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☆ Should Olaf Scholz Step Aside in the New Race for German Chancellor?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Christopher F. Schuetze | Jim Tankersley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Earlier this month, as he prepared to give one of the most important speeches of his political career, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany appeared before Parliament in a suit that appeared at least a size or two too large. Mr. Scholz has never seemed a natural fit as chancellor. He was an unlikely selection to lead his Social Democratic Party four years ago. Now, his popularity has sunk, his government has broken up, and Mr. Scholz finds himself fighting for his political life. Mr. Biden eventually stepped aside, and his replacement on the ballot, Vice President Kamala Harris, lost in November to former President Donald J. Trump.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Germany, Scholz, —, Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald J, Trump Organizations: Social Democratic Party, Democratic Party

☆ As Major Hurricane Approaches Florida, FEMA Faces Severe Staffing Shortage
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Christopher Flavelle | More About Christopher Flavelle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is running out of staff to deal with the potential devastation of Hurricane Milton as it barreled toward Tampa with wind speeds that reached 175 miles per hour. As of Monday morning, just 9 percent of FEMA’s personnel, or 1,217 people, were available to respond to the hurricane or other disasters, according to the agency’s daily operations briefing. To put that into context: Over the previous five years, one-quarter of the agency’s staff was available for deployment at this point in the hurricane season. The agency said Monday afternoon that it is well equipped to handle the strains. “FEMA is built for this,” said Leiloni Stainsby, the agency’s deputy associate administrator for response and recovery.

Persons: Hurricane Milton, —, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, ”, Leiloni Stainsby Organizations: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hurricane, FEMA Locations: Hurricane, Tampa, Houston, Florida, Puerto Rico

High risk of natural disaster and extreme heat For two decades, they’ve also been some of the most popular places to move as Americans have flocked to the South and West. Much of Vermont, which is not highlighted as high risk in the maps above, saw devastating flooding last year following a record-breaking storm. Jacksonville Tallahassee Gainesville Daytona Beach Orlando Tampa HIGH HURRICANE WIND RISK Sarasota The Tampa metro area has been one of the fastest growing in the country. Many of these new residents have settled in coastal communities that are at high risk for hurricanes. Dallas-Fort Worth sits in an area at high risk for serious thunderstorms, hailstorms and tornadoes.

☆ UK coal-burning for electricity to end as last power plant shuts down
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Story Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Britain’s last coal-fired power plant will close on Monday, ending 142 years of coal-generated electricity in the nation that sparked the Industrial Revolution. The Ratcliffe-on-Soar station in central England is to finish its final shift at midnight, after more than half a century of turning coal into power. The UK government hailed the closure as a milestone in efforts to generate all of Britain’s energy from renewable sources by 2030. We owe generations a debt of gratitude as a country.”An aerial view of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station emitting steam on January 10, 2024 in Nottingham, England. An archive image dated to 1964 of Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station under construction.

Persons: CNN —, Ratcliffe, Uniper, Michael Shanks, Christopher Furlong, ”, Thomas Edison’s, Dhara Vyas, ” Vyas Organizations: CNN, Britain, Energy, Thomas Edison’s Edison, National Grid Locations: Soar, England, Sweden, Belgium, Nottingham, London, Uniper

☆ Oasis announce US tour dates
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —To borrow from one of their song titles, Oasis has decided to “Acquiesce” to their North American fans who want to get in on their reunion tour. The British rock band has announced an expansion of their 2025 tour, which now includes dates in the US. “Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing model will not be applied to the forthcoming sale of tickets to Oasis concerts in North America,” a statement from the band’s management shared on Instgagram reads. Presale registration for the North American tour is currently available on Oasis’ website until Tuesday at 8 a.m ET, while the general ticket sale will begin at noon Friday local time. The band plans to also tour outside of Europe and North America.

