi Weed, Weed, They’ve, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Biden, Riley, Francis Chung, “ Ruben Gallego, ” Goss, “ Kari Lake, ” Gallego, Sean Noble, “ He’s, won’t, ” Noble, Sen, John McCain, Seth Leibsohn, Leibsohn Organizations: CNN, Democratic Rep, GOP, Arizona Republicans, Democrats, Senate, Arizona Legislature, Arizona Republican, US, Arizona Republican Gov, Lake, Democratic, Arizona Supreme, Trump, Republicans, National Republican, Pinal County Sheriff, South Dakota, United States Senate, Washington DC, Arizona State University, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Phoenix Mayor, ”, Natural Resources, Capitol, POLITICO, AP, Arizona Democrats, Harvard, Marine Reserves, PAC, Republican Locations: Arizona, Pinal County, fundraise, Washington, Mesa, Iraq, an Arizona

☆ Britain to Expel Russian Defense Attaché and Close Some Diplomatic Sites
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s diplomatic feud with Russia escalated on Wednesday after the British government announced it would expel a senior Russian diplomat who officials claim is an “undeclared” military intelligence officer, and also shut down several Russian diplomatic facilities in the country. The government accused Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the Federal Security Service, or F.S.B., of a pattern of “malign activity” in Britain and Europe, including hacking and leaking trade documents relating to the United States, and targeting of British lawmakers through malicious email campaigns. James Cleverly, the British home secretary, told Parliament that the government was announcing the retaliatory measures “to make clear to Russia that we will not tolerate such apparent escalations.”Britain’s action came two days after the Russian Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the British ambassador to Moscow to lodge a “strong protest” over remarks the British foreign secretary, David Cameron, had made about Ukraine’s using weapons supplied by Britain to strike Russian territory.

Persons: James, ”, David Cameron Organizations: Federal Security Service, Russian Foreign Ministry Locations: Russia, British, Russian, Britain, Europe, United States, Moscow

☆ Garrick Club of London Votes to Accept Female Members for First Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

One of London’s oldest, most celebrated men’s clubs, the Garrick, voted on Tuesday to admit women as members, according to two members. The vote ended a decades-long dispute that had divided the club, generated multiple conflicting legal arguments and made life acutely awkward for some of its most prominent members. Some members had said they planned to swiftly nominate a slate of prominent women, including the actress Judi Dench and the classics scholar Mary Beard. The club did not comment on the meeting, which lasted almost two hours, or the results of the vote, and the members asked not to be identified because they had been asked not to discuss it. They said the debate had been civil, and the vote, which was conducted electronically, had been conducted briskly.

Persons: Garrick, —, Judi Dench, Mary Beard

☆ Rishi Sunak’s Dismal Task: Leading U.K. Conservatives to Likely Defeat
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A few days before Britain’s Conservative Party suffered a stinging setback in local elections on Thursday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recorded a short video to promote some good news from his government. In the eight-second clip, Mr. Sunak poured milk from a pint bottle into a tall glass, filled with a steaming dark beverage and bearing the scribbled figure of 900 pounds on the side. “Pay day is coming,” Mr. Sunak posted, referring to the savings that an average wage earner would supposedly reap from a cut in mandatory contributions to Britain’s national insurance system. However partisan her jab, loser is a label that Mr. Sunak is finding increasingly hard to shake, even among his members of his own party. In the 18 months since he replaced his failed predecessor, Liz Truss, Mr. Sunak, 43, has lost seven special parliamentary elections and back-to-back local elections.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, ” Mr, Sunak, He’d, Angela Rayner, Liz Truss Organizations: Britain’s Conservative Party, Labour

☆ Markets worry Treasury yields could jump back to levels that sparked chaos last October
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield is hovering below levels that caused a massive crash last fall. Yet, persistent inflation and weak Treasury auctions could boost yields past the 5% mark. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. That's why Treasury auctions have become attention-grabbers for markets, as investors watch to see if there are enough willing buyers. The dangers of 5%When 10-year yields broke through the 5% mark last fall, traders panicked and the S&P 500 nosedived nearly 6% from October's peak-to-trough.

Persons: —, That's, Treasurys, Bill Gross, Ed Yardeni, Eric Sterner, Yardeni, hasn't, they're, Goldman Sachs, Sterner Organizations: Service, Treasury, Business, Treasury Department, Federal, Yardeni Research, Investment, SEI, Apollon Wealth Management

☆ Trump’s bombardment of dishonesty: Fact-checking 32 of his false claims to Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +43 min