Persons: Oasis, ”, Liam, Noel Gallagher, Christopher Furlong Organizations: CNN, North, Oasis, Rogers, Ireland, Markets Authority, CMA, Ticketmaster, ” CNN, North American Locations: British, America, Toronto , Ontario, Chicago , Illinois, East Rutherford , New Jersey, Los Angeles , California, Mexico City, Mexico, North America, Manchester, England, Europe

☆ Billions aren’t eating enough of 7 critical nutrients, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But more than half the global population isn’t eating enough of these and five other nutrients also crucial for human health, according to a new study. More than 5 billion people don’t consume enough iodine, vitamin E or calcium, found the study published August 29 in the journal The Lancet Global Health. Billions of people don’t consume enough of at least seven micronutrients present in hundreds of foods, according to a new study. For these reasons, the research team estimated the prevalence of inadequate intakes of 15 micronutrients among 185 countries, or 99.3% of the population. “Therefore, iodine might be the only nutrient for which inadequate intake from food is largely overestimated,” the authors said, referring to their findings.

Persons: ”, Christopher Free, haven’t, didn’t, Ty Beal, Lauren Sastre, Sastre, wasn’t, “, ” Sastre Organizations: CNN, Marine Science Institute, Bren School of Environmental Science, Management, University of California, Database, Global Alliance, Improved Nutrition, Clinic, East Carolina University, UNICEF Locations: Santa Barbara, India, Asia, Saharan Africa, Swiss, North Carolina

☆ Drinking Water Is at Risk in Parts of Long Island, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Christopher Flavelle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The supply of drinking water for parts of Long Island is under threat, according to a new federal report. The report found that the groundwater in some coastal areas of Nassau County, a major suburb of New York City, is increasingly turning salty. That shift, called saltwater intrusion, is the result of decades of pumping fresh water out of wells for homes and irrigation, creating space for saltwater from the ocean to seep into the underground aquifers once filled with freshwater. The change could take generations to reverse, even if pumping stopped altogether, according to the report. And it could force coastal areas — including Long Beach, Great Neck and Oyster Bay — to look for new supplies of drinking water, possibly by digging wells further inland, which could put new pressure on those places as well.

Persons: ”, Frederick Stumm, “ Organizations: U.S . Geological Survey Locations: Long, Nassau County, New York City

Thierry Breton, France's European Union commissioner for internal market and consumer protection, industry, research and energy. Billed as an unscripted conversation by Musk, the Spaces session will be one of the few campaign events Trump does this week. Breton warned Musk that the EU was prepared to "make full use of our toolbox" to protect EU citizens from "serious harm." Getty Images | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesSince then, Musk has made a series of incendiary comments about the situation in the U.K. on X. Riot police officers push back anti-migration protesters outside on Aug. 4, 2024 in Rotherham, U.K. Christopher Furlong | Getty Images

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Apu Gomes, Linda Yaccarino, Thierry Breton, Yaccarino, Donald Trump, Musk, Kamala Harris, Keir Starmer, Ashlea Simon, Peter Kyle, Christopher Furlong Organizations: SpaceX, X Holdings Corp, Milken Institute's Global, Beverly Hilton Hotel, Getty, European, X Corp, Union, Trump, Republican, Democratic, EU's Digital Services, Digital Services, Riot, British, Britain, Times Locations: Beverly Hills , California, Europe, United Kingdom, EU, Breton, Southport , England, Southport, England, Northern Ireland, Falkland Islands, Rotherham, U.K

☆ Online disinformation sparked a wave of far-right violence in the UK — here's how
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

This escalated into days of riots in the U.K. that saw attacks on mosques, immigration centers and hotels that house asylum seekers. The disinformation circulated online tapped into pre-existing biases and prejudice, Ondrak explained, adding that incorrect reports often thrive at times of heightened emotions. Many of the right-wing protestors claim the high number of migrants in the U.K. fuels crime and violence. Ondrak also noted that many groups that had previously circulated false information about the attack had started walking it back, saying it was a hoax. On Wednesday, the U.K. media regulator Ofcom issued a letter to social media platforms saying they shouldn't wait for the new law to come into force.

Persons: Christopher Furlong, Ali, Hannah Rose, Joe Ondrak, It's, Ondrak, it's, ISD's Rose, Rose, Thabo Jaiyesimi, Elon Musk, pushback, Benjamin Cremel Organizations: Riot, Getty, LinkedIn, Institute for Strategic, CNBC, Police, Telegram, Ofcom, Afp Locations: Rotherham, United Kingdom, Southport, Britain, U.K, Walthamstow, London

☆ As disinformation spreads during UK riots, regulators are currently powerless to take action
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

But even as online disinformation related to stabbings in the U.K. has led to real-world violence, Ofcom, Britain's online safety regulator finds itself unable to take effective enforcement actions. Shortly after the attack, social media users were quick to falsely identify the perpetrator as an asylum seeker who arrived in the U.K. by boat in 2023. U.K. officials subsequently issued warnings to social media firms urging them to get tough on false information online. Peter Kyle, the U.K.'s technology minister, held conversations with social media firms such as TikTok, Facebook parent company Meta , Google and X over their handling of misinformation being spread during the riots. watch nowUnder the Online Safety Act, the sending of false information intended to cause non-trivial harm is considered a punishable criminal offense.

Persons: Christopher Furlong, knifeman, Taylor Swift, Axel Rudakubana, Peter Kyle, Gill Whitehead, Whitehead Organizations: Riot, Ofcom, Police, Facebook, Meta, Google, CNBC Locations: Rotherham, U.K, Southport, Merseyside

☆ Violent, far-right riots overran some UK cities this weekend. What happened, and what comes next?
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

London CNN —Far-right riots swept Britain over the weekend, with outbreaks of anti-immigrant violence in a number of cities and towns, leaving the new UK government scrambling to control the worst disorder in more than a decade. Throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday, violent protesters congregated in city and town centers across the UK, many of them apparently intent on clashing with police and causing havoc. The gatherings ostensibly started as anti-immigration marches, organized on social media platforms like X and on WhatsApp and Telegram groups. Violence also took place in Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Stoke-on-Trent and several more cities, mostly across the Midlands and north of England. The man in charge of bringing those offenders to justice was Keir Starmer, then Britain’s Director of Public Prosecutions.

Persons: Keir Starmer, –, ”, Constable Lindsey Butterfield, Owen Humphreys, we’ve, ” Starmer, Christopher Furlong, Nigel Farage, Priti Patel, Diane Abbott, Britain’s, Elon, Tommy Robinson, Joe Mulhall, Robinson, Peter Powell, Musk, “, Starmer, underfunding Organizations: London CNN, Labour Party, Protesters, Rotherham, South Yorkshire Police, Middlesbrough, Stoke, Trent, Office, National Police Chiefs ’ Council, “, Downing, Police, . Police, Reform, Conservative Party, Farage, Conservative, CNN, Getty, Public Prosecutions, British Ministry of Justice, State, Justice, PA Media Locations: Britain, Southport, England, WhatsApp, Rotherham, Tamworth, Midlands, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, United Kingdom, Manchester, AFP, ”, British, London, gridlock, Wales, Afghanistan

☆ Rioters target hotel used to house asylum seekers amid worst UK disorder in years
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-04 | by ( Radina Gigova | Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Rioters attacked a hotel used to house asylum seekers in the UK town of Rotherham on Sunday, as the country faces the worst social unrest it has seen in years. In the latest violence, the Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Rotherham was targeted by protesters who stormed the building, with reports of it being set on fire, according to PA Media. “The criminal, violent attack on a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham is utterly appalling. Deliberately setting fire to a building with people known to be inside,” she wrote on X.Protestors throw a blazing garbage bin outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham on Sunday. Riot police stand in front of windows broken by rioters outside of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel.