We’re paying for close to 100% of NATO.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. They don’t pay their bills.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. (It rose to about $314 billion in 2020, Trump’s last full year in office.) Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. Facts First: Trump’s claim that “nobody died other than Ashli” is false.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, “, William Barr, Bill Barr, Barr, Bill, I’m, ”, it’s, Biden, Joe Biden, Tamar Hermann, Hermann, Bill Clinton, “ Trump, ” Trump, …, National Guard Trump, I’ve, George Floyd, Tim Walz, Walz, Paul —, –, Erwan, George Washington, “ don’t, they’re, Stoltenberg, Trump’s, Lagadec, Marc Lipsitch, Barack Obama, European Union won’t, Cortellessa, “ Moody’s, Moody’s, Mark Zandi, Zandi, ’ ” Zandi, Joe Biden’s, rioter Ashli Babbitt, Brian Sicknick, Sicknick, Trump’s ‘, patriotically, ‘, patriotically ’, ” Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “ Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, Christopher Miller, Miller, Eric Cortellessa, Alvin Bragg’s, Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, Alvin Bragg, ” Cortellessa, Hillary Clinton, —, Roe, Wade, Kimberly Mutcherson, “ Donald Trump’s, Maya Manian, Mary Ziegler, Davis, Ziegler, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Roe should’ve, ’, Crime Biden, don’t, “ Biden, he’s, James Biden, Jeff Asher, Asher, It’s, ” “, ” Asher Organizations: Washington CNN, Time, Trump, NATO, Capitol, Trump’s, Trade Center, didn’t, World Trade Center, Department, ISIS, CNN, Democratic, White House, White, South Korea Trump, Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data, Biden Administration, Congressional Research Service, Israel, Israeli Democracy Institute, National Guard, Minnesota Democratic Gov, Minnesota National Guard, Guard, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Transatlantic, for Disease Control, World Bank, Washington Post, Harvard, Harvard’s, National, Trump -, of Health, Human Services, Strategic, Biden, U.S . International Trade Commission, European, Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, European Union, US, European Automobile Manufacturers ’ Association, Bloomberg Economics, US Capitol Police, Capitol Police, “, Republican, Democratic Rep, National Guardsmen, District of Columbia National Guard, Army, Capitol Police Board, Senate, Justice Department, Pulitzer Foundation, Pulitzer, New York Times, Electoral, Democrat, ” Rutgers Law, American University, university’s Health, University of California, ”, Customs, Border Protection, Crime, Manchurian, Republicans, FBI Locations: “, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Mexico, South Korea, Trump , South Korea, South, Korea, Israel, Washington, Trump , Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Trump, Minnesota, St, United States, Germany, Brussels, Belgium, Harvard University, China, EU, DC, Trump’s, ”, York, Manhattan, York’s, Russia, That’s

☆ Kenya floods: Anger mounts as people left homeless and searching for loved ones swept away in floods
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Larry Madowo | Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Mai Mahiu, Kenya CNN —When Julia Wanjiku put her son Isaac to bed last Sunday after a day celebrating his third birthday, she didn’t realize she was also saying goodbye. She was among the survivors gathering at Ngeya Girls High School in Mai Mahiu on Tuesday. A damaged car buried in mud in an area heavily affected by torrential rains and flash floods in the village of Kamuchiri, near Mai Mahiu, on April 29. Luis Tato/AFP via Getty ImagesPeople removing mud and water from their house in Mai Mahiu, Kenya, on April 29. Rescuers carry the body of a young man recovered in the debris following flooding, in Mai Mahiu, Kenya.

Persons: Mai Mahiu, Kenya CNN —, Julia Wanjiku, Isaac, Wanjiku, — Isaac, “, ” Wanjiku, Isaac’s, Mai Mahui, It’s, Luis Tato, El, William Ruto, Kithure Kindiki, Isaac Mwaura, ” Ruto, Mark Laichena, ”, Simon Maina, Mwaura, Nyagoah Tut, James Wakibia, Joyce Kimutai, herder, Makau, “ I’m, ” Larry Madowo, Laura Paddison, CNN’s Louis Mian, Allison Chinchar, Mary Gilbert Organizations: Kenya CNN, CNN, Girls High School, Getty, Getty Images, “, Kenyan, Space Agency European Space Agency, European Space Agency, Isaac Mwaura ., Communities, United Arab Emirates, Rights Watch, Kenya Meteorological Department, Human Rights Watch, Rescuers, Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute Locations: Kenya, Mai, Kenya’s, Nairobi, Mai Mahiu, Kamuchiri, AFP, Getty Images Kenya, Garissa, Tanzania, Tana, Mathare, New York, El, Nyagoah Tut Pur, Africa, East Africa, London

Britain’s Conservative Party suffered striking early setbacks on Friday in local elections that are viewed as a barometer for how the party will perform in a coming general election and a key test for the embattled prime minister, Rishi Sunak. Only a minority of the results had been announced by early Friday, but already the signs were ominous, if not unexpected, for Mr. Sunak’s Conservatives, who have trailed the opposition Labour Party by double digits in national polls for 18 months. The Conservatives have lost more than 120 seats so far, including six in Hartlepool, in northeast England, where the Conservatives had made inroads after Brexit but have more recently lost ground to the resurgent Labour Party. Labour also won a special election for a parliamentary seat in Blackpool South, a seaside district, in a huge swing of votes away from the Conservatives, who had held the seat but narrowly missed finishing third, behind Reform U.K., a small right-wing party. The previous Tory member of Parliament, Scott Benton, resigned in March after becoming embroiled in a lobbying scandal.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Scott Benton Organizations: Britain’s Conservative Party, Sunak’s Conservatives, Labour Party, Conservatives, Labour, Blackpool, Reform Locations: Hartlepool, England