Persons: Yvette Cooper, ”, Stringer, Dame Diana Johnson, Keir Starmer, Christopher Furlong, ” Johnson, “, Joe Mulhall, –, Mulhall, Stephen Lennon, a.k.a, Tommy Robinson, Elon Musk Organizations: CNN, Police, PA Media, Reuters, BBC, Labour, Riot, Research, Hope, Elon Locations: Rotherham, Southport, England, Britain

☆ Germany Grapples With ‘Difficult Decision’ in Prisoner Swap
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The convicted Russian killer bounded off a plane in Moscow on Thursday, hours after Germany freed him in a wide-ranging prison exchange with Russia. Zurab Khangoshvili, the brother of the Chechen exile shot by the assassin, repeatedly scrolled through the video of the scene, watching from his home in Germany with profound sadness, he said. “That man killed someone here, and then he went back to Russia to a welcoming ceremony with this huge red carpet. It was unfair.”Germany played a critical role in the complicated trade that on Thursday secured the release of 16 prisoners to the West in exchange for eight prisoners to Russia. No part of that deal was more fraught than agreeing to release Vadim Krasikov, sentenced to life in prison in 2021 for killing Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Chechen separatist commander who had sought asylum in Germany.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Zurab Khangoshvili, ”, Vadim Krasikov, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili Locations: Moscow, Russia, Germany, ” Germany, Chechen

☆ Southport stabbing: Riot police, protesters clash during vigil for three girls killed
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Helen Regan | Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Riot police armed with shields and batons attempt to restore order in Southport, England on July 30, 2024. The North West Ambulance Service said it treated 39 police officers injured in the violence, 27 of whom were taken to hospital. Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesPolice have said the suspect is from the village of Banks, near Southport, and was originally from Cardiff, Wales. More must be done to tackle Islamophobia and offer reassurance at this time.”On Tuesday, police named the three girls killed in the stabbing as Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9. Taylor Swift, whose music was the theme of the dance class targeted in the attack, said Tuesday she was “completely in shock.”

Persons: Keir Starmer, thuggery, “, ”, ” Starmer, Taylor Swift, Constable Alex Goss, ” Goss, Christopher Furlong, Goss, Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, King, Bebe, Starmer Organizations: CNN, British, Protesters, English Defence League, Merseyside Police, Police, Riot, Getty, ” Merseyside Police, North West Ambulance Service, Muslim, of Britain, MCB, ” Locations: Southport, Southport , England, Banks, Cardiff, Wales

☆ This is the right age to give your child a smartphone, according to an NYU mental health researcher
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Some 74% of girls who received their first smartphone at age six said they felt distressed or were struggling, the study found. This decreased to 52% for those who got their first smartphone at age 15. Meanwhile, 42% of boys who got their first smartphone at age 6 experienced feeling distressed or struggling, and this reduced to 36% for those who received a smartphone at age 18. "Social media, we suggest delaying until 16, so a little older." Some academics and scientists remain unconvinced of a causal link between smartphones and poor mental health, however.

Persons: Zach Rausch, Jonathon Haidt's, Rausch, Christopher Ferguson Organizations: Research, New York University Stern School of Business, New York Times, CNBC Locations: preteens, U.S

☆ Germany Promised to Step Up Militarily. Its Budget Says Differently.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two-and-a-half years after Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to overhaul Germany’s military, his government’s proposed budget for 2025 calls for only a modest increase in defense spending. The draft budget was deeply disappointing to those looking for signs that Germany would live up to Mr. Scholz’s promise of a “Zeitenwende,” defined by the chancellor himself as an “epochal tectonic shift” in strategy, which he announced with great fanfare in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With the war in Ukraine grinding on, Russia continuing to saber-rattle and Donald J. Trump gaining momentum for a return to the White House, Germany has been under increasing pressure from its allies to step into a more robust security role. To live up to that pledge, Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defense minister, had asked for an increase of 6.7 billion, or $7.3 billion, over the 52 billion euros, or nearly $57 billion, in this year’s budget. The shortfall deepened concerns that Mr. Scholz’s unpopular government lacks the will or political backing to push Germans to overcome their historical reluctance to take the lead militarily since the calamity of World War II.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Scholz’s, Donald J, Boris Pistorius Organizations: Trump, White Locations: Germany, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Where Germany’s Immigration Debate Hits Home
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Sarah Maslin Nir | Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The leafy market square, ringed by Middle Eastern restaurants in a quiet city where nearly half the residents have immigrant backgrounds, seems like the last place that would spur Germany’s latest explosive wave of nationalist backlash. But it was in Mannheim where prosecutors say an Afghan man stabbed six people in May at an anti-Islamist rally, killing an officer who had intervened. But the death and the fact that the man accused had his asylum claim denied years ago set off calls for the expulsion of some refugees. It has been particularly painful for the longtime Muslim population of the city, where, according to some estimates, nearly one in five people are of Turkish descent. That worry has heightened since January, when an exposé revealed a secret meeting by members of the extreme right during which the deportation of even legal residents of immigrant descent was discussed.

Locations: Mannheim, Germany

☆ Germany to Strip Huawei From Its 5G Networks
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Christopher F. Schuetze | More About Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The German government said on Thursday that it had reached an agreement with major telecom companies to have them stop using critical Huawei and ZTE components in their 5G mobile infrastructure in five years, the latest step by a European country to ban Chinese companies from critical telecommunications infrastructure. The agreement with the telecom companies — Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica — comes in two steps. First, use of Chinese-made critical components will be discontinued from core parts of the country’s 5G networks by the end of 2026. Then, the parts made by Chinese manufacturers will be phased out from antennas, transmission lines and towers by the end of 2029. Huawei and ZTE did not respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Nancy Faeser Organizations: Huawei, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Telefonica —, ZTE, European Union Locations: Berlin, Germany

American intelligence agencies uncovered a Russian plot to kill the chief executive of a German weapons manufacturer, according to multiple Western officials, as Moscow steps up a campaign to undermine support for Ukraine’s war effort. The United States warned Germany about the plot, and German officials increased protection for Armin Papperger, who leads Rheinmetall, which makes artillery shells and tanks that Ukraine has used in its war against Russia. The assassination plot is a significant escalation, officials said, representing a more concerted covert effort to deter Western companies from producing supplies for Ukraine. A senior Western intelligence official said that the threats were flagged this past spring. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the Russian operation.

Persons: Armin Papperger, Papperger Organizations: United, Rheinmetall, Russia, NATO Locations: Moscow, United States, Germany, Ukraine, Western

☆ As Climate Toll Grows, FEMA Imposes Limits on Building in Flood Plains
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Christopher Flavelle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will take new steps to ensure that the structures it funds — including schools, hospitals, police stations, libraries, sewage treatment plants and bridges — are protected from flooding. The agency said Wednesday that projects constructed with FEMA money must be built in a way that prevents flood damage, whether by elevating them above the expected height of a flood or, if that’s not feasible, by building in a safer location. The rule also makes it clear that building decisions must reflect risks now and also in the future, as climate change makes flooding more frequent and severe. “We are going to be able to put a stop to the cycle of response and recovery, and rinse and repeat,” Deanne Criswell, the FEMA administrator, said during a call with reporters. The new rule will “enhance resilience in flood-prone communities, by taking future flood risk into consideration when we rebuild,” she said.

Persons: Deanne Criswell, ” Organizations: Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA

☆ How the Home Insurance Market Became So Distorted
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Christopher Flavelle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But that data, which makes it possible to compare insurance premiums around the country, also shows something even more surprising: As climate change makes extreme weather more likely, the cost of home insurance doesn’t line up all that closely with risk. Deciphering the cost of home insurance from one place to another is almost impossible. They obtained data showing how much millions of American households pay to mortgage service companies, which typically includes insurance. Then they deducted payments for mortgages, property taxes and other fees, leaving them with an estimate of home insurance premiums. The result is first-of-its-kind data, piercing the veil that insurers and regulators have placed over the cost of home insurance in different parts of the country.