☆ A Portrait Artist Fit for a King (but Not a President)
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Mark Landler | More About Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Few famous Britons, it seems, can resist the chance to be painted by Jonathan Yeo. Yet when it came to painting his latest portrait, of King Charles III, the artist had to go to the subject. Mr. Yeo rented a truck to transport his 7.5-by-5.5-foot canvas to the king’s London residence, Clarence House. There, he erected a platform so he could apply the final brushstrokes to the strikingly contemporary portrait, which depicts a uniformed Charles against an ethereal background. The painting, which will be unveiled at Buckingham Palace in mid-May, is the first large-scale rendering of Charles since he became king.

Persons: Jonathan Yeo, David Attenborough, Yeo, King Charles III, Clarence House, Charles Locations: West London, Buckingham

☆ U.K. Conservatives Hold Their Breath: How Bad Will Local Elections Be?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Mark Landler | More About Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When voters in England and Wales go to the polls on Thursday to elect mayors and local council members, the outcome will inevitably be seen as a barometer for Britain’s coming general election. Given the sour public mood and the Conservative Party’s dire poll ratings, the storm clouds are already forming. The big question is not whether the governing Conservatives will lose seats — that is a foregone conclusion among pollsters — but whether the losses will exceed or fall short of expectations after 18 months in which the Tories have consistently trailed the opposition Labour Party by yawning margins. “If a party has been 20 points behind the opposition for 18 months, how much worse can it get?” said Tony Travers, a professor of politics at the London School of Economics. “The losses would have to be very, very bad for it to be viewed as a negative result for the Conservatives, and they are unlikely to be good enough for Labour for it to be viewed as a success.”

Persons: pollsters, ”, Tony Travers Organizations: Wales, Conservative, Conservatives, Tories, Labour Party, London School of Economics, Labour Locations: England

☆ The global economic activity is picking up in Europe and China, says Janney's Mark Luschini
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe global economic activity is picking up in Europe and China, says Janney's Mark LuschiniMark Luschini, Janney Montgomery chief investment strategist, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss the markets, Fed, and jobs numbers.

Persons: Mark Luschini Mark Luschini, Janney Organizations: Fed Locations: Europe, China, Janney Montgomery

☆ Stocks could have further to fall in May after this month’s market woes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The S & P 500 is down by more than 3% this month, though it has still registered a more than 6% advance for the year. But many investors worry stocks have further to go before finding a durable bottom. They say stocks look overvalued even after the recent pullback, and they cite troubling headwinds for equities. 'Sell in May and go away' May has a reputation as a historically weak month for stocks. Carson Group's Ryan Detrick noted that stocks have actually been higher in May during the last nine out of 10 years.

Persons: Mark Luschini, Janney Montgomery Scott, Jeff Hirsch, he's, It's, Hirsch, Carson Group's Ryan Detrick, we've Organizations: Investors, Dow Jones Industrial, Dow, Treasury Bond ETF

In this article JPY= Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTThe Japanese yen has weakened significantly against the dollar in 2022. Stanislav Kogiku | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty ImagesThe Japanese yen weakened to 160 against the U.S. dollar in Monday morning trading in Asia. The yen briefly touched 160.03 against the dollar, the weakest level since April 1990 when it touched 160.15, according to FactSet data. The yen has traded around 150 or weaker against the dollar since the Bank of Japan ended its negative interest rate regime in March. Japanese authorities have repeatedly warned against "excessive" moves in the yen, but have made no official announcements about bolstering the currency.

Persons: Stanislav Kogiku, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Vincent Chung, Rowe Price's, Chung Organizations: U.S, greenback, Bank of Japan Locations: Asia

☆ As the U.K. Tries Moving Asylum Seekers Offshore, Ireland Pushes Back
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s newly ratified plan to put asylum seekers on one-way flights to Rwanda has drawn objections from human rights groups, British and European courts, the House of Lords and even some members of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party. The Irish government said last week that asylum seekers in Britain who fear being deported to Rwanda are instead traveling to Ireland. Irish officials estimate that 80 percent of recent applicants for asylum crossed into the country via Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and with which the Republic of Ireland has an open border. That suggests that Britain’s vow to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is already having something of a deterrent effect, which was Mr. Sunak’s sales pitch for the policy. On Sunday, Ireland’s prime minister, Simon Harris, said, “This country will not in any way, shape or form provide a loophole for anybody else’s migration challenges.”

Persons: Rishi, Simon Harris, ” Organizations: Conservative Party, Northern Ireland Locations: Rwanda, Ireland, Britain, Northern, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ukraine

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