Persons: you’re, — Benjamin Keys, Philip Mulder, University of Wisconsin — Organizations: Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, University of Wisconsin

☆ AI images of Jesus are suspiciously handsome. We only have ourselves to blame
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, in the age of AI, Jesus can assume an infinite variety of roles with just a few keystrokes. While AI images of Jesus depict the Christian savior in innumerable situations, they often focus on his physical appearance as well. All of these handsome AI Jesus images are created from patterns a machine picks up from the information it is fed. Some AI images of Jesus contain inexplicable details that are neither Biblically nor historically informed. There are other complications that lead to the persistence of handsome AI Jesus.

Persons: Jesus Christ, Shepherd, Jesus, Instagram influencers, Jesus ’, ”, Brenda Sanderson, ” Sanderson, Michelangelo, Joseph Geefs, Geefs ’, Guillaume, “, Lucifer, Salustiano García Cruz, Saint Sebastian, Mary Magdalene, Morgan Haigh, Cristina Quicler, Christopher Framer, ” Framer, it’s Organizations: CNN, Facebook, St, Paul’s, BBC, Santa de Sevilla, Getty Locations: Liège, Belgium, Spanish, AFP, Petaluma , California

☆ Black Shirts and Banned Flags: Ultras Push Politics at Euro 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Rory Smith | Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Those hoping to march to the stadium with Hungary’s fans for their soccer team’s first game of the European Championship were expected to report by 10 a.m. sharp, five hours before kickoff. Some could wear black. Others were to stick with red, white and green, the colors of the country’s flag. The Carpathian Brigade has, in recent years, become perhaps Europe’s most infamous ultra group, its reputation forged by clashing with the police, showering opponents with racist abuse and displaying homophobic banners. In 2021, during the last European Championship, it had to remind members to cover up any Nazi-related tattoos so as not to contravene German law.

Organizations: team’s, European, Carpathian Brigade, Hungarian

☆ Human rights lawyer to political reformer: Who is Keir Starmer, the UK's new would-be prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks ahead of the U.K.'s general election on July 4, 2024. The left-of-center opposition party retains a commanding lead of around 20 points over current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives, according to the latest YouGov poll. But who is Keir Starmer — Labour's leader and the clear favorite to become prime minister after Britain's July 4 election? Starmer also served as a human rights adviser during former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair's Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement. Labour leader Keir Starmer takes a selfie with students after a campaign event at Three Counties Medical School on May 29, 2024.

Persons: Sir Keir Starmer, Anthony Devlin, Rishi Sunak's, Nigel Farage's, Keir Starmer —, Starmer, Margaret Thatcher's, Tony Blair's, Jeremy Corbyn, Keir Starmer, Christopher Furlong Organizations: Labour Party, Getty, Conservative, Britain's Labour Party, Labour, Conservatives, British, National Health Service, University of Leeds, University of Oxford, Shell, Tony Blair's Northern, Service, Counties Medical School, Wealth Fund Locations: London, England, Victoria, EU, Britain

A man wielding an ax on a street crowded with soccer fans was shot by the police on Sunday in Hamburg, Germany, only hours before the city was to host a game at the European Championship. The man threatened police officers with “a pickax and an incendiary device,” a police spokesman said on Sunday. The incident took place in Hamburg’s entertainment district, a section of the city known as the Reeperbahn that is filled with restaurants and bars. At the time, the area was packed with thousands of fans who had arrived to see the Netherlands play Poland on Sunday afternoon. According to a spokeswoman for the Hamburg police and videos of the incident posted online, the man came out of a small restaurant with a small, double-bladed ax and a firebomb and threatened officers nearby.

Persons: “ Organizations: European, Sunday, Hamburg Locations: Hamburg, Germany, Netherlands, Poland

